It’s easy to let your DraftKings FLEX spot be left up to the amount of salary remaining after you fill out the rest of the squad. That’s the ‘flex-by-default’ strategy, and the purpose of this Week Four DraftKings DFS article is to help you avoid it. You can and should use the FLEX spot to strengthen and diversify your daily league lineups for Week 4 of the NFL season.

A couple of thoughts: 1) You don’t have to spend all the salary cap. A better player in a better situation may force you to leave a few hundred salary cap dollars on the table. Force yourself to roster the best lineup, even if it fails to use the whole cap. 2) As a scientist, I like to use players for which I can build a case based on multiple pieces of evidence. I look at things like opportunities, efficiency, opponent and game flow to start my research. I want as many players that are positive in all categories as I can fit. Having an idea of the players I want before I work with salaries helps me with #1 too.

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Week 4 DraftKings FLEX Options - Daily Fantasy Football Picks

Use this list as your flex cheat sheet; if a player is on here, there’s good reason to roster him in your last spot.

I assume that you have $6,500 or less to work with for this final spot on the roster. I also assume you’ll arrange accordingly so that the player with the latest game start is in the flex in case you should need to swap someone out.

Safe Options - Week 4 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Greg Olsen - $6,000

Oh how far tight end has come in three weeks. There’s a decent chance I’m using two of them on DraftKings this week and I barely managed to hold back from including Hunter Henry, Cameron Brate, or Zach Miller in this article. While I like the idea of a Kelvin Benjamin bounce-back game, one of the best ways to get after Atlanta is via the tight end. They’ve given up four TDs to the position this year along with the second-most fantasy points. Olsen is capable of a huge performance in what Vegas has projected as a shootout.

Jordan Reed - $6,300

To be redundant, I also really like Jamison Crowder here against a Browns defense that is vulnerable to slot receivers, but think the talent of Reed has been under-utilized by Kirk Cousins so far this season and that will change this Sunday. Reed was the equal of the stud you’ll see in the next section last season, Cousins’ volume is still among the highest in the league, they’re favored at home, and you’ll enjoy a big Reed day at extremely low ownership given all the other options cheaper than him. You don’t have to pay up for tight end, but Reed should have a safe floor.

LeGarrette Blount - $5,000

High floor comes from high volume and Blount leads the league in rushing attempts and rushing yards. He’s also tied for the lead with four rushing touchdowns through three weeks. With questions at quarterback heading into Sunday’s division game against the Bills, I expect Blount’s workload to remain steady. New England has found ways to move the ball, getting Blount the red zone carries we want to see. At this price, I’m not concerned with his lack of a role in the passing game as some others are in PPR formats.

Upside Options - Week 4 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Rob Gronkowski - $6,500

We saw a very underwhelming debut for Gronkowski in Week 3. The easing back in to action of the superstar tight end makes sense as New England is a surprise 3-0 without him or Tom Brady. I do think his reps and routes will increase this week and when Gronk is limited in game action, it’s often to the red zone/end zone, which makes him a threat to break out with a 2-TD game. I’m not saying it’s likely, but he is the kind of player who could carry your lineup to the top of a tournament if he has that big day. 

Steve Smith Sr. - $4,500

No defense has allowed more fantasy points to opposing wideouts than Oakland (T-Cleveland) and Smith is the most heavily targeted Ravens receiver (26). He has yet to find the end zone, but upside is predicated on volume and Smith is certainly getting the attention of Joe Flacco once again this year. A big game could be in store for the home favorites and my money is on Smith cashing in.

John Brown - $4,300

Week 4 is a good one for comeback candidates. In addition to big investments like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and even Kelvin Benjamin, I think the Cardinals have a nice game in store. With Michael Floyd in the concussion protocol, my feeling is that John Brown steps into a bigger role. Obviously Larry Fitzgerald is the key cog in this passing offense, but Brown had great value at times in 2015, and the Cardinals targeted him 11 times last week.

Value Options - Week 4 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Cole Beasley - $3,900

With Dez Bryant officially out, Beasley becomes a no brainer value play at this price. The connection that Beasley and Dak Prescott have established is real and now that it’s the primary one in Dallas, it’s really hard to NOT use Beasley in all formats. Terrence Williams ($3100) gets a boost as well, but is much harder to trust than Beasley given his usage thus far (eight total targets).

Adam Humphries - $3,000

Humphries has seen his targets rise from five to eight to 12 in Week 3. Jameis Winston is throwing the ball more than anyone and is tied for the league lead with 8 TDs. At minimum salary, facing a good Denver secondary that will focus on blanketing Mike Evans, Humphries is going to see some chances. The fact that he already has rapport with Winston makes this such an easy play to save salary cap. 

Jordan Howard - $3,700

Truth be told, I’m much more enthusiastic about Chicago’s pass game this week against a Detroit defense that have given up the most fantasy points-including 10 passing TDs—to opposing quarterbacks, but Howard has the combination of talent and opportunity we can’t ignore at this price. As long as your expectations are in check, use Howard as salary relief in all formats.