The main Sunday slate in DFS for Week 12 is going to be missing a lot of the elite receiving options considering the Chiefs and Chargers are on a bye and the Texans, Packers and Rams all play in prime time.
Read MoreNFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 11 – Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
While there are several high-priced wide receivers on the docket for Week 11, there are also a few cost-effective options that could pay off in DFS. Meanwhile, it’s slim pickings at tight end.
Read MoreNFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 15 – WR, TE, DEF/ST
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
Reader-only discount! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.
We’ve already discussed some of the top plays at quarterback and running back for Week 15 in DFS, so now let’s dive into the rest of the positions and target some of the best options to consider. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
WIDE RECEIVERS
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $8,000
Smith-Schuster came away with another monster performance last week against the Raiders, catching eight of 12 targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns. With opposing defenses focusing their efforts on Antonio Brown, Smith-Schuster has been able to record seven games with at least 100 receiving yards this season. In fact, he has 91 receptions and 1,234 yards compared to 86 receptions and 1,063 yards for Brown. However, Brown has the edge in touchdowns with 12 compared to six for Smith-Schuster. This could be a high-scoring game against a Patriots offense that finally has a healthy complement of skill players, leaving Smith-Schuster with a high floor once again.
Tyler Boyd vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $5,700
It’s hard to get too excited about the Bengals’ passing attack with both Andy Dalton (thumb) and A.J. Green (foot) on the shelf. Jeff Driskel hasn’t exactly played well since taking over for Dalton, throwing for 406 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception over two games. Boyd hasn’t been able to find his way into the end zone, but he has been active with nine catches for 149 on 14 targets during that stretch. This is a favorable matchup against a Raiders defense that has allowed the most passing touchdowns (31) in the league, making Boyd a viable option despite Driskel’s lackluster play.
Robert Foster vs. Detroit Lions
Stadium – New Era Field
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $4,300
The Bills were already extremely thin at wide receiver when they decided to release both Kelvin Benjamin and Andre Holmes. Zay Jones is now their top receiver, but Foster also has a much larger role. He logged 96 percent of the Bills’ offensive snaps in Week 14, catching seven of eight targets for 104 yards. Actually, that marked the third time in the last four games where he racked up at least 94 yards. Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen isn’t a very accurate passer, but the amount of targets that Foster should receive makes him a viable cheap option in tournament play.
Jordy Nelson vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $4,200
Nelson seems to be over his battle with a knee injury, logging at least 90 percent of the Raiders’ offensive snaps in each of their last three games. He couldn’t get much going against a tough Ravens defense in Week 12, but he’s amassed 16 receptions for 145 yards across his last two games. With the Raiders short on talent after trading away Amari Cooper, Nelson received 18 targets during their last two contests. The Bengals allow the fourth-most passing yards per game (274) in the league, leaving Nelson as an intriguing cost-effective option for your entry.
TIGHT ENDS
Rob Gronkowski vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $5,800
When Gronkowski is healthy, his upside is off the charts. The problem is, that’s been a rare occurrence this season. The good news for the Patriots is that he’s healthy right now and might be peaking at the time of the year when it matters the most. He made quick work of the Dolphins last week, catching all eight of his targets for 107 yards and one touchdown. That was his first 100-yard game since Week 1. Although he only has three touchdowns this season, two of them have come in the last three weeks. The Steelers have allowed 853 yards and seven touchdowns to tight ends, potentially setting up Gronkowski for another dominant performance.
Jared Cook vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $5,600
With the Raiders short on options at wide receiver, Cook has become one of the main weapons in their passing game. He’s already set career-highs in receptions (61), receiving yards (825) and touchdowns (six) with three games still to go. His last two games have been especially productive, catching 14 of 18 targets for 216 yards and a touchdown. Opposing tight ends have racked up 771 yards and seven touchdowns against the Bengals this year, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down Cook.
C.J. Uzomah vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $3,600
Uzomah hasn’t been overly productive with Driskel at the helm the last two weeks, catching eight of 10 targets for 70 yards. However, of all the healthy skill players that the Bengals have left, Uzomah being on the field for 85 percent of their offensive snaps is the second-highest mark on the team behind Boyd. The Raiders have been the worst team in football at defending tight ends, allowing 961 yards and nine touchdowns to the position. At this cheap price, Uzomah’s high snap rate makes him an intriguing tournament option.
DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Washington Redskins
Stadium – TIAA Bank Field
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $3,400
If you play in season-long fantasy, the demise of the Jaguars’ defense should serve as a reminder to never pay up for defenses early in drafts. They’ve regressed significantly after being one of the most stout units in the league last year, including allowing 30 points to the Titans in Week 14 and 24 points to the Bills in Week 12. Their sacks are down significantly and they haven’t been forcing a lot of turnovers, either. Despite all of that, they are still a great option in Week 15 against a Redskins team that has been decimated by injuries to the quarterback position. It’s to the point where Josh Johnson will start this game. To put that into perspective, prior to his relief effort of Mark Sanchez in Week 14, Johnson hadn’t thrown a pass in the NFL since 2011.
New York Giants vs. Tennessee Titans
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $2,600
The Giants are coming on strong down the stretch, but it might be a case of too little, too late for their playoff chances. Not only are they scoring more points, but their defense has 10 sacks, five interceptions, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns across their last two games. That came against a Bears team starting Chase Daniels at quarterback and the aforementioned dumpster fire that is the Redskins’ quarterback situation, but at least they took care of business. The Titans offense isn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut, either, averaging just 19.3 points per game, leaving the Giants a viable option in tournament play.
NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 13 – TE/DEF/ST
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
Reader-only discount! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.
Another tight end option is off the board with Jack Doyle (kidney) on IR, but the position is still fairly deep with no teams on a bye during Week 13. Let’s dive into the schedule and examine some players, and defenses/special teams, to target or avoid as you create your DFS entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Travis Kelce vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $7,000
The high-scoring affair between the Chiefs and Rams certainly resulted in a productive performance from Kelce. He received a season-high 14 targets, catching 10 of them for 127 yards and a touchdown. That marked Kelce’s fifth game of the year with at least 10 targets and the fourth time he compiled at least 100 yards. He’s also reached the end zone four times across his last four contests.
Kelce was already one of the best tight ends in the league, but his production has risen to the next level with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. He already has 67 receptions for 914 yards across 11 games after finishing with 83 catches and 1,038 yards all of last season. Even with all the weapons that the Chiefs have on offense, he still leads the team with 101 targets. Kelce is expensive, but he also has the highest floor of anyone at his position.
Jared Cook vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $4,700
This season can’t end soon enough for the Raiders. They lost again in Week 12 to the Ravens, marking their sixth loss in their last seven games. They allowed 34 points, which didn’t exactly do their injury-depleted offense any favors. Cook is one of the best pass catchers that they have left, but he caught only two of his five targets for 32. He did somewhat salvage his performance, though, with one of those catches resulting in a touchdown.
Even with their lack of talent at wide receiver, Cook hasn’t been on the field for more than 62 percent of the Raiders offensive snaps in any of their last five games. On the bright side, he does have three touchdowns during that stretch, two of which have come across his last two games. The Raiders might be forced to throw the ball a lot to keep up with the Chiefs, whose defense has actually allowed the most receiving yards to opposing tight ends (812) in the league. This could be a matchup to exploit with Cook.
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – CenturyLink Field
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $3,400
The Seahawks won last week against the Panthers, but their defense did not play well. Christian McCaffrey ate them alive, leading the Panthers to score 27 points. The Seahawks did grab an interception, but they failed to record a sack for the first time this year. With that performance, the Seahawks have now allowed at least 24 points in three consecutive games.
Even though Week 12 wasn’t great, this is about as good of a matchup as you can get for the Seahawks defense. The 49ers only scored nine points against a horrible Bucs defense in Week 11 and will again roll with Nick Mullens at quarterback. After his impressive debut against the Raiders, Mullens has four interceptions and two touchdowns across his last two games. Add in the fact that the Seahawks are at home and they have the potential to be the chalk defense play in DFS.
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
David Njoku vs. Houston Texans
Stadium = NRG Stadium
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $4,300
Njoku has been battling a knee injury but had the benefit of a bye in Week 11. That allowed him to log 67 percent of the Browns offensive snaps in Week 12, resulting in him catching all five of his targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. He’s already surpassed his totals in targets, receptions and receiving tards from his rookie season and could be in line for a productive finish with the changes the Browns have made to their coaching staff.
The key for Njoku for this game against the Texans will be his health. The Browns have continued to take a cautious approach with him in practice, but all indications are that he will be fine for Sunday. The Texans generally have good numbers defending against the pass, but they’ve had trouble with tight ends, allowing 725 yards and six touchdowns to the position. At his reasonable price on both sites, Njoku makes for a great option in tournament play.
Cameron Brate vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $3,700
Brate has had a limited role in the Bucs offense, but all that changed when O.J. Howard (ankle/foot) was lost for the season. In his first game as the team’s top tight end, Brate was on the field for 70 percent of their offensive plays in Week 12. The only skill player with a higher percentage was wide receiver Mike Evans (79 percent). He wasn’t overly involved with just four targets, but he did catch three of them for 26 yards and a touchdown.
The yardage total last week wasn’t what you were hoping for from Brate, but the key is how often he was on the field. The Bucs also won 27-9, so it’s not like they had to throw the ball a lot late in the game. They’ll face a much tougher task this week against a Panthers team that scored 42 points on them in Week 9. One way to attack the Panthers is through the use of the tight end as they have allowed 713 yards and nine touchdowns to the position.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Stadium – TIAA Bank Field
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $2,600
The strength of the Colts is quarterback Andrew Luck and their offense, but their defense hasn’t been as bad as initially predicted at the start of the season. While their performance in Week 11 against the Dolphins wasn’t a total flop, it wasn’t great, either, with them allowing 24 points and recording just one sack.
These two teams just faced off in Week 10 but under very different circumstances. Leonard Fournette will have to miss their rematch due to a suspension and the Jaguars have benched Blake Bortles at quarterback. Having Carlos Hyde and T.J. Yeldon does somewhat help offset the loss of Fournette, but Cody Kessler doesn’t exactly instill a lot of confidence at quarterback. If you want to save a few bucks at defense, the Colts are at least worth considering.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Jimmy Graham vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – Lambeau Field
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $4,000
Graham is dealing with a fractured thumb, but he still managed to play last week against the Vikings. However, he was only on the field for a season-low 42 percent of the Packers offensive plays. He finished with just two catches for 34 yards on four targets and will have to deal with the injury again Sunday. The Cardinals defense has done a good job slowing down tight ends already, so this is a situation to stay far away from with Graham.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $2,800
The Ravens took advantage of the Raiders poor offense last week, recording three sacks and returning a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Add in their punt return touchdown and the Ravens came through in a big way. However, they did still allow 17 points and those were their first defensive and special teams scores of the season. This will be a much tougher task on the road against a Falcons team that averages 30 points a game at home.
NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 5 – TE/DEF/ST
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
Reader-only discount! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.
It seems like every week another tight end is lost to a significant injury. Week 4 was no different as Tyler Eifert went down for the season with an ankle injury. This might be the thinnest the tight end position has been in a long time, but there are still options out there for Week 5 that could provide significant returns. Let’s dive into the schedule and examine some players, and defenses/special teams, to target or avoid as you create your DFS entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Zach Ertz vs. Minnesota Vikings
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $6,500
There isn’t much risk involved when you roll with Ertz in DFS. He’s received at least 10 targets in each game this year, including a season-high 14 in Week 14 even with the return of Alshon Jeffery. Although Ertz has yet to find the end zone, he has finished with at least 73 receiving yards in three of four contests.
It’s not all that surprising that Ertz still received a ton of targets in Jeffery’s first game of the season. The Eagles rely on Ertz heavily in the passing game, resulting in him getting at least 106 targets in three straight seasons. Opposing tight ends only have one touchdown against the Vikings this season, but they have allowed 246 receiving yards to the position. Two of their four games have come against the Bills and Rams, too, neither of which have a lot of talent at tight end. Expect another reliable performance from Ertz.
Jared Cook vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – StubHub Center
FanDuel = $5,900
DraftKings = $4,800
Cook didn’t exactly have a banner campaign in his first year with the Raiders, catching 54 of 86 targets for 688 yards. He finished the year with just two touchdowns, giving him three total scores across the last three seasons. The change at head coach has done wonders for Cook through four games this year, resulting in him posting 26 receptions on 35 targets for 370 yards and two touchdowns. After finishing with at least 100 yards in a game two times in 2017, he’s already reached that threshold twice through Week 4.
It’s certainly encouraging for Cook’s value moving forward that he has received at least 10 targets twice this season, especially since he had no more than nine in any game last year. His 74.3% catch rate is also a big improvement over his 62.8% mark in 2017. The Chargers have had no problems scoring points, so the Raiders might be forced to throw a lot to keep up, which only further adds to Cook’s upside.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stadium – CenturyLink Field
FanDuel = $4,700
DraftKings = $3,800
The Rams defense started out strong by allowing 13 points across the first two weeks. Their fortunes have changed since, allowing 54 points over their last two contests. One of the main reasons for their struggles of late is their injuries at cornerback. Aqib Talib is on IR with an ankle injury and Marcus Peters is battling a calf strain.
The good news for the Rams is that even with all of their issues the last two weeks, they recorded six sacks and three fumble recoveries. They still put a lot of pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, which could spell doom for Russell Wilson since he has already been sacked 16 times. The Seahawks did get Doug Baldwin back last week, but their offense still isn’t all that explosive. The Rams might not have the ceiling they would if they were healthy at cornerback, but they are one of the top defenses for Week 5.
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
David Njoku vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
FanDuel = $5,200
DraftKings = $3,400
Njoku was active in Baker Mayfield’s first career start, catching five passes for 52 yards. He finished the game with seven targets, marking the third time this season that he has received seven targets. However, he finished with a catch rate of 57.1% or lower in the first two weeks compared to 71.4% in Week 4.
The move from Tyrod Taylor to Mayfield provides a boost to the majority of the skill players on the Browns offense. Mayfield will go through some growing pains, but Taylor had never averaged more than 216.8 passing yards per game during any season of his career. This is no easy task against a tough Ravens defense, but the volume of passes that Njoku gets thrown his way at least makes him someone to consider.
Vance McDonald vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $4,600
DraftKings = $3,700
After sitting out the first game of the season, McDonald has received exactly five targets in each of the Steelers three games since. He followed up his monster 112-yard performance from Week 3 with 62 yards and a season-high five receptions in Week 4. An encouraging trend is that McDonald has seen his snap percentage increase each game, topping out at 62% last week.
This game should be a shootout based on how poorly both defenses have played. The Steelers have great weapons at wide receiver but expect McDonald to still be heavily involved. With all the injuries the Falcons have been dealt at linebacker and safety, teams can exploit the middle of the field against them. At this cheap price, McDonald has an opportunity to provide significant returns in tournament play.
Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $3,200
Although the Broncos lost last week, their defense didn’t play all that poorly against the potent Chiefs. They only allowed 10 points in the first half and the 27 total points that the Chiefs scored in the game marked their lowest output of the season. In fact, the Chiefs had scored at least 38 points in each of their first three contests.
The downside with the Broncos defense is that they haven’t created a turnover since forcing three in Week 1. Expect them to get back into that column Sunday against Sam Darnold, who has thrown at least one pick in three of four games. The Jets passing attack hasn’t been great, either, with Darnold throwing for fewer than 200 yards three of four weeks. If you don’t want to pay up for the Rams, the Broncos are a viable option.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Jesse James vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $5,200
DraftKings = $3,100
James started the first two games for the Steelers, catching eight of 10 targets for 198 yards and a touchdown. However, now that McDonald is completely healthy, James has received just two targets combined across the last two games. His snap percentage has also decreased each week, bottoming out at 44% in Week 4. McDonald is the Steelers tight end you want to roll with this week, not James. McDonald is even cheaper than James on FanDuel.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $2,800
The Jaguars defense has done a good job keeping teams out of the end zone, but they have only forced three turnovers this season, two of which came in Week 1. Outside of their Week 2 matchup against the Patriots, they haven’t exactly faced offensive juggernauts in the Giants, Titans, and Jets. This will be an extremely tough test against the Chiefs, so starting their defense seems like an unnecessary risk to take, especially based on how expensive they are on FanDuel.
NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 2 – TE/DEF/ST
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
Early bird special! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.
There were some excellent performances by tight ends in Week 1, but we also lost two of the most productive players at the position due to injury in Delanie Walker and Greg Olsen. With Walker out for the season and Olsen likely to miss several weeks, an already thin position became that much harder to navigate. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into the schedule and examine some players, and defenses/special teams, to target or avoid as you create your DFS entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Zach Ertz vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $6,100
Ertz only came away with five catches for 48 yards against the Falcons in Week 1, but the key is that he was targeted 10 times. He has never finished a season with a catch rate below 63.2%, so it was a bit of an aberration to see him haul in only half of the balls thrown his way. The number of targets he received was no surprise, though, as he received at least 106 targets in three consecutive seasons.
Alshon Jeffery is expected to miss Week 2 as well, opening up an even larger role in the offense for Ertz. Nelson Agholor will be his main competition for targets, but the Eagles pass-catching options are fairly limited otherwise. Nick Foles attempted 34 passes against the Falcons with Ertz and Agholor being his targets on 20 of them. Ertz is also their best red zone option, leaving him with a high floor in this contest.
Jordan Reed vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – FedEx Field
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $5,000
Reed is one of the most talented tight ends in the league. His only problem is finding a way to stay on the field. He’s healthy right now and is coming off a productive first game of the season that saw him catch four of five targets for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Last year was pretty much a lost season for Reed as he played only six games and was limited by injury in many of those contests where he did actually play. In the 24 games that he played across 2015 and 2016, he averaged more than 10 yards per reception and scored 17 total touchdowns. The Colts secondary entered this season ranked last in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and struggled in Week 1, making Reed an excellent target for your entry.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
FanDuel = $4,800
DraftKings = $3,700
The Rams had one of the best defenses in the NFL last year and made it even stronger when they added cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Aaron Donald was holding out for a contract extension, but luckily he and the Rams were able to agree to a new deal before the start of the season so he didn’t miss any games. They limited the Raiders to 13 points Monday, recording three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
The Cardinals offense laid an egg Week 1, scoring only six points against the Redskins. Sam Bradford struggled mightily, completing 20 of 34 passes for 153 and an interception. They have two talented weapons in David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, but Bradford doesn’t have much to work with outside of those two. Add in the fact that this game will be at home and the Rams defense could dominate Sunday.
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
George Kittle vs. Detroit Lions
Stadium – Levi’s Stadium
FanDuel = $5,600
DraftKings = $3,800
Not much went right for the 49ers against the Vikings on Sunday, but Kittle was one of the bright spots for their offense. He finished with five catches on nine targets for 90 yards and could have finished with an even better line had he not dropped what looked to be a potential long touchdown pass.
Kittle and Jimmy Garoppolo clearly have developed a good relationship. In the final three games of 2017 with Garoppolo as his starting quarterback, Kittle averaged 64.7 receiving yards per contest. The 49ers may try to avoid cornerback Darius Slay, which could open up even more targets for Kittle. The Lions defense is weak, overall, so look for Kittle to build on his strong opening performance.
Jared Cook vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Broncos Stadium at Mile High
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $3,600
The Raiders were clearly trying to avoid the Rams star cornerbacks in Week 1, which opened up a huge role in the offense for Cook. He finished with nine catches on 12 targets for a staggering 180 yards. He had 83 targets and 688 receiving yards across 16 games in all of 2017.
While his performance was certainly impressive, Cook is going to be hard pressed to get 12 targets again Sunday. He might not need to in order to provide significant value, though, based on the Broncos struggles to defend tight ends. They allowed 1,023 receiving yards and nine touchdowns to the position in 2017 and were torched by Will Dissly for 105 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. At this cheap price, he’s a viable option to consider in tournament play.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $3,600
The Chargers defense suffered a significant loss when Joey Bosa was unable to play against the Chiefs. They were destroyed by Tyreek Hill, who had 169 receiving yards and three total touchdowns, one of which came on a punt return. Patrick Mahomes also had an impressive performance in the first game of the post-Alex Smith era.
The Chiefs have a lot of weapons on offense. The Chargers will be facing a team on the opposite end of the spectrum in the Bills. They could only muster three points against the Ravens and have already turned over the quarterback job to Josh Allen after Nathan Peterman was awful once again. They have very few playmakers outside of LeSean McCoy and will likely struggle to score again in Week 2.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Jimmy Graham vs. Minnesota Vikings
Stadium – Lambeau Field
FanDuel = $6,000
DraftKings = $4,800
Jimmy Graham was all about touchdowns in 2017. He hauled in 10 scores but also posted just 520 receiving yards on 57 receptions. He only topped 60 receiving yards in a game twice all season and finished with a combined 47 yards across his last four games. A move to the Packers brought much of the same in Week 1 as he finished with two catches on four targets for eight yards.
Graham is one of the more talented tight ends that Aaron Rodgers has played with in his career, but Graham is heavily touchdown dependent at this stage of his career. I’d much rather roll with Reed, Kittle or Cook rather than the all-or-nothing risk that Graham provides.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – TIAA Bank Field
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $2,800
The Jaguars defense started off on the right foot, holding the Giants to 15 points in their season opener. Eli Manning was under pressure throughout the game and eventually threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. That was nothing new for a Jaguars team that had seven defensive touchdowns in 2017.
The Giants have a lot of weapons on offense, but Manning is in the twilight of his career. Tom Brady hasn’t lost a step and opened the season with 277 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Texans. The Patriots are thin at wide receiver with Julian Edelman suspended, but they still have enough talent to cause plenty of problems. It might be wise to avoid this matchup, especially at the Jaguars price on FanDuel.
Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13
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
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
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
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
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
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
NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football: Week 2 Cash and GPP Plays
The NFL Week 2 slate kicks off with two games on the main slate that currently have Vegas over/under greater than 53. Per usual, these games will see the heaviest amount of ownership in cash games and tournaments. The difference this week from the first week is that these games actually consist of four high-powered offensive teams. Before I dive into this week’s positional breakdown, I’ll give a preview of the two games that could dictate the landscape of week 2.
Put our picks into the optimizer and let us help crunch the numbers, or browse through the Week 2 studs and sleepers with NFL Player Lab.
Patriots (31) @ Saints (24.5) o/u 54 (open) 55.5 (live)
The Patriots come into week 2 0-1 for the first time since 2014. If you’re panicking as a Patriots fan, you really shouldn’t, the last three times the Patriots started 0-1 they went on to win the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick is 42-6 following a loss. The Vegas lined open with the Patriots as a 4.5 point favorite but has since moved to a 6.5 favorite over the Saints giving the Patriots the highest implied team total on the main slate. They are going up against a Saints defense that just got lit up by Sam Bradford on Monday night football. Last season the Saints ranked 27th in the league in Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) and 23rd against opposing wide receivers. To say the Saints have a bad secondary is an understatement. So Tom Brady against the Saints after not throwing a touchdown pass in the first game of the season is in a great spot. The Patriots offense as a whole with 10 days to prepare for this week going up against a Saints defense that has had 5 days to prepare an irritated Belichick.
Now the Saints aren’t in a bad spot themselves. They are playing in what many of the DFS community call the Coors Field of the NFL, the Superdome. The Saints offense passed the ball on nearly 60% of their offensive plays in the first week against the Vikings. The fact that they are about a touchdown underdog shows that Vegas believes they could be trailing throughout the game and could lead to more of the same game script for the Saints offense. Drew Brees is notorious for his home and road splits, and this week he’s back at home, and the Saints offense has performed much better when playing at home.
We always got to remember that Vegas isn’t always 100 percent right, but they are often a good indicator of game scripts. Figuring out how to roster a few players in this game will be key having a successful week 2.
Packers (25.5) @ Falcons (28) o/u 53.5
These two teams meet up for the first time since the NFC Championship in a highly anticipated rematch. These two teams are also coming off of a week 1 offensive let down where they had similar positive Vegas numbers. Both teams had their fair share of concerns back in week 1. The Falcons were on the road, and the Packers were going up against an improved Seahawks defense. But onward to this week!
The Falcons return home where they flat out dominated the league with their high-powered offense. The difference is that this season they have a new offensive coordinator in Steve Sarkisian who managed the Falcons to a 57-43 pass to run ratio. Matt Ryan is going up against the Packers defense that was 31st in passing yards allowed and 29th in quarterback touchdowns. Matt Ryan at home against a mediocre Packers secondary is just as must as a lock as a top quarterback could be.
While the Falcons are favored by just under a field goal, the Packers implied total is also top 10 in the week. The Packers offenses threw at a 60-40 percent ratio against a tough Seattle passing defense and were able to manage over 300 yards. Aaron Rodgers has lit up the Falcons in his first two meetings against them accumulating 7 touchdowns on 573 yards against the Falcons.
This game will be featured as the Sunday night game, and you’d want to construct your lineups to have some exposure to this game or else you could see yourself dropping on the leaderboards.
Now that we looked into the two games that could have the highest impact on this week’s slate let’s take a look at a few other options at the different positions.
Quarterbacks:
If week 1 taught us anything, it was that paying up for the premium quarterbacks is over rated. The average quarterback scored 15.5 points on DraftKings and 14.62 points on FanDuel. We saw plenty of lineups at the top of the leaderboards with Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford, and there were plenty of bust in the higher tier (I’m talking about your Russell Wilson). This week it may be harder to get away from the top tier (Brady, Brees, Rodgers, and Ryan) but there are always a few options in the middle and lower tier we can consider.
Derek Carr (DK $7,200, FD $8,300)
There are two quarterbacks that I like this week as a pivot from the quarterbacks mentioned above and the first is Derek Carr. Carr is coming off a week 1 performance where the Raiders offense controlled the game against an improved Titans defense and Carr completed over 68% of his passes. This week the Raiders are a huge 14 point favorites (second biggest on the slate) with an implied total of 28.5 at home against the Jets. The Jets have among one of the worst defenses in the league and last year allowed 30 passing touchdowns, which ranked in the bottom 10 in the league. The Jets also have a funnel defense which could force the Raiders to more passing situations with the Jets ability to limit the run game.
Russell Wilson (DK $6,800, FD $8,100)
Similar to Carr, Wilson comes into week 2 with an implied total of 28 points at home against a 49ers team that also allowed 30 passing touchdowns last year. The 49ers front seven is much improved from last season but could be limited depending on the status of rookie linebacker Reuben Foster. In week 1 the Seahawks had a 60-40 pass to run ratio, and Pete Caroll could look to stick with that ratio as Seattle has a lot of question marks in their backfield. Wilson has traditionally performed better at home than on the road, and Wilson is averaging 2.83 DK points at home than on the road. Wilson has averaged 19.7 DK points against the 49ers at home in two meetings against them in his career. These two quarterbacks are likely to be the most popular pivot from the high priced guys.
Carson Palmer (DK $6,000, FD $7,500)
Palmer did not look good against the Lions last week. He completed just 56% of his passes and threw 3 bad interceptions that allowed the Lions to come from behind and steal a victory. The bright side is that Palmer did throw the ball 48 times. The Cardinals also lost their star running back, David Johnson and have a mess in the backfield. Although Johnson is a huge weapon for Palmer out of the backfield, this could force even more passing plays for Palmer. This week Palmer is going up against a Colts defense that just got exposed for a 300 yard game by Jared Goff and a mediocre Rams offense. The Cardinals are an 8.5 road favorite with a score of 25.75. Palmer doesn’t quite check all the boxes you’d like to see for a quarterback, but he’s worth a flyer in tournaments, especially if you stack him with Larry Fitzgerald.
Joe Flacco (DK $5,200, FD $7,000)
Recovering from back injury, Flacco was eased back into live action in week 1. The Ravens protected Flacco by running the ball 71% of their offensive plays, but Flacco has a juicy matchup against the Browns. With an implied total of 23.5 and an 8 point favorite, the Ravens could very well continue to run the ball, but Flacco could be a big part of getting the big league for the Ravens. The Browns cut Joe Haden this preseason and ranked 30th against the pass last season DVOA, so this could be a get well game for Flacco down at $5,200 on Draftkings.
Running Backs:
Last week I was a part of #TeamJamEmIn and rostered both LeVeon Bell and David Johnson. It didn’t work so well last week, and we no longer have that option with DJ out until possibly December. This week there aren’t a lot of backs that fill the bill with situations I like (home favorites with a high team total), but I’ll give you a few that stand out.
Melvin Gordon (DK $7,000, FD $7,600)
Gordon is insanely cheap on FanDuel, but he’s also relatively cheap on DraftkKngs as well. Due to the amount of volume he receives, he could be a steal at that mid-tier price point. Last week, Gordon had a pretty solid showing on the road against a tough Broncos defense. He totaled 23 touches and 79 yards and a touchdown (16.4 FDp & 18.9 DKp). This week Gordon is one of the few running backs that check all the boxes for being a home favorite running back with a decent team total. Gordon is the 6th highest price running back on DraftKings and 10th on Fanduel so he could warrant lower than expected ownership on DK considering he’s $200 more than Kareem Hunt.
Ty Montgomery (DK $5,800, FD $6,500)
If you’re looking for another non-expensive running back look no further than Montgomery. Montgomery is the 15th most expensive back on DK and 20th on FD. When you look at Montgomery’s game log in week 1, the one thing that stands out was his pass catching ability. A former receiver converted to running back, Montgomery caught each of his 4 targets against the Seahawks and turned that into 19.3 DK points. Although Montgomery is a road underdog against, he does have a high team total (25.25) in a game that is projected to be a shootout (53.5 o/u) and faces a Falcons defense that ranked dead last this past season in allowing running backs receptions (109) and yards (870). Montgomery is a good way to get exposure to this game at a very cheap cost.
Kareem Hunt (DK $6,800, FD $7,800)
The rookie burst onto the scene last week with a huge night racking up 248 total yards and 3 TD’s in 23 touches against a much improved Patriots defense. Hunt is likely to be very popular this week as he’s up against the Eagles who rank 22nd in aFPA per 4for4. Hunt is one of those running backs that check all the boxes as he’s a home favorite (-4.5) with an implied total of 26 points. It’s important to note that he’s not as cheap on FanDuel, where he is the 7th highest priced back.
Jacquizz Rodgers (DK $4,400, FD $6,000)
Rodgers will get his first of three starts as the Bucs premier back with Doug Martin suspended for three games this season. Rodgers had over 17 touches per game in spot starts last season and could be in for a heavy workload as a home favorite against the Bears. The Bears do have an improved front 7, so I could see a game script where Dirk Koetter elects to test out Winston’s new weapons on offense. Rodgers is cheap and should get anywhere from 15-18 touches in the game.
Tarik Cohen (DK $4,1000, FD $7,000) – A road underdog that has the game script that will likely feature a pass-catching running back. The Bears showed that Cohen is their clear pass catching back.
Wide Receivers
In a slate that features four high-powered offenses with great Vegas totals, all of the high-priced receivers are in good spots this week to have a monster year. Antonio Brown is a beneficiary of Big Ben’s home splits and the same goes for Julio Jones.
Julio Jones (DK $9,200, FD $8,800)
Julio is in a ridiculous matchup. We’ve already talked about his high team total and the fact that that game has shootout written all over it. On top of all that, Jones is going up against the Packers defense that ranked 29th in wide receiver fantasy points allowed last season. Even last week when they bottled up Wilson, Baldwin was still able to manage a decent 63 yards on 4 catches. Julio will go up against Damarious Randall who allowed the second-most fantasy points per snap on a per-route basis in week 1 per Mike Clay. Julio and Ryan at home are a dynamic duo and could be in line for a monster game.
Brandin Cooks (DK $8,200, FD $7,900)
Another wide receiver in a high over/under game. Naturally, Cooks would have to make this list. He’s returning to the Superdome to play against his former team #NarrativeStreet. The Patriots were already without Julian Edelman and are more than likely to be without Danny Amendola who has not practiced this week due to a concussion and knee injury sustained in week 1. The Patriots will likely have two healthy receivers who are familiar with the playbook and Cooks has the upside to have a huge game.
Larry Fitzgerald (DK $6,500, FD $6,600)
Fitzgerald is a stud in the first six weeks of the season. Last week he received a team-high 13 targets and caught 6 of them for 74 yards. This week without David Johnson I expect the Cardinals to rely heavily on the passing game. We already talked about how the Colts got torn apart by a mediocre Rams offense. The savvy vet Fitzgerald is almost a sure bet to find the end zone.
Marqise Lee (DK $3,800, FD $5,900)
If you’re looking for value, unfortunately, it may lie on Marqise Lee. Lee could be the benefactor from the injury that causes Allen Robinson to miss the rest of the season. Lee is likely to move into the starting wide receiver spot and will play alongside Allen Hurns who caught under 50% of his targets last season. Lee was held without a catch last week against the Texans, but he should be in line to see more volume this week. Bortles leaves a lot to be desired, but Lee is very cheap and could help you fit in some of these top priced studs.
Adam Thielen (DK $ 5,000, FD $5,800)
Thielen had a breakout game 1 of the 2017 season on Monday night. He racked up 157 yards on 9 catches and out-targeted the Vikings number 1 receiver Diggs. He’s not a big red zone factor for Bradford, but his game script does indicate the Vikings could be playing catch up and throwing a lot as a 5.5 underdog against the Steelers on the road.
Tight End
Tight End is a position I traditionally like to find value. This week is no different. While there are viable top-tier options that are worthy of rostering, I find that in this week it’s easier for roster construction to find value at tight end.
Coby Fleener (DK $3,100, FD $5,300)
Fleener will be the consensus chalk on DraftKings. As the 15th price tight end, Fleener opens up a lot of salary to afford a higher priced stud. Fleener looks to benefit from the absence of Willie Snead as in the two games without Snead, Fleener has averaged 8.5 targets for an average of 81 yards and a touchdown. The Saints are a home underdog, but Fleener has traditionally done better at home. Fleener is looking to be like the free square that Ertz was last week.
Jared Cook (DK $3,300, FD $5,100)
I like Jared Cook as a pivot off Fleener’s high ownership this week. Cook receiver 20% of the target market shares in an Oakland offense that is implied to score the second most points on the slate. He looked like a nice security blanket for Carr down the seems and is an excellent pivot from both Fleener and the popular Carr/Cooper or Carr/Crabtree stack. He’s up against a Jets funnel defense that allowed the third-most touchdowns to tight ends last season.
Gpp consideration
Carles Clay (DK $3,300, FD $5,100)
Another pivot from Fleener, Clay led the Bills with 9 targets in week 1. Clay is going up against the Panthers who allowed the second-most touchdowns last season.
Defense
If week 2 is as crazy as week 1 was we better be ready to hit on defense. Last week we saw 4 different defense score over 20 DK points, and it was almost impossible to land atop the leaderboards without them.
Oakland Raiders (DK $3,500, FD $5,300)
There are a few chalk options this week, starting with the Raiders.They’re at home and face a Jets team that is implied for 15 points (second lowest on the slate). The Raiders are coming off of an impressive performance on the road against a much improved Titans offense. Playing the Raiders with Marshawn Lynch could be a nice way to get exposure to the game on both sides of the ball.
Baltimore Ravens (DK $3,700, FD $4,700)
A better play on FanDuel, the Ravens defense comes into week 2 in a great spot. After holding the Bengals to 0 points in week 1, the Ravens shift their focus to the Browns. Like the Raiders, the Ravens are a double-digit (10) favorite against a poor offense. Although the Brown showed some promise last week against the Steelers, the Ravens are at home and had a 71% run percentage last week, which suggest there could be very limited possessions in this game. The Browns are implied to score 15.5 points (third worst on the slate), so the Ravens could be a nice pivot for teams that want to save the $200 with the Raiders.
Other considerations;
Seattle Seahawks (DK $4,000, FD $5,400)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DK $3,200, FD $4,500)