This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
Quarterbacks
When perusing over the top options this week, Patrick Mahomes ($9,000) stands out from the others. While many will shy away from the Tampa matchup (13th-best this season against the quarterback spot), a closer look reveals they've allowed the fourth-most fantasy points in the last four weeks. This game has the highest over/under total of the week at 56, and the Chiefs are 3.5 point favorites. Check out Mahomes player props when they come out Saturday; I'd guess you'll feel better about this selection when you see what numbers those are.
I've become a big fan of single-entry tournaments this year but still enter the big $4.44 contest weekly on Fanduel. I typically use multiple lineups (five to 10, nothing crazy) and this week I'm going to be sure to use Justin Herbert ($8,400) in one, and stack him with Mike Williams ($6,100) and Hunter Henry ($5,900). My thinking here is most will want to use Keenan Allen ($8,200), but he'll have Tre'Davious White on him, and probably 90 percent of Herbert stacks will use Allen. I'm also going to do something on the other side of the ball here starting with Josh Allen ($8,600). I'm going with Stefon Diggs ($7,900) with the news that Casey Hayward will be out, and then go with Gabriel Davis ($4,800) with John Brown out. Most will probably go with Cole Beasley ($5,400), but Davis is the bigger player and a better red zone target.
I feel like Derek Carr ($7,100) is the best option amongst the lower-priced quarterbacks this week. I've been picking on the Falcons in this spot on almost a weekly basis and they haven't disappointed. Carr has 20 or more fantasy points in five of his 10 games this season, and this game has a healthy over/under of 53.5 fantasy points with the Raiders as three-point favorites. Atlanta moved back into the spot this week of giving up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. As a result, I think if you need to spend up at other spots, Carr can be used for both tournaments and cash games this week.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook ($11,000) is priced the highest of any player at the position this season. Does he make sense this week in cash? I'd tend to lean toward yes here. It's an excellent home matchup against the Panthers, who have ranked 28th this season against the running back spot. By selecting him, you're looking for a floor of at least 20 fantasy points, and Cook has surpassed that mark in six of his nine contest this season. Definitely put in a couple of GPP lineups fading him.
Do we believe that Jonathan Taylor ($6,400) has entered Frank Reich's Circle of Trust? After 22 carries for 90 yards last week, one would think so. Taylor has at least two catches in each of his last seven games, and the matchup with the Titans is ideal. Tennessee has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs this season, but Taylor is best suited for GPPs after struggling two weeks ago against this team.
After the news Todd Gurley will be out this week, Brian Hill ($5,100) should get the bulk of the work for the Falcons. It's a solid opportunity for Hill, as the Raiders rank 29th against the position. Hill is a good pass-catcher out of the backfield so he should get plenty of work against Vegas. Expect to see some of Ito Smith ($4,700) mixed in as well.
Giovani Bernard ($6,100) has been dealing with a concussion, but after he logged a full practice Friday, it appears he could play this week. If he ends up sitting out, Samaje Perine ($4,800) is another punt option. The Giants aren't a defense to shy away from in this matchup; the key here is whether Gio plays or not.
Wide Receivers
With Adam Thielen (Covid-19) slated to miss the Vikings' clash with the Panthers, Justin Jefferson ($7,000) becomes an extremely attractive option. While there'll be another player in Thielen's spot, it makes sense that Jefferson would see an uptick in targets. The price is reasonable, and the Panthers will likely be focused on slowing Cook down.
As mentioned earlier, the Chargers will be without Casey Hayward, putting Diggs ($7,900) in play. Chris Harris might return from IR but he should be rusty after missing the last seven games. Diggs has an excellent floor this season, scoring at least 12.2 fantasy points in nine of his 10 games.
My favorite, inexpensive play of the week at wide receiver is Keelan Cole ($5,300). Chris Conley and DJ Chark will miss this game, which should lead to plenty of targets for Cole. Throughout the season when the receiving corps was healthier, Cole still managed to produce games of 13.2, 12.8, 17.3 and 19.2 fantasy points. Teammate Laviska Shenault ($5,100) will also return and is an interesting option for GPPs. Shenault is more of a GPP play, whereas I see Cole as a viable option in cash and tournaments.
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce ($8,000) has been so much better than the other tight ends I'd have a hard time getting away from him in cash games. At this point I shouldn't really have to explain why. Darren Waller ($7,100) isn't far behind, however. On paper, he has the best matchup taking on the Falcons, who are dead last against the position this season. He may be under-owned in tournaments with his lofty salary.
The Bills have been terrible against tight end, and Hunter Henry ($5,900) has been targeted heavily in the red zone, leading to touchdowns in back-to-back games for him. I don't see a ton of yardage (not that the upside isn't there) but I think a two-score game could be in the works.
Defense
The Miami Dolphins ($5,000) are the priciest team out there, but the Jets get back Sam Darnold and are coming off their bye week. Instead, and hear me out here, what about the New York Jets ($3,000)? Tua Tagovailoa is dealing with a thumb issue, and the Jets have had an extra week to prepare for this game. Before the bye, the Jets scored eight fantasy points against a better offense, and if they can just hit that amount, they'll be a good value. This should be one of the few games remaining that the Jets have a decent chance of winning, so they should be motivated.
