Wild Card Week "Optimal" Lineup (Restricted to using only one player per team) (1 Viewer)

Summary: Need to use all 8 NFL teams to fill a Wild Card roster of 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 PK and 1 DST position. Trying to put together the optimal lineup -- and in particular, figure out how to best use TEN and BUF. Scoring is pretty standard non PPR, with some minor quirks (detailed below)

Background: I'm in a long-running league (25+ years) that operates very similarly to DFS, in that you need to set an "optimal" lineup each week (no draft). Each week, you need to fill 8 positions (QB, 2RB, 3WR/TE, PK, DST). Instead of using a salary cap, our league uses a restriction that an NFL team can only be represented once each week (so, for example, you can't select Brees AND Kamara in the same week). Scoring is pretty standard non-PPR scoring, though there are some quirks (for QB, passing yardage is scaled by completion percentage... and for DST, you only get points for Defensive or Return TDs, Turnovers, Safeties and Kickoff/Punt yardage -- no points for sacks or for points against).

From 200+ teams, I've made the semi-finals (10 teams) which takes place Wild Card weekend. Trying to put together the optimal lineup, and in particular, figure out how best to use TEN and BUF. On one hand, I can simply use them in the PK and DST spots -- but on the other, it may be more beneficial to play at least one of them at a WR spot (Matthews? Benjamin?).

Right now, I'm pretty locked in on Gurley, Fournette and Julio Jones. I'd take either Brees and Kelce/Hill or Smith and Thomas -- leaving me with CAR/BUF/TEN for WR3, PK and DST. Other option is to take Newton at QB, which then frees up NOS or KC to use at one of the three open positions.

Any and all advice is appreciated (as long as it's good)

interesting format. 

Here is what I would be thinking:

• Chiefs - Smith, Hunt, Hill or Kelce are the obvious choices. 
  
• Titans - Henry, Defense, Succop, Walker
  
• Jaguars - Fournette or defense
  
• Bills - Defense, Hauscka, Clay, Taylor (don't trust and injured McCoy so I didn't list him here)
  
• Saints - Kamara, Ingram, Thomas (I think there are better options than Brees with relation to the other saint choices)
  
• Panthers - Cam, Defense, Gano, McCaffrey, Olsen
  
• Rams - Gurley, Goff, Woods
  
• Falcons - Freeman, Jones, Ryan, Bryant
  

Based on the options from each team to try and maximize production I would probably be leaning this way:

• QB - Newton:  I wanted to use Smith or Brees but because the Panthers don't have a WR I trust and the Saints/Chiefs have better options there this has to be the choice.
  
• RB - Fournette: Obviously not many choices from Jax and I would rather use a different defense
  
• RB - Gurley:  He will be the highest scoring Ram player and with only two RB slots he has to be one of them.
  
• WR - Julio Jones:  Realy no other Atlanta choice once other positions start getting filled.
  
• WR - Thomas:  Can't use either RB with Fourrnette & Gurley already taking those slots so have to go Thomas
  
• TE/WR -  Kelce or Hill:  Pick the one you think scores most.  Safer would be Kelce, Higher upside would be Hill.  I think I lean Kelce
  
• K - Succop:  Based on available scorers this is the best option for the Titans player
  
• Def - Bills Defense:  I think the Jaguars can turn the ball over and I don't think offensively the Bills will do anything with and injured McCoy.  So defense is the best bet to be highest scoring Bills player
  

Gally said:

interesting format. 

Here is what I would be thinking:

• Chiefs - Smith, Hunt, Hill or Kelce are the obvious choices. 
  
• Titans - Henry, Defense, Succop, Walker
  
• Jaguars - Fournette or defense
  
• Bills - Defense, Hauscka, Clay, Taylor (don't trust and injured McCoy so I didn't list him here)
  
• Saints - Kamara, Ingram, Thomas (I think there are better options than Brees with relation to the other saint choices)
  
• Panthers - Cam, Defense, Gano, McCaffrey, Olsen
  
• Rams - Gurley, Goff, Woods
  
• Falcons - Freeman, Jones, Ryan, Bryant
  

Based on the options from each team to try and maximize production I would probably be leaning this way:

• QB - Newton:  I wanted to use Smith or Brees but because the Panthers don't have a WR I trust and the Saints/Chiefs have better options there this has to be the choice.
  
• RB - Fournette: Obviously not many choices from Jax and I would rather use a different defense
  
• RB - Gurley:  He will be the highest scoring Ram player and with only two RB slots he has to be one of them.
  
• WR - Julio Jones:  Realy no other Atlanta choice once other positions start getting filled.
  
• WR - Thomas:  Can't use either RB with Fourrnette & Gurley already taking those slots so have to go Thomas
  
• TE/WR -  Kelce or Hill:  Pick the one you think scores most.  Safer would be Kelce, Higher upside would be Hill.  I think I lean Kelce
  
• K - Succop:  Based on available scorers this is the best option for the Titans player
  
• Def - Bills Defense:  I think the Jaguars can turn the ball over and I don't think offensively the Bills will do anything with and injured McCoy.  So defense is the best bet to be highest scoring Bills player
  

Click to expand...

My team would probably look like this:

QB Bortles  Filling out the rest of the key players first=RB-WR leaves Bortles as the best key player left.

RB  Gurley

RB McCaffrey  Clearly about the only weapon that Newton has that he can rely on

WR Jones

WR Thomas.

te/wr Hill - I can see the Kelce side but I'd go with Hills upside

K  Succop 

D Buff  (And the upside is that if Bortles screws the pooch it won't hurt you).

beerbuff said:

My team would probably look like this:

QB Bortles  Filling out the rest of the key players first=RB-WR leaves Bortles as the best key player left.

RB  Gurley

RB McCaffrey  Clearly about the only weapon that Newton has that he can rely on

WR Jones

WR Thomas.

te/wr Hill - I can see the Kelce side but I'd go with Hills upside

K  Succop 

D Buff  (And the upside is that if Bortles screws the pooch it won't hurt you).

Click to expand...

Do you think Bortles plus McCaffrey will outscore Newton plus Fournette?  I think we are on the same page for everything else but I think Newton >>>> Bortles and since it is not PPR that Fournette >>  McCaffrey

Gally said:

Do you think Bortles plus McCaffrey will outscore Newton plus Fournette?  I think we are on the same page for everything else but I think Newton >>>> Bortles and since it is not PPR that Fournette >>  McCaffrey

Click to expand...

Yes, The main reason is that Buffalo has a good run defense and could shut Fournette down and while Bortles sucks in real life he can rack up fantasy points.

I went with KC QB, Fournette, Gurley, Thomas, Julio, Walker, BUF DST, CAR PK. Everyone took Gurley, Julio and BUF DST. 6 took KC QB, 3 took NOS, 1 took CAR. In the end, I finished 2nd of 10 - so moving on to the Finals. Get to do it all again next week - so additional input is happily accepted.