This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Kirk Cousins (WAS, $39)
In the passing department, Cousins has been inconsistent over the last past month. However, there were circumstances that led to his lack of production. He played against Dallas in a downpour, and dealt with O-line injuries in tough matchups against the Vikings and Seahawks. With the line closer to full health, he'll look to get back on track against a Giants defense that's been mostly terrible over the last few weeks. Look for Cousins to build on last week's excellent production against the Saints and return to the form we saw in Weeks 3-6, when he averaged 2.5 passing TDs and 305 yards per game.
RB: Melvin Gordon (LAC, $31)
Gordon certainly hasn't shown his early-season upside and volume lately. After seeing 60 touches in Weeks 5 and 6, Gordon has averaged under 20 in the four games since. With Austin Ekeler now in the picture, the days of Gordon seeing nearly 30 touches seem to be a distant memory. Also, Gordon's efficiency has been a cause for concern, as he's had six games with 3.3 yards per carry or less this season. The good news is that many fantasy owners may be 'off' of him now, but he has a great situation this week against a reeling Cowboys defense that'll be without LB Sean Lee. Even if he gets fewer touches than we'd like, his big-play ability can make him a fantastic GPP play.
WR: T.Y. Hilton (IND, $25)
Hilton has had three massive games this year, and each came in a fairly predicable spot. In those games, he was playing indoors against an opponent with a weak secondary, and the result was him blowing up against the Browns, 49ers and Texans for an average of 166 yards and a TD. Well, this week is looking like it could be more of the same. He'll be at home and taking on a Tennessee secondary that was torched by Antonio Brown and a host of others throughout the year. Sure, he may be highly owned, but his upside is so high that it should be worth going with the crowd.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Dak Prescott (DAL, $34), Cam Newton (CAR, $37)
RB: DeMarco Murray (TEN, $25), Thomas Rawls (SEA, $10), Christian McCaffrey (CAR, $22)
WR: Keenan Allen (LAC, $25), Julio Jones (ATL, $34), Corey Davis (TEN, $16)
TE: Tyler Kroft (CIN, $16), Jared Cook (OAK, $22)
DST: Washington Redskins ($12), Los Angeles Rams ($17)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Russell Wilson (SEA, $41)
Wilson struggled against this defense in Week 2, when he threw for just 198 yards and one TD. Things have certainly changed since that time. Wilson has put the Seahawks on his back, averaging over two TDs per game over his last five contests. Being on the road, it's unlikely that Seattle's struggling rushing attack will get on track, and that'll allow him to take advantage of a secondary that's in the bottom six in terms of fantasy production allowed to QBs . Even if the Seahawks win in a blowout and take their foot off the gas late in the contest, he'll likely have done enough damage to have posted a strong performance.
Running Back
Todd Gurley (LAR, $37)
Many teams haven't been able to utilize their rushing attacks against the Saints because they've been trailing, thereby forcing teams to go pass heavy against them. The Rams should be able to keep this game close, as Wade Phillips should have his defense geared up to slow down the Saints' offense. That should allow Gurley to keep rolling against a defense that was just lit up by Semaje Perine. Since Week 3, Gurley's averaging over 20 touches per game, which puts him near the top of the league. He's only had two games with fewer than 104 yards since Week 2, and he's found the end zone in over half of his games. That ensures an excellent floor in cash games, and he also has a great ceiling due to his red zone usage.
Alex Collins (BAL, $15)
Although the Ravens aren't a team that controls many games, they definitely have a chance to do so against the Texans, who should struggle to move the football against the Baltimore defense. If the game script goes as hoped, Collins should get at least 15 carries, and he could cash in with a big fantasy day as he's averaged at least 4.6 yards per carry in six different games. This could be a rare occasion in which he gets heavy use in the fourth quarter to kill the clock. Also, if he gets more carries than usual, his ability to break off big plays increases, and he's already had three runs of at least 25 yards this season.
Wide Receiver
Sterling Shepard (NYG, $22)
It's great to be the only show in town. As the last of the starting Giants' WRs healthy, he's been targeted at least nine times in each game since returning from an ankle injury. He also benefits from playing many of his snaps in the slot, where he often doesn't have to deal with the opponent's best cornerback. He'll be up against a Washington secondary that has a pair of very good boundary corners. However, the one area where this secondary struggles is in the slot, so look for Eli Manning to pepper him with targets, leading to another strong performance. Of course, be sure to check his status after Shepard missed last week's game due to migraines.
A.J. Green (CIN, $36)
The last time he faced this Browns defense, in Week 4, he caught five passes for 63 yards and a TD, which isn't a bad place to start as a baseline when looking at Green this week. Since that time, the Bengals changed their offensive coordinator, and he's been utilized more efficiently. Since the coaching change, he's had a pair of games with at least 115 yards and a TD since, and against a secondary that's been quite generous all season, this is an excellent spot for Green to be a safe option for cash games.
Doug Baldwin (SEA, $31)
Since seeing an inconsistent number of targets early in the season, things have improved lately for Baldwin. He's averaged 10 targets over the last four games while posting at least 92 yards on three occasions to go with two TDs. His recent hot streak coincides well with him facing one of the most depleted secondaries in the league. Not only are the 49ers terrible in defending the slot, where Baldwin runs a high percentage of his routes, but they've lost a pair of safeties to injury, which should give him even more room to operate.
Tight End
Vernon Davis (WAS, $19)
Regardless of whether Jordan Reed has been in the lineup, Davis has been a consistent producer this year. He's posted at least 58 yards seven times since Week 3 while seeing at least four targets in most games. However, his target volume has increased over the last few weeks with Reed sidelined, and he has a pair of games in which he's been targeted at least nine times. He'll be facing a Giants' defense that's allowed the most TDs to TEs this season, so not only does Davis' ability to gain big chunks of yardage make him a great option this week, but his potential to score a TD gives him added upside. It should be noted that Reed has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and with this game coming on a short week, there's a fair chance that he'll miss another game, making Davis even more valuable.
Defense/Special Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars ($21)
Although this is a game on the road, that's about the only negative that can be found in this matchup. It's very unlikely that the Cardinals will be able to get any type of consistent rushing attack going, and once that happens, it'll be a long day for their offense. The elite pass rush and secondary of the Jaguars should be able to wreak havoc against a backup QB and a terrible pass-blocking line that's allowed 2.8 sacks per game. It would be a shock if they didn't create at least a couple takeaways and a few sacks, and that should be their floor this week.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Carson Wentz (PHI, $37), Tom Brady (NE, $40)
RB: LeSean McCoy (BUF, $30), Le'Veon Bell (PIT, $38)
WR: Adam Thielen (MIN, $27), Brandin Cooks (NE, $27)
TE: Jimmy Graham (SEA, $21), Delanie Walker (TEN, $18)
DST: Chicago Bears ($15), Arizona Cardinals ($10)
