Smaller slates provide just as much opportunity to score big as the full-day slates do. After stumbling slightly during the Main Slate last week, I balled out in the Primetime slate. This is why I include the Primetime breakdown every week in addition to the regular tournament plays. Hopefully, you also took advantage and fattened your wallet on Sunday and Monday night. So, without further ado, let’s dive right into those late games.
DFS: The Primetime Slate
Tom Brady returns to Foxborough with a chance of proving once and for all that he made Bill Belichick and not vice versa. The Patriots will certainly do everything in their power to slow down the Buccaneers offense. Unfortunately, this won’t be like Week 2 when they faced Zach Wilson, nor will it be like last week when they had to deal with Jameis Winston. Brady is the GOAT, and he will be looking to abuse this defense. He is the obvious QB1 on the slate, and I would not be surprised if he is allowed to pad his stats HEAVILY this week.
As for the Patriots, Mac Jones has some huge shoes to fill being the heir apparent to Brady. His numbers have not looked worthy of Brady’s shadow, but he has faced two solid pass defenses among his first three games. Add to that, an extreme lack of talent at the WR position, and any production at this point has to feel like a victory. Presuming that Justin Herbert will be okay to play on Monday, Jones is the QB4 here. That said, New England will be playing from behind, and it is impossible to run the ball against Tampa Bay, so Jones could get some garbage-time value. I’ll have at least one lineup with him.
Ronald Jones has less than half of the number of touches as Leonard Fournette through the first three weeks. That said, neither has proven reliable on a week-to-week basis. Giovani Bernard was the Tampa back to start last week as he hauled in nine passes while running the James White role in Brady’s offense. I actually believe that this was a slight outlier as well, since many of those short passes to Gio may have gone to Antonio Brown if he had played. I could see using Fournette at FLEX at best this week with Bernard (knee) injured, but I’m not rushing to put any of these guys in my lineup.
Speaking of James White, he is out for the year. This is a huge blow to the New England offense. Brandon Bolden assumed the White role last week after his injury. I expect that to continue. He should be given some FLEX consideration. Damien Harris struggled against a great run defense last week. This one is even better. By volume alone, he is still the RB4 on this slate. I’m just not very high on his output potential here. It also won’t help that he is basically unused in the passing game. Rhamondre Stevenson and J.J. Taylor should share a change-of-pace role, making both of them useless.
I was wrong about which WR would lead Tampa Bay last week. I thought that Mike Evans would be shadowed and swallowed up by Jalen Ramsey. He wasn’t. This WR room is going to become as difficult to predict as Pittsburgh’s. The difference being that Tom Brady can support all three of them while Ben Roethlisberger cannot any longer. An interesting trend through three weeks has New England allowing high catch volume to fast, smaller WRs. That suggests that both Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin have more value this week than Evans. I’d consider either of them as WR2. Evans will stay on my bench this week.
I joked earlier about the lack of talent that New England has at the WR position. They actually have three solid WRs, but none of them stand out as a legit alpha. Jakobi Meyers is probably the closest to that role as he leads the team in targets. Unfortunately, he is averaging less than 60 yards a game despite facing three so-so defenses. I actually kind of like him at WR3 against another bad pass defense here, in what will be a garbage-time special. Kendrick Bourne had a big game last week against New Orleans, but much of it came after James White exited with an injury. So, Bourne may actually have some value if he continues to haul in a bunch of those short passes that White would normally be targeted for. I can see using him at FLEX this week. Nelson Agholor had eight targets last week, but much like his time in Philly and Las Vegas, he struggled to bring them in. Agholor has some TD-dependent value here against a bad defense and could be used at FLEX. I just wish he had better hands.
Rob Gronkowski injured his ribs last week. If he plays, he is the TE2 here. I know it comes down to pain tolerance, so this will be a great test for Gronk. If Gronkowski doesn’t go, Cameron Brate becomes the TE4. It should be noted that New England has allowed nothing to the position so far this year. They also have faced absolutely nothing at the position this year. So, take that nugget with a grain of salt. O.J. Howard had a better pedigree than Brate, but he has done nothing (even in Gronk’s absence) to suggest he deserves a spot in your lineup.
Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry have the same number of receptions this season, but Smith has more targets and Henry has more yards. This suggests that Henry is the safer play of the two. He also played considerably better than Jonnu last week. Tampa Bay has allowed one big performance by an opposing TE each week. So, I see no problem using Henry as my TE3/TE4 here. He also makes a discount run-it-back play if you load your roster with Buccaneers. There is enough talent on this slate to dodge Smith outside of Showdown rosters.
If Justin Herbert (hand) starts as expected, then just use Tampa’s defense. Otherwise, pivot to Vegas’ defense against whichever backup the Chargers trot out there.
Monday night, Derek Carr gets a tough test facing a very good Los Angeles’ secondary. Of course, Carr has already made a mockery of three other very good pass defenses. I like him at QB3 this week. The only issue I have is choosing which WR to pair with him and Darren Waller in my stacks.
Justin Herbert has an easier matchup on paper, but Oakland hasn’t been awful against the pass and Herbert may be limited slightly due to a hand injury. All signs point to him playing, and unless we hear otherwise, he will be my QB2 on this slate. The stack here is easier as possession WRs have done the most damage against the Raiders. This points towards an Herbert-Keenan Allen stack.
Josh Jacobs has missed the last two weeks with an ankle injury. It appears that he might return in Week 4. If he does, he is a lock at RB2 on a weak RB slate. If Jacobs is out, we will see more of the dual backfield of Peyton Barber and Kenyan Drake. Los Angeles has been abysmal at stopping opposing RBs, so Barber would be an easy RB2 and Drake is one of the better FLEX options. If Jacobs plays, leave them both for nothing better than FLEX consideration.
Austin Ekeler is the RB1 of the primetime slate. He should be 100% owned. Larry Rountree and Justin Jackson are both handcuffs at this point. Neither has any standalone value here.
Las Vegas (much like New England) has several WRs that I could conceive of using at WR3. They also have ZERO WRs that I could conceive of using above that spot. No. 1 WRs have not done much against Los Angeles. That said, can you truthfully identify the No. 1 WR on Vegas? Henry Ruggs has the pedigree to be in that role, but he has been splitting the stats with fellow 2020 draft choice Bryan Edwards. I like both at WR3 this week, but I don’t love either of them. If I had to choose a Vegas WR it would probably be Hunter Renfrow. He leads the team in targets and receptions through the first three weeks, and he will definitely not get the defensive attention that Ruggs and Edwards will see. He will be my most-used WR3 option this week ahead of his two teammates and the Patriots’ crew.
Keenan Allen is my WR1 this week. I will roster him and one of the Buccaneers as my top two options. Vegas has struggled all year with possession receivers, making him the safest choice overall. Mike Williams has been an absolute beast this season. I wish that I had more shares of the breakout WR in dynasty, but I had written him off. Fortunately, DFS lineups can give me the opportunity to get exposure to him, even though I don’t have him under any long-term contracts. The Raiders have fared better against larger outside WRs than possession options, but they are by no means elite against them. It is hard to triple-stack two WRs with your QB, but I will do at least one lineup with both of them. I should warn you that Williams will likely have the higher ownership number based on recency bias. Jalen Guyton and Josh Palmer just don’t see enough targets to consider outside of Showdown slates.
Play Darren Waller. He is good. I love the idea of using him in double-TE lineups with Rob Gronkowski or Hunter Henry.
Jared Cook had a very good Week 1. Since then, he has barely posted that same total over the next two weeks combined. The matchup isn’t great and Los Angeles has basically abandoned throwing the ball to anyone not named Allen, Williams, or Ekeler, so start him with caution. Donald Parham is fun to play in Showdown contests due to his TD dependency, but he should not be used in regular tourneys.
If Herbert ends up missing this game due to his hand injury (not likely), then I’d consider using the Las Vegas defense. Otherwise, you can fade the defenses in this game.
The Main Slate: My recommended DFS lineups
At DK: $7k for Matthew Stafford. $5.8k for David Montgomery. $6.1k for Antonio Gibson. $7.8k for Cooper Kupp. $5.4k for Michael Pittman. $4.9k for Jaylen Waddle. $3.6k for Dawson Knox. $6.3k for Jonathan Taylor at FLEX. $2.7k for the Indianapolis Colts defense.
At FD: $8.5k for Josh Allen. $9k for Alvin Kamara. $6.6k for Taylor. $8.6k for Kupp. $5.9k for Cole Beasley. $5.8k for Pittman. $4.5k for Maxx Williams. $7.1k for Gibson at FLEX. $4k for the Washington Football Team defense.
At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Tom Brady, Stafford at SF, Gibson, Taylor, Montgomery at FLEX, Kupp, Waddle, Rob Gronkowski, and Knox.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | $8,100 | $8,700 |
| Josh Allen | $8,000 | $8,500 |
| Kyler Murray | $7,800 | $8,200 |
| Lamar Jackson | $7,500 | $8,000 |
| Russell Wilson | $7,100 | $7,700 |
| Matthew Stafford | $7,000 | $7,800 |
| Jalen Hurts | $6,900 | $7,900 |
| Aaron Rodgers | $6,800 | $7,600 |
| Dak Prescott | $6,700 | $7,700 |
| Kirk Cousins | $6,400 | $7,500 |
| Ryan Tannehill | $6,300 | $7,500 |
| Baker Mayfield | $6,200 | $7,300 |
| Sam Darnold | $6,000 | $7,200 |
| Taylor Heinicke | $5,900 | $7,400 |
| Daniel Jones | $5,800 | $7,000 |
| Teddy Bridgewater | $5,700 | $6,800 |
| Jameis Winston | $5,600 | $6,900 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | $5,600 | $7,000 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | $5,500 | $6,800 |
| Carson Wentz | $5,400 | $6,600 |
| Matt Ryan | $5,400 | $6,700 |
| Andy Dalton | $5,300 | $6,200 |
| Jared Goff | $5,200 | $7,100 |
| Justin Fields | $5,200 | $6,400 |
| Jacoby Brissett | $5,100 | $6,500 |
| Nick Foles | $5,100 | $6,000 |
| Zach Wilson | $5,000 | $6,400 |
| Davis Mills | $4,900 | $6,400 |
| Taysom Hill | $4,900 | $6,200 |
Quarterback
Weekly strategy – Both of our “running QBs” have a tricky matchup this week. Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson both deserve some attention due to their production on the ground, just know that their overall numbers may be down this week. Jackson may also be limited by his back injury. Instead of these two, I will be more exposed to Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford. I can find clear issues with all of the midtier options. Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold may be the best of the question marks in that range. If I choose to punt the position, I could use Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, or even Jacoby Brissett. None of those options sounds appealing, but each has a chance to reach 3x value.
Fantasy Four-pack
Josh Allen, Bills vs. HOU
($8,000 DK, $8,500 FD)
Houston has failed to slow down much worse QBs than Allen through the first three weeks. Plus, Allen is coming off his best start of the year against a much tougher opponent. I love Allen stacked with each of his weapons (Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, and Dawson Knox), but I wouldn’t stack more than two of them with him.
Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. ARI
($7,000 DK, $7,800 FD)
Stafford survived and thrived in what could have been a tricky matchup with Tampa Bay last week. His connection with Cooper Kupp is otherworldly, and it has elevated Kupp into elite WR status. Arizona held Trevor Lawrence in check last week, but Stafford is a whole different beast. Jared Goff dissected this defense for 351 yards and two total TDs last year, and it is safe to say that Stafford is a better QB than Goff. The Rams defense is very good, but Kyler Murray should keep this game close, which should equate to Los Angeles being forced to throw the ball a lot.
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs @ PHI
($8,100 DK, $8,700 FD)
The Chiefs have been out of sorts of late stumbling to a 1-2 record out of the block. Mahomes is getting time in the pocket, but the opposition has been doing just enough to lock down victories. This week, Mahomes faces another solid pass defense in Philly. Still, this is Mahomes, and he should find his way to 300-3. Just do not expect him to go crazy here, unless he decides to take the team on his shoulders (as only he can) and wills them to the win.
Kyler Murray, Cardinals@ LAR
($7,800 DK, $8,200 FD)
This matchup looks tenuous on paper, but if it turns into a shootout Murray has the weapons to keep it close. In a similar spot last week, the Rams held Tom Brady to two total touchdowns, but he managed to throw for 432 yards. I could see a similar game script here. I still see Murray as more of a pivot than a sure thing. One thing we know for certain is that Murray is more valuable than Brady with his legs.
DFS Sleepers
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers vs. SEA
($5,600 DK, $7,000 FD)
This is more about my trust in Garoppolo’s weapons than my trust in him. It is also about my complete lack of trust in Seattle’s beleaguered secondary. The first three QBs to face the Seahawks have netted 307 passing yards per game. Much like the Rams-Cardinals game, this could devolve into a shootout, although for slightly different reasons as neither team has much to write home about on defense. I like Jimmy G. to throw for 275-2 and a pair of scores here with a possible goal line plunge added on.
Carson Wentz, Colts @ MIA
($5,400 DK, $6,600 FD)
Miami’s defense has not been as solid against the pass as one might think. Both Josh Allen and Derek Carr posted a pair of passing scores against them, and even Mac Jones in his first career game flirted with 300 passing yards. Wentz has a solid group of weapons to throw to (for the first time in his career) and it smells like a 275-2 type of game here, assuming his ankles don’t give out on him.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Derrick Henry | $8,800 | $10,200 |
| Alvin Kamara | $8,400 | $9,000 |
| Dalvin Cook | $8,100 | $9,500 |
| Aaron Jones | $7,700 | $7,400 |
| Nick Chubb | $7,000 | $8,000 |
| Najee Harris | $6,800 | $8,200 |
| Saquan Barkley | $6,700 | $6,900 |
| Alexander Mattison | $6,600 | $6,800 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | $6,500 | $7,000 |
| Miles Sanders | $6,400 | $6,500 |
| Chris Carson | $6,300 | $7,300 |
| Jonathan Taylor | $6,300 | $6,600 |
| D’Andre Swift | $6,200 | $7,700 |
| Antonio Gibson | $6,100 | $7,100 |
| Kareem Hunt | $6,000 | $6,400 |
| Chuba Hubbard | $5,900 | $6,300 |
| David Montgomery | $5,800 | $7,500 |
| Tony Pollard | $5,700 | $5,600 |
| Darrell Henderson | $5,600 | $6,000 |
| Chase Edmonds | $5,500 | $6,100 |
| Melvin Gordon | $5,500 | $6,200 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | $5,400 | $6,700 |
| Eli Mitchell | $5,400 | $5,600 |
| Jamaal Williams | $5,300 | $5,600 |
| Myles Gaskin | $5,300 | $5,500 |
| Zack Moss | $5,300 | $6,000 |
| Sony Michel | $5,200 | $5,800 |
| Ty’Son Williams | $5,200 | $5,700 |
| James Conner | $5,100 | $5,500 |
| Mike Davis | $5,100 | $5,400 |
| J.D. McKissic | $5,000 | $5,200 |
| Javonte Williams | $5,000 | $5,900 |
| Trey Sermon | $5,000 | $5,900 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | $4,900 | $6,000 |
| Nyheim Hines | $4,900 | $5,300 |
| Devin Singletary | $4,800 | $5,700 |
| Latavius Murray | $4,700 | $5,300 |
| Mark Ingram | $4,700 | $5,300 |
| Royce Freeman | $4,700 | $5,400 |
| Ty Johnson | $4,600 | $4,700 |
| David Johnson | $4,500 | $5,000 |
| Michael Carter | $4,500 | $5,300 |
| Tevin Coleman | $4,400 | $4,800 |
| Kenneth Gainwell | $4,300 | $5,500 |
| Malcolm Brown | $4,300 | $5,100 |
| Phillip Lindsay | $4,300 | $4,900 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | $4,000 | $4,500 |
Running Back
Weekly strategy – This is kind of an ugly week at every position for DFS. Derrick Henry is an easy play, but that FD price is so damn high. The better play is actually Alvin Kamara, and his FD price is much better. I don’t mind Najee Harris here, but I feel like we would be chasing targets. Miles Sanders has a great matchup, but his coach is apparently too busy channeling his inner Adam Gase when it comes to game strategy. If I don’t use the two high-priced guys, I will likely pivot to Jonathan Taylor or Antonio Gibson. I also like David Montgomery (DK only) and Chuba Hubbard (volume-based ROI) here. There isn’t much to choose from as a value play. Sony Michel could return value if Darrell Henderson misses another game. Cordarelle Patterson, J.D. McKissic, and Nyheim Hines could catch enough passes to return value. San Francisco could have a valuable RB starter against a bad Seattle defense, just good luck choosing who it will be. With so many question marks, this feels like a week to just pay up for a pair of the top RBs.
Fantasy Four-pack
Derrick Henry, Titans @ NYJ
($8,800 DK, $10,200 FD)
With A.J. Brown out and Julio Jones questionable, there is a slim chance that the prior-to-Week-2-never-used-in-the-passing game Henry could be one of the leading receiving options for Tennessee on Sunday. Or perhaps, the team will just hand the ball off to him 40 times. Either way, it should amount to a huge game from the monster RB. I am stressing the McCaffreyesque pricing on FD, but $8,800 on DK seems like a steal.
Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. NYG
($8,400 DK, $9,000 FD)
Good things happen for New Orleans when they get their only superstar involved in the offense. The Giants’ run defense has been assaulted every week so far, especially through the air. This is Kamara’s sweet spot. I’m expecting a minimum of 150 total yards and a score here.
Najee Harris, Steelers @ GB
($6,800 DK, $8,200 FD)
19 targets? Damn! I’m not going to expect to see that again, but if Diontae Johnson remains out, it just might happen. Ultimately, it comes down to Ben Roethlisberger not being able to throw the deep ball right now while battling his way through injuries and old age. Green Bay has not allowed a ton of rushing yards to the position, but every RB room to face them has posted a serviceable RB2 stat line, thanks to receptions and receiving yards. Harris won’t be splitting any touches out of the backfield, so by sheer volume, he should approach 3x value.
Jonathan Taylor, Colts @ MIA
($6,300 DK, $6,600 FD)
With Marlon Mack getting DNP-management decision designation so that the team can trade him, Taylor has one less vulture to contend with. In each of the first three weeks, Miami has allowed multiple RBs to produce startable lines. So, even if Nyheim Hines continues to cut into Taylor’s workload, they are both startable here. In fact, they both should approach 100 total yards and score here, but Taylor is obviously the safer choice.
DFS Sleepers
Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons vs. WAS
($4,900 DK, $6,000 FD)
Running the ball against this defensive line should be tough for Atlanta. So, if they are smart, Patterson will get the majority of the RB touches this week (and then predominantly through the air). Patterson has seven targets each of the last two weeks. He should surpass that number this week, especially if Russell Gage is out again.
Myles Gaskin, Dolphins vs. IND
($5,300 DK, $5,500 FD)
I did not like the pair of TD vultures last week for Gaskin. His final line was pretty good, but it could have been so much better. This week Gaskin faces a defense that is allowing 142 combo yards per game against opposing RBs. So, even if he loses a few touches, Gaskin should top 100 total yards. Let’s just hope he isn’t vultured on the score again.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Tyreek Hill | $8,000 | $8,200 |
| Davante Adams | $7,900 | $8,100 |
| Cooper Kupp | $7,800 | $8,600 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | $7,700 | $7,600 |
| Stefon Diggs | $7,600 | $8,000 |
| Justin Jefferson | $7,300 | $7,800 |
| DK Metcalf | $7,200 | $7,700 |
| Tyler Lockett | $7,100 | $7,900 |
| Calvin Ridley | $7,000 | $7,200 |
| Terry McLaurin | $6,900 | $7,100 |
| Adam Thielen | $6,800 | $7,500 |
| CeeDee Lamb | $6,700 | $7,400 |
| DJ Moore | $6,600 | $7,300 |
| Deebo Samuel | $6,500 | $6,900 |
| Julio Jones | $6,500 | $6,700 |
| Brandin Cooks | $6,400 | $6,900 |
| Diontae Johnson | $6,200 | $7,000 |
| Chase Claypool | $6,100 | $6,500 |
| Amari Cooper | $6,000 | $7,600 |
| Allen Robinson | $5,800 | $6,400 |
| Odell Beckham | $5,800 | $6,600 |
| Courtland Sutton | $5,700 | $6,300 |
| DeVonta Smith | $5,700 | $5,900 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | $5,600 | $6,000 |
| Kenny Golladay | $5,500 | $5,900 |
| Sterling Shepard | $5,500 | $6,100 |
| Cole Beasley | $5,400 | $5,900 |
| Marquise Brown | $5,400 | $6,400 |
| Michael Pittman | $5,400 | $5,800 |
| Christian Kirk | $5,300 | $6,000 |
| Robert Woods | $5,300 | $6,200 |
| DeVante Parker | $5,200 | $5,400 |
| Robby Anderson | $5,100 | $5,700 |
| Sammy Watkins | $5,100 | $5,500 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | $5,000 | $5,700 |
| Corey Davis | $5,000 | $5,700 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | $4,900 | $5,800 |
| Jaylen Waddle | $4,900 | $5,400 |
| Tim Patrick | $4,900 | $6,100 |
| Will Fuller | $4,800 | $5,300 |
| Jalen Reagor | $4,700 | $5,500 |
| Jamison Crowder | $4,600 | $5,500 |
| Rondale Moore | $4,600 | $5,300 |
| A.J. Green | $4,500 | $5,600 |
| Zach Pascal | $4,500 | $5,100 |
| Kalif Raymond | $4,400 | $5,300 |
| Mecole Hardman | $4,400 | $5,500 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | $4,300 | $5,200 |
| Russell Gage | $4,300 | $5,000 |
| Darius Slayton | $4,200 | $5,200 |
| James Washington | $4,100 | $5,100 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | $4,100 | $5,100 |
| Cedrick Wilson | $4,000 | $5,200 |
| Quintez Cephus | $4,000 | $5,200 |
| Terrace Marshall | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Tre’Quan Smith | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Darnell Mooney | $3,900 | $5,200 |
| Devin Duvernay | $3,900 | $5,000 |
| Freddie Swain | $3,900 | $4,800 |
| Van Jefferson | $3,900 | $5,000 |
| Demarcus Robinson | $3,800 | $4,900 |
| DeSean Jackson | $3,800 | $5,400 |
| Anthony Miller | $3,700 | $5,200 |
| Braxton Berrios | $3,700 | $4,700 |
| K.J. Osborn | $3,700 | $5,300 |
| Adam Humphries | $3,600 | $4.700 |
| Allen Lazard | $3,600 | $5,300 |
| Deonte Harris | $3,500 | $5,100 |
| Quez Watkins | $3,500 | $5,200 |
| Dyami Brown | $3,400 | $4,900 |
| Gabriel Davis | $3,400 | $4,800 |
| Chester Rogers | $3,300 | $5,100 |
| Randall Cobb | $3,300 | $4,900 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | $3,200 | $4,900 |
| Collin Johnson | $3,200 | $5,200 |
| Donovan Peoples-Jones | $3,200 | $5,300 |
| Parris Campbell | $3,200 | $4,700 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | $3,200 | $5,300 |
| Trent Sherfield | $3,200 | $4,600 |
| Byron Pringle | $3,000 | $5,100 |
| C.J. Board | $3,000 | $4,700 |
| Cameron Batson | $3,000 | $4,900 |
Wide Receiver
Weekly strategy – I’m basically forced to spend down at WR if I am going to be forced to spend up at QB and RB. I will find spending room to roster one of Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, or Cooper Kupp. They are the clear top three choices this week. The only pivot I feel solid about is Terry McLaurin. I also like both DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel against each other if you decide to super-stack one game. Allen Robinson has a great matchup, but a serious question mark at QB. If I don’t use Diggs at WR1, I will use one of Emmanuel Sanders or Cole Beasley at WR2. Otherwise, I really like Michael Pittman, Brandon Aiyuk, Jaylen Waddle, Tim Patrick, Robby Anderson, and the other Dolphins here. In most cases, I will have to settle for one of them at WR2, but if I can afford it I’d take two of them. WR3 and punt options include potential injury substitutes like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Collin Johnson, Chester Rogers, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Cedrick Wilson. I also like bad-offense plays, such as Anthony Miller, Quez Watkins, Braxton Berrios, and Darnell Mooney.
Fantasy Four-pack
Cooper Kupp, Rams vs ARI
($7,800 DK, $8,600 FD)
Kupp leads the league in receiving yards, receiving TDs, and he is second in targets. This is because Matthew Stafford has goo-goo eyes for him. Arizona has allowed multiple quality WR lines in every game so far. They have especially been damaged by possession receivers. Kupp should have zero trouble continuing his hot streak, and he should be the safest play of the week. That said, he will have huge ownership numbers.
Stefon Diggs, Bills vs. HOU
($7,600 DK, $8,000 FD)
Houston’s defense has struggled against every talented WR1 they have faced since early 2019. They’ve even struggled against some non-talented WR1s. The targets and yardage have been almost evenly split between Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, and Cole Beasley, but Diggs is still the alpha dog here. Against this defense, I see Diggs reasserting himself with a 12-125-2 line.
Davante Adams, Packers vs. PIT
($7,900 DK, $8,100 FD)
Pittsburgh’s defense has been a paper tiger this season. Multiple WRs have been successful against them this year, including all three WR1s. Adams has the elite-level skills to succeed against very good defenses. He should have little trouble exploiting this poor facsimile of last year’s Steelers. Adams got an absurd 18 targets last week. If he repeats that performance, he’ll challenge for overall WR1 this week.
DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ SF
($7,200 DK, $7,700 FD)
Metcalf dominated a bad Vikings’ secondary last week. Now he gets to face a team that has struggled against bigger-bodied WRs this season. It feels like just a couple of years ago these two teams featured elite defenses. Now, they are both in a battle of who could care less. This game could quickly devolve into a shootout, making it a sneaky stack game (especially if you want to go cheap at QB with Jimmy Garoppolo).
DFS Sleepers
Michael Pittman, Colts @ MIA
($5,400 DK, $5,800 FD)
Over the last two weeks, Pittman has had the third-most targets and seventh-most receiving yards among WRs. The thing he has failed to do is get into the end zone. I’m confident that will change this week in what could be a sneaky shootout featuring two mediocre defenses. If you want exposure to an underutilized stack, consider Carson Wentz-Pittman-Jaylen Waddle.
Robby Anderson, Panthers @ DAL
($5,100 DK, $5,700 FD)
I know that Anderson has been a complete stiff this season. As a multiple league owner of his, I know all too well how he has underperformed, despite his familiarity with Sam Darnold. This might finally be his week though as Trevon Diggs will likely shadow D.J. Moore. Coach Matt Rhule has already stated that the team has to get Anderson more involved, which will start this week as the team leans more on the passing game without Christian McCaffrey.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Kelce | $8,100 | $8,200 |
| George Kittle | $5,900 | $6,700 |
| T.J. Hockenson | $5,800 | $6,600 |
| Mark Andrews | $5,300 | $6,500 |
| Kyle Pitts | $5,000 | $5,800 |
| Logan Thomas | $4,900 | $5,800 |
| Dallas Goedert | $4,800 | $6,000 |
| Tyler Higbee | $4,600 | $5,900 |
| Robert Tonyan | $4,500 | $5,500 |
| Noah Fant | $4,300 | $5,700 |
| Mike Gesicki | $4,000 | $5,400 |
| Austin Hooper | $3,700 | $5,200 |
| Dawson Knox | $3,600 | $5,600 |
| Tyler Conklin | $3,500 | $5,300 |
| Zach Ertz | $3,500 | $4,700 |
| Dalton Schultz | $3,400 | $5,000 |
| Eric Ebron | $3,300 | $4,400 |
| Gerald Everett | $3,200 | $4,900 |
| Anthony Firkser | $3,100 | $4,500 |
| David Njoku | $3,100 | $4,700 |
| Pat Freiermuth | $3,100 | $5,000 |
| Cole Kmet | $3,000 | $4,800 |
| Evan Engram | $3,000 | $5,100 |
| Maxx Williams | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Adam Trautman | $2,900 | $4,300 |
| Jordan Akins | $2,900 | $4,200 |
| Jack Doyle | $2,700 | $4,800 |
| Tommy Tremble | $2,500 | $4,800 |
Tight End
Weekly strategy – I cannot afford Travis Kelce this week, but I believe he will have a very solid game as teams continue to attempt to shut down Tyreek Hill. You should always make at least a couple of lineups headlined by Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, despite the matchup. George Kittle is cheaper and has a softer matchup. He still is perhaps a smidgen outside of my budget. I will build my lineups using Logan Thomas, Noah Fant, and Mike Gesicki. I can also see pivoting to Dawson Knox or Tyler Conklin on DK. Dalton Schultz is also in this zone, but I feel he will be over-owned as people chase his two-TD start from last week. If I choose to punt the position, I could use Pat Freiermuth, Maxx Williams, Evan Engram, or Jack Doyle.
Fantasy Four-pack
Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ PHI
($8,100 DK, $8,200 FD)
Kelce continues to dominate the position. He has scored and/or topped 100 yards in all but four games since the start of 2020. Philly is very good against WRs, but they just got crumpled by Dalton Schultz last week. Don’t be surprised if Kelce posts another 10-100-2 line. Just know that he will be very hard to fit under the cap, unless you go thrift store shopping at WR.
George Kittle, Seahawks vs. SEA
($5,900 DK, $6,700 FD)
Kittle’s career averages of 4-49-0 against Seattle don’t scream “Start Me”. Plus, he is currently day-to-day with calf soreness. Nevertheless, this is the defense that just made Tyler Conklin look like an All-Pro. For as fragile as Kittle has been during his career, he has also been one of the toughest SOBs when he is on the field. I already have visions of NFTs of Kittle stiff-arming Seattle defenders out of their cleats being purchased by dot-com millionaires Monday morning. At such a discount compared to Travis Kelce, it is hard to not use Kittle here if you can afford him.
Logan Thomas, Football Team @ ATL
($4,900 DK, $5,800 FD)
In case Kittle’s salary is also too high for your tastes, may I offer you a tasty Thomas for $1k less. Thomas’ receptions and yardage have been stunted by all of the passes to the Washington RBs, but he has scored in two of the three games. Meanwhile, Atlanta is tied for the league lead in TE touchdowns allowed. The score is a lock, and I hope he finishes with roughly 6-60 this week. This should make him an interesting stack option with Taylor Heinecke and Terry McLaurin.
Mark Andrews, Ravens @ DEN
($5,300 DK, $6,500 FD)
Marquise Brown’s alligator arms will certainly cause Lamar Jackson to alter his target share elsewhere. The returning Rashod Bateman will eventually be part of that target share, but he will likely be on a snap count this week, if he is active. This leaves no one else but Andrews. Going into this season, Andrews was being written off as falling behind guys like T.J. Hockenson and Kyle Pitts on dynasty radars. Still, he has produced the seventh-most receptions and the fourth-most receiving yards among the position. Denver hasn’t allowed anything to the position this season, but the best TE they have faced is James O’Shaughnessy. This will be their first test.
DFS Sleepers
Dawson Knox, Bills vs. HOU
($3,600 DK, $5,600 FD)
Speaking of James O’Shaughnessy, he is one of several bottom-feeding TEs to do damage against the Texans this year. He has been joined by the elite ranks of Tommy Tremble, Harrison Bryant, and Chris Manhertz. Meanwhile, Knox only has 10 catches this season, but he has a TD in each of the last two games. If he finishes with a score again, 3x on DK is a lock.
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers @ GB
($3,100 DK, $5,000 FD)
I have a hard time saying Freiermuth’s name without adding “will you do the Fandango” afterward. Perhaps he should adopt that as his TD-celebration dance. Freiermuth scored the first of what I believe will be many career TDs last week. His usage should only continue to rise as Eric Ebron has apparently retired without letting anyone know, and since Ben Roethlisberger cannot throw the ball beyond 10 yards. Green Bay has already allowed huge games to George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson, not to mention the two-TD performance by Juwan Johnson opening weekend.