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The USFL heads into Week 4 with just one undefeated team left in the league: the New Orleans Breakers, who have scored a league-high 105 points this season. The Breakers' explosive offense averages 393.0 yards per game this season and features the league's passing yards, rushing yards and receiving yards leaders.
With DraftKings offering USFL contests again this year, I'll be here every week with lineup picks for the league. It looks like the plan at DraftKings is to do one four-game slate each weekend, so that's what we'll cover here.
Below, you'll find my thoughts on the Week 4 DFS slate of USFL contests on DraftKings, which goes live on 5/6/2023 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to also read all our other weekly XFL fantasy football articles. Let's get to it, and good luck RotoBallers!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 4 USFL DFS Picks
McLeod Bethel-Thompson - New Orleans Breakers - vs New Jersey Generals - $10,600
Of the three high-priced QBs, Bethel-Thompson is the highest floor play. His worst game this year saw him score 18.8 DraftKings points, whereas Alex McGough's worst was 17.2 and Case Cookus has two games with 10.5 or fewer DK points. Bethel-Thompson and McGough are both strong plays, while I'm fading Cookus.
I like Bethel-Thompson because he's still only the third-most expensive QB despite leading the USFL in passing yards. He completed a season-high 71.4% of his passes last week for 283 yards and three touchdowns, though he did throw his first pick of the season.
He faces a defense that has allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league, but last week's matchup didn't look great on paper either, and MBT threw three touchdowns. Keep rolling with him.
Cole Kelley - Memphis Showboats - vs Michigan Panthers - $9,000
If you want to go for some potential value at QB, Memphis quarterback Cole Kelley is an option.
After starting Brady White for a pair of blowout losses, the Showboats made the move to former Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Cole Kelley last week, and while the team still lost, it at least looked a lot better in that loss, scoring 26 points.
Kelley was 21-for-38 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He was picked off once and also added 17 yards on the ground. Memphis has really struggled defensively, and that's going to lead to a game script that calls for a lot of Kelley pass attempts. Michigan has allowed the third-fewest passing yards this season, but part of that is because they played the run-first Generals last week, which skews the small sample.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 4 USFL DFS Picks
Wes Hills - New Orleans Breakers - vs New Jersey Generals - $9,500
Hills didn't play Week 1, but he took over in Week 2, running for 110 yards and three touchdowns against Houston. It was a great showing, but it was also just one game. The question was how he'd follow that up last week.
The answer? Hills had 34 carries for 191 yards and another three touchdowns, plus caught three passes for 16 yards.
There's going to be a point down the line where I start to get concerned about Hills getting worn down from his workload. Week 4 isn't that time, especially when he's only played two games so far. And at $9,500, he's only the fourth-most expensive running back on this slate, which makes him seem like a value, even if he's only $600 cheaper than Darius Victor.
Stevie Scott III - Michigan Panthers - vs Memphis Showboats - $7,100
Volume matters a lot, and through three games, Stevie Scott III is getting a lot of volume. He has at least 11 carries in every game so far, and he also had a season-high four targets in last week's game against the Generals.
Scott's numbers have been all over the place—5.1 yards per carry in Week 1, 1.4 in Week 2 and then 5.3 last week. There's always the threat he gets carries and can't produce with those carries. But the Showboats have allowed the second-most rushing yards in the league, which also happens to be the most yards allowed by a team that hasn't had the misfortune of facing Wes Hills. Scott's a good alternative if you don't want to pay up at running back, or if you want to play an RB in a flex spot.
DraftKings Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - Week 4 USFL DFS Picks
Corey Coleman - Philadelphia Stars - vs Houston Gamblers - $8,900
It wasn't clear at first who was going to emerge as the best receiving option in Philly between Corey Coleman and Devin Gray, but three weeks in I think the edge is going to Coleman, who has been targeted 24 times over the past two games. He caught his first touchdown of the season last weekend, catching eight passes for 87 yards and a score.
Coleman has finished with double-digit DraftKings points in every game so far and should be a focal point against a Gamblers team that allows a league-worst 256.7 passing yards per game.
Sage Surratt - New Orleans Breakers - vs New Jersey Generals - $8,000
Former college quarterback Sage Surratt had his worst game of the season in Week 3, catching four passes for 51 yards. Still, he currently leads the USFL in receiving yards with 257 of them through the first three games.
And if a "bad" game gets him 9.1 DraftKings points, then I'll take it, especially because his salary has still not caught up to his production. The fact he technically plays tight end probably has pushed his price—and Birmingham's Jace Sternberger, who costs $7,900 and has a touchdown in every game this season—down. Keep taking advantage of that.
Justin Hall - Houston Gamblers - vs Philadelphia Stars - $5,300
Hall got off to a slow start in Week 1, catching two passes for 20 yards. But in the two games since, the Ball State alum has been on fire, to the point where he now sits second in the league in receiving yards.
Against New Orleans in Week 2, Hall was targeted 11 times, catching eight passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. And then last week against Memphis, he caught six passes for 90 yards and two more scores.
Quarterback Kenji Bahar seems to have found some good rapport with Hall. This week's meeting with the league's best pass defense might end up putting a halt to Hall's strong run, but when he only costs $5,300 then you've got to risk it. Just too much upside at such a low price.
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