Prescott enters Sunday’s game against the Colts on the
heels of his best passing performance of the season. With Amari
Cooper now providing Prescott and the passing game a viable WR1
on the outside and the Cowboys finally making Zeke Elliott a focal
point of both the run and pass game, the offense is now rolling,
and Dak is a great play this week against the Colts. Look for
Prescott to throw for at least 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns,
with the upside of a third passing touchdown and a rushing TD
for good measure.
Driskel has not done much with his three starts since Andy Dalton
was placed on IR with a thumb injury. The former backup quarterback
for the Niners has just one touchdown in each of his three games
while failing to score more than 17 points. Why would I recommend
playing such an underwhelming player if he has yet to do anything
special? His $5k price tag makes him an attractive option for
owners looking to save money at quarterback, and he gets to play
at home against a Raiders defense that ranks second in fantasy
points allowed to quarterbacks. This game has the chance of being
a shootout, and Driskel could be in line for the best game of
his young career.
I never thought for the life of me there would come a day in
which Aaron Rodgers would be a cheaper play on DK than Josh Allen
and Lamar Jackson. But that tells you everything you need to know
about this matchup and why you should avoid Rodgers on the road
against the Bears defense that limited the Rams to just six points
last week. Contrarian players may look at Rodgers as a value with
low ownership. I view him as a risky play who cannot put up numbers
like in years past because he won’t get enough time to throw the
ball.
Cook continues to see his usage and production increase as the
Vikings continue to him more involved in both the rushing and
passing game. With the Vikings playing host to a Dolphins team
that ranks seventh in points allowed to running backs. Head coach
Mike Zimmer moved on from former offensive coordinator John DeFilippo,
presumably because he did not like how little the Vikings were
running the ball. Look for Minnesota to use a run-heavy approach
against a defense that is quite susceptible to the run.
Mixon is a well-priced play this week at home against the Raiders,
especially when you consider the success Mixon has enjoyed as
of late. The second-year running back posted 138 yards and a score
against the Chargers last week for his fourth game of over 20
fantasy points on the season. Inexplicably, his salary fell $300
from last week, and he should get a ton of work this week against
a Raiders defense that has allowed six 100-yard rushing games
this season and 10 rushing touchdowns in 13 games.
Wilson posted 20 fantasy points against the Seahawks when the
49ers played their divisional foe two weeks ago. Wilson ended
with 134 total yards, including eight catches on nine targets
for 73 yards. With Matt Breida possibly in the mix again after
getting limited practices in this week, who knows how many snaps
Wilson will get from head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Smith-Schuster has been a cash game stud in three of his last
four games, with at least eight catches and 100 yards and a floor
of 21 fantasy points. The game between the Steelers and Patriots
could be a high scoring contest with Ben Roethlisberger leaning
on JuJu against a Patriot team that has struggled at times covering
slot receivers. I also like Smith-Schuster’s opponent in the slot,
Julian Edelman this week.
The slot position in the Buffalo passing attack is a favorite
target for rookie quarterback Josh Allen. Zay Jones found success
in the slot before moving outside, and now McKenzie has been the
benefactor of 11 targets and 12 total touches in his last two
games. With Darius Slay lined up against Jones on the outside,
look for Buffalo to once again feature McKenzie in the slot. He
is an excellent third WR in GPP for owners looking for a cheap
volume play with touchdown upside.
Jones posted a two-touchdown game last week against the Packers
at Lambeau Field, continuing to prove that he is an elite wide
receiver capable of monster fantasy games. While it is possible
that he continues his strong play this week, I anticipate that
the Falcons will look to run the ball heavily against the Cardinals
and attack the pass defense with other options in the passing
game, like rookie Calvin Ridley. I love Julio, but I’d rather
spend his hefty price tag elsewhere.
Cook has four games of over 100 yards in 2018, including back
to back games of at least 20 fantasy points heading into Sunday’s
game against the Bengals. He isn’t flashy and drops way
too many easy passes, but his usage level and yardage production
is precisely what cash game owners want from their tight end.
I don’t blame readers if they scoff at this recommendation
based on how many times the Uzi has burned fantasy owners this
season. But you cannot discount the 21 targets he has received
in the last three games with Driskel under center, and the Raiders
allow by far the most points to opposing tight ends. If there
were ever a week for the Uzi to have a big game it would be Week
15 against Oakland.
Benching Kittle against the Seahawks after he nearly set the
NFL record for most yards by a tight end last week may seem like
a moronic thing to do, especially when you consider the fact that
Kittle is clearly the favorite target of Nick Mullens with 31
targets in the last three games. Kittle is a stud, and rightfully
so he is the most expensive TE play on DK this week. I am fading
him not because I think he will be bad, but more so based on his
high ownership levels and the anticipation that the Seahawks will
learn from their past mistake and double team Kittle early and
often in the game.
Defense & Special Teams
High Priced Option Worthy of the Cost:
Ravens ($3,000) vs. Bucs:
Well Priced with Upside: Lions ($2,500) @ Buffalo:
