FanDuel advice: What is each dollar worth?

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Roughly speaking, when playing the big FanDuel tournaments, you’re seeking 150 points to make money, 200 to make good money, 250 to find your face in those fancy commercials. It varies, of course — in a bad week for production, 200 might get you wealthy; in a good one, 200 might be right on the edge of money — but in general, those are the numbers to shoot for.

And of course, every FanDuel game carries a $60,000 salary cap. And you roster nine players.

That makes for some easy math. You have $60,000 to get 150-250 points. That means, for every $1,000 spent, you’re looking for 2.5 to 4.3 points. You have nine players to get 150-250 points. That means you’re looking for 16-27 points per player.

Of course, with the per-player average, it’s variable; a quarterback or a No. 1 running back might net you 40 or more points, while a kicker or defense isn’t likely to ever have supreme profit. So while you’re looking for an average, it’s just an average, not a guideline.

The per-dollar average, though? That one’s pretty uniform. It’s why kickers and defenses are cheap, why Tom Brady and Todd Gurley are expensive.

It’s also why the range of possible outcomes is a crucial thing to consider. DeAngelo Williams was only $6,500 last week, and while he wasn’t guaranteed 37.5 fantasy points, having taken over the starting job of an offense geared for success for a running back meant he was safe for some points. To meet his per-dollar needs, Williams needed 16 to 28 fantasy points. At the top, Todd Gurley was $9,000; to meet his needs, that range was 22.5 to 39 points. Gurley can do that, but the more expensive, the harder it is to get there. And sure, at the bottom, the $4,500 Jarryd Hayne needed only 11 to 19.4 points to meet his price, but considering he had briefly been released the week before, he didn’t seem like a prime candidate to offer much of anything.

You won’t be right and exceed the per-dollar average on all nine roster slots (or you will, and can I borrow some money?), but any time you can, well, that’s that much production you don’t have to find elsewhere.

There isn’t an obvious Williams or Jeremy Langford every week. The rest of the time, you’re just looking for sneaky. I think we’re set for a Joique Bell pop — his yards per carry have leapt since his return from injury, while Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick have underwhelmed — and at only $5,200, if I’m right, I could clean up there. If I use him. I haven’t decided yet.

But that’s the thinking. Find a sneaky play. Be right about it. Step three: Profit.