With the Chiefs and the Rams playing on Monday Night Football
the main slate of games is not as robust as in previous weeks.
Both Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff would be excellent plays,
along with pretty much all of the skill position players on both
sides of the ball. Instead, DFS players should consider targeting
players in the game between the Saints and the Eagles, as it too
could be a high scoring contest filled with multiple strong daily
players.
For a quarterback in cash games I am sticking with Drew Brees
at home. In four home games this season in the comforts of the
Mercedes Benz Superdome Brees is averaging just under 30 fantasy
points per game, including 34.4 points two weeks ago against the
Rams. Running the ball against the Eagles is far more difficult
than passing, and I anticipate Brees and head coach Sean Payton
will draw up a pass-heavy scheme for Sunday.
Prescott’s two best games in terms of completion percentage have
come over the past two weeks since Amari Cooper joined the team.
Although Dak has not thrown for more than three touchdowns in
any game this season, the Falcons are a much more dangerous offense
at home and should force the Cowboys to put up a high point total
on offense to win the game. Pair Dak this week with Cooper in
what could be the top GPP tandem of the week.
Stafford has not reached 20 fantasy points since Week 4, and
the Detroit offensive line has struggled this season in pass protection.
Although the Panthers defense ranks in the middle of the pack
in points allowed to quarterbacks and wide receivers, I am avoiding
Stafford this week based on his inability to stay upright and
the fact that Marvin Jones is out with a knee bruise.
The volume for David Johnson has been there all season but without
the results under former offensive coordinator Mike McCoy’s
uninspired and elementary offensive scheme. The move to Byron
Leftwich has proven to be exactly what Johnson and his fantasy
owners needed, with the consensus top-5 pick posting his first
30-point performance of the season. With Johnson a lock for at
least 20 touches at home against a Raiders team that has all but
given up on the season, Johnson is a moderately priced stud running
back that should be a staple in all cash games this week.
Joe Mixon was limited in practice on Thursday with a knee injury.
Although he is slated to play this week against the Ravens and
the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner reported on Friday that
he is a full go at practice, Baltimore allows the fewest points
to opposing running backs on the ground, with only three players
reaching the end zone this season. Look for Bernard to be more
active this week in a game that will likely require receiving
work in the second half as the Bengals chase points. And if Mixon
does suffer a setback with his knee, Bernard could be a cheap
value for GPP formats.
Coleman has not topped more than 15 carries in any of his last
five games and only finds fantasy relevance if he hits on a long
scoring play in the passing game, with Ito Smith eating into his
value in the red zone. Dallas has allowed a receiving touchdown
to a running back in two of the last three games, but it is a
risk not worth taking in a week with excellent options at the
running back position.
With 20 catches in his last two games and a whopping 78 receptions
in nine games in 2018, Thomas has been the quintessential high-floor
cash game wide receiver that all cash game players love to target.
Although his salary is high and can make pairing him with one
of the cash game running backs a difficult task, there is no other
wide receiver on the slate with the guarantee of at least 12 targets.
It also helps that starting cornerback Ronald Darby is out with
a knee injury making an already skeleton crew in the Eagles secondary
even more questionable.
Brown has been missing in action as of late with fewer than ten
points in four of his last five games. The one game that Brown
did deliver was a seven-catch 134-yard game against the Saints.
I only play players like Brown in GPP formats when they have a
home matchup against a downright awful opponent. With the No.32
ranked Bengal defense coming to town and the Ravens looking to
avenge their blowout loss to Cincy Week 2, I am all in on Brown
this week to have a monster game.
DFS owners may want to target Panthers players this week in what
could be a get right game for Carolina after getting smashed by
the Steelers last Thursday. I do like Newton, McCaffrey, and Moore
this week, but I am avoiding Funchess at all costs. The Lions
should have Darius Slay back after missing last week’s game against
the Bears, and Funchess has struggled with 45 yards or less in
his previous three games.
This is not rocket science. Ertz’s volume and production
relative to other tight ends on the slate makes him a must play
in a matchup that carries the second highest over/under on the
week behind the Chiefs and Rams. I’d much rather pay up
for Ertz and his lock for 10 targets at $6,600 and pair him a
lower cost wide receiver than try to make do with a cheaper tight
end option in cash.
Seals-Jones is an inexpensive way to get exposure in the Arizona
game at home against the Raiders if you don’t want to pay up for
David Johnson. Seals-Jones is coming off a season-high nine targets
last week against the Chiefs and continues to build rapport with
Josh Rosen. If you are feeling ballsy, pairing Rosen with Seals-Jones
and Johnson in GPP could give you a ton of money left over to
round out your roster with studs.
I’m not going to fall for the Uzi again until he starts
putting up consistent production. You would think that with A.J.
Green out of the lineup he would have been excellent last week
against the Saints, but he managed just three catches for 23 yards
in what should have been a game script conducive for big points.
Defense & Special Teams
High Priced Option Worthy of the Cost:
Ravens ($3,200) vs. Bengals
Well Priced with Upside: Panthers ($2,900) @
Detroit
