So, Sunday wasn’t the huge payday that Thanksgiving was. I still finished in the green (thanks to a late heroic performance by Tom Brady, James White and Julian Edelman). Now we have reached Week 14. With Week 14, we get a whole new crop of DFS players. All of the redraft league guys who have been knocked out of their league’s playoffs suddenly jump into the waters of DFS, many without a life jacket. Pairing a larger number of wildcard entrants with a larger player pool (no more byes), only makes winning the big jackpots that much harder. The Dominator will still break down the entirety of the main slate, but I behoove you to get your entries into the Primetime-Only slate and the Afternoon-Only slates to continue to thin out some of the variance. As always, I will discuss the Primetime-Only slate below, but feel free to shoot me a message on Twitter @NewClearHarley, for my picks for the Afternoon-Only contests.
The Primetime Slate:
Seattle travels south to Los Angeles to face the Rams in front of a partisan crowd (likely partisan in favor of the Seahawks). The Rams have a solid defense, but they have been known to be susceptible to some mental lapses. Russell Wilson is certainly in play here as the #2 QB on the slate. I can understand the desire to go against the grain and start Jared Goff here, but I have him as the worst option on this slate. The Rams gave up a big statistical game to Chris Carson last time out, but their rushing defense has improved dramatically since than, and Carson has watched his primary ball carrier role reduced to RBBC. Los Angeles is still struggling with pass-catching backs, so Rashaad Penny is a safer play than Carson. That said, either could be used at RB2 or FLEX. Todd Gurley is finally starting to get a Gurley-level workload. This week he faces a run defense that has played well, but still given up a bunch of rushing TDs. Perhaps more important to Gurley’s value here is that Seattle has been a whipping-boy to opposing pass-catching RBs. Gurley has only seven receptions total the last three weeks, but that is seven more receptions than any other Rams’ running back over that period. I feel Todd is in the same boat with Carson and Penny as RB2/FLEX plays. Cooper Kupp always is a threat to score, but his price is usually higher than I’d like to spend, and the MNF WRs are very appealing. Brandin Cooks returned last week, but he was almost as visible as he was the prior weeks he was out. I’m not trusting him until we see better usage. Robert Woods, on the other hand, makes a strong play coming off a 19-target game. If I’m choosing a Rams’ WR this week it is him. Tyler Lockett was actually more incognito than Cooks last week. His 0-0 performance undoubtedly is responsible for knocking several of those newbie DFS’ers out of their redraft leagues. He will be extremely under-owned due to that fail (and the presence of Jalen Ramsey). You can’t trust him in cash games, but consider him as a sneaky play in GPP. Lockett did score in their earlier meeting, but most WR1s have struggled against LA since then (Hollywood Brown being the exception). D.K. (not decaf) Metcalf has been the better WR the last month or so, I feel better about starting him than Lockett. The Rams don’t give up enough through the air to seriously consider Josh Gordon or David Moore as anything more than a deep FLEX play. Will Dissly did damage against the Rams back in Week 5, but since then they have shut down every tight end not named George Kittle or Tyler Eifert. Jacob Hollister will probably be my TE4 on this slate, and not a particularly exciting option. Gerald Everett (or Tyler Higbee if Everett is out) is a great play here since Seattle is almost as incompetent at covering TEs as Arizona. Both teams are playable for defense, but neither is going to be a sure thing. If I choose between them, I probably would go with Seattle. That said, I will probably just roll with Philly on MNF.
I am pumped for Monday Night. Not. The NFC Least battle could produce some fantasy points, but it still forces us to watch two of the most underperforming teams in football. Fortunately, I can just use it as background fodder while @SteveGalloNFL and I record next week’s @BlitzedPodcast. I don’t really want to watch the game. I’ll just look at the box score when it is all done. Carson Wentz should be the QB1 on this slate, and Eli Manning is no worse than option 3. Count me among the many who hopes that Jordan Howard remains out. Miles Sanders by himself makes a solid RB1 or RB2 play. If Howard plays, then they will eat each other’s value and both become FLEX plays. The Eagles have done well against bad RBs, but they have struggled when facing premium RBs (especially through the air). Saquan Barkley is better than his stats suggest, and I will find it hard to fade him here unless it comes down to money. After a recent boost in their play, Philadelphia’s secondary got eaten alive by Davante Parker last week. Golden Tate is slated to return and he and Sterling Shepard are both solid WR2 options. If Tate doesn’t make it back, Darius Slayton is also in consideration at WR3. Meanwhile, the Giants have been rotten at covering everyone. Feel free to unleash Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. The only thing that will hold this trio back is their drops. I still feel strongly that they combine for 18-260-2, with most of that falling into Jeffery’s lap. He is coming off a 16-target feast, and I cannot imagine him getting fewer than 12 targets here. Dallas Goedert outplayed, out-targeted and out-produced Zach Ertz last week. Tight end is one of the positions that New York isn’t abhorrent as covering, but I still like each to be in consideration here as TE3 level. I’m just probably going to fade them both since they cut into each other’s stats. Evan Engram is slated to return and he instantly becomes TE2 on this slate. He and Eli were clicking earlier this year (and all of last year). Plus, Philly has given up several huge days to the position. Both teams are error-prone, so either defense would be an option. I like Philly a little more than New York, since Eli will be rusty.
The Main Slate:
Aaron Rodgers is the sure thing this week, I’m going to smash this spot as much as possible. Pivots from Rodgers could include Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Darnold. Darnold might be the sneaky play coming off a horrid start last week. I expect his ownership to be low. There are a couple punt options: Ryan Tannehill, Gardner Minshew and Andy Dalton are all in play. Rodgers will run me around 14% on either site. If I pivot to one of the other four, I can get it down to around 12.5% on either site.
Christian McCaffrey finally had his dud week. Don’t expect that to happen back-to-back. His price is still high, but the matchup looks juicy. I will have some exposure to him, especially since I don’t love a lot of the high-priced choices. The only top dollar guy that I will be all over is Leonard Fournette. If I can figure a way to fit it in both would be great. That said, I will probably have to settle for one or the other. Dalvin Cook claims he will play on Sunday. If he doesn’t, then Alexander Mattison becomes a chalk must-start. If Cook plays, he will be a pivot play at best and may still cede some work to the rookie. At that point I would use one of: Derrius Guice, Devonta Freeman or James White at RB2. If you go C-Mac and Fournette expect to spend 31% on FD but 36.6% on DK. This means that this combo is easier to do on FD. Fournette plus one of the cheaper options should cost you only 27% on DK or 23% on FD.
Once again, Davante Adams and D.J. Moore are the top two options. My goal is to have one or the other in every lineup. I could also use: Kenny Golladay, Calvin Ridley or DeVante Parker. If I don’t overspend at RB, I may even use two of them. My other WR2 options are: Zach Pascal, Will Fuller, James Washington, one of the Jets or one of the Titans. I could also use one of them at WR3. Otherwise, there are a lot to consider at WR3. They are headlined by my favorite: Allen Lazard. Just don’t spend more than 10% on whoever you choose at WR3. My favorite pair: Pascal and Adams will run me 27% on DK and 24% on FD. That is as high as I feel comfortable spending this week at WR1 and WR2.
There are four TEs that I love this week: Darren Waller, Hunter Henry, Jack Doyle, and Vance McDonald. This feels like a great week for Double-TE. If I don’t pull my FLEX from RB, I will likely just use two of the above four-some. Pairing two of them comes out to just under 22%. So, if you don’t go Double-TE, just make sure that your TE plus your FLEX comes in at less than that figure.
The Colts and Titans are where I will target my defense. Both are dirt cheap on DK and Indy is super cheap on FD. Each will run about 5% on DK and Indy is 6.6% on FD. You can also spend up and get the Vikings versus Detroit or Houston versus Denver if you save elsewhere.
Here are my recommended lineups.
At DK: $6.8K for Aaron Rodgers. $7.8K for Leonard Fournette. $5.5K or less for RB2 (leaning Devonta Freeman). Davante Adams and Zach Pascal for a combined $13.5K. $4.9K for Curtis Samuel. $8.9K total for Vance McDonald and Jack Doyle. $2.6K for the Titans’ defense.
At FD: $7.7K for Tom Brady. $18.5K total for Christian McCaffrey and Fournette. $13.4K total for Curtis Samuel and Julian Edelman. $5.6K or less for WR3 (leaning Allen Lazard or A.J. Brown). $4.9 for Jonnu Smith. $6K or less for FLEX (leaning James White or D. Freeman). $4K for the Colts’ defense.
At Fanball (classic – includes Sun Night): Ryan Tannehill, McCaffrey, Fournette, A.J. Brown, Lazard, Pascal, Jonnu, D. Freeman, and the Colts’ defense.
At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Rodgers, Tannehill at SF, McCaffrey, Fournette, A.J. Brown, Lazard, Tyler Higbee or Russell Gage at WR/TE, Jack Doyle, and Derrius Guice.
At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Tannehill, McCaffrey, Fournette, Lazard, A.J. Brown, McDonald, Freeman, James White, and the Titans’ defense.
Quarterback
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Lamar Jackson | $7,400 | $9,000 |
| Patrick Mahomes | $7,000 | $8,400 |
| Aaron Rodgers | $6,800 | $8,400 |
| Kirk Cousins | $6,700 | $8,200 |
| Matt Ryan | $6,600 | $7,600 |
| Deshaun Watson | $6,500 | $7,700 |
| Jameis Winston | $6,400 | $7,700 |
| Baker Mayfield | $6,300 | $7,600 |
| Josh Allen | $6,200 | $7,800 |
| Jacoby Brissett | $6,100 | $7,400 |
| Tom Brady | $6,100 | $7,700 |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | $6,000 | $7,400 |
| Sam Darnold | $6,000 | $7,700 |
| Devlin Hodges | $5,900 | $7,000 |
| Drew Brees | $5,900 | $7,700 |
| Kyler Murray | $5,800 | $7,500 |
| Ryan Tannehill | $5,800 | $7,300 |
| Kyle Allen | $5,700 | $7,100 |
| Matthew Stafford | $5,700 | $7,500 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | $5,600 | $7,800 |
| Philip Rivers | $5,600 | $7,300 |
| Gardner Minshew II | $5,400 | $6,600 |
| Andy Dalton | $5,200 | $7,000 |
| David Blough | $5,200 | $6,900 |
| Drew Lock | $5,100 | $6,800 |
| Derek Carr | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| Dwayne Haskins Jr. | $4,600 | $6,500 |
| Tyrod Taylor | $4,300 | $6,400 |
Weekly strategy – Aaron Rodgers is the safe play here and his price isn’t awful. I also like Sam Darnold, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady and Jacoby Brissett. Tannehill will probably be my highest owned commodity when I don’t use Rodgers. My punt options are Gardner Minshew or Andy Dalton. I hope to do a lot of SuperFlex lineups on Fanball this week, pairing Rodgers with each of these other QBs – and stacking their WRs too.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. WAS ($6800 DK, $8400 FD)
The Redskins have allowed three or more QB scores in half of their games. This included three score games against some so-so signal callers. Aaron Rodgers is an elite QB, and he should have very little trouble moving the ball against this defense. Plus, the hookup with Davante Adams is begging to blow up once again.
Pat Mahomes, Chiefs @ NE ($7000 DK, $8400 FD)
Yes, the Patriots will try to take away one of Pat Mahomes’ weapons, the problem with that is that Mahomes has five or six options to throw it to. We can’t expect a 400-4 type of game here, but anytime Mahomes touches the ball 300-2 is a safe floor.
Tom Brady, Patriots vs. KC ($6100 DK, $7700 FD)
Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes may turn this into a shootout. It is not guaranteed, but if Mahomes comes out throwing, Brady will be forced to. Even if it isn’t a traditional shootout, Brady should complete many passes to Julian Edelman and James White. Making that threesome a great tri-stack.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings vs. DET ($6700 DK, $8200 FD)
This play gets even juicier if Adam Thielen plays. Detroit has been clobbered by every QB not named Dwayne Haskins. Heck, even Mitchell Trubisky has six TDs against them in two starts this year. In their earlier meeting, Cousins threw for 338-4. If Dalvin Cook is limited or misses this game, even more responsibility will fall on Kirk’s shoulders.
Sleepers:
Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ OAK ($5800 DK, $7300 FD)
The only thing that has stopped opposing passing games against Oakland is inclement weather (well that and Ryan Finley’s arm). Half of their opponents have racked up three or more scores from their QBs. Ryan Tannehill has done a decent job of keeping defenses honest while Tennessee gashes them with Derrick Henry. Henry may be limited due to injury this week, which should provide Tannehill even more opportunity to win it with his arm. If Henry ends up out, Tannehill could also vulture some goal line looks from Dion Lewis.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins @ NYJ ($6000 DK, $7400 FD)
The Jets just lost to a team that was trying to lose out for the top pick. Can they do it twice in a row? Miami’s defense isn’t good either. So, expect both teams to have success moving the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick has three scores in three of his last five games, including the previous meeting with the Jets. A similar line here is probable.
Running Back
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | $10,300 | $11,000 |
| Dalvin Cook | $9,500 | $8,700 |
| Derrick Henry | $8,200 | $9,100 |
| Nick Chubb | $8,000 | $7,900 |
| Leonard Fournette | $7,800 | $7,500 |
| James Conner | $7,500 | $7,100 |
| Le’Veon Bell | $7,200 | $7,300 |
| Alvin Kamara | $7,000 | $7,600 |
| Aaron Jones | $6,700 | $7,800 |
| Kareem Hunt | $6,600 | $6,400 |
| Josh Jacobs | $6,500 | $7,700 |
| Melvin Gordon III | $6,400 | $7,300 |
| Austin Ekeler | $6,300 | $7,000 |
| Benny Snell Jr. | $6,100 | $6,100 |
| Marlon Mack | $6,000 | $7,300 |
| Mark Ingram II | $5,900 | $7,400 |
| Joe Mixon | $5,800 | $6,700 |
| Devin Singletary | $5,700 | $6,700 |
| Sony Michel | $5,600 | $6,600 |
| James White | $5,500 | $6,000 |
| Devonta Freeman | $5,400 | $6,000 |
| Phillip Lindsay | $5,300 | $6,400 |
| Kenyan Drake | $5,200 | $6,100 |
| Tevin Coleman | $5,100 | $5,500 |
| Jaylen Samuels | $5,000 | $5,500 |
| Derrius Guice | $4,900 | $6,300 |
| Jamaal Williams | $4,800 | $5,600 |
| Jonathan Williams | $4,700 | $5,900 |
| Matt Breida | $4,600 | $5,600 |
| Raheem Mostert | $4,600 | $6,200 |
| Bo Scarbrough | $4,500 | $5,900 |
| Alexander Mattison | $4,500 | $5,100 |
| Carlos Hyde | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| Damien Williams | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| Latavius Murray | $4,500 | $5,300 |
| LeSean McCoy | $4,400 | $6,100 |
| Ronald Jones II | $4,400 | $5,800 |
| Nyheim Hines | $4,300 | $5,600 |
| Kalen Ballage | $4,200 | $5,300 |
| Peyton Barber | $4,200 | $5,700 |
| Darrel Williams | $4,100 | $5,500 |
| Patrick Laird | $4,100 | $5,500 |
| Adrian Peterson | $4,000 | $5,700 |
| Darwin Thompson | $4,000 | $5,200 |
| Royce Freeman | $4,000 | $5,300 |
| Duke Johnson | $3,900 | $5,600 |
| Frank Gore | $3,800 | $5,300 |
| Jordan Wilkins | $3,700 | $5,500 |
| J.D. McKissic | $3,600 | $4,900 |
| Rex Burkhead | $3,400 | $5,600 |
| Chris Thompson | $3,300 | $5,200 |
| Myles Gaskin | $3,300 | $4,800 |
| Kerrith Whyte Jr. | $3,000 | $4,900 |
Weekly strategy – I want to get as much exposure to Christian McCaffrey as I can coming off of his “lesser” day last week. I also want as many shares of Leonard Fournette as I can get. When I can’t afford that pair, I will consider: Devonta Freeman (also a great FLEX play), Melvin Gordon, James White, Derrius Guice and Kareem Hunt. I could also use Adrian Peterson or Duke Johnson as a punt if I need to save money. In addition, if Dalvin Cook sits out this week, Alexander Mattison becomes a chalk-lock at RB2.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Christian McCaffrey, Panthers @ ATL ($10300 DK, $11000 FD)
Yes, Christian McCaffrey burned me a little last week. I still cannot completely dodge his slate-breaking potential. Over his last three meetings with Atlanta, C-Mac has failed to score a TD. That said, he does have 37 receptions and 508 total yards over that span. I’ll take ten catches with the chance of a TD every day.
Leonard Fournette, Jaguars vs. LAC ($7800 DK, $7500 FD)
The Chargers have allowed seven or more RB receptions in six of their last seven games. This is on top of any ground yardage they are allowing. Leonard Fournette is the only show at RB for the Jaguars. He has also been used extensively in the passing game all season, including the second-most RB receptions since Week 8. Consider Fournette a poor-man’s C-Mac this week.
Melvin Gordon, Chargers @ JAX ($6400 DK, $7300 FD)
Over the last four games, Jacksonville has allowed 818 combo yards and seven scores to opposing RBs. Plus, they just lost one of their top LBs, Myles Jack to IR with a knee injury. Melvin Gordon is still ceding some receptions to Austin Ekeler, but he is once again the bell cow for Los Angeles. I don’t usually stack-back RBs versus each other, but in a showdown slate this could be a fun strategy. Gordon also saves you a few bucks on DK, if you want to get C-Mac into your lineup.
Nick Chubb, Browns vs. CIN ($8000 DK, $7900 FD)
I don’t love Nick Chubb’s prices with Kareem Hunt stealing receptions and some touchdowns. Still, you cannot argue with the matchup. Cincy’s defense against the run has improved as the season has progressed, but that is an improvement from historically bad, to just putrid by this season’s standards. If you need a safe floor, and don’t trust the Jaguars’ offense, you could do worse here. Personally, I’d rather get my exposure by using Hunt at FLEX.
Sleepers:
James White, Patriots vs. KC ($5500 DK, $6000 FD)
Seven times this season, Kansas City allowed six or more RB receptions. This includes two games with double-digit receptions within their last five contests. James White had a huge game last week, so there is always the chance that Bill Belichick ignores him here. I’m not going to take the chance though. His receptions and his goal-line usage, make him a must-start at RB2 or FLEX here.
Devonta Freeman, Falcons vs. CAR ($5400 DK, $6000 FD)
Carolina has only allowed 17 RB scores over their last seven games. Devonta Freeman did nothing last week in his return except show that he was healthy. Plus, that came against a strong New Orleans’ run defense. If you were ever going to play Freeman, this is the week.
Wide Receiver
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Thomas | $ 8,300 | $ 8,600 |
| Tyreek Hill | $ 8,100 | $ 8,300 |
| Davante Adams | $ 8,000 | $ 8,400 |
| Stefon Diggs | $ 7,600 | $ 8,000 |
| Julio Jones | $ 7,500 | $ 7,800 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | $ 7,400 | $ 8,300 |
| Chris Godwin | $ 7,300 | $ 7,900 |
| Mike Evans | $ 7,200 | $ 7,700 |
| Julian Edelman | $ 7,100 | $ 7,600 |
| DJ Moore | $ 7,000 | $ 7,100 |
| DeVante Parker | $ 6,900 | $ 7,200 |
| T.Y. Hilton | $ 6,800 | $ 7,000 |
| Adam Thielen | $ 6,700 | $ 7,300 |
| Calvin Ridley | $ 6,700 | $ 6,900 |
| Kenny Golladay | $ 6,700 | $ 7,400 |
| Keenan Allen | $ 6,600 | $ 6,800 |
| Jarvis Landry | $ 6,500 | $ 7,200 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | $ 6,500 | $ 6,800 |
| Courtland Sutton | $ 6,400 | $ 7,300 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | $ 6,300 | $ 6,800 |
| DJ Chark Jr. | $ 6,200 | $ 6,200 |
| John Brown | $ 6,100 | $ 6,400 |
| James Washington | $ 6,000 | $ 6,700 |
| Tyler Boyd | $ 5,900 | $ 6,300 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | $ 5,800 | $ 5,900 |
| A.J. Green | $ 5,700 | $ 6,600 |
| Deebo Samuel | $ 5,600 | $ 6,000 |
| Will Fuller V | $ 5,500 | $ 6,600 |
| Zach Pascal | $ 5,500 | $ 6,100 |
| Cole Beasley | $ 5,400 | $ 6,100 |
| Marvin Jones Jr. | $ 5,400 | $ 6,400 |
| A.J. Brown | $ 5,300 | $ 5,400 |
| Jamison Crowder | $ 5,300 | $ 6,000 |
| Christian Kirk | $ 5,200 | $ 5,900 |
| Dede Westbrook | $ 5,200 | $ 6,200 |
| Robby Anderson | $ 5,100 | $ 6,400 |
| Terry McLaurin | $ 5,100 | $ 5,600 |
| Mohamed Sanu | $ 5,000 | $ 5,800 |
| Tyrell Williams | $ 5,000 | $ 5,700 |
| Curtis Samuel | $ 4,900 | $ 5,800 |
| Russell Gage | $ 4,800 | $ 5,700 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | $ 4,700 | $ 5,700 |
| Marquise Brown | $ 4,700 | $ 5,500 |
| Sammy Watkins | $ 4,600 | $ 5,600 |
| Mike Williams | $ 4,500 | $ 5,900 |
| Phillip Dorsett II | $ 4,400 | $ 5,400 |
| Diontae Johnson | $ 4,300 | $ 5,100 |
| Allen Lazard | $ 4,200 | $ 5,600 |
| Allen Hurns | $ 4,100 | $ 5,100 |
| Albert Wilson | $ 4,000 | $ 5,000 |
| Auden Tate | $ 4,000 | $ 5,500 |
| Chris Conley | $ 4,000 | $ 5,400 |
| Danny Amendola | $ 4,000 | $ 5,400 |
| N’Keal Harry | $ 4,000 | $ 5,500 |
| Corey Davis | $ 3,900 | $ 5,000 |
| M. Valdes-Scantling | $ 3,900 | $ 4,800 |
| Adam Humphries | $ 3,800 | $ 5,400 |
| Mecole Hardman | $ 3,800 | $ 5,400 |
| Breshad Perriman | $ 3,700 | $ 5,500 |
| Demaryius Thomas | $ 3,700 | $ 5,000 |
| Kelvin Harmon | $ 3,700 | $ 4,800 |
| Kendrick Bourne | $ 3,700 | $ 4,900 |
| Kenny Stills | $ 3,700 | $ 5,000 |
| Olabisi Johnson | $ 3,700 | $ 5,000 |
| Alex Erickson | $ 3,500 | $ 4,700 |
| Jakobi Meyers | $ 3,500 | $ 5,100 |
| Geronimo Allison | $ 3,400 | $ 4,600 |
| Steven Sims Jr. | $ 3,400 | $ 4,900 |
| Willie Snead IV | $ 3,400 | $ 4,600 |
| Zay Jones | $ 3,400 | $ 4,700 |
| Christian Blake | $ 3,300 | $ 5,200 |
| Demarcus Robinson | $ 3,300 | $ 4,500 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | $ 3,300 | $ 4,900 |
| Tim Patrick | $ 3,300 | $ 5,100 |
| Parris Campbell | $ 3,200 | $ 4,800 |
| Jake Kumerow | $ 3,000 | $ 4,700 |
| Laquon Treadwell | $ 3,000 | $ 4,700 |
| Robert Foster | $ 3,000 | $ 4,800 |
Weekly strategy – I might struggle to fit Davante Adams in a stack with Aaron Rodgers, but at least I can use Allen Lazard in that setup. Adams and D.J. Moore are the top options on the docket. I am still going to try to finagle one onto my roster. If I don’t use Moore, I could also use his understudy, Curtis Samuel. Other WR1s that I like include: Julian Edelman, DeAndre Hopkins and DeVante Parker. At the WR2 position, I will likely target from this list: Zach Pascal, Will Fuller, A.J. Brown, one of the Jets, or maybe one of the Bengals. Samuel and Lazard also come into play at that spot. WR3 could use one of the castoffs from the WR2 group or a deep sleeper like Adam Humphries, Danny Amendola and Russell Gage.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Davante Adams, Packers vs. WAS ($8000 DK, $8400 FD)
Washington’s pass defense versus an Aaron Rodgers’ led offense is not optimal for Redskins’ fans. Rodgers is happy to have Davante Adams back fully healthy. He has targeted Adams double-digit times in each of his games since his return. Plus, they have hooked up for three TDs in the last two weeks. Adams will top 100-1 here, and he has multi-TD potential in this matchup.
D.J. Moore, Panthers @ ATL ($7000 DK, $7100 FD)
Atlanta has allowed some ridiculous games to opposing WRs. D.J. Moore even had his way with them just a couple weeks ago. Since Week 9, Moore is second to only Michael Thomas in WR catches, and he leads all wide receivers in receiving yardage. He has also added three scores over the last two weeks. I like Moore to post another 100-1 here, and his running mate Curtis Samuel will get in on the fun too. If you cannot afford to sneak Moore into your lineup, make sure to use Samuel at WR3.
Julian Edelman, Patriots vs. KC ($7100 DK, $7600 FD)
Whether this game devolves into a shootout shouldn’t deter you from playing Julian Edelman. Edelman has double-digit targets in nine of twelve games and he has six or more receptions nine times this year too. The TDs have been a little tougher to come by, but I could see Edelman haul in close to ten passes here.
DeAndre Hopkins, Texans vs. DEN ($7400 DK, $8300 FD)
This is a sneaky play. Most people will see DeAndre Hopkins getting shadowed by Chris Harris and fade this start. Give me that low ownership. Denver has actually struggled with WR1s recently. Tyreek Hill, John Brown, Keenan Allen and Stefon Diggs have all scored against them recently, and Odell Beckham posted a very nice line with Jarvis Landry stealing the score in their meeting. Differentiation is key in GPPs, this might be just the piece you need.
Sleepers:
Zach Pascal, Colts @ TB ($5500 DK, $6100 FD)
Zach Pascal is the only healthy WR left in Indy. The only other WRs to catch a pass last week were Marcus Johnson and Ashton Dulin. I’m still not sure if either of those people really exists. Tampa is dead last in every metric against opposing WRs. I really doubt that Dulin and Johnson are going to hamper what should be a 10-125-1 game for Pascal. The only thing that could hurt him, is if T.Y. Hilton makes an emergency recovery.
A.J. Brown, Titans @ OAK ($5300 DK, $5400 FD)
If I’m going to risk starting Ryan Tannehill, I have to start his best WR. Oakland is allowing the second-most yards per WR reception and every WR1 except Tyler Boyd has posted huge numbers against them recently. A.J. Brown did pop up on the injury report Thursday, so keep an eye on that as the weekend rolls in. If he plays, he is a must-start. If he is out, bump both Corey Davis and Adam Humphries into A-level spots.
Tight End
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Kelce | $6,200 | $7,100 |
| Austin Hooper | $6,000 | $6,600 |
| George Kittle | $5,900 | $6,700 |
| Darren Waller | $5,800 | $6,200 |
| Mark Andrews | $5,600 | $6,600 |
| Hunter Henry | $5,100 | $6,400 |
| Jack Doyle | $4,600 | $6,300 |
| Kyle Rudolph | $4,400 | $4,800 |
| Vance McDonald | $4,300 | $5,800 |
| Jared Cook | $4,200 | $6,500 |
| Ryan Griffin | $4,100 | $5,600 |
| Mike Gesicki | $4,000 | $5,400 |
| Greg Olsen | $3,800 | $4,900 |
| Jimmy Graham | $3,600 | $5,500 |
| David Njoku | $3,500 | $4,900 |
| Noah Fant | $3,400 | $4,800 |
| Irv Smith Jr. | $3,300 | $5,300 |
| Jaeden Graham | $3,300 | $5,400 |
| Darren Fells | $3,200 | $4,700 |
| O.J. Howard | $3,200 | $5,400 |
| Jonnu Smith | $3,100 | $4,900 |
| Ben Watson | $3,000 | $5,200 |
| Dawson Knox | $2,900 | $4,500 |
| Jeremy Sprinkle | $2,800 | $4,900 |
| Tyler Eifert | $2,800 | $4,500 |
| C.J. Uzomah | $2,700 | $4,900 |
| Ian Thomas | $2,500 | $4,000 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | $2,500 | $4,000 |
Weekly strategy – This is a great week for Double-TE. I love four options up top in Jack Doyle, Darren Waller, Hunter Henry (DK-only) and Vance McDonald. If I can afford it, I will use two of them. I might also throw in a few lineups with Travis Kelce (if I believe New England will try to shut down Tyreek Hill instead). I could also see punting with Jonnu Smith or Ian Thomas. If you want to get real cute consider Jeremy Sprinkle. I won’t but hey YOLO.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Darren Waller, Raiders vs. TEN ($5800 DK, $6200 FD)
Tennessee has struggled against every quality TE they have faced this year. David Njoku, Eric Ebron, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, Travis Kelce and Jack Doyle have all embarrassed this defense. Darren Waller is certainly comparable to that group, and he is coming off his third-best game of the year. With no Hunter Renfrow, expect additional targets to continue to come Waller’s direction.
Jack Doyle, Colts @ TB ($4600 DK, $6300 FD)
Jack Doyle is in a similar position to Waller. In the huddle, Jacoby Brissett can look around and Zach Pascal and Jack Doyle may be the only people he recognizes. Tampa has allowed opposing TE groups to top 50 yards nine times this year, and five of those groups have topped 80 yards. Plus, they have given up seven TE scores this season. I already discussed how bad Tampa is against WRs. Well on this offense, Doyle is basically WR2.
Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ NE ($6200 DK, $7100 FD)
Travis Kelce’s outcomes this week depend on whether New England elects to blanket him or Tyreek Hill. My guess is that they attempt to shut down Hill, which should leave some operating room for Kelce, but that is not guaranteed. At this price, and with so many other great options in the same price range, I will probably pass on Kelce. That said, you should do at least one stack with him and Pat Mahomes.
Vance McDonald, Steelers @ ARI ($4300 DK, $5800 FD)
Are you ready to believe in the start your TEs versus Arizona theory yet? I’m flummoxed by how many fantasy analysts on Twitter keep suggesting it is not a thing. At this point, Pittsburgh could suit me up at TE and I would score and top 75 yards against them. McDonald got 3-21 on three targets from Duc k Hodges in his first game back under center. Against this defense, those numbers will be tripled.
Sleepers:
Jonnu Smith, Titans @ OAK ($3100 DK, $4900 FD)
Jonnu Smith has done bupkis the last two weeks. Even third-stringer, Anthony Firkser got more looks last week. That said, we aren’t that far removed from Smith posting solid numbers earlier this year when Delanie Walker was out. Only Arizona has allowed more TE scores this season than Oakland, and seven teams have topped 60 tight end receiving yards against them.
Ian Thomas, Panthers @ ATL ($2500 DK, $4000 FD)
Greg Olsen is likely to miss this game due to a concussion. Last week, Ian Thomas stepped in and caught all four of his targets. He and Olsen combined for seven catches in last week’s game. If those all fall to Thomas (they won’t), he will make a serviceable punt play. Atlanta isn’t horrible at covering the position, but for only $2.5K, this gives you some huge flexibility at other positions.