Tag: Daily Fantasy Football DFS picks sleepers

Football is back. Fans are back. Fantasy football is back. As we approach Sunday morning, I feel like the Nicolas Cage Con-Air freedom GIF. Obviously, we are not 100 percent past the threat of COVID, but the reality of live football all across the country broadcast to nearly every nation in the world has to bring a smile to your face.

In Week 1, we get to dive right back into the deep end without a statistical-trend life preserver. So don’t go overboard taking excessive risks. The journey to building a strong bankroll is a long and arduous one. I strongly recommend devoting most of your bankroll to multipliers the first couple of weeks. Still, you are here to chase the ultimate dream.

Like each of us, you want that moment in the sun. You need the thrill of taking down that larger field tournament. Only then will you truly feel the adulation of being a champion. That glowing aura that will be your inevitability. The brass ring is waiting for you … come take it!

DFS: The Primetime Slate

On Sunday night, the Chicago Bears visit Hollywood. This won’t be a Goldilocks’ fairy tale. This will be a redheaded nightmare for Andy Dalton. The best-case scenario for Dalton is that he gets pummeled a few times and isn’t benched at the half. Dalton does have some weapons at his disposal, but the Los Angeles Rams defense is for real. He is the clear QB4 on this slate and shouldn’t be anywhere near your starting lineup. He is facing a ceiling of 240-2, with a considerably lower floor.

Matthew Stafford has a slightly easier matchup, and a stronger supporting cast, but the Bears defense isn’t a pushover. He gets the de facto QB2 nod here, but his ceiling isn’t significantly higher than Dalton’s. That said, everyone will be using Lamar Jackson, so Stafford is also the pivot.

David Montgomery is one of my favorite running backs for this season. The matchup Sunday isn’t elite, but he is the only back guaranteed to see a bell cow’s load. He proved last season that he could be effective both on the ground and through the air. The Bears will be forced to lean on Montgomery to keep Dalton from being decapitated. This suggests a ton of carries and a healthy dose of emergency dump-offs. Between the two, Montgomery should top 125 combined yards and score.

The Rams lost their starting running back, Cam Akers, for the season. This means that Darrell Henderson and the recently acquired Sony Michel will tote the rock for their offense. If we had just one of them, they would be the obvious RB2 on this docket. I believe that eventually Sony Michel will notch out the role of the goal-line back. For this week, I expect to see Henderson as the primary ball-handler, as long as his thumb injury doesn’t get aggravated. He wasn’t on the injury report Wednesday or Thursday, so it is unlikely Henderson misses any time.

Allen Robinson will finish the season as a top-10 WR. It won’t even matter who his QB is, as he has done it with schlock chucking him the ball previously. This week will be an interesting challenge for him, though, as he faces his former Jacksonville Jaguars running mate, Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey has owned Robinson in their prior meetings, so the best you can hope for here is 5-50-1. At his price, I cannot justify playing him. Darnell Mooney or the recently acquired Breshad Perriman are much safer options to roll out. Still, they have the Red Popgun throwing them the ball, so limit your expectations. That said, I’d consider Mooney at my WR3 slot based on price.

Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are easily the top-2 WR choices on this slate. Choosing between Woods and Kupp at WR1 will be your main roster decision this week. I recommend building multiple lineups, each headlined by one of the two. Keep an eye on DeSean Jackson‘s status for this game. He professes to be ready. If he suits up, play him at WR3. Over the last five seasons, Jackson has averaged 5-97 with four touchdowns in Week 1 games.

Cole Kmet may be something at some point this year. This week is not the week to use him. He is the TE4 on the slate, and it is by a monumental distance. Meanwhile, Tyler Higbee has bid adieu to his TE-by-committee partner, Gerald Everett. Higbee’s price is considerably cheaper than that of Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller, and he has more competition for targets than the Baltimore Ravens’ Mark Andrews. That said, I enjoy the idea of using Higbee in double-TE lineups. Especially when you pair him with Stafford as a pivot-stack.

As for defenses, there is only one defense on this slate not to use (Las Vegas). The Rams are the best choice since they get to hogtie Dalton. The Bears defense would be my third choice.

Monday night, Baltimore looks to take down the house in Sin City. Lamar Jackson is the QB1 on this slate by the length of the Vegas Strip. Unfortunately, he will be nearly 100 percent owned and two-thirds of his receiving weapons are hurt. Still, Jackson’s rushing numbers paired with a pittance through the air will easily be the pacesetter among all skill position plays. Derek Carr has more weapons to throw to, but Baltimore has a strong pass defense. He will be my QB3, but he is much less safe than Stafford as a pivot.

Gus Edwards was expected to shoulder the load lost by the injury to J.K. Dobbins. Unfortunately, he sustained a season-ending injury of his own. Popular waiver wire pickup, Ty’Son Williams, and/or free-agent signees Le’Veon Bell, Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman will end up sharing the carries. Against Vegas’ so-so run defense, one of them could be used as a deep punt RB2 or FLEX play. Just watch the Friday practice to see who gets the first team run.

For the Raiders, Josh Jacobs was a solid running back last year. So, the team decided to reward him by signing Kenyan Drake to steal touches. In his own defense, Drake was also a solid running back the last couple of seasons. Now they are splitting touches and degrading each other’s value. Jacobs will likely remain the goal-line option, so he is a safe RB2/FLEX play. Drake will likely be the pass-catching option, which should also make him FLEX-worthy, at best. Keep an eye on Jacobs’ practice status Friday and Saturday as he has been dealing with a toe injury. If Jacobs is a no-go, Drake becomes almost a must-start at RB2.

Marquise Brown gets a great matchup this week, and he should be locked in as your WR2. By sheer lack of competition, I see him approaching 8-75-1. Sammy Watkins is also in play as a WR3. Much like DeSean Jackson, Watkins has made a career out of the first week of each season. One of those two should be your WR3, and I wouldn’t shame you if you played both of them in a lineup. Choosing which Raiders WR to play week-to-week is always a challenge. There is some upside to both Bryan Edwards and Henry Ruggs. I’ll avoid both this week and wait until one of them takes the lead here. If I need to roster a Raiders’ WR, I’ll likely use Hunter Renfrow, since he could see some target volume.

Andrews is always a solid TE option. With the lack of healthy receivers for Baltimore, he may see an uptick in targets this week. This should allow him to lock down the TE2 slot on the board. Much like Higbee, I can see using him in a double-TE lineup paired with Waller. Speaking of Waller, he is the only tight end approaching the rarefied air spectrum of Travis Kelce. Just play him, cause everyone else will be, and you cannot afford to not have his stats in your lineup.

Baltimore’s defense is my No. 2 choice this week behind Los Angeles. As for Vegas defense, you have a better chance of winning throwing your entire bankroll on double-zero on the roulette wheel.

The Main Slate: My recommended DFS lineups

At DK: $6.5K for Ryan Tannehill. $8.6K for Alvin Kamara. $5.9K for Antonio Gibson. $7.8K for DeAndre Hopkins. $5.7K for Brandon Aiyuk. $3.4K for Marquez Callaway. $3.2K for Anthony Firkser. $5.8K for Raheem Mostert at FLEX. $3K for the Minnesota Vikings defense.

At FD: $8.4K for Kyler Murray. $8.6K for Kamara. $7K for Gibson. $8.2K for Hopkins. $8.1K for Calvin Ridley. $5.3K for Michael Pittman. $4.7K for Firkser. $5.9K for James Robinson at FLEX. $3.8K for the Vikings defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Tannehill, Sam Darnold at SF, Kamara, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey at FLEX, Russell Gage, Pittman, Callaway, and Firkser.

Quarterback

Weekly strategy – Playing Patrick Mahomes is never a bad decision. That said, his price against an improving Cleveland defense isn’t great. If I’m going to pay that much this week, I would rather use Kyler Murray or Aaron Rodgers. Better yet, I like saving some money and using Ryan Tannehill. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jameis Winston are interesting options in the low-to-mid price range. However, in that range, I believe that Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best play. I also love the idea of using Sam Darnold in the revenge game.

Fantasy Four-pack

Kyler Murray, Cardinals @ TEN
($7,600 DK, $8,400 FD)
Tennessee faced four “running QBs” last season: Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Deshaun Watson (2x). Of those three, Jackson was the only one to do anything required of the title rushing QB. So, I’m not expecting Kyler to go ham on the ground here. Still, with Kliff Kingsbury’s offense being so wide open, Murray can finish as QB1 based just on his passing numbers. Only six teams allowed more passing TDs than Tennessee last season. They will start this season among the worst as well following this shootout. If Murray can also take advantage of his legs, he will walk away with the top point spot this week.

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs vs. CLE
($8,100 DK, $8,800 FD)
Mahomes looked mortal in the Super Bowl behind a piecemeal offensive line. No team did more to upgrade their protection unit this offseason than Kansas City. Now, Mahomes can look left and right down the line and see perennial Pro Bowlers instead of perennial turnstiles. Cleveland’s pass defense numbers look improved for last season, but they are aided by games facing: Dwayne Haskins, an aging Philip Rivers, Mike Glennon, Colt McCoy, and Joshua Dobbs. They also got a Sam Darnold Jets game, and a game in which Carson Wentz started and was benched for Jalen Hurts. All that said, the Browns did limit Mahomes to two total TDs in their playoff matchup. This week two TDs are Mahomes’ floor, and I expect him to blow that number out of the water.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers @ NO (in JAC)
($6,800 DK, $8,000 FD) 
Rodgers led the league in touchdowns thrown last season. This included 12 games with three or more TDs. One of those games was a 283-3 performance against the Saints in Week 3. New Orleans loses the clear “home-field advantage” with the neutral site game, but Green Bay historically travels well anyways in terms of fan presence. Amazingly, during his lengthy tenure in the league, Rodgers has started against New Orleans only five times. In those games, he has averaged 316 passing yards and three total TDs per game. Just hitting that average will give Rodgers 3x value. Then factor in that Rodgers will be playing this season in scorched-earth mode.

Ryan Tannehill, Titans vs. ARI
($6,500 DK, $7,700 FD)
I mentioned above that this game will be a shootout. This equates to a big performance for both offenses. Tannehill will have his new toy, Julio Jones, ready to go for this game. Assuming that A.J. Brown is also good to go, Tannehill should be able to match yards for yards and points for points with Murray through the air. We also spoke earlier about Murray’s legs and his ability to get you bonus points with his rushing. Tannehill sneakily finished tied with Lamar Jackson for fifth among QBs in rushing TDs. This is a quiet bliss for Tannehill owners, since Arizona was actually the worst team in the league last year in yardage allowed on the ground to opposing QBs. Loving Tannehill is even simpler yet, since he is nearly $1k less in price.

DFS Sleepers

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Football Team vs. LAC
($5,500 DK, $6,600 FD)
Why am I choosing a sleeper QB in what I predict will be a low-scoring game? It is because Fitzpatrick finally has some job security, a great supporting cast, and he is facing a Chargers team that gave up a league-worst eight rushing TDs to opposing QBs. Fitzpatrick has never been a big-time rushing QB, but he has scampered for a couple of scores every season. This game will feature a lot of Ryan dumping the ball off to Logan Thomas, J.D. McKissic, and Antonio Gibson. That should allow him to post a reasonable 250-2 floor while possibly punching one in on the ground. Just don’t expect Fitzpatrick to single-handedly win the week for you. If you choose to play him, I recommend stacking him with Thomas. That pairing should let you spend like a drunken businessman on holiday in Thailand at the other positions.

Sam Darnold, Panthers vs. NYJ
($5,000 DK, $6,500 FD)
This is a popular bold sleeper of the week. Darnold facing his former team. Let’s analyze the upgrade from last year: Christian McCaffrey >>>> La’Mical Perine, Robby Anderson >> Breshad Perriman, D.J. Moore > Jamison Crowder, Terrace Marshall >= Denzel Mims, and Dan Arnold >= Chris Herndon. The Jets allowed the fifth-most passing yards and the third-most passing TDs last season and their defense is still in the process of being completely overhauled. Unfortunately, that new-look defense is still lacking mightily in veteran backfield presence. In superflex format DFS, Darnold is a lock for my SF slot. If I had to choose who to stack him with, I’d say  Anderson or Dan Arnold.

Running Back

Weekly strategy – Considering their matchups, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Alvin Kamara are all great RB1 options. Unfortunately, they are all very pricey. That means that if you use one of them, you will have to go cheaper at RB2. Or, if you want to use two of them, then you will need to be chintzy at WR. James Robinson and Antonio Gibson are my favorite two options for RB2. I also like Raheem Mostert and Damien Harris. If you wish to punt RB2, consider using Javonte Williams. Just know that he will have an extreme ownership percentage and no guarantee of featured back usage.

Fantasy Four-pack

Alvin Kamara, Saints vs GB
($8600 DK, $8600 FD)
Green Bay was rotten against the run early in the season, but they did get better as the season progressed. The one thing they failed to improve in was covering pass-catching backs. Only one team allowed more RB receiving yards, and only three teams allowed more RB receptions than Green Bay. That defense will be pushed further in this game since Kamara will technically qualify at RB while performing the role of WR1 for New Orleans. Add on the release of Latavius Murray and you’ll see why Kamara will lead all RBs in DFS points this week.

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers vs. NYJ
($9,500 DK, $10,400 FD) 
Of course, FD refuses to give us a discount on the returning McCaffrey. I love this matchup, but seriously … 10k … already. Come on, man! As mentioned above, the Jets are installing a new defense. It should help improve their run coverage, but they get a test right out of the box. Achieving 3x at this price will be tough, but he still should post mid-20s in points and that will be enough to lock up a top-4 spot.

Dalvin Cook, Vikings @ CIN
($9,100 DK, $9,400 FD)
The Vikings have lost their top two TEs from last season. Their No. 3 tight end from last year missed all of the preseason with various maladies. His backup just arrived at the training facility earlier this week. Plus, both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen have seen limited run this preseason due to injuries of their own. What I am getting at is that Cook will likely have to assume even more of the passing-game work than he has in previous seasons. Cincinnati has added some new pieces to their defensive front this offseason, but several of those new pieces are questionable with injuries right now.

Derrick Henry, Titans vs. ARI
($8,800 DK, $8,900 FD)
Henry is much maligned due to his lack of a pass-catching role in the Tennessee offense. That limited role will diminish even further this season with the presence of Julio Jones. Still, Henry’s ability to bust off a 90-yard TD run at any time makes him a safe floor play all season. Besides, who needs PPR points when Henry’s last seven games produced 1,081 rushing yards. That seven-game stretch would’ve finished as the fifth-highest rushing total for the entire season. Arizona and Tennessee are set for a high-scoring contest, so you must assume that Henry will get in the end zone at least once. That is if Tannehill doesn’t vulture him.

DFS Sleepers

Raheem Mostert, 49ers @ DET
($5,800 DK, $6,100 FD)
Everyone and their sister will be rostering Trey Sermon in this game against the league’s worst defensive team against the run from last season. I have zero reasons to think that Sermon won’t have a productive game. That said, this is Week 1 and Kyle Shanahan is not just going to hand over the reins of the backfield to a rookie. It is the same reason that we will not have Trey Lance at QB this week. Sermon may be the next great thing, but Mostert hasn’t shown any signs of degrading from his previous breakout. Consider both of them this week. Just know that Sermon will have a higher ownership percentage.

Antonio Gibson, Football Team vs. LAC
($5,900 DK, $7,000 FD)
I may end up with too much exposure to this game. Still, at $5.9k on DK this feels like a dramatic pricing error. It is much the same situation we are facing with the $5.9k price tag that James Robinson has on FD. I’ll likely have more exposure to Robinson, since I believe that game will have more combined points, but I’d be amiss to feign disinterest in Gibson. If I do use Gibson, it will be in a lineup without Ryan Fitzpatrick or Logan Thomas.

Wide Receiver

Weekly strategy – Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins are the top two options this week. A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin are my pivot WR1s. When planning WR2, I am looking at a Brandon Aiyuk, Robby Anderson, or D.J. Moore. At WR3, I like Russell Gage (if I don’t use Ridley) and the Bengals. DeVonta Smith could be a sneaky WR3 option if you want to take a flier on a rookie. I expect to have a fair amount of exposure to Michael Pittman or Zach Pascal. Both could also be used at WR3 or FLEX. If I choose to punt the WR3 position, I will take a chance on Marquez Callaway, Quintez Cephus, or Rondale Moore.

Fantasy Four-pack

Calvin Ridley, Falcons vs PHI
($7,900 DK, $8,100 FD)
Despite missing one full game and having one game that he was shut out in, Ridley finished fourth in receiving yards. This also came despite splitting looks with Julio Jones. Julio is gone and many expect Kyle Pitts and Russell Gage to inherit most of his departed targets, but Ridley will inherit a fair share, too. Philadelphia finished last season middle of the pack against the pass. That said, they were absolutely humiliated by most of the true WR1s that they faced. I’d be surprised if Ridley didn’t post 10-125-1 this week. If Jalen Hurts can keep this competitive against a bad Atlanta secondary, Ridley may even post higher numbers in response. I just don’t have that much faith in Hurts.

DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals @ TEN
($7,800 DK, $8,200 FD)
My QB1 is Kyler Murray so it makes sense that my WR1 should be his hookup. Hopkins had more targets last year than the next two Cardinals combined. Arizona has changed up their WR depth chart with the additions of A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, but both of them will eat into Christian Kirk’s target share, not Hopkins’. Tennessee typically allowed one huge WR performance each week (except against Cleveland). DeAndre will get the targets, so he will get the huge stat line as well. I particularly like reverse stacking him where I have Tannehill starting.

Davante Adams, Packers @ NO
($8,300 DK, $8,600 FD)
Yes, I am slightly concerned about Saints CB Marshon Lattimore. Still, this is Davante Adams. He is matchup-proof. Much like Ridley, Adams finished fifth in receiving yards despite missing two full games. He also finished second in total TDs to only Kamara. This could easily be another 10-120-2 game for Adams, but his floor is 7-75-1.

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs vs. CLE
($8,200 DK, $8,500 FD)
The Cleveland Browns held Tyreek Hill out of the end zone in their playoff matchup last year. Hill still caught eight of 10 passes for 110 yards, so it wasn’t a complete loss. Both Tyreek and Travis Kelce posted solid lines in that game, so starting a stack of Kelce-Mahomes-Hill may be worthwhile. Still, it would be detrimental to your overall roster construct. I’d feel better about just doing the Mahomes-Kelce stack.

DFS Sleepers

Russell Gage, Falcons vs. PHI
($5,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
Atlanta will be throwing the ball a lot, so any member of their offense deserves consideration. If you choose to not use Ridley at WR1, then you should definitely use Gage at WR3 and/or Kyle Pitts at TE. If you use Ridley pivot to one of the Jaguars or one of the Bengals at that WR3 slot. All you need to remember is that from Week 11 on last year, Calvin Ridley had the second-most targets among all WRs … Russell Gage had the 10th most. That was more than studs like Keenan Allen, Allen Robinson, DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, D.J. Moore, and Terry McLaurin.

Michael Pittman, Colts vs. SEA
($4,100 DK, $5,300 FD)
With T.Y. Hilton on the shelf, Pittman gets anointed as the Colts’ WR1 and, most importantly, their primary possession receiver. Seattle allowed the third-most receiving yards to the position last year. They also allowed 15 percent more receptions than the next closest team. Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell both make decent WR3/FLEX plays here as well, but Pittman seems destined to be the primary beneficiary of this cake matchup.

Tight End

Weekly strategy – Paying up for Travis Kelce is never a mistake. George Kittle is $2k cheaper on DK and has a good matchup, too. After that pair, I would consider pivoting to Logan Thomas or Kyle Pitts. Gerald Everett and Jared Cook are possible plays for a discount. That said, if I am going cheap, I will use Anthony Firkser or Dan Arnold.

Fantasy Four-pack

Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. CLE
($8,300 DK, $8,500 FD)
Kelce has reached the financial equivalency at the TE position of Christian McCaffrey at RB. He is even the same price as Davante Adams, so if you wish to use Kelce, know that you likely won’t be able to spend big at WR1. The matchup is very good, but I’m not sure that I want to spend this much when I can get solid production from Kittle for $2k less on DK and $1.5k less on FD. There is definitely a spot to triple-stack Patrick Mahomes, Kelce, and Tyreek Hill. To use that group, go with two cheap RBs like Myles Gaskin, Javonte Williams, Damien Harris, or Raheem Mostert.

George Kittle, 49ers @ DET
($6,300 DK, $7,000 FD)
I’d be concerned about the split in targets between Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Kittle … if they were facing anyone else. Detroit is rotten against every position. There is a decent likelihood that they all top 7-70-1. That is if the Niners don’t just run for 300 yards against the Lions. That possibility is even more concerning to me. I’m not going to use him on FD, but at $6.3k on DK, I like the price.

Logan Thomas, Football Team vs. LAC
($4,600 DK, $5,600 FD)
Thomas finished 2020 as the third-most targeted TE. It is a shame that he did not get the draft rub that other TEs got this offseason. Everyone expects T.J. Hockenson and Kyle Pitts to challenge for the TE3, TE4, and TE5 slots this season behind Travis Kelce and Darren Waller. I think the dark horse should be Lo-T. The Chargers were actually pretty solid against opposing WRs last year, but they struggled against TEs allowing a fourth-worst 10 TDs. If the Chargers effectively limit Terry McLaurin, expect a huge game from Thomas as well as the RBs.

Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. PHI
($4,400 DK, $6,000 FD)
So obviously I am not going to roster all three of Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and Pitts. I’m especially not paying $6k for Pitts in his game one on FD. That said, the $4.4k on DK isn’t awful if you don’t use either of the Falcons’ WRs. Mark Andrews was the only top-10 TE to not score a TD against Philly last year. Regardless of what you think about Pitts’ future potential, everyone believes he will be a top-10 TE this season.

DFS Sleepers

Gerald Everett, Seahawks @ IND
($3,400 DK, $4,800 FD)
Many people (myself included) are excited to see how Tyler Higbee performs now that he is free from Everett. I’m also excited to see how Everett performs without Higbee. In general, I am down on the Seahawks’ passing offense this season (despite the presence of two solid WRs) as I expect they will run the ball more than in prior seasons. The Colts’ numbers from 2020 against TEs are very good, but they also faced a lot of nobodies. The quality TEs they faced all (with the exception of Andrews again) did well against them. Russell Wilson has looked at his TEs in the red zone before. If Everett hauls in a touchdown at this price, he has already hit 3x.

Anthony Firkser, Titans vs. ARI
($3,200 DK, $4,700 FD)
First, everybody wanted him. Then nobody wanted him. Firkser was one of the most polarizing players this offseason for fantasy analysts. Much like Everett, at this price a single TD gives him 3x with everything else as gravy. The Cardinals were light years better against TEs last season than in previous seasons. Still, they are only one year removed from a decade of futility against the position. The statistical split between Firkser and Jonnu Smith last year wasn’t much with the exception of the TD category. Jonnu finished with just 61 more yards, two more catches, and 12 more targets. Together they posted a line of 80-835-9. That would have finished third in all three categories. If Firkser adds even a smidgen of Smith’s eight TDs to his line, he is in for a big season.

We are facing the first CoVid related terrorism this week. As if we needed more fantasy stars out. This time they may not even be injured, but they will miss this week because someone else in their team bubble got the bug. If you have Steelers or Titans adjust appropriately. DK and FD have both removed these players from this slate, so double-check any previously submitted lineups to swap them out. As for the disease, will we ever find out who the NFL’s Rudy Gobert was? Probably not, but it will be interesting to see if there are any other mysterious injury designations on the Week 5 injury report for the Titans.

DFS: The Primetime Slate

Sunday, the Eagles head west to San Francisco in the battle of sixth string WRs and injured TEs. Never did I ever think that I’d be considering Nick Mullens above Carson Wentz in rankings. Fortunately, they are both ranked below Aaron Rodgers and Matt Ryan. Whomever actually plays at RB for San Fran is a worthy starter. If both Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon miss this game, I’d rank Jeff Wilson at RB2 on this slate behind only Aaron Jones. If either Mostert or McKinnon plays, they will cut into Wilson’s total thus hurting all three of them. In that case, all of them will fall into the RB4 range. Miles Sanders is a very talented back, and one of the few healthy bodies on offense for Philly, but even injury-ravaged the Niners run defense is elite. At his price, he cannot be anything higher than RB4 on this slate. I’d love to see Philly use Boston Scott at Slot WR, it isn’t like they are using him in the running game. He can be ignored except in Showdown contests.

The Niners are starting to get their WRs back healthy. They still will have to wait at least one more week for Deebo Samuel. Brandon Aiyuk looks like the real deal for a future starter opposite Samuel. With injuries throughout both games at the WR position, he needs to be considered as a WR2/3. Kendrick Bourne also is in play at WR3. Mohamed Sanu has not clicked as fast as I would have hoped. I’ll leave him and Trent Taylor on the bench until we see more use from either.

Can you name the second and third WR for Philadelphia? Right now, with DeSean Jackson questionable, we may see Greg Ward and Deontay Burnett start, with John Hightower and the injured J.J. Arcega-Whiteside play supplemental roles. Ward (WR7 on the slate) is the only one worth playing and he is my favorite WR3 option. Reports have George Kittle ready to return this week. Coming off of the injury, he slides into TE2 territory, but don’t be surprised if his utilization is not full-go. Zach Ertz may receive 40 targets in this game, putting him firmly as the TE1 on this docket. In addition, Richard Rodgers actually finished Week 3 playing WR, but he qualifies at TE, making him a potential TE5. The team just added former WR, Hakeem Butler to play TE (although he qualifies at WR), so maybe they will end up trading jobs.  Either defense should be considered, but the Niners are the clear DEF1 this weekend.

Monday, We get two more confidence-inspiring QBs in Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers. Ryan is the QB1 and the safest play on the docket. Ryan would normally be interchangeable with Rodgers, but Aaron has more injury concerns at WR. Aaron Jones is the easy RB1 as Atlanta has been rotten against the run. Green Bay has struggled to stop the run as well, but Brian Hill has started to butt into Todd Gurley’s workload. Gurley is no better than RB2 on this slate and may fall to RB3 if only one back is healthy for San Fran. Hill is a solid FLEX play, but he shouldn’t be among your top four choices.

Russell Gage left last week’s game with an injury and he is joining Julio Jones, Allen Lazard, and Davante Adams as high-end WRs that may or may not play. If Davante suits up, he is the WR1 on this slate. Otherwise, that role goes to Calvin Ridley (who is no lower than the WR2). Julio would be the WR2 if he goes.  I love Gage, and I hope he plays. If he does, he is in play at WR3. Also in that conversation is Marquez Valdes-Scantling. If both Gage and Jones are out for Atlanta, Olamide Zaccheaus could be a sneaky WR3 play, but I wouldn’t go as deep as Brandon Powell. Green Bay has dominated opposing TEs for a few years now. This is why I can’t rate Hayden Hurst higher than TE4 here. I actually will put Rodgers’ red zone target, Robert Tonyan in at TE3. I won’t have a lot of exposure to him, due to the presence of both Marcedes Lewis and Jace Sternberger. Still, Atlanta is one of the worst teams in the league against opposing TEs, so playing Tonyan or even Sternberger is not out of the question. Plus, they both need to be considered in Showdown formats. I expect this game to be fairly high-scoring, so I will look elsewhere for my defense.

The Main Slate: My recommended DFS lineups

At DK: $7.8K for either Russell Wilson. $8K for Alvin Kamara. $6K for Kenyan Drake. $6.8K for D.K Metcalf. $4.5K for Tee Higgins. $3.97K for Isaiah Ford or Gabriel Davis for less if John Brown is out. $4.3K for Dalton Schultz. $5.9K for Devin Singletary at FLEX. $3K for the Jaguars’ defense.

At FD: $9K for Wilson. $8.8K for Kamara. $6K for Singletary. $6.5K for Devante Parker. $6.9K for Metcalf. $5.7K for Jarvis Landry. $4.9K for Schultz. $7K for Drake at FLEX. $5K for the Ravens’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night: Wilson, Ryan Fitzpatrick at SF, Kamara, Ezekiel Elliott, Metcalf, Parker, Landry, Drew Sample, and either Drake or Singletary at FLEX.

Quarterback

Weekly strategy – The Miami-Seattle contest is this week’s DAL-SEA contest from last week. Obviously, Ryan Fitzpatrick is not Dak Prescott. Still, Fitz is a capable veteran with some solid weapons around him. He also is considerably cheaper than Dak was last week. I love Fitzpatrick in DFS this week. This is truly the first time that we have had a high-leverage playable asset as a value-priced QB on the main slate. It should also be clear that Russell Wilson is a clear #1 option at the position once again. Among the pivots, up high are Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, and Deshaun Watson (assuming the Vikings/Texans game is played as planned). I can also go a little cheaper and use Joe Burrow, Gardner Minshew, or Baker Mayfield. That said, if I am going to spend down, I might as well spend down on Fitzpatrick.

Fantasy Four Pack

Russell Wilson, Seahawks @ MIA ($7800 DK, $9000 FD)
FD is giving Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson the CMAC treatment at QB pricing them both over $9K. Jackson has a slightly tougher matchup, but he is still a decent option, but Russell Wilson is on historical record pace. I doubt that Wilson will throw another five TDs, but 350-3 is a pretty impressive floor. Plus, there is an increased likelihood that Wilson could score a rushing TD with Chris Carson likely out.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens @ WAS ($8100 DK, $9600 FD)
Washington is going to have to deal with the problem of an angry Lamar Jackson this week. Jackson, coming off one of his worst performances ever, will no doubt be looking to recement himself as one of the top-three dynasty options despite his inability to win the big one versus Patrick Mahomes. The Football Team actually has a decent defense, especially up front. This is the only reason that I am not going to give Jackson a GREEN grade. That said, Lamar could easily channel his inner Hulk and turn himself green.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys vs. CLE ($7200 DK, $8200 FD)
Only two teams have allowed more passing TDs than Cleveland. One of those teams is the Dallas Cowboys. Baker Mayfield is not Russell Wilson, but he can use his weapons to keep this game competitive. This will force Dak Prescott to keep his foot on the accelerator. I’m certain that the SEA-MIA game will draw a lot of attention from the DFS world, making this contest a sneaky pivot, for both Dak and Baker.

Patrick Mahomes vs. NE ($7400 DK, $8700 FD)
Last week, Patrick Mahomes proved to the world that no team can truly stop him. New England will try here. The Lord knows, that Bill Belichick prides himself on taking away an opponents’ biggest weapon. Well, go ahead Bill. Try to take away Tyreek Hill and watch Travis Kelce beat you. Try to take away both of them and watch Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins beat you. Take away all four of them, and Mahomes will throw the ball to their fullback and their tackle-eligible and win that way. Simply put, there is no way to stop this offense. You can barely hope to contain it. Through three career meetings, Mahomes has averaged 2.6 TDs and 310 passing yards against the Patriots. That is always his floor.

DFS Sleepers

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins vs. SEA ($5400 DK, $7100 FD)
Ryan Fitzpatrick is my favorite sleeper of the week. Despite his puny DK price, he just missed making the top four overall for the week. Seattle has the second-best passing offense in football. The best passing offense in football belongs to whoever is facing them. Through three weeks, Seattle is allowing an average of 440 passing yards per game and two passing TDs per game. Plus they have also allowed two QB rushing TDs. Fitzpatrick is no spring chicken, but he has been known to rush one in from time to time. To fit all the top RBs and WRs into your lineup, Fitz is such a perfect play. My only concern here is that it seems like every season Ryan has one sure thing game that he underperforms in. Let us hope its not this one.

Baker Mayfield, Browns @ DAL ($5800 DK, $7000 FD)
Dallas will have no problem scoring at will in this game. This means, that Baker Mayfield will be forced to throw the ball extensively to stay in the game. With weapons such as Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, Austin Hooper, Odell Beckham, and Jarvis Landry, Baker has no excuses for not fighting here. Plus, since the game is in Dallas, Baker doesn’t have to worry about cleaning up the stadium afterward.

Running Back

Weekly strategy – Alvin Kamara is the easy lock and load option as long as Michael Thomas remains out. Even if Thomas returns, Kamara’s price tag makes him a safe 3x play. It would be very hard, but fitting both Kamara and Ezekiel Elliott into a lineup would be glorious. Dalvin Cook is a nice pivot play from those two, assuming the Vikings play their game. I will likely use one of that threesome paired with either James Robinson or Kenyan Drake. The other mid-priced RBs that I like this week are Devin Singletary, Darrell Henderson, Mike Davis, and Joe Mixon. This gives you a list of nine players to mix and match from in filling your RB1, RB2, and FLEX. The cheap options are just not interesting this week. I suppose that you could trot out Adrian Peterson for potential volume or Chase Edmonds for the great matchup, but I’d pass.

Fantasy Four Pack

Alvin Kamara, Saints @ DET ($8000 DK, $8800 FD)
Detroit hasn’t been nearly as bad against the run as you probably think. Still, Alvin Kamara is the New Orleans’ offense with Michael Thomas out. Now, should Thomas manage to return this week, lower your expectations slightly. Even then, he should be able to secure 125-2, with seven or more receptions. So, even with Thomas, Kamara is a lock for 3x performance. This price is just too low to not take advantage of.

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys vs. CLE ($7800 DK, $9000 FD)
Cleveland’s RB rushing numbers against are very low. Of course, in the last two weeks, they have faced teams not interested in establishing the run. Dallas on the other hand will have every intention of steamrolling the Browns with Ezekiel Elliott. The DK price is very nice for Elliott, but I don’t love paying $9K for him on FD. Especially if this game becomes a shootout between two bad pass defenses. Fortunately, Zeke is used in the passing game as well.

Dalvin Cook, Vikings @ HOU ($7600 DK, $8700 FD)
Pay attention the next couple of days to verify that the Vikings are playing. As of today, Minnesota and Houston are scheduled to face off without postponement. Still, with CoVid issues related to the Vikings’ Week 3 opponent Tennessee, things could turn fast. Houston has allowed the most rushing yards to opposing RBs and they have given up a rushing TD to every #1 RB they have faced.  Dalvin Cook was finally allowed to Russ this week, and he finished with 199 total yards and a score. I’d be happy with 2/3 of that here.

Kenyan Drake, Cardinals @ CAR ($6000 DK, $7000 FD)
Kenyan Drake has been so-so so far this year. Part of that is because Arizona has been so pass-happy. Part of that is also because Kliff Kingsbury is committed to giving Chase Edmonds significant touches. Finally, part of this is because Kyler Murray is channeling his inner Lamar Jackson. Drake won’t have any trouble putting up big yardage against a Carolina run defense that has been historically bad for a season plus now. The Panthers are allowing 188 total yards per game to opposing backs, 2.3 total touchdowns, and 11 receptions per game. Edmonds is also in play as a cheap punt, but Drake will top 125-1 without much effort.

DFS Sleepers

Devin Singletary, Bills @ LV ($5900 DK, $6000 FD)
Carolina is bad against RBs, and now in true Las Vegas form, the Raiders want their piece of the action. No team (including Carolina) has allowed more RB total yards. The Raiders are only tied with Carolina for the most total TDs allowed to the position. The Panthers still hold the advantage in RB receptions allowed, but Vegas is a close second and the Raiders have given up more RB receiving yards. What I am leading to is that while everyone knows that Carolina gets smoked by running backs, people may not be aware of how bad Vegas has been. Devin Singletary has had a slight advantage in touches over Zack Moss, and with Moss out last week, Singletary nearly reached his first two weeks stats combined. Early reports have Moss returning this week, but if he does miss this game or is limited, Singletary will go off. Of course, even if Moss plays Singletary should still post a big line here.

Mike Davis, Panthers vs. ARI ($5700 DK, $6300 FD)
So, is Christian McCaffrey a system RB? Mike Davis didn’t completely replicate McCaffrey’s production, but I’m certain his owners were not upset with 91 total yards, eight receptions, and a score. Arizona has been solid against the run, but they have allowed the fifth-most RB receiving yards, despite holding opponents to only 4.3 RB receptions per game. Davis’ price tag is only slightly higher than that of CMAC normally, which makes his ability to reach 3x value that much easier.

Wide Receiver

Weekly strategy –  Michael Thomas may return this week, but at what percent. I’d be more inclined to give him a chance if the sites had given us a returning from injury discount. It isn’t happening though, so just ignore him. I believe DeAndre Hopkins could have a very good game, but he has now missed a couple of consecutive practices this week. Check his Friday practice status before using him. Or better yet, just skip both of them and use your Cowboys and Seahawks again. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Amari Cooper all should be in your consideration every week at WR1. Metcalf is my favorite this week as teams may be more in on Lockett due to his three scores last week. Lest they forget that DK should have had a second score as well, if not for his bone-headed play. If you don’t choose one of those three consider target hog Keenan Allen. For WR2 I am targeting one of the following: Tyler Boyd, Will Fuller, Odell Beckham, DeVante Parker (my favorite), or Jarvis Landry. If you spend less at RB2, you may consider starting three from the above two lists. Otherwise, there are several decent WR3 options. My favorites this week are Andy Isabella, Tee Higgins, Preston Williams (if you don’t use DaVante Parker), Cole Beasley (especially if John Brown misses the game), and Laviska Shenault. Beyond them, there are a few cheap punt choices. I won’t use them unless I end up $24K+ at RB/FLEX. Danny Amendola, the Bills’ reserve options if Brown doesn’t play, and Damiere Byrd are the ones that interest me the most.

Fantasy Four Pack

Tyler Lockett, Seahawks @ MIA ($7900 DK, $7500 FD)
Three TDs and 9-100 on a team-high 13 targets, Tyler Lockett won’t reach these lofty figures every week. Still, his elite-level speed puts him into a position to break any catch into a touchdown. He has topped 90 yards and/or scored in every contest this season. Both will happen this week, just don’t count on three scores. Last year, no team gave up more WR touchdowns than Miami. They’ve improved this season, but not that much.

DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ MIA ($6800 DK, $6900 FD)
Yes, the top two WR scorers this week will come from the same team. Russell Wilson tried to get DK Metcalf two deep TDs last week. Unfortunately for DK, his nonchalance ended up in a fumbled touchback on one of those attempts. Through three weeks, Metcalf has exactly four catches each week. He has topped 90 receiving yards in each of those games and he has scored in each of those games too. I expect more catches this week, but the 90+ yards and the TD are locks as well. I will actually have more exposure to Metcalf than Lockett due to the price difference and recency bias which may have the chalk bets on Lockett instead. Still, if you want to do the triple stack with Russell, go right ahead.

Amari Cooper, Cowboys vs. CLE ($6700 DK, $7100 FD)
Amari Cooper doesn’t get to face the rotten Seahawks’ pass defense this week. Fortunately for his owners, Cleveland’s secondary isn’t much better. Opposing #1 WRs are averaging 5.3-89 against them, but only one has scored so far. That said, they have faced two mediocre offenses and a Ravens’ offense that is more run-focused. Cooper is the safest option week-to-week in this passing offense, and 7-100-1 is always in play.

Keenan Allen, Chargers @ TB ($6500 DK, $6900 FD)
Justin Herbert is already a better QB than Tyrod Taylor could ever dream of being. He also knows to throw to pepper one of the surest-handed receivers in the recent history of football in Keenan Allen. The two games that the pair have played together have featured 29 targets for Allen, including 19 last week. This has worked out to 20-228-1 for Allen over that pair of games. Tampa Bay wasn’t tested Week 1 when Michael Thomas left the game early with an injury. Since then, they have given up 13-175 to Carolina and Denver’s #1 WRs. I shouldn’t have to tell you that Herbert is already a better QB than either Teddy Bridgewater or Jeff Driskel as well. For those wanting to pivot completely from the Seahawks game, this is the easy pick.

DFS Sleepers

DeVante Parker, Dolphins vs. SEA ($5700 DK, $6500 FD)
Whoever faces Seattle this season will have to chuck the pigskin repeatedly to stay in contention. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not opposed to that, he has nothing to lose. Through three games, NINE different WRs have topped 70 receiving yards against this defense. Plus, SIX of those nine topped 100 yards against them. Devante Parker is the clear cut #1 for Fitzpatrick, so this will be his best game to date. You can even get cute and consider starting Preston Williams and Isaiah Ford as discount punt WR3 plays.

Laviska Shenault, Jaguars @ CIN ($4400 DK, $5200 FD)
I’m not going to take anything away from running back, favorite, James Robinson, but he has a great change-of-pace replacement in Laviska Shenault. Oh yeah, he also is one of the better WRs on their team as well. The new-look Cincinnati’ secondary has actually gelled faster than I expected, but with Joe Burrow throwing the ball nearly 50 times per week, opposing offenses will throw the ball a ton too. A shootout environment can also be foreseen here since Burrow’s Bengals will be facing gunslinger Gardner Minshew. Between carries and catches, Shenault should have little trouble reaching 3x value in a poor man’s Percy Harvin sort of way.

Tight End

Weekly strategy – I find myself looking at the top prices on the TE chart and questioning how Mike Gesicki, T.J. Hockenson, Hunter Henry, and Dalton Schultz are among the ten highest-priced. Even more amazingly, those are my favorite plays this week at the position. I don’t mind Travis Kelce at a reduced price, but he still has the specter of Bill Belichick staring at him. Mark Andrews also has a ridiculously low DK price, but his hands-of-stone showing last Monday has me fearing something is amiss in the city of Baltimore.  Even Tyler Higbee has a reasonable price tag, but the Giants’ tight end coverage has been surprisingly effective this year. Gesicki and Schultz will probably be my top-two in terms of usage. I also will go to the Drew Sample well again despite his poor showing last week. Outside of that consider Jordan Akins and the Buffalo and Jacksonville TEs as potential punt fodder. Perhaps, you could even consider Ian Thomas, he is facing the Cardinals.

Fantasy Four Pack

Mark Andrews, Ravens @ WAS ($6000 DK, $7400 FD)
Yes, the drops Monday night were concerning. This is still Mark Andrews though. He has shown remarkable hands throughout his short career, so we can likely chalk up Monday to a fluke. The DK $6K price is absurdly low against Washington, but I don’t love the FD $7.4K. Coming off of a bad game, expect Lamar Jackson to pepper his favorite target early and often. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him lock up a pair of scores here.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. NE ($6800 DK, $7600 FD)
Travis Kelce managed to put up a quality line against the tough as nails Ravens last week. He now was 85 or more receiving yards and/or a score in each game. New England does like to attempt to shut down a team’s best weapon, and they were successful in said goal against Darren Waller two weeks back. Still, Kelce has fared well against NE in the past averaging 5.7-52-0.5 over six games. Not elite trends, but certainly worth some exposure.

Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. NYG ($5700 DK, $6000 FD)
As I mentioned above, the Giants haven’t been horrible against opposing TEs. That alone raises a little worry in me. Nevertheless, the slate is a little thin up top. That elevates Tyler Higbee into a safe TE3/4 spot. Plus, the Giants stats may be slightly skewed here. They were dominant against the opposing TEs the first two weeks, but last week Jordan Reed and Ross Dwelley combined for 6-72. You don’t have to look far into recent history, last year they finished with the third-most TDs allowed to the position. I expect Los Angeles to run the ball a lot this game, but I also expect them to get Higbee back into the game script too.

Mike Gesicki, Dolphins vs. SEA ($5100 DK, $5700 FD)
Throughout this article, you’ve witnessed me bad-mouth Seattle’s pass defense repeatedly. Their TE defense doesn’t get a pass either. Their numbers look decent because their opponents have decimated them via the WR route, with nine WRs topping 70 receiving yards. When you look at the Dolphins’ offense, Mike Gesicki is no worse than their #3 option in the passing game. He has scored in back-to-back games and he went ham in Week 2 for 8-130 on 11 targets. There is a pretty clear path to targets here, and an even easier path to yardage.

DFS Sleepers

Dalton Schultz, Cowboys vs. CLE ($4300 DK, $4900 FD)
Even as the tenth-highest priced TE on DK this week, Dalton Schultz projects as a value. Cleveland finished last season allowing the second-most scores to the position. They are only fourth-worst in TDs allowed so far this season. Of course, they have also allowed the third-most receptions and tenth-highest number of receiving yards to the position through three weeks. Schultz’s numbers dipped from Week 2 to Week 3 as Cedrick Wilson stole the spotlight inside. I expect his numbers to trend back up here.

Drew Sample, Bengals vs. JAX ($3500 DK, $4700 FD)
Yes, I am going back to the small Drew Sample size play again. It burnt me badly last week, but I still have confidence in the young Bengal. Jacksonville has given up the fifth-most yardage and fourth-most TDs to the position, so opportunities should be there. Cincy wasn’t able to use their TEs last week, as they had to stay in and block to try and keep Joe Burrow upright. It didn’t work, Burrow was still planted eight times. Jacksonville’s pass rush is nowhere near as scary as Philly’s. They have exactly one sack in each of the first three games.

[lawrence-newsletter]

Wow, the carnage that was Week 2. If you sustained two or fewer injuries consider it a victory. Once again, I proved myself the original and true TE whisperer, but injuries to Davante Adams and every bell-cow RB in the league cost me the big payday. Fortunately with DFS, If you fall off your horse, you can immediately get back up again the following week.

DFS: The Primetime Slate

Sunday we get a battle of two grizzled veteran QBs each trending a different direction in their careers. Last Monday, Drew Brees looked like he should have retired this offseason. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers has looked like he is looking to serve to Green Bay management his foul thoughts about their drafting of Jordan Love. Brees is at home (Not that home-field advantage means much in the time of CoVid), so maybe he won’t be as atrocious as he was this past week.  Rodgers may be without his top weapon, Davante Adams, but he has played like he has a lot left to give. Still, with the consensus top-two fantasy QBs facing off on Sunday Night, Aaron and Drew will be looking at QB3 and QB4 at best. Aaron Jones has been dominant in both the passing and running game. He is actually starting to remind me of Alvin Kamara. Kamara dominated the touches for New Orleans last week with Michael Thomas out. Thomas should remain out, leaving Kamara and Jones your consensus RB1 and RB2. I could also see using Latavius Murray at FLEX if you decide to spend up at WR. Even if Davante Adams plays, a hamstring will likely slow him down. If that wasn’t enough he would also have to deal with Marshon Lattimore. Despite the quality QBs on this docket, the WR matchups aren’t great. I doubt I would use Adams much, if at all unless he has a full practice before Friday. If he is given a clean bill of health, I might use him as a pivot WR1. I actually wish he would take a week off to be fully repaired for their Week 4 contest. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard are both legit WR2 options, and I would be happy to use either.

Emmanuel Sanders was handed the keys to a Ferrari last week and left the lot with a Yugo. It will be hard to trust him here, although he cannot possibly be targeted less. I guess you could use him at WR3, but I don’t love the matchup. Tre’Quan Smith was the actual WR-beneficiary of Thomas’ absence. He needs to be on your short-list for WR3. Deonte Harris looks like a future star in the league, but his time isn’t yet. I’m not going to dig that deep except in Showdown formats. At TE, Robert Tonyan or Marcedes Lewis could do 1/3 of the damage Darren Waller did and make themselves relevant at a cheap price. Still, they are TE5 and TE7 at best. Jared Cook was also inexcusably not used on MNF. That will need to change in this game. He will still be TE3 behind Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews, but the price difference may make the slide worth it. He also could be a useful FLEX, if you don’t use three RBs. On paper, the Saints’ defense is better than the Packers. They didn’t look the role last week, but the whole team was Vegas-drunk on the field. At home, I would list them at DEF1. The Packers get the defacto DEF2 spot, but I almost feel safer playing them than New Orleans.

Monday, Baltimore hosts Kansas City in a battle between the young phenoms, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. Both teams have electric offenses that can score from anywhere, but the Baltimore defense is far more proven than that of KC. Still, Mahomes has averaged 376-2.5 against this defense in two career starts. I’ll slot him in at QB2, but Jackson (despite lesser numbers against KC in their two meetings) gets the QB1 slot thanks to his rushing ability. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the RB3 on this slate in a tough matchup. I still am tempted to use him at FLEX alongside both Jones and Kamara. We got a strange RB usage collection from Baltimore last week. J.K. Dobbins is clearly the most talented, but he played third-fiddle to both Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards. At this point, we need to ignore this backfield until Dobbins ascends to the rightful position on top. None is worthy of anything more than a FLEX slot. Tyreek Hill went off versus Baltimore last season, a sign that even an elite defense cannot contain Hill. He is the easy WR1 on this slate. Sammy Watkins did what we all expected and turned back into a pumpkin Week 2. Even if he was 100% healthy, I refuse to start him outside of Week 1. Demarcus Robinson is the safer play this week and he is worthy of WR3 consideration (especially if Watkins doesn’t suit up). Mecole Hardman also can be considered at WR3 if Watkins sits out.

Targets and yardage were pretty well split between Hollywood Brown, Miles Boykin, and Willie Snead last week. In Week 1, Brown was the clear alpha male in terms of yardage and Snead scored the touchdown. Brown remains a WR2 option here and Snead and Boykin can each be considered at WR3 or FLEX. KC had some difficulty covering Keenan Allen across the middle of the field last week, this could suggest Snead is the best option here working out of the slot. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews are your TE1 and TE2 respectively. Start either of them, if you can afford them. Heck, I wouldn’t give you flack for starting both of them and benching one of the top-three RBs.  On talent alone, Baltimore has the best defense on the slate. Unfortunately, Mahomes has already proven that he can beat them. If they are your defense, don’t drop them in season long, just highly consider benching them for a week. I’ll leave them benched in DFS as well. The Chiefs defense has outperformed their talent level so far. Still, I will pass on using them here as anything other than a pivot.

The Main Slate: My recommended DFS lineups

At DK: $7.3K for either Russell Wilson or Dak Prescott. $7.8K for Derrick Henry. $6.4K for Miles Sanders. $6.5K for D.K Metcalf. $5.4K for CeeDee Lamb. $3.9K for Adam Humphries (assuming A.J. Brown is out), otherwise $4K for Michael Pittman. $3.5K for Drew Sample. $5K for Joshua Kelley at FLEX. $3.7K for the Buccaneers’ defense.

At FD: $8.5K for Prescott. $8.2K for Henry. $7.4K for Sanders. $8K for Calvin Ridley. $6.5K for Metcalf. $5.6K for Lamb. $4.9K for Sample or Dalton Schultz. $5.9K for Kelley at FLEX. $4.8K for the Colts’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Prescott, Kyler Murray at SF, Henry, Sanders, DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Corey Davis, Sample, and Kelley at FLEX.

Quarterback

Weekly strategy – The Dallas-Seattle contest is the easy target here. I fully expect to choose either Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson for most of my lineups. Kyler Murray is my pivot. I don’t love any of the middle tier QBs. Philip Rivers has a good matchup, but it  feels like a low scoring game. Ryan Tannehill, Carson Wentz, Joe Burrow, and Ben Roethlisberger have the most upside. The only punt option I will even consider is Nick Mullens.

Fantasy Four Pack

Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs DAL ($7300 DK, $8700 FD)
What’s not to like? Through the first two weeks Russell Wilson has nearly as many touchdowns as incompletions. Dallas’ secondary is middle of the pack at best, and this projects to be a shootout.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ SEA ($7200 DK, $8500 FD)
No team has allowed more passing yards this year than the Seahawks. Plus, they have given up two QB rushing scores. This game has the highest over currently, and I expect it to be obliterated. Each QB should top 350 total yards and each will account for at least three total TDs.  I firmly expect Russell to be the leader in ownership, so Dak might be the wiser play here.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals vs. DET ($6800 DK, $8400 FD)
Detroit is still without their top two cornerbacks, but rookie Jeff Okudah is back (although it seems he doesn’t have his own coaches’ support). Kyler Murray is doing his best Lamar Jackson impersonation, throwing for a TD in each game, plus adding three on the ground. He is also averaging 79 rushing yards per game. This week Murray is the sneaky pivot play, if you want to be contrarian against the DAL-SEA game. He is the only QB on this slate with any chance of besting their point totals.

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs. HOU ($6400 DK, $7500 FD)
Ben Roethlisberger at home is always a playable option. Especially, with the development of Diontae Johnson as a legit WR2 in that offense. Houston has faced Patrick Mahomes followed by Lamar Jackson, so they may be spent coming into this game. Or worse yet, they may underestimate the Steelers’ offense after facing those two dynamos. I’m not going to predict 300-3 here, but 275-2 is a lock. In an otherwise weak QB room this week, that puts Big Ben in play.

DFS Sleepers

Philip Rivers, Colts vs. NYJ ($6000 DK, $7000 FD)
Philip Rivers underperformed last week, but it wasn’t really his fault. Indianapolis didn’t have to throw the ball much as Jonathan Taylor was eating. The Jets rushing defense is not as good as I gave them credit for  last week. That said, their passing defense is still worse. That FD price is slightly off-putting, but I could see throwing out a couple DK lineups. He also makes a nice SF play on FB.

Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ MIN ($5900 DK, $7400 FD)
Much like Philip Rivers last week, Ryan Tannehill may not need to throw the ball a ton here. Still, if he does the matchup is juicy as Minnesota cannot cover anyone. Tannehill has stolen all of the TD thunder this year from Derrick Henry. That will change this week, but I still see Tannehill throwing for 275-2. In case things go pear-shaped for Henry in this game, Tannehill should be able to pick up the slack. So don’t be afraid to do a Tannehill-Davis/Humphries-Jonnu stack and pray that Henry is once again held out of the end zone.

Running Back

Weekly strategy – The top of the price chart looks very different without Christian McCaffrey and Saquan Barkley. In these odd days, I find myself looking at this chart and thinking there is very little reason to not roster Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor on every lineup. Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook aren’t horrible as pivots, but I expect to have a lot of other exposure to the DAL-SEA game, and the Vikings’ O-Line is highly concerning. I especially do not like the fact that both Cook and Zeke, as well as Josh Jacobs, are more expensive than Henry on FD. If I do pivot, the easier choices would be Austin Ekeler or Miles Sanders. Considering the price difference, and the likely high-ownership level for Henry, Sanders is the clear contrarian play. In the mid-tier, there are three names that jump out with good matchups: James White, Melvin Gordon, and Mike Davis. I doubt I will have much exposure to any of them outside of FLEX. The one mid-priced RB that I will have massive exposure to is Joshua Kelley. Considering the matchup and the price, it would behoove you to pencil in Kelley in every FLEX slot. Heck, I may even put him into RB2, if I want to spend up at WR. If you don’t use Kelley at FLEX, please roster Ekeler at RB2. The punt options I may have some interest in include: Devin Singletary, the 49ers pairing, Antonio Gibson, and Tarik Cohen.

Fantasy Four Pack

Derrick Henry, Titans @ MIN ($7800 DK, $8200 FD)
Amazingly, Derrick Henry has not scored a TD yet this year. That will change on the Titans’ first drive of this game. Minnesota is currently playing with only one returning starting defensive lineman from last year and without one of their top-two linebackers. One week after Aaron Jones destroyed this run defense’s will to live, Jonathan Taylor piled it on flattening them like a steamroller. Derrick Henry is a battering ram not unlike Taylor and Jones, so I expect similar outcomes. As long as Ryan Tannehill doesn’t hog all of the scoring opportunities, this legitimately could be one of those slate-busting 225-3 type of games for Henry. He will have near 100% ownership, so bear that in mind if you want to be contrarian. Still, do you want to be on the outside looking in if he does go off? If I do skip Henry, I would use Miles Sanders or Austin Ekeler and pray against the chalk.

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys @ SEA ($8300 DK, $9000 FD)
We already know that this will be a high-scoring game. This could possibly hurt Ezekiel Elliott if he doesn’t get the carries he normally does. He will still get a healthy dose of runs and a fair amount of catches out of the backfield too, so don’t completely ignore him. That said, I am going to have immense exposure to both passing attacks in this game. In these situations, you need to be careful not to be over-exposed to one game. With lesser prices assigned to both Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor, this seems like the easy fade in the DAL-SEA game. If you are dead-set on playing Zeke this week, may I suggest fading the rest of that game, and then loading up on Chargers and Titans.

Jonathan Taylor, Colts vs. NYJ ($7000 DK, $6700 FD)
I gave the Jets’ run defense way too much credit going into Week 2. Jerick McKinnon and Raheem Mostert had their way with this group. Now, New York gets to face an even tougher challenge in Jonathan Taylor and the Colts’ offensive line. Without Marlon Mack, Taylor lodged 26 carries against the Vikings. Jordan Wilkins served as the change of pace option last week, and Nyheim Hines barely saw the field. That was a bit puzzling. I firmly expect Hines to return to his pass-catching role as the season progresses. That said, there isn’t going to be a need for that in this game as the Colts will lead throughout. That means another healthy carry load for Taylor.

Austin Ekeler, Chargers vs. CAR ($6800 DK, $7500 FD)
Carolina is officially the RB whipping boy for 2020. On the year, they are allowing an average of 185 total yards, three TDs, and 9.5 receptions to opposing backs. At this point, you can start both Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley without a problem. Ekeler is a great pivot from the top-dollar guys this week. His numbers will only be limited by Kelley’s activity. I still see each of them posting well over 100 total yards and each will score at least once.

DFS Sleepers

Joshua Kelley, Chargers vs. CAR ($5000 DK, $5900 FD)
As much as I love Austin Ekeler at his price, I love Joshua Kelley even more so at his price. One of the two must be in your lineup, and if you want to roll both of them, I wouldn’t blame you. As I mentioned just above, they will both go ham this week. The biggest question mark is, will they each score twice, or will one of them score only once?

James White, Patriots vs. LVR ($5300 DK, $5300 FD)
James White suffered a personal tragedy last weekend when his father was killed and his mother was critically injured in a car accident. No one should ever be subjected to that sort of horror. I can’t even fathom what must have been going through his mind. As of Wednesday, White hadn’t returned to practice. So, you will need to watch the reports this Friday to see if he will be back this week. If he returns, the matchup is sweet against a Raiders’ run defense that has given up four rushing TDs, the league-high in RB receiving yards, and the league fourth-high in running back receptions. If he sits out this week (and I would fully understand if he did), the other value play RB is Mike Davis taking over the CMAC role on the road in Los Angeles. My concern here is that he will be over-owned.

Wide Receiver

Weekly strategy –  There are a lot of good but not great options up top this week. DeAndre Hopkins is the only sure thing, but his price is appropriately high. If you wish to spend lower at RB, you can probably utilize Hopkins. As for me, I will join the huddled masses and go all-in on the DAL-SEA game. DK Metcalf and Amari Cooper are primed for huge performances. That said, they will also have high ownership. Using Tyler Lockett and/or Michael Gallup instead of Metcalf and/or Cooper might be the slier option. If you choose to use Big Ben, make sure to pair him with JuJu Smith-Schuster up top or Diontae Johnson for less (assuming he plays). Several people may scroll down and see Allen Robinson versus Atlanta. Do you really trust Mitchell Trubisky to have another decent performance? Show me don’t tell me. At WR2, I could also see you using Terry McLaurin, CeeDee Lamb (if you don’t use Gallup or Cooper), Corey Davis, DeSean Jackson, or Russell Gage. You could also use any of them at WR3. Punt options that I like this week are Darius Slayton, the Cardinals’ backups, Adam Humphries, Greg Ward, and Braxton Berrios. That said, Humphries is the only one from that list that I will have significant exposure to (and then only if A.J. Brown misses the game).

Fantasy Four Pack

DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals vs DET ($7900 DK, $8500 FD)
DeAndre Hopkins gets his turn against the depleted Lions’ secondary. Davante Adams left the game early last week with an injury. That was the only thing that kept him from a great game. Marquez Valdes-Scantling stepped in and the two combined for 100 yards. With so much exposure to the DAL-SEA passing game, Hopkins might make a sneaky pivot. The negative is that Hopkins costs more. Still, if you choose to use Kyler Murray, you really need to use his top option in the receiving game. If you don’t use Hopkins consider using Larry Fitzgerald or Christian Kirk at WR3.

Calvin Ridley, Falcons vs. CHI ($7200 DK, $8000 FD)
Take nothing away from the Chicago pass defense. They can stifle some of the best. This is simply a case of Calvin Ridley emerging as one of the best of the best. Through two weeks, Ridley leads the league in receiving TDs and he is tied for the most receiving yards. I’m torn as to what effect an absent Julio Jones would have on this game. With Jones on the field (even as a decoy), Ridley will receive lesser coverage. However, if Jones is limited or a no-go, Ridley may see even more targets thrown his way. Either way, you can count on 8-125-1 from Ridley as a floor. This is another situation where if you don’t use the big dollar option, consider using Russell Gage at WR3.

DK Metcalf, Seahawks vs. DAL ($6500 DK, $6500 FD)
Speaking of breakout performances, DK Metcalf served the world notice by making Stephon Gilmore look like an every day ham-and-egger. Dallas does not have anyone that I believe can cover this chiseled beast. We are looking at a shootout in this contest, so anything less than 8-100-1 would seem a failure.

Amari Cooper, Cowboys @ SEA ($6500 DK, $7000 FD)
If this game is going to devolve into a shootout, I want as much exposure as possible. Amari Cooper trails only DeAndre Hopkins among all WR in targets. That trend will likely continue this week. I should clarify that I like all three of Dallas’ WRs as legit plays this week. Amongst them, Cooper may have the lowest ownership since he is the most expensive of the three. He also will likely have lower ownership than Metcalf, who is coming off the breakout game. The easy solution, give me Cooper and Metcalf and sprinkle in something cheaper at WR3. Cooper hasn’t scored yet this year, that changes this week.

DFS Sleepers

Corey Davis, Titans @ MIN ($5200 DK, $5300 FD)
A.J. Brown may not go this weekend. It shouldn’t matter since he won’t be needed for Tennessee to win this game. Minnesota’s secondary was already young and inexperienced. Now, they will likely be without the two best of the inexperienced guys. Corey Davis didn’t have the large output of yardage he had in Week 1, but he scored in Week 2. This week, he accomplishes both.

Russell Gage, Falcons vs. CHI ($5100 DK, $5600 FD)
If I told you after two weeks that two Falcons’ WRs were among the top-ten in targets, you would have guessed it was Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. In reality, Russell Gage has more targets than Julio who was slowed down last week by an injury. Now it appears that Julio is questionable at best for this weekend. If he cannot go, that will undoubtedly increase the target share for Gage. His price is considerably cheaper than Ridley and there is no chance that he will face the Bears’ top cover cornerback. If you don’t roll him out this week, when will you?

Tight End

Weekly strategy – So many bargains at the TE position this week. Even the expensive options aren’t that expensive. I’m a little concerned about George Kittle coming back too early from injury and I’m also concerned about Bill Belichick trying to shut down Darren Waller. Outside of that, start any of these guys. Jonnu Smith is the popular new-guy who will have huge ownership against the rotten Vikings’ defense. Tyler Higbee is the young star coming off the three-score game. Then there is Zach Ertz, the veteran with the team with no WRs facing a questionable secondary. Let us not forget, Evan Engram, who gets to absorb both Sterling Shepard and Saquan Barkley’s targets. Not to mention, guys like Dalton Schultz and Greg Olsen in the DAL-SEA point orgy and Jordan Reed if George Kittle cannot go. This smells like one of those weeks where I could roll out the Double-TE. I especially am tempted to play Drew Sample against the same Philly defense that allowed Higbee to score three times last week.

Fantasy Four Pack

Tyler Higbee, Rams @ BUF ($5900 DK, $6100 FD)
I am concerned a little about the Rams traveling east for an early game. That said, my concern falls more on Cooper Kupp and especially Robert Woods since they also must face the Bills’ tough cornerbacks. In the first two weeks, Buffalo did fumble some at covering TEs. Chris Herndon and Mike Gesicki combined to post 14-167-1 against them. I’d argue that Higbee is better than either of them. If Jared Goff struggles to find his WRs open, expect a huge game from Higbee.

Jonnu Smith, Titans @ MIN ($5200 DK, $5600 FD)
Without A.J. Brown in the lineup, Jonnu Smith led Tennessee in receiving yards last week. This week he faces another easy opponent in Minnesota. The Vikings just got done allowing 5-111 to reserve TE, Mo Alie-Cox in Week 2. Even if Brown plays, I expect Smith to top 100 yards. What remains to be seen, however, is whether he vultures one of Derrick Henry’s likely four TDs.

Zach Ertz, Eagles vs. CIN ($5100 DK, $6200 FD)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Philadelphia is short-handed at WR. Fortunately for the Eagles, they have two of the best TEs in football in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. Goedert actually has more targets than Ertz through two weeks, but Ertz is the proven veteran who stepped up and led the team to finish the 2019 season. Ertz also caught five of his seven targets last week while Goedert dropped half of his. Carson Wentz will target both of them double-digit times this week, and I don’t blame you for rolling with either of them.

Darren Waller, Raiders @ NE ($5700 DK, $6600 FD)
I was down on Darren Waller this offseason. I was concerned by the sheer volume of receiving options that the team brought in. I was wrong. Waller has taken the next step. He now joins George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Mark Andrews in the elite TE tier. Bill Belichick has a habit of strategizing to take out an opponents’ best players, but we saw how poorly that worked on DK Metcalf last week. Waller is talented enough to best this defense, just don’t go overboard here, since there are cheaper options.

DFS Sleepers

Dalton Schultz, Cowboys @ SEA ($4400 DK, $5300 FD)
In case you need more exposure to this game, may I suggest Dalton Schultz. My namesake went off last week as he got to absorb the hype that was previously destined for Blake Jarwin. Seattle hasn’t been properly tested by a TE yet this year, but last year they allowed the second-most yardage and the third-most receptions to the position. If you decide you want a Cowboys’ receiver without spending up for Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, or Michael Gallup, consider Schultz here. He actually led the team in targets and receptions last week. Plus, there are more than enough points to go around here.

Drew Sample, Bengals @ PHI ($3500 DK, $4800 FD)
It is clear that Joe Burrow likes to target the TE position. Through two weeks, Burrow has targeted Drew Sample and C.J. Uzomah a total of 21 times. The pair has accumulated a total of 16-139-1. Now Uzomah is done for the year leaving Sample to be the primary weapon from the TE spot. He was peppered repeatedly in Week 2 following the injury and I expect more of the same here. Plus, Philadelphia just allowed three TDs to Tyler Higbee, so there is chum in the water.

[lawrence-newsletter]

So, what did we learn from Week 1? Nobody is immune to injuries. Cheap chalk replacement-level RBs cannot be trusted. Don’t tinker too much on Sunday morning (I – and my wallet – apologize to you, Davante Adams). Carolina against RBs is the new Arizona versus TEs, and nobody can lose a game quite like Detroit.

DFS: The Primetime Slate

We are back to a two-game primetime slate this week. I enjoyed the MNF doubleheader, but my standard sleep schedule approves of the return to normalcy.

On Sunday night, the Patriots set out west to Seattle. The Seahawks were just torched through the air by the Falcons, but the Patriots do not have the WR weaponry that Atlanta had. Still, with Michael Thomas all but out on Monday. You have to consider N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman as legit WR2 options. You also have to consider Cam Newton as the possible QB1. Even more confusing is the RB position. Both New England and Seattle have muddled backfields, with very little to truly rely on. You probably have to choose at least one of the fivesome of Carlos Hyde, Chris Carson, Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel, and James White. White and Carson are the most consistent in that group, so I will lean on one of them (likely in FLEX). Russell Wilson has two very good WRs to lean on, as well as his own legs. The Patriots pass defense’ is still solid, but with Thomas likely out, you have to consider Tyler Lockett or DK Metcalf as the likely WR1 here by default. Greg Olsen scored in Week 1 versus Atlanta, but he is no better than TE3 on this slate. That said, I could see using him at FLEX if you don’t use one of the above RBs.  I’m not going to waste a spot on either of these defenses unless I am seeking a pivot from the obvious Saints play.

New Orleans also travels west to lock horns with the Raiders. Las Vegas showcased their offense in Week 1, but it was against the junior varsity defense of Carolina. New Orleans’ defense will humble Derek Carr and Company very fast. Carr might be QB5 on this slate behind Taysom Hill depending on contest positioning rules. Josh Jacobs is probably RB2 just because of the lack of clear talent in the Sunday night game. I don’t love him here, but volume alone makes him a safe play. Plus, Jalen Richard didn’t get utilized enough to be considered seriously here. Nelson Agholor, Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards are a deep collection of mediocrity. They are facing an elite secondary, and none should be thought of as more than a WR3 this week. I don’t even think I can stomach that play. Darren Waller on the other hand is an elite play and he deserves consideration at TE or FLEX. For New Orleans, Drew Brees would be the clear QB1, if Michael Thomas would play. I’m not holding my breath on that. Even without Thomas, Brees is probably QB2 here. A nearly 100% Thomas is still the WR1 on this slate. Heck, a nearly 85% Thomas is WR1 as well. If Thomas sits, Emmanuel Sanders is no worse than WR2, and he suddenly joins the Seahawks duo in WR1 consideration. In addition, Tre’quan Smith would jump into WR3 talk. Alvin Kamara was clearly not 100% in Week 1. He still scored twice and almost scored a third time. His numbers will be limited by his volume, but he should still be in RB1 or RB2 range. Latavius Murray could also be considered at RB2 or FLEX. Jared Cook joins Waller in TE1 talk and he becomes a must-start if Thomas is out. The Saints’ defense should be option 1, option 2, and option 3 at the position on this slate. Don’t get cute here.

The Main Slate: My recommended DFS lineups

At DK: $6.9K for Aaron Rodgers. $7.9K for Derrick Henry $4.5K for Benny Snell (if James Conner cannot go, otherwise take your pick of Josh Adams, James Robinson, one of the Washington running backs, or Miles Gaskin). $8.1K for Davante Adams. $5.2K for Anthony Miller. $4.5K for Parris Campbell. $4.2K for Jonnu Smith. $4.8K for Leonard Fournette at FLEX. $3.9K for the Bills’ defense.

At FD: $7.9K for Rodgers. $8.3K for Henry. $8K for Clyde Edwards-Helaire. $8.6K for Adams. $6K for Jamison Crowder. $5.3K for Campbell. $4.9K for Jonnu. $6K for Fournette at FLEX. $4.9K for the Bills’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo at SF, Henry, Edwards-Helaire, Adams, Julio Jones, Campbell, Jonnu, and Fournette at FLEX.

Quarterback

Weekly strategy – Aaron Rodgers is the easy and obvious play this week. Unfortunately, everyone knows this. If you want to seek out a pivot, consider Josh Allen or Matt Ryan. I’d also consider Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson on DK. If I decide to punt the position, Philip Rivers, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jared Goff and Ryan Tannehill would be my choices. My suicide dive this week would be trusting in Tyrod Taylor again after his first-week fiasco. He did have the green light to throw the deep ball, and he will certainly need to this week. If you are going to go down this rabbit hole, fully embrace it and stack him with either Mike Williams or Keenan Allen.

Fantasy Four Pack

Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs DET ($6900 DK, $7900 FD)
Aaron Rodgers just disassembled the Vikings’ kiddie corps cornerbacks. They get easy assignment number two this week, as Detroit will likely be without their top three cornerbacks. Rodgers is likely to be playing with a chip on his shoulder all season as the Packers wasted a high pick on his supposed heir apparent. Rodgers’ Stone Cold Salute tour continues here with an easy 350-3 for the not-nearly-washed veteran.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens @ HOU ($8200 DK, $9500 FD)
Houston’s defense isn’t as bad as it appeared against Kansas City. Still, you have to feel bad for this unit being forced to lock horns with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in the first two games of the year. Mahomes ate the Texans’ defense alive thanks in part to his depth. Lamar Jackson is surrounded by great runners, but only Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews truly strike fear in the passing game. Jackson is always a lock for 225-1 through the air and 60-1 on the ground, and that doesn’t change this week. I’m just going to dodge him on FD where the price is a bit too high.

Josh Allen, Bills @ MIA ($6700 DK, $8200 FD)
One week into the season and Miami is already flailing in their rushing defense allowing 217 yards on the ground to New England. 75 of those yards and two of the scores went to the no-longer-running QB, Cam Newton. Newton’s legs may be past their prime, but he did a number on the Dolphins. Josh Allen is a younger, healthier version of Newton, arguably with a stronger arm. Working against Allen is that John Brown is nursing a foot injury and Stefon Diggs will likely lock horns with Xavien Howard. Working in Allen’s favor is that he is coming off a huge rushing game. Considering the matchup, Allen could produce a Lamar Jackson like line for more than a thousand fewer dollars.

Matt Ryan, Falcons @ DAL ($6600 DK, $7700 FD)
Matt Ryan failed to lead his team to victory Week 1, but he did manage to rattle the digit counters for 450-2. There is no way to properly cover Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, and Hayden Hurst. The numbers will continue to bulge your eyes all season, as long as everyone remains healthy. Dallas is middle of the pack against the pass, which should be good enough to hold Ryan to 325-2. That is still an easy lock for fourth-best on this slate. Dak Prescott just missed this top-4, so feel free to use him as well. On FB, I wouldn’t blame you for double-stacking this game in SF.

DFS Sleepers

Philip Rivers, Colts vs. MIN ($5900 DK, $7100 FD)
We learned last week that Minnesota’s pass defense is not ready for primetime. We also learned that if you give Philip Rivers a professional offensive line, he can pick apart a secondary despite being slightly less mobile than the Statue of Liberty. Due to their prices, I adore the stack of Rivers with Parris Campbell. That said, I don’t have any problem with stacking him with Nyheim Hines, T.Y. Hilton, or even Jack Doyle as well.

Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers @ NYJ ($5700 DK, $7100 FD)
This recommendation is predicated on the 49ers’ receiving corps being healthy. If the team can get back Brandon Aiyuk or George Kittle this week, the Jets will have their hands full. Jimmy Garoppolo managed to throw for two TDs last week despite his top receivers being a trio of RBs and Kittle (who left halfway through the game). The Niners also added Mohamed Sanu to their receiver group earlier this week. He has familiarity with Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and he is a well-traveled veteran, so he should be able to step right in and contribute. I don’t love the FD price, but his DK price should make him a sneaky QB punt play.