Tag: dfs value picks

Things get a little tougher this week as we have a few better offenses included in the player pool. It is further opened wide by multiple “underdogs” sneaking into round two. So, make sure that you, and your life-partner and the family dog are all max invested this week to cover all the possibilities. Or, you could just take our lineup advice and enter a few smaller pool tourneys and not have to worry about max entrants. Either way, always remember that goal number one is profit, goal number two is profit and goal number three is profit. The ‘ship is probably goal number nine or ten down the list.

Saturday-only Slate

Minnesota Vikings @ San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers defense has slipped of late allowing 18 total TDs and only one interception versus opposing QBs over their last seven games. The Niners did have an extra week to get healthy and Kyle Shanahan has an intimate knowledge of Kirk Cousins’ repertoire. Of course, Vikings Asst. Coach, Gary Kubiak has an intimate knowledge of Kyle Shanahan. All that said, Cousins is certainly in play this week, and I would argue that he is QB2 on the Saturday-Only slate. Overall, he may be as low as QB5 or QB6 though. Downgrade his numbers if Stefon Diggs (illness) or Adam Thielen (ankle) miss this game. If both play, Cousins should be safe for 280-2 as a floor. Jimmy Garoppolo gets to face a Vikings’ pass defense that will be without its CB3 and CB4. Unfortunately, he is facing two of the best linebackers in the league and two very good safeties. When your favorite target is your TE, and you are facing a defense that allows a fair amount of receptions to the position, but no scores; you need to be comfortable throwing to other people in the red zone. Still, the Vikes have allowed one or zero passing TDs in eight of their last ten games. So, Garoppolo has a ceiling of 280-2, even with the DB injuries.

San Fran will try to win this game on the back of their defense and running backs. Tevin Coleman has done nothing the last five weeks, and he is truly TD-dependent. I’m not going there. Raheem Mostert has been the better play and he has also scored at least once in six straight games. At his price, he should be at worst the Saturday-Only FLEX. I could even see starting him over Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook. He is also a strong play on the main slate, since his price will be cheaper than many. Speaking of Cook, based on talent alone, he needs to be RB2 on Saturday-Only. That said, the road will be tougher for him since San Francisco expects to get back Jaquiski Tartt, Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander. I’m still planning on playing him unless Mark Ingram is ruled out for his game. Then, I would pivot to Gus Edwards or Justice Hill. Leave the Vikings’ backups on the bench, they don’t touch the ball enough.

Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are both dealing with health issues this week, but both expect to play. They are both legit WR2 options on the main slate and each is a good WR1 on the Saturday-Only slate. San Francisco has struggled with both WR1s and WR2 recently. I actually feel stronger about Stefon Diggs this week, he should top 100 yards and score. Thielen will finish with about 7-70, but the score isn’t as secure. I’m not super-pumped for any of the Vikings’ backup WRs this week, but for depth purposes, it should be noted that Alexander Hollins was active last week, while Laquan Treadwell was a healthy scratch. Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuels are both WR2 options on the Saturday-Only slate, but I feel better about Sanders on the main slate. I still wouldn’t use either of them as more than a WR3 on the main. Kendrick Bourne is always a TD-dependent punt play, and with holes on the Vikings’ backend, he may be a sneaky play.

The return of Tartt, takes some of the shine away from Irv Smith and Kyle Rudolph. I’m not trusting Smith here, and with better TEs on the docket I’m only going to use Rudolph as a punt play. George Kittle on the other hand faces a defense that gives up lots of receptions and yards to the position, but that tightens up in the red zone. I still think based on volume alone Kitttle posts 7-70-1. That will be good enough for TE1 or TE2 on Saturday-Only, and no worse than TE3 overall.

Either defense is in play on either slate, but both pale behind Baltimore. Use one of them to save money here.

Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens

Ryan Tannehill was fortunate to survive New England. Of course, he had very little to do with the victory. Things won’t be any easier this week. Only someone, and their significant other, with 300 total lineups will have any investment here. Lamar Jackson is pricy this week. He is also the safest play at a guaranteed 30 fantasy points. Jackson’s value will shoot up even more if Mark Ingram misses this game. I’m not sure I can feel comfortable fading him on either slate, but I will occasionally do so for variance.

Derrick Henry is on an absurd pace. I would not blame you for starting him this week despite the less-than-favorable matchup. On Saturday-Only, you have to play him, or Cook, or both of them. On the main slate, I am likely fading him due to his salary. As for Dion Lewis, he had his chance last week in the revenge game and did squat. That is all you need to know. Mark Ingram still isn’t practicing and his status is slowly drifting downward. If he goes, he would be a solid pivot from Cook or Henry (although I prefer Mostert), but I’m not going to trust him on the full slate. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill would each be gorgeous plays if Ingram is out. That said, if Ingram plays, then they should be on the bench.

Adam Humphries is expected to miss this game. It is too bad, since slot WRs have been the only bright spot against this pass defense. By process of elimination, that suggests that Tajae Sharpe would be the wise play here. He should get some WR3 love on the Saturday-Only slate and be considered as a punt WR3 on the main slate. A.J. Brown is a great young WR. I’m just not paying the price to roster him this week. Corey Davis is dead to me and most of the world. As for Baltimore, they also have a rookie WR named Brown. Marquise has a better matchup, but he has been very hit-or-miss all season. I don’t mind him as WR3 on either slate. Most of the passing game damage against Tennessee has come at the hands of WR1s, and particularly speedy ones. This suggests Marquise Brown may be an even better play then I am suggesting. That also means that the rest of the Ravens’ WRs can remain on the bench.

The Ravens have stifled every TE they have faced since Week 5. I’m doubting that Jonnu Smith or Anthony Firkser is going to change that trend. Meanwhile, Tennessee has been rotten against every capable TE they have faced. Mark Andrews definitely qualifies in that discussion. He is actually a higher upside play at TE1 than George Kittle on the Saturday slate. Both Nick Boyle and Hayden Hurst could also be used (only on DK) as punt plays. Andrews also should be in consideration as TE2 or TE3 on the main slate. I would even consider playing him at FLEX in a Double-TE.

The price difference between the Ravens’ defense and the other options is small enough that you should just roster Baltimore. If you don’t need to punt and save money just use them. Tennessee has a defense that would be in play if they were facing a different team. This week, using them is suicide

Sunday-only Slate

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

Deshaun Watson carried his team to victory last week. He also led his team to a victory Week 6 against this same Chiefs’ defense. In that game, he scored three TDs including two on the ground. A similar line is possible here. I like him as QB2 or QB3 on the Sunday-only slate, and he is a decent pivot play on the full slate. Pat Mahomes should have little trouble equaling or besting his earlier line of 273-3. I’ll use him as my primary QB1 on Sunday, and he should be at worst QB2 overall.

Carlos Hyde was one of the last RBs to post a strong line against the Chiefs. He should have a good game again, but he is still no better than RB3 on Sunday-only. This means he should be no better than a FLEX play on the main. Duke Johnson outplayed Hyde last week. He is definitely a FLEX option on Sunday-only but I am not likely to use him on the main. Damien Williams has returned as the lead back for Kansas City. Houston has been miserable when attempting to stop opposing RBs. Put these two items together, and you have the recipe for Williams having a monster game. He is no worse than RB2 on Sunday and no worse than RB4 overall. The other RBs are not getting enough looks to be used this week. I suppose you could try LeSean McCoy in a Showdown slate but that is about it.

Will Fuller is supposed to return this week from his groin injury. The team could certainly use him. His presence on the field makes the team nearly impossible to stop on offense. Unfortunately, a groin injury could knock him out of the game at any point. I don’t know if I trust him as more than a WR3 on the Sunday slate. If he does play, I will bump DeAndre Hopkins up in value. Hopkins may still be only my WR3 on Sunday, but he is a great WR1 play on either slate. Kenny Stills loses some value if Fuller plays, but he is still a possible WR3. If Fuller is out, Stills becomes a very strong WR3. Tyreek Hill needs to be in your lineup as he is primed for a huge game. He is my favorite WR1 option on either slate. Sammy Watkins has done nothing since Week 1, so leave him on the bench. If you want additional exposure to this passing game, I recommend going with Demarcus Robinson or Mecole Hardman.

Darren Fells paid off as a punt play last week. I like him this week too. KC has allowed five or more TE receptions 13 times this season. Back in Week 6, Fells and Jordan Akins combined for 9-108 against them. Akins is battling a hamstring g injury (he missed last week) and third-stringer, Jordan Thomas has done little since returning from the IR. This could set up for a large output for Fells, especially if Akins misses this game too. It should be pretty obvious that Travis Kelce is a solid play this week. Houston held him in check in their earlier meeting, but since then their TE defense has gone pear-shaped fast. I could easily see using both Kelce as part of a double-TE lineup on either slate.

I’m not high on either of these defenses for the main slate, but I could see trying the Chiefs on Sunday-only. There really isn’t an obvious Sunday only play, so they are just as likely to pay off.

Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers

Russell Wilson advanced by throwing for 325-1 against a soft Eagles’ defense. This game has more shootout potential, but Green Bay has been playing tighter defense in the second half of the season. I wouldn’t count on more than 275-2, unless this game really devolves. Aaron Rodgers has not been himself this season. Since Week 8, he has more than one touchdown pass only twice. This does not bode well for this game since Seattle has held 11 of their last 14 opponents to one TD pass or less. Again, unless this game turns into a pinball contest, I can’t confidently call for more than 275-1 for Rodgers.

The points in this game are more likely to come from the RB position. Marshawn Lynch and Travis Homer are both in play as pivots at RB2 or FLEX on Sunday-only. I also like Lynch as a FLEX on the main slate, since the team has vowed to up his usage. Green Bay has been pretty bad against the run all season, and lately they have struggled with pass-catching backs (which is why Homer is also in play). Seattle on the other hand, has really been bad against the run. Eight times this year Seattle has allowed multiple RB scores in one game. This includes four of their last contests. This is why Aaron Jones should be your RB1 on Sunday-only (paired with Damien Williams). I also want him in multiple full slate lineups (mixed and matched with Dalvin Cook, Williams, and Derrick Henry). This defense is even bad enough to consider using Jamaal Williams on the Sunday-only slate at FLEX if you need to save some money.

DK Metcalf has passed Tyler Lockett on the depth chart for Seattle. He has the best shot at a score between the two this week. Green Bay has struggled more with big outside receivers like Metcalf, than they have with speed receivers like Lockett. Tyler should still post a solid PPR game, but at virtually the same price, I’ll have more exposure to Metcalf. Neither should be more than WR2 options on either slate. I also like David Moore as a cheap punt play, but I’m not going to call a TD for him. I wouldn’t go deeper on their depth chart, unless you are looking for a cheap punt showdown option. Premium WR1s have succeeded against Seattle, so Davante Adams is definitely an option at WR1 on either slate. That said, I still have him behind Hopkins and Hill on the Sunday-only. I doubt Rodgers will throw more than two TDs, so Adams is truly the only reliable WR option for the Pack. I could see playing Allen Lazard as a punt WR3 on Sunday-only, but there are more reliable options available there. One of those more reliable options could even be his teammate, Geronimo Allison. Seattle has struggled all season with slot receivers.

Tight end could be an interesting position in this game. Both defenses are absurdly bad against the position. Obviously, Travis Kelce is TE1 on Sunday. That said, I could make a strong case for pivoting from him with Darren Fells, Jacob Hollister or Jimmy Graham. That is why I may visit double-TE land on Sunday. Seattle is so bad against the position, that I could even see the argument for punting with Robert Tonyan.

Both of these teams could be used for Sunday-only defense, but I don’t love either. I doubt I would consider using either on the full slate.

Here are my Full-Slate recommended lineups.

At DK: $7.5K for Pat Mahomes. $12.2K total for Aaron Jones and Marshawn Lynch. $15K total for DeAndre Hopkins and Tyreek Hill. $4.4K for Marquise Brown. $7.3K total for Jacob Hollister and Jimmy Graham. $3.6K for the Ravens defense.

At FD: $8.6K for Mahomes. $15.1K total for Jones and Damien Williams. $21.3K total for Hopkins, Hill, and Marquise. $5K for Graham. $6K for Lynch at FLEX. $3.7K for the Vikings defense.

At Fanball SuperFlex: Mahomes, Dalvin Cook, Jones, Hill, Tajae Sharpe, Hollister, Graham, D. Williams and Lamar Jackson.

At Fanball Classic: L. Jackson, A. Jones, D. Williams, Hill, M. Brown, Graham, Mark Andrews, Lynch, and the Vikings defense.

At Fantasy Draft: L. Jackson, D. Williams, Derrick Henry, M. Brown, DK Metcalf, Graham, A. Jones, Lynch, and the Vikings defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Lamar Jackson	$8,400	$9,400
Patrick Mahomes	$7,500	$8,600
Deshaun Watson	$6,700	$8,300
Russell Wilson	$6,600	$7,900
Aaron Rodgers	$6,500	$8,100
Kirk Cousins	$5,700	$7,600
Jimmy Garoppolo	$5,600	$7,800
Ryan Tannehill	$5,400	$7,800

Weekly strategy – I expect to use Lamar Jackson or Pat Mahomes in most of my lineups. I will also have some exposure to Deshaun Watson. Everyone else has a fair amount of risk, so I will have only minimal exposure to anyone else.

Pay to Play:

Lamar Jackson, Ravens vs. TEN ($8400 DK, $9400 FD)
Tennessee has been middle-of-the-road in terms of points allowed to QBs, but they really haven’t faced a QB with Lamar Jackson’s rushing acumen. Even when he underperforms, Jackson has a floor of 25 points. This week he will hit 3x easily, and if Mark Ingram cannot go, he may approach 4X.

Stay Away:

Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. SEA ($6500 DK, $8100 FD)
This game could turn into a shootout, putting Aaron Rodgers into play. More likely, we see the slumping Rodgers top out at 275-2. That isn’t horrible, but his price is high enough, that I would rather roster Deshaun Watson or Pat Mahomes for a similar cost. The Seahawks don’t allow many scores to the position and Rodgers has struggled to top one passing TD recently as well. If there is a ton of scoring in this game, it will come on the ground, since both of these defenses suck mightily against the run.

Value Play:

Kirk Cousins, Vikings @ SF ($5700 DK, $7600 FD)
There really isn’t a value play I love this week. You could take a shot on Russell Wilson, but as I mention above the scoring in that game will likely come from the RBs. Kirk Cousins at least has some upside going against a defense that will have a few returning faces that may need to shake off some rust. Plus, he has two legit WR1 targets and an elite pass-catching RB to throw to. I won’t have a ton of exposure to him, but he could be an interesting Superflex QB2, if you want to differentiate from the chalk play of both Lamar Jackson and Pat Mahomes.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Derrick Henry	$8,200	$9,600
Dalvin Cook	$8,000	$8,000
Aaron Jones	$7,400	$8,200
Mark Ingram II	$6,700	$7,500
Damien Williams	$6,000	$6,900
Raheem Mostert	$5,800	$6,700
Travis Homer	$5,100	$5,500
Carlos Hyde	$5,000	$6,400
Gus Edwards	$4,900	$5,400
Marshawn Lynch	$4,800	$6,000
Duke Johnson	$4,700	$5,600
Jamaal Williams	$4,600	$5,100
LeSean McCoy	$4,400	$5,200
Alexander Mattison	$4,100	$5,300
Justice Hill	$3,900	$4,800
Dion Lewis	$3,700	$4,800
Tevin Coleman	$3,500	$5,200
Darwin Thompson	$3,400	$4,900
Matt Breida	$3,300	$5,000
Darrel Williams	$3,000	$4,500
Jeff Wilson Jr.	$3,000	$4,600

Weekly strategy – My favorite four players this week are: Aaron Jones, Dalvin Cook, Damien Williams and Raheem Mostert. Most of my lineups will feature two of them. I may also use Derrick Henry, but his salary is higher than I like. My pivots would be Marshawn Lynch or Carlos Hyde, and I may also use Gus Edwards if Mark Ingram misses the game. I could also use one of those three at FLEX. In addition, if Ingram is out, Justice Hill could be a decent punt play. The other punt options I like are: Jamaal Williams, Duke Johnson and Travis Homer. All of this said, I’m torn between using three running backs this week, and two running backs and two TEs. It may come down to money.

Pay to Play:

Aaron Jones, Packers vs. SEA ($7400 DK, $8200 FD)
Seattle has only allowed nine RB touchdowns over the last six games. Plus, they are giving up 160 combo yards per game over that span. A returning Jamaal Williams may steal a few looks, but Aaron Jones will still top 125-1.

Stay Away:

Derrick Henry, Titans @ BAL ($8200 DK, $9600 FD)
I apparently didn’t learn my lesson, benching Derrick Henry last week. I’m accepting of the fact that Henry has been psycho-good lately, still the matchup on paper just isn’t great. Baltimore gave up four RB touchdowns to the Browns in Week 4, outside of that they have allowed only eight other RB scores all year. Based on how hot he is, Henry will probably still post 125-1 here. That isn’t horrible at his DK price, but the FD price is way too high. Also, know that I will still use Henry as one of my top three RB choices on the Saturday-only slate.

Value Play:

Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks @ GB ($4800 DK, $6000 FD)
Seattle has stated that they intend to get Marshawn Lynch more involved in their game script. They shouldn’t have much trouble achieving that plan against the Packers’ run defense. The Packers are allowing just under 150 combo yards per game for the season, and only one team has been held below 100 total RB yards. Marshawn Lynch may lose some receptions to Travis Homer, but don’t be surprised if Lynch is used in the passing game too. Frankly, the Packers won’t be able to stop either of them.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Davante Adams	$7,800	$8,400
Tyreek Hill	$7,600	$7,900
DeAndre Hopkins	$7,400	$8,100
DK Metcalf	$6,800	$7,000
Tyler Lockett	$6,600	$6,700
Adam Thielen	$6,200	$6,900
A.J. Brown	$6,000	$7,400
Stefon Diggs	$5,600	$6,800
Emmanuel Sanders	$5,400	$5,700
Deebo Samuel	$5,200	$6,100
Will Fuller V	$5,000	$5,600
Kenny Stills	$4,800	$5,700
Allen Lazard	$4,500	$5,400
Marquise Brown	$4,400	$5,300
Sammy Watkins	$4,300	$5,200
Mecole Hardman	$4,100	$5,300
Demarcus Robinson	$4,000	$4,900
David Moore	$3,900	$5,100
Willie Snead IV	$3,800	$4,500
Corey Davis	$3,700	$5,000
Kendrick Bourne	$3,700	$5,000
Geronimo Allison	$3,600	$4,600
Seth Roberts	$3,500	$4,900
Tajae Sharpe	$3,500	$4,900
Keke Coutee	$3,300	$4,500
Olabisi Johnson	$3,300	$4,800
DeAndre Carter	$3,200	$4,900
Jake Kumerow	$3,200	$4,900
Malik Turner	$3,200	$4,700
Jaron Brown	$3,000	$4,600
Kalif Raymond	$3,000	$4,500
M. Valdes-Scantling	$3,000	$4,600

Weekly strategy – I hope to fit two of: Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins into all of my lineups. If I need to shave a few bucks, I may pivot to DK Metcalf, Stefon Diggs or Marquise Brown at WR2. I may also try to stuff one of that threesome at WR3. My other WR3 choices will include: the Houston and Kansas City backups, Tajae Sharpe, Geronimo Allison and David Moore. They are all pretty cheap, so going that route at WR3, should open up some more money for TE.

Pay to Play:

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs vs. HOU ($7600 DK, $7900 FD)
In Week 6, Tyreek Hill torched this defense for 5-80-2. In that game, Hill was without his top running mate, Sammy Watkins. Watkins is back to open up the defense, and both Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson are healthy too. With all these weapons available, Houston is woefully understaffed to stop this offense. Hill is the best of those weapons, so a similar line is certainly in play. That said, I expect him to easily exceed that line as he scores on a pair of deep bombs.

Stay Away:

A.J. Brown, Titans @ BAL ($6000 DK, $7400 FD)
A.J. Brown got a taste of reality last week facing an elite shut down cornerback. He caught one measly pass for four yards. It doesn’t get any easier this week as Baltimore has allowed only three WR1s to score this year. Tennessee will be playing from behind, so he may nab some garbage-time value. That said, Baltimore has struggled more with slot receivers, so Tajae Sharpe is the safer play in this game.

Value Play:

Marquise Brown, Ravens vs. TEN ($4400 DK, $5300 FD)
Marquise Brown has been hit-or-miss all year, but his speed puts him in play this week. Tennessee has struggled against both strong, tall outside WRs and super-speedy guys. Brown is neither strong nor tall, but he is very fast. Bump Brown’s value up even more if Mark Andrews is out or limited coming into the game.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Travis Kelce	$6,400	$7,500
George Kittle	$6,200	$7,400
Mark Andrews	$5,600	$6,800
Jacob Hollister	$4,000	$5,700
Darren Fells	$3,500	$5,200
Hayden Hurst	$3,400	$4,700
Jonnu Smith	$3,400	$5,300
Kyle Rudolph	$3,400	$5,400
Jimmy Graham	$3,300	$5,000
Nick Boyle	$3,200	$4,900
Jordan Akins	$3,000	$4,600
Irv Smith Jr.	$2,600	$5,100
Anthony Firkser	$2,500	$4,500
Robert Tonyan	$2,500	$4,200

Weekly strategy – Each of the top three options is nice. I could easily see paying up for Travis Kelce, George Kittle or Mark Andrews. None is overly priced and they all have solid matchups. That said, the matchups for the next two options, Darren Fells and Jacob Hollister are also nice. Either would make a fine pivot, or better yet, either would make a great Double-TE. If Mark Andrews misses this game due to his injury, either Nick Boyle or Hayden Hurst would make a nice punt. I really like Jimmy Graham’s matchup against the Seahawks. At that price, I can use him in the Double-TE as well. I’m just concerned about his intermittent usage this year. A deep punt dive would be to fade Graham and start Robert Tonyan.

Pay to Play:

Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. HOU ($6400 DK, $7500 FD)
Travis Kelce is nursing a knee issue, but he is expected to play this week. In their earlier meeting, Kelce was held to just 4-58. Since that week, Houston has been gored by every decent TE they have faced. As long as his knee holds up, Kelce should post a floor of 7-80-1. That said, if the knee becomes worrisome, there are many potential pivots.

Stay Away:

Jonnu Smith, Titans @ BAL ($3400 DK, $5300 FD)
With so many values at the top of the TE list this week, we have to dip all the way to Jonnu Smith to find a TE that I want to fade. Baltimore has allowed only three tight ends to score all season and only Travis Kelce and Ricky Seals-Jones have topped 40 receiving yards. Since Week 5, they are allowing an average of only 3-27 to the position. Jonnu has been held to just two total catches the last two weeks. Plus, Anthony Firkser is always a threat to vulture a potential Jonnu score. This week just say Jon-no.

Value Play:

Darren Fells, Texans @ KC ($3500 DK, $5200 FD)
Darren Fells had a useful Wildcard game. He was used even more than I expected as Deshaun Watson looked his way regularly to move the sticks. Back in Week 6, Fells combined with Jordan Akins to post 9-108 against the Chiefs. Akins missed last week with a hamstring issue, and his status for this week is bordering on doubtful. If Akins misses this game, Fells could post another solid line. Plus, he is always a threat in the red zone.

This is shaping up as a mildly confusing Wildcard Weekend. I’ve never seen a lineup of games where they all could finish above 50 total points or under 30. Hopefully, we can mill the wheat from the chaff for you and help you make some money to pay off all those holiday bills.

Saturday-Only Slate:

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans:
Josh Allen has arguably the best matchup of any QB this week. He also is green. I still expect him to account for three total scores. Deshaun Watson faces a very tough Bills’ secondary, but he still should net a pair of scores. The best sign for Watson would be if he could steal a rushing score. Speaking of rushing scores, Devin Singletary makes a Saturday-Only slate must start against a bad Houston run defense. He is also in play as a pivot on the main slate. I don’t love Carlos Hyde here. He may score on a short plunge, but don’t count on sizeable yardage. Duke Johnson has a better matchup since Buffalo has given up a ton of receptions to the RB position. John Brown and Cole Beasley are both elite-level plays this week. Brown is a nice WR1 pivot and Beasley is a must-start at WR2. If you go cheap at RB (and pay up for Michael Thomas), you might look to fit both of them in at WR2/WR3. Isaiah McKenzie and Duke Williams are dart throws at best. I actually like Robert Foster, but he did jack squat last week, so I am not trusting him here. DeAndre Hopkins has a rough matchup, but based on volume alone, he is a possible WR1 pivot. I’d like to know that both Will Fuller and Kenny Stills were healthy. Both being on the field would eat into each other’s stats, but either would open up more room for Hopkins to operate. I don’t think we can trust Fuller’s groin to last all game. If I choose one of them, it would likely be Stills. DeAndre Carter and Keke Coutee are just depth at this point. That said, if both Stills and Fuller miss this game, I might consider Carter as a punt. Dawson Knox is a nice cheap punt TE play this week, against a Houston defense that has struggled since Week 5 at covering the position. Darren Fells is also a sneaky TD-dependent punt TE play this week since Buffalo has allowed four TE scores over the last five games. I’d consider either defense as a cost-savings play, but I am not going out of my way to play either of them.

Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots:
Ryan Tannehill has had a fun season reigniting his career flame. Unfortunately, that flame is about to be snuffed. When the team falls behind, he may rack up two scores in garbage time. Still, I am not trusting him against this defense. Further, I am mildly disgusted that his salary is higher than Tom Brady’s in this game. Brady is my favorite QB play of the week. Tennessee has allowed way too many passing scores this year, and Brady is in his element come playoff season. At this price, I’ll be happy when Brady throws 300-2 as a floor. Derrick Henry has also had a remarkable season. That said, his price is finally high enough that I cannot reliably roll him out there. Especially since I expect game script to work against him. New England can be beat on the ground, and I expect Henry to still post a solid line. I just don’t think he will go off here. Dion Lewis could also come into play since this is a revenge game for him. I’m not going to use him in the main slate, but he could be a cheap Showdown option. Much like Brady, James White wakes up come January. I love him this week. He is RB2/3 on the Saturday-Only slate and RB5 at worst overall. Sony Michel is a nice pivot at FLEX based on potential volume and Rex Burkhead could be a sneaky TD-dependent punt. You’ll notice a trend here, A.J. Brown has also had an amazing season. He also hasn’t faced Stephon Gilmore. I am not trusting a rookie in this big spot against him. Especially, since Brown’s price tag is finally in alignment with his talent level. Corey Davis just sucks, but he has actually eaten versus New England recently. I am by no means confident to start him, but he might be an option at WR3 on Saturday-Only GPP contests. Tajae Sharpe is a fun name, and he might be useful in reality football, but he is nothing special in fantasy. Julian Edelman is a great play on either slate, despite not being anywhere near 100%. I also like both Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry as possible WR3 options. I’d also consider Jakobi Meyers, but I have less faith in him. Jonnu Smith is a potential pivot play on DK, but his FD price is too high in comparison to the other options. Of course, he also has the highest upside of anyone on the Saturday-Only slate. Tennessee is bad against TEs, so consider Ben Watson. Just don’t consider it too much. The Patriots’ defense is the best option and their price is not absurd. Just use them. Do not use the Titans’ defense, there are better cheap options if you go that route.

Sunday-Only Slate:

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints:
Kirk Cousins is getting no respect in this game. However, if Drew Brees does lead the Saints to an early lead, Cousins will have to throw it a ton to keep up. New Orleans has a nice pair of cornerbacks to help frustrate Captain Kirk, but their defense has actually given up several passing TDs over the second half of the season. In comparison, the Vikings’ secondary feels as if it has fallen apart, but they have allowed one or fewer passing TDs in seven of their last nine games. What I’m hinting at here, is that this game could be a shootout for the QBs or it could be a grind-it-out ground-heavy game. I’ll have some exposure to both QBs here, but I am by no means going all-in on them. Speaking of that ground game, both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison should be back healthy for this contest. Neither will have much success running the ball up the middle against New Orleans. That said, the Saints have allowed four RB rushing scores over their last six games, so a TD is in play. In addition, the Saints have been very beatable by pass-catching backs. There is little doubt the Vikings will use Dalvin Cook extensively in the passing game. This should put Cook into RB1/RB2 consideration on both the Sunday-Only and overall slates. Mattison will see enough action to be a possible Sunday-Only FLEX, but I’m not going out of my way to start him. Don’t even consider Ameer Abdullah or last week’s hero Mike Boone. If you want to get cute in a Showdown slate, consider C.J. Ham who may also see some passing game action. Both Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray (in a revenge game) make great plays for the Saints. The Vikings’ run defense has looked like crap the last two weeks, but they have been besieged by injuries to key contributors and last week other starters didn’t even play. All of the Vikings’ defensive starters should be back for this game, but Kamara and Murray are still in for a great combined game. The Vikings have also been very giving to opposing pass-catching backs recently. That is Kamara’s game. I’m just going to eat the chalk here and play both Cook and Kamara in most of my lineups. If I need to save money, I’ll consider subbing in Murray for Kamara. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs will tangle with Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. Both corners are very good, both receivers are very good. This will be a fun matchup. I think both produce ok lines, but neither produces enough to justify their prices. If I had to choose a WR to start here for Minnesota, it would probably be Olabisi Johnson for basically free at WR3. Good luck fitting Michael Thomas’ salary under the cap. He will score his typical 25 points, making him a very solid WR1 play. Still, that doesn’t guarantee 3X. I’m also slightly concerned that Minnesota goes out of their way to shutdown Thomas. It won’t matter, you Can’t Guard Mike. Even if he is double-bracketed, Thomas will finish with 10-100. The coverage may keep him out of the end zone though. Ted Ginn has had his way with Minnesota in the past. He always seems to post a few long catches. That said, amazingly, he has never scored a TD against them. I feel that changes this week. I like Ginn to finish with 3-65-1, and he makes a great WR3. He also offers exposure to the Saints’ offense, without paying up for Thomas. Tre’Quan Smith has been more involved in the passing game recently, but I’m not going to be reaching for him here since he is truly TD-dependent. At best, he is a deep punt WR3 or a Showdown slate cheap alternate. Irv Smith is not used as much in the Vikings’ passing game when Adam Thielen is back out there. I’m not going to use him much this week. Kyle Rudolph, on the other hand, is a huge red zone threat, and New Orleans has been Cardinal-esque recently against TEs. It’s a great matchup for him, but he is still only TE3 on the Sunday-Only slate. I can only see using him as a pivot from Jared Cook or Dallas Goedert. Speaking of Cook, he is a TD-scoring machine right now. At his price, I’d rather roster him than Thomas. Minnesota gives up a fair amount of yards to the position, but they have only allowed one TE score on the year. That figure will at least be matched here. Also be aware that at FD, you can use Taysom Hill at TE. Hill only qualifies at QB on DK however. Minnesota’s defense is priced super cheap, but unless you are paying up for New England, you might as well use Minnesota, since none of the other defenses scream, “play me”. The Saints’ defense could also be used, but they are a little more expensive, and just as likely to do little.

Seattle Seahawks @ Philadelphia Eagles:
The much-maligned Eagles’ secondary has played better of late. They even held Russell Wilson in check back in Week 12. I’m not sure they have totally turned the corner though. That said, they still have some major holes in the defensive backfield. I expect this to be the highest-scoring game of the weekend, so I will definitely have some exposure to Wilson. Seattle’s pass defense is also suspect, but they haven’t given up as many passing TDs. Carson Wentz’ biggest issue has been a lack of weapons. He won’t get any of them back this week, and he will likely be without Zach Ertz as well. Still, Wentz has made do nicely with the crumbs he has left. I have zero issue with starting him here. Both Marshawn Lynch and Travis Homer will split the carries this week. Lynch will obviously get the goal-line work, making him more valuable. Still, Philly is elite against the run. So, you are hoping for a TD at best from this pair. Miles Sanders may be a game-time decision. If he can play, it is a great matchup as Seattle is rotten against the run. I love Sanders as a dynasty asset, but part of me is hoping that he sits this one out. If so, then I can play Boston Scott or Jordan Howard for a lot cheaper and watch them torch this defense. If Sanders does play, the three-headed committee will eat into some of the potential value, but it is still a great option to roll him out. Only a couple WR1s have succeeded recently against Philly. Even Tyler Lockett struggled in their earlier meeting. Lockett is still a safe WR1 pivot, but I actually prefer DK Metcalf. Secondary WRs have had much more success against this defense of late. I also could see using either David Moore or Malik Turner (if he plays) as punt WR3 plays. Greg Ward had a solid line against Seattle in their earlier meeting, but Seattle has not given up a ton of WR receptions. I’ll still use Ward, since he is cheap and one of a couple healthy targets for Carson Wentz. Based on volume alone, he should be a solid WR3. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Deontay Burnett are both dirt cheap and could be sneaky punt WR3 plays. The Eagles have shutdown basically every TE they have faced, so leave Jacob Hollister on your bench. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have adopted the Arizona Cardinals’ philosophy on covering TEs (or lack thereof). Zach Ertz wants to play, but he suffers the same “flesh wounds” as Monty Python’s Black Knight. If he does suit them up, he will likely be a decoy. That said, even as a decoy, he may score against this defense. One guy who will definitely score against this defense is Dallas Goedert. His floor is 8-100-1 this week. If Ertz sits this out, that line could legitimately be double that. Neither of these defenses should be anywhere near your lineup this week.

Here are my Full Slate recommended lineups.

At DK: $5.8K for Tom Brady, $15.2K total for Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara, $14.7K total for Greg Ward, Mohamed Sanu, and Cole Beasley, $5.2K for Dallas Goedert, $5.7K for James White at FLEX, and $3.4K for the Patriots defense.

At FD: $8.5K for Drew Brees, $16.2K total for Cook and Kamara, $18.1K total for Ward, DK Metcalf, and Beasley, $6.7K for Goedert, $6.2K for White at FLEX, and $3.9K for the Vikings defense.

At Fanball SuperFlex: Brady, Cook, Kamara, Julian Edelman, Beasley, Ward, Goedert, White and Josh Allen.

At Fanball Classic: Brady, Cook, Kamara, Edelman, Beasley, Kyle Rudolph, Goedert, White, Patriots Defense.

At Fantasy Draft: Brady, Cook, Kamara, Beasley, Ward, Goedert, Devin Singletary, White and the Patriots Defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Russell Wilson	$6,800	$7,900
Drew Brees	$6,600	$8,500
Josh Allen	$6,500	$7,800
Deshaun Watson	$6,400	$8,100
Ryan Tannehill	$6,300	$7,800
Carson Wentz	$6,200	$7,900
Kirk Cousins	$6,100	$7,600
Tom Brady	$5,800	$7,600
Taysom Hill	$4,500	XXXX

Weekly strategy – Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Josh Allen are the safest three options. I will have some exposure to each of them. That said, Tom Brady at home will be my first choice. I could also use Kirk Cousins or Carson Wentz to save money, but both have risks. Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill are the two I want to avoid.

Pay to Play:

Josh Allen, Bills @ HOU ($6500 DK, $7800 FD)
Based solely on matchup, Josh Allen is the safest QB play of the week. In seven of their last twelve contests, Houston has given up three or more passing TDs. They have also given up three QB rushing scores over that span. Allen will throw for at least two scores in this contest and he will rush for another. That should easily return for you 3x.

Stay Away:

Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ NE ($6300 DK, $7800 FD)
It has been a great story what Ryan Tannehill has done this season since taking over for Marcus Mariota. Unfortunately, the clock is about to strike twelve, and his carriage is about to turn back into a pumpkin. New England has allowed more than one passing TD only twice all season. Plus, they have given up less than 225 passing yards 11 times, with eight of those games under 200 passing yards allowed.

Value Play:

Tom Brady, Patriots vs. TEN ($5800 DK, $7600 FD)
Yes, Tom Brady has looked like a shell of himself recently. Nevertheless, this is the playoffs and the Patriots are at Foxboro. There is a certain magic that the Goat breaks out when the calendar hits January. The Titans have been good against bad QBs. Even in a down season, Brady isn’t a bad QB. He has a floor of 275-2 this week, as he will pepper both Julian Edelman and James White.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Derrick Henry	$8,200	$9,300
Dalvin Cook	$7,800	$8,000
Alvin Kamara	$7,400	$8,200
Miles Sanders	$6,200	$7,000
Devin Singletary	$6,000	$6,200
Boston Scott	$5,800	$6,600
James White	$5,700	$6,200
Travis Homer	$5,300	$6,100
Marshawn Lynch	$5,200	$5,900
Carlos Hyde	$5,100	$6,400
Latavius Murray	$5,000	$5,700
Jordan Howard	$4,900	$5,600
Alexander Mattison	$4,800	$5,200
Mike Boone	$4,700	$5,400
Sony Michel	$4,600	$6,700
Rex Burkhead	$4,500	$5,600
Duke Johnson	$4,400	$5,300
Dion Lewis	$4,200	$5,000
Frank Gore	$4,100	$4,900
Ameer Abdullah	$3,800	$4,900
Brandon Bolden	$3,100	$4,500
C.J. Ham	$3,100	$4,500

Weekly strategy – Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook should be locks. That said, if you want to roster Michael Thomas, you will likely have to skip one of them. Devin Singletary and James White should both be in consideration as pivots or as FLEX plays. Below them, there are many other potential options. Sony Michel should fare well on the ground. Whoever starts for Philadelphia has a good matchup, so if you need a cheaper pivot watch the injury status of Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard. If Sanders doesn’t play, we should see more Howard than last week. We also will get a healthy dose of Boston Scott. Scott would instantly become a popular FLEX play if Sanders is out. Marshawn Lynch, Latavius Murray (revenge game) and Duke Johnson are two other possible plays.

Pay to Play:

Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. MIN ($7400 DK, $8200 FD)
Minnesota has struggled mightily against the run recently (mostly coinciding with some key defensive injuries). The defense should be at full gauge this week, but Alvin Kamara should be used regularly both on the ground and in the short-passing game. His price tag is just right this week to fit in alongside Dalvin Cook. If you don’t use Michael Thomas, you need to have Kamara in your lineup.

Stay Away:

Derrick Henry, Titans @ NE ($8200 DK, $9300 FD)
Derrick Henry will do some damage on the ground in this game and he is always a threat to break a carry away for a long score. That said, this game script could go pear-shaped quickly for Tennessee. If that happens, Henry’s value may be neutralized. I’m also slightly concerned that Tennessee might try to force-use Dion Lewis in a revenge game type role. That could detract from some of Henry’s touches. If you needed more reason to be wary, four of the last five RB corps to face New England have been held to under 60 rushing yards. If Henry’s price was in the $6K range, I’d feel a lot more comfortable using him.

Value Play:

James White, Patriots vs. TEN ($5700 DK, $6200 FD)
Much like Tom Brady, James White is made for playoff football. In eleven career playoff games, he has scored eight total TDs, and amazingly this includes being shut out in three games last year. White is a lock at RB3/FLEX this week since he will see a boatload of passes. Eleven different teams have recorded six or more RB receptions against Tennessee this year.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$9,300	$8,900
DeAndre Hopkins	$7,700	$8,300
A.J. Brown	$7,400	$7,700
Tyler Lockett	$7,200	$7,300
Stefon Diggs	$6,600	$7,300
Julian Edelman	$6,500	$7,000
Adam Thielen	$6,200	$6,200
DK Metcalf	$6,100	$6,200
John Brown	$6,000	$6,500
Cole Beasley	$5,600	$6,300
Greg Ward	$5,200	$5,600
Will Fuller V	$4,900	$5,600
Kenny Stills	$4,600	$5,800
DeSean Jackson	$4,500	$4,500
Nelson Agholor	$4,400	$5,000
N’Keal Harry	$4,100	$5,300
Tre’Quan Smith	$4,000	$5,500
Mohamed Sanu	$3,900	$5,400
Corey Davis	$3,800	$5,400
Tajae Sharpe	$3,800	$5,300
Ted Ginn Jr.	$3,600	$4,900
Isaiah McKenzie	$3,500	$4,600
Olabisi Johnson	$3,500	$5,200
David Moore	$3,400	$5,100
DeAndre Carter	$3,400	$4,500
Duke Williams	$3,400	$4,500
JJ Arcega-Whiteside	$3,300	$5,300
Keke Coutee	$3,300	$5,100
Andre Roberts	$3,200	$4,500
Phillip Dorsett II	$3,200	$5,000
Deontay Burnett	$3,100	$5,200
Jakobi Meyers	$3,100	$4,700
Robert Foster	$3,000	$4,700

Weekly strategy – Michael Thomas is so good that he is always capable of approaching 30 points. His price has finally gotten high enough though that he will be hard to fit in without scraping the barrel at RB or TE. I’m also thinking that the Vikings will do everything possible to erase him and force the Saints to beat them with other players. Tyler Lockett has a good matchup, but his price seems high too. I actually prefer DK Metcalf in that contest, since WR2s have surged against Philly’s defense. Ultimately, I would like my WR1 to be Thomas, but when I cannot afford him, I will go with either Metcalf or Edelman. My WR2 and WR3 will come from this list: John Brown, Cole Beasley, Greg Ward, Kenny Stills and Mohamed Sanu. If I need to shave some salary, there are a couple punt options: N’Keal Harry, Olabisi Johnson, David Moore, Ted Ginn and the Eagles secondary WRs.

Pay to Play:

Michael Thomas, Saints vs. MIN ($9300 DK, $8900 FD)
Let us face the facts, Minnesota could double-shadow-cover Michael Thomas with both Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes all game and he would still get 10-100 as a floor. Ultimately, Thomas’ value this week will come down to whether or not the Vikings allow him to catch a ball in the end zone. If you are comfortable with a guaranteed 25 points from your WR1 roll with Thomas, just don’t assume that he will reach 30+.

Stay Away:

A.J. Brown, Titans @ NE ($7400 DK, $7700 FD)
Prior to giving up a long single catch TD to John Brown two weeks ago and a big stat line to Davante Parker last week, opposing WR1s versus New England had averaged 3.7-44 over the first 14 games. In total, they have given up only two WR1 TDs all season. Ironically, Corey Davis (who has done nothing for his career), has played some of his best football against the Patriots. So, even if Ryan Tannehill has some success this week. It will likely come through the hands of Davis.

Value Play:

Greg Ward, Eagles vs. SEA ($5200 DK, $5600 FD)
This is all about volume. Zach Ertz is unlikely to play and neither Nelson Agholor nor DeSean Jackson is ready to return. Plus, the teams’ best catching RB, Miles Sanders is also questionable. Greg Ward, Dallas Goedert, Deontay Burnett and even Joshua Perkins will be the featured pass catchers this week. I’m not expecting anything huge here, but 6-65-1 is certainly in play.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Zach Ertz	$6,000	$6,900
Dallas Goedert	$5,200	$6,700
Taysom Hill	XXXX	$5,200
Jared Cook	$4,900	$6,500
Jacob Hollister	$4,300	$5,700
Jonnu Smith	$3,800	$5,800
Kyle Rudolph	$3,500	$5,000
Josh Hill	$3,400	$5,400
Darren Fells	$3,000	$4,800
Dawson Knox	$2,900	$4,800
Joshua Perkins	$2,900	$5,500
Jordan Akins	$2,800	$4,600
Tyler Kroft	$2,800	$4,500
Ben Watson	$2,700	$4,700
Irv Smith Jr.	$2,700	$5,300
Matt LaCosse	$2,600	$4,500
Tyler Conklin	$2,500	$4,000

Weekly strategy – Zach Ertz is hurt and probably shouldn’t play. Even if he does, I expect him to be a decoy. Once again, Dallas Goedert becomes the stud play of the week. If Ertz sits this one out, Joshua Perkins is also in play. Jared Cook is the obvious pivot. Kyle Rudolph and Darren Fells make interesting cheaper options. I also am intrigued by Ben Watson, Dawson Knox and Irv Smith as bottom-dollar TD chases. Also note that on FD, you can use Taysom Hill at TE.

Pay to Play:

Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. SEA ($5200 DK, $6700 FD)
The last two weeks, Dallas Goedert has 22 targets. Meanwhile, Zach Ertz is still unlikely to play, or at least meaningfully play. In their earlier meeting, the two combined for 19-123-1. Joshua Perkins may see some of those looks, but the majority of that usage will be funneled through Goedert. This wasn’t the first nor last time that Seattle failed to cover the TE position. Nine times this season they have allowed more than 60 receiving yards to the position.

Stay Away:

Jacob Hollister, Seahawks @ PHI ($4300 DK, $5700 FD)
Philly has allowed the fifth-fewest receptions and the sixth-fewest receiving yards to the TE position this season. In Week 12, Philadelphia held Jacob Hollister to 2-22. Hollister had a couple big games midseason right after Will Dissly went down to injury, but his lines have uninspired since their bye. Over that six-game stretch, he has one game with more than 44 yards.

Value Play:

Darren Fells, Texans vs. BUF ($3000 DK, $4800 FD)
Darren Fells also had a huge midseason followed by a weak end of year run. He has only 11 catches over the last eight games. Fells has never been a big “receptions” guy. You roster him for the TD-dependent 3-9-1 type line. Buffalo has allowed four TE scores over the last five games, so they are prime for the picking.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our readers!!! Week 17, much like Week 1, can be confusing since so many teams choose to rest players for all of, or at least portions of the games. So, the most important thing to look for when setting your lineups is finding players who will be playing the full game and players who (more importantly) have something to play for. Teams with seeding on the line will likely go full-bore this week, which could open themselves up for larger than normal offensive output. While, teams that are “taking a bye” like Baltimore, will not score anywhere near what they would normally put up.

Also, don’t forget that we will be continuing to provide DFS content right up through the Conference Championship weekend, so stay tuned in and fatten your wallet to pay off all your January credit card bills.

The Main Slate:

There are many solid options at QB this week, but only three up top that I really love: Jameis Winston, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees. I guess I could lump Aaron Rodgers in this group too, but I just don’t think he’ll throw much in this game, because he won’t need to. If I were to spend down here, Andy Dalton and his opponent, Baker Mayfield could be in play. Considering where their teams are located in the standings however, they may just go through the motions in this one. The other mid-range options would be Tom Brady facing a subpar Miami defense and Carson Wentz. In Brady’s case, his receiving corps (aka Julian Edelman) is beat up and Edelman finished last week’s game playing through what appeared to be an undiagnosed concussion. For Wentz, he doesn’t even have a receiving corps to be injured. Unfortunately, most of the other QBs with good matchups are playing in games where not much matters (including Ryan and Winston). Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill face off in a game with playoff implications but both have injuries affecting their receiving corps, and now it looks like Watson may be dealing with an injury of his own. Drew Lock and Daniel Jones each get one more game to prove their worth as rookies, so each could be an option against weaker foes. Perhaps the safe play this week is just punt the position with Case Keenum. I could do that, but I’ll probably go with Drew Brees in a game where he needs to win to secure their playoff seeding. At 14% on both sites, he is not a bad price. Just know that his hookup with Michael Thomas is spendy and that will force you to bargain shop elsewhere.

Christian McCaffrey will return his standard 30 points which will be right under 3x, but certainly a worth play anyhow. That said, I will likely save some money by rolling out one of: Aaron Jones or Ezekiel Elliott or even Alvin Kamara at RB1. Marlon Mack should probably be a lock at RB2, but his price is still in that higher range, so you may be forced to roll with him at RB1 (especially if you do the Brees-Thomas stack). I would rather pair him with another higher-priced option though. Some additional cheaper RB2/FLEX options include: both Bears’ backs, both healthy Vikings’ backs, Sony Michel, Ronald Jones, Damien Williams, Kerryon Johnson and Rex Burkhead. Mack paired with one of the three more expensive options will tie up 30% on DK and 27% on FD. If you pair Mack with one of the cheaper guys you will be invested at a rate of no more than 24% on DK and 20% on FD. Either way, make sure your FLEX here is under 10%.

I would not argue against purchasing any of the top three WRs. Michael Thomas is the priciest but he is the hookup with our QB, Brees. Julio Jones and Davante Adams both could be hookups with pivot QBs: Ryan and Rodgers. All that said, I’ve spent a lot at QB/RB, so I will go with no more than one of them (paired with their respective QBs). Other WR1 pivots could include: Breshad Perriman, Tyler Boyd, A.J. Brown and Courtland Sutton. It is comical how cheap Odell Beckham is this week. I’m not sure he has a lot to play for other than pride. That said, at this price, if he suits up, he should be your WR2. Other WR2 options include: Jarvis Landry, Sterling Shepard, Anthony Miller and Michael Gallup. I wouldn’t spend more than $5K on DK or $6K on FD for my WR3, so target guys like: Greg Ward, Allen Lazard, John Ross, Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, the Patriots’ backups and DaeSean Hamilton. Thomas is 20% by himself on DK. If you want to link him and Brees, you will have to spend less at RB1. At least on FD, Thomas is only 15%, making him slightly more palatable. Jones and Adams run at 17% on DK and 14% on FD. Odell Beckham and the similarly priced WR2 talent will run you roughly 11% on either site. I’m going to attempt to keep WR3 around 9% on either site.

Austin Hooper, Tyler Higbee and Dallas Goedert (if Zach Ertz sits) are cheat codes. They are all a little above my spending range, but I’ll finagle to try to fit one into most of my lineups. If I do go cheaper, Jason Witten, Kaden Smith and Noah Fant are nice value options. The top three will all run under 11.5% on either site. The value threesome will all run under 8% on DK and right around 9.3% on FD. I could also see a strategy where you spend down at RB, and use Double-TE this week. This might help you fit your Brees-Thomas stack in better.

The Steelers at $3K on DK and $3.5K on FD are a wonderful play, but watch and see if the Vikings rest Kirk Cousins. If they do, start the Bears on DK at a bargain-basement price against Sean Mann-I-ain’t-any-good-on. Of course, if you have figured out a way to expand the salary cap in this game, play the Patriots versus Miami. If you can make that work you are likely cheating more than Belichick does. The Bears and Steelers each roll in at under 6.5% on either site.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $7K for Drew Brees. $6.9K for Marlon Mack. Less than $5K for one of: Tarik Cohen, Ronald Jones, Sony Michel, Damien Williams, Kerryon Johnson, Ameer Abdullah or Rex Burkhead. $9.9K for Michael Thomas. $5.7K for Odell Beckham. No more than $4.7K for your WR3 (currently leaning Tajae Sharpe). $4.9K for Dallas Goedert. $3.9K for Jason Witten at FLEX (or another RB such as Abdullah). $2.1K for the Bears’ defense.

At FD: $8.4K for Brees. $8K for Aaron Jones. $7.3K for Mack. $9.2K for Thomas. $6.6K for Beckham. No more than $5.5K for WR3 (leaning Russell Gage). $6K for Austin Hooper. No more than $5.5K for FLEX (currently leaning Tarik Cohen). $3.5K for the Steelers’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Brees, Carson Wentz at SF, Alvin Kamara, Mack, Thomas, Beckham, Sharpe, Goedert, and Sony Michel at FLEX.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Brees, A. Jones, Mack, Thomas, Sharpe, Noah Fant, Michel, Damien Williams, and the Bears’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Patrick Mahomes	$7,200	$8,600
Drew Brees	$7,000	$8,400
Aaron Rodgers	$6,900	$8,300
Ryan Tannehill	$6,800	$7,900
Deshaun Watson	$6,700	$8,000
Jameis Winston	$6,600	$8,100
Matt Ryan	$6,500	$7,800
Daniel Jones	$6,400	$7,500
Dak Prescott	$6,300	$8,000
Jared Goff	$6,200	$7,900
Carson Wentz	$6,100	$7,700
Josh Allen	$6,000	$7,600
Tom Brady	$6,000	$7,600
Andy Dalton	$5,900	$6,900
Drew Lock	$5,800	$7,100
Jacoby Brissett	$5,800	$7,300
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$5,800	$7,400
Baker Mayfield	$5,700	$7,400
Kirk Cousins	$5,700	$7,700
Mitchell Trubisky	$5,700	$7,400
Derek Carr	$5,500	$7,300
Kyler Murray	$5,500	$7,700
Philip Rivers	$5,400	$7,400
Gardner Minshew II	$5,300	$6,700
Nick Foles	$5,300	$6,300
Robert Griffin III	$5,100	$7,000
Sam Darnold	$5,000	$7,200
David Blough	$4,700	$6,600
Devlin Hodges	$4,600	$6,500
Will Grier	$4,600	$6,400
Brett Hundley	$4,500	$7,000
Case Keenum	$4,500	$6,800

Weekly strategy – I feel that the smart play is to just play it safe with Drew Brees. Pairing him with Michael Thomas is expensive but proper. If you don’t feel like spending up for those two consider pairing Matt Ryan or Jameis Winston with their top option. Aaron Rodgers could also be paired with Davante Adams. If you want to be cheaper yet consider Carson Wentz, Tom Brady, or even punt with Drew Lock or Case Keenum.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Drew Brees, Saints @ CAR ($7000 DK, $8400 FD)
Drew Brees popped up on the injury report Christmas day with a knee issue. It turns out that this is a nothing-burger. This game means everything to the Saints as far as playoff seating. So, there is zero chance that New Orleans calls off the horses at any point in this contest. It is true that RB is an easier position to attack Carolina with, but the Panthers’ defense phoned it in over a month ago. Start and stack Brees with Michael Thomas and/or Jared Cook. If you choose to fade this stack, then make sure you get some exposure to Alvin Kamara.

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers vs. ATL ($6600 DK, $8100 FD)
Atlanta has been a hot mess on both sides of the ball. They have been middle-of-the-pack at best this year allowing multiple total TDs to all but four QBs. In their earlier meeting, Jameis Winston threw for 313-3 and added 38 yards on the ground. Those ground yards have been a common trend against Atlanta. Five of the last six opponents to the Falcons have topped 24 rushing yards with their QBs. They have also allowed five QB rushing scores on the year. In addition, Winston has been on fire posting over three hundred yards passing in 11 of his last 13 games, with three games over the 400-yard plateau as well. Yeah, he will throw three INTs in this game too, but I’ll eat those for 350-3.

Matt Ryan, Falcons @ TB ($6500 DK, $7800 FD)
This game means nothing to both teams from a playoff perspective. It does however hold a significant impact on the makeup of the coaching staffs and rosters for each of these teams going into next season. Neither secondary is good, and Tampa’s run defense is elite. Pairing those factors together should open the flood gates for Matt Ryan to throw the ball as many as 60 times in this game. In their earlier meeting, Ryan was held both under 300 passing yards and out of the end zone. This is abnormal since he has thrown for over 300 yards in six of their prior eight meetings. This is the type of game that could end up 12-10 or it could be 55-49. I’m expecting the latter with both teams employing a “Pro-Bowl-style” “defense” and many field-length passes.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers @ DET ($6900 DK, $8300 FD)
On paper this looks like an easy matchup. That said, this may be too easy of a matchup. Aaron Rodgers is always a threat to go off for 300-3, but this year those performances have been few and far between. In fact, over his last seven games, Rodgers has only one game with more than one TD. Meanwhile, six of the last nine teams to face Detroit have watched their QBs throw for three or more TDs. With the Detroit defense struggling to hold opposing RBs in check in the passing game, I expect Rodgers to dump it off a fair amount to Aaron Jones. I also expect a fair number of passes to Davante Adams. The Packers are playing for a first-round bye, so expect them to go whole-hog this week. The main concern I have is that the Packers’ defense puts them up a lot early, and we get a ton of Jones running the ball in the second half.

Sleepers:

Baker Mayfield, Browns @ CIN ($5700 DK, $7400 FD)
Much like the Atlanta/Tampa Bay game, this game could be high-scoring or it could be a snoozer. Cincy has played with some spark on offense since Andy Dalton returned, and even if they win this week, it won’t affect their draft status. Dalton is playing for a contract somewhere else and Baker Mayfield is playing to reinforce to his front office that he is the QB of their future. There is a legit chance that this game could devolve into a shootout, with each QB looking to pad their resume. I like Dalton paired with Tyler Boyd, but I like Mayfield paired with Odell Beckham or Jarvis Landry even more.

Case Keenum, Redskins @ DAL ($4500 DK, $6800 FD)
Case Keenum got the start in their meeting back in Week 2. Now, he is back under center for the team’s final start of the year. Dallas has struggled with weaker passing games recently. The Redskins (with Keenum at QB) actually pose more of a threat than they did with Dwayne Haskins under center. Keenum has nothing to lose this week, and he is essentially auditioning for another potential bridge-role somewhere else next year. We also know that Dallas will be going all-out with the chance of winning their division, so Keenum will be forced to throw to keep up.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,000	$11,000
Saquon Barkley	$8,700	$9,300
Aaron Jones	$8,200	$8,000
Derrick Henry	$8,100	$8,800
Ezekiel Elliott	$8,000	$8,700
Dalvin Cook	$7,900	$8,000
Alvin Kamara	$7,800	$7,900
Nick Chubb	$7,500	$7,900
Joe Mixon	$7,200	$7,300
Kenyan Drake	$7,100	$7,300
Leonard Fournette	$7,000	$7,400
Marlon Mack	$6,900	$7,300
Miles Sanders	$6,800	$7,400
Todd Gurley II	$6,600	$7,800
Devonta Freeman	$6,500	$6,700
Josh Jacobs	$6,300	$7,600
Austin Ekeler	$6,200	$6,800
Phillip Lindsay	$6,100	$6,600
Melvin Gordon III	$6,000	$7,200
James White	$5,900	$6,300
Le’Veon Bell	$5,800	$7,100
James Conner	$5,700	$6,800
Latavius Murray	$5,600	$5,400
Alexander Mattison	$5,500	$5,600
Jamaal Williams	$5,500	$5,100
Devin Singletary	$5,400	$6,200
Mike Boone	$5,300	$6,200
DeAndre Washington	$5,200	$6,300
Kareem Hunt	$5,200	$6,100
David Montgomery	$5,100	$6,300
Carlos Hyde	$5,000	$6,400
Adrian Peterson	$4,900	$6,300
Ronald Jones II	$4,900	$6,200
Sony Michel	$4,900	$6,500
Tarik Cohen	$4,900	$5,500
Dion Lewis	$4,800	$5,400
Gus Edwards	$4,800	$6,600
Damien Williams	$4,700	$6,400
Justice Hill	$4,600	$5,900
Benny Snell Jr.	$4,500	$5,500
Kerryon Johnson	$4,500	$4,500
Rex Burkhead	$4,500	$6,200
Duke Johnson	$4,300	$5,200
Giovani Bernard	$4,300	$4,600
Jaylen Samuels	$4,300	$5,300
Patrick Laird	$4,300	$5,100
Royce Freeman	$4,300	$5,400
LeSean McCoy	$4,200	$5,700
Nyheim Hines	$4,200	$5,700
Boston Scott	$4,100	$5,400
Ameer Abdullah	$3,900	$5,200
Chris Thompson	$3,900	$5,100
Bo Scarbrough	$3,700	$5,400
Peyton Barber	$3,600	$5,100

Weekly strategy – Marlon Mack will be my most owned player. Whether he is my RB1 or RB2 depends on whether I choose to stack Drew Brees with Michael Thomas or not. If I stack the Saints, then Mack will be my RB1. Otherwise, Mack will be my RB2 paired with one of: Aaron Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara. When I use Mack at RB1, I will pair him with a second RB under 10% of my total budget. I may also choose to pull my FLEX from this position. Again, if I do that, I will keep it to less than 10% of my budget. Players I will consider in the range of RB2/FLEX include: both Bears, both Vikings, Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel, Kerryon Johnson, Damien Williams, both Ravens, both Redskins and Ronald Jones.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers vs. NO ($10000 DK, $11000 FD)
Just pencil in Christian McCaffrey for his regular 30 points per week and smile. He was absolutely peppered last week, and with records within reach, expect another double-digit reception game. New Orleans is tough to run against, but they are actually fairly rotten against pass-catching backs. C-Mac scored twice in their earlier meeting. It will happen again.

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys vs. WAS ($8000 DK, $8700 FD)
Dallas wouldn’t be in dire straits for playoff seeding, if they had just fed Ezekiel Elliott last week. With his job on the line, Jason Garrett won’t make that mistake again. Washington is allowing an absurd 172 combo yards per game to opposing backs and they have given up receptions by the plateful. Consider this a holiday feast looming for Zeke.

Aaron Jones, Packers @ DET ($8200 DK, $8000 FD)
As I mentioned above when detailing Aaron Rodgers, Detroit is super-susceptible to pass-catching RBs. Jamaal Williams is questionable at best for this week, so, Aaron Jones may be the only show in town to catch passes. On the other hand, Detroit is actually decent at holding RBs in check on the ground yardage-wise. So, don’t expect a ton of ground yards. Of course, Green Bay’s defense will likely annihilate David Blough. This should mean lots of volume for the Packers’ run offense after they get up huge early.

Alvin Kamara, Saints @ CAR ($7800 DK, $7900 FD)
The Carolina Panthers have allowed a comical nine RB touchdowns over the last four weeks. Plus, in their prior meeting, Alvin Kamara secured nine receptions against them. Over the Saints’ last three games, Kamara has re-established himself as the featured back in New Orleans. He has out-touched Latavius Murray nearly two-to-one. Murray will eat in this one too, but Kamara could be slate-breaking. If you don’t use Drew Brees/Michael Thomas, you absolutely must use Kamara to have exposure to this game.

Sleepers:

Marlon Mack, Colts @ JAX ($6900 DK, $7300 FD)
Speaking of slate-breaking potential. Marlon Mack is facing a defense that I have politely renamed Slacksonville. Over their last seven games, the Jags have allowed only 220 combo yards per game to opposing RBs. Plus, they have given up thirteen total RB touchdowns over that span. Marlon Mack will cede some touches to both Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, but he will still post an absurd line. You can even safely consider Hines and Wilkins as punt plays if you need to save some cash.

Sony Michel, Patriots vs. MIA ($4900 DK, $6500 FD)
Sony Michel gives up red zone touches to Rex Burkhead and passing-down usage to James White. Still, Michel has regularly out-touched both of them. Miami can be run on fairly easily. With Julian Edelman looking like Apollo Creed after facing Drago and a cast of goobers behind him, expect New England to run the ball a lot this week. I’m not going to predict a score here, but he should top 100 rushing yards without much issues. With a high-volume of usage, he may actually break one away before they can pull him for Burkhead.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$9,900	$9,200
Julio Jones	$8,500	$8,500
Davante Adams	$8,000	$8,400
DeAndre Hopkins	$7,800	$8,300
Tyreek Hill	$7,700	$8,200
Chris Godwin	$7,500	$7,600
Julian Edelman	$7,300	$7,500
Allen Robinson II	$7,200	$7,800
DeVante Parker	$7,100	$6,900
A.J. Brown	$7,000	$7,200
Robert Woods	$7,000	$7,700
Cooper Kupp	$6,800	$7,400
Breshad Perriman	$6,700	$7,600
Tyler Boyd	$6,700	$6,600
DJ Moore	$6,600	$6,000
Amari Cooper	$6,500	$7,500
Stefon Diggs	$6,500	$7,500
Courtland Sutton	$6,400	$7,100
Kenny Golladay	$6,300	$7,400
Sterling Shepard	$6,200	$6,200
Keenan Allen	$6,100	$6,700
Terry McLaurin	$6,100	$6,100
Adam Thielen	$6,000	$6,800
John Brown	$6,000	$6,400
T.Y. Hilton	$6,000	$6,500
Jarvis Landry	$5,900	$6,800
Anthony Miller	$5,800	$6,700
DJ Chark Jr.	$5,800	$5,900
Cole Beasley	$5,700	$6,300
Odell Beckham Jr.	$5,700	$6,600
JuJu Smith-Schuster	$5,500	$5,900
Michael Gallup	$5,400	$6,500
Robby Anderson	$5,300	$5,800
Golden Tate	$5,100	$5,900
Jamison Crowder	$5,100	$5,600
Mike Williams	$5,000	$6,300
Curtis Samuel	$4,900	$6,000
Darius Slayton	$4,900	$5,400
Justin Watson	$4,900	$6,100
Diontae Johnson	$4,800	$6,000
Zach Pascal	$4,800	$5,800
Christian Kirk	$4,700	$5,700
Greg Ward	$4,700	$5,600
Marquise Brown	$4,700	$5,400
Steven Sims Jr.	$4,700	$6,000
James Washington	$4,600	$5,600
Kenny Stills	$4,600	$5,800
Tyrell Williams	$4,600	$5,700
Chris Conley	$4,500	$5,800
Danny Amendola	$4,500	$5,700
Hunter Renfrow	$4,500	$6,000
John Ross III	$4,500	$5,200
Larry Fitzgerald	$4,500	$5,900
Sammy Watkins	$4,500	$5,600
Brandin Cooks	$4,400	$5,900
Russell Gage	$4,400	$5,300
Tajae Sharpe	$4,300	$5,600
Albert Wilson	$4,200	$5,600
Dede Westbrook	$4,200	$5,300
N’Keal Harry	$4,200	$5,400
Mohamed Sanu	$4,100	$5,300
Allen Lazard	$4,000	$5,400
Corey Davis	$4,000	$5,200
Ted Ginn Jr.	$4,000	$5,000
Randall Cobb	$3,900	$5,200
DaeSean Hamilton	$3,800	$5,500
JJ Arcega-Whiteside	$3,700	$5,300
Jarius Wright	$3,500	$5,200
Jakobi Meyers	$3,300	$5,100
Josh Reynolds	$3,200	$4,900
Vyncint Smith	$3,200	$4,900
Tavon Austin	$3,100	$4,800

Weekly strategy – Simply put, I am going to pair my WR1 with whoever I choose to start at QB. Michael Thomas is my first choice, but considering his price I will have exposure to Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Breshad Perriman and even Julian Edelman. Try to roster your WR2 for under $6K on DK and under $7K on FD. I especially like both starters for Cleveland, their opponent Tyler Boyd, and second-year guys Michael Gallup and Anthony Miller. Any of the three Giants could also be used in this range. There are several WR3 options that make sense including: Steven Sims, Greg Ward, John Ross, Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, Randall Cobb, DaeSean Hamilton, and all the Patriots’ scrubs.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Michael Thomas, Saints @ CAR ($9900 DK, $9200 FD)
Michael Thomas has become the C-Mac of WRs. He might not hit 3X, but he will still approach 27 points without much effort. Michael Thomas has topped 100 yards in eight of his last nine games. He also has double-digit receptions nine times this year. This game means everything to the Saints, and very little to the Panthers. Plus, Thomas can further stretch his receptions record. I smell 12-130-1 as a floor this week, with his numbers only capped because Carolina will give up three rushing TDs as well.

Davante Adams, Packers @ DET ($8000 DK, $8400 FD)
Detroit can be beaten through the air (especially by larger outside WRs). Since his return in Week 9, Davante Adams ranks second behind only Michael Thomas in terms of targets and receptions. In only one of those games, was Adams targeted less than 10 times. In a must-win game, Adams will see more than his usual allotment of targets. This should guarantee 100 yards and at least one score.

Julio Jones, Falcons @ TB ($8500 DK, $8500 FD)
Julio Jones played third-fiddle in the earlier contest between these two teams. One of those ahead of him, Calvin Ridley, is out for the year. The other guy is Russell Gage (who I like this week as well). Tampa has allowed the most WR receptions and receiving yardage per game all season. Plus, only two teams have given up more WR touchdowns. The last game wasn’t his best showing, but it was still pretty good. Even including that lesser line, Julio is averaging 7.1-117-0.7 against Tampa over his career. If you choose to fade the Saints’ stack, this game could be the one to load up on.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans @ TEN ($7800 DK, $8300 FD)
Two weeks ago, DeAndre Hopkins was held out of the end zone versus the Titans. He still posted a strong 6-119 line as Kenny Stills stole all the TDs. The Titans’ defense then proceeded to fall all over themselves trying to stop Michael Thomas. They failed, badly. Both, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills are questionable for this week’s game, Hopkins could become Option A, B and C. The biggest concern here is if Deshaun Watson is limited or out with his back issues. A.J. McCarron is nowhere near the threat that Watson is.

Sleepers:

Odell Beckham, Browns @ CIN ($5700 DK, $6600 FD)
Odell Beckham has been limited all season by questionable QB play and a myriad of injuries. Still, he has gutted it out and actually posted a reasonable final line. It remains to be seen if Beckham is back with the Browns next season. Still, he will be out there this week against a better-than-you-might-think Cincy pass defense. As I mentioned above, I expect this game to turn into a shootout. If that happens, both Beckham and Jarvis Landry will be solid stacks with Baker Mayfield.

Greg Ward, Eagles @ NYG ($4700 DK, $5600 FD)
The Giants defense is non-existent, six different WRs have scored multiple touchdowns against them. Greg Ward remains one of the few healthy eligible receivers for Philly. Since Week 14, Ward has 23 targets. The rest of the Philadelphia WR corps has ten. There have been a lot of targets funneled to Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, but Ertz is questionable for this week. If he cannot go, Ward may see even more pass attempts. At this price, Ward is one of my favorite WR3 plays.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Travis Kelce	$7,000	$7,500
Mark Andrews	$6,500	$7,000
Zach Ertz	$6,000	$6,700
Austin Hooper	$5,800	$6,000
Tyler Higbee	$5,600	$6,900
Darren Waller	$5,400	$6,200
Jared Cook	$5,200	$6,800
Dallas Goedert	$4,900	$6,400
Hunter Henry	$4,500	$6,000
O.J. Howard	$4,300	$5,500
Jonnu Smith	$4,200	$5,800
Jack Doyle	$4,100	$6,000
Mike Gesicki	$4,000	$5,900
Jason Witten	$3,900	$5,600
Kyle Rudolph	$3,800	$4,800
Kaden Smith	$3,700	$5,300
Noah Fant	$3,600	$5,600
David Njoku	$3,500	$4,500
Gerald Everett	$3,500	$5,200
Greg Olsen	$3,400	$5,200
Nick Boyle	$3,400	$4,900
Tyler Eifert	$3,400	$4,700
Cameron Brate	$3,200	$4,900
Hayden Hurst	$3,200	$4,700
Darren Fells	$3,100	$4,800
Vance McDonald	$2,900	$4,800
Irv Smith Jr.	$2,800	$5,200
Dawson Knox	$2,700	$4,800
Demetrius Harris	$2,700	$4,500

Weekly strategy – This is a great week to consider Double-TE. There are three higher-dollar options that I love in Dallas Goedert, Austin Hooper and Tyler Higbee. If I go Double-TE, I will pair one of them with one of: Jason Witten, Kaden Smith or Noah Fant. I could also just use one of the TEs and grab my FLEX from the RB position. In that case, any of the six make good options.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. ARI ($5600 DK, $6900 FD)
You get the hottest TE in the league and you put him against arguably the worst TE defense in history. What could possibly go wrong? Let us just hope that Sean McVay doesn’t get cute. If Los Angeles trusts the process here, we could see a 10-150-3 game. Even without trying, Tyler Higbee should post a floor of 6-60-1.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ LAC ($7000 DK, $7500 FD)
The Chargers have given up a TE score in three of their last five games. This includes a 7-92-1 line by Travis Kelce. Los Angeles is actually really tough against WRs, so Kelce may be featured once again. I’d be happy with a repeat performance. I just don’t think I need to play him at that price since the other options are elite.

Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ NYG ($4900 DK, $6400 FD)
At this point it is unclear if Zach Ertz will play. When he returned to the game last week, he was basically a decoy anyways. Dallas Goedert showed last week what he could do as the featured target and he may be in for a similar game this week. New York gave up 17-169-2 to the Eagles’ tight ends in Week 14. I’ll take half of that. If you need a sneaky stack, consider Goedert paired with both Carson Wentz and Greg Ward. Philly knows that they are fighting with the Cowboys for the division title, so they will do everything possible to win here.

Austin Hooper, Falcons @ TB ($5800 DK, $6000 FD)
Tampa has fared better against TEs of late. That said, prior to Week 11, they were being eviscerated by the position. In Week 12, Austin Hooper missed the game, but Jaeden Graham caught a 53-yard pass. Hooper is back fully healthy, and I expect this game to be a shootout. He might not have the upside of Goedert or Higbee, but he will be lesser-owned. This could pay off in spades in GPP formats.

Sleepers:

Jason Witten, Cowboys vs. WAS ($3900 DK, $5600 FD)
This very well could be Jason Witten’s last game in Dallas. Fortunately, he is facing a Washington defense that has given up seven TE scores over their last six games. Witten scored in the earlier meeting, and I fully expect that Dak Prescott will make sure that Witten scores here with his career possibly on the line.

Noah Fant, Broncos vs. OAK ($3600 DK, $5600 FD)
Oakland has given up 60 or more TE receiving yards eight times this year. Plus, the nine touchdowns that they have allowed to the position trails only Arizona. Meanwhile, Noah Fant doesn’t get a lot of receptions, but he does post some solid stats with them. Drew Lock is a sneaky stack with Fant and either Courtland Sutton or DaeSean Hamilton. I especially like using the Lock-Hamilton-Fant stack in SuperFlex formats where I can fit them alongside Drew Brees and Michael Thomas and a couple high-priced RBs.

Hopefully, everyone enjoys our holiday gift of bonus #DFS coverage this weekend. Of course, we still have Sunday to play through as well. With two days of DFS, I’m looking for more than two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree. That said, I guess I would settle for five golden rings. Because the only thing better than fiat currency in our e-wallets is real physical gold in our homes.

The Primetime Slate:

This should be fun. Kansas City is traveling to Chicago on Sunday night. Chicago is not the big bad defense they were last year and KC isn’t the record-setting offense that they were last year. Still, any offense led by Pat Mahomes cannot be ignored, even on the road. I’m not going to overplay the Chiefs’ offense, but I’d be lying if I said that I don’t intend to do a few Mahomes-Hill-Kelce style stacks. I’m less bullish on Mitch Trubisky. Yes, he has been better the last couple of weeks. The problem is, KC’s defense has also been better the last few weeks. Seven of the last ten QBs to face the Chiefs have failed to record more than one passing touchdown. Figuring out the Chiefs’ backfield is on par with comprehending theoretical physics. If we could make heads or tails of it, I would be happy to play one of them against a defense that has been solid but which has allowed a fair number of scores recently. Damien Williams practiced earlier this week. If he can go, he might be as safe of a play as you will find in this matchup. Of course, it also could just further muddy this four-headed monster. David Montgomery has been a huge bust this year, and it won’t get any prettier here. If I was going to roster a Chicago back this week, it would be Tarik Cohen. I’m even likely to use Cohen as my FLEX or RB2 this week because the Chiefs have been beaten by pass-catching backs. As I mention above, Tyreek Hill is certainly in play at WR1, and I may even pair him with another high-dollar WR. Five of the last six WR1s to face Chicago have scored, and Tyreek can score at ease and at will. Chicago hasn’t been great against WR2s either, but Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson have both been more miss than hit this season. At this point, neither is more than a dart throw WR3/FLEX. I almost prefer Mecole Hardman, if I want a boom/bust option. Allen Robinson is white-hot right now. Good luck fading him at WR2. There are a lot of WRs to choose from though, including Anthony Miller, who is also a possible WR3. As for the TEs, I tried the J.P. Holtz gimmick last week, it didn’t work, lesson learned (even against a beatable KC defense). On the other hand, Travis Kelce is a stud and he is facing a team that struggles with quality TEs. I doubt that I can afford him, but I will certainly try. The Chiefs’ defense will likely be my go-to.

Green Bay and Minnesota renew their rivalry on MNF. Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers should each post solid numbers. I give a slight edge to Rodgers, because the Minnesota secondary has been flaky of late. Dalvin Cook is out with a shoulder injury. Assuming that Alexander Mattison is also out, Mike Boone becomes the lock RB1. This is a pure indictment of how rotten the Packers’ run defense is. Aaron Jones is a better RB than Jamaal Williams. Still, Green Bay wants to give both of them touches. Jones should be the RB2 or RB3 on this slate. Williams is no more than a flier at FLEX. The Packers struggle with quality WRs, so both Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are in consideration at WR2. Davante Adams gets the better matchup against the Vikings’ cornerbacks. He is the deserving WR1 and either a pivot from Hill or a pair with him. Good luck deciphering the rest of the Green Bay WRs. Allen Lazard is the only one I’d consider, and then only at WR3. Green Bay’s TEs are easy ignores, despite a decent matchup. Both Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith are great plays for the Vikings. Rudolph needs to be the favorite TE pick this slate, since Kelce is so pricy. Both teams have good defenses, but I’d choose Minnesota at home before considering the Packers.

The Main Slate:

There are three rock star options this week. I hope to have one of: Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson or Dak Prescott in my lineups. I also don’t mind Kyler Murray or Philip Rivers as a pivot. Andy Dalton is the only punt play that I will consider. Lamar will run 16% on either site, while Russell and Dak will be 14% and 13% respectively on DK and Dak will be only slightly higher on FD.

Each of the three highest dollar options are appealing. That said, I am going to be lean thin here with some great values on the docket. My goal is to use two of the following: Joe Mixon, Mark Ingram, Leonard Fournette, Marlon Mack, Austin Ekeler and Devonta Freeman. If I want to spend up, I might consider using one of them at FLEX. In truth, my plan is to use DeAndre Washington at FLEX on the majority of my rosters. The only other RBs of interest to me: Phillip Lindsay, Patrick Laird or one of the Redskins. Target two of my value seven for no more than 28% on DK and 26% on FD. Washington will run you 8% on DK and 9.3% on FD.

We’ve spent a ton at QB/RB, so I will go cheap at WR. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Davante Parker are the only high-priced options that I trust will hit 3x. Michael Thomas will as well, but he is far too expensive for my roster this week. There are a few decent WR options between $5K and $6.5K. I will likely use two of them at WR1 and WR2. If I do choose Cooper, Allen or Parker, then expect my WR2 to be at the bottom end of this price grouping. At this point, I am leaning Darius Slayton and Hollywood Brown. I will also dumpster dive with WR3 by using: John Ross, Randall Cobb, Albert Wilson or Russell Gage. There are just so many possibilities here this week. Try to keep your WR1/WR2 spending to 24% on DK and 20% on FD. Your WR3 should be no more than 9% on either site.

Zach Ertz is the only sure thing at TE this week. Whenever possible I will use him. That said, much like WR, I may be forced to spend down for a risky choice such as: Noah Fant, Kaden Smith or Jacob Hollister. Ertz is 13% on DK and 11.5% on FD. Otherwise, your cheaper TE options on DK will top off at 8.5% and your FD choice should rate in around 9%.

The Broncos are the safest play and at only 7% on DK and 8.3% on FD, they are a great option. If I need to pay down, I’ll probably take a shot on the Giants, Redskins or Lions. None should be above 5.6% on either site. The Jets at $3.6K on FD remains a cheap option too.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $8K for Lamar Jackson. $12.2K for Devonta Freeman and Marlon Mack. $6.3K for Keenan Allen. $5.2K for Marquise Brown. $4.2K for John Ross. $6.4K for Zach Ertz. $4K for DeAndre Washington at FLEX. $3.5K for the Broncos’ defense.

At FD: $9.3K for Jackson. $13.5K total for Freeman and Mack. $6.7K for Keenan. $12.6K total for Hollywood and Davante Parker. $6.9K for Ertz. $5.6K for Washington. $5K for the Broncos’ defense.

At Fanball (classic – includes Sun Night): Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, Phillip Lindsay, Michael Gallup, Hollywood Brown, John Ross, Hunter Henry, and the Redskins’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Jackson, Andy Dalton at SF, Freeman, Mack, Allen, Hollywood, Mark Andrews, Ertz, and D. Washington at FLEX.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Jackson, Mack, Joe Mixon, Hollywood, Darius Slayton, Ertz, Freeman, D. Washington, and the Broncos’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Lamar Jackson	$8,000	$9,300
Russell Wilson	$7,000	$8,300
Drew Brees	$6,900	$8,200
Ryan Tannehill	$6,600	$7,800
Dak Prescott	$6,400	$8,000
Matt Ryan	$6,200	$7,700
Kyler Murray	$6,100	$7,700
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$6,000	$7,400
Daniel Jones	$5,900	$7,300
Jacoby Brissett	$5,900	$7,500
Carson Wentz	$5,800	$7,700
Matthew Stafford	$5,800	$7,500
Eli Manning	$5,700	$7,100
Philip Rivers	$5,700	$7,500
Drew Lock	$5,600	$7,300
Gardner Minshew II	$5,500	$6,800
Baker Mayfield	$5,400	$7,400
Derek Carr	$5,300	$7,300
Sam Darnold	$5,300	$7,400
Andy Dalton	$5,200	$7,100
Devlin Hodges	$5,100	$6,900
David Blough	$4,900	$6,800
Dwayne Haskins Jr.	$4,700	$7,000
Will Grier	$4,300	$6,000

Weekly strategy – Lamar Jackson is a cheat code, even at a high price. If I don’t use him, I may pivot to Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, Kyler Murray or Philip Rivers. If I need to save money, I might consider Andy Dalton. I shouldn’t have to though since I am going cheaper than normal at WR, and avoiding all the super expensive players at RB.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Lamar Jackson, Ravens @ CLE ($8000 DK, $9300 FD)
The Browns’ secondary has improved over the course of the year. They still are beatable, especially deep, which is Lamar Jackson’s thing. They have also given up rushing TDs to three of the five running QBs they have faced. One of the two that didn’t score against them on the ground was Jackson, but he finished their earlier meeting with three passing scores and 66 yards on the ground. This week’s line will be higher than that.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs. ARI ($7000 DK, $8300 FD)
Speaking of running QBs, this game features two of the second-tier of that class of QB. Lamar Jackson is the only running QB to do much damage against the Cards this year, but he produced RB1 numbers against them in his meeting. In their earlier meeting, Russell Wilson only notched seven rushing yards and only one score. At home (and with playoff implications) Wilson should triple that line.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ PHI ($6400 DK, $8000 FD)
Dak Prescott is dealing with a few minor maladies. This shouldn’t reduce his value against a rotten Eagles’ pass defense. Philly has allowed seven passing TDs over their last three contests, despite facing subpar QBs. In their earlier meeting, Prescott only threw for one score, but he added one on the ground. It is tough to run the ball on this defense, so Dak will be the primary beneficiary if Ezekiel Elliott struggles to move the ball on the ground.

Kyler Murray, Cardinals @ SEA ($6100 DK, $7700 FD)
Our top four QBs for this week are all capable “Rushing QBs”. Kyler Murray is not Lamar Jackson. He doesn’t even have half the rushing yards as the likely MVP. That said, Murray is number two at the position in rushing yards. With Russell Wilson throwing the ball all over the yard with playoff positioning on the line, Murray will need to throw it a ton also to keep up. He won’t beat Seattle, but Murray should post 250-2, 35-1 in a shootout.

Sleepers:

Philip Rivers, Chargers vs. OAK ($5700 DK, $7500 FD)
Oakland’s pass defense is nonexistent. Since Week 4, only one QB (other than Ryan Finley – who is not an NFL QB) has not thrown for multiple TDs. That QB at least added a rushing TD as well (and that game was a windstorm). Philip Rivers is no longer an elite QB, but he does have the third most passing yards of any QB this season. 300-2 is a guarantee here, and I love stacking him with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and/or Hunter Henry.

Andy Dalton, Bengals @ MIA ($5200 DK, $7100 FD)
No team has allowed more total TDs to opposing QBs than Miami. This includes six different teams recording three or more TDs. Andy Dalton has only two passing TDs in his three games since retaking the reins in Cincy, but at least this week he won’t be having nightmares of Stephon Gilmore.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,100	$10,800
Chris Carson	$8,500	$8,200
Saquon Barkley	$8,300	$8,800
Ezekiel Elliott	$7,900	$8,700
Derrick Henry	$7,700	$8,800
Alvin Kamara	$7,500	$7,200
Leonard Fournette	$7,200	$7,500
Nick Chubb	$6,900	$8,000
Mark Ingram II	$6,800	$7,600
Joe Mixon	$6,600	$7,800
James Conner	$6,500	$7,400
Miles Sanders	$6,400	$7,400
Kenyan Drake	$6,300	$7,100
Marlon Mack	$6,200	$7,300
Austin Ekeler	$6,100	$6,800
Devonta Freeman	$6,000	$6,200
Le’Veon Bell	$5,800	$7,100
Melvin Gordon III	$5,600	$7,000
Kareem Hunt	$5,500	$6,100
Phillip Lindsay	$5,300	$6,300
Jordan Howard	$5,200	$6,900
Latavius Murray	$5,100	$5,500
Adrian Peterson	$5,000	$6,500
Kerryon Johnson	$4,900	$4,500
Patrick Laird	$4,600	$5,500
Nyheim Hines	$4,400	$5,700
Gus Edwards	$4,200	$5,000
Bo Scarbrough	$4,000	$5,900
Boston Scott	$4,000	$5,400
DeAndre Washington	$4,000	$5,600
Jaylen Samuels	$4,000	$5,600
Royce Freeman	$4,000	$5,500
Wes Hills	$3,900	$5,600
Myles Gaskin	$3,800	$5,200
Chris Thompson	$3,700	$5,000
Bilal Powell	$3,600	$5,000
J.D. McKissic	$3,200	$4,900

Weekly strategy – DeAndre Washington at FLEX is the mortal lock. After that, there are several possible choices all in the same price range: Leonard Fournette, Mark Ingram, Joe Mixon, Marlon Mack, Austin Ekeler, Devonta Freeman and Phillip Lindsay. I will choose two of them on most of my lineups. It should be known that I actually like Saquan Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Chris Carson. I just want to save money here, so that I can afford Lamar Jackson and maybe afford Zach Ertz. If I choose to go cheaper at TE or QB, then I might opt for one of the expensive threesome. If I choose to go extremely cheap here, I may pair Washington with one of the Redskins, Patrick Laird, or Royce Freeman. I shouldn’t have to though.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers @ IND ($10100 DK, $10800 FD)
Christian McCaffrey is basically a lock for 30 DFS points every week. You get what you pay for. The Colts have only given up six running back TDs all year, but they have given up 166 combo yards per game over the last three weeks. With a rookie QB under center, expect C-Mac to handle a larger than normal workload, including a ton of short receptions. Six of their last eight opponents have gotten seven or more RB receptions against Indy. That is well below Christian’s floor.

Chris Carson, Seahawks vs. ARI ($8500 DK, $8200 FD)
Speaking of RB receptions, Arizona has allowed double-digit receptions to opposing RBs in four of their last seven games. With no Rashaad Penny, Chris Carson will see most of the pass-catching opportunities this week. This is in addition to his rushing yardage. Over their last seven contests, Arizona is giving up just under 175 combo yards per game to opposing RBs. As long as Carson doesn’t drop the ball (literally), he will net most of that figure.

Devonta Freeman, Jaguars @ ATL ($6000 DK, $6200 FD)
Devonta Freeman is not the back he used to be. He still has value when the matchup is right. This week the matchup is so right, that it feels wrong. Freeman will do things to this group of slappies that are illegal in most states. Since Week 9, Slacksonville has given up 222 combo yards per game to opposing backs, to go along with ten TDs allowed. I’m always a little concerned about Freeman getting vultured on the score, but the yardage alone makes him a top-5 play this week.

Joe Mixon, Bengals @ MIA ($6600 DK, $7800 FD)
Joe Mixon is the only member of the Bengals that hasn’t given up yet. Since Andy Dalton’s return, only Derrick Henry has more rushing yards than Mixon. He did get added to the injured list on Thursday with a calf injury, so pay attention to his status as the game approaches. If he cannot go, Giovani Bernard will be a slate-winner.

Sleepers:

DeAndre Washington, Raiders @ LAC ($4000 DK, $5600 FD)
Speaking of slate-winners, DeAndre Washington gets the start for Oakland against a Chargers’ defense that has been bad at stopping RBs who catch passes. At this price, it will be hard to fade Washington. If you want some exposure to this game without being chalk, consider Jalen Richard instead.

Adrian Peterson, Redskins vs. NYG ($5000 DK, $6500 FD)
The New York Giants have allowed 31 RB receptions over the last four weeks. That isn’t exactly the strong suit for Adrian Peterson, but he does catch a few passes here and there and he has scored on the ground in three straight games. If Peterson somehow misses this game, Chris Thompson would be an A+ play.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$9,300	$9,000
Julio Jones	$8,000	$8,000
Tyler Lockett	$7,600	$7,600
A.J. Brown	$7,000	$7,200
DJ Moore	$6,900	$6,600
DeVante Parker	$6,800	$6,900
Amari Cooper	$6,700	$7,700
JuJu Smith-Schuster	$6,600	$6,800
Kenny Golladay	$6,500	$7,400
T.Y. Hilton	$6,400	$7,300
DJ Chark Jr.	$6,300	$6,300
Keenan Allen	$6,300	$6,700
Courtland Sutton	$6,200	$7,100
Terry McLaurin	$6,200	$6,500
Sterling Shepard	$6,100	$6,300
Zach Pascal	$6,100	$6,600
Jarvis Landry	$6,000	$6,900
DK Metcalf	$5,900	$6,300
Odell Beckham Jr.	$5,800	$6,700
Tyler Boyd	$5,800	$6,300
Robby Anderson	$5,700	$6,100
Christian Kirk	$5,600	$5,900
Darius Slayton	$5,500	$6,000
Michael Gallup	$5,500	$6,500
Jamison Crowder	$5,400	$6,000
James Washington	$5,300	$6,600
Marquise Brown	$5,200	$5,700
Dede Westbrook	$5,100	$5,700
Mike Williams	$5,000	$6,500
Danny Amendola	$4,900	$6,000
Tyrell Williams	$4,900	$5,600
Golden Tate	$4,800	$6,200
Diontae Johnson	$4,700	$5,700
Nelson Agholor	$4,600	$5,400
Curtis Samuel	$4,500	$6,000
Russell Gage	$4,400	$5,100
Chris Conley	$4,300	$5,800
Marcus Johnson	$4,300	$5,900
Greg Ward	$4,200	$5,700
John Ross III	$4,200	$5,200
Larry Fitzgerald	$4,200	$5,700
Randall Cobb	$4,100	$5,300
Corey Davis	$4,000	$5,200
Steven Sims Jr.	$4,000	$5,700
Allen Hurns	$3,900	$5,300
Ted Ginn Jr.	$3,900	$5,300
Albert Wilson	$3,800	$5,400
Seth Roberts	$3,800	$5,100
Damiere Byrd	$3,700	$5,000
Tajae Sharpe	$3,700	$4,700
Hunter Renfrow	$3,600	$5,400
Keelan Cole	$3,600	$5,400
Tim Patrick	$3,600	$5,400
Demaryius Thomas	$3,500	$4,800
JJ Arcega-Whiteside	$3,500	$5,100
Tre’Quan Smith	$3,500	$4,500
Willie Snead IV	$3,400	$4,600
Vyncint Smith	$3,000	$4,900

Weekly strategy – By spending up at QB and TE, I will be forced to spend down slightly at WR. Fortunately, there are some great values this week. Much like RB, I won’t argue with Michael Thomas or Julio Jones here. I just want to spend less. The high dollar guys I really like here are: Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Davante Parker, Courtland Sutton and Kenny Golladay. I hope to squeeze one of them into each of my lineups. Worst case scenario, I will use two of the following to tie up WR1 and WR2: Christian Kirk, DK Metcalf, one of the Giants, Michael Gallup, Marquise Brown, Mike Williams, Danny Amendola and James Washington. My WR3 will just be someone under $5K on DK and under $6K on FD. My favorite choices there are John Ross and Albert Wilson.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Michael Thomas, Saints @ TEN ($9300 DK, $9000 FD)
It doesn’t matter who he faces, Michael Thomas is approaching Christian McCaffrey level DFS trustworthiness. Thomas has topped 100 yards in eight of his last ten games, and he has eight or more receptions in all but one of those games. Tennessee has allowed nine WR1 TDs in their last seven games. Michael Thomas is a lock for at least 10-100-1, and 14-150-2 is not out of the question. If you can afford him, get him into your lineup.

Keenan Allen, Chargers vs. OAK ($6300 DK, $6700 FD)
Keenan Allen has been a PPR beast all season, but he has only scored in four games. Fortunately for Allen, two of those have come in the last four weeks. Over their last five meetings, Allen has averaged 7-79 against the Raiders with two scores. The yardage and receptions should be a lock, and I’d say he has a decent chance of scoring too.

Julio Jones, Falcons vs. JAX ($8000 DK, $8000 FD)
In addition to sucking against the run, Jacksonville has started to get sloppy at covering bigger outside WRs. I’m not sure that Julio Jones will have as big a game as he did last week, but without Calvin Ridley the opportunities will be there. Jones got 20 targets last week, the rest of the team got 18.

Amari Cooper, Cowboys @ PHI ($6700 DK, $7700 FD)
Amari Cooper has battled some injuries and now his QB has some injuries of his own. Nevertheless, this is Philadelphia, and they cannot stop most high school passing offenses. In the last three weeks, the Eagles have given up 5-130-1 to Terry McLaurin, 5-154-2 to Darius Slayton and 7-159-2 to Davante Parker. Cooper is a better receiver than any of them. Plus, Cooper may be low-owned coming off a bad performance which was stunted by Dak’s injury and shadow coverage by Jalen Ramsey.

Sleepers:

Darius Slayton, Giants @ WAS ($5500 DK, $6000 FD)
Speaking of Darius Slayton, the Giants’ receiver has seven scores in his last seven games. Not bad for a guy who is technically the third receiver in his offense. Washington has been hit or miss this year at covering WRs. This week they will have their hands full with all three WRs healthy for the Giants. Any of the threesome could be a worthy play, but Slayton is the hot hand.

John Ross, Bengals @ MIA ($4200 DK, $5200 FD)
So, you want a discount stack to place in your lineup to build around? Consider John Ross and Andy Dalton. Ross has three targets and two catches in each of the last two games since his return. Meanwhile, Miami has given up multiple WR Scores in ten different games. There is a fair amount of risk here, but the price is cheap, and the opportunity shines.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Zach Ertz	$6,400	$6,900
Darren Waller	$6,100	$6,500
Mark Andrews	$5,900	$6,500
Jared Cook	$5,000	$6,600
Hunter Henry	$4,700	$6,100
Jack Doyle	$4,500	$6,200
Austin Hooper	$4,400	$6,000
Jacob Hollister	$4,200	$5,700
Dallas Goedert	$4,100	$5,900
Jason Witten	$4,000	$5,800
Greg Olsen	$3,900	$4,900
Jonnu Smith	$3,800	$5,400
Noah Fant	$3,700	$5,900
Mike Gesicki	$3,600	$5,300
David Njoku	$3,500	$5,000
Rhett Ellison	$3,300	$5,000
Kaden Smith	$3,200	$5,100
Tyler Eifert	$3,200	$4,700
Hayden Hurst	$3,100	$5,100
Ian Thomas	$3,100	$5,100
Vance McDonald	$3,100	$5,000
Ricky Seals-Jones	$3,000	$5,300
Blake Jarwin	$2,900	$5,300

Weekly strategy – Zach Ertz for the win…assuming you can afford him. If you can’t afford him, there are some cheaper pivots: Mark Andrews, Jacob Hollister, Hunter Henry or Noah Fant. Kaden Smith is the only punt play I’ll consider this week.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Zach Ertz, Eagles vs. DAL ($6400 DK, $6900 FD)
Zach Ertz remains the WR1, WR2, and WR3 for Philadelphia. This is a slate-breaker matchup against a Dallas secondary that has given up six or more receptions to opposing TEs eight times this year. This includes them allowing 21-218 to the position over the last two games. Ertz could get 20 targets in this game.

Mark Andrews, Ravens @ CLE ($5900 DK, $6500 FD)
The Browns haven’t been horrible at covering TEs. They have however given up seven TDs to the position. One of those TDs went to Mark Andrews back in Week 4. Andrews’ reception and yardage numbers have slipped in recent weeks, but he has scored five times in his last six games. If Andrews hauls in 4-40-1 this week, I will be happy. Especially, if he is part of my stack with Lamar Jackson.

Hunter Henry, Chargers vs. OAK ($4700 DK, $6100 FD)
Oakland has been almost as bad at covering TEs as Arizona has been. Eight times this year, the Raiders have given up 60 or more yards to the position. Plus, they have given up the second-most TDs to the position. Hunter Henry has been busy blocking of late and his target share has dipped. Still, you have to like his chances against this sagging defense. Henry has only faced Oakland four times in his career. He has averaged 4-53 over those games, scoring in three of them.

Jacob Hollister, Seahawks vs. ARI ($4200 DK, $5700 FD)
Jacob Hollister hasn’t done much since Week 10. Fortunately for him, he gets to face the Cardinals this week. Arizona has given up 15 TE scores and only three teams have failed to score against them. This includes a bunch of TEs that are crappier than Hollister.

Sleepers:

Noah Fant, Broncos vs. DET ($3700 DK, $5900 FD)
Noah Fant has quietly been the second-best receiving option for the Broncos this season. He doesn’t catch a ton of passes, but the ones he catches, he does a lot with. Meanwhile, Detroit has given up 16-138 to the position over the last two weeks.

Kaden Smith, Giants @ WAS ($3200 DK, $5100 FD)
No Evan Engram and no Rhett Ellison has meant plenty of Kaden Smith the last few weeks. He has been targeted 22 times over the last four games. Over the last five weeks, Washington is allowing an average of 6-78-1 to the TE position. All of that usage will be funneled through Smith this week.

I love these smaller slate game dates, so I decided to deliver a holiday present to all of my followers and readers. This weekend, you get two chances to line your holiday stocking with some greenbacks. So, get cracking on those lineups.

Houston Texans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Let us start with the most exciting game (from a fantasy perspective) on the docket. These two teams have the most electric offenses among the six teams playing today, so prepare to roster several players in this game.

The Bucs’ Jameis Winston is battling a thumb injury, but you wouldn’t have known it by watching the last two weeks. Winston is what he is, he will throw for more than 300 yards and 3 scores. He will also throw three interceptions. This sets him up as QB2 on the slate. Those numbers might take a slight dip with both of his Pro Bowl caliber WRs out this week. That won’t stop him from whipping the ball around willy-nilly. This week, Breshad Perriman will need another huge outing and Justin Watson will need to step up too. I love both of them and believe you need at least one of them in your lineup to have a chance. Either, Ronald Jones or Peyton Barber could be a stud this week. That is, only if the other wasn’t on the active roster. Since both will be active, they will eat into each other’s numbers. I prefer Jones, but neither is better than a FLEX here. Jameis has promised to target both O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate frequently this week. Howard out-targeted Brate last week, but both are playable here. They have to be considered TE3 and TE4 respectively. I could easily see using one of them at FLEX in a Double-TE lineup. Ignore the Bucs’ defense.

Deshaun Watson is my QB1 on this slate. Tampa Bay has no chance of slowing down this offense (especially if Will Fuller is 100% this week). Of course, this means DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills are all elite plays. Hopkins is WR1 on the slate, and the other two are WR2/WR3 options. Carlos Hyde has a rough matchup, but he might be worth a pivot at FLEX. That said, I’d prefer to use Duke Johnson if I targeted a Houston RB this week. This is a great matchup for TEs, but Darren Fells has disappeared recently and is TD-dependent. Jordan Akins is also salary-relief at best. I’ll likely fade both of them. Houston’s defense could be a sneaky play despite the high scoring likelihood since Winston will make some mistakes.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots:

The Patriots typically have had Buffalo’s number. That said, Tom Brady may have his own issues with a seriously hardcore Bills’ defense. I really don’t see any way that I can rank Brady as better than QB4 on this slate (and that is giving him a boost because he is the GOAT). Sony Michel has the tools to move the ball against this defense, but his usage is frustrating. You have to consider him as a possible FLEX, but no more. James White is the best play for this offense. With Julian Edelman battling a ton of injuries (and possibly Tre’Davious White), expect Brady to target White double-digit times. With shady matchups elsewhere, White is no worse than RB2 on this slate. I also might consider vulture Rex Burkhead as a FLEX play. As I just mentioned, ignore the usual stud performer Edelman, but consider Mohamed Sanu as a WR3. Someone has to catch passes from Brady, and Sanu was the guy who got the bump in targets last week. Nkeal Harry, Phillip Dorsett and Jakobi Meyers are WR3/FLEX plays at best, but choosing which one to trust is asinine. The best TE on the Patriots is Rob Gronkowski, and he is retired. That should tell you all you need to know about Ben Watson and Matt LaCosse. Starting the Patriots’ defense is never a bad idea.

Josh Allen has a rough matchup, but he has a big arm and a speedy weapon in John Brown. The deep pass has been the best weapon against the Patriots in the last few weeks, so Allen has slight appeal, just not a lot. He also can do some damage with his legs, so a single GPP stack with him and Brown (and/or Cole Beasley) is worth the risk. As I mention, Brown is in play at WR3 despite the likely Stephon Gilmore coverage. Beasley is probably the safer play, and he can be rolled out at WR3 as more of a PPR play than a shot in the dark like Brown. You can beat the Patriots on the ground, so Devin Singletary is in play at RB2. Don’t stretch for Frank Gore though. Dawson Knox isn’t a strong play this week with so many great TE options. There is too much Foxboro magic to over-employ the Buffalo defense here, but give them a little run.

Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers:

This matchup has some potential for points but also has the potential to be a defensive snoozer. San Francisco has been “touchable” lately, but they aren’t being ravaged. Jared Goff could rise to QB3 on this slate. This is by no means a positive indictment of him, but a positive indictment of all the other defenses on this slate. Todd Gurley has re-emerged as a fantasy force, and San Fran can be beaten by receiving backs. With a lack of big-time RB talent to choose from on this slate, Gurley is certainly in RB1/2 consideration. I wouldn’t risk Malcolm Brown though in limited usage. Cooper Kupp has been adequate recently despite getting sporadic snap counts. I like him as a WR pivot, but you cannot trust him at his price as a regular option. Robert Woods has been the golden goose for this team recently. In the last two weeks, San Francisco has been torched by WR1s. This means that Woods should be a lock at WR1 or WR2 for you. Is Brandin Cooks still alive? I seriously don’t know. Josh Reynolds is a sneaky WR3 punt play if you need to save money. Tyler Higbee and George Kittle are options 1A and 1B at TE. I’m likely to use both in a Double-TE configuration. The Rams’ defense is good, and their price is super low. That is a combination that I adore.

Jimmy Garoppolo is a solid QB, but the Rams’ pass defense is elite. He will battle Brady for QB4 on the docket. You can pair him with Deebo Samuel or George Kittle, but Emmanuel Sanders did jack squat last week, and this week he faces Jalen Ramsey. Yuck! The Rams’ run defense is suspect. Raheem Mostert is a great RB1/RB2 option, but his split usage hurts him. Tevin Coleman is TD dependent at best and Matt Breida is reception-dependent. Neither is better than a deep FLEX play. If Breida misses the game due to one of his 573 injuries, bump Mostert up slightly. As I said above, ignore Sanders. Deebo Samuel could be an option at WR3, but don’t force him into your lineup. George Kittle was a target hog last week. Los Angeles is not very good at covering TEs, so he is basically a must start. At worst, toggle between him and Higbee. Jared Goff does have the turnover gene, so the Niners’ defense can be used here.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $7K for Deshaun Watson. $11.9K for James White and Raheem Mostert. $8.5K for DeAndre Hopkins. $6.2K for Robert Woods. $4.6K for Justin Watson. $9K for O.J. Howard and Tyler Higbee at TE and FLEX. $2.5K for the Rams’ defense.

At FD: $8.6K for Watson, $12.9K for White and Devin Singletary. $7.2K for Woods. $7.4K for Breshad Perriman. $6.1K for Will Fuller. $13.7K for George Kittle and Higbee at TE and FLEX. $3.5K for the Rams’ defense.

At Fanball (featuring SuperFlex): Watson, Jameis Winston at SF, White, Mostert, Fuller, Woods and TRIPLE-TE: Higbee, Kittle, Howard.

At Fanball (Classic): Watson, White, Mostert, Hopkins, Woods, Kittle, Cameron Brate, Duke Johnson, Rams’ Defense.

At Fantasy Draft: Watson, White, Gurley, Hopkins, Woods, Kittle, Mostert, Howard, Rams’ Defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Deshaun Watson	$7,000	$8,600
Jameis Winston	$6,900	$8,400
Jared Goff	$5,800	$7,500
Jimmy Garoppolo	$5,500	$7,900
Josh Allen	$5,300	$7,600
Tom Brady	$5,200	$7,400

Weekly strategy – Don’t get too crazy, just use Jameis Winston or Deshaun Watson. If you have to be weird, use Tom Brady or Josh Allen. That said, don’t be surprised when that strategy fails.

Pay to Play:

Deshaun Watson, Texans @ TB ($7000 DK, $8600 FD)
Tampa’s pass defense is so bad that even David Blough threw for more than 250 yards against them. Deshaun Watson should be good for 300-2 through the air and at least one score on the ground.

Stay Away:

Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers vs. LAR ($5500 DK, $7900 FD)
Facing an elite defense like the Rams is not the optimal time for using Jimmy Garoppolo. He is coming off of a so-so game where he only targeted George Kittle. If I was Los Angeles, I would have Jalen Ramsey shadow Kittle. That isn’t going to happen, but it is what I would do.

Value Play:

Josh Allen, Bills @ NEP ($5300 DK, $7600 FD)
I don’t love this play, but Josh Allen is always a danger on the ground, and New England has had some issues with rushing QBs this year. Plus, Allen has a deep arm and a speed weapon in John Brown. New England has been susceptible to the deep bomb the last couple of weeks.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Todd Gurley II	$6,300	$7,400
Raheem Mostert	$6,100	$7,100
James White	$5,800	$6,500
Devin Singletary	$5,500	$6,400
Carlos Hyde	$5,000	$6,600
Sony Michel	$4,600	$6,100
Ronald Jones II	$4,400	$5,500
Duke Johnson	$4,100	$5,400
Peyton Barber	$3,900	$5,400
Matt Breida	$3,800	$5,300
Tevin Coleman	$3,700	$5,200
Rex Burkhead	$3,600	$5,800
Malcolm Brown	$3,500	$4,900
Frank Gore	$3,400	$5,000
Dare Ogunbowale	$3,300	$4,800

Weekly strategy – James White is the only must-start on the slate. RB2 is a choice between Todd Gurley, Devin Singletary and Raheem Mostert. I could see using two of them as well, with one at FLEX, assuming you don’t use Double-TE. Sony Michel, Duke Johnson and the Bucs’ backfield are the only other options slightly appealing.

Pay to Play:

James White, Patriots vs. BUF ($5800 DK, $6500 FD)
With Julian Edelman, hurt and covered by the dominant CBs of the Bills, James White will be the most frequent target of Tom Brady. Buffalo is beatable on the ground, and Bill Belichick only trusts White this time of year. So, expect him to get a solid share of the carries too.

Stay Away:

Carlos Hyde, Texans @ TB ($5000 DK, $6600 FD)
Based on volume alone, Carlos Hyde could have some value. That said, Tampa has given up some rushing TDs this year, but they have given up absurdly low rushing yardage per game. The only way Hyde hits 3x is with a pair of short TDs, and I think Deshaun will vulture those this week.

Value Play:

Duke Johnson, Texans @ TB ($4100 DK, $5400 FD)
Values are few and far between at the position this week. If you knew which TB running back would be the lead option, I’d recommend that. Tampa’s run defense is elite, but they have been beaten by pass-catching backs. Duke Johnson could play a sneaky role in what could be a pass-heavy game.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
DeAndre Hopkins	$8,500	$8,700
Chris Godwin	$7,400	$8,400
Cooper Kupp	$6,600	$7,300
Julian Edelman	$6,400	$7,500
Robert Woods	$6,200	$7,200
Breshad Perriman	$6,000	$7,400
Will Fuller V	$5,900	$6,100
John Brown	$5,700	$6,600
Emmanuel Sanders	$5,500	$6,400
Deebo Samuel	$5,100	$6,200
Cole Beasley	$4,800	$5,800
Justin Watson	$4,600	$5,700
Kenny Stills	$4,400	$5,500
Brandin Cooks	$4,300	$5,700
N’Keal Harry	$4,000	$5,500
Mohamed Sanu	$3,800	$5,300
Kendrick Bourne	$3,600	$5,100
Josh Reynolds	$3,400	$4,900
Jakobi Meyers	$3,100	$5,100
Phillip Dorsett II	$3,100	$4,900
Keke Coutee	$3,000	$5,400

Weekly strategy – DeAndre Hopkins and Robert Woods are options 1A and 1B here. I’ll try my darndest to fit both of them in. If not, I might use Will Fuller or Kenny Stills as a different Texans’ option. Cooper Kupp is also a possible pivot from Woods. You need to roster one of the Buccaneers’ pair of Breshad Perriman and Justin Watson. Watson is a lot cheaper, so he is easier to roll out at WR3. Others to consider at WR3: John Brown, Cole Beasley, Mohamed Sanu and Deebo Samuel.

Pay to Play:

Robert Woods, Rams @ SF ($6200 DK, $7200 FD)
I wanted to list DeAndre Hopkins here, but I trust Houston’s other WRs more than I trust the other Rams’ WRs. San Francisco has been crushed by WR1s the last two weeks and Robert Woods has been the primary beneficiary of Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks going MIA recently.

Stay Away:

Julian Edelman, Patriots vs. BUF ($6400 DK, $7500 FD)
Julian Edelman is battered, bruised and broken. Plus, he may see shadow coverage from Tre’Davious White. The rest of the Buffalo secondary is also elite, so escaping White won’t guarantee success. At this price, just don’t do it.

Value Play:

Justin Watson, Buccaneers vs. HOU ($4600 DK, $5700 FD)
Justin Watson was a popular sleeper last week, but Breshad Perriman got all the love behind Chris Godwin, Godwin is also out this week, so Watson will have to step up opposite Perriman. Both are great plays in what should be a shootout, but only Watson could be considered a value based on their prices.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
George Kittle	$6,500	$7,400
Tyler Higbee	$5,000	$6,300
Gerald Everett	$4,000	$5,300
O.J. Howard	$4,000	$5,500
Cameron Brate	$3,500	$5,000
Darren Fells	$3,000	$4,500
Jordan Akins	$2,900	$4,900
Dawson Knox	$2,700	$4,800
Ben Watson	$2,600	$4,500
Tyler Kroft	$2,600	$4,500
Matt LaCosse	$2,500	$4,500

Weekly strategy – This is the slate for Double-TE or even Triple-TE. George Kittle and Tyler Higbee are elite plays and both Buccaneers’ tight ends are in play. Heck, even both Texans’ TEs could be used in a pinch.

Pay to Play:

George Kittle, Niners vs. LAR ($6500 DK, $7400 FD)
George Kittle was the only option that Jimmy Garoppolo looked at last week. 17 targets while the rest of the team saw 15 targets. That partly explains how he has accrued 70 yards and/or a score in seven of his last nine games. The Rams have been poor against TEs recently. The only thing that could hurt Kittle is if the Rams decide to shadow him with Jalen Ramsey.

Stay Away:

Gerald Everett, Rams @ SF ($4000 DK, $5300 FD)
There isn’t really a fair “Stay Away” candidate at a high price. Gerald Everett is unlikely to play due to injury, but if he does suit up, ignore him. Tyler Higbee has made him an expendable piece.

Value Play:

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers vs. HOU ($4000 DK, $5500 FD)
Both O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate make great value options this week with all the injuries to the Buccaneers’ WR corps. In fact, Jameis Winston even came out and said that he would be peppering those two with targets. You want exposure to this game, so consider using Howard or Brate as part two of the Double-TE strategy or even as option three in the Triple-TE.

Let us leave our discussion of last week with the following thoughts: Arguably, the two best defenses in the NFC faced off and gave up a combined 94 points. Sometimes, studying stats and trends doesn’t matter, we are just going to see some team(s) go gonzo. If you rostered Drew Brees or Jimmy Garoppolo congrats, just know that that was not the optimal play.

The Primetime Slate:

This is going to be a tricky week, as Indy is the only team on the docket that has a questionable defense. Sunday, Buffalo and Pittsburgh lock horns. Pittsburgh has held seven of the last ten QBs to under 200 passing yards, but they have given up a few TDs to the position. Making this even a shadier play for Josh Allen, only three teams all season have topped 10 rushing yards with their QBs against Pittsburgh. The only QB to have any success on the ground was Lamar Jackson and even he did lesser than his standard numbers. If you take Jackson’s rushing stats away, the Steelers are giving up six QB rushing yards per game. This doesn’t bode well for Allen, who needs those rushing numbers to boost him from mediocre QB2 level-play to 1QB-league playability. These trends should leave him on your bench. Devlin Hodges isn’t a great play either as Buffalo has held 10 of 13 teams to one or fewer passing scores. With Jaylen Samuels dinged up, expect James Conner to get a full complement of snaps in his first game Assuming that Conner can go, he moves into strong consideration as RB2 despite any potential rust. Mainly, because most of the other options on this slate are gross. Samuels, if he plays would be RB3 or RB4. Devin Singletary also needs to be strongly considered at RB2. Pittsburgh can be beaten on the ground, and with some rough options here, pairing Devin with Alvin Kamara is probably the safest pairing. Since I don’t like either QB, odds are that I won’t like their receivers either. Pittsburgh has given up two WR scores total over their last five games. That said, over that same stretch they have given up solid statistical days to WR1s. So, John Brown could post a reasonable line and might be a WR2 option. I’ll probably still fade him, but consider using Cole Beasley at WR2. There won’t be enough passing numbers to go around to make Robert Foster or Isaiah McKenzie anything more than a Showdown Slate lottery ticket. JuJu Smith-Schuster was on target to play this week, then he left practice early on Thursday and put him back on the wrong side of questionable. If he does play, he will look across the field and see Tre’Davious White smiling back at him. This is not optimal for Smith-Schuster. Even if White doesn’t get ahold of the Steelers’ play sheet, he might make it look like he has it. Plus, James Washington and Diontae Johnson would get better matchups. Still, neither screams play me. Diontae could be a sneaky WR3 here. If JuJu doesn’t play, then Johnson becomes an even stronger option based on volume, but Washington would be shadowed by White making him even less appealing. Arizona finally figured out how to stop a TE, concuss him. Vance McDonald is not likely to be ready for this one and Nick Vannett is just a guy. It is too bad, since Buffalo has actually allowed back-to-back strong games to opposing TEs. The Steelers have struggled against upper-echelon TEs all season. Dawson Knox is on the up-and-up, but he is not upper-echelon. I’ll place him at TE3 on this slate, with a chance at TE2 status, if Jared Cook cannot play. Choose one of these two teams as your defense. I am leaning Pittsburgh.

Unlike what they showed last week, the Saints’ defense is actually talented. They are stiff against both the pass and the run. Indianapolis is short-handed in their passing game. Still, Jacoby Brissett is the QB2 on this sloppy slate. Of course, you shouldn’t have to use him, because Drew Brees is far-and-away the best choice on this docket. The Colts are actually stingy against the run, but they do give up a ton of receptions to opposing RBs. This makes me feel comfortable trotting out Alvin Kamara despite his recent struggles. Latavius Murray is not used often in the passing game, but he still should produce enough in parallel usage alongside Kamara, to stay FLEX-worthy. Raheem Mostert, Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette are the only RBs to top 100 total yards against the Saints this season. Marlon Mack returned and scored last week. This week he feels TD-dependent as well. He is RB3 at best on this slate, and if Jaylen Samuels and/or James Conner are active, he may fall all the way to RB5. Considering his price, I’m likely to fade Mack, but I may consider Nyheim Hines as a cheap FLEX. Marshon Lattimore will shut down Zach Pascal leaving Marcus Johnson as the only consideration outside for the Colts’ passing game. Johnson actually had a pretty good game last week. I think you seriously have to consider using him at WR3 here. T.Y. Hilton is questionable at best, and I wouldn’t trust him unless I see him fully practice on Friday or Saturday. If he plays, he would likely have to deal with Lattimore, making him unusable anyways. The only upside would be that Pascal would get a boost in value to WR2 consideration. Michael Thomas is the obvious WR1 on the slate. Don’t get cute, just play him. Ted Ginn and Tre’Quan Smith both get some potential FLEX love, although I hate playing two WRs from the same team. I don’t have any reservations about stacking a QB-WR-TE though, so, if Jared Cook plays, I’ll use him as TE2 and possible Double-TE FLEX on this slate. Jack Doyle is actually my TE1, especially if Hilton doesn’t play. Also, if Cook doesn’t play, consider Josh Hill as a possible FLEX, and he makes a great Showdown slate play. This game should have more points, so avoid both these defenses.

The Main Slate:

Jameis Winston is the far-and-away best option this week (but he is also questionable). If he cannot go, there are several decent pivots including: Russell Wilson, Pat Mahomes, Ryan Tannehill and Deshaun Watson. One of those things is not like the others. Tannehill could be the slate-winner, if you are ballsy enough to play him instead of one of the bigger names despite the similar price tags. Tom Brady at a reduced price is a possible value play, as are both QBs in the MIA-NYG tilt. That said, if I choose to punt, it will likely be with Gardner Minshew or Kyler Murray. Winston and the other top four all will run you right around 14%. Gardner, Murray and Eli Manning will run between 11% and 11.5% if you go that route.

Christian McCaffrey should be back in play against the Seahawks. It also helps that his price has finally dipped a bit. He is still five-figures, but he is usable. That said, I don’t think I need to use him this week. There are three amazing matchups with high-dollar backs: Chris Carson, Dalvin Cook and Derrick Henry. My plan is simple, start two of them – perhaps even try to squeeze all three in. I’m most likely going to use two and then FLEX in from this list: Phillip Lindsay, James White, David Montgomery, Raheem Mostert and DeAndre Washington (my favorite assuming that Josh Jacobs doesn’t play). If Jacobs does play, then he joins the top three in RB1 consideration). If you need to save money, punt options could include: Adrian Peterson, Duke Johnson, Patrick Laird, Matt Breida and Chris Thompson. Two of the big three will run you 35% on DK and 30% on FD. Try to keep your FLEX under 10% here.

Kenny Golladay, Julian Edelman and Chris Godwin are my favorite top-dollar plays. Spending up at RB will limit me to just one of those three at WR. Edelman may be the wise choice because you can pivot to Danny Amendola, Breshad Perriman, or Justin Watson to get exposure to the other two offenses at a cheaper price at WR3. Even if I use Godwin or Golladay, I still may use the other’s mate at WR3. The other options that I like in that spot are: Dede Westbrook, Mike Williams, Larry Fitzgerald, Mohamed Sanu and perhaps one of the Eagles. WR2 is harder. I will choose one of the Niners, one of the Giants, A.J. Brown, Christian Kirk or Allen Hurns. Choosing one from each of those tiers should cost you no more than 41% on DK and 35% on FD. The 41% won’t work easily, so you are probably going to be forced to use two WR3 level choices on DK putting you at roughly 33%.

Spending so much at RB, I’ll likely pay less at TE. The only high-dollar TE that I love this week anyways is Zach Ertz. David Njoku and Dallas Goedert could be cheaper pivots if you choose to spend up here. I’m just not going to be spending big here when I can get so many good options on the cheap. Tyler Higbee is woefully underpriced on DK, but his FD price is just about right. Other bargains are: Jonnu Smith, Kaden Smith, Jason Witten, Darren Fells, O.J. Howard and Ian Thomas. There are even three potential punts: Logan Thomas, Jesse James and J.P. Holtz. Try to keep your DK cost under 7% and keep FD under 10%.

I’m still squished up against it trying to fit all the required positions under the cap. This means that I need to go super cheap at defense. If money wasn’t a factor, I’d go with the Patriots. I’d even be cool with the Vikings or the Buccaneers. In reality, I’ll be choosing from the Jaguars, Bears, Lions, Chargers and Cardinals. You will be probably forced to spend around 5% on DK and 6.5% on FD, and even then, you might not fit it all in. If you cannot get even the cheapest options in, cut slightly at FLEX, or WR2.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $6.9K for Jameis Winston (or Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson). $16K for Derrick Henry and Chris Carson. $4.7K for DeAndre Washington (if Josh Jacobs doesn’t play), otherwise $5.2K for Raheem Mostert. $7.1K for Julian Edelman. Two of: Dede Westbrook, Allen Hurns, Mike Williams, Darius Slayton, Justin Watson, Breshad Perriman and Danny Amendola for a combined $8.6K or less. $3.9K for Tyler Higbee. $2.3K for the Lions’ defense (yes, against my QB).

At FD: $8.2K for Jameis Winston (or Wilson or Watson). $25.3K total for Dalvin Cook, Henry and Carson. $7.7K for Julian Edelman. $9.9K total for Watson and Amendola. $5K or less for TE (leaning Jonnu Smith, Kaden Smith, J.P. Holtz or one of the Lions). $3.8K for the Buccaneers’ defense.

At Fanball (classic – includes Sun Night): Winston (or Watson), Cook, Henry, Carson, Watson, Amendola, Slayton, Higbee, and the Bills’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Jimmy Garoppolo, Eli Manning at SF, Henry, Carson, Chris Godwin, Slayton, Deebo Samuel, Ian Thomas, and D. Washington (or Mostert or James White) at FLEX.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Garoppolo, Henry, Cook, Samuel, Amendola, I. Thomas, Carson, D. Washington, and the Buccaneers’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Patrick Mahomes	$7,100	$8,300
Russell Wilson	$7,000	$8,100
Jameis Winston	$6,900	$8,200
Deshaun Watson	$6,800	$8,200
Ryan Tannehill	$6,500	$7,600
Baker Mayfield	$6,400	$7,700
Aaron Rodgers	$6,300	$8,000
Dak Prescott	$6,300	$7,800
Carson Wentz	$6,200	$7,700
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$6,200	$7,300
Jared Goff	$6,100	$7,800
Jimmy Garoppolo	$6,100	$8,400
Kirk Cousins	$6,000	$7,900
Mitchell Trubisky	$6,000	$7,500
Tom Brady	$6,000	$7,600
Matt Ryan	$5,900	$7,600
Matthew Stafford	$5,800	$7,500
Drew Lock	$5,700	$7,400
Daniel Jones	$5,600	$7,300
Derek Carr	$5,600	$7,300
Kyler Murray	$5,600	$7,600
Philip Rivers	$5,600	$7,400
Gardner Minshew II	$5,500	$6,900
Kyle Allen	$5,400	$7,000
David Blough	$5,300	$7,300
Eli Manning	$5,200	$6,800
Andy Dalton	$4,900	$6,500
Dwayne Haskins Jr.	$4,600	$6,600

Weekly strategy – If Jameis Winston plays, I will do everything I can to fit him in my lineup. That said, I know with the RBs that I want, I may have to spend down here. That means I will probably end up using: Eli Manning, Kyler Murray or Gardner Minshew. Then comes the concern about Winston’s injury. If I can afford him, but he doesn’t play, then I could pivot to Pat Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson or even Ryan Tannehill. Know that if I use Murray, Manning or Minshew, I will stack their top WR with them.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers @ DET ($6900 DK, $8200 FD)
This is the ultimate injury watch. If Jameis Winston plays, he has the highest ceiling on the slate. With nine of his last eleven games over 300 yards passing (and two over 400 yards), Winston gets to face a very burnable Detroit defense. Dwayne Haskins is the only QB that has none posted a strong game against this secondary. 350-3 with 3 INTs is always the sweet spot for Winston.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks @ CAR ($7000 DK, $8100 FD)
Carolina has allowed six of their last nine opponents to throw for more than 300 yards. They haven’t allowed as many passing TDs, because teams just run the ball in against them with zero opposition. Wilson may be in play as a vulture for some rushing yards and possible scores, especially if Chris Carson’s fumblitis returns.

Pat Mahomes, Chiefs vs. DEN ($7100 DK, $8300 FD)
Denver’s defense has quietly fallen on hard times. Over their last four games, they have given up ten total TDs to opposing quarterbacks. Pat Mahomes’ numbers have been pedestrian since returning from injury, but at home versus a tilting secondary, he should be locked in for 300-3.

Deshaun Watson, Texans @ TEN ($6800 DK, $8200 FD)
Even when Deshaun Watson has a bad game, he still finishes out with a good fantasy line. He has especially fared well against Tennessee. In three career meetings, Watson has 803 passing yards, 138 rushing yards, and ten total TDs. Those numbers make him a great pivot play if Winston is unable to go. I’d feel even better if Will Fuller is able to go. If not feel free to stack Watson with DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Stills and/or Darren Fells.

Sleepers:

Gardner Minshew, Jaguars @ OAK ($5500 DK, $6900 FD)
When two rotten defenses face off, points can come in bunches. Gardner Minshew didn’t set the world on fire last week, but he was facing an elite pass defense. This week he faces a putrid pass defense. In fact, they are so bad, I feel dirty using the word “Defense”. If you ignore Ryan Finley’s ugly Week 11 performance in a windstorm, Oakland has allowed 27 total QB touchdowns over their other nine most recent games. At this price, Minshew is a great GPP play, and he makes an even better pair in SuperFlex.

Eli Manning, Giants vs. MIA ($5200 DK, $6800 FD)
This shapes as another game featuring two horrible defenses. Eli Manning looked spry last week, let us see if the veteran can continue to lobby for another contract next season. Only twice this year has Miami not allowed multiple passing TDs, and six different times they allowed three or more total QB scores. Eli has a safe floor of 250-2, but he could easily exceed that number if this turns into a battle of who is worse in coverage.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,000	$10,400
Dalvin Cook	$8,900	$8,500
Derrick Henry	$8,500	$9,400
Nick Chubb	$7,900	$8,000
Ezekiel Elliott	$7,800	$8,500
Saquon Barkley	$7,700	$8,300
Leonard Fournette	$7,600	$7,700
Chris Carson	$7,500	$7,400
Aaron Jones	$7,300	$7,800
Josh Jacobs	$7,000	$7,700
Austin Ekeler	$6,700	$7,200
Melvin Gordon III	$6,500	$7,400
Kareem Hunt	$6,300	$6,700
Joe Mixon	$6,100	$6,700
Todd Gurley II	$6,000	$7,600
Miles Sanders	$5,900	$6,800
Devonta Freeman	$5,800	$6,100
Phillip Lindsay	$5,600	$6,400
David Montgomery	$5,500	$6,400
James White	$5,400	$6,800
Raheem Mostert	$5,200	$7,500
Sony Michel	$5,100	$6,100
Kenyan Drake	$5,000	$6,200
Jordan Howard	$4,900	$6,900
Damien Williams	$4,800	$6,000
Tarik Cohen	$4,800	$5,700
DeAndre Washington	$4,700	$6,300
Ronald Jones II	$4,600	$5,800
Carlos Hyde	$4,500	$6,000
David Johnson	$4,500	$5,400
Patrick Laird	$4,500	$5,500
Adrian Peterson	$4,400	$6,300
LeSean McCoy	$4,400	$6,100
Peyton Barber	$4,400	$5,700
Jamaal Williams	$4,200	$5,400
Malcolm Brown	$4,200	$4,900
Darwin Thompson	$4,100	$5,400
Duke Johnson	$4,100	$5,700
Matt Breida	$4,100	$5,600
Bo Scarbrough	$4,000	$5,900
Royce Freeman	$4,000	$5,300
Tevin Coleman	$4,000	$5,200
Chris Thompson	$3,900	$5,200
J.D. McKissic	$3,300	$4,900
Ty Johnson	$3,000	$4,900

Weekly strategy – There are three obvious plays this week: Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry and Chris Carson. I will do everything I can to get two (if not all three of them) into my lineup card. In addition, if Josh Jacobs returns, he becomes a stud play too. If Jacobs doesn’t play, then DeAndre Washington makes the obvious cheaper alternative at FLEX. In reality, I will have some combo of these five players. The only other players that I will likely have any exposure to are: Phillip Lindsay, James White and Raheem Mostert. If you are desperate to save money consider one of the Redskins’ backs, Patrick Laird or Duke Johnson.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Dalvin Cook, Vikings @ LAC ($8900 DK, $8500 FD)
The Chargers aren’t awful against opposing RBs carrying the ball. What they have serious problems with, is stopping opposing RBs through the air. In six of their last eight games, Los Angeles has given up seven or more running back receptions. Dalvin Cook is already Christian McCaffrey-Lite when it comes to pass-catching skills. Against this defense, double-digit receptions are definitely in play, and any rushing yards and scores are just gravy.

Chris Carson, Seahawks @ CAR ($7500 DK, $7400 FD)
Carolina has given up an unbelievable 19 total RB scores over the last 8 games. Five of those have come just in the last two weeks. They’ve also given up 427 total yards to opposing backs over the last two. Chris Carson has no more Rashaad Penny looking over his shoulder. The only threat to Carson not posting a floor of 150-2, is the looming Russell Wilson vulture.

Derrick Henry, Titans vs. HOU ($8500 DK, $9400 FD)
Derrick Henry is nursing a minor hamstring injury which has me slightly concerned. That said, he has come out and declared himself ready to go for this weekend. With nine scores over his last five games, Henry needs to be in any lineup. I hope that the injury actually depresses his ownership numbers some. In their last four games, Houston has given up 781 total yards and eight total scores to opposing RBs. If Henry sits out, Dion Lewis could be fantasy gold at a very bargain basement price.

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers vs. SEA ($10000 DK, $10400 FD)
Christian McCaffrey is always a good play no matter the matchup. Seattle has allowed six different teams to notch seven or more RB receptions, and four different teams have recorded multiple rushing TDs against them. McCaffrey should be active on the ground and through the air, and as usual he should approach 30 DFS points.

Sleepers:

DeAndre Washington, Raiders vs. JAX ($4700 DK, $6300 FD)
This comes down to whether Josh Jacobs plays. If Jacobs plays, he is a top-5 option this week. If Jacobs sits, DeAndre Washington gets to abuse the Jokes-on-ville run defense. Over their last five games, opposing RBs are averaging 229 total yards and two total TDs against these fixed house cats. My Siamese is fiercer at attacking my feet at night than Jacksonville is at stopping the run.

Raheem Mostert, Niners vs. ATL ($5200 DK, $7500 FD)
Raheem Mostert got the dreaded “he has earned it” vote of confidence from Kyle Shanahan. I hope this doesn’t mean Shanahanigans are in play. Raheem Mostert gets a great matchup with Atlanta this week, but also know this is a revenge game for Tevin Coleman. In Mostert’s defense, Coleman has done zip and pip the last two weeks, so the revenge game factor is the only thing working in his favor. Matt Breida could also eat into Mostert’s looks, but it ultimately comes down to who gets the targets this week. Atlanta has given up double-digit RB receptions in three of their last five games.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
DeAndre Hopkins	$8,000	$8,600
Chris Godwin	$7,700	$8,400
Davante Adams	$7,600	$7,800
Tyreek Hill	$7,500	$7,900
Stefon Diggs	$7,300	$7,700
Kenny Golladay	$7,200	$7,900
Julian Edelman	$7,100	$7,700
Julio Jones	$7,000	$7,500
Tyler Lockett	$6,900	$6,900
Allen Robinson II	$6,800	$8,000
Jarvis Landry	$6,700	$7,400
DJ Moore	$6,600	$6,900
Emmanuel Sanders	$6,600	$6,900
Amari Cooper	$6,500	$7,700
Cooper Kupp	$6,500	$7,600
DeVante Parker	$6,400	$6,900
Odell Beckham Jr.	$6,400	$7,200
Adam Thielen	$6,300	$7,300
Keenan Allen	$6,300	$6,800
DJ Chark Jr.	$6,200	$6,300
Robert Woods	$6,200	$7,500
DK Metcalf	$6,100	$6,300
A.J. Brown	$6,000	$6,200
Courtland Sutton	$5,900	$7,000
Golden Tate	$5,900	$6,300
A.J. Green	$5,800	$6,600
Deebo Samuel	$5,800	$6,500
Michael Gallup	$5,700	$6,800
Will Fuller V	$5,600	$6,600
Christian Kirk	$5,500	$6,100
Tyler Boyd	$5,500	$6,300
Sterling Shepard	$5,400	$5,900
Terry McLaurin	$5,300	$6,000
Anthony Miller	$5,100	$6,300
Russell Gage	$5,000	$5,400
Sammy Watkins	$4,900	$5,400
Tyrell Williams	$4,800	$5,600
Allen Hurns	$4,700	$5,800
Darius Slayton	$4,700	$6,300
Dede Westbrook	$4,600	$6,000
Mike Williams	$4,600	$6,200
Brandin Cooks	$4,500	$6,300
Breshad Perriman	$4,500	$6,400
Curtis Samuel	$4,400	$5,600
Randall Cobb	$4,400	$5,400
Larry Fitzgerald	$4,300	$5,700
Mohamed Sanu	$4,300	$5,800
Taylor Gabriel	$4,200	$5,400
Danny Amendola	$4,100	$5,400
Kenny Stills	$4,100	$5,000
Hunter Renfrow	$4,000	$5,500
Kendrick Bourne	$4,000	$5,400
Mecole Hardman	$4,000	$5,600
Nelson Agholor	$4,000	$5,200
John Ross III	$3,900	$4,900
Paul Richardson Jr.	$3,900	$5,000
Allen Lazard	$3,800	$5,300
Corey Davis	$3,800	$5,000
Olabisi Johnson	$3,800	$5,200
Adam Humphries	$3,700	$5,400
Josh Gordon	$3,700	$4,800
Justin Watson	$3,700	$4,500
Phillip Dorsett II	$3,700	$5,200
Albert Wilson	$3,500	$4,600
N’Keal Harry	$3,500	$5,300
Geronimo Allison	$3,400	$4,600
Keke Coutee	$3,400	$5,400
Jakobi Meyers	$3,300	$5,100
JJ Arcega-Whiteside	$3,300	$5,500
Greg Ward	$3,000	$4,900

Weekly strategy – Chris Godwin could be in a big-money spot if Jameis Winston can suit up. Still, you have to worry a bit about Jameis’ injury and the presence of Darius Slay. I might get access to this game with Breshad Perriman or Justin Watson instead. They both make great WR3 options. I also could run it back with Kenny Golladay or Danny Amendola. The other big-dollar player I will have a lot of shares of is, Julian Edelman. Edelman paired with Watson and Amendola gets me maximum exposure and saves me money too. That will be my favorite threesome. The only other WR1 options I will consider are Emmanuel Sanders or Davante Parker (if he plays). If I roster Gardner Minshew or Eli Manning, I would likely pair them with D.J. Chark (if he plays), Dede Westbrook, Darius Slayton or Golden Tate at WR2. You can also possibly save some money using one of the backup Dolphins, one of the Cardinals, or one of the Texans backups in the WR3 range.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Chris Godwin, Buccaneers @ DET ($7700 DK, $8400 FD)
Will Darius Slay be able to slow down Chris Godwin. Not having Mike Evans, may make this point moot. Godwin could be targeted 20 times this week, and based on volume alone he has the highest ceiling of any player this week. Of course, this all assumes that Jameis Winston plays. Considering his price, Godwin may be too expensive for me. At worst, I’ll take a flyer on Justin Watson or Breshad Perriman.

Kenny Golladay, Lions vs. TB ($7200 DK, $7900 FD)
David Blough is not a good QB. That said, he does have enough brains to know to throw the ball up to freakish WR, Kenny Golladay. Blough has connected with Golladay for TDs in back-to-back games. He is a lock to score again here against a Tampa defense that has been destroyed by larger WR1s all season. If you are really feeling ballsy consider stacking these two.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans @ TEN ($8000 DK, $8600 FD)
DeAndre Hopkins did, what I said he would last week…burn Chris Harris. With Will Fuller out, Hopkins was the primary target of Deshaun Watson and he notched his seventh receiving TD. Fuller is questionable at best for this week, leaving Hopkins as a great option once again. Hopkins has seven career TDs against Tennessee over twelve games. Plus, he is averaging just under 100 yards per game against them.

Julian Edelman, Patriots @ CIN ($7100 DK, $7700 FD)
Tom Brady really only trusts Julian Edelman and James White in the passing game. Those two have nearly as many targets this year as the rest of the team combined. Edelman should be able to post another double-digit target, nearly double-digit reception game against a Bengals’ team that has struggled all year with inside receivers.

Sleepers:

Danny Amendola, Lions vs. TB ($4100 DK, $5400 FD)
Am I seriously recommending two David Blough pass-catchers??? Yes, Yes, I am. Tampa is that bad against the pass. Plus, they have been even worse against secondary receivers, than they have against WR1s. Nine of the last ten WR2s to face Tampa have scored TDs against them. Danny Amendola leads Detroit in targets over the last two weeks, and with no Marvin Jones, that number can only go up. The Blough-Golladay-Amendola triple stack could win a GPP.

Dede Westbrook, Jaguars @ OAK ($4600 DK, $6000 FD)
Dede Westbrook’s value this week is tied to whether D.J. Chark plays. Dede will be a top-10 WR (if Chark is out), or a top-20 WR (if Chark is in). Either way, he belongs in your lineup against an Oakland defense that is lacking in talent in the secondary. Westbrook has been bothered a bit by a shoulder injury, but that hasn’t stopped him from being a garbage time hero with Uncle Rico back at QB.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Travis Kelce	$6,500	$7,300
George Kittle	$6,200	$7,200
Zach Ertz	$6,000	$6,700
Darren Waller	$5,500	$6,200
Hunter Henry	$5,200	$6,400
Austin Hooper	$5,000	$6,200
Evan Engram	$4,900	$6,400
Dallas Goedert	$4,300	$5,700
David Njoku	$4,200	$5,500
Noah Fant	$4,100	$5,700
Gerald Everett	$4,000	$5,800
Mike Gesicki	$4,000	$5,200
Greg Olsen	$3,900	$4,900
Tyler Higbee	$3,900	$5,700
Jacob Hollister	$3,800	$5,700
Kyle Rudolph	$3,800	$4,700
Jason Witten	$3,700	$5,600
Jimmy Graham	$3,600	$5,400
Kaden Smith	$3,600	$4,700
Jonnu Smith	$3,500	$4,900
O.J. Howard	$3,500	$5,700
Cameron Brate	$3,400	$5,200
Darren Fells	$3,200	$4,700
Ian Thomas	$3,100	$5,300
Tyler Eifert	$2,800	$4,500
Anthony Firkser	$2,700	$5,000
Logan Thomas	$2,600	$4,700
J.P. Holtz	$2,500	$4,800
Jesse James	$2,500	$4,300

Weekly strategy – I really can’t afford to spend much here this week. Zach Ertz is the only expensive guy I like anyways. I love the idea of riding the hot hand in Tyler Higbee, but while his DK price is nice, his FD price may be more than I can afford. I will likely go dumpster diving for one of: Jonnu Smith, Kaden Smith, Darren Fells, Ian Thomas, one of the Lions or J.P. Holtz.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Zach Ertz, Eagles @ WAS ($6000 DK, $6700 FD)
Zach Ertz is the WR1 right now for Philadelphia. Last week, they were literally down to their last actual WR being healthy – AAF castoff Greg Ward. J.J. Ar”theee”ga-Whiteside may return this week, but Carson Wentz has zero faith in him to catch a pass. Ertz has nine or more catches and 90 or more yards in four of his last five games. He also has four TDs over that stretch. Meanwhile, Washington is back to their old ways of ignoring the TE position. Over their last four games, the Redskins have allowed a total of 21-272-4 to the position.

Darren Waller, Raiders vs. JAX ($5500 DK, $6200 FD)
Only two teams have given up more TE touchdowns than Jacksonville. This includes a pair last week versus the Chargers. Darren Waller no longer has Foster Moreau to steal his end zone looks. Waller’s numbers have been huge since Hunter Renfrow went down to injury. If Renfrow returns, it might ding Waller’s number slightly, but his price is still nice.

George Kittle, Niners vs. ATL ($6200 DK, $7200 FD)
Seven times this season Atlanta has allowed opposing TEs to top the 50-yard receiving mark. This includes 10-155-1 over the last two weeks. George Kittle channeled his inner Juggernaut last week and willed the Niners to a victory. This isn’t a bad matchup, I’m mainly afraid that he will be over-owned coming off that sick run. Plus, Atlanta can be beaten so many other ways too.

Tyler Higbee, Rams @ DAL ($3900 DK, $5700 FD)
Tyler Higbee has turned into in-his-prime Antonio Gates over the last couple weeks without Gerald Everett. Higbee has averaged 7-112 the last two weeks, and he scored in Week 13. Dallas has been destroyed by every quality TE they have faced this year. Of course, they even gave up 7-92 to the unholy duo of J.P. Holtz and Jesper Horsted last week. At DK, you can’t fade him at this price. The FD price is a little more appropriate, but still a deal.

Sleepers:

David Njoku, Browns @ ARI ($4200 DK, $5500 FD)
David Njoku gets the Arizona Free Space this week. Last week, Arizona finally figured out how to shut down an opposing TE…concuss him. As a Njoku dynasty league owner, I hope he can avoid a concussion this week. If he manages to accomplish this 5-50-1 is a lock.

Ian Thomas, Panthers vs. SEA ($3100 DK, $5300 FD)
Seattle is channeling their inner-Cardinals having given up 33-303-2 to opposing TEs over the last three weeks. With this recent run of futility, the Seahawks are up to seven games with seven or more receptions by opposing TEs on the year. Ian Thomas stepped in for Greg Olsen last week and posted a very strong 5-57-1. I expect a bigger line here.

So, Sunday wasn’t the huge payday that Thanksgiving was. I still finished in the green (thanks to a late heroic performance by Tom Brady, James White and Julian Edelman). Now we have reached Week 14. With Week 14, we get a whole new crop of DFS players. All of the redraft league guys who have been knocked out of their league’s playoffs suddenly jump into the waters of DFS, many without a life jacket. Pairing a larger number of wildcard entrants with a larger player pool (no more byes), only makes winning the big jackpots that much harder. The Dominator will still break down the entirety of the main slate, but I behoove you to get your entries into the Primetime-Only slate and the Afternoon-Only slates to continue to thin out some of the variance. As always, I will discuss the Primetime-Only slate below, but feel free to shoot me a message on Twitter @NewClearHarley, for my picks for the Afternoon-Only contests.

The Primetime Slate:

Seattle travels south to Los Angeles to face the Rams in front of a partisan crowd (likely partisan in favor of the Seahawks). The Rams have a solid defense, but they have been known to be susceptible to some mental lapses. Russell Wilson is certainly in play here as the #2 QB on the slate. I can understand the desire to go against the grain and start Jared Goff here, but I have him as the worst option on this slate. The Rams gave up a big statistical game to Chris Carson last time out, but their rushing defense has improved dramatically since than, and Carson has watched his primary ball carrier role reduced to RBBC. Los Angeles is still struggling with pass-catching backs, so Rashaad Penny is a safer play than Carson. That said, either could be used at RB2 or FLEX. Todd Gurley is finally starting to get a Gurley-level workload. This week he faces a run defense that has played well, but still given up a bunch of rushing TDs. Perhaps more important to Gurley’s value here is that Seattle has been a whipping-boy to opposing pass-catching RBs. Gurley has only seven receptions total the last three weeks, but that is seven more receptions than any other Rams’ running back over that period. I feel Todd is in the same boat with Carson and Penny as RB2/FLEX plays. Cooper Kupp always is a threat to score, but his price is usually higher than I’d like to spend, and the MNF WRs are very appealing. Brandin Cooks returned last week, but he was almost as visible as he was the prior weeks he was out. I’m not trusting him until we see better usage. Robert Woods, on the other hand, makes a strong play coming off a 19-target game. If I’m choosing a Rams’ WR this week it is him. Tyler Lockett was actually more incognito than Cooks last week. His 0-0 performance undoubtedly is responsible for knocking several of those newbie DFS’ers out of their redraft leagues. He will be extremely under-owned due to that fail (and the presence of Jalen Ramsey). You can’t trust him in cash games, but consider him as a sneaky play in GPP. Lockett did score in their earlier meeting, but most WR1s have struggled against LA since then (Hollywood Brown being the exception). D.K. (not decaf) Metcalf has been the better WR the last month or so, I feel better about starting him than Lockett. The Rams don’t give up enough through the air to seriously consider Josh Gordon or David Moore as anything more than a deep FLEX play. Will Dissly did damage against the Rams back in Week 5, but since then they have shut down every tight end not named George Kittle or Tyler Eifert. Jacob Hollister will probably be my TE4 on this slate, and not a particularly exciting option. Gerald Everett (or Tyler Higbee if Everett is out) is a great play here since Seattle is almost as incompetent at covering TEs as Arizona. Both teams are playable for defense, but neither is going to be a sure thing. If I choose between them, I probably would go with Seattle. That said, I will probably just roll with Philly on MNF.

I am pumped for Monday Night. Not. The NFC Least battle could produce some fantasy points, but it still forces us to watch two of the most underperforming teams in football. Fortunately, I can just use it as background fodder while @SteveGalloNFL and I record next week’s @BlitzedPodcast. I don’t really want to watch the game. I’ll just look at the box score when it is all done. Carson Wentz should be the QB1 on this slate, and Eli Manning is no worse than option 3. Count me among the many who hopes that Jordan Howard remains out. Miles Sanders by himself makes a solid RB1 or RB2 play. If Howard plays, then they will eat each other’s value and both become FLEX plays. The Eagles have done well against bad RBs, but they have struggled when facing premium RBs (especially through the air). Saquan Barkley is better than his stats suggest, and I will find it hard to fade him here unless it comes down to money. After a recent boost in their play, Philadelphia’s secondary got eaten alive by Davante Parker last week. Golden Tate is slated to return and he and Sterling Shepard are both solid WR2 options. If Tate doesn’t make it back, Darius Slayton is also in consideration at WR3. Meanwhile, the Giants have been rotten at covering everyone. Feel free to unleash Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. The only thing that will hold this trio back is their drops. I still feel strongly that they combine for 18-260-2, with most of that falling into Jeffery’s lap. He is coming off a 16-target feast, and I cannot imagine him getting fewer than 12 targets here. Dallas Goedert outplayed, out-targeted and out-produced Zach Ertz last week. Tight end is one of the positions that New York isn’t abhorrent as covering, but I still like each to be in consideration here as TE3 level. I’m just probably going to fade them both since they cut into each other’s stats. Evan Engram is slated to return and he instantly becomes TE2 on this slate. He and Eli were clicking earlier this year (and all of last year). Plus, Philly has given up several huge days to the position. Both teams are error-prone, so either defense would be an option. I like Philly a little more than New York, since Eli will be rusty.

The Main Slate:

Aaron Rodgers is the sure thing this week, I’m going to smash this spot as much as possible. Pivots from Rodgers could include Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Darnold. Darnold might be the sneaky play coming off a horrid start last week. I expect his ownership to be low. There are a couple punt options: Ryan Tannehill, Gardner Minshew and Andy Dalton are all in play. Rodgers will run me around 14% on either site. If I pivot to one of the other four, I can get it down to around 12.5% on either site.

Christian McCaffrey finally had his dud week. Don’t expect that to happen back-to-back. His price is still high, but the matchup looks juicy. I will have some exposure to him, especially since I don’t love a lot of the high-priced choices. The only top dollar guy that I will be all over is Leonard Fournette. If I can figure a way to fit it in both would be great. That said, I will probably have to settle for one or the other. Dalvin Cook claims he will play on Sunday. If he doesn’t, then Alexander Mattison becomes a chalk must-start. If Cook plays, he will be a pivot play at best and may still cede some work to the rookie. At that point I would use one of: Derrius Guice, Devonta Freeman or James White at RB2. If you go C-Mac and Fournette expect to spend 31% on FD but 36.6% on DK. This means that this combo is easier to do on FD. Fournette plus one of the cheaper options should cost you only 27% on DK or 23% on FD.

Once again, Davante Adams and D.J. Moore are the top two options. My goal is to have one or the other in every lineup. I could also use: Kenny Golladay, Calvin Ridley or DeVante Parker. If I don’t overspend at RB, I may even use two of them. My other WR2 options are: Zach Pascal, Will Fuller, James Washington, one of the Jets or one of the Titans. I could also use one of them at WR3. Otherwise, there are a lot to consider at WR3. They are headlined by my favorite: Allen Lazard. Just don’t spend more than 10% on whoever you choose at WR3. My favorite pair: Pascal and Adams will run me 27% on DK and 24% on FD. That is as high as I feel comfortable spending this week at WR1 and WR2.

There are four TEs that I love this week: Darren Waller, Hunter Henry, Jack Doyle, and Vance McDonald. This feels like a great week for Double-TE. If I don’t pull my FLEX from RB, I will likely just use two of the above four-some. Pairing two of them comes out to just under 22%. So, if you don’t go Double-TE, just make sure that your TE plus your FLEX comes in at less than that figure.

The Colts and Titans are where I will target my defense. Both are dirt cheap on DK and Indy is super cheap on FD. Each will run about 5% on DK and Indy is 6.6% on FD. You can also spend up and get the Vikings versus Detroit or Houston versus Denver if you save elsewhere.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $6.8K for Aaron Rodgers. $7.8K for Leonard Fournette. $5.5K or less for RB2 (leaning Devonta Freeman). Davante Adams and Zach Pascal for a combined $13.5K. $4.9K for Curtis Samuel. $8.9K total for Vance McDonald and Jack Doyle. $2.6K for the Titans’ defense.

At FD: $7.7K for Tom Brady. $18.5K total for Christian McCaffrey and Fournette. $13.4K total for Curtis Samuel and Julian Edelman. $5.6K or less for WR3 (leaning Allen Lazard or A.J. Brown). $4.9 for Jonnu Smith. $6K or less for FLEX (leaning James White or D. Freeman). $4K for the Colts’ defense.

At Fanball (classic – includes Sun Night): Ryan Tannehill, McCaffrey, Fournette, A.J. Brown, Lazard, Pascal, Jonnu, D. Freeman, and the Colts’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Rodgers, Tannehill at SF, McCaffrey, Fournette, A.J. Brown, Lazard, Tyler Higbee or Russell Gage at WR/TE, Jack Doyle, and Derrius Guice.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Tannehill, McCaffrey, Fournette, Lazard, A.J. Brown, McDonald, Freeman, James White, and the Titans’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Lamar Jackson	$7,400	$9,000
Patrick Mahomes	$7,000	$8,400
Aaron Rodgers	$6,800	$8,400
Kirk Cousins	$6,700	$8,200
Matt Ryan	$6,600	$7,600
Deshaun Watson	$6,500	$7,700
Jameis Winston	$6,400	$7,700
Baker Mayfield	$6,300	$7,600
Josh Allen	$6,200	$7,800
Jacoby Brissett	$6,100	$7,400
Tom Brady	$6,100	$7,700
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$6,000	$7,400
Sam Darnold	$6,000	$7,700
Devlin Hodges	$5,900	$7,000
Drew Brees	$5,900	$7,700
Kyler Murray	$5,800	$7,500
Ryan Tannehill	$5,800	$7,300
Kyle Allen	$5,700	$7,100
Matthew Stafford	$5,700	$7,500
Jimmy Garoppolo	$5,600	$7,800
Philip Rivers	$5,600	$7,300
Gardner Minshew II	$5,400	$6,600
Andy Dalton	$5,200	$7,000
David Blough	$5,200	$6,900
Drew Lock	$5,100	$6,800
Derek Carr	$5,000	$7,000
Dwayne Haskins Jr.	$4,600	$6,500
Tyrod Taylor	$4,300	$6,400

Weekly strategy – Aaron Rodgers is the safe play here and his price isn’t awful. I also like Sam Darnold, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins, Tom Brady and Jacoby Brissett. Tannehill will probably be my highest owned commodity when I don’t use Rodgers. My punt options are Gardner Minshew or Andy Dalton. I hope to do a lot of SuperFlex lineups on Fanball this week, pairing Rodgers with each of these other QBs – and stacking their WRs too.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. WAS ($6800 DK, $8400 FD)
The Redskins have allowed three or more QB scores in half of their games. This included three score games against some so-so signal callers. Aaron Rodgers is an elite QB, and he should have very little trouble moving the ball against this defense. Plus, the hookup with Davante Adams is begging to blow up once again.

Pat Mahomes, Chiefs @ NE ($7000 DK, $8400 FD)
Yes, the Patriots will try to take away one of Pat Mahomes’ weapons, the problem with that is that Mahomes has five or six options to throw it to. We can’t expect a 400-4 type of game here, but anytime Mahomes touches the ball 300-2 is a safe floor.

Tom Brady, Patriots vs. KC ($6100 DK, $7700 FD)
Tom Brady and Pat Mahomes may turn this into a shootout. It is not guaranteed, but if Mahomes comes out throwing, Brady will be forced to. Even if it isn’t a traditional shootout, Brady should complete many passes to Julian Edelman and James White. Making that threesome a great tri-stack.

Kirk Cousins, Vikings vs. DET ($6700 DK, $8200 FD)
This play gets even juicier if Adam Thielen plays. Detroit has been clobbered by every QB not named Dwayne Haskins. Heck, even Mitchell Trubisky has six TDs against them in two starts this year. In their earlier meeting, Cousins threw for 338-4. If Dalvin Cook is limited or misses this game, even more responsibility will fall on Kirk’s shoulders.

Sleepers:

Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ OAK ($5800 DK, $7300 FD)
The only thing that has stopped opposing passing games against Oakland is inclement weather (well that and Ryan Finley’s arm). Half of their opponents have racked up three or more scores from their QBs. Ryan Tannehill has done a decent job of keeping defenses honest while Tennessee gashes them with Derrick Henry. Henry may be limited due to injury this week, which should provide Tannehill even more opportunity to win it with his arm. If Henry ends up out, Tannehill could also vulture some goal line looks from Dion Lewis.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins @ NYJ ($6000 DK, $7400 FD)
The Jets just lost to a team that was trying to lose out for the top pick. Can they do it twice in a row? Miami’s defense isn’t good either. So, expect both teams to have success moving the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick has three scores in three of his last five games, including the previous meeting with the Jets. A similar line here is probable.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,300	$11,000
Dalvin Cook	$9,500	$8,700
Derrick Henry	$8,200	$9,100
Nick Chubb	$8,000	$7,900
Leonard Fournette	$7,800	$7,500
James Conner	$7,500	$7,100
Le’Veon Bell	$7,200	$7,300
Alvin Kamara	$7,000	$7,600
Aaron Jones	$6,700	$7,800
Kareem Hunt	$6,600	$6,400
Josh Jacobs	$6,500	$7,700
Melvin Gordon III	$6,400	$7,300
Austin Ekeler	$6,300	$7,000
Benny Snell Jr.	$6,100	$6,100
Marlon Mack	$6,000	$7,300
Mark Ingram II	$5,900	$7,400
Joe Mixon	$5,800	$6,700
Devin Singletary	$5,700	$6,700
Sony Michel	$5,600	$6,600
James White	$5,500	$6,000
Devonta Freeman	$5,400	$6,000
Phillip Lindsay	$5,300	$6,400
Kenyan Drake	$5,200	$6,100
Tevin Coleman	$5,100	$5,500
Jaylen Samuels	$5,000	$5,500
Derrius Guice	$4,900	$6,300
Jamaal Williams	$4,800	$5,600
Jonathan Williams	$4,700	$5,900
Matt Breida	$4,600	$5,600
Raheem Mostert	$4,600	$6,200
Bo Scarbrough	$4,500	$5,900
Alexander Mattison	$4,500	$5,100
Carlos Hyde	$4,500	$6,000
Damien Williams	$4,500	$6,000
Latavius Murray	$4,500	$5,300
LeSean McCoy	$4,400	$6,100
Ronald Jones II	$4,400	$5,800
Nyheim Hines	$4,300	$5,600
Kalen Ballage	$4,200	$5,300
Peyton Barber	$4,200	$5,700
Darrel Williams	$4,100	$5,500
Patrick Laird	$4,100	$5,500
Adrian Peterson	$4,000	$5,700
Darwin Thompson	$4,000	$5,200
Royce Freeman	$4,000	$5,300
Duke Johnson	$3,900	$5,600
Frank Gore	$3,800	$5,300
Jordan Wilkins	$3,700	$5,500
J.D. McKissic	$3,600	$4,900
Rex Burkhead	$3,400	$5,600
Chris Thompson	$3,300	$5,200
Myles Gaskin	$3,300	$4,800
Kerrith Whyte Jr.	$3,000	$4,900

Weekly strategy – I want to get as much exposure to Christian McCaffrey as I can coming off of his “lesser” day last week. I also want as many shares of Leonard Fournette as I can get. When I can’t afford that pair, I will consider: Devonta Freeman (also a great FLEX play), Melvin Gordon, James White, Derrius Guice and Kareem Hunt. I could also use Adrian Peterson or Duke Johnson as a punt if I need to save money. In addition, if Dalvin Cook sits out this week, Alexander Mattison becomes a chalk-lock at RB2.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers @ ATL ($10300 DK, $11000 FD)
Yes, Christian McCaffrey burned me a little last week. I still cannot completely dodge his slate-breaking potential. Over his last three meetings with Atlanta, C-Mac has failed to score a TD. That said, he does have 37 receptions and 508 total yards over that span. I’ll take ten catches with the chance of a TD every day.

Leonard Fournette, Jaguars vs. LAC ($7800 DK, $7500 FD)
The Chargers have allowed seven or more RB receptions in six of their last seven games. This is on top of any ground yardage they are allowing. Leonard Fournette is the only show at RB for the Jaguars. He has also been used extensively in the passing game all season, including the second-most RB receptions since Week 8. Consider Fournette a poor-man’s C-Mac this week.

Melvin Gordon, Chargers @ JAX ($6400 DK, $7300 FD)
Over the last four games, Jacksonville has allowed 818 combo yards and seven scores to opposing RBs. Plus, they just lost one of their top LBs, Myles Jack to IR with a knee injury. Melvin Gordon is still ceding some receptions to Austin Ekeler, but he is once again the bell cow for Los Angeles. I don’t usually stack-back RBs versus each other, but in a showdown slate this could be a fun strategy. Gordon also saves you a few bucks on DK, if you want to get C-Mac into your lineup.

Nick Chubb, Browns vs. CIN ($8000 DK, $7900 FD)
I don’t love Nick Chubb’s prices with Kareem Hunt stealing receptions and some touchdowns. Still, you cannot argue with the matchup. Cincy’s defense against the run has improved as the season has progressed, but that is an improvement from historically bad, to just putrid by this season’s standards. If you need a safe floor, and don’t trust the Jaguars’ offense, you could do worse here. Personally, I’d rather get my exposure by using Hunt at FLEX.

Sleepers:

James White, Patriots vs. KC ($5500 DK, $6000 FD)
Seven times this season, Kansas City allowed six or more RB receptions. This includes two games with double-digit receptions within their last five contests. James White had a huge game last week, so there is always the chance that Bill Belichick ignores him here. I’m not going to take the chance though. His receptions and his goal-line usage, make him a must-start at RB2 or FLEX here.

Devonta Freeman, Falcons vs. CAR ($5400 DK, $6000 FD)
Carolina has only allowed 17 RB scores over their last seven games. Devonta Freeman did nothing last week in his return except show that he was healthy. Plus, that came against a strong New Orleans’ run defense. If you were ever going to play Freeman, this is the week.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$         8,300	$        8,600
Tyreek Hill	$         8,100	$        8,300
Davante Adams	$         8,000	$        8,400
Stefon Diggs	$         7,600	$        8,000
Julio Jones	$         7,500	$        7,800
DeAndre Hopkins	$         7,400	$        8,300
Chris Godwin	$         7,300	$        7,900
Mike Evans	$         7,200	$        7,700
Julian Edelman	$         7,100	$        7,600
DJ Moore	$         7,000	$        7,100
DeVante Parker	$         6,900	$        7,200
T.Y. Hilton	$         6,800	$        7,000
Adam Thielen	$         6,700	$        7,300
Calvin Ridley	$         6,700	$        6,900
Kenny Golladay	$         6,700	$        7,400
Keenan Allen	$         6,600	$        6,800
Jarvis Landry	$         6,500	$        7,200
JuJu Smith-Schuster	$         6,500	$        6,800
Courtland Sutton	$         6,400	$        7,300
Odell Beckham Jr.	$         6,300	$        6,800
DJ Chark Jr.	$         6,200	$        6,200
John Brown	$         6,100	$        6,400
James Washington	$         6,000	$        6,700
Tyler Boyd	$         5,900	$        6,300
Emmanuel Sanders	$         5,800	$        5,900
A.J. Green	$         5,700	$        6,600
Deebo Samuel	$         5,600	$        6,000
Will Fuller V	$         5,500	$        6,600
Zach Pascal	$         5,500	$        6,100
Cole Beasley	$         5,400	$        6,100
Marvin Jones Jr.	$         5,400	$        6,400
A.J. Brown	$         5,300	$        5,400
Jamison Crowder	$         5,300	$        6,000
Christian Kirk	$         5,200	$        5,900
Dede Westbrook	$         5,200	$        6,200
Robby Anderson	$         5,100	$        6,400
Terry McLaurin	$         5,100	$        5,600
Mohamed Sanu	$         5,000	$        5,800
Tyrell Williams	$         5,000	$        5,700
Curtis Samuel	$         4,900	$        5,800
Russell Gage	$         4,800	$        5,700
Larry Fitzgerald	$         4,700	$        5,700
Marquise Brown	$         4,700	$        5,500
Sammy Watkins	$         4,600	$        5,600
Mike Williams	$         4,500	$        5,900
Phillip Dorsett II	$         4,400	$        5,400
Diontae Johnson	$         4,300	$        5,100
Allen Lazard	$         4,200	$        5,600
Allen Hurns	$         4,100	$        5,100
Albert Wilson	$         4,000	$        5,000
Auden Tate	$         4,000	$        5,500
Chris Conley	$         4,000	$        5,400
Danny Amendola	$         4,000	$        5,400
N’Keal Harry	$         4,000	$        5,500
Corey Davis	$         3,900	$        5,000
M. Valdes-Scantling	$         3,900	$        4,800
Adam Humphries	$         3,800	$        5,400
Mecole Hardman	$         3,800	$        5,400
Breshad Perriman	$         3,700	$        5,500
Demaryius Thomas	$         3,700	$        5,000
Kelvin Harmon	$         3,700	$        4,800
Kendrick Bourne	$         3,700	$        4,900
Kenny Stills	$         3,700	$        5,000
Olabisi Johnson	$         3,700	$        5,000
Alex Erickson	$         3,500	$        4,700
Jakobi Meyers	$         3,500	$        5,100
Geronimo Allison	$         3,400	$        4,600
Steven Sims Jr.	$         3,400	$        4,900
Willie Snead IV	$         3,400	$        4,600
Zay Jones	$         3,400	$        4,700
Christian Blake	$         3,300	$        5,200
Demarcus Robinson	$         3,300	$        4,500
Isaiah McKenzie	$         3,300	$        4,900
Tim Patrick	$         3,300	$        5,100
Parris Campbell	$         3,200	$        4,800
Jake Kumerow	$         3,000	$        4,700
Laquon Treadwell	$         3,000	$        4,700
Robert Foster	$         3,000	$        4,800

Weekly strategy – I might struggle to fit Davante Adams in a stack with Aaron Rodgers, but at least I can use Allen Lazard in that setup. Adams and D.J. Moore are the top options on the docket. I am still going to try to finagle one onto my roster. If I don’t use Moore, I could also use his understudy, Curtis Samuel. Other WR1s that I like include: Julian Edelman, DeAndre Hopkins and DeVante Parker. At the WR2 position, I will likely target from this list: Zach Pascal, Will Fuller, A.J. Brown, one of the Jets, or maybe one of the Bengals. Samuel and Lazard also come into play at that spot. WR3 could use one of the castoffs from the WR2 group or a deep sleeper like Adam Humphries, Danny Amendola and Russell Gage.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Davante Adams, Packers vs. WAS ($8000 DK, $8400 FD)
Washington’s pass defense versus an Aaron Rodgers’ led offense is not optimal for Redskins’ fans. Rodgers is happy to have Davante Adams back fully healthy. He has targeted Adams double-digit times in each of his games since his return. Plus, they have hooked up for three TDs in the last two weeks. Adams will top 100-1 here, and he has multi-TD potential in this matchup.

D.J. Moore, Panthers @ ATL ($7000 DK, $7100 FD)
Atlanta has allowed some ridiculous games to opposing WRs. D.J. Moore even had his way with them just a couple weeks ago. Since Week 9, Moore is second to only Michael Thomas in WR catches, and he leads all wide receivers in receiving yardage. He has also added three scores over the last two weeks. I like Moore to post another 100-1 here, and his running mate Curtis Samuel will get in on the fun too. If you cannot afford to sneak Moore into your lineup, make sure to use Samuel at WR3.

Julian Edelman, Patriots vs. KC ($7100 DK, $7600 FD)
Whether this game devolves into a shootout shouldn’t deter you from playing Julian Edelman. Edelman has double-digit targets in nine of twelve games and he has six or more receptions nine times this year too. The TDs have been a little tougher to come by, but I could see Edelman haul in close to ten passes here.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans vs. DEN ($7400 DK, $8300 FD)
This is a sneaky play. Most people will see DeAndre Hopkins getting shadowed by Chris Harris and fade this start. Give me that low ownership. Denver has actually struggled with WR1s recently. Tyreek Hill, John Brown, Keenan Allen and Stefon Diggs have all scored against them recently, and Odell Beckham posted a very nice line with Jarvis Landry stealing the score in their meeting. Differentiation is key in GPPs, this might be just the piece you need.

Sleepers:

Zach Pascal, Colts @ TB ($5500 DK, $6100 FD)
Zach Pascal is the only healthy WR left in Indy. The only other WRs to catch a pass last week were Marcus Johnson and Ashton Dulin. I’m still not sure if either of those people really exists. Tampa is dead last in every metric against opposing WRs. I really doubt that Dulin and Johnson are going to hamper what should be a 10-125-1 game for Pascal. The only thing that could hurt him, is if T.Y. Hilton makes an emergency recovery.

A.J. Brown, Titans @ OAK ($5300 DK, $5400 FD)
If I’m going to risk starting Ryan Tannehill, I have to start his best WR. Oakland is allowing the second-most yards per WR reception and every WR1 except Tyler Boyd has posted huge numbers against them recently. A.J. Brown did pop up on the injury report Thursday, so keep an eye on that as the weekend rolls in. If he plays, he is a must-start. If he is out, bump both Corey Davis and Adam Humphries into A-level spots.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Travis Kelce	$6,200	$7,100
Austin Hooper	$6,000	$6,600
George Kittle	$5,900	$6,700
Darren Waller	$5,800	$6,200
Mark Andrews	$5,600	$6,600
Hunter Henry	$5,100	$6,400
Jack Doyle	$4,600	$6,300
Kyle Rudolph	$4,400	$4,800
Vance McDonald	$4,300	$5,800
Jared Cook	$4,200	$6,500
Ryan Griffin	$4,100	$5,600
Mike Gesicki	$4,000	$5,400
Greg Olsen	$3,800	$4,900
Jimmy Graham	$3,600	$5,500
David Njoku	$3,500	$4,900
Noah Fant	$3,400	$4,800
Irv Smith Jr.	$3,300	$5,300
Jaeden Graham	$3,300	$5,400
Darren Fells	$3,200	$4,700
O.J. Howard	$3,200	$5,400
Jonnu Smith	$3,100	$4,900
Ben Watson	$3,000	$5,200
Dawson Knox	$2,900	$4,500
Jeremy Sprinkle	$2,800	$4,900
Tyler Eifert	$2,800	$4,500
C.J. Uzomah	$2,700	$4,900
Ian Thomas	$2,500	$4,000
Mo Alie-Cox	$2,500	$4,000

Weekly strategy – This is a great week for Double-TE. I love four options up top in Jack Doyle, Darren Waller, Hunter Henry (DK-only) and Vance McDonald. If I can afford it, I will use two of them. I might also throw in a few lineups with Travis Kelce (if I believe New England will try to shut down Tyreek Hill instead). I could also see punting with Jonnu Smith or Ian Thomas. If you want to get real cute consider Jeremy Sprinkle. I won’t but hey YOLO.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Darren Waller, Raiders vs. TEN ($5800 DK, $6200 FD)
Tennessee has struggled against every quality TE they have faced this year. David Njoku, Eric Ebron, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, Travis Kelce and Jack Doyle have all embarrassed this defense. Darren Waller is certainly comparable to that group, and he is coming off his third-best game of the year. With no Hunter Renfrow, expect additional targets to continue to come Waller’s direction.

Jack Doyle, Colts @ TB ($4600 DK, $6300 FD)
Jack Doyle is in a similar position to Waller. In the huddle, Jacoby Brissett can look around and Zach Pascal and Jack Doyle may be the only people he recognizes. Tampa has allowed opposing TE groups to top 50 yards nine times this year, and five of those groups have topped 80 yards. Plus, they have given up seven TE scores this season. I already discussed how bad Tampa is against WRs. Well on this offense, Doyle is basically WR2.

Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ NE ($6200 DK, $7100 FD)
Travis Kelce’s outcomes this week depend on whether New England elects to blanket him or Tyreek Hill. My guess is that they attempt to shut down Hill, which should leave some operating room for Kelce, but that is not guaranteed. At this price, and with so many other great options in the same price range, I will probably pass on Kelce. That said, you should do at least one stack with him and Pat Mahomes.

Vance McDonald, Steelers @ ARI ($4300 DK, $5800 FD)
Are you ready to believe in the start your TEs versus Arizona theory yet? I’m flummoxed by how many fantasy analysts on Twitter keep suggesting it is not a thing. At this point, Pittsburgh could suit me up at TE and I would score and top 75 yards against them. McDonald got 3-21 on three targets from Duc k Hodges in his first game back under center. Against this defense, those numbers will be tripled.

Sleepers:

Jonnu Smith, Titans @ OAK ($3100 DK, $4900 FD)
Jonnu Smith has done bupkis the last two weeks. Even third-stringer, Anthony Firkser got more looks last week. That said, we aren’t that far removed from Smith posting solid numbers earlier this year when Delanie Walker was out. Only Arizona has allowed more TE scores this season than Oakland, and seven teams have topped 60 tight end receiving yards against them.

Ian Thomas, Panthers @ ATL ($2500 DK, $4000 FD)
Greg Olsen is likely to miss this game due to a concussion. Last week, Ian Thomas stepped in and caught all four of his targets. He and Olsen combined for seven catches in last week’s game. If those all fall to Thomas (they won’t), he will make a serviceable punt play. Atlanta isn’t horrible at covering the position, but for only $2.5K, this gives you some huge flexibility at other positions.

Since it is Thanksgiving weekend, let me begin today by saying thanks for nothing to the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones crapped the bed last Sunday. Let me follow that up by saying thanks for everything to Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram for saving my weekend by paying big on the Primetime slate. Perhaps most importantly, however, thanks to my wife, for putting up with me working over the holiday.

The Evening Slate:

Houston hosts New England on Sunday. The Patriots get to pick on a Houston defense that has struggled to stop anyone this season. Tom Brady will absolutely eat here (for the first time in a couple of weeks). He has to be QB1 or QB2 on this slate at worst. Deshaun Watson isn’t a bad play most weeks. This week, I don’t trust him here. He will likely finish with around 200-2, and maybe 40 yards on the ground. This has him ranked fourth at the position. Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson are usable here as FLEX options. New England can definitely be beaten on the ground. The Texans are rotten against the run. They are perhaps even worse against pass-catching backs. Both, James White and Sony Michel are in RB2 consideration. Mohamed Sanu should return for this game and Phillip Dorsett (although still in the concussion protocol) are both in play this week at WR3/FLEX. It goes without saying that Julian Edelman is in consideration at WR1 or WR2. We have to assume that Stephon Gilmore will shadow DeAndre Hopkins. This makes him borderline unplayable. Will Fuller is the better play and I like him to post a couple long receptions and a possible long TD. He makes an ok WR3, if you go cheap elsewhere. I wouldn’t go so far as to consider Kenny Stills or Keke Coutee. New England has been susceptible to TE scoring. I like Darren Fells chances of scoring a short TD here. You cannot count on him for big yardage though. Does New England have a TE? Houston has given up a fair amount of TE scores recently too. That said, I think Rob Gronkowski has a higher likelihood of scoring this week off the field then Ben Watson or Matt LaCosse do on the field. If you need to save bucks, consider one of them, but know that you are probably looking at them splitting 3-30-0. Just pay up and play the Patriots’ defense.

Monday night could be fun. Kirk Cousins has historically struggled in primetime, but Seattle’s defense isn’t great. I feel that Cousins and Russell Wilson will get into a bit of a shootout. A lot will depend on whether both teams’ top WRs are good to go. It appears that both Tyler Lockett and Adam Thielen will play. This means that both Cousins and Wilson are playable with Wilson the slight favorite between them. Seattle claims that they will be splitting touches between Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson. This helps neither of them. My money is on Penny getting the first crack following Carson’s fumble troubles last week. Unfortunately for him, Minnesota is hard to run against. I doubt either performs well, and neither will produce the volume to be relied on as anything more than a FLEX. On the other hand, Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook is locked in as the RB1 on this slate. If Lockett plays, he is the clear-cut WR1 on this slate, as Minnesota gets burned regularly by speed WRs. I wouldn’t go too crazy with D.K. Metcalf or Josh Gordon. Each could be a WR3 here, but I feel there are better options in that price range. Adam Thielen will be a decent pivot from Lockett or Edelman. I could see rostering two of them, but I doubt you can afford all three. Stefon Diggs is also in play at WR2, but I feel Thielen is the better option. Neither Olabisi Johnson nor Laquan Treadwell is in play unless Thielen is ruled out. Even then, they would be no better than FLEX plays. Jacob Hollister has a sore foot, but a good matchup. If he can play through the pain, he is the TE2 on this slate. Minnesota has the top TE here in Kyle Rudolph. They also have the #4 TE in Irv Smith. Seattle is awful at covering the position and Minnesota isn’t much better. Either defense could be used to save money, but I still will have more exposure to the Patriots.

The Main Slate:

Quarterback is much juicier this week than last. Pat Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are the crème de la crème. Sam Darnold, Nick Foles and Carson Wentz are my favorite cheaper pivots. I could see punting with Kyle Allen, Devlin Hodges or Andy Dalton. Mahomes and Rodgers will run me 15% and 13% on DK and 14.5% and 13.5% on FD. Those might end up being a little too high for me. Darnold and Foles will run me only 12.5% on either site. Dalton is the wild card. He could have huge ownership, but at less than 10% of your budget.

Christian McCaffrey’s price doesn’t matter anymore. They could charge you 50% and he still would be worth rostering. I don’t love him to hit 3x, but he is a lock to hit 25 points again. I like both Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb, but don’t love either. I feel Saquan Barkley, at this price, is finally worthy of a roster slot. He will be my favorite RB1. My pivots include: LeVeon Bell, Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones. RB2 should come down to a choice between Miles Sanders (if Jordan Howard sits) and Jonathan Williams. I’d also consider Ronald Jones or Phillip Lindsay. I could also squeeze one of those four into my FLEX. More likely, I will choose my FLEX from Derrius Guice, Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Williams or Darrel Williams. Keep your RB1 and RB2 to a total of less than 27% (unless you use C-Mac – then you can go up to 31%). If you pull your FLEX from here, don’t spend more than 10% on either site.

If Tyreek Hill plays, you want him in your lineup. Otherwise, your WR1 should be either Davante Adams or D.J. Moore. In fact, I may use a pair of D.J.’s and pair Moore with Chark. There isn’t anyone else I would pivot to up top. My WR2 might also come from this list: Jamison Crowder, Robert Woods, Tyler Boyd, Darius Slayton (if Golden Tate doesn’t play) and Alshon Jeffery (if he plays). WR3 is going to be Curtis Samuel, Robby Anderson (if I don’t use Crowder), or one of the Jaguars. I see three decent punts to consider: Tim Patrick, Allen Lazard and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. Your top two should run you no more than 28% on DK and 25% on FD. Keep your WR3 at 10% or less. I wouldn’t spend more than 10% on either WR3 or FLEX here.

Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz have blow-up spots this week. I probably cannot afford either of them, unless I spend significantly less at another position. Hunter Henry would make a smart pivot, but won’t save you much money. Both, Evan Engram and Gerald Everett have great matchups, but neither is guaranteed to play due to injuries. If neither goes, Tyler Higbee and Kaden Smith make great bargain basement punt plays. If I don’t pay up or go down that punt tunnel, the regular-priced talent that I like best are: Jack Doyle, Ryan Griffin and Greg Olsen. Doyle, who is my favorite play of the week here, will run me just 6.6% on DK or 8.3%.

The Panthers are pricey and I will probably fade them. I prefer Jacksonville or the Chargers. I could also punt completely and go with: Kansas City, Arizona or the Browns. None of those five will run me more than 6.6% on DK and 7.7% on FD.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $6.1K for Sam Darnold. $7.4K for Saquan Barkley. $10.5K or less for RB2 and FLEX (leaning two of: Miles Sanders, Jonathan Williams, Ronald Jones or Phillip Lindsay). $13.4K for D.J. Chark and D.J. Moore. $5.6K for Jamison Crowder. $3.3K for Jack Doyle. $3.3K for the Jaguars’ defense.

At FD: $8.6K for Pat Mahomes. $7.6K for Barkley. $13K total for RB2 and FLEX. $13.7K total for the D.J.’s. $6.1K or less for WR3 (leaning: Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel or Tyler Boyd). $7.1K for Travis Kelce. $3.9K for the Chargers’ defense.

At Fanball (classic – includes Sun Night): Darnold, Christian McCaffrey, Barkley, Chark, Samuel, Crowder, Kaden Smith (assuming no Evan Engram), M. Sanders (if no Jordan Howard, otherwise Derrius Guice or Ronald Jones), and the Chargers’ defense.

At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Mahomes, Andy Dalton at SF, Christian McCaffrey, Barkley, Boyd, Darius Slayton (if no Golden Tate, otherwise Allen Lazard), J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Kelce, and Guice.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Dalton, McCaffrey, Barkley, Chark, Boyd, Doyle, Aaron Jones, Guice, and the Browns’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Patrick Mahomes	$7,400	$8,600
Lamar Jackson	$7,000	$8,700
Aaron Rodgers	$6,500	$8,100
Kyler Murray	$6,400	$7,700
Jameis Winston	$6,300	$7,600
Baker Mayfield	$6,200	$7,600
Sam Darnold	$6,100	$7,600
Jared Goff	$6,000	$7,900
Jacoby Brissett	$5,900	$7,200
Carson Wentz	$5,800	$7,300
Nick Foles	$5,700	$7,500
Ryan Tannehill	$5,700	$7,300
Daniel Jones	$5,600	$7,400
Jimmy Garoppolo	$5,600	$8,000
Derek Carr	$5,500	$7,200
Kyle Allen	$5,500	$7,200
Philip Rivers	$5,500	$7,300
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$5,400	$7,100
Devlin Hodges	$5,100	$6,800
Mike Glennon	$4,800	$6,000
Andy Dalton	$4,700	$6,000
Dwayne Haskins Jr.	$4,600	$6,500

Weekly strategy – Pat Mahomes is gold against a bad Oakland defense. Aaron Rodgers will also be popular facing the equally bad Giants. Lamar Jackson could be a sneaky play, since he has proven capable of doing well against anyone. He may be under-owned due to the matchup. Sam Darnold at a cheaper price is probably my favorite non-Mahomes play. I also like Carson Wentz, Nick Foles and Ryan Tannehill at this price point. I am also fine with punting the position this week. Kyle Allen, Devlin Hodges and Andy Dalton are all possibilities. Dalton should have high ownership because of his price, but the matchup is sweet.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Pat Mahomes, Chiefs vs. OAK ($7400 DK, $8600 FD)
Back in Week 2, Pat Mahomes lit up this defense for 443-4. This was just the first of six games in which Oakland has allowed three or more total TDs to opposing QBs. It was also the first of three 400-yard passing performances against them. With question marks among their RBs, I expect Kansas City to emphasize the pass even more than normal. This should equate to another 350-3 floor.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers @ NYG ($6500 DK, $8100 FD)
The Giants have given up multiple QB Scores in all but two games. One of those games came against Dwayne Haskins in his first career start. Aaron Rodgers has had an underwhelming season, but this matchup should get him right. His best outings of the year have been against suspect secondaries such as: Philadelphia, the Chiefs and the Raiders. I’d reckon the Giants’ secondary is worse than all three of those teams.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens vs. SF ($7000 DK, $8700 FD)
You cannot love the matchup for Lamar Jackson here. That said, Jackson is approaching Christian McCaffrey’ matchup-proof status. Frankly, even if he does mediocre here, he may approach 3x points. You just never know about him because of his ability to destroy the defense with his legs. One thing working for Jackson is that San Fran has struggled the last few weeks against rushing QBs, including big games from Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray (2x).

Sam Darnold, Jets @ CIN ($6100 DK, $7600 FD)
The Bengals are middle-of-the-pack at best against opposing QBs. They have also given up several QB rushing TDs. Over the last three weeks, Sam Darnold is fifth in passing yards, second in passing scores and he has added two rushing TDs. Another three-pack looks safe here, and this game could turn into a sneaky shootout (assuming Andy Dalton isn’t rusty).

Sleepers:

Nick Foles, Jaguars vs. TB ($5700 DK, $7500 FD)
Tampa Bay just held Atlanta to 326-1 last week. That is one of their BETTER defensive performances of the year. Nick Foles has been just ‘aight since his return, but this week screams blow up for him. With the Bucs shutting down the rushing game, I expect Foles to target D.J. Chark, Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley excessively. Foles-Chark is one of my favorite stacks of the week.

Andy Dalton, Bengals vs. NYJ ($4700 DK, $6000 FD)
As I mentioned above, this game could devolve into a shootout. Neither team is very good at playing defense against the pass, but New York is actually pretty good against the run. Before shutting out the Raiders last week, New York had allowed 12 passing TDs over their prior four contests against: Dwayne Haskins, Daniel Jones, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gardner Minshew. If they can get it done, Andy Dalton should be able to as well. It all comes down to whether he is rusty, and whether he even cares.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,500	$11,000
Nick Chubb	$7,800	$8,200
Derrick Henry	$7,600	$8,600
Leonard Fournette	$7,500	$7,600
Saquon Barkley	$7,400	$7,600
James Conner	$7,300	$7,100
Le’Veon Bell	$7,200	$7,300
Josh Jacobs	$6,900	$7,700
Aaron Jones	$6,800	$8,000
Todd Gurley II	$6,500	$7,400
Melvin Gordon III	$6,400	$7,000
Marlon Mack	$6,200	$7,300
Mark Ingram II	$6,000	$7,500
Tevin Coleman	$5,900	$6,100
Joe Mixon	$5,800	$6,500
Austin Ekeler	$5,700	$6,700
Jaylen Samuels	$5,700	$5,500
Kenyan Drake	$5,600	$6,400
Kareem Hunt	$5,500	$5,900
Miles Sanders	$5,400	$5,800
Jonathan Williams	$5,300	$6,800
Malcolm Brown	$5,200	$4,900
Ronald Jones II	$5,100	$6,200
Phillip Lindsay	$5,000	$6,300
Matt Breida	$4,900	$5,900
Damien Williams	$4,800	$6,000
LeSean McCoy	$4,800	$5,800
Benny Snell Jr.	$4,700	$6,100
Jordan Howard	$4,700	$6,500
David Johnson	$4,600	$5,700
Gus Edwards	$4,600	$5,400
Derrius Guice	$4,500	$5,400
Jamaal Williams	$4,500	$5,600
Darrel Williams	$4,400	$5,400
Nyheim Hines	$4,200	$5,500
Royce Freeman	$4,200	$5,300
Kalen Ballage	$4,000	$5,300
Adrian Peterson	$3,900	$5,800
Raheem Mostert	$3,800	$4,800
Chris Thompson	$3,700	$5,200
Jeff Wilson Jr.	$3,600	$5,000
Peyton Barber	$3,500	$5,400
Dion Lewis	$3,400	$4,700
Jordan Wilkins	$3,300	$4,700
Trey Edmunds	$3,300	$4,800
Patrick Laird	$3,200	$4,900
Kerrith Whyte Jr.	$3,100	$5,100
Darwin Thompson	$3,000	$4,500

Weekly strategy – Saquan Barkley is the safest play on the docket. I also like Christian McCaffrey because you cannot put a price on his output. Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones are all in play as pivots, since Barkley hasn’t been nearly as reliable as I wish he would be. RB2 options include: Jonathan Williams, Miles Sanders, Ronald Jones and Phillip Lindsay. I also like the idea of using Derrius Guice or Jamaal Williams if you need to save money. The only other punt plays I might consider are: Adrian Peterson, Nyheim Hines, and Darrel Williams (if both Shady McCoy and Damien Williams are out).

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers vs. WAS ($10500 DK, $11000 FD)
At this point, the price doesn’t matter. Christian McCaffrey at worst approaches 30 DFS points every week. Even against the best defenses, and even against crappy game scripts. If you can afford him, just plug and play. I know I won’t completely ignore him against a bad Washington run defense.

Saquan Barkley, Giants vs. GB ($7400 DK, $7600 FD)
Green Bay gives up running back scores way too often. The team has allowed six RB scores over the last four weeks. They have also allowed significant RB receiving yards every week this year. With Golden Tate likely out, I expect Daniel Jones to target Saquan Barkley even more often here. Coming off of back-to-back duds, Barkley will be lesser owned, making this a great GPP play.

Derrick Henry, Titans @ IND ($7600 DK, $8600 FD)
Whereas Barkley has struggled recently, Derrick Henry has been scorching recently. Over the last three weeks, he leads the league in rushing yards and rushing scores. The Colts rushing defense has been very good this year, allowing only three scores on the ground, and only one since Week 2. It will be hard to fade this beast based on his streak, but just don’t be surprised if this is the start of his slowdown.

LeVeon Bell, Jets @ CIN ($7200 DK, $7300 FD)
Cincinnati has allowed 165 combo yards per game and more than one TD per game to opposing RBs. LeVeon Bell’s schedule has started to improve and so have his stats. This game shapes up as a fourth straight plus performance for Bell. If you don’t trust Barkley, I’d be happy to pivot here. Just don’t expect as high of a ceiling.

Sleepers:

Miles Sanders, Eagles @ MIA ($5400 DK, $5800 FD)
Once again this comes down to whether Jordan Howard plays. Miles Sanders still doesn’t have that one true standout game, but he did top five yards per carry last week. With more of the Eagles’ wide receivers finally healthy, perhaps Sanders will have more room to run. Miami has allowed every team to face them to post well above 100 total yards with their RBs. If Howard is out, Sanders will get that third century game and score here.

Ronald Jones, Buccaneers @ JAX ($5100 DK, $6200 FD)
Ronald Jones continues to split work with Peyton Barber, but he has been the better back all season. Three scores in the last four games suggest that Tampa is finally starting to realize that. Jacksonville has given up more than 250 combo yards per game and five touchdowns to opposing backs over the last three games. Even if Jones splits that, it is printing money for you.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Tyreek Hill	$8,900	$8,300
Chris Godwin	$7,700	$8,200
Cooper Kupp	$7,100	$7,800
Davante Adams	$7,000	$8,000
Mike Evans	$6,900	$7,700
DJ Moore	$6,800	$6,800
Odell Beckham Jr.	$6,700	$7,300
DJ Chark Jr.	$6,600	$6,900
Keenan Allen	$6,500	$6,800
Jarvis Landry	$6,400	$7,400
Emmanuel Sanders	$6,300	$6,400
T.Y. Hilton	$6,200	$7,000
A.J. Green	$6,000	$6,600
JuJu Smith-Schuster	$5,900	$6,500
Courtland Sutton	$5,800	$6,600
Golden Tate	$5,800	$6,300
Christian Kirk	$5,700	$6,100
DeVante Parker	$5,700	$6,000
Jamison Crowder	$5,600	$6,300
Terry McLaurin	$5,600	$5,800
Robert Woods	$5,500	$7,100
Tyler Boyd	$5,500	$6,000
Sammy Watkins	$5,400	$6,100
Tyrell Williams	$5,400	$6,200
A.J. Brown	$5,300	$5,300
Darius Slayton	$5,300	$6,300
Marquise Brown	$5,300	$5,600
Brandin Cooks	$5,200	$6,700
Deebo Samuel	$5,200	$5,600
Alshon Jeffery	$5,100	$6,500
Larry Fitzgerald	$5,100	$5,700
Dede Westbrook	$5,000	$5,700
James Washington	$5,000	$6,200
Sterling Shepard	$4,900	$5,900
Curtis Samuel	$4,800	$5,800
Robby Anderson	$4,800	$6,100
Zach Pascal	$4,700	$5,400
Mike Williams	$4,600	$5,700
Chris Conley	$4,500	$6,000
Diontae Johnson	$4,500	$5,300
Nelson Agholor	$4,400	$4,800
Hunter Renfrow	$4,300	$5,500
Mecole Hardman	$4,200	$5,600
Greg Ward	$4,100	$5,300
M. Valdes-Scantling	$4,100	$5,400
Alex Erickson	$4,000	$4,700
Allen Hurns	$4,000	$5,100
Corey Davis	$4,000	$5,200
Albert Wilson	$3,900	$4,700
Adam Humphries	$3,800	$5,300
Auden Tate	$3,800	$5,200
Geronimo Allison	$3,800	$4,900
Josh Reynolds	$3,800	$5,300
Allen Lazard	$3,700	$5,400
Demarcus Robinson	$3,700	$4,600
Paul Richardson Jr.	$3,700	$5,000
Demaryius Thomas	$3,600	$5,200
Chester Rogers	$3,400	$5,200
Jake Kumerow	$3,300	$4,900
JJ Arcega-Whiteside	$3,200	$4,900
Mack Hollins	$3,100	$4,500
Tim Patrick	$3,000	$5,100

Weekly strategy – Tyreek Hill is golden, assuming he plays. It appears he will, so if you can finagle getting his salary into your lineup you should. Personally, I’d rather save a couple bucks and roster two of: D.J. Moore, D.J. Chark and Davante Adams. You must roster at least one of those four. Other possible options at WR2 include: The Rams, the Jets, the Giants, and Tyler Boyd. Curtis Samuel and the other Jaguars are in play at WR3. I could also see taking a chance on Nelson Agholor or J.J. Arcega-Whiteside of the Eagles. If I really need to save some money, I’d consider Allen Lazard or Tim Patrick.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Tyreek Hill, Chiefs vs. OAK ($8900 DK, $8300 FD)
Tyler Boyd is the only WR1 to not post huge numbers against Oakland this season. In his defense, Ryan Finley was throwing the ball in his general direction. Tyreek Hill missed their early meeting, but Demarcus Robinson started for him and posted 6-172-2. I’m not saying that Tyreek will repeat that feat, but if he is truly healthy (and not just a decoy), 130-1 should be a safe floor.

Davante Adams, Packers @ NYG ($7000 DK, $8000 FD)
The Giants have allowed a WR1 to score at least once in four straight games, and seven times on the year. Davante Adams is the most trustworthy receiver that Aaron Rodgers has to throw to. Since returning in Week 9, Adams has nearly three times as many targets as the next WR option on the Pack. This smells like a big Rodgers game. That means it will be a big game for his top receiving threat.

D.J. Chark, Jaguars vs. TB ($6600 DK, $6900 FD)
D.J. Chark is part of my favorite stack with Nick Foles against a team that is strong against the run, but epically bad against the pass. Chark had a quiet game last week, but he has 21 targets since the return of Foles. To contain this Chark, Tampa is gonna need a bigger boat.

D.J. Moore, Panthers vs. WAS ($6800 DK, $6800 FD)
Since Week 9, D.J. Moore leads all WRs in targets and receiving yards. He also ranks second in receptions. He only has two scores over that stretch, but they both came last week. So, he is trending up from a scoring standpoint. Washington has struggled against similar receivers all year. I expect Moore to approach the #1 spot overall this week.

Sleepers:

Tyler Boyd, Bengals vs. NYJ ($5500 DK, $6000 FD)
Andy Dalton is back. While he was gone, Tyler Boyd did reasonable with the refuse he had throwing him the ball. Dalton isn’t great, but at least he is capable. New York slowed down Oakland and Washington the last two weeks, but prior to that they allowed ten WR touchdowns over their prior three games.

Jamison Crowder, Jets @ CIN ($5600 DK, $6300 FD)
Cincinnati has allowed big games to the WR position all season. Including several big games by “possession” WRs. Jamison Crowder is potentially in for a big PPR week, and he might be under-owned due to a poor Week 12. This game will end up being high-scoring, so I want multiple pieces of the Jets’ offense. If I can’t afford to slide Crowder in at WR3, I might use Robby Anderson or Demaryius Thomas. I could also throw Ryan Griffin into my stack here too.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Travis Kelce	$7,200	$7,100
Zach Ertz	$6,700	$6,900
George Kittle	$6,100	$7,000
Hunter Henry	$5,800	$6,600
Mark Andrews	$5,700	$6,500
Darren Waller	$5,500	$6,100
Evan Engram	$5,200	$6,400
Gerald Everett	$4,600	$6,300
Greg Olsen	$4,400	$5,100
Ryan Griffin	$4,300	$5,600
Dallas Goedert	$4,100	$5,200
Jimmy Graham	$3,800	$5,800
Noah Fant	$3,700	$5,100
Mike Gesicki	$3,600	$5,000
David Njoku	$3,500	$4,900
Ross Dwelley	$3,500	$5,300
Vance McDonald	$3,400	$5,000
Jack Doyle	$3,300	$5,000
Jonnu Smith	$3,300	$5,300
Nick O’Leary	$3,200	$4,800
Rhett Ellison	$3,200	$5,000
Cameron Brate	$3,100	$5,000
O.J. Howard	$3,000	$4,800
Kaden Smith	$2,900	$4,000
Tyler Eifert	$2,800	$4,700
Jeremy Sprinkle	$2,700	$4,500
Charles Clay	$2,600	$4,500
Ricky Seals-Jones	$2,600	$4,800
Tyler Higbee	$2,500	$5,500

Weekly strategy – Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz have juicy matchups, but their prices may make it hard to play them. The same goes for Hunter Henry and George Kittle. Gerald Everett gets the Arizona FREE SPACE, but he is also dinged up. If he goes, it would be hard to fade him. If he looks limited or out, I’d easily consider his backup Tyler Higbee. That said, my favorite plays this week are Jack Doyle, Jonnu Smith and Ryan Griffin. If you need to save money, consider rostering Kaden Smith. He may be the last man standing in NY with Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison both on the wrong side of questionable.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. OAK ($7200 DK, $7100 FD)
Oakland has been disinterested in covering TEs recently. Only Arizona has allowed more TE touchdowns this year, and they have given up multiple TE scores in two different games. Some of the shine may leave Travis Kelce this week if Tyreek Hill plays (as expected), but even with Hill on the field Kelce will have little trouble exploiting this mismatch. Back in Week 2 (without Hill on the field), Kelce posted 7-107-1. Expect something similar either way here.

Zach Ertz, Eagles @ MIA ($6700 DK, $6900 FD)
Miami has allowed TE scores in two of their last three games. Meanwhile, Zach Ertz has been forced to haul in 30 of 36 targets over the last three games, since the Eagles had no one else to throw to. With some of the WRs back, Ertz’ target share may dip, but he is still an easy play here (if you can afford him).

Gerald Everett, Rams @ ARI ($4600 DK, $6300 FD)
Gerald Everett is fighting a knee injury. He played through it last week, but his numbers suffered because of it. Fortunately for Everett, he plays the Cardinals this week. Even at 50%, he could top 100 yards against these chumps. Of course, if Everett is downgraded, Tyler Higbee should be a SMASH LOCK in all of your lineups. Even if Everett plays, I still might use Higbee to save cash.

George Kittle, Niners @ BAL ($6100 DK, $7000 FD)
This isn’t a great matchup for George Kittle. That shouldn’t discourage you too much, since he is capable of balling out against any team. If Emmanuel Sanders is limited again this week, Kittle may see even more looks. I’m not going to go crazy to fit him into my lineup, but if I have some space to work with and want exposure to this game, I’ll use him.

Sleepers:

Jack Doyle, Colts vs. TEN ($3300 DK, $5000 FD)
The Titans have given up huge games this year to premium TEs such as: Travis Kelce, Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry. They have also given up decent days to other TEs. Back in Week 2, Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron combined for 5-46-1. Ebron is done for the year, so Doyle will receive a heightened target share. With T.Y. Hilton possibly out as well, Doyle could go off here!

Ryan Griffin, Jets @ CIN ($4300 DK, $5600 FD)
Another portion of my potential Versus-CIN stack is Ryan Griffin. The Bengals have allowed three of their last six opponents to top 85 TE receiving yards. Griffin didn’t have a lot of yards last week, but he did score for the fifth time in his last seven games. At this price, he may be the second-best value on the slate.

The turkey came early this year (this past Sunday), and his name was Julio Jones. What a stinker from both him and Matt Ryan in arguably their easiest matchup of the season. Not the holiday pleasure that I was looking forward to. Fortunately, the afternoon slate and the primetime slate served up a healthier dose of stuffing, taters and pumpkin pie. That helped make up for my Julio induced gastric distress. Now that we have dispensed of our displeasure from this past weekend, it is time to loosen the belt and strap in the feedbag for a Turkey Day feast of fantasy football.

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions:

We get a rematch of last years’ Turkey Day opener as Chicago is traveling north to visit the Lions. Last year Chase Daniel outdueled Matthew Stafford and something called Taquan Mizzell scored a TD for the Bears, while the undead corpse of LeGarrette Blount stumbled over the stripe twice for Detroit. Blount is no longer in the league, and despite seeing proof to the opposite, I still don’t believe that Mizzell actually ever existed. Plus, Stafford is out with a broken back and Chase Daniel has found himself behind Mitch Trubisky (which is similar to being out of football in and of itself).

Trubisky is actually in play for a second straight week, and at his price, he might be a lineup staple for me. David Montgomery has done nothing this year, and not even a sharp matchup excites me to play him. He only posted 60 yards (roughly 3 YPC against Detroit earlier this year). Tarik Cohen actually is a better play with him pass-catching usage surging of late. His price and the lack of RB talent on this slate puts him in the spotlight at RB2 or FLEX. Allen Robinson will likely see a lot of Darius Slay, it didn’t keep him from a solid line a few weeks back. Still considering his price, and other better matchups, I’ll probably fade him. I’m actually more in on Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel as WR3/FLEX options as they have seen an uptick in targets the last couple weeks. The TE Plate is so empty for this slate, that Ben Braunecker is almost a possibility (he scored in their earlier meeting). Starting the Bears’ defense at their reduced price on DK is a MUST.

Jeff Driskel should get the start (watch his injury status) for Detroit and he is not in consideration based on the matchup. Driskel looked solid in his first couple of games, but this one is not going to shine his talents. He did post 267-1 in their earlier meeting, but that feels like a ceiling for him. Also, do not even consider David Blough if he starts. In fact, if Blough starts bench all the Lions. Bo Scarbrough looked much more comfortable as the lead back for Detroit than Ty Johnson did in their earlier meeting. I don’t love Scarbrough in this matchup, but he has FLEX appeal based on volume and his price. I could also see using J.D. McKissic at FLEX, since game flow may call for more passing than running. Ty Johnson is the green bean casserole of this slate. Everyone takes a scoop to appease whoever brought them, but no one actually eats a bite of them. Despite a small final line, Driskel did pepper Kenny Golladay, Danny Amendola and Marvin Jones with targets. Golladay got a score, and I like his chances of doing that again. Either Golladay or Jones could be a pivot from the top options at WR1/WR2, but know that they will probably split 150 yards and a single score. Amendola is a more intriguing option at WR3/FLEX. I doubt he scores, but I like him to rack up some receptions. T.J. Hockenson had zero targets last week, and he has disappeared from the game script. At least in Week 10, Hockenson saw some action. Last week, Logan Thomas got involved with a pair of catches, but he is just a guy. Don’t waste your time on any of these TEs. There is also no reason to consider the Lions’ defense, despite the hideous Trubisky chucking the rock for Chicago.

Buffalo Bills @ Dallas Cowboys:

Dak Prescott gets a second straight awful matchup. Buffalo has allowed very few QB scores this year. Dak’s best hope this week is with running one in. The DK price might entice you, but don’t overdo it. Ezekiel Elliott, on the other hand, is a stud this week and he must be in your lineup at RB1. He is the safest and best play at the position on the slate. Last week, Amari Cooper got shut down by Stephon Gilmore and now he faces off against an arguably even better, TreDavious White. Just leave Cooper on the bench. The other side of the field is more pass-friendly, so Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb are certainly WR2/WR3 options. However, much like the Lions’ offense, I wouldn’t expect more than one score between them. The Bills are also elite against TEs, so Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin should remain on your bench too. I don’t want to consider the Dallas’ defense here, as I think that Buffalo’s offense can move the ball on them.

Josh Allen is the second-best option at QB this slate. Dallas is middle-of-the-pack against the pass, but they have given up some solid days to rushing QBs. If I pivot from Drew Brees, Allen will be my choice. Devin Singletary has finally put Frank Gore out of his misery as the featured back for Buffalo. Singletary is the third-best RB on the docket, and I like him at RB2 or even at FLEX if I blow my wad on the position. Gore needs to remain out of your lineup unless Singletary hurts himself on the way to the stadium. The Cowboys have given up some solid days to slot receivers, and Cole Beasley has the revenge-game narrative working for him. I will have as many WR3 shares of him as possible. John Brown is also in play with his game-breaking speed. That said, opposing WR1s have not posted huge lines against Dallas all season, so he isn’t my first choice. Dawson Knox has the second-best matchup among TEs on this slate. If you don’t want to pay up for Jared Cook, just roster Knox and count your cash. I don’t mind playing the Buffalo defense here, but they are not my first choice.

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons:

We get another rematch from 2018 here. Last year, everyone, not named, Michael Thomas, scored a TD for New Orleans. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan had a huge day throwing the ball, while his team ran the ball like they were all Kalen Ballage.

Drew Brees had a poor Week 10 matchup against Atlanta. He didn’t throw for a ton of yards, and he also didn’t score any passing TDs. Somehow, Michael Thomas and Jared Cook both finished with big stat lines though. I expect this week to go much smoother for Brees, and he is my QB1 on the slate. Alvin Kamara is the RB2 on the slate, but his odd (STUPID) usage last week really leaves me scratching my head. If I am forced to choose between Kamara and Zeke, I will go with Zeke, just in case Sean Payton decides to use more Latavius Murray again here. Speaking of Murray, he makes a decent FLEX option, if you don’t go with Cohen or Singletary. Michael Thomas catches all the passes, making him the easy WR1. Ted Ginn is always in play as a FLEX, I’m not going to dig as far as Tre’Quan Smith though. Jared Cook is the obvious TE1 on this slate. If I cannot afford him, I’ll go with Dawson Knox. That said, the DK price is certainly doable. I could see using the New Orleans’ defense, but I feel better about using the Bears, at least at DK.

The Falcons’ value will be determined by whether or not Marshon Lattimore plays for New Orleans. If he is out this week, then bump up the value of all the Falcons’ passing game weapons. If Lattimore plays, Julio Jones might get shut down. Either way, Matt Ryan is in play at QB3 on the slate. Brian Hill has been an abject failure at RB. Qadree Ollison is clearly the goal line back anyways. Plus, New Orleans is elite against the run. There is always a chance that Devonta Freeman returns as well, but that just further muddies an already ugly situation. As I said above, Julio Jones will be an A+ start if there is no Marshon Lattimore. If Lattimore plays, Julio falls to C-grade at best. Either way, Calvin Ridley is the safer option. Ridley will likely fight with Kenny Golladay and John Brown as my choice at WR2. Russell Gage got a ton of targets last week. He is certainly in play at WR3/FLEX. A healthy Austin Hooper would be the easy TE1 slate on this slate. I doubt he will play. Jaeden Graham will likely get the start, and he has some value as the #3 TE on my board. The Falcons’ defense is improved, but not enough for me to play them here.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $6.2K for Josh Allen, $13.2K for Ezekiel Elliott and Devin Singletary, $9.1K for Michael Thomas, $6.6K for Calvin Ridley, $4.7K for Cole Beasley, $2.9K for Dawson Knox, $4.7K for Bo Scarbrough at FLEX, and $2.5K for the Bears defense.

At FD: $7.8K for Allen, $16.7K for Zeke and Alvin Kamara, $7.1K for Golladay, Ridley for $6.5K, and Beasley for $5.8K, $4.5K for Knox. $6.6K for Singletary at FLEX, and $5K for the Bears defense.

At Fanball (featuring SuperFlex): Drew Brees, Allen at SF, Kamara, Zeke, Singletary at FLEX, Michael Thomas, Beasley, and Danny Amendola at WR, and Knox.

At Fantasy Draft: Brees, Elliott, Kamara, Thomas, Beasley, Knox, Amendola, Bo Scarbrough, and the Bears’ Defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Drew Brees	$6,800	$8,500
Matt Ryan	$6,400	$7,700
Josh Allen	$6,200	$7,800
Matthew Stafford	$6,000	$7,500
Dak Prescott	$5,700	$8,200
Jeff Driskel	$5,500	$7,000
Mitchell Trubisky	$5,300	$6,800
David Blough	$4,200	$6,000

Weekly strategy – Drew Brees and Josh Allen are the best plays. Matt Ryan is a possible pivot. Avoid Jeff Driskel and Dak Prescott. I can see using Mitch Trubisky as a punt.

Pay to Play:

Drew Brees, Saints @ ATL ($6800 DK, $8500 FD)
Atlanta held Drew Brees to an underwhelming 287-0 in their earlier meeting. This falls below his career average of just over 300 yards per game against the Falcons. In two meetings last year, Brees finished with nine total scores. He won’t get nine here, but three or four is certainly in play as the safest start on the list.

Stay Away:

Jeff Driskel, Lions vs. CHI ($5500 DK, $7000 FD)
First off, Driskel is dinged up. Secondly, Driskel is not very good. Third, Chicago has a stingy defense and a good pass rush. I wouldn’t play Dak Prescott either this week, in case you thought about that angle.

Value Play:

Mitchell Trubisky, Bears @ DET ($5300 DK, $6800 FD)
In four career games against Detroit, Mitchell Trubisky has nine touchdowns and only four turnovers. Compare that to his other 32 career regular season games where he has 38 total TDs and 39 turnovers. Meanwhile, Detroit has allowed three or more passing TDs in four of their last six contests. This included a three-touchdown day for Trubisky in Week 10.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Alvin Kamara	$8,100	$8,300
Ezekiel Elliott	$7,400	$8,400
Devin Singletary	$5,800	$6,600
Latavius Murray	$5,600	$6,200
David Montgomery	$5,400	$5,900
Devonta Freeman	$5,100	$6,200
Tarik Cohen	$5,000	$6,400
Tony Pollard	$4,900	$5,200
Bo Scarbrough	$4,700	$6,100
Brian Hill	$4,400	$5,500
Qadree Ollison	$4,100	$5,800
Frank Gore	$3,900	$5,400
J.D. McKissic	$3,700	$5,200
Ty Johnson	$3,500	$4,900
Kenjon Barner	$3,200	$5,100

Weekly strategy – I’m going to attempt to roster all three of: Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara and Devin Singletary. If I cannot afford all three, Kamara will likely be the odd man out. Tarik Cohen, Bo Scarbrough, J.D. McKissic and Latavius Murray are the only other guys I will consider for the FLEX.

Pay to Play:

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys vs. BUF ($7400 DK, $8400 FD)
It is tough to move the ball through the air against Buffalo. Fortunately for Dallas, it is fairly easy to move the ball on the ground against them. If you ignore the crappy Kalen Ballage performance in Week 11, Buffalo has allowed an average of 5.7 rushing yards per carry to opposing RBs over their other prior four games. Ezekiel Elliott will need to drive this offense to keep Dallas in this one. On a thin slate, he is far-and-away the safest option.

Stay Away:

David Montgomery, Bears @ DET ($5400 DK, $5900 FD)
Despite facing three middling or worse defenses in: Detroit, the Giants and the Rams the last three weeks, David Montgomery averaged a crappy 2.6 YPC. On the year, Montgomery has only topped 70 yards rushing once. This game sniffs of fool’s gold for him.

Value Play:

Tarik Cohen, Bears @ DET ($5000 DK, $6400 FD)
Now that we have stressed how bad David Montgomery has been, let’s consider his running mate, Tarik Cohen, and how well he has performed. He doesn’t have as many touches as Montgomery recently, but he has arguably done more with the ones he has been given. Either way, Cohen is undoubtedly the pass-catching option in this split backfield. This plays nicely into the matchup since Detroit has allowed six different RB groups to record five or more receptions. They also have given up 70+ RB receiving yards six times, and they have allowed seven running back receiving TDs.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$9,100	$9,200
Julio Jones	$7,300	$7,800
Allen Robinson II	$6,700	$7,700
Calvin Ridley	$6,600	$6,500
John Brown	$6,300	$6,600
Kenny Golladay	$6,100	$7,100
Amari Cooper	$6,000	$7,900
Michael Gallup	$5,500	$6,800
Marvin Jones Jr.	$5,300	$6,400
Randall Cobb	$5,000	$6,000
Cole Beasley	$4,700	$5,800
Russell Gage	$4,500	$5,400
Taylor Gabriel	$4,300	$5,400
Danny Amendola	$4,100	$5,400
Anthony Miller	$3,900	$5,300
Ted Ginn Jr.	$3,800	$5,200
Tre’Quan Smith	$3,500	$4,500

Weekly strategy – Michael Thomas’ salary is high, but he deserves to be your WR1, if you can fit him under the cap. If not, Kenny Golladay makes a nice pivot. You could also consider Allen Robinson or John Brown. Calvin Ridley should be your WR2. Cole Beasley is my favorite WR3. I also like Danny Amendola, Russell Gage, Taylor Gabriel and Anthony Miller. Any of them could be my FLEX, if I don’t go 3RB.

Pay to Play:

Michael Thomas, Saints @ ATL ($9100 DK, $9200 FD)
The price for Michael Thomas is high, but much like Christian McCaffrey every week, it will be hard to fade him. Even with Brees struggling in their earlier meeting, Thomas hauled in 13 of his 14 targets for 152 yards. This was the fourth time in seven career meetings that Thomas had topped 100 yards against the Falcons. Thursday will run that number to five of eight.

Stay Away:

Amari Cooper, Cowboys vs. BUF ($6000 DK, $7900 FD)
Amari Cooper’s collection of minor injuries haven’t slowed him down, but the tough matchups have finally caught up with him. Stephon Gilmore took him completely out last week, and now he gets to lock horns with the equally tough, Tre’Davious White. The Bills’ secondary has held four different teams under ten total WR receptions. Not by one wide receiver, but by the entire franchise. It has actually been slot receivers who have had the most success against this defense. So, if you need to choose one part of the Cowboys’ passing attack, choose Randall Cobb.

Value Play:

Cole Beasley, Bills @ DAL ($4700 DK, $5800 FD)
Revenge game in play here for Cole Beasley. Plus, Dallas has given up some solid games to opposing slot receivers this year. With the game in Dallas, you know that Buffalo will do everything to get Beasley a TD. Considering that Beasley has scored in four of his last six contests, that touchdown seems like a lock.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Austin Hooper	$5,900	$6,600
Jared Cook	$4,800	$6,700
T.J. Hockenson	$3,400	$4,700
Jason Witten	$3,300	$5,500
Jaeden Graham	$3,100	$4,900
Blake Jarwin	$3,000	$4,800
Dawson Knox	$2,900	$4,500
Logan Thomas	$2,900	$4,700
Ben Braunecker	$2,800	$4,600

Weekly strategy – If Austin Hooper plays, I’d consider him. Otherwise, Jared Cook is as safe as it gets. If I don’t use him, I will likely use Dawson Knox or Jaeden Graham.

Pay to Play:

Jared Cook, Saints @ ATL ($4800 DK, $6700 FD)
The tight ends on this slate are awful. Jared Cook is the only one that is truly safe. Atlanta has allowed every quality TE they have faced to put up a solid line. This included giving up 6-74 to Cook back in Week 10. As the season has progressed, Drew Brees has started to trust Cook more. In fact, he has moved up to option three in this passing offense, behind Michael Thomas and Michael Thomas.

Stay Away:

Jason Witten, Cowboys vs. BUF ($3300 DK, $5500 FD)
Buffalo has allowed only one TE touchdown all season. Plus, they are giving up an average of only 3-33 to the position. Jason Witten struggled with holding onto the ball in the icky weather last week. He won’t have the weather to blame this week, but I still don’t trust him in this spot.

Value Play:

Dawson Knox, Bills @ DAL ($2900 DK, $4500 FD)
Dawson Knox has been hardly reliable this year. That said, this slate is devoid of any talent in a great spot. Knox has the physical tools, if not the opportunity. Plus, Dallas’ secondary has the lack of physical tools necessary to make Knox a nice sleeper. Prior to putting a cap on the Lions and Patriots the last two weeks, the Dallas defense had allowed an average of 6.4-63 to the position, including five TDs.

Well, last week was certainly a fun week. I had a rough start to the day but finished up with a big payday on Fanball. While it certainly wasn’t my biggest payday ever, it always feels remarkable to take down a GPP. But instead of taking down just one GPP, I managed to take down the four largest GPPs on the Fanball Super Flex slate. Incorporating Super Flex into full slate DFS is one of the things that I really enjoy about playing on Fanball. If you want to try your luck in that format, visit fanball.com. As always, you can find my non-Super Flex Fanball lineup below along with my recommended lineups for DraftKings, FanDuel, and FantasyDraft. Also, remember that next week we will have a bonus Dominator to help you set your Turkey Day lineups.

The Evening Slate:

The NFL flexed Green Bay at the 49ers into SNF. This should be a fun game. Both of these teams have quality offenses, and both have some cracks in their defensive armor. San Francisco has effectively shut down most of the QBs they have faced this year. However, in the last three weeks, they have faced Kyler Murray twice and Russell Wilson. These two have effectively caused San Fran fits with their ability to run the ball. Aaron Rodgers is hardly a running QB, but he is capable of scrambling, and he has his share of short-yardage TDs for his career. Rodgers is likely safe for 250-2 through the air, and he might score one on the ground. Jimmy Garoppolo has arguably the best matchup on this slate, and he didn’t seem to slump last week without George Kittle and with a dinged-up Emmanuel Sanders. I like Jimmy G. to approach 300 yards and throw for three TDs in this spot. The Niners’ run defense left the building five weeks ago. So, both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are in play here, although neither is a blow-up play. I obviously lean towards Jones, but I could go with either of them at RB2. RB1 will be Tevin Coleman unless Matt Breida actually suits up. Green Bay is abhorrent against the run. If Breida plays, Jones likely becomes RB1 and Coleman and Breida are still both in play at both RB2 or FLEX. Every WR1 to face Green Bay has had success (especially the speedy ones). Sanders should post solid numbers here, a week further removed from his rib injury. If he was fully healthy, he would be the consensus WR1 here. With the injury, he still is a safe WR2. I am excited to play Deebo Samuel again this week. I have him with another 6-100-1 game and feel he actually has more upside than Sanders. I also like Kendrick Bourne, but would only use him as a FLEX, if I need to save money. Davante Adams is unplayable against this defense. Opposing #1 WRs have done NOTHING since Week 3. The best line over that span was 5-38. Christian Kirk (2x), Cooper Kupp, D.J. Moore, Tyler Lockett, Odell Beckham, and Terry McLaurin have all stunk up the joint against SF. WR2s have fared slightly better against the Niners, so Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison could be used at FLEX. That said, they have both done nothing recently to suggest they are worth playing here. I feel better about rolling out Allen Lazard at WR3/FLEX. Kittle (if he plays) will abuse this defense. If he doesn’t play, we will see another huge output from Ross Dwelley, since Green Bay is almost as bad at covering TEs as Arizona. Meanwhile, the 49ers have shut down almost every TE they have faced. So, Jimmy Graham is an easy pass here as the worst TE option on this slate. I’ll wait until Monday to choose my defense.

Monday night will be an interesting game. Los Angeles has allowed 45 rushing yards to opposing QBs. That is not per game – that is for the ENTIRE SEASON. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson has topped that rushing figure in every game except Week 1. In fact, he topped that figure on ONE carry against Cincy two weeks ago. It should be noted that the Rams have faced only one “rushing” QB this year, and that was Russell Wilson. If you take his numbers out of the equation, the Rams have allowed 12 QB rushing yards on 18 carries this year. So, this defense may be tough enough to put a slight muzzle around Jackson’s MVP campaign. Making matters worse, the Rams have allowed zero or one QB score in eight of ten games. So, even the Jackson TDs shouldn’t be presumed here. I expect talent alone to carry Jackson to a pair of TDs, but this may be his worst overall line of the year. The Ravens are equally stingy to opposing QBs. Only one team has scored more than one quarterback TD against this defense and that was back in Week 3. Jared Goff has been on a downward spiral recently and I just cannot trust him to throw for more than 200-1 here. That may be his ceiling this week. The Ravens have been bested by opposing RBs this year. So, Todd Gurley is a possible RB2 option, but I will likely use him as my FLEX. The Rams have been above average against the run, but they can be beaten (especially through the air). Mark Ingram is a capable receiver out of the backfield, so he could also be in RB2/FLEX consideration. That said, he will be much higher owned than Gurley, so I will likely lean towards Todd instead. With Goff shut down, the only WR I would trust here is Cooper Kupp. Slot receivers have fared well against this defense. His ownership could be down this week, following two awful performances. Use this to your advantage as you roll out Kupp at WR1. I’m not going to trust Robert Woods and his “personal situation” or Brandin Cooks fresh off of injury, in what will be a low-scoring contest. If Cooks and Woods are both out, Josh Reynolds might get slight FLEX appeal, otherwise he is firmly on your bench. Opposing WR1s have done zilch against the Rams. So, Marquise Brown has to stay on your bench. There isn’t another WR to trust here either. If there is a passing TD for Jackson here, it will go a TE. The Rams have given up huge games to every decent TE they have faced. I love Mark Andrews and he is the clear TE2 on this slate. Considering, the weak WR corps, I would also consider playing both Andrews and whoever starts for San Francisco. Gerald Everett played sparingly last week due to a wrist injury. This week he faces a team that has been very good against opposing TEs. I’m not counting on much here for him. He is TE3 at best this week. I could see playing either defense here, but Baltimore should be the more popular option. I lean towards the Ravens’ defense as well.

The Main Slate:

Quarterback sucks this week. Matt Ryan is an easy A+ play, but outside of him, it is a black hole. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston both look good on paper but each feels like a trap. Drew Brees and Derek Carr will likely be my pivot plays from Ryan. I could also consider Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield if I need to save money (or as my Super Flex play on Fanball). That said, their FD price isn’t much of a discount. Ryan Fitzpatrick on DK is the only punt play that I truly trust. If I want to be really ballsy, I might consider a roster with Dwayne Haskins or Chase Daniel. If I did, I’d have to hyper stack the rest of the lineup with superstars. Ryan, Brees and Carr will run 13% at DK and 14% on FD.

I may actually be forced to pass on Christian McCaffrey this week. He’ll still get his 20+ points, I just don’t see any route to 3x for him here. Alvin Kamara, on the other hand, is due a blow-up here at $2K less. Nick Chubb and Saquan Barkley are possible pivots, but I’m not 100% sold on either crushing it. If James Conner was playing, he has a good matchup, I just highly doubt he plays. If he is ruled out for this game, Jaylen Samuels suddenly becomes a strong RB2 option. I might use a Conner-less Samuels in that spot, or I may pair Kamara with Derrick Henry (DK only), LeVeon Bell or Joe Mixon. David Montgomery and Phillip Lindsay could also be in RB2 consideration, but I’d rather not be over-invested in either of them. I actually kind of hope that Montgomery doesn’t play, because then I can use Tarik Cohen at FLEX. Another possible FLEX is Derrius Guice, especially if Adrian Peterson ends up missing this game due to injury or healthy scratch. I would also have some FLEX appeal in Ronald Jones and Bo Scarbrough. Kamara paired with Henry, Bell or Mixon would run me no more than 30% on DK and 28% on FD. If you choose a FLEX from here keep them under 10%. When you do use C-Mac, consider pairing him with someone in the $5.5K range.

Mike Evans, Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham are all fair pivot plays from the mortal lock WR1 this week, Julio Jones. My feeling is that my WR2 will be from this list: Jarvis Landry, Jamison Crowder, Tyrell Williams and Davante Parker. I like several options at the WR3/FLEX range including: Hunter Renfrow, James Washington, Robby Anderson, Taylor Gabriel, Russell Gage and even Chris Conley. Jones and Landry (my favorite WR2 option) will run me 29% on DK and 25.5% on FD. I wouldn’t spend more than 10% on either WR3 or FLEX here.

Tight end is not pretty this week. The best play may be Ryan Griffin. I don’t mind Jacob Hollister or Jared Cook as pivots but Griffin is just in a better spot. With O.J. Howard in the permanent doghouse, I may also use Cameron Brate. Punt plays that I don’t hate include: Mike Gesicki, Vance McDonald, Dawson Knox and Jaeden Graham. I wouldn’t consider spending more than 9% here.

The Bills, Saints, and Lions are the safest plays but don’t sleep on the Falcons. None of those four will top 7% on DK and the highest priced one is only 8.3% on FD. The Falcons make a nice cheaper option on FD at just over 7%.

Here are my recommended lineups.

At DK: $6.7K for Matt Ryan. $8.2K for Alvin Kamara. $5.2K for Philip Lindsay. $8K for Julio Jones. $4.8K for Robby Anderson. $4.5K for Hunter Renfrow. $4.2K for Ryan Griffin. $5K or less for FLEX. $3.4K for the Bills’ defense.

At FD: $7.9K for Ryan. $8.3K for Kamara. $7.3K for LeVeon Bell. $15.3K total for Julio and Jarvis Landry. $5.9K for Renfrow at WR3. $5.6K for Griffin. $5.4K or less for FLEX (leaning Robby Anderson or Derrius Guice). $4.3K for the Falcons’ defense.

At Fanball (includes Sun Night): Ryan, Kamara, Derrick Henry, Julio, Renfrow, Allen Lazard, Ross Dwelley (assuming no Kittle, otherwise Cameron Brate), LeVeon, and the Falcons’ defense.

At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Ryan, Kamara, Saquan Barkley, Julio, Lazard, Dwelley (assuming no Kittle), Henry, David Montgomery (or Guice), and the Steelers’ defense.

Quarterback

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Russell Wilson	$6,800	$8,200
Matt Ryan	$6,700	$7,900
Drew Brees	$6,600	$8,500
Josh Allen	$6,400	$7,800
Matthew Stafford	$6,300	$7,900
Jameis Winston	$6,200	$7,600
Derek Carr	$6,100	$7,400
Dak Prescott	$6,000	$8,100
Tom Brady	$6,000	$7,700
Baker Mayfield	$5,900	$7,500
Sam Darnold	$5,800	$7,400
Daniel Jones	$5,700	$7,500
Carson Wentz	$5,600	$7,300
Jeff Driskel	$5,500	$7,300
Mason Rudolph	$5,500	$6,900
Nick Foles	$5,400	$7,200
Ryan Tannehill	$5,300	$7,100
Kyle Allen	$5,200	$6,600
Mitchell Trubisky	$5,100	$7,000
Chase Daniel	$5,000	$6,000
Ryan Fitzpatrick	$5,000	$7,100
Dwayne Haskins Jr.	$4,900	$6,700
Ryan Finley	$4,700	$6,300
Brandon Allen	$4,600	$6,600

Weekly strategy – Matt Ryan is the obvious play. I will also have some exposure to Drew Brees, Derek Carr, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Darnold is my favorite play from the pivot options. I could also see doing a cheap punt with Mason Rudolph, Ryan Fitzpatrick (DK Only), Dwayne Haskins or Chase Daniel. That said, Haskins and Daniel won’t come into play unless I intend to target a big package including four or more high dollar studs.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Matt Ryan, Falcons vs. TB ($6700 DK, $7900 FD)
Over their last eight games, Tampa Bay has allowed a total of 26 QB scores. In addition, they are allowing 317 passing yards per game during that span. Matt Ryan has topped 300 passing yards in six of his last eight contests against Tampa Bay. This includes throwing for a combined 733-5 in two games last year. I have Ryan on 350-3 here, with 160-2 of that heading to Julio Jones.

Drew Brees, Saints vs. CAR ($6600 DK, $8500 FD)
The Panthers are actually pretty solid at keeping QBs out of the end zone with their passes. That said, they have given up huge passing yardage numbers in four of their last six games. Pairing that, with a surging Drew Brees should equate to a solid performance. Just don’t expect 300-3.

Sam Darnold, Jets vs. OAK ($5800 DK, $7400 FD)
It should stand out pretty clear and obvious how rough this slate is when Sam Darnold is the #3 QB in my rankings. I actually will have a ton of exposure to him as a smart pivot from Matt Ryan. He needs to be stacked with either Jamison Crowder or Robby Anderson, and potentially Ryan Griffin, in what should be a high scoring game. I would not be shocked to see Darnold go for 300-3 in this game.

Derek Carr, Raiders @ NYJ ($6100 DK, $7400 FD)
If Darnold is going to go off, then you have to know that Oakland will have to throw the ball too so that they can keep this one close. The Jets have allowed 12 passing TDs over the last four weeks, so Derek Carr should have some room to work with. I really love stacking him with Hunter Renfrow this week. While you are at it, re-stack the game with Crowder too.

Sleepers:

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins @ CLE ($5000 DK, $7100 FD)
The Browns have allowed multiple QB scores to every quarterback not named Luke Falk or Mason Rudolph. Meanwhile, Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to defy the years and the talent level of his supporting cast to post meaningful numbers for Miami. With two bad defenses facing off, both QBs could be a sneaky play. I must admit though, I don’t love that FD price.

Mason Rudolph, Steelers @ CIN ($5500 DK, $6900 FD)
Coming off an atrocious Week 11, Mason Rudolph could be a sneaky play here since very few people will trust him enough to start him. Cincy is at best middle-of-the-pack against the pass, but they did allow Rudolph to throw for 229-2 earlier this year. With half of his receiving corps dealing with concussions, Rudolph could look repeatedly to Vance McDonald and James Washington, making each of them a great stack option.

Running Back

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Christian McCaffrey	$10,500	$10,500
Alvin Kamara	$8,200	$8,300
Nick Chubb	$8,100	$8,200
James Conner	$8,000	$7,100
Saquon Barkley	$7,900	$7,900
Ezekiel Elliott	$7,500	$8,100
Josh Jacobs	$7,400	$8,000
Leonard Fournette	$7,300	$7,000
Jaylen Samuels	$7,200	$6,900
Derrick Henry	$6,900	$8,400
Chris Carson	$6,700	$7,700
Le’Veon Bell	$6,400	$7,300
Latavius Murray	$6,100	$5,400
Joe Mixon	$5,900	$6,700
Kareem Hunt	$5,600	$5,600
David Montgomery	$5,500	$6,600
Devin Singletary	$5,400	$6,300
James White	$5,300	$6,100
Phillip Lindsay	$5,200	$6,300
Devonta Freeman	$5,100	$6,200
Miles Sanders	$5,000	$5,600
Brian Hill	$4,900	$5,500
Jordan Howard	$4,800	$6,100
Ronald Jones II	$4,800	$6,000
Tarik Cohen	$4,800	$5,700
Derrius Guice	$4,700	$5,400
Sony Michel	$4,600	$6,300
Royce Freeman	$4,500	$5,300
J.D. McKissic	$4,400	$5,500
Kalen Ballage	$4,400	$5,500
Adrian Peterson	$4,300	$5,800
Rashaad Penny	$4,300	$4,900
Bo Scarbrough	$4,200	$6,400
Frank Gore	$4,100	$5,400
Trey Edmunds	$3,900	$5,400
Peyton Barber	$3,800	$5,500
Rex Burkhead	$3,700	$5,400
Ty Johnson	$3,700	$4,800

Weekly strategy – Alvin Kamara is super safe since he appears to have his full workload back. I will use him almost exclusively at RB1. If I don’t use him, I may pivot to Saquan Barkley, Nick Chubb, or whoever starts for the Steelers. I could also spend big here and roster two from that list. Most of the time I will pair Kamara with Derrick Henry, LeVeon Bell, Joe Mixon or Phillip Lindsay. Other possibilities I will consider at RB2 include: David Montgomery, Miles Sanders, Tarik Cohen, Derrius Guice, Ronald Jones and Bo Scarbrough. More than likely, I will use one of those players at FLEX. I will have at least one lineup featuring Christian McCaffrey in every tourney, but I know that his price is not easily utilized this week.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Alvin Kamara, Saints vs. CAR ($8200 DK, $8300 FD)
Prior to holding the Brian Hill express in check last week, Carolina had given up 12 RB scores over their prior four games. The Panthers didn’t dramatically improve, Brian Hill just proved to not be the real deal. Alvin Kamara is the real deal, and he finally got in a full game’s complement of touches last week as Latavius Murray moved back to his COP role. If this continues (and I suspect it will) this means Kamara is poised for a huge game.

Christian McCaffrey, Panthers @ NO ($10500 DK, $10500 FD)
New Orleans is one of the best teams in the league against the run. Over their last eight games, they are allowing an average of 47 yards per game on the ground to opposing RBs. The potential saving grace for Christian McCaffrey this week is that New Orleans does give up a fair amount of receptions and passing yards to opposing backs. That plays into C-Mac’s strength. I’m not going to completely fade McCaffrey. I’m just not going to be heavily invested.

Nick Chubb, Browns vs. MIA ($8100 DK, $8200 FD)
If Kareem Hunt wasn’t a thing, Nick Chubb would get the top seat this week. Chubb has basically given up passing down duty to Hunt. Fortunately for Chubb, Miami is an equal opportunity suck on defense. They can’t stop opposing backs on the ground or through the air. In a way, this actually makes Hunt a possible sleeper too. Just know that Chubb will get his 125 yards and a score in this one as well.

Saquan Barkley, Giants @ CHI ($7900 DK, $7900 FD)
The Bears’ defense use to be strong against opposing backs. Unfortunately, they have fallen apart since Week 5, struggling against RBs both on the ground and through the air. Saquan Barkley had his bye week to stew over his worst career performance in Week 10. You know that he is chomping at the bit to shed that outing and deliver a performance worthy of his draft status. This may be the cheapest that Barkley will ever be again, use him while you can.

Sleepers:

Phillip Lindsay, Broncos @ BUF ($5200 DK, $6300 FD)
You can’t throw the ball outside against Buffalo, so you might as well run the ball or dump it off to your RBs. Over the last two games, Buffalo has allowed 20 receptions to opposing backs. This includes giving up five receptions to the stone hands of Kalen Ballage. If Ballage can catch five passes against this defense, Lindsay might catch 20 himself.

Derrius Guice, Redskins vs. DET ($4700 DK, $5400 FD)
Derrius Guice is back and he instantly becomes the most electrifying RB that Washington has had on their roster in several years. Yes, Adrian Peterson is still there, but Guice can do so much more at this point in his career than AD can do at this point in his career. Peterson is also battling some nagging injuries, so there is a chance that he misses this game. Heck, he could even end up a healthy scratch if Chris Thompson is cleared too. The Lions have allowed 17 total TDs to opposing backs. This includes at least one in every single game. Guice is a lock to score, but his total yardage will be determined by whether or not Peterson plays. If Adrian sits, Guice could put up 150-2 here.

Wide Receiver

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Michael Thomas	$9,300	$9,200
Julio Jones	$8,000	$8,400
Tyler Lockett	$7,600	$7,400
Mike Evans	$7,300	$8,000
Chris Godwin	$7,200	$7,800
Odell Beckham Jr.	$7,000	$7,000
Julian Edelman	$6,900	$7,500
John Brown	$6,700	$6,500
Amari Cooper	$6,600	$7,700
Kenny Golladay	$6,600	$7,800
Allen Robinson II	$6,500	$7,500
Calvin Ridley	$6,500	$6,700
DJ Chark Jr.	$6,400	$7,000
DJ Moore	$6,400	$6,400
DK Metcalf	$6,300	$6,700
Jarvis Landry	$6,300	$6,900
Courtland Sutton	$6,200	$6,800
Jamison Crowder	$6,200	$6,500
Marvin Jones Jr.	$6,100	$7,200
JuJu Smith-Schuster	$6,000	$6,500
Terry McLaurin	$6,000	$5,800
Michael Gallup	$5,900	$6,800
Tyrell Williams	$5,900	$6,400
Golden Tate	$5,700	$6,400
Mohamed Sanu	$5,500	$5,800
Curtis Samuel	$5,400	$5,700
Darius Slayton	$5,300	$6,300
DeVante Parker	$5,200	$6,000
Diontae Johnson	$5,100	$5,600
James Washington	$5,000	$6,100
Tyler Boyd	$5,000	$5,600
Alshon Jeffery	$4,900	$6,200
Sterling Shepard	$4,900	$6,500
Randall Cobb	$4,800	$6,000
Robby Anderson	$4,800	$5,400
A.J. Brown	$4,700	$5,300
Dede Westbrook	$4,600	$5,300
Hunter Renfrow	$4,500	$5,900
Cole Beasley	$4,400	$5,300
Danny Amendola	$4,400	$5,700
Corey Davis	$4,300	$5,200
Josh Gordon	$4,200	$5,100
Taylor Gabriel	$4,200	$5,600
Auden Tate	$4,100	$5,300
Chris Conley	$4,100	$5,700
Nelson Agholor	$4,100	$4,800
Phillip Dorsett II	$4,100	$5,400
Alex Erickson	$4,000	$4,700
Paul Richardson Jr.	$4,000	$5,000
Ted Ginn Jr.	$4,000	$5,200
Adam Humphries	$3,900	$5,300
Russell Gage	$3,900	$5,300
Demaryius Thomas	$3,800	$5,200
Tim Patrick	$3,000	$5,400

Weekly strategy – Julio Jones is a lock at WR1. The only players I will pivot from him with are Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham. If I could fit two of them in my lineup, I’d be happy to. I know that won’t likely happen, but it would be fun. The best secondary option would be fitting Jarvis Landry or Jamison Crowder in at WR2. There are several other players I like including: the Oakland receivers, Robby Anderson, DeVante Parker, Chris Conley, James Washington, Taylor Gabriel and Russell Gage. Gage will really be an interesting choice if you want to go mega-stack with Ryan-Julio-Falcons’ defense.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Julio Jones, Falcons vs. TB ($8000 DK, $8400 FD)
In 14 career games against Tampa, Julio Jones has averaged 7.3 catches and 121 receiving yards per game. He also has 11 career receiving TDs against this secondary. Now fast forward to the present, this may be the worst secondary that Tampa has ever suited up against Julio. They have been destroyed by every WR1 not named Corey Davis. This includes a ridiculous 27-404-6 allowed to opposing WR1s over their last three games. Julio Jones has one career 250-yard game against this defense. He may repeat that feat this week. This is going to be chalk as hell, but with a floor of 8-130-1, you can’t fade him.

Michael Thomas, Saints vs. CAR ($9300 DK, $9200 FD)
Michael Thomas has double-digit targets in eight of ten games this year. He has also posted a minimum of 8 catches and 89 yards in all but one game. Of course, in that game, he still scored. The Panthers have allowed more than 240 WR receiving yards in four of their last six games. Thomas is option A, B and C in the Saints’ passing game. So, he could be in for another big game. If I go cheap at RB (and I’m not eager to), I could attempt to roster both Thomas and Julio.

Odell Beckham, Browns vs. MIA ($7000 DK, $7000 FD)
Odell Beckham is finally cheap enough and in a great matchup. Only two WR1s have failed to score at least one TD against the Dolphins’ pass defense. Beckham is finally starting to see a worthy target share. Against a lighter opponent such as this, he should finally hit pay dirt. Jarvis Landry is also a great play here if you can’t afford Beckham.

Mike Evans, Buccaneers @ ATL ($7300 DK, $8000 FD)
Only one WR1 to face Atlanta has not topped 100 yards, scored, or both. Mike Evans is averaging 5.6-86 with eight total TDs, in ten career games against Atlanta. Assuming that Jameis Winston doesn’t get yanked due to his INT issues, Evans should have a safe 7-75-1 floor.

Sleepers:

Jamison Crowder, Jets vs. OAK ($6200 DK, $6500 FD)
This game should be fairly high scoring since both defenses are weak. In that type of situation, I want as much exposure to the game as possible. Both Derek Carr and Sam Darnold make smart pivots from Matt Ryan (if you want to dodge the chalk). This makes both of their WR1s good stacks as well. Jamison Crowder has scored in three straight games, let’s make it four.

Hunter Renfrow, Raiders @ NYJ ($4500 DK, $5900 FD)
All the WRs are in play in this game. I especially like Hunter Renfrow since he is cheaper than Tyrell Williams. It also helps that the Jets have particularly struggled with opposing WR2s. Philip Dorsett (twice), Chris Conley, Preston Williams, Darius Slayton, and Kelvin Harmon have all made mincemeat of this defense. I like Renfrow to post 6-75-1 as a floor here.

Tight End

	DraftKings	FanDuel
Zach Ertz	$6,000	$6,100
Darren Waller	$5,700	$6,200
Evan Engram	$5,200	$6,400
Jared Cook	$4,500	$6,000
Jacob Hollister	$4,300	$5,800
Ryan Griffin	$4,200	$5,600
Greg Olsen	$4,100	$5,100
Noah Fant	$3,900	$5,100
Delanie Walker	$3,800	$5,400
Dallas Goedert	$3,700	$5,200
Cameron Brate	$3,600	$5,400
Jonnu Smith	$3,600	$5,300
Jason Witten	$3,500	$5,300
Vance McDonald	$3,500	$5,300
Mike Gesicki	$3,400	$5,000
T.J. Hockenson	$3,400	$4,900
Jaeden Graham	$3,300	$4,500
O.J. Howard	$3,300	$5,000
Ben Watson	$3,100	$5,300
Tyler Eifert	$3,100	$5,000
Dawson Knox	$3,000	$4,800
Rhett Ellison	$3,000	$5,000
Foster Moreau	$2,800	$4,700
Ben Braunecker	$2,700	$4,500

Weekly strategy – I hate almost all the TEs this week. Ryan Griffin has the greatest upside and crumb bums like Jared Cook and Jacob Hollister are among the top options. I also like Cameron Brate, Vance McDonald, Mike Gesicki, Ben Watson and the ultimate punt, Jaeden Graham. The best thing you can do here is just pray for a score.

Your Fantasy Four Pack:

Ryan Griffin, Jets vs. OAK ($4200 DK, $5600 FD)
Presenting, your TE1 for the week (weak)…Ryan Griffin? Geesh, this is ugly, right? Actually, the ugly is Oakland’s handling of opposing TEs. Six teams have topped 65 TE receiving yards against them, and they have allowed four TE scores over their last five games.

Jared Cook, Saints vs. CAR ($4500 DK, $6000 FD)
Carolina is beatable by opposing TEs. Both mediocre and quality opposition has posted solid yardage and reception numbers against this defense. Jared Cook is starting to re-gel with Drew Brees, so he is as good a play as anyone this week. I like the DK price a lot more than the FD price, but Cook might still be a little over-owned on an otherwise weak TE slate.

Zach Ertz, Eagles vs. SEA ($6000 DK, $6100 FD)
This isn’t a bad matchup for Zach Ertz. In fact, I think Ertz has a solid floor of 6-60. Seattle can be beaten by opposing TEs. They have especially struggled against solid TEs (Austin Hooper, Gerald Everett and Vance McDonald). You could make the argument that Ertz is better than all three of them.

Jacob Hollister, Seahawks @ PHI ($4300 DK, $5800 FD)
Jacob Hollister could see a slight slide in targets with the returning Ed Dickson. That would be a punk move by Seattle. Hollister has looked very good in relief of the injured Will Dissly, and Dickson is just a grizzled vet that has never balled out when given the extended chance. Since Week 7, Hollister is 11^th among TEs in both targets and receptions. He is also tied for second in TDs scored over that stretch. If Dickson is active, Hollister might have a slightly smaller line. That said, Hollister still should roll up about 5-50, with a chance of a score. That scarily will be top five this week.

Sleepers:

Cameron Brate, Buccaneers @ ATL ($3600 DK, $5400 FD)
With O.J. Howard in the permanent doghouse, Cameron Brate exploded back onto the scene last week. Atlanta has given up big games to similarly skilled TEs recently. I could easily see Brate have a solid game here (think 6-60, maybe a score), but he won’t post another 10-73.

Vance McDonald, Steelers @ CIN ($3500 DK, $5300 FD)
Nearly half of the Steelers’ total targets for the season, may miss this game. If that is the case, Vance McDonald quickly becomes a volume-sleeper here. Mason Rudolph has targeted him seven times in each of the last three games. That number should rise here. The Bengals started the season solid against opposing TEs, but over their last two games, they have allowed 19-237-3 to the position.