Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 11

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

by Mike Barner on December 7, 20170 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

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There are some great matchups for Week 14 of the NFL, including the Minnesota Vikings against the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles against the Los Angeles Rams. While those should be exciting, let’s try to add even more excitement to your weekend by coming away with some money in daily fantasy football. Put your favorite recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.

QUARTERBACKS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

Alex Smith vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $6,500
FanDuel = $8,200

After a couple of rough games, Smith and the Chiefs offense came alive against the New York Jets Sunday after head coach Andy Reid relinquished play-calling duties to their offensive coordinator. Smith finished with one of his best games of the season as he threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 70 rushing yards. While the rushing yards came on one long run, it was encouraging to see Smith regain his early season form with the passing game. Week 14 brings a great matchup against a Raiders defense that he torched for 342 yards and three touchdowns earlier this season. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise as the Raiders have allowed 20 passing touchdowns this year while hauling in only one interception. Look for Smith to keep his improved play going for at least one more week.

Derek Carr vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $6,400
FanDuel = $7,700

Considering Carr was without Amari Cooper (concussion/ankle) and Michael Crabtree (suspension) last week, the fact he was still managed to throw for 287 yards and a touchdown is noteworthy. Crabtree will return this week, giving Carr a big weapon back even if Cooper isn’t healthy enough to play. Carr had his best game of the season against the Chiefs in Week 7 when he threw for 417 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs have struggled to defend the pass all season, allowing the fifth-most net passing yard per game (253) in the league. This could be a high scoring affair that benefits both quarterbacks Sunday.

Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Houston Texans
Stadium = NRG Stadium
DraftKings = $5,500
FanDuel = $7,000

Although he didn’t throw a touchdown, Garappolo’s first start for the 49ers had to be considered a success as he threw for 293 yards against a Chicago Bears defense that is tough against the pass. Garoppolo has already been named the starter for Week 14 and probably will start for the rest of the season. Sunday brings a favorable matchup against a Texans defense that has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns (23) in the league. He may not have the best weapons around him, but his opponent Sunday gives him value at this price.

RUNNING BACKS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

Le’Veon Bell vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – Heinz Field
DraftKings = $9,100
FanDuel = $8,800

Bell has been a monster in the passing game of late, totaling 26 receptions on 31 targets for 251 yards in his last three games. While his numbers are down overall from last year, it’s pretty hard to argue against playing a guy averaging 129.9 total yards per game. The Ravens have shown to be an excellent defense against the pass, but they are middle of the pack in terms of defending the run. Bell torched them for 186 total yards and two touchdowns in Week 4, so roll with him again this week.

Rex Burkhead vs. Miami Dolphins
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $5,900
FanDuel = $6,400

Burkhead has scored five touchdowns over the last four games, finally establishing a big role in the Patriots offense. While best known for his pass catching abilities, he has still received at least 10 carries in three of his last four games. The Patriots will be without all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski due to a suspension this week, leaving a huge hole in their passing attack. Expect Burkhead to fill some of that void, making him an even better option for your lineup this week.

Kenyan Drake vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $5,400
FanDuel = $6,200

Drake was the featured back last week with Damian Williams (shoulder) out against the Denver Broncos. Drake cashed in his opportunity, rushing for 120 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries. He also showed value in the passing game, hauling in three of five targets for 21 yards. Williams is questionable at best for Week 14, so Drake could be in for another heavy workload. While going up against the Patriots high-powered offense leads most opposing teams to have to throw a lot to catch up, Drake should still provide value based on his role.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

Tyreek Hill vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $7,100
FanDuel = $7,800

Hill was the main beneficiary of Smith’s improved play last week as he went off for 185 yards and two touchdowns. It marked Hill’s third game with at least 100 yards this season and fifth with at least six receptions. One of those came against the Raiders earlier this season when he had six catches on eight targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. With the Raiders struggles to defend the pass already detailed, don’t be surprised if Hill goes off again this week.

Marvin Jones Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $6,800
FanDuel = $7,000

Jones had a respectable performance Week 13 as he recorded four receptions on eight targets for 90 yards. While some may have considered it a let down based on his recent big games, you shouldn’t as he had to face the tough Ravens passing defense. There are no such worries this week against a Buccaneers team that allows second-most net passing yards per game (267) in the league. Jones had five touchdowns in four games heading into last week, so don’t be surprised to see him get back to his scoring ways in Week 14.

Kenny Stills vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,700

While the Dolphins are in the bottom-seven in the NFL in points scored, Stills can still provide you with value. Not only does he have at least 67 receiving yards in three of his last four games, but he has also received at least six targets in six of his last seven games. With the Dolphins often down big, they turn to the pass to play catch up. Expect them to throw a lot this week in an effort to keep up with the Patriots. As a result of team’s playing from behind, the Patriots defense has actually allowed the fourth-most net passing yards per game (255) in the league. At this reasonable price, Stills is someone you should consider this week.

Marquise Goodwin vs. Houston Texans
Stadium – NRG Stadium
DraftKings = $5,100
FanDuel = $5,700

Goodwin played well in Garoppolo’s first start as he hauled in all eight of his targets for 99 yards. It actually marked his fourth-straight week with at least 68 receiving yards. With the 49ers lacking talent at wide receiver, Goodwin has already set career-highs in targets (70), receptions (35) and receiving yards (677) this season. With all of the poor quarterback play the 49ers have had, expect his 50% catch percentage to increase with Garoppolo now at the helm. Considering the favorable matchup the Texans present, Goodwin could be an excellent value play.

TIGHT ENDS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

Evan Engram vs. Dallas Cowboys
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $6,000
FanDuel = $6,600

Engram has been the main beneficiary of all the injuries the Giants have suffered at wide receiver, putting together an excellent rookie campaign. He’s become a target monster as he’s had at least seven passes thrown his way in six of the last seven games. Playing in an offense that really struggles to score, Engram has an impressive six touchdowns this season. He’s developed a nice relationship with Eli Manning, so Manning regaining his starting spot Sunday should only help Engram’s cause. Manning may have some extra motivation after being benched last week, so Engram could be in for a big performance.

Jason Witten vs. New York Giants
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $4,700
FanDuel = $5,800

Witten has owned the Giants historically, hauling in 153 catches for 1,548 yards and 14 touchdowns in 29 career games against them. He was excellent against them Week 1 when he recorded seven receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Although the Giants have been better at defending the tight end the last two weeks, they are still among the worst in the league on the season as a whole. With the success Witten has had against them, he could be a nice cost-effective option if you can’t afford Engram.

DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 14

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Redskins
Stadium – StubHub Center
DraftKings = $3,600
FanDuel = $5,100

The Chargers defense has provided excellent value of late, posting nine sacks, 10 interceptions and two fumble recoveries over their last four games. That’s not good news for the Redskins, who have been decimated by injuries across their offense. The Redskins showed signs of all their injuries catching up with them last week as they could only score 14 points against the Cowboys. This should be another strong performance by the Chargers defense Sunday.

Tennessee Titans vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – University of Phoenix Stadium
DraftKings = $3,200
FanDuel = $4,800

The Titans have put up a few ugly defensive performances this season, but they have righted the ship some the last two weeks against bad offenses in the Colts and Texans. Week 14 brings another struggling offense in the Cardinals who are missing several key players. If it wasn’t bad enough with Carson Palmer (arm) out, Adrian Peterson (neck) couldn’t play Week 13 and may not be able to play this week either. If he can’t go, the Cardinals are going to really struggle to score. The price is right to take a chance on the Titans if you want to save a little money on defense.

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

by Cesar Becerra on November 30, 20170 Comments

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

Week 13 is upon us and brings one of the toughest Draftkings slate of this season. There are four quarterback changes this week. Jay Cutler and Jameis Winston are returning from injury, while Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith are getting their first starts of the season. This is a widely spread out slate, which means I expect ownership to be spread out across the positions.

Vegas:

Since Vegas lines have become such a huge part of the DFS community and are where most DFS players start their research, I decided to write up a portion outlining the big Vegas numbers. All Vegas totals will be taken from Fantasy Labs Vegas page on Wednesday.

This week there are no games with an over under above 50. There are four games bunched together with a total of over 47. Pats @ Bills 48.5, Panthers @ Saints 48, Eagles @ Seahawks 47.5, and Vikings @ Falcons 47. Aside from those four games, there are another four games with respectable totals between 44 and 46 points.

The teams with the highest implied total are the Patriots (28.5), Chargers (28.25), Saints (26), Rams (26), Raiders (25.75), Titans (25.25), Jags (25.5), and Falcons (25). There are a few games at risk of being a blowout and the Chargers headline the list as a two-touchdown favorite at home against the winless Browns. The Jags are the second largest favorite (-10) at home against the Colts. The Raiders (-9.5), Patriots (-8.5), Titans (-7), and the Rams (-7) are also a touchdown favorite. It’s worth targeting running backs at home as big favorites this week.

I encourage you to check out Vegas Insiders page on Sunday morning to see if there are any drastic changes to these game totals. Of course, Lineup Labs subs have access to this information in the player pool. Let’s dive into the slate.

Quarterbacks

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

Philip Rivers (DK $7,000) – As I mentioned at the top of this article, ownership is going to be widely spread out, especially at the quarterback position. Of all the quarterbacks on the DK main slate, Rivers may be the most popular for cash games. He’s a two-touchdown favorite with a team implied to score the second-most points on the slate against a Browns team that rank 28th in aFPA. Rivers is coming off back to back good games, in which he met his salary expectation, but that was back when his salary was below $6,000. Now he’s seen a price jump of $2,100 and is a risk for a negative game script. On the bright side, the Chargers play distribution is 59% pass to 41% run, so there’s a good possibility if the Chargers do score 28 points, Rivers will be in a position to rack up all those points. It’s always worth noting when teams are two-touchdown favorites that If they get up to a big league, they could lean heavily on the running game to kill the clock.

Jameis Winston (DK $5,600) – I will be watching Winston’s ownership very closely up until lock time. Winston returned to practice on Wednesday and was announced as the starter. That news suddenly led to move the Bucs to a 1 ½ point favorite on the road against the Packers. The Packers rank 30th in aFPA and were just ripped apart by the Steelers and Big Ben who projects very similar to Winston. The Bucs have a relatively low team total of 22, but they have had no running game all season long, which has led to the second most distribution of pass plays with a 62% – 37% mark. Winston was up and down earlier in the season, but that was mostly due to his price averaging over the $6,000 mark. Now he’s the lowest he’s been all season with a $5,600 price tag and in a good matchup. The one limitation to follow is the question of how healthy he truly is. I’m ranking Winston as my favorite points/dollar play at QB.

Blaine Gabbert (DK $4,700) – There’s enough value plays this week at quarterback to give you an option of not paying up for QB. Blaine Gabbert might be someone worthy of your considerations given his performances in his last two starts. In two starts this season, Gabbert has completed 61% of his passes and thrown for 498 yards with 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That’s been more productive than expected given his mid 4K price range. What’s been most impressive about Gabbert’s stats is that he did it against good defenses (Jags and Texans), so while the Rams defense is probably not a matchup you want to pick on, Gabbert has been put to the test already this season. What I like most that is in Gabbert’s favor is that he’s a touchdown underdog. The Rams can put up points with the best of them so it wouldn’t surprise me if they jump to an early two-touchdown lead. That leads to a positive game script for Gabbert and more garbage time fantasy points. At $4,700 he only needs 16 points to reach value. He’s exceeded that mark in both of his starts so far.

Cash:
J. Winston, M. Mariota, T. Brady, C. Newton,
GPP:
(above), P. Rivers, J. Goff, D. Carr

Running Backs

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

Todd Gurley (DK $8,200) – Whenever Gurley does not figure to be the highest owned running back, I always want to consider him at least. Gurley is one of the running backs that has a high floor and higher ceiling, and he’s 4th in the league in touches. This week his team has an implied total of 26 points and are a touchdown favorite on the road. While the on the road aspect is not ideal, Gurley does not have home, and road splits so you can still safely project his volume. The Cardinals are rank worse against the pass (16th aFPA) versus against the run (6th aFPA), but Gurley sees enough volume to be still viable. Gurley has received 18 targets the past three weeks and has converted 13 of those into catches for 141 yards. Gurley is my favorite running back of the top tier given his floor and ceiling combination over Alvin Kamara.

Leonard Fournette (DK $7,800) – My next favorite back after Gurley is Fournette. Fournette is a massive 10 point favorite at home against the Colts who rank 30th in aFPA. Fournette is similar to Gurley where he sees the bulk of the team’s rushing touches and doesn’t have share snaps like the duo in New Orleans. The last time Fournette was a home favorite he failed to meet salary expectations, but this game script figures to be heavily in favor of Fournette. I also like that Fournette has seen more than 3 targets out of the backfield since returning from injury. I’m close to hitting the lock button on Fournette.

Jordan Howard (DK $6,500) – In the midrange there are a few running backs with favorable matchups starting with Howard and Carlos Hyde (DK $5,900). Both are receiving over 60% of the running back snaps and have accounted for over 60% of the team’s rushing yards. Howard comes into this matchup as a 3 point home favorite against the 49ers defense which ranks dead last in aFPA to running backs this season. Last week the game script significantly affected Howard’s production, but this game figures to be better for Howard.

Marshawn Lynch (DK $4,800) – I haven’t played Lynch all season, but if I will, it will be this week. Lynch is a huge home favorite (-9) and is facing the Giants who have already given up on the season and rank 27th in aFPA to RBs. The Raiders receiving staff is greatly depleted with Amari Cooper unlikely to play due to a concussion and Michael Crabtree unlikely to play due to suspension. That could lead to the Raiders running the ball more than their 61% – 39% distribution on the season.

Cash:
T. Gurley, L. Fournette, J. Howard, C. McCaffrey, M. Gordon, J. Williams (if active)
GPP:
(All of above), L. McCoy, Saints RBs, A. Peterson, D. Booker,

Wide Receivers

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

DeSean Jackson (DK $4,700) & Mike Evans (DK $7,100) – The top receivers of the week for me are both receivers from the Bucs. As I mentioned in the QB section, I love Winston returning this week, and this also correlates to both of his receivers. The Packers have been absolutely torched by opposing wide receivers and rank 31st in aFPA, averaging nearly 29 points per game. Mike Evans is a lock for double-digit targets, and Jackson has shown that he has a higher floor this season and is no longer just a deep threat. Oh, and did you see what Antonio Brown did last week? All in on the BUCS offense!

Cooper Kupp (DK $6,400) – Kupp stepped up last week for the Rams after an injury to Robert Woods left an opening as the second receiver in the Rams offense. Kupp received 11 targets, the most he’s received all season, and turned that into 8 catches and 116 yards. He runs the majority of his routes in the slot and will likely avoid Patrick Peterson with him likely to shadow Sammy Watkins. The best way to attack the Cardinals secondary is in the slot of by targeting anyone not being covered by Peterson. So Kupp should be popular in the mid 6K range.

Davante Adams (DK $6,400) – My preferred pivot off Kupp is Davante Adams. Adams has emerged as the Packers primary receiver since Brett Hundley took over for Aaron Rodgers. Adams leads the team in targets since week 6 with 52 and is averaging over 8 targets per game. He’s been priced very cheap this season and is now at his highest price of the season, so that’s not exactly ideal, but he sees a lot of volume, and the Bucs are last in the league in aFPA to wide receivers. He’s a nice way to get exposure to the Packers offense.

Cordarrelle Patterson (DK $3,400) & Seth Roberts (DK $3,700) – As I mentioned in the Lynch write up, the Raiders will be without their top two receivers creating an opening for both Roberts and Patterson. These receivers are in a good matchup against the Giants who rank 25th in aFPA and just put Janoris Jenkins on IR. On the season these two haven’t been target as much with only 65 targets between for receivers. Roberts has 38 targets, while Patterson has 27. Patterson leads Roberts in targets per snap (9.4% to 7.6%). Last season, Roberts was a target monster in the red zone, but that has changed with the addition of Jared Cook this offseason. Both are worth consideration for GPPs. I think I like Patterson more than Roberts just for the upside that he has to break a slant for a 50 yard gain, but it’s really a coin flip.

Higher Tier Receivers Worth Playing(Above 7K):
K. Allen, B. Cooks, A. Thielen, D. Hopkins, M. Evans

Mid Tier ($5,000 – $7,000):
D. Funches, T. Hill, D. Adams, C. Kupp, R. Anderson, L. Fitzgerald, M. Sanu, D. Thomas, M. Lee

Value (Sub $5,000):
E. Sanders, D. Jackson, Z. Jones, D. Westbrook, J. Gordon, S. Roberts, C. Patterson, R. Cobb, D. Inman

Tight End

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

Jared Cook (DK $5,400) – Cook will likely be the most popular tight end on the slate with the Raiders wide receivers out. He’s much safer than Patterson and Roberts as Carr has targeted him at least 5 times in all but one game this season. It also turns out that he’s in a great matchup against the Giants who rank 32nd in the league against tight ends. Cook is a safe way to get exposure to the Raiders offense without hurting the floor of your lineup.

Hunter Henry (DK $4,700) – I love me some Hunter Henry this week. Tight end is a position where I don’t like to overthink it and often just follow the flowchart. Who’s playing the Browns? Who’s their leading tight end? Play that tight end. That is Henry this week. Henry has entirely taken over the tight end job over Gates and played 76% of snaps last week, bringing his snap percentage to 65% on the season. He’s also out targeting Gates 44-30 and has 10 targets in the last two weeks. The only thing keeping me from locking in Henry is that I like Cook quite a bit this week.

Cash:
J. Cook, H. Henry, T, Kelce, B. Watson, D. Walker

GPP:
(All above), R. Gronkowski, J. Thomas (#RevengeGame)

Defense

Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13

Denver Broncos ($3,000) – The Broncos are road favorites against the Dolphins who are implied to score 19 points and are getting turnover prone Jay Cutler back. The Broncos have been really disappointing this season, but they have seen their price decrease to $3,000 for the first time since they played the Patriots. The Dolphins are nowhere near the Patriots, and the Broncos should feast.

Cash:
LAR, DEN, TEN
GPP:
(All above) LAC, TB, MIA, BALT

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

by Mike Barner on November 30, 20170 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Get our NFL Seasonal package for 50% off for a LIMITED TIME using code “NLA5017”

With no teams on a bye and only one game Thursday, this is the first time since Week 5 that there is a full list of options to choose from for your daily fantasy football entry. Put your favorite recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.

QUARTERBACKS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Carson Wentz vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stadium – Century Link Field
DraftKings = $7,200
FanDuel = $8,000

Wentz continues to be a touchdown machine as he has thrown for at least two scores in seven straight games, five of which he threw at least three. Not only is his touchdown streak impressive, but he has not thrown an interception in three straight games either. Normally playing on the road in Seattle is no easy task against the Seahawks defense, but their secondary is a shell of its former self with Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor out for the season. Look for Wentz to continue to excel in this contest.

Case Keenum vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
DraftKings = $6,000
FanDuel = $7,600

If you are still a Keenum skeptic, you shouldn’t be. He’s not just a game manager anymore as he has at least 30 pass attempts in five of his last six games. The last four weeks have been especially exceptional as he has thrown for 1,154 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s even chipped in at least 20 rushing yards in each of his last two games. The Falcons defense has not been great as they have allowed at least 20 points in four of their last five games. With their offense catching fire as well, Keenum should be looked at to throw the ball plenty again this week. Another valuable performance could be in the works.

Trevor Siemian vs. Miami Dolphins
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $4,800
FanDuel = $6,200

The Broncos quarterback carousel continues to turn as Paxton Lynch was their third starting quarterback this season in Week 12. Lynch, Siemian, and Brock Osweiler have all started under center for Denver this season, with Siemian really the only one showing any signs of promise. He performed well in relief of Lynch last week, throwing for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He started out the season throwing six touchdowns in the first two games, so he can be productive. Sunday brings a matchup against a Dolphins defense that is tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (22) in the NFL. They have only picked off four passes as well, so Siemian could be a nice cost effective option for your entry.

RUNNING BACKS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Todd Gurley II vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – University of Phoenix Stadium
DraftKings = $8,200
FanDuel = $8,800

Gurley has seen limited carries of late as he has 17 or fewer rushing attempts in each of his last four games. However, he still provides tremendous value based on his role in the passing attack. He enters Week 13 having already set career-highs in targets (59), receiving yards (479) and receiving touchdowns (three). The Rams offense has reached new heights this season, resulting in 11 total touchdowns for Gurley. Gurley posted 154 total yards and a touchdown when these same two teams met earlier this season, so expect big things again this week.

Latavius Murray vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
DraftKings = $5,200
FanDuel = $6,500

Keenum’s success at quarterback has been a major boost for Murray as teams are no longer able to stack the box to stop the run. While Murray is sharing the running back duties with Jerick McKinnon, he has received more carries than McKinnon in each of the last five games. Murray also gets the goalline work and has cashed in that opportunity to score five touchdowns over the last five games. This could be a high-scoring contest, leading to more scoring opportunities for Murray to reach the end zone. He presents an excellent mid-tier option for your entry.

Rex Burkhead vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
DraftKings = $5,000
FanDuel = $5,900

The Patriots running back situation has been a source of DFS frustration in the past, but it has seen some surprising clarity of late. Burkhead and Dion Lewis have taken over the lions share of the work, with James White only receiving limited opportunities. More than just a threat in the passing game, Burkhead has received at least 10 carries in two of the last three weeks. Burkhead has even found his way into the end zone, scoring three touchdowns over the last three weeks. With the Patriots offense firing on all cylinders, Burkhead should provide value again at this price.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Keenan Allen vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – StubHub Center
DraftKings = $8,300
FanDuel = $8,100

To say Allen has played well lately is an understatement as he has 23 receptions on 27 targets for 331 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Finally healthy, he is having one of the best season’s of his career as he is in the top-seven in the NFL in targets (107), receptions (67) and receiving yards (927). The Browns defense is not as horrible as it has been in recent memory, but they are still tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (22) in the NFL. Don’t expect them to be able to slow Allen down this week.

Robby Anderson vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $6,300
FanDuel = $7,200

Anderson is about as hot as you can get right now as he has scored a touchdown in each of the last five games. He’s piling up yardage totals as well as he has at least 85 yards in three of his last four games. With limited weapons around him, his 74 targets this year are only four away from matching his total from all of last season. Week 13 brings a matchup against a Chiefs defense that has allowed the fifth-most net passing yards per game (246) in the league, so look for him to keep his hot streak alive.

Cooper Kupp vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – University of Phoenix Stadium
DraftKings = $6,400
Fan Duel = $6,300

Kupp had his best game of the season last week when he had eight receptions on 11 targets for 116 yards. While he failed to reach the end zone for the fourth straight game, that kind of volume gives him excellent value. Fellow Rams receiver Robert Woods should be out again this week with a shoulder injury, which was a big reason for Kupp’s added involvement last week. If he manages to find his way into the end zone, he could far exceed his price point.

Cordarrelle Patterson vs. New York Giants
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
DraftKings = $3,400
FanDuel = $5,500

Patterson had a big game last week against the Denver Broncos when he hauled in three of four targets for 72 yards. With Amari Cooper leaving the game due to injury and Michael Crabtree getting ejected, Patterson took on a more prominent role in the offense. Much of the same could be in store for him this week as Crabtree has been suspended and Cooper might not be able to play. The Giants defense has been decimated by injuries and will now be without top cornerback Janoris Jenkins as well. If you want to take a chance on a cheap receiver, Patterson has significant upside, especially on DraftKings.

TIGHT ENDS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Rob Gronkowski vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
DraftKings = $7,300
FanDuel = $8,100

When he’s healthy, you don’t need a whole lot of justification to start Gronk most weeks. Only Jimmy Graham has more than Gronk’s seven touchdowns amongst tight ends this season and only Travis Kelce has more receiving yards at the position. To make things even more enticing this week, Gronk has historically owned the Bills. In 11 career games against them, he has 52 receptions, 813 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Don’t overthink this one, get him in your lineup.

Jared Cook vs. New York Giants
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
DraftKings = $5,400
FanDuel = $5,500

Much of the same argument for starting Patterson can be made for also using Cook this week. He will likely be more involved in the passing game with the team thin at wide receiver, which is significant considering he already has received at least five targets in all but one game this season. While the Giants will be down their best cornerback, they are even thinner at linebacker. The Giants have allowed an NFL-worst 10 touchdowns to tight ends this season, making Cook a strong option if you want to save money at the position.

DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS

Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Recommendations for Week 13

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – EverBank Field
DraftKings = $4,500
FanDuel = $5,600

The Jaguars feasted on the Colts earlier this season when they recorded a staggering 10 sacks. The Jaguars have actually done that twice in a game this season and have recorded at least five sacks in four games. They are a turnover machine as well, producing four interceptions and five fumble recoveries in their last three games. Need further convincing? They also have seven scores this season. There is a reason they are the most expensive defense/special team option this week, so don’t hesitate to get them in your entry.

Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $3,000
FanDuel = $4,600

If you can’t make the Jaguars fit into your budget, one of the better cheap options could be the Broncos. They take on a Dolphins team that struggles to score and are down to pretty much one NFL-caliber running back in Kenyan Drake. The Broncos defense is not as dominant this season, but they still allow the fourth-fewest net passing yards per game (202) in the league. The problem with the Broncos defense is they don’t create a lot of turnovers as they haven’t picked off a pass in their last four games. Miami is tied for the second-most interceptions thrown (15), so this might be the week the Broncos get back on track. Although losing Aqib Talib to suspension is a significant blow, the Broncos can still provide value this week.

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pickem Strategy Advice Week 13

by Chris Durell on November 30, 20170 Comments

*Chris Durell*

Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pickem Strategy Advice Week 13

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Tier 1

As it does every week, the first tier presents some very tough decisions. DeAndre Hopkins leads the way with 21.3 DraftKings points per game this season while averaging a crazy 11.4 targets per game, trailing only Antonio Brown in that category. Despite losing his star quarterback, Hopkins is also just one of four wideouts with 1,000 or more yards this season and since Watson went down in week 8 has gained 75 or more yards in all four games with 100 or more twice. Hopkins also gets the best matchup of the three wideouts facing a Titans team that ranks 24th in DVOA vs. pass and 26th in DK points per game allowed to the position. Sticking with the wideouts, the other target monster in this tier has been Adam Thielen who is tied for fourth with 9.7 per game and is one of those four wideouts with 1,000 or more receiving yards this season. The only issue for the Thielen and the Vikings passing attack is the Falcons defense that has allowed the eighth-fewest passing yards per game(207.9) and DK points per game to allowed to wideouts. Brandin Cooks has only seen double-digit targets once this season but has been coming on strong recently with 74 or more yards in three straight games and has scored a touchdown in back to back games. Cooks also gets a tough matchup this week vs. the Bills defense that has held opponents under 200 yards passing in three of their last four games and rank 11thin DVOA vs. the pass overall but the good news is that Cooks has the GOAT, Tom Brady, throwing him passes. Next up, we have Leonard Fournette who has shown us signs of dominance with four 100+ yard games this season and signs of being shut down as he has been held under 50 yards three including twice in the last three weeks. This week he should most definitely be on your radar as the Jags are at home vs. a Colts team that has been decent vs. the run ranked 11th in DVOA but has allowed the seventh-most DK points per game to running backs thanks to 572 yards allowed through the air(4th worst).

Top Targets in this Tier – Leonard Fournette, Brandin Cooks

Tier 2

I am going to start with the tight ends here in the second tier. We have two elite options in Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce but they are in completely different situations. Gronk is coming off a big week where he caught five of his eight targets for 82 yards and scored two touchdowns while Kelce was a product of a struggling Chiefs offense as he caught three of four targets for just 39 yards last week. They both get decent matchups vs. teams allowing 11 or more DK points per game to the position but Kelce gets the slight edge as the Jets have been worse overall ranking 21st in DVOA vs. the pass while the Bills rank 11th. Ownership will definitely lean towards Gronk here because of last week’s numbers and while a player’s past performance vs. a team is somewhat irrelevant as players and systems change over the years, this stat is just amazing to look at (via @evansilva).

Rob Gronkowski, who is from Buffalo, has played 6 career games @ BUF. His stat lines:

5/109/1
7/113/1
7/94/0
5/104/1
7/109/2
4/54/2

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) November 27, 2017

After the tight ends, we have running back LeSean Mccoy who has a nice matchup vs. the Patriots who have allowed 115.1 rush yards per game and rank 29th in DVOA vs. the rush. The game script isn’t exactly in his favor as the Bills are 7.5 point dogs but and even worse, McCoy’s targets have been going down lately with five or less in four straight games including two weeks where he saw just one target. Despite leading all players in this tier with 17.2 DK points per week, he will likely be the lowest owned and makes a contrarian option. Wideout Mike Evans has been a target monster all season, with or without Jameis Winston, and has received double-digits in four of his last five games. He has tallied 75 or more yards receiving in five of his 10 games this season but has failed to break the 100-yard mark to this point. The good news is that quarterback Jameis Winston has resumed throwing and could make the start this week vs. the Packers who have allowed the eighth-most passing yards per game, rank 22nd in DVOA vs. the pass, and have allowed the second-most DK points per game to wideouts.

Top Targets in this Tier – Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans

Tier 3

I was all over Kareem Hunt last week in a great bounce-back spot and he continued to disappoint fantasy owners with 11 carries for 17 yards. That makes six straight weeks without a 100-yard game and eight straight games without a touchdown. While the matchup seems decent facing the Jets who are allowing the seventh-most rushing yards per game(120.4) it isn’t the greatest from a fantasy perspective as they rank 8th overall in DK points per game allowed to running backs as they have done well limiting the touchdowns. Tevin Coleman has been excellent lately with touchdowns in five straight games but will not only see his backfield partner, Devonta Freeman, back on the field this week but will also face a tough Vikings defense that has allowed the least DraftKings points per game to running backs. Jordan Howard might see some lower than normal ownership this week after a brutal game against the Eagles where he rushed for just six yards, albeit the Bears were trailing the entire game. He gets an elite matchup against the 49ers who have given up the third-most rushing yards per game(129.5) and rank dead last in DK points per game allowed to running backs.

If you are looking to go the wide receiver route in this tier, there are two excellent options in Davante Adams and Robbie Anderson. Anderson has been incredibly consistent with at least one touchdown in five straight games and double-digit DraftKings points in six straight games. He faces a Chiefs defense that has fallen off big time this season(Eric Berry effect) and has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game(245.6) and have allowed the most DraftKings points per game to wideouts. Ever since Aaron Rodgers went down in Green Bay, Davante Adams has emerged as backup quarterback Brett Hundley’s favorite option as he leads the team in that time with 52 targets, three touchdowns, and three straight games with 80 or more yards. He gts an even better matchup than Anderson facing the Bucs who have allowed a league-high 284.6 passing yards per game and the most DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts.

Top Targets in this Tier – Jordan Howard, Robby Anderson

Tier 4

First of all, let’s touch on Matt Stafford who had his ankle rolled up on during the Thanksgiving game vs. the Vikings. He returned to the game but looked in pain but said this week it is feeling better. He will most likely play this week but gets the worst matchup of this group facing a Ravens team that has allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game(189.9) and also the second-fewest DraftKings points per game. Best to fade Stafford and the Lions this week. The next toughest matchup in this group is Matt Ryan who is coming off his third 300+ yard game of the season but will face a Vikings defense that has allowed the 11th fewest passing yards per game(214.9) and sixth-fewest DraftKings points per game allowed to the quarterback position.On the other side of the ball, we have one of the biggest surprises of the season in Case Keenum who has gotten better each week and has thrown for 280+ yards in four straight games with nine touchdowns. He also gets a tougher matchup on the road this week facing the Falcons defense that has allowed the eighth-fewest passing yards per game(207.9). Despite leading this tier in DraftKings points per game, Alex Smith is likely to be a contrarian play this week after struggling big time lately after an MVP-type start to the season. Over his last four games, he has averaged just 223.5 passing yards per game and thrown for just four touchdowns. The matchup is average as he faces a Jets team ranked in the middle of the pack in passing yards per game and 19th in DraftKings points per game. The positive for Smith is that he has two elite options in Travis Kelce and Tyreke Hill so I could definitely see a bounce back game here. Next up is Josh McCown coming off his biggest game of the year where he threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns and makes a terrific stack with Robby Anderson in the previous tier. The quarterback with the best matchup in this group is Marcus Mariota who faces a Texans defense that allows 243 passing yards per game(24th) and ranks dead last in DraftKings points per game allowed to the position. The issue with Mariota is that he has only topped 300 yards twice this season and he has also only thrown for multiple touchdowns twice.

Top Targets in this Tier – Josh McCown, Alex Smith

Tier 5

Let’s address the Tampa Bay quarterback situation right off the top. It will be Jameis Winston making his return to action this week after sitting out three straight games with a shoulder injury. This is definitely an upgrade for Mike Evans in the first tier and a great matchup as the Packers defense has allowed the eighth-most passing yards per game(244.1) and don’t have one cornerback ranked inside the Top 80 on the PFF rankings. It won’t be a safe option stacking Winston and Evans but the upside is through the roof. If you are not playing Winston in this tier the options are pretty thin and even riskier. Blake Bortles get a great matchup vs. the Colts who have allowed the third-most passing yards per game(266.3) but the Jags are big favorites and most likely won’t need Bortles to do much. Then we got Tyrod Taylor who lacks overall upside averaging just 184 passing yards per game but he does give us added value with his legs as he ranks third in rushing among quarterbacks with 302 yards and three touchdowns. The thing I like the most here is that Bills are underdogs and will need Taylor to likely throw or run a little bit more this week to keep up with Tom Brady and the Pats. Brett Hundley is also in a pretty nice spot this week in a tight spread at home vs. the Bucs and is coming off his best game since taking over for the injured Aaron Rodgers. He put up 245 yards and three touchdowns vs. a tough Steelers defense and now gets a prime matchup vs. a Bucs defense that has allowed a league-high 284.6 passing yards per game and the sixth-most DraftKings points per game to the position. Finally, we have Jimmy Garoppolo making his first start of the season and it will be tough to tell what we are going to get. He made a final drive appearance last week and completed both of his passes with a touchdown in garbage time but now goes on the road to Chicago to face a defense ranked eighth overall in DraftKings points per game to quarterbacks.

Top Targets in this Tier – Jameis Winston, Brett Hundley

Tier 6

From a PPR perspective, I love what Carlos Hyde brings to the table this season as he trails only Christian McCaffrey and Le’Veon Bell in targets with 73 on the season(6.6 per game). This is great news for quarterback Jimmy G making his first start of the season. Hyde has also rushed the ball pretty well this season despite the lack of total yards(game script issues as 49ers are not a good team) as he is averaging 4.1 yards per attempt and while he also shown us his upside with two multi-touchdown games. Marvin Jones gets a tough matchup vs. a Ravens defense that ranks third in DraftKings points allowed to wideouts but he has been dealing with tough matchup pretty well this season and is coming off a huge Thanksgiving game vs. the Vikings Xavier Rhodes as he totaled 109 yards and two touchdowns. He has scored at least one touchdown in three of his last four games(five total). I prefer him over his teammate Golden Tate. Tyreke Hill has been a product of a struggling Chiefs offense and I thought last week he was going to breakout but he was unable to do much with his 11 targets as he caught seven of them for just 41 yards. I am going back to the well again this week with Hill as he gets another good matchup vs. the Jets who rank 21st in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. Stefon Diggs has been average this season as he has somewhat taken a backseat to Adam Thielen who has been getting the better matchups out of the slot and has become Case Keenum’s favorite target. Lamar Miller has somewhat disappointed this season, from a rushing standpoint, averaging 3.7 yards per carry with three touchdowns but has made up his value receiving with another three touchdowns and has tallied double-digit DraftKings points in all but two games. The issue this week is that he is dealing with a knee inury and was absent from Wednesday’s practice. Stay tuned for the Texans late-week injury status report.

Top Targets in this Tier – Carlos Hyde, Marvin Jones Jr, Tyreke Hill

Tier 7

There is a lot to like about Jarvis Landry in this tier as he not only sits third overall in targets per game(10.6) but has scored a touchdown in six of his last eight games. The matchup is a big downgrade this week vs. the Broncos who rank fourth in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts but looking at DVOA they rank outside the top half of the league in 19th. I think the matchup helps keep him a bit lower owned than he should be this week. Mohamed Sanu is coming off a pretty big game last week as he not only caught eight of his nine targets for 64 yards but he also completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones. I don’t see the trickery happening this week but I do like the matchup as Julio Jones will be shadowed by Xavier Rhodes with help over the top leaving Sanu to go up against Terrance Newman for most of his snaps. Next up, we got Rex Burkhead who was out-carried 15-12 by Dion Lewis while Lewis also gained 112 yards to Burkhead’s 50 but it was Burkhead getting the scores, one on the ground and one through the air. The risk is there with both Pats running backs but they also have upside and should be low owned because of it. My suggestion would be to build multiple lineups with your favorite plays in other tiers and split the backs in this tier into a couple lineups.

Top Targets in this Tier – Jarvis Landry, Mohamed Sanu, Dion Lewis

Tier 8

Demaryius Thomas has been getting his share of targets this season(8.8 per game) and leads the team but will be hard to trust with the carousel of quarterbacks in Denver. The matchup is a tough one to read as the Dolphins corners rank poorly on PFF’s rankings and have allowed 11 touchdowns to wideouts this season(11th most) but they also have allowed the 11th fewest DK points per game as they have done a good job limiting the overall yardage. I think it has a lot to do with teams running the ball on them regularly. After last week’s stink by Thomas, I think he could go low-owned this week. All aboard! Jerick McKinnon sits second in average DK points per game this season in this tier but has been trending down lately with Latavius Murray averaging over four yards per attempt in three straight games while also adding four touchdowns. His teammate, tight end Kyle Rudolph, has been playing well lately catching 20 of his 25 targets over the past four games with three touchdowns and has recorded double-digit DK points in three of those four games. The issue this week is the tough matchup as he is likely to see a ton of coverage from Keanu Neal who ranks as one of the top safeties/linebackers who takes on tight ends in coverage. DeMarco Murray is a huge risk splitting time with Derrick Henry and has failed to break 20 yards rushing in three of his last four games despite getting the goal line carries and three scores. I will be avoiding this week. The other play I am looking at in this tier is Kenyan Drake despite the tough matchup as he is likely to get a heavy workload with Damian Williams likely out with a shoulder injury.

Top Targets in this Tier – Demaryius Thomas, Kenyan Drake

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions leading up to Sunday morning lineup lock, be sure to hit me up on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9). Good luck everyone!

NFL Thanksgiving Daily Fantasy Football 3-Game Slate 11/23/17

NFL Daily Fantasy Picks

by Cesar Becerra on November 23, 20170 Comments

NFL Thanksgiving Daily Fantasy Football 3-Game Slate 11/23/17

The classic Thanksgiving football tradition continues this season in week 12 of the NFL season. That means an extra slate for both Draftkings and Fanduel for degenerates such as myself and the several others reading this article. The slate features three games all that carry their fair share of fantasy goodness. Minnesota travels to Detroit in a pivotal divisional matchup. The Chargers face off against a Cowboys team both fighting for their playoff lives. The Giants look to shock the football world again by forcing another upset against their divisional foe Redskins. I’ll breakdown each game and identify the few plays that I will be targeting from each game.

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Minnesota Vikings (23.75) at Detroit Lions (20.75) o/u – 44.5

It’s worth noting that the Lions opened up as 1-point favorites at home against the Vikings who are coming off of a huge win against the LA Rams. THat line has since shifted in favor of the Vikings who are now 3-point road favorites after receiving 60% of the public bet.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings offense leaves a lot to be desired without the presence of Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford. Nonetheless they’re 8-2 and leading the NFC north by 2 games. Their offensive production is largely carried by Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and Kyle Rudolph. With those playmakers on his side, it doesn’t take much from Case Keenum to do other than force the ball to the talented trio. Keenum is a cheap way to get exposure to these offensive playmakers, while differentiating your lineup construction. Keenum is the second lowest priced QB on (Draftkings at $5,300 and Fanduel $7,500). His offensive weapons and favorable team total make him a superior play at the bottom of the barrel at the QB position over Eli Manning. The Lions rank 18th in aFPA to opposing QB so Keenum has a relatively strong chance of going 3x on Draftkings where he would only need about 17 points to reach value.

Adam Thielen (DK $7,600, FD $8,300) and Stefon Diggs (DK $6,300, FD $7,500) are perhaps the most talented receivers on this slate. Thielen has out produced Diggs since his return from injury and Thielen now has averaged the most targets per game in the NFL since week 6. The matchup also favors Thielen because he may be able to avoid having to face Darius Slay. Thielen runs the majority of his snaps from the slot, meaning he could avoid Slay on Thursday morning. Diggs always has the upside to explode for a 200-yard 2 TD game, but he will have his work cut out for him going up against Slay.

Kyle Rudolph (DK $4,100, FD $5,800) has at least seven targets and five receptions the last six games. The Lions are among the worst in aFPA to TE and Rudolph is receiving over 35% of red zone targets for the Vikings. Rudolph is a great cash and gpp play if you want to go heavy on the Vikings.

I’ll be staying away from the running backs on the Vikings. Latavius Murray (DK $4,900, FD $6,500) and Jerick McKinnon (DK $5,200, FD 6,200) split the carries almost 50-50 and don’t have much upside. Murray has been getting the bulk of the work but simply hasn’t been productive with it. While McKinnon has been involved in the passing game, but has yet to separate himself as the main back. Murray would be the better bet to score a TD on the slate, but McKinnon is the better option if you think this game could shootout or the Vikings would be trailing.

Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford has thrown 10 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in his last five games. He’s exceeded his salary point expectation in each of those games and has shown that he is worth the price the Lions gave up this offseason. The issue is he’s going up against a stingy Vikings defense that is 11th in aFPA. Stafford is always a threat to have a big game because of the amount of volume he see (30+ attempts in 7 of his last 8 games).

The Lions receivers Golden Tate (DK $6,200, FD $7,300) and Marvin Jones (DK $5,700, FD $7,000) are also in a difficult spot against the 15th Vikings who are 15th in aFPA. They rank in the middle of the pack because of their dominant performances by Xavier Rhodes and lackluster performances by Terence Newman. In their first meeting back in week 4, Rhodes shadowed Marvin Jones practically all game and held him to only two catches. That figures to be the case this week which leads to more targets for Tate against Newman. Tate is a much better play on Draftkings with the PPR format.

Similar to the Vikings running back situation, I won’t be having much exposure to the Lions running backs. They have two very cheap running back options in Ameer Abdullah (DK $3,900, FD $ ) and Theo Riddick (DK $3,600, FD $5,600) but have a difficult matchup against the Vikings who rank number 2 in aFPA to running backs. Abdullah may get the more volume in the game but Riddick gets the majority of targets out of the backfield. Abdullah can be in consideration on Fanduel.

Los Angeles Charger (25) at Dallas Cowboys (22.5) over/under (47.5)

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are coming off of a dominant performance against a Bills team that started a rookie quarterback and threw 5 interceptions. When you factor that in with a Cowboys offense that has been struggling, I expect their defense to be somewhat popular.

The offense last week was led by Keenan Allen (DK $7,300, FD $8,000) who had a monster game with 12 catches and 159 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest reason for his increase in production was the increase of routes run out of the slot. The Cowboys have struggled to cover receivers in general this season (25th aFPA) and have struggled with short catches. If the game plan stays to what it was last week, Allen should have a big game again. Because of Dallas’ ranking against receivers it’s fair to consider both Tyrell WIlliams (DK $3,400, FD $5,100) and Mike Williams (DK $3,100, FD $4,700) as punt plays. Mike is coming off of a season-high snap rate (55%) and had 8 targets last week, while Tyrell only received one target. We’ve seen Tyrell explode for 100-yard games already once this season so he’s a viable tournament option at this price.

Melvin Gordon (DK $7,600, FD $7,800) will be the unavoidable chalk of the week. He’s one of two running backs that figures to get the majority of the team’s carries and has the highest ceiling out of all the backs on the slate. A nice way to differentiate your lineup would be pairing him with Austin Ekeler (DK $4,200, FD $5,800) who has seen his role continue to increase the past two weeks. Ekeler has seen seven targets and 16 carries in the last two weeks and has turned that into over 40 DK points. People would likely fade the pairing both running backs on the same team, but with Sean Lee out for the Cowboys, that could open up the Chargers running game for both backs.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys offense has really struggled without Ezekiel Elliott and LT Tyron Smith. Fortunately they should be getting Smith back in this game which will help Dak Prescotts (DK $6,700, $8,900). Dak has failed to meet salary expectations the last two games and is coming off of a three interception game on national TV. Priced between Cousins and Stafford, he’s likely to be the lowest owned of the three and still provides a good deal of rushing upside. Dak has proven to be the Cowboys new goal line back so if the Cowboys are within the 5 yard line, that could lead to a rushing TD for Dak. Dak also has the luxury of playing in the game with the slates highest over/under. Dak is my favorite pivot off Cousins on this slate.

The Cowboy receivers don’t give a lot to be excited about but Dez Bryant (DK $6,400, FD $7,400) does provide some upside given his price range. He’s the fourth highest price receiver and has the largest percent of the team’s target share. The problem is that Bryant is going up against two pretty solid corners in Trevor Williams and Casey Hayward. The Cowboys wide receivers have tough matchups against the Chargers, especially if the Chargers pass rush can get to Dak. The recipe for success for the Cowboys might be to use Dak’s rushing ability and control the game with their running game. Bryant is viable for cash given the amount of targets he gets, but it’s difficult to see a breakout game with the matchup he has.

Speaking of the Cowboys rushing game, since Elliott’s suspension the run game hasn’t been very effective. Alfred Morris (DK $4,800, FD $6,100) and Rod Smith (DK $3,400, FD $5,300) will get the majority of the workload for Dallas. Morris has got 28 carries over the last two games, but Smith has gotten the majority of targets. The Chargers allow the third most fantasy points to opposing backfield so if the workload were to lean on one back they could have a big day. Depending on the game flow you expect, Morris could see upwards of 25 carries and Smith could get around 8-10 targets. The Cowboys have fell behind early the last two games and that has led to Smith getting over 54% of the snaps. They are 2.5 point underdogs so that very well could be the scenario this go around.

New York Giants (18.75) at Washington Redskins (26.25) over/under 45

New York Giants

The Giants have the slate lowest implied team total at less than 20 points. Last week they were able to pull off the upset against the Chiefs in an overtime win, but still failed to score a touchdown. This week they find themselves in a similar situation. Their biggest threat in Sterling Shepard has missed practice all week and is a good bet to be inactive for this game. This could funnel the production to Evan Engram (DK $6,100, FD $7,600). Engram leads the team with 44 targets and four touchdowns since Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall went down for the season. That production should continue with Shepard out. Engram is the only play worth considering for this slate.

Washington Redskins

The team with the highest implied total (26.25) and the most stable offensive production.

Kirk Cousins (DK $7,100, FD $8,800) is the highest priced QB on the slate and will be the highest owner QB on the slate. He has the highest implied total and is playing at home, which bodes well for his owners. But there is cause for caution with Cousin missing two offensive linemen (Shawn Lauvao and Spencer Long) and also pass-catching running back Chris Thompson.

The benefit of rostering Cousins is that you can predict where his production will correlate. Jamison Crowder (DK $5,400, FD $6,300) and Josh Doctson (DK $4,700, FD $6,600) are the primary recipients of Cousins targets. Crowder is averaging over 9 targets per game in the last four and Doctson has emerged as the team’s deep threat after Terrelle Pryor has seen a limited role. Crowder is a viable cash game option given the amount of targets he receives. While Doctson is the darkhorse with the higher ceiling.

Samaje Perine (DK $5,000, FD $7,600) is the only running back outside of Melvin Gordon that is a lock to touch the ball more than 20 times. Perine is a home favorite and received over 70% of the carries last week. With Thompson out for the season, this is Perine’s backfield to control. Perine should get the bulk of the carries for the Redskins and will get a lot of opportunities if the Redskins can grab a lead early. The Giants rank 26th in aFPA to running backs.

Cash:

QB: Cousins, Prescott, Keenum

RB: Gordon, Perine, Murray, Morris

WR: Thielen, Bryant, Crowder, Tate

TE: Davis/Reed, Rudolph, Engram

DST: Redskins, Cowboys

GPP:

QB: Stafford

RB: Ekeler, McKinnon

WR: Doctson, Ty. Williams

TE: Henry

DST: Lions, Chargers

Fades:

QB: Rivers, Manning

RB: Abdullah, Riddick, Darkwa

WR: Diggs, Beasley, M. Jones, Lewis

TE: Ebron, Gates