Shows / NFL/ Thursday, October 29, 2026
From the archive. This breakdown is for the Thursday, October 29 NFL slate. Salaries, weather and picks were for that day.
Latest NFL show →Zach Trivett breaks down the 11-game Week 8 cash slate, with Dak Prescott ($8,000) the FanDuel quarterback choice and the same priority on DraftKings. Chase Brown leads DraftKings running backs, while Puka Nacua competes with premium backs for salary. Double tight end builds can fit more studs, and the Broncos are the preferred cheap defense. Receiver spending depends on which expensive running backs make the build.
Jahmyr Gibbs ($9,500) is optional on DraftKings but a FanDuel lock, where the larger cap and lower price make him easier to fit. Germie Bernard ($5,000) supplies FanDuel receiver savings to support spending elsewhere. Three running backs are preferred there, with Javonte Williams likely included and Tony Pollard offering savings. Trey McBride is desirable but dispensable; Brenton Strange or Sam LaPorta can save salary. Detroit leads FanDuel defenses.
| Play | Call | The Take | At |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORE | The DraftKings quarterback lock unless something changes dramatically, and also preferred at $8,000 on FanDuel because of the game environment and Dallas' slate-leading implied total. | 1:51 | |
| Acceptable as a DraftKings alternative to Gibbs, but neither is mandatory; adding him to the preferred FanDuel backs would force savings at receiver and tight end. | 3:02 | ||
| CORE | A DraftKings priority at $6,300 with steady touches, receiving ability and a home favorite implied for almost 30 points. | 3:45 | |
| VALUE | Too cheap at $8,600 on DraftKings, but fitting him generally means passing on Gibbs and Bijan Robinson; cheaper running back choices make him easier to afford. | 3:45 | |
| VALUE | A very good DraftKings price at $7,700 with Cincinnati implied for almost 30 points, and the questionable tag is not a concern. | 4:10 | |
| At $8,100 on DraftKings, the preference is to find $500 more for Puka or save with Chase and the cheaper receivers. | 4:28 | ||
| Coming off a big game and capable of producing in several ways, but the matchup and an 18-point implied team total are concerns. | 4:28 | ||
| VALUE | Cheap on both sites if active, including $5,900 on DraftKings, with his offense implied for 26 points. | 4:54 | |
| A possible $3,900 DraftKings option providing cheap exposure to a top game environment. | 4:54 | ||
| VALUE | A cheaper DraftKings tight end preferred over Greg Dulcich, with the option to play both together to afford premium players. | 6:04 |
Clear your liftoff. What is going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Week eight Cash GameA cash game is a contest that pays a large share of the field, usually close to half, the same flat prize. Fifty-fifties, double-ups and head-to-heads are the common cash games.Treat cash games as the steady base of your bankroll. Use one safe core across your cash entries on a slate, and save riskier ideas for tournaments.Read the full definition of Cash Game countdown. I'm title town breaking down all things Cash. I am recording this a day earlier than usual on Thursday. A lot of Injury NewsInjury news is information about a player's health that can change whether they compete, how much they play or how effectively they perform. In DFS, it also affects opportunities for teammates and opponents.Before an uncertain player's game locks, identify an alternative you can afford at each affected position. Check whether making that change would require another player whose game starts earlier.Read the full definition of Injury News, like always, only going to get worse throughout the year. But that is why you should get over to Ship It Nation dot com. All core plays will be up for on DraftKings for on FanDuel.
Under, as you can see right here, Sports, NFL, Slate Station. You'll be able to find that, as well as Hoops Player PoolA player pool is the set of players you consider using in your DFS lineups for a slate, the games or events included in a contest. The term can also mean everyone available to select in that contest.Keep a replacement beside each uncertain player, noting the salary and position you need. Recheck those alternatives when news changes so your shortlist still produces usable lineups.Read the full definition of Player Pool, Tambo, Matt Belman, Ham, their breakdowns for FanDuel and DraftKings, ProjectionsDFS projections estimate a player's fantasy points for an upcoming slate using expected opportunities, performance and the contest's scoring rules. They describe an expected result, not a guaranteed score.Check the projection's update time and assumed role before using it. If news is already included, adjusting again for that same news can double-count its effect.Read the full definition of Projections OwnershipOwnership is the percentage of lineups in a contest that include a given player. Projected ownership is an estimate made before lock; actual ownership is posted once the contest locks.Ownership isn't something to avoid; it's something to build around. The goal is understanding how the field is likely to build, then finding your edge relative to that.Read the full definition of Ownership, The Stone, the best tool in the business, also Showdown (Captain and MVP)NFL Showdown lets you select players from one football game, including eligible quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends, kickers and team defenses. Your Captain or MVP receives the contest's scoring multiplier.Compare complete lineups with different players in the multiplier slot. Leaving salary unused can reduce duplication, but do not sacrifice meaningful scoring potential just to make your lineup unusual.Read the full definition of Showdown as well. Golf's still going on. NBA's still going on. NHL's still going on. So it's a great time to get over to the nation, see plans and pricing. It only gets cheaper if you're with us longer. You can see monthly deals, annual deals.
You also do have single sport options as well if you're just looking for NFL packages. So we would love to have you. Definitely do get in the Discord if you do join. We're going to hop on over to our partner OptimizerAn optimizer is software that builds DFS lineups within a site's salary cap and roster rules. It uses projected fantasy points, your settings and, in some tools, simulations to select combinations for a chosen goal.Build a small test batch first. Check which players and combinations repeat, and investigate why before increasing the lineup count or changing settings.Read the full definition of Optimizer at SaberSim. We have eleven games on DraftKings and FanDuel this Week. Two totals that stick out in a tier of their own, and that is the Cardinals and the Cowboys and the Ravens and the Bills.
So, yeah, a decent amount of some Cash exposure will be there, but not a ton. It's kind of priced efficiently. So we'll go through quarterback position by position, and we will start with DraftKings. Let me make sure we are. Yep, on SaberSim. Let me sort by value. And we are going to kick it off. DraftKings quarterback with what I believe to be a lock. I am plugging in Dak Prescott. Unless something dramatically changes.
Again, this is one of the Game environments you want. Applied for thirty one points, which is the most on the SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate. I see no reason to go anywhere else but Dak on DraftKings. And that it's actually decently tough Week on both sides. There's some decisions to be made. So it is nice to get a lockout of the way to start running back. I also like Chase Brown quite a bit right now. If the slate locked right now, I'd be playing him.
He's still getting a good amount of touches like sixteen, seventeen, twenty. Piran has been more involved. But yeah, good spot at home as big boy favorites implied for almost thirty points themselves. $6,300 too cheap can catch the ball to the backfield. After that, it gets a little more difficult. I do think Gibbs is still in play at $9,500. Not the best matchup. It's a lot easier to get on FanDuel. We'll talk about that there.
But if you can get Gibbs, I have no problem with that. $1,000, you could drop down to Bijan. Also have no problem with that. Neither are must by any means. Do not think you'll have the salary to play both of them. And then if you don't, Javonte Williams, $7,300 looks very good. Obviously, again, applied for thirty one. Got there at the end. Had a big Game against the Eagles on Monday night.
Yes, you can play him and Dak as Cash GameA cash game is a contest that pays a large share of the field, usually close to half, the same flat prize. Fifty-fifties, double-ups and head-to-heads are the common cash games.Treat cash games as the steady base of your bankroll. Use one safe core across your cash entries on a slate, and save riskier ideas for tournaments.Read the full definition of Cash Game. You're only trying to be fifty percent, forty seven percent, whatever. Double up fifty fifty or playing of the field. So I think Javonte is strong. But yeah, not a must either. Tootin's cheap. $5,900. Bucky's cheap. Coming off a great Game. Jill Warren still too cheap at $6,600. I think that's probably where you're cutting it off. I don't hate Tony Pollard.
I do think he is more of a FanDuel play than a DraftKings play. So no, three running backs is not a must this Week. It is in play. Chase Brown right now is a priority for me. And then after that, there's multiple different options at different price tiers. Let's go to the receiver room, which is wide open. It is very difficult. I have no locks. Yeah, I would love to get Puka. I think $8,600 is too cheap.
But if you are playing Puka, you're probably not playing Gibbs or Bijan. If you're not playing those two, it is a lot easier to fit Puka and you probably are. So that's the decision or at least one of them on the SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate. I still think Ja'Marr Chase's price tag at $7,700 is very good, implied for almost thirty points. I'm not worried about this Q tag.
After that, I think it's Drake London, Parker Washington, T. Higgins, Zay Flowers, all of them in a little pricing tier below the Pukas of the world. Yeah, you see CD at $8,100. I think I'd rather just go to Puka and find the five hundred. Or get savings to Chase or some of these other guys. In terms of some value, again, I mentioned Xavier Worthy already. Malik Washington is a fine value. KC Concepcion coming off a big Game.
Don't love the matchup, only implied for eighteen points, but can get it done in a lot of ways. Jeremy Bernard, definitely back in play at $4,900. A.J. Brown still, if he does go, very cheap, $5,900. Cheap on both sides and only implied, or not only, implied for twenty six points, which is good on this slate. So, yeah, Kendrick Bourne, maybe I'd be fine with. $3,900 is very cheap.
Get exposure to the best Game environment as well. So, yeah, I think receiver is very difficult. The main decision will be, can you play Puka? Are you playing Bijan? Are you playing Gibbs? What are you prioritizing? But enough mid-tier value that looks strong at wide receiver level. Tight end, I would love to play Trey McBride. I'm just not sure on DraftKings I'll have the money to do so. He is in play. I'm not saying he's not.
If you are playing him, you're not probably playing any of Puka. Maybe you can play one of Puka, Bijan Gibbs. More than Likely, it'd probably be Puka. And then you're saving. And if you are going McBride, you're probably going double tight end. But there's enough value, I guess, a wide receiver where it's possible. I do think McBride's a little stronger on FanDuel. Still not a lock, though. But yeah, $3,400 to Brenton Strange, $4,000 down to Mark Andrews. Those are big savings.
I'm fine with Dulcich. I prefer Mark Andrews, though. So if you are playing Dulcich, you're probably playing both Andrews and Dulcich as double punt tight end to jam in two of three of Bijan Gibbs and Puka. Charlie Kohler as well. Stone punt at $2,500. Again, you're not hoping for much. It's just what what you get when you play. Charlie Kohler is the appeal to him.
So I think it's McBride if you're spending all the way up, otherwise Strange, Andrews, Dulcich, Kohler, and double tight end is in play this Week as well if you want to jam the studs. Defense, sorting by value, sorting by OwnershipOwnership is the percentage of lineups in a contest that include a given player. Projected ownership is an estimate made before lock; actual ownership is posted once the contest locks.Ownership isn't something to avoid; it's something to build around. The goal is understanding how the field is likely to build, then finding your edge relative to that.Read the full definition of Ownership, looks like the Broncos going to be pretty heavily owned. I think I'll just play it and eat the ChalkChalk is the most popular, highly owned play on a slate. The term comes from sports betting, where the favorite is called the chalk.Don't label chalk good or bad. Ask whether each popular play deserves its ownership, then decide which chalk you'll eat and which you'll fade.Read the full definition of Chalk in Cash. Is it the best spot?
No, but the Chiefs didn't have not looked very good on offense, especially on Sunday nights, but it mainly comes down to the price. $2,300, which is the third off of the stone men. Chargers against the Rams. No, thanks. Titans against Bengals. No, thanks. Cardinals, Dallas. No, thanks. Dolphins, New England. No, thanks. So. Nothing really stands out in terms of Spending UpSpending up means choosing a higher-priced player over a cheaper alternative, using more of your lineup's salary budget at that spot. You may also hear it called paying up.Build a version with your preferred expensive player and another without. Before choosing, check whether either version relies on a cheap player whose expected role still depends on unresolved injury news.Read the full definition of Spending Up. Yeah, I guess if you want $1,000 and you can find it, Pittsburgh against Cleveland would be my next favorites.
But yeah, even four hundred more, like Lions versus the Vikings, sure. But that four hundred could go a long way on this SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate. In a vacuum, I'd probably go with Lions over the Broncos. But again, four hundred, you can find money to upgrade in something that you like. So probably the Broncos and DK Cash for the price tag. All right, let's get over to FanDuel. Again, appreciate everyone hanging out. If you've been hanging out all eight weeks, I appreciate you. Like button is all I ask for.
Subscribe button as well. It helps us out a ton over here at Shippenation. Quarterback position, I think it's pretty similar to FanDuel, or excuse me, to DraftKings. I am playing Dak Prescott, I think. Trevor Lawrence is three hundred cheaper if you do need the three hundred savings and it really gets you what you want. I wouldn't argue, I guess. They're implied for almost twenty nine points, only two points left. Just the Game environment, though, feels a lot better for Dak.
And yeah, so I think I'm playing Dak at $8,000 right now. To running back, Jameer Gibbs, like I mentioned, an easier click on FanDuel than DraftKings. I mean, you get $60,000 salary cap FanDuel, $50,000 on DraftKings and Gibbs is two hundred cheaper on FanDuel. So I do plan on locking in Gibbs. Again, not the easiest matchup, but the dude's just a monster. His usage is unmatched. I want to start my lineups with Jameer Gibbs. After that, really like the price tag for Javonte.
Fits FanDuel scoring better than DraftKings as well. Excuse me. You can play Bijan with these guys as well. It is very expensive. Then you'd be saving at tight end for sure. You'd be not Spending UpSpending up means choosing a higher-priced player over a cheaper alternative, using more of your lineup's salary budget at that spot. You may also hear it called paying up.Build a version with your preferred expensive player and another without. Before choosing, check whether either version relies on a cheap player whose expected role still depends on unresolved injury news.Read the full definition of Spending Up at wide receiver. It's possible. Probably not the route I would plan on going if the SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate locked right now, but who knows come Sunday if some value opens up. Chase Brown, good price tag on FanDuel. Tootin, good price tag.
Warren, Bucky, Kyron, kind of the similar guys that we talked about on DraftKings. And then a guy in a tier of his own, I mentioned Tony Powell. I do think he is more in play on FanDuel. Then DraftKings, six, two hundred, like seven. The next cheapest we talked about is Tootin. That's seven hundred could go a long way. So Tony Pollard in the Cash GameA cash game is a contest that pays a large share of the field, usually close to half, the same flat prize. Fifty-fifties, double-ups and head-to-heads are the common cash games.Treat cash games as the steady base of your bankroll. Use one safe core across your cash entries on a slate, and save riskier ideas for tournaments.Read the full definition of Cash Game consideration as well. Right now, though, Gibbs, I thinking is a priority.
And I think Javonte Williams right now will be in my lineup as well. But playing three running backs on FanDuel pretty much always. So then finding the third one is important. Wide receiver, definitely tough. I do think the lock for me right now would be Jeremy Bernard. $5,000 is just way too cheap. If you compare others in his range, nobody is even close. Yeah. Great Game two weeks ago.
Not great last Sunday morning, but I'm going right back to him on a SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate where we want to get Spending UpSpending up means choosing a higher-priced player over a cheaper alternative, using more of your lineup's salary budget at that spot. You may also hear it called paying up.Build a version with your preferred expensive player and another without. Before choosing, check whether either version relies on a cheap player whose expected role still depends on unresolved injury news.Read the full definition of Spending Up. Jeremy Bernard after that comes down to, yeah, what are you doing at? Running back three, are you playing B. John? If so, you're probably not playing Puka or you're probably not playing Chase. If you're playing Tony Pollard, a lot easier to fit Puka or Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins looks good. Parker Washington looks good. Drake London looks good. Zay Flowers looks good.
A.J. Brown, assuming he goes too cheap. Michael Wilson on FanDuel is a very good price tag at $6,200. Don't think we really need Malik Washington right now, but you could if you're playing Gibbs and Bijan or you're playing Trey McBride. You probably will need to punt two wide receiver spots. So I think it's Jeremy Bernard. And then what you do after that depends on what others spends. Tight end, very important. Again, Trey McBride in a tier of his own.
He is $7,300. So I'm not going to call him a lock because you can get $2,200 savings to Strange nineteen hundred to Kelley LaPorta, Henry Hawkins. I do think you are playing either McBride or you're going to this $5,000 range. One of Strange Kelley LaPorta, Henry Hawkins really don't have too many strong leans. I think my gut right now says Strange just because they're implied for almost twenty nine points or LaPorta.
But yeah, it wasn't great for LaPorta last Week as well. So. Ideally, I'd be able to get Trey McBride, but we play a salary-based Game, so I do not think he is a must. Defense, sorting by value. The Lions look to be the best, and then the Jags, then the Rams. I mean, any time the value is one of the cheaper defenses on the SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate, I think right now if the slate locked, I'm probably just going to play them.
Yeah, the Vikings are undefeated, but only applied for twenty one points. The offense has not been great. They're undefeated because the defense Kyler can make mistakes and sacks. You get a home defense four hundred off of the minimum and similar to the Broncos on DraftKings. When you just compare the ones cheaper, nobody is even close in the same ballpark. So right now I do think Lions defense on FanDuel, Broncos on DraftKings, I think are two of the more core plays on this SlateA slate in DFS is the set of games, races, fights or tournament rounds covered by a contest. It determines which events your player selections can come from and which performances count toward your score.Before building, open the contest details and check the included events, scoring period and lock rules. Do not assume two sites offer identical slates just because both call them the main slate.Read the full definition of Slate.
That's all I got. Week eight. It's going fast, but we still got over half the season left. Appreciate it. Have everyone hanging out. Again, like button helps us out a ton. Subscribe button helps us out. Core plays will be going up on Saturday. Updated Sunday if anything changes. Make sure to tune in Sunday morning to Hoop, Tambo, and myself breaking down the whole slates. Happy Halloween, everybody. Good luck in your Week eight Cash GameA cash game is a contest that pays a large share of the field, usually close to half, the same flat prize. Fifty-fifties, double-ups and head-to-heads are the common cash games.Treat cash games as the steady base of your bankroll. Use one safe core across your cash entries on a slate, and save riskier ideas for tournaments.Read the full definition of Cash Game contest. I'm Titletown. Good luck. Be safe.
Peace.
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