The revenge factor in pro sports is commonly overlooked – athletes love nothing more than sticking it to their old teams. Revenge cannot be measured by statistical analysis, but one thing experienced DFS players know – revenge is real! Football and basketball provide the perfect setting for one player to make the ultimate difference in any given game.
Each week this article will explore certain players with something extra to play for. I am not necessarily advising everyone to play these guys, but the extra motivation will be there, so these plays are something to consider.
NFL: V for Vendetta – Week 2 – w/ Slim Gaede
Tom Brady (NE) DK – 7900 FD – 9200
16-36, 267 yards, 0 TDs
Let those Week 1 numbers sink in. Defending Super Bowl Champions, at home, opening night, coming off the greatest comeback in NFL history, Brady recently cementing himself as the best QB of all time…and he and the Pats lay an absolute egg against the Chiefs!
What we learned from Deflategate and that 28-3 embarrassment to start the Super Bowl – a pissed off Tom Brady is a dangerous man! Remember the look in his eyes late in Thursday’s game – sitting on the bench while KC scored the clinching TD – PURE ANGER. The man is prepared to wreck his next opponent in order to prove he’s still the best.
Fortunately for DFS players, he’s matching up against the worst pass defense on the planet in the Big Easy Sunday. New Orleans looked completely lost in the secondary Monday night…against Sam Bradford, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen. What kind of damage do we expect from Brady, Gronk, and Cooks?
Which brings about the second part of the revenge factor here – Brandin Cooks returning home to face his old squad. Cooks and Brady spent Thursday night being completely out of sync, but I expect Belicheck to mastermind a gameplan to force feed Cooks. He should be a PPR and RAC monster in this one, but his price makes it nearly impossible for a QB-WR stack.
I’m fully expecting TB12 to hit at least 4 TD passes and easily exceed 400 yards. Don’t expect Gillislee to handle a bunch of red zone touches this week – the Pats will go back to their bread-and-butter – let Brady throw it all over the field. He’ll be the chalk QB play in cash games despite his price on both sites, but don’t worry. Just plug him in and figure out the rest. TB12 going HAM!
Mike Glennon (TB) DK – 4600 FD – 6600
At one point in time Glennon was seen as the future in Tampa Bay. The 3rd round pick in 2013 threw for 2,600 yards, 19 TDs and 9 INTs his rookie season, going 4-9 for a terrible team. But he was never given a chance to be the fulltime starter following the completion of his rookie campaign. Despite the solid numbers for a young QB, he only started five games the next three seasons.
It’s rare for a young guy to play well, then never see the field again (unless you’re Tim Tebow), but Glennon was relocated to bench duties once Jameis Winston was drafted 1st overall in 2015. As a free agent this offseason, the Bears paid him big money, finally given the big dude his shot…
Until Chicago inexplicably traded up in the 2017 draft to grab QB Mitch Trubiesky from North Carolina. It’s only a matter of time until CHI goes to the rookie bonus baby, so Glennon’s only chance is to ball out. He played well against the defending NFC Champs, so what better way to prove himself than stomping his former team in Tampa? I love this story, I’ll be rooting for Glennon, and I think he’s an exceptional tournament option on DK at 4600.
Andy Reid (KC) Head Coach
From 1999-2012 Reid led the Eagles to five NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl loss in 2004. Philly fans hold those four conference title losses against him, although he built the franchise back up from relative obscurity. All this added up to his ass being canned in 2012 and KC hiring him five days later. He’s been brilliant for the KC franchise since, now landing them squarely in the Super Bowl picture.
Do coaches hold grudges? Hell yes they do! The man gave his heart and soul to the franchise for 13 seasons, took them to new heights, and nobody seemed to remember any of this at the end. The front office couldn’t even be decent enough to “mutually part ways.”
With his offense rolling now, I’m expecting another brilliant gameplan from Reid, with the goal of dropping 50 points. Kareem Hunt (Mr. Cash Game Lock) and Tyreek Hill will see plenty of touches, and I believe the offense will be wide open again this week. This revenge games makes for an amazing KC stack with Alex Smith, Hunt, Hill, and Travis Kelce – perfect tournament material!
