This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
We have two games Saturday featuring the the Bengals at the Titans followed by the 49ers at the Packers. There's obviously not a lot to choose from but let's look at who to target for both cash and tournament lineups.
QUARTERBACK
Just as I said last week, there's nothing wrong with taking each of the four quarterbacks playing Saturday if you're doing multiple tournament lineups as it guarantees you'll get the best player at the position regardless of cost. As far as cash games go, I don't see any other route than using Aaron Rodgers ($8,400) at home against the 49ers. He's had a week off to prepare and should have all his weapons provided that Marquez Valdes-Scantling is ready to go. If there's a small red flag it's the worry that the 49ers run the heck out of the ball to control the clock and keep Rodgers off the field. If you're worried about Rodgers in any capacity, Joe Burrow ($7,700) is the next logical choice. While this isn't a good matchup for him on paper, he did just score 17.56 fantasy points against the ninth-ranked defense (Las Vegas) against the position. The Titans are elite at stopping the run so the Bengals might have to lean on Burrow and the passing game if they want to pull off the minor upset.
For GPPs, I'm highest on Ryan Tannehill ($7,300), who has the best matchup this weekend. I can't back Jimmy Garoppolo ($6,500) as he's banged up (shoulder, thumb) and has arguably the toughest road matchup in a run-heavy offense. The Bengals likely will crowd the line against Tannehill and dare him to throw, which he's capable of doing, especially with his receiving corps. Both Julio Jones and A.J. Brown are healthy, and the Bengals can't stop the run as well as those two throughout the whole game.
RUNNING BACK
Do you feel lucky? I have to start with Derrick Henry ($9,000), who we haven't seen since Halloween but is on track to start for the Titans this weekend. With the division locked up heading into Week 18, it's possible the Titans rested Henry knowing that if they earned the top seed he'd have yet another week of rest. The problem with Henry is he's the biggest hit to your salary cap this week, not only at the position but of any player available Saturday. For what it's worth, FanDuel Sportbook has Henry listed as a -185 anytime touchdown scorer, the best odds of any player on the slate. I'd lean toward using him in cash games as well as GPPs if there's word he will have no restrictions and get a full workload.
Joe Mixon ($7,800) has the worst matchup among running backs this weekend, but while the efficiency probably won't be there, the volume should be. Mixon should get about 20 touches and the matchup might have fantasy players shy away from him as a result. Aaron Jones ($7,500) would be an easy pivot, but he still has to share the backfield with AJ Dillon ($6,100) who should be good for about 15 touches. Dillon is my favorite GPP play on the slate given his upside for scoring touchdowns and that he provides a fair amount of salary cap relief. Elijah Mitchell ($7,300) is another contrarian play given his matchup with the Packers, but the volume has been there and as long as this game stays within two scores it's hard to see San Francisco abandoning the run. Expect the fantasy production to be limited with him but with another 20 touches on tap, the floor is solid for Mitchell.
WIDE RECEIVER
This is the position that gave me the most trouble this week. Here's my thinking. Davante Adams ($8,700) is a must in cash games, despite his lofty hit on the salary cap. His anytime touchdown odds (-135) are the highest among wide receivers as are his 93.5 over/under for receiving yards. I'm totally fine fading him in tournaments, but he's a staple for cash games. It's tough to ignore Deebo Samuel ($8,600) despite a tough road matchup. He's scored at least 12.4 fantasy points in nine consecutive games and has hit more than 20 fantasy points in four of those games. I can see passing on him if it's a question of him or Adams.
Ja'Marr Chase ($8,200) is going to be a popular option after scoring 18.4 fantasy points last week without finding the end zone. However, I'm going to pass on him in cash games given the tough matchup and that he likely will receive extra attention from the Titans' defense. I'd rather pivot to Tee Higgins ($6,400) or Tyler Boyd ($5,800) instead. I think they'll provide just as much value dollar for dollar as Chase. I'd try to work either Allen Lazard ($6,000) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($5,500) into a lineup this weekend paired with Adams and Rodgers, though that likely will be the most popular stack this weekend. I prefer Lazard over MVS but expect MVS to be the lower-rostered player. The Titans' situation is interesting as A.J. Brown ($7,600) has a great matchup against the Bengals, especially when Derrick Henry is on the field. Julio Jones ($5,600) still has the name brand, but DFS players know he's been less than reliable this season. That said, he still has a lot of upside and will be very low rostered this weekend. A Tannehill-Brown-Julio stack is not a bad idea.
TIGHT END
This position is the toughest to decipher for Saturday's two-game slate. How can we trust George Kittle ($6,500), who hasn't scored more than four points in any of his last four games? C.J. Uzomah ($5,500) has the worst matchup of the weekend, which leads me to Anthony Firkser ($5,200). He's scored touchdowns in each of his last two games and will have plenty of room to work over the middle between the running attack and with Brown and Julio working the outsides of the field. I like that he doesn't kill your salary cap, which allows money to be allocated at the other positions. Kittle still has the highest upside of any tight end, so I'd make sure to get him into at least one GPP lineup.
DEFENSE
The Green Bay Packers ($4,500) defense seems the safest play this week and is who I'd use in cash games. Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't have a ton of experience playing in extreme cold and it wouldn't surprise me to see a botched snap or handoff with him especially given he has a thumb injury. Typically, home defenses thrive in the playoffs, and it doesn't hurt that the Packers had a week off. The other defense to consider is the Tennessee Titans ($4,100). Again, a home team with an extra week off facing a team with a banged-up defensive line. Like quarterback, there's nothing wrong with rolling the dice and using all four defenses if you're doing different lineups. Anything can happen and both the Cincinnati Bengals ($3,400) and San Francisco 49ers ($3,700) will be excellent contrarian plays Saturday.
