DraftKings' Arena Football League (AFL) contests are back in Week 4 with a full three-game slate. RotoWire will be providing lineup suggestions for each of the 12 weeks of the AFL regular season, the two weeks of the playoffs and the ArenaBowl.
DraftKings AFL lineups consist of one Captain spot, which sees the player's salary and fantasy points both multiply at a rate of 1.5x, and five Flex positions. The lack of positional specifications means that one could potentially compose a lineup consisting of players from just one position. However, for our purposes, we'll strive to highlight players from at least the top two fantasy-producing positions, quarterback and wide receiver.
Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations on certain players and are not intended to constitute a lineup that fits under DraftKings' $50,000 salary cap. In fact, the cumulative salary of the players suggested weekly will often check in well over that figure.
For a full overview of the basics of playing AFL DFS contests on DraftKings, review our DFS 101 primer here: https://www.rotowire.com/arena/article.php?id=45291
Week 4 AFL Plays
Captain: Arvell Nelson, QB, WAS vs. PHL ($16,500):
Through three weeks, it appears it will typically be a coin flip between Nelson and the Empire's Tommy Grady as top candidate for the Captain's spot. This week, I'm giving the nod to the former, who's already racked up 17 total touchdowns (12 passing, five rushing). What's more, both the Valor and the Soul have already shown a tendency to get involved in back-and-forth shootouts, which bodes well for Nelson's fantasy upside Saturday. Philadelphia comes in allowing an AFL-high 8.8 yards per attempt and 16 passing touchdowns as well, while Nelson has scored no fewer than four touchdowns in any of the first three games and piled up eight passing scores back in Week 1 against the Brigade. Given his ability to supplement his production with strong work on the ground (65 rush yards through three games) and his matchup, I see him as the best way to maximize the 1.5 fantasy-point multiplier the Captain's position offers.
Flex: Tommy Grady, ALB at CLB ($9,800):
Grady came through with flying colors in Week 3 as our Captain's pick, but I see him as likely needing to be less aggressive overall against the Destroyers on Saturday. The winless opposition is last in total touchdowns (12) on the season and averages a modest 196.7 yards per game overall. That's partly led to them facing the third-fewest pass attempts (90) while also allowing the second-fewest passing yards (660) and third-fewest touchdown passes (11). Grady has boosted his touchdown passes in each game thus far, however, and he racked up a jaw-dropping seven scoring throws on just 17 attempts in Week 3. He still retains plenty of upside for GPPs, even if that type of efficiency almost certainly won't carry over.
Flex: Darius Prince, WR, PHL at WAS ($9,200):
Prince doesn't come cheap, but his locked-in volume and what should be a highly competitive game makes him worthy of serious consideration. Prince has no fewer than eight receptions in any of the first three games. While he's mostly done the dirty work underneath (8.0 yards per catch), he's already tallied six touchdown receptions, including three in Week 3 against the Empire. The Valor has given up an AFL-high 14 passing touchdowns and a robust 8.4 yards per attempt as well, furthering Prince's case. With back-to-back games of more than 30 fantasy points, Prince's price tag is justified in what should be a wire-to-wire battle.
Flex: Dan Raudabaugh, QB, PHL at WAS ($8,400):
Speaking of Prince, his quarterback makes for an excellent handcuff in tournaments. Raudabaugh has upped his fantasy production in each game thus far, topping out at 40.46 fantasy points in Week 3 against the Empire on the strength of a six-touchdown effort. He's put up over 30 pass attempts in each contest, and he should be in for another hefty workload in what should equate to a shootout versus Arvell Nelson and the Valor. In addition to the pass defense numbers just cited in Prince's entry, it's also worth noting Washington has allowed an AFL-high 121.8 quarterback efficiency rating and has yielded the third-most passing yards (714) through the first three weeks.
Flex: Jared Dangerfield, WR, WAS vs. PHL ($6,200):
Dangerfield represents cost-effective exposure to the potent Valor air attack and provides you access to a talented threat that's seen no shortage of volume in the early going. The 26-year-old has already amassed a league-best 26 receptions, and he's done it by upping his catch total in each contest. Dangerfield topped out at 10 versus Atlantic City in Week 3, a performance that also saw him log his first touchdown of the season and generate 24.5 fantasy points. As noted earlier in Nelson's entry, the Soul has been very susceptible through the air in the first three games, and Philadelphia is also surrendering the third-highest completion percentage (65.8) in the AFL.
Flex: Antwane Grant, WR, AC vs. BAL ($5,800):
Just as was the case in Week 3, there are several value options if you want to pay down at one or more spots, with the Brigade's Milton Williams ($6,000) and the Destroyers' Jenson Stoshak ($5,600) particularly appealing just above and below Grant. However, the Blackjacks wideout deserves plenty of deliberation in his own right, considering he's upped his profile in the AC offense in each of the last two games. After a modest 4-47 line in the opener, Grant bumped up his catch total by two grabs in Week 2. He then broke out to the tune of an 8-102 line last week versus the Valor. The 26-year-old is in his first AFL season, but he brings pro experience in the form of a five-game CFL stint in 2017. Furthermore, he put together a 96-catch, 1,210-yard, 13-touchdown college resume over two years at Western Kentucky, offering a glimpse at his upside. The Brigade make for tantalizing targets as well, as they'll check in allowing the most passing yards per game (265.3) and second-most passing touchdowns (15), while also tying with the Valor for the second-highest yards per attempt (8.4) surrendered.
