NFL DFS Week 7: 9 DraftKings Values Under $4,000
Schultz and Higbee lead nine affordable DraftKings plays, with receiver options, matchup reasoning and the risks that matter.
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Updated October 24, 2026. DraftKings Sunday main slate, October 25. Every recommended player below costs less than $4,000.
Dalton Schultz and Tyler Higbee are where I would start when a lineup needs savings. Both have produced enough catches to offer something beyond a touchdown guess. At receiver, Jaylin Noel brings the big-play appeal, while Konata Mumpfield has the clearest injury-driven opening.
The cheap pool is much deeper at tight end than at wide receiver. That matters when building: I would rather save at TE than force two thin receiver plays into a lineup just to afford another star.
The short list
Start here: Schultz $3,600 or Higbee $3,500.
Receiver ceiling: Noel $3,900.
Opportunity to watch: Mumpfield $3,200, but Puka Nacua is active; do not assume an expanded role.
Nine values, with the risk up front
| Player | Salary | Matchup | Best use | Main concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Schultz, TE | $3,600 | vs. NYG | Reception-based savings | No receiving TDs yet |
| Tyler Higbee, TE | $3,500 | at LV | Established Rams involvement | Other tight ends still contribute |
| Mark Andrews, TE | $3,900 | vs. CIN | Baltimore game-stack piece | Huntley starting; passing-efficiency risk |
| Cade Otton, TE | $3,100 | at CAR | Deeper salary relief | Limited scoring production |
| Jaylin Noel, WR | $3,900 | vs. NYG | Big-play tournament option | Crowded receiving group |
| Rashod Bateman, WR | $3,900 | vs. CIN | Affordable Baltimore receiver | Modest catch volume |
| Konata Mumpfield, WR | $3,200 | at LV | Injury-created opportunity | Unsettled target distribution |
| Mike Gesicki, TE | $3,800 | at BAL | Burrow tournament stack | Touchdown-dependent results |
| Darren Waller, TE | $3,400 | vs. TB | Secondary tournament choice | Shared tight-end production |
The tight ends I prefer
Dalton Schultz, $3,600
Schultz leads Houston with 28 receptions, alongside 277 yards. That is a useful starting point in full-PPR scoring at this price. He also finished Friday as a full participant without a game designation after dealing with a quad issue. I prefer his established involvement to guessing which reserve receiver gets enough work.
The catch: He has zero touchdowns, while Foster Moreau has three. Receiving volume does not mean Schultz owns the scoring chances. Houston’s expanding receiver group can also spread the ball around. Texans statistics; Friday injury report.
Tyler Higbee, $3,500
The recent role: Higbee’s offensive snap share rose from 67% in Week 5 to 83% in Week 6, while his targets fell from six to four. I like that he is involved, but more time on the field is not automatically more receiving work. The Rams use their tight ends for protection and run blocking too. That keeps Higbee ahead of the thinner punts for me without pretending every missing receiver target lands here. Snap counts · Receiving usage · Rams tight-end roles.
Higbee’s 24 catches for 246 yards give him a stronger receiving base than the cheaper Rams tight ends. Davante Adams is on injured reserve, but Nacua is active. Adams’ absence could push more work toward an already involved option, while Nacua remains target competition. His active status does not establish an unrestricted workload. NFL final inactives.
The catch: Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen remain alternatives. Higbee is my preferred Rams tight end, not a promise that all the missing receiver targets become his. Rams statistics; Adams roster move.
Mark Andrews, $3,900
Andrews has 23 catches, second on Baltimore behind Zay Flowers. His hand injury did not limit Friday’s practice, and he has no game designation. He gives an expensive Cincinnati stack a cheaper Ravens opponent to pair with it than Flowers.
The catch: Those catches have produced only 181 yards and one touchdown. Jackson is out and Huntley will make his third straight start, so do not pay for Andrews’ reputation and assume a big passing day. Ravens statistics; Friday injury report.
Cade Otton, $3,100
Playing time is not receiving volume: Otton played all 74 offensive snaps in Week 6 and drew two targets, down from four in Week 5. That is why he remains a salary-saving option rather than my favorite value. Egbuka’s absence creates room, but Tampa Bay’s coaches and Mayfield have specifically discussed getting Godwin the ball more often. That is a concrete reason not to assign all the missing targets to Otton. Team discussion of Godwin’s role. Snap counts · Targets.
Otton offers the biggest savings among my preferred tight ends, with 19 catches for 186 yards. Emeka Egbuka is out, leaving Tampa Bay without its reception leader. Baker Mayfield is active and will start, according to Tampa Bay’s final inactive report.
The catch: Otton has not scored, and Chris Godwin Jr. is available. I like the price, but I would not turn Egbuka’s absence into an assumed target total. Bucs statistics; injury report; Mayfield update.
Three receivers worth considering
Jaylin Noel, $3,900
Noel leads Houston with 334 receiving yards and averages 19.6 yards per catch. His recent career-best yardage performance provides a real reason to chase upside here. At $3,900, he can contribute to a C.J. Stroud stack without consuming a premium receiver salary.
The catch: Seventeen catches do not establish a high-volume floor. Tank Dell is active after Saturday’s activation, and Marvin Harrison Jr. has joined the rotation. Aaron Wilson reported Saturday that Dell was slated for limited snaps. That is an attributed workload expectation, not a confirmed exact snap cap. Houston’s final inactive list confirms his availability. Noel is a tournament choice, not someone I would pencil in for last week’s workload. Texans statistics; receiver update; Dell’s planned return.
Rashod Bateman, $3,900
Bateman finished with consecutive full practices and no game designation. His 233 receiving yards rank second on Baltimore, making him a more established cheap option than the reserve wideouts. I would consider him as a lower-cost receiver opposite a Bengals stack, but not as a Jackson pairing: Lamar is out and Huntley will start.
The catch: He has just 16 receptions and one touchdown. Flowers remains the primary receiving producer, and Huntley’s confirmed start keeps passing efficiency central to the risk. Saturday quarterback update. Ravens statistics; injury report.
Konata Mumpfield, $3,200
Adams’ absence creates an opening, but Nacua is active. Mumpfield has eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, more receiving production than Tutu Atwell or Jordan Whittington. I prefer taking that small body of evidence over selecting a minimum-price receiver solely because a teammate is hurt.
The catch: Eight catches still leave plenty unproven. Higbee, the other receivers and the backs can absorb the available work. Nacua is active, so do not add opportunity based on an assumed absence. Rams statistics; NFL final inactives.
Two touchdown-driven alternatives
Mike Gesicki, $3,800
Gesicki has four touchdowns on 12 receptions. That makes the appeal and the danger easy to see. He is an affordable way to include a second pass catcher with Joe Burrow without buying both expensive Bengals receivers. Baltimore will be missing safety Jaylinn Hawkins and edge rusher Tavius Robinson.
The catch: Gesicki has only 159 receiving yards. Use him for a tournament scoring bet, not because four touchdowns make another one likely. Bengals statistics; Baltimore injury report.
Darren Waller, $3,400
Waller has 13 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He carries no game designation after a rest day Wednesday, and Tampa Bay has ruled out Antoine Winfield Jr. There is a reasonable touchdown path for a cheap Carolina passing-game piece.
The catch: Tommy Tremble has more catches and also has two touchdowns. Waller is a secondary tournament option, below Schultz and Higbee for me, because the tight-end work is shared. Panthers statistics; game injury report.
Why the Colts replacements stay outside my nine
With Tyler Warren already absent in Week 6, Will Mallory drew six targets on 52% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps. Mo Alie-Cox drew one on 37%. At $2,600 versus $2,800, Mallory has the better recent receiving argument if you need to go that low. But two catches on those six targets show how thin the result can be, and Warren’s continued absence is not a brand-new opportunity. Minnesota has allowed the fewest DraftKings points per game to opposing tight ends through five games. I would rather find the extra salary for Schultz or Higbee than make Mallory a default. Warren ruled out · Week 6 usage · Matchup data.
How I would use the savings
Start with one cheap tight end, then see whether the lineup actually needs a bargain receiver. Noel offers established explosiveness; Mumpfield offers changing opportunity. Those are different bets. I would not automatically play both.
Parkinson is $500 cheaper than Higbee, but nine catches for 55 yards make the discount less appealing. Tez Johnson has an opening with Egbuka out, yet seven catches on the season keep him outside my preferred group. A low salary alone is not enough.
Check Sunday’s inactives before the early games and keep room to adjust the Rams pieces before the late window. For the rest of the slate, visit the NFL Research Center.