Stafford has quietly been excellent for fantasy owners this season
and has averaged the fourth-most points per game over the past
five weeks. With seven passing touchdowns and 706 passing yards
in his last two games against weak pass defenses, Stafford has
been a stud worthy of a much higher salary than his current one
on DraftKings. The Lions get a third-consecutive cupcake pass
defense this week in the Raiders, making Stafford an excellent
cash game play. Pair him with either Kenny Golladay or Marvin
Jones for a nice cash-stack.
Like his opponent this week, I am buying Derek Carr and Matthew
Stafford in what could be one of the higher scoring games of the
week. The Lions give up the seventh-most points to opposing quarterbacks,
and even Daniel Jones of the Giants managed to post 300 yards
and four scores against Matt Patricia’s defense last week.
Cornerback Darius Slay may be out or limited, making an already
bad defense even worse.
With the news that T.Y. Hilton will miss this game and up to
a month with a calf injury, along with Eric Ebron missing Thursday
with an ankle issue, I have decided to fade Brissett despite his
attractive $5,600 salary. I’d rather pay up for Stafford
or Wilson than risk a dud performance on the road against the
Steelers.
Running Backs
H2H/Cash - Aaron Jones @ Los Angeles Chargers
- $7,000
Jones is not a cheap play at 7k, and his questionable tag is
a bit of a concern, but the matchup against a Chargers defense
that cannot stop the run is too hard to pass up. If David Montgomery
can post 130 yards and a score against this defense, imagine what
Jones and Jamaal Williams are going to do on Sunday. Jones’ work
in the passing game continues to expand, with Rodgers building
more trust to target Jones on deep passes and red zone targets.
With James Conner likely out with a shoulder injury and Benny
Snell on the shelf with a knee issue, it appears as though Samuels
will get the majority of the touches for the Steelers this week
against the Colts. The Colts run defense has improved with the
return of Darius Leonard, but they still can be scored on, and
the volume Samuels will get based on his price is too hard to
pass up.
Carson is the one 7k running back that I will avoid this week
with the Seahawks taking on a Tampa Bay team that is one of the
hardest to run on this year. Sure, Carson may get a rushing touchdown,
but I anticipate that Russell Wilson and the passing game will
follow the blueprint created by the other teams in the NFL by
passing early and often against a poor Bucs secondary. Carson
is a cash game plays for me most weeks when he plays at home,
just not this week against Tampa Bay.
Some may argue that Lockett’s low volume is too much to
risk in cash games based on his salary. While I do agree that
Lockett does not get the 10-target floor that most No.1 receivers
enjoy in their respective offenses, he is quite efficient with
the volume he does receive and has provided fantasy owners with
double digits in all but one game this year. I like Lockett this
week to put up 100 yards and a score, making him a nice cash game
pair with Russell Wilson.
Jones followed up his four-touchdown performance two weeks ago
with four catches for 22 yards. He is the definition of a boom
or bust play, with monster games sandwiched between soul-crushing
duds like last week. I love Kenny Golladay this week as well against
Oakland, but don’t be surprised if Jones has another multi-touchdown
game in what could be a shootout.
It has made sense up to this point to fade wide receivers going
against Denver’s Chris Harris. It also has made sense up
to this point to avoid Beckham Jr. and most of the Browns passing
offense. When the two combine, it makes even more sense to look
elsewhere.
Waller posted his worst game as a Raider with two catches for
11 yards on eight targets last week against Houston. Although
he did manage to score a touchdown, the Texans made a point to
limit Waller and pick their poison with other weapons in the Oakland
passing game. I anticipate the Lions will look to do the same,
but they do not have someone to match up in the secondary with
Waller, and the big man will have a big game against the Lions.
Other options to consider - Hunter
Henry vs. Green Bay
This one may be risky based on his questionable status, so be
sure to make sure Ebron is active before putting him in your lineup.
The Colts will be without T.Y. Hilton for a while, leaving a big
hole for targets in the Indy passing game. Ebron is well off his
touchdown scoring pace from last season, but he continues to be
a red zone threat and has reached pay dirt in every other game
this year. He did not score last week, so the law of averages
states he might score this week at Heinz Field.
McDonald has been a resounding bust this season, yet he continues
to be viewed as a viable fantasy tight end. Outside of one 20-point
performance week two, Vance has yet to post more than 50 yards
in a game.
Defense & Special Teams
High Priced Option Worthy of the Cost: Bills
($3,800) vs. Washington
Well Priced with Upside: Browns ($3,100) @ Broncos
