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Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 8

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Week 8 looked like a week that was going to be missing several key players with six teams on a bye, including the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. However, with Aaron Rodgers, David Johnson and Odell Beckham Jr. out for most (if not all) of the season with injuries, the damage was already done. Luckily DFS gives you the opportunity to still come away a winner even with some of the best players in the game unavailable. Put your favorite daily fantasy football 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**

Carson Wentz vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $7,200
FanDuel = $7,900

To say Wentz is on fire is an understatement. Over his last three games, he has thrown 11 touchdown passes compared to only two interceptions. He already has 17 touchdowns passes this season, passing his total of 16 for all of 2016. Not only is he throwing for more touchdowns, but he only has four total interceptions compared to 14 last year. This a great matchup Sunday against a 49ers defense that has allowed 259 net passing yards per game and 12 touchdown passes, both of which are towards the bottom of the NFL.

Jameis Winston vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $6,100
FanDuel = $7,600

Winston entered Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills coming off of a shoulder injury, but he showed no ill effects as he threw for 384 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. That’s impressive on the road in Buffalo. If you exclude the previous Week 6 contest where he left early with the injury, he has thrown for at least 328 yards in each of his last four full games. Expect him to throw a lot again Sunday and put up valuable numbers against the Panthers.

Josh McCown vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $5,600
FanDuel = $7,300

Don’t look now, but McCown has thrown for at least two touchdown passes in each of his last three games. Although he only threw for 209 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins, he threw a season high three touchdown passes and also had a rushing touchdown. The Falcons defense doesn’t create a lot of turnovers as they only have two interceptions to go along with nine passing touchdowns allowed this season. With only a few elite options this week, McCown has the potential to put up valuable numbers at a reasonable price.

**RUNNING BACKS**

Le’Veon Bell vs. Detroit Lions
Stadium – Ford Field
DraftKings = $9,300
FanDuel = $9,400

The key for Bell this season has been volume as he has rushed for at least 134 yards in all three games where he received at least 32 carries. The good news is that all three of those game have come over the last four weeks as the Steelers have been making a concerted effort to stick with the run. It hasn’t hurt Bell’s involvement in the passing game though as he has received at least six targets in four of the last five games. Look for him to put up big numbers again Sunday.

Mark Ingram vs. Chicago Bears
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
DraftKings = $7,400
FanDuel = $7,200

Ingram has become more involved in the rushing attack since Adrian Peterson was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He has not let the opportunity go to waste as he has rushed for at last 105 yards and one touchdown in both of his last two games. He’s also been involved in the pass catching side of things as he has received at least five targets and hauled in at least four receptions in both of those games as well. Look for him to continue to get plenty of volume Sunday, making for a solid play against the Bears.

Wendell Smallwood vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,500

Smallwood returned from injury Week 7 to rush for 25 yards on eight carries and catch two passes for 14 yards. While those numbers aren’t impressive, LeGarrette Blount struggled in the game as well as he only had 29 yards on 14 carries. Week 8 brings a matchup against a 49ers defense that has allowed the fourth most rushing yards in the league this season. He’s cheap enough to take the risk on this week if you need to save money at running back.

**WIDE RECEIVERS**

A.J. Green vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
DraftKings = $8,600
FanDuel = $8,500

Green is coming off of a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers as he hauled in only three catches for 41 yards. Don’t be overly concerned though as the Steelers have allowed the fewest net passing yards in the NFL. His overall production this season has been solid as he has 35 receptions on 57 targets for 545 yards and three touchdowns. Week 8 brings a great matchup against the Colts, who have allowed the second most net passing yards this season. This is the week to pay up for Green.

Michael Crabtree vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
DraftKings = $6,300
FanDuel = $7,200

Simply put, Crabtree is a touchdown machine. He has scored in each of the last three games and has six touchdowns on the season overall. He’s heavily involved in the passing attack in general as he is averaging just under seven targets per game. While the Raiders successfully got Amari Copper more involved in the offense last week, Crabtree still received seven targets in the game. After Winston and the Buccaneers receivers lit up the Bills last week, Crabtree could be in for another strong performance.

Kelvin Benjamin vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $6,400
FanDuel = $6,600

The Panthers offense has been inconsistent this season, resulting in only 29 receptions on 44 targets for 436 yards and one touchdown for Benjamin. He had scored at least seven touchdowns in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, so his inability to reach the end zone has been a disappointment. There is potential for him to succeed this week though against the Buccaneers as they have allowed the third most net passing yards per game in the NFL this season. Benjamin posted 163 receiving yards and a touchdown against them in two games last year and I expect him to be productive in their first meeting this year.

Marquise Goodwin vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $3,900
FanDuel = $4,900

With so many teams on a bye, there aren’t many intriguing cheap options at wide receiver. Goodwin hauled in four of eight targets for 80 yards last week against the Dallas Cowboys and has at least 80 receiving yards in two of his last three games. The Eagles might be up big early in this game, resulting in the 49ers needing to throw a lot. The Eagles defense has allowed the fourth most net passing yards per game this season, so be willing to take the risk on Goodwin if you want to spend money elsewhere this week.

**TIGHT ENDS**

Zach Ertz vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $7,000
FanDuel = $7,300

Ertz has scored at least one touchdown in four of the last five games and his five touchdowns on the season have already established a new career high. He has 58 targets this season and if he stays healthy, he should easily receive at least 100 targets for the third consecutive season. With an emerging young quarterback in Wentz having a lot of trust in him, Ertz should be another excellent play this week.

Kyle Rudolph vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – Twickenham Stadium
DraftKings = $4,500
FanDuel = $5,800

Rudolph’s numbers don’t jump off the page as he only has 26 receptions, 244 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has been more involved in the offense over the last three games though, hauling in 16 receptions on 25 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. Week 8 brings a favorable matchup against the Browns as they have allowed 487 receiving yards and five touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season.

**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**

Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – Twickenham Stadium
DraftKings = $4,000
FanDuel = $5,300

The Browns offense is an absolute mess as they continue to struggle to find a competent starting quarterback. As a result, they are averaging an NFL-worst 14.7 points per game. The Vikings defense has been excellent at getting to the quarterback as they have 16 sacks over the last four games. Expect them to shut down the Browns in this contest.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $3,500
FanDuel = $4,900

It’s been a struggle for the Broncos to score points this season as they are only averaging 18.0 points per game. If you think that’s bad, they are averaging a paltry 8.0 points per game on the road. That doesn’t bode well for playing in the unfriendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium. Expect this to be another struggle for them to score, making the Chiefs a solid play at this price.

NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football: Week 5 Cash and GPP Plays

by Cesar Becerra 0 Comments

Week 5 brings us the first scheduled bye week (Tampa Bay and Miami week 1 bye week was obviously not scheduled). This leaves us incredibly thin at Quarterback if you are playing the main slate. *Note that Draftkings main slate does not include Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, nor Monday Night Football* This week we’ll be without the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins.

Let’s get to the position breakdown.

Quarterbacks

As I mentioned, QB is incredibly thin if you’re playing Draftkings main slate. With the teams on byes that leaves us without Brees, Ryan, Siemian, and Cousins. Each are quarterbacks who could warrant usage in a week with a solid matchup. The list of available quarterbacks becomes even shorter when you exclude the TNF, SNF, and MNF game. That removes Brady, Winston, A. Smith, and Watson from the slate. So as you can see we are missing quite a few relevant quarterbacks on the main slate. My best advice if you want to get exposure to any of these guys would be to play on the Thurs-Mon slate, but for the sake of consistency, I’ll only address players on the main slate.

Aaron Rodgers (DK $8,100, FD $9,500) – The highest priced QB on both sites and for a good reason. Rodgers comes into the game with the highest over/under at 52.5. The Packers are currently 2 point underdogs implied to score the second highest mark on the slate (25.25). Rodgers has played three of his first four games at home but was able to eclipse the 300-yard mark and throw two touchdowns against the Falcons in week 2. This week the Packers offense should look to rely more on Rodgers’ arm with Ty Montgomery expected to miss the game with a rib injury. Pay up for Rodgers if you can afford him in cash games.

Dak Prescott (DK $6,800, FD $7,700) – Staying in the same game, let’s go to the opposite side of the ball. Prescott and the Cowboys currently have the largest implied team total on the slate (27.25) and are at home against a Packers secondary that has yet to allow a 300-yard passer through the first four games. The Packers secondary has held opposing quarterbacks to an average of 210 yards and 1 touchdown. It is worth noting that three of those four games have been at home and against quarterbacks off to a slow start (Wilson, Dalton, and Glennon). The situation may not seem to be ideal for Prescott, but I expect the Packers secondary to regress a bit, especially with Rodgers needing to throw the ball more. Prescott does have some rushing equity, which could help him reach value. Currently, Dak is projected to score the fifth highest total according to Lineup Labs player pool.

Carson Palmer (DK $5,900, FD $7,200) – If you’re looking for value you may want to consider Carson Palmer, who is currently rated as our second highest points/dollar QB. Palmer is on the road facing the Eagles who have averaged 300 yards and 1.8 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks per game. The Cardinals are about a touchdown underdog so the game script could favor Palmer if the Cards fall behind and he has to throw 40+ times. Consider Palmer a gpp only flyer.

Other options to consider
Matthew Stafford (DK $6,300, FD $7,600) – Stafford is one of the most talented QBs on the slate but has a difficult matchup against the Panthers at home. The Panthers have averaged 211 passing yards and 1.3 touchdowns this season. They have shown vulnerabilities against good QBs, allowing Brees and Brady to combine for 527 yards and five touchdowns the last two weeks.

Brian Hoyer (DK $4,700, FD $6,500) – Again a pure value play that allows you to allocate salary at other positions, but Hoyer is facing a Colts defense that has averaged a touchdown and over 240 in every game this season.

Running Backs

Le’Veon Bell (DK $9,500, FD $9,500) – Finally, the Le ‘Veon we all grew to know and respect made an impact this season. Bell is coming off of a 39 touch game, in which he totaled 186 yards and two touchdowns against a solid Ravens defense. The Steelers are the biggest favorite on the slate (8.5) and are at home so Le’Veon checks all the boxes you’d want for your number 1 running back. The issue is trying to get the salary to pay up for him.

Todd Gurley II (DK $8,000, FD $7,800) – Gurley makes his way on the list over Zeke simply because of the salary savings you get. On DK you save $800, and on FD you save $900 from Zeke. I expect Zeke to have higher ownership than Gurley and rightfully so as Like Bell, Zeke is a home favorite and coming off of a big game. But here’s the kicker, Gurley is too. Surprisingly the Rams are a slight favorite over the Seahawks at home (-1) and are implied to score 24.25 points. Gurley has been heavily involved in the passing game this year and should get plenty of work in a game I expect to be a slugfest. Gurley is second in our projected points behind Bell.

Jonathan Stewart (DK $3,900, FD $5,700) – Looking for a value you may want to drop all the way down to Jonathan Stewart. Yes, I know his role has diminished since McCaffrey has joined the Panthers backfield, but Stewart has continued to get the majority of the carries. Through the first four weeks, Stewart has received 63% of the rushing attempts out of the Carolina backfield. Stewart is only playing in 42% of the snaps, which trails McCaffrey, but at 3,900 on DK if Stewart finds the end zone he could very well hit 3x value. Stewart is currently ranked as our top-rated value play according to DFSR projections.

GPP Flyer 

Joe Mixon (DK $5,500, FD $5,900) – His price actually dropped a couple of hundred dollars ($200) on DK, which is surprising. Coming into the season, it was only a matter of time before Mixon took over the Bengals backfield. Since firing Ken Zampese and appointing Bill Lazor as the OC, Mixon has received 52% of the snaps and 65 % of the rushing attempts out of the Bengals backfield. Last week Mixon had 17 rushes and four catches on four targets but was only able to muster 28 yards. He’s going up against a tough Bills defense, but as a 3 point home favorite, I can get around the idea of sprinkling in some Mixon on my GPP teams.

** It’s worth monitoring the Packers practice reports. Montgomery is expected to miss so that could lead to more opportunities for Aaron Jones. But at $5,100 on DK and $5,900 on FD, I’d rather take my chances with Mixon over Jones.

Other options to consider
Melvin Gordon, Jay Ajayi, Frank Gore, Ameer Abdullah, Duke Johnson, Bilal Powell, Wendell Smallwood.

Wide Receivers

Dez Bryant (DK $6,500, FD $7,800) – Dez is perhaps my favorite wide receiver to play this week for the sole reason that the game script may lead to more targets for Dez. Dez is currently 4th in the NFL in targets with 40, which is just over 42% of Dak Prescott’s targets. The Cowboys are implied to score over 27 points, and the game script could mean that the Dallas passing offense will need to be in full force, so I expect Bryant to get a lot of looks. Bryant only has a 40% catch rate on his targets, but that has a lot to do with the difficult matchups he’s had to deal with through the first four weeks of the season. I like a Dak and Dez stack to help differentiate lineups.

Jordy Nelson (DK $8,100, FD $8,600) – Jordy will be the most popular receiver in the slate. Nelson figures to get a lot of work considering that the Packers will abandon the run game and force Rodgers to throw 45+ times. Nelson is coming off of a week 3 where he caught 4 of his seven targets, which included two touchdowns against the Bears. Nelson has now caught over 60% of his targets and has scored four touchdowns in what really was only 3 full games on the field.

Randall Cobb (DK $6,700, FD $6,600) – If you have not noticed yet, I really like every aspect of this Green Bay vs. Dallas game. The Packers are going to be one dimensional, and I think the Cowboys are going to have to play catch up. But Cobb is my sneaky play here. With Ty out I can see a situation where Cobb gets some work out of the backfield, adding in 3-5 more touches for the game. Cobb does most of his damage in the slot, but if Adams and Montgomery are out, I see him playing the same role that Montgomery played last year where the Packers had backfield issues. This, of course, could make Geronimo Allison a play with Cobb getting less work in the slot. This entire Packers offense is a situation worth monitoring.

DeVante Parker (DK $6,600, FD $ 6,100) – It’s tough to trust any aspect of the Dolphins offense attack, especially when you consider that Jay Cutler hasn’t thrown for more than two touchdown passes in his last 16 starts. That being said, Parker is someone worth writing about. Parker is 18th in the league with 18 targets and has caught over 75% of those targets (14). The Titans rank 32nd in the league in aFPA to wide receivers, so this could be the breakout week for Parker.

Aldrick Robinson (DK $3,100, FD $4,600) – One of my favorite DFS writers, Adam Levitan love Aldrick for the sake of #Preseason. Aldrick has dominated preseason the past two years under Shanahan and now may get more of an opportunity with Marquise Goodwin in the concussion protocol. Last week Robinson had 12 targets in an 86% of the offensive snaps. If Goodwin is out, like I expect him to be, Robinson is likely to be a beneficiary. The 49ers are going up against the Colts secondary that has had a lot of trouble at WR this year.

Tight End

Austin Seferian-Jenkins (DK $3,500, FD $5,500) – I don’t know why I went away from playing tight ends against the Browns last week but lessoned learned and I’m not doing that again. The Browns rank 32nd against TE in aFPA, averaging just over 15 points per game. Jesse James lit up this defense in week 1 and so did Ben Watson, now after adding Tyler Kroft to the list, I can’t help but add ASJ to the list.

Delanie Walker (DK $4,700, FD $6,000) – Walker is 6th in the league in targets with 14 and now has to deal with a quarterback change with Mariota out. Matt Cassel will start this week and will likely be looking for a security blanket to dump the ball off to. Walker should be the most significant beneficiary of the Mariota injury. Walker is currently the third highest projected tight end according to our projections.

Tyler Kroft (DK $ 3,200, FD $5,500) – Kroft leads our projections as our top value play for the week. After a big performance against the Browns, Kroft figures to be an essential role in the Bengals red zone passing attack. Kroft caught six of his seven targets last week with Tyler Eifert out for the Bengals.

Defense

Pittsburgh Steelers (DK $3,900, FD $4,800) – The Steelers are the highest projected defense on both sites according to Lineup Labs and rightfully so. They are the biggest favorite on the slate, at home, and are going up against the Jags who are implied to score 17.5 points. The issue here is that they’re costly. They may be safe, but I’ll more than likely be looking elsewhere for defense.

San Francisco 49ers (DK $2,600, FD $4,200) – I think the 49ers are in a good spot to take advantage of a lousy offense. The Colts line gives up over 3 sacks per game, and the 49ers have a much improved defensive line. This 49er team has had a rough schedule to begin the season, but their defense has performed well even without their late first-round pick Reuben Foster.

 

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 5

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 5

Lineuplab.com - Win on Fanduel & Draftkings with our tools - Daily Fantasy Football

We have hit bye weeks, leaving less options than normal for your DFS entry. While that means less unique lineup possibilities are available, that doesn’t mean there still aren’t plenty of great options to help you come away a winner. Put your favorite daily fantasy football 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**

Aaron Rodgers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Stadium – AT&T Stadium
DraftKings = $8,100
FanDuel = $9,500

Rodgers is off to another great start this season as he has 1,146 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. While he had his lowest yardage total with only 179 yards Week 4, he also had his highest touchdown total with four. Starting running back Ty Montgomery was injured in that game and while word at this point is that he’s going to try and play in Week 5, expect him to be limited even if he takes the field. The Cowboys have allowed eight passing touchdowns this season, tied for fourth most in the NFL. With the offense squarely on the shoulders of Rodgers yet again this week, expect him to come through with a big performance.

Carson Palmer vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $5,900
FanDuel = $7,200

Palmer isn’t off to the best of starts this season as he has five touchdowns compared to five interceptions. However, he’s actually thrown for more yards than Rodgers has (1,282). He has thrown for at east 325 yards in each of the last three games, though it did come against three poor defenses in the Indianapolis Colts, Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He gets another favorable match up this week as the Eagles have allowed the second most net passing yards in the NFL. I think he has a relatively high floor considering how little he will cost you.

Eli Manning vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $6,100
FanDuel = $7,000

The Giants are off to a surprising 0-4 start and there has been a lot of blame placed on their offense, particularly their offensive line. While the offensive struggles were a big reason why they lost their first two games of the season, that hasn’t been the case the last two weeks. They have made some changes to their offensive line and are now getting the ball out of Manning’s hand quickly, resulting in at least 288 yards and two touchdowns for Eli in both of the last two games. They still have no running game, so it’s going to be up to Manning to help them finally get a win this week. The Chargers have allowed at least 24 points in three of their four games this season, so their defense is certainly no juggernaut. I like Manning to put up another valuable stat line this week.

**RUNNING BACKS**

Le’Veon Bell vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Stadium – Heinz Field
DraftKings = $9,500
FanDuel = $9,500

Bell is coming off of his best game of the season as he rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions and 42 receiving yards last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He only had 180 rushing yards and one touchdown through the first three weeks combined, which may have been a product of sitting out the preseason. Last week was a great sign that he is busting out of his slump and he gets a great match up this week against a Jaguars defense that has allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL. Pay up for Bell Sunday, he’ll be worth it.

Marshawn Lynch vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
DraftKings = $5,100
FanDuel = $6,100

Lynch is not off to a very good start in his return from retirement as he only has 151 rushing yards and one touchdown through four games this season. He is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry, which would be the lowest of his career. A player known for being a workhorse, Lynch has received 12 or fewer rushing attempts in three of four games this season. That should change this week though with quarterback Derek Carr out due to injury. I expect Lynch to be significantly more involved in this game, which is good news considering the Ravens have allowed the eighth most rushing yards in the NFL this season. Look for a breakout performance from Beast Mode.

Andre Ellington vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $4,600
FanDuel = $5,400

Ellington has become a very important part of the Cardinals offense with David Johnson out, especially catching passes out of the backfield. While he hasn’t rushed for more than 22 yards in any game this season, he has 14 receptions on 24 targets for 145 yards over his last two games. Johnson caught 80 passes on 120 targets last season, so having their running backs catch passes is clearly a major part of their offensive scheme. I already mentioned the Eagles struggles in pass coverage, making Ellington a great play this week at a cheap price.

**WIDE RECEIVERS**

Jordy Nelson vs. Dallas Cowboys
Stadium – AT&T Stadium
DraftKings = $8,100
FanDuel = $8,600

Nelson entered 2017 having scored at least 13 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons that he played. He’s well on his way to reaching that mark again this season as he already has five touchdowns.  Although he hasn’t recorded more than 79 receiving yards in any game so far, you don’t need a ton of yardage to be extremely valuable when you reach the end zone as often as Nelson does. There is a chance fellow receiver Davante Adams might be out for this game due to a concussion, which would leave Nelson to shoulder even more of the offensive load. Either way, the production from a Rodgers-Nelson stack this week is too good to pass up.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $6,800
FanDuel = $6,700

Fitzgerald continues to produce as he has 276 receiving yards and two touchdowns so far this season. Even in his 14th year in the NFL, Fitzgerald is the focal point of the Cardinals receiving core and has received 41 targets this year as a result. He has received at least 100 targets in every season of his career, so this should come as no surprise. As you can tell, I like the match up for the Cardinals this week against a porous Eagles secondary. I expect another big performance from Fitzgerald in this contest.

DeVante Parker vs. Tennessee Titans
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $6,600
FanDuel = $6,100

It has been an ugly start for the Dolphins offense, but that’s not because of a lack of production from Parker as he has recorded at least 69 receiving yards and eight targets in all three games this season. That’s saying something considering the Dolphins only have 548 net passing yards this entire season. The Titans secondary has struggled as they are tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed this season with 11 and have also allowed the fourth most net passing yards. He presents a solid mid-tier priced option for Week 5.

Jermaine Kearse vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
DraftKings = $4,500
FanDuel = $5,600

After getting off to a hot start this season, Kearse has slowed considerably as he only has seven receptions for 59 yards over the last two games. He laid an egg last week with only 17 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it should be noted that the Jaguars have allowed the fewest net passing yards this season. Week 5 brings a much more favorable match up against a Browns defense who has allowed the fourth most yards per pass attempt and third most passing touchdowns in the NFL. I expect Kearse to get back on track with a valuable performance Sunday.

**TIGHT ENDS**

Zach Ertz vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium = Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $6,200
FanDuel = $6,600

Ertz has been heavily involved in the Eagles offense this season as he has received at least eight targets in all four games. He has cashed in on his opportunities as he had at least 81 receiving yards in three of those four games. The Eagles made some significant changes to their receivers this off season, leaving Ertz as a player who quarterback Carson Wentz has a comfort level with from last year. Although Ertz only has one touchdown this season, the volume of targets he receives makes him another valuable option Week 5.

Hunter Henry vs. New York Giants
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $3,800
FanDuel = $5,200

Henry is off to a terrible start this season as he only has nine receptions, 96 receiving yards and one touchdown through the first four games. His lack of touchdowns is surprising as he had eight touchdowns in 2016. That being said, I’m going to take a risk on playing him this week. The Giants have really struggled to cover tight ends as they have allowed 309 yards and five touchdowns against them this season. At such a cheap price, Henry makes a lot of sense for your entry.

**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Stadium – Heinz Field
DraftKings = $3,900
FanDuel = $4,800

The Steelers defense has allowed nine points in two of the last three games and has allowed more than 20 points only one time this season. They have done a good job forcing turnovers as well as they have four interceptions and three fumble recoveries this season. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has been turnover prone during his career, so this could be a tough task for him on the road Sunday. In a week where I don’t think there is one defense that stands out as the obvious play, I believe the Steelers have the potential to be very productive.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
DraftKings = $2,900
FanDuel = $4,500

While I think Lynch is primed for a big game, that doesn’t mean the Ravens defense as a whole still doesn’t have value. With Carr out, EJ Manuel will be starting at quarterback. For his career, Manuel has 16 interceptions to go along with only 19 passing touchdowns. He threw an interception in relief of Carr last week against the Denver Broncos as well. The Ravens defense has nine interceptions this season, most in the NFL. That’s not a recipe for success for Manuel.

 

Fantasy Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

**Mike Barner**

The long journey through the NFL season is rapidly approaching, meaning it’s one of the most exciting times of the year: drafting your fantasy football team. While you need your players to stay healthy and have a little luck go your way, having a strong draft can go a long way to determining the fate of your season.

Lineup Lab is here to help you come away a winner. In the first of our season previews, we’ll break down the quarterback position. While it’s the most important position in the NFL, it’s not necessarily the most important position in fantasy football. If you don’t get one of the elite signal callers, a sound strategy is to wait until later in the draft as there is plenty of depth at the position.

Whether you want to swing for the fences and take your quarterback early or wait for a sleeper in the later rounds, we’ll examine some players to target and avoid as you navigate your way through your draft.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Mike Glennon - Chicago Bears - Lineup Lab

Old Faces In New Places

Mike Glennon – Chicago Bears

Glennon joins the Bears after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Jameis Winston at the helm, it was an easy decision for the Bucs to let Glennon leave in free agency. Glennon started 13 games during his rookie season in 2013 and posted a 59.4% completion percentage to go with 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He started five games in 2014, but has only appeared in two games the last two seasons.

Although Glennon signed a three-year deal with the Bears, they could get out of the deal after this season. It appears that could be a likely scenario as they just drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick.

Glennon doesn’t have the best weapons around him to succeed this season. While Jordan Howard is an excellent running back, his receiving core leaves a lot to be desired. The Bears lost Alshon Jeffery to the Philadephia Eagles, which is a significant blow to the team. Although they brought in a big name in Victor Cruz, he is a much different player than Jeffery and his best days appear to be behind him.

That leaves Glennon’s top wideouts as the combination of Kevin White and Cameron Meredith. White was limited to four games last season and only averaged 46.8 yards in those games. Meredith had a breakout campaign in 2016 as he had 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns. Glennon has a solid tight end in Zach Miller to pair with White and Meredith, but none of the three players are elite targets.

Stay away from Glennon as not only does he have limited weapons, but there is a chance he could end up on the bench in favor of Trubisky at some point during the season.

Jay Cutler – Miami Dolphins

Cutler was ready to begin his career as a broadcaster until the Dolphins lost Ryan Tannehill for the season with a knee injury. Cutler was limited to only five games due to injury himself last season, but was struggling even when healthy as he had four touchdowns, five interceptions and a 33.2 QBR for the season. He had some strong campaigns early in his career, but has thrown for less than 20 touchdowns in four of his last six seasons.

Unlike Glennon, Cutler actually has some weapons in wide receivers Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker. Although Landry only has eight total touchdowns in the last two seasons, he did record at least 94 receptions and 1,136 yards in both years. The Dolphins also brought in Julius Thomas at tight end, hoping to revive his career after two terrible seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with his struggles though, he did have nine total touchdowns in Jacksonville.

The Dolphins should be a run heavy offense behind Jay Ajayi, but Cutler has never been known to be a game manager. Even with several talented offensive players around him, Cutler is no longer a valuable fantasy option outside of two quarterback leagues.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Russell Wilson - Seattle Seahawks - Lineuplab

Overrated Players

Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks

Don’t get me wrong, Wilson has put up some big numbers in his career. He finished 2016 with a career-high 4,219 passing yards to go along with 21 passing touchdowns, 259 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Durability is a big part of his value as he has yet to miss a game in his career. He has also thrown nine interceptions or less in three of his five seasons in the league.

With that being said, he’s going too high in drafts. Last season, he finished 10th in the NFL in passing yards, 12th in passing yards per game and 17th in passing touchdowns. While he can add value in the running game, he only finished ninth in total rushing yards for a quarterback. To put that into perspective, he only had 52 more rushing yards and actually one less rushing touchdown than Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Wilson is likely to be picked among the top five quarterbacks in many leagues, but his production doesn’t match that price. You’d be better off waiting a few rounds and picking up someone like Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans or Jameis Winston of the Bucs as they could approach (if not exceed) Wilson’s production.

Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers

Roethlisberger has put up some monster numbers in his career. He went through a stretch from 2009 through 2014 where he threw for at least 4,000 yards four times and averaged 25 passing touchdowns per season. The best season of his career was in 2014 when he threw for 4,952 yards to go along with 32 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. That’s elite production.

Big Ben also has elite weapons around him, led by Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Brown has at least 106 receptions and 1,284 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons while Bell is one of the premier pass catching running backs in the league.

However, Roethlisberger has regressed the last two seasons, mainly because of injuries. He appeared in 12 games in 2015 and 14 games in 2016. Even in games when he does take the field, he seems to be dealing with nagging injuries more often than not.

Another area of concern is his crazy home and road splits. In home games last season, Roethlisberger averaged 319 passing yards per game and posted 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. On the road, he only averaged 238 passing yards per game while recording nine passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. When you look at his touchdowns and interceptions, it’s even more staggering when you consider he played eight road games last year and only six home games.

Is this a one-year fluke you ask? No, it’s certainly not. Although his passing yards per game were much closer (348 at home compared to 308 on the road) in 2015, his totals were still way off as he had 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions at home compared to only five touchdowns and nine interceptions on the road.

There is limited value in a quarterback who you can only start with confidence in half of his games. Let someone else take the risk.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Jameis Winston - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Lineuplab

Undervalued Players

Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Winston has had success in his young career as he has surpassed at least 4,000 passing yards in both seasons in the NFL. He has 50 touchdowns and 33 interceptions total while not missing a game so far.

Last season he threw for 4,090 yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. His passing stats are impressive when you consider outside of star receiver Mike Evans, the offense was lacking talent. Evans had 96 receptions for 1,321 yards. The next highest totals were both posted by tight end Cameron Brate, who logged 57 receptions for 660 yards.

The Bucs have added some serious talent to their offense this season by bringing in wide receiver DeSean Jackson and drafting tight end O.J Howard. Jackson adds much-needed speed and has averaged at least 17.6 yards per catch in each of the last three seasons. Howard can help create some difficult match ups when paired with Brate on the field while also providing solid blocking.

This season is shaping up to be another big campaign for Winston. If you prefer to wait on a quarterback, Winston can be drafted long after the elite options are off the board, but could still post a top-10 season.

Carson Wentz – Philadelphia Eagles

Wentz had a respectable rookie season, throwing for 3,782 yards to go along with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also added 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. While none of these numbers are eye-popping, take into consideration the talent he had around him. The team leader in both receptions (78) and receiving yards (816) was tight end Zach Ertz. Of their top four leaders in receptions, two were tight ends, one was a running back and only one was a wide receiver.

Although the Eagles traded away Jordan Matthews, they made significant upgrades at wide receiver by bringing in both Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith. Despite playing only 12 games last season, Jeffery still had more receiving yards (821) than anyone on the Eagles last year. Smith may not haul in a ton of catches, but he has averaged at least 16.8 yards per catch in four of his six seasons in the NFL.

With Ertz returning as well, Wentz has three legitimate options to throw to this season. The schedule also appears to be in Wentz’s favor this season as six of the Eagles 16 games come against teams who finished in the bottom nine of the NFL with regards to passing yards allowed last season. They also face only two teams who finished in the top five in passing yards allowed last season.

While he can be had in the later rounds of most drafts, Wentz has the potential to put up top-15 numbers at quarterback this season.

Fantasy Football Season Preview - Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons - Lineuplab

A Look At The Fantasy Playoff Schedule

Another key part of your research is to know who has favorable match ups during the fantasy football playoffs, generally weeks 15 and 16 in most leagues. Let’s dive in and see where you can gain that edge.

Favorable Schedules

Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons

Ryan has two road match ups in weeks 15 and 16, but they come against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 15) and the New Orleans Saints (Week 16). The Saints allowed the most passing yards in the NFL last season while the Bucs were one of 11 teams in the league to allow at least 4,000 passing yards. If you can make it to the playoffs, Ryan could help push you to a title.

Joe Flacco – Baltimore Ravens

Flacco also has an advantage in the fantasy playoffs as he faces the Cleveland Browns on the road in Week 15 and the Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 16. The Browns allowed 36 passing touchdowns last season, the most in the NFL. The Colts allowed 27 passing touchdowns of their own while also giving up 4,200 passing yards, which was good for sixth most in the league. You don’t want Flacco to be your starting QB for the entire season, but keep an eye on him when injuries mount at the end of the season and he gets this favorable schedule.

Difficult Schedules

Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts

Luck faces tough opponents as he gets the Denver Broncos at home in Week 15 and the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 16. The Broncos had the best pass defense in the NFL last season. They allowed a league-low 2,972 passing yards and had more interceptions (14) than passing touchdowns allowed (13). The Ravens were no slouch either as they tied for the league lead in interceptions (18) and finished in the top-nine in passing yards allowed. Luck could be in for some disappointing performances when it matters the most.

Kirk Cousins – Washington Redskins

Cousins is a trendy pick this season to outproduce his draft spot. While he might have a good season overall, the fantasy playoffs will be no picnic. Both games are at home, but he has to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 and the Broncos in Week 16. I already detailed how deadly the Broncos’ defense is, but the Cardinals are very tough as well. They limited the opposition to only 210 passing yards per game and 21 touchdowns last season, both in the top-10 in the league. Of all the tough fantasy playoff schedules, Cousins may have the toughest.