The Week 4 USFL fantasy football slate kickoffs at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, May 6. The USFL DFS stud and value picks are broken down by game and by day. With DraftKings offering multiple Classic and Showdown Contests throughout the weekend, this article will serve as a helpful guide well beyond the initial lock on Friday night.
Set your DraftKings fantasy USFL lineups here: USFL $80K Friday Sweat [$20K to 1st]
Friday May 6, 10 p.m. ET (FS1)
Philadelphia Stars (+1) vs. Michigan Panthers (36.5 o/u)
Studs
WR Lance Lenoir Jr., Michigan Panthers, $8,500 — The Michigan quarterback play is still a problem, but it’s hard to pass on Lenoir’s upside. In three games, Lenoir has 94, 164 and 125 air yards.
Editor’s Note: Stars QB Bryan Scott has been ruled out vs. the Panthers.
QB Bryan Scott, Philadelphia Stars, $10,400 — His status is in question. Scott remained on the sideline and did not return to the game after injuring his knee in Week 3. The Panthers’ defense is coming off a shutout and have been one of the strongest if not the strongest pass defenses in the USFL. That being said, Scott’s volume is too appealing in a league where usage is a mystery.
WR Jordan Suell, Philadelphia Stars, $7,500 — His 7.2 DKFP will scare most away at this price. However, Suell averaged seven targets and 77 air yards per game in the last two games. The Stars are pass happy but their WR corps is crowded. This has not affected Suell. He has run 100% of the routes in the last two games.
Values
TE Bug Howard, Philadelphia Stars, $4,000 — Scratch out the TE label. It’s easier to roster him knowing he’s just as good of a pass catcher as the rest of the Stars. Similar to Suell, Bug is on the field a lot despite the Stars’ multiple weapons.
RB Paul Terry, Philadelphia Stars, $3,300 — The Spring League connection narrative is alive and well. Terry received nine targets and carried the ball six times in Week 3. He also played 82% of the snaps — a rare USFL bell cow.
WR Diondre Overton, Philadelphia Stars, $4,000 — It’s hard to get excited about his production, but he’s cheap and on the field. From week to week, no one knows who’s playing and how much. Overton hasn’t done much in the last two weeks, but he’s averaged a 93% snap rate and 93% route rate.
WR Devin Ross, Michigan Panthers, $3,500 — Michigan does not have many wide receivers, so there is a concentrated target share in the Panthers’ receiving corps. In a league filled with fluid depth charts, Ross provides cheap certainty.
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Saturday May 7, 2:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
New Jersey Generals (-9) vs. Pittsburgh Maulers (35.5 o/u)
Studs
QB De’Andre Johnson, New Jersey Generals, $8,800 — As his passing improves, Johnson’s snap rate increases. It looks like he may have won the full-time QB role. His 130 passing yards are just a bonus. He rushed for 94 yards but only played 64% of the snaps last week.
RB Trey Williams, New Jersey Generals, $7,500 — Week 3 of the USFL season was the week of the 100 yard rusher. Not only did Williams rush for 110 yards, he added four catches for 44 yards. Unfortunately, all of the rushing TDs went to Johnson and Darius Victor.
Value
WR Darrius Shepherd, New Jersey Generals, $4,500 — His price makes sense based on the Generals’ poor passing attack, but Johnson is improving. His price is a steal based on his participation — 93% route rate last week and 81% in Week 2.
RB Darius Victor, New Jersey Generals, $4,000 — Football coaches do not play DFS. They love backup RB TDs. Victor plays second fiddle to Trey Williams, but Victor has looked good in his role and is one of the better RBs in the league.
TE Hunter Thedford, Pittsburgh Maulers, $3,100 — This is probably too cute, but a player has to be on the field to score. Thedford is out there. That’s more than can be said for a lot of this league. Thedford has been targeted five times in each of the last two games and has snap rates of 83% and 96%.
WR Tre Walker, Pittsburgh Maulers, $3,100 — Bailey Gaither was active but did not take a snap last week. Tre Walker, QB Josh Love’s other college teammate, stepped in and caught five of six targets for 58 yards against the league’s best pass defense.
Saturday May 7, 7:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
Tampa Bay Bandits (+3.5) vs. Birmingham Stallions (41.5 o/u)
Studs
QB J’Mar Smith, Birmingham Stallions, $9,500 — The hometown team is undefeated and the five Brummies that care are beside themselves. Smith was ugly last week (39.5% completion rate), but it’s the USFL. Despite the ugly line, he still threw for 197 yards and two TDs. Smith added another 59 yards on the ground.
QB Jordan Ta’amu, Tampa Bay Bandits, $10,900 — This won’t be a great points-per-dollar play, but that’s irrelevant. The salaries are all over the place. Ta’amu bounced back after a horrible Week 2 loss to the Breakers. Ta’amu threw for 255 yards and a TD, and he rushed for 29 yards and a TD in Week 3. DFS fans would like to see him run more, but that doesn’t seem to be a part of Todd Haley’s system.
WR Victor Bolden Jr., Birmingham Stallions, $9,800 — His 18 receptions lead the league and his 154 receiving yards are the third-most. Tampa Bay has allowed 635 passing yards (second-most).
Value
RB CJ Marable, Birmingham Stallions, $6,600 — Last week, Marable out snapped Tony Brooks-James ($6,000) 76% to 24%. Marable had a 52% route rate, while TBJ had a 14% route rate. Marable was the clear No. 1 last week, so it wasn’t surprising to see him find the end zone.
RB Juwan Washington, Tampa Bay Bandits, $4,400 — Each week, Washington’s role has expanded. He out snapped, ran more routes and had more carries than BJ Emmons last week. Emmons’ salary is more than twice the price of Washington’s salary, and Emmons will likely carry more ownership because he is the popular name. Emmons has looked good, but Todd Haley is dividing the workload in the backfield.
TE Cary Angeline, Birmingham Stallions, $6,300 — In Week 2, Angeline had a 71% route rate. That’s not terrible for a TE. Last week, his workload increased to a 93% route rate and eight targets resulting in two catches for 35 yards and a touchdown. Play players that are playing.
Sunday May 8, 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
Houston Gamblers (+4.5) vs. New Orleans Breakers (41.5 o/u)
Studs
QB Kyle Sloter, New Orleans Breakers, $10,200 — The only number that matters is pass attempts. Sloter threw the ball 47 times last week. He wasn’t great, but with that kind of volume, he doesn’t have to be in USFL DFS.
WR Johnnie Dixon, New Orleans Breakers, $7,300 — The former Ohio State wide receiver was the Week 3 Offensive Player of the Week. Dixon leads the league in receiving yards (165) and touchdowns (3), and he is second in receptions (16),
WR Isaiah Zuber, Houston Gamblers, $9,600 — He’s the Cris Carter of the USFL. All he does is catch touchdowns (3). Zuber is averaging a 97% route rate over the last two games, but he is at the mercy of the Houston quarterbacks.
WR Shawn Poindexter, New Orleans Breakers, $8,400 — The Breakers have plenty of weapons, but Poindexter is steadily getting fed. Poindexter was targeted nine times last week. It’s possible that Dixon might draw the attention of the defense and provide an opportunity for a big fantasy day for Poindexter.
Breakers DST, New Orleans Breakers, $5,200 — Find the salary and pay up. The Breakers’ defense is averaging 19 DKFP per game. That’s better than all but two players in the entire player pool, as for the two ahead of them — Bryan Scott and T.J. Logan Jr. — they might not even play this week. The Breakers’ defense leads the league in sacks and interceptions. On Sunday, they face Clayton Thorson and his 69.1 QB rating and league-leading five interceptions.
Value
RB Jordan Ellis, New Orleans Breakers, $6,400 — With T.J. Logan out, Ellis stepped into a massive workload. Ellis rushed 25 times for 90 yards. Even if Logan is back this week, Ellis rushed 22 times in Week 2.
TE Sal Canella, New Orleans Breakers, $5,300 — The TE tag will scare most USFL DFS players away, but Sloter locks onto Canella. He was targeted eight times for 91 air yards last week. Canella caught six of seven targets for 58 yards in Week 1.
WR Tyler Simmons, Houston Gamblers, $4,200 — This isn’t a terrible price for a receiver that’s been targeted seven times in each of the last two games for 93 and 40 air yards. This all depends on which Clayton Thorson shows up. The terrible version or the no good rotten very bad version.
RB Mark Thompson, Houston Gamblers, $6,200 — It was never about talent. Thompson isn’t in the NFL because of off-field issues and injuries. He’s healthy and staying out of trouble, and that means trouble for the rest of the league. Thompson leads the USFL with 310 rushing yards. Jordan Ellis is the next closest to him with 243 rushing yards.
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