Quarterback
Once again this week, quarterback is extremely straightforward to me and it has me focused in on two options with two different builds.
Aaron Rodgers- If I’m spending up, I want Aaron Rodgers should he be active. I get people will want Ben/Brees, that’s fine, but I have watched this Jets secondary get ripped apart the last month and if we have a full-go Aaron Rodgers on Sunday I’m expecting a big-time performance. He’s just over $6,000 on DraftKings, so you aren’t spending a ton, but I don’t think he will be a popular pick come Sunday either.
Nick Foles- Earlier in the week, I thought Foles was going to be pretty chalky in cash games, but the more I’ve looked, the more I don’t think anyone is going to be playing him. He’s under $5,000, and sure the ceiling isn’t huge, but he’s so cheap that the overall ceiling of your lineup is not going to be affected in my opinion, other than positively. I’m fine with the matchup against Houston, and if he lets me fit in Elliott and McCaffrey, I’m very interested in using Foles this weekend. The other cheaper Quarterback that I expect to be high-owned is Dak Prescott, who I do like, but probably more for tournaments than cash games right now.
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliot/Christian McCaffrey/Saquon Barkley- So, as I mentioned above with Foles, this reminds me of a few years ago in NFL DFS where we were jamming in David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell weekly. If you do go Foles, you can 100% fit two of these guys in your lineup and I don’t really see why you wouldn’t be doing that if playing Foles. They are all in good spots, particularly Zeke and McCaffrey, but with everyone scared of the new QB in Carolina I actually think Barkley will be higher-owned than CMC + he is cheaper. I have them ranked in the order they are listed, and I want to play McCaffrey more in this matchup if people are going to be fading him.
Nick Chubb- Chubb is expected to boast pretty big ownership as well, everyone will remember his massive game against the Bengals in their first meeting this season, in which he racked up 31 touches, and now he’s listed as a near 10 point favorite at home. This is the one Browns player I’m considering in cash games, but it all comes down to if you want two of the above guys, or one of them + Chubb.
Marlon Mack- We have seen Marlon Mack post some truly solid fantasy games this season when game-script and game-flow benefit him, as well as the matchup, and this could be another one of those spots on Sunday as the Giants head into Indy to meet the Colts. The Giants run-defense has been beatable since they traded Snacks Harrison, and the Colts line up as 10 point home favorites. At his price, you can consider Mack viable in all formats.
Elijah McGuire- It’s really weird that we have two players from such a bad offense set up to be chalky, but that’s what happens when we get late into the season. McGuire has clearly been the guy for the Jets since Isaiah Crowell went out injured, and he has 20+ touches in each of the last two games despite still being priced below $5,000. He easily hit double-digits against the Texans, and I’m finding it tough to really fade him at this price in cash games.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams- Adams workload is as safe as it gets, as he has seen 13, 11 and 13 target totals over the last three games, topping 83 receiving yards in all three and scoring in two. There a few narrative goals he can reach in the final two games, including Packers catches and yards in a single season. If I end up going Rodgers in cash, I 100% will be pairing him with Adams in this matchup, and I think Adams is a viable one-off with or without Rodgers on Sunday.
Julian Edelman- Edelman is the top mid tier wide receiver option, and I would have written him up even if Josh Gordon was still going to play. Edelman has one of the most secure roles in the NFL, he’s seen 7+ targets in every game but one this season, and he remains near the top of the entire league in targets within the 10 yard line. He popped off for 9-104 against the Bills in their first meeting, and I expect a similar performance (volume-wise) on Sunday.
Alshon Jeffery- Jeffery is going to end up pretty chalky in my opinion, given that everyone knows how good he has been dating back to last season with Foles at quarterback. He caught all eight targets for 160 yards in Foles start last week against the Rams, and this Houston secondary is not one I’m afraid of targeting.
Robby Anderson- You know it’s Week 16 of the NFL season when Robby Anderson is set-up to be the highest-owned wide receiver on the slate, and here we are. With Quincy Enunwa out, Sam Darnold has locked onto Anderson has his top target with 18 targets over his last two games, to go with 170+ receiving yards and two touchdowns. This Packers secondary has began to crumble as the season comes to a close, and unlike your normal chalk value WR, Anderson has a big-time upside and is someone that I’m scared to fade.
Tight End Options (In order of preference): Evan Engram, David Njoku, Kyle Rudolph, Chris Herndon
D/ST Options: Browns, Cowboys, Rams
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
