With a diminished player pool, you’re going to have to make some tough choices in Daily Fantasy Football. Get sneaky with Carson Palmer.
This is a tough week with matchups this week. Not only is this the first week of bye weeks, but there are a lot of top offenses that aren’t playing on Sunday. This is a week to play the matchups (like usual) but it’s also a week to take some gambles. You will be uncomfortable playing some of these players, but that’s how you win money.Take some chances this week and it will pay off!
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys ($8,100): Rodgers has a dream matchup this week against a weak Cowboys secondary. The Cowboys defense has allowed 26, 21 and 18 fantasy points to quarterbacks in their last three games. Those quarterbacks were Trevor Siemian, Carson Palmer and Jared Goff. None of them has Rodgers’ talent. If these three averaged 21 fantasy points, Rodgers should have no problem getting 25 points. Stacking Rodgers with Jordy Nelson ($8,100) will be popular, but should be the highest scoring duo of the week.
Carson Palmer. Arizona Cardinals @ Philadelphia Eagles ($5,900): The Cardinals can’t run the football and the Eagles can’t stop the pass. The Cardinals have thrown the ball 99 times in the last two games. Palmer has thrown for 325 yards or more in three straight games. I recommend stacking Jaron Brown ($4,500) with Palmer this week, Brown has 18 targets in the last two games.
Brian Hoyer, San Francisco 49ers @ Indianapolis Colts ($4,700): This has more to do with how bad the Colts defense is. Two games ago Hoyer showed us his upside, scoring 30 DK points. At $4,700, he is worth the gamble. If he scores around 15 points at his low salary that will be enough for him to reach value. This is a tournament-only play but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is on some winning lineups. Pierre Garcon ($6,100) is the receiver to stack with Hoyer.
Running Back
Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars ($9,500): Bell touched the ball 39 times last week and there is no reason he won’t touch the ball at least 30 times again this week. The Jacksonville defense just gave up 256 rushing yards to the New York Jets. Bell has the biggest upside at running back and now he gets to face the bad run defense of the Jaguars. He is expensive but is worth the price this week.
Bilal Powell, New York Jets, @ Cleveland Browns ($6,200): Bilal Powell showed what he can do when he is given 20-plus touches in a game, exploding for 163 rushing yards on 21 carries last week against Jacksonville. It is looking like Matt Forte is going to miss this game, which means another big workload for Powell. He is at a good price and will be the focal point of the Jets offense.
LeGarrette Blount, Philadelphia Eagles, vs. Arizona Cardinals ($4,200): Blount looked like the best running back on the Eagles last week, leading the team with 16 carries for 136 rushing yards. The Cardinals have a strong front seven but at his price and workload, he should return value. Blount is one of the best goal-line backs in the league and he should see a handful of goal-line carries. He should go low owned this week and that is what you want in cheap players.
Wide Receiver
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers, @ Dallas Cowboys ($8,100): Jordy is a good play most weeks but this week he is a great play. There is nobody in the Cowboy’s secondary that can slow him down and Rodgers will be looking his way on every pass attempt. He has four touchdowns in the last two games and there’s no reason he can’t score another. In every game that he has started and finished this year, he has scored over 20 DK points. Don’t overthink this—start Nelson.
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins vs. Tennessee Titans ($6,600): The Titans secondary has given up the fourth-most passing yards (1,097) and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns given up (11). Parker is Jay Cutler’s number one option and should have no problem finding the end zone this week. The Dolphins offense has looked bad over the last two weeks but this week they should have no problem throwing the ball.
Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles, vs. Arizona Cardinals ($3,900): This is more of a gut call but I believe Agholor will have a big week. My thinking is this: Patrick Peterson will be shadowing Alshon Jeffrey and Tyrann Mathieu will be matching up against Zach Ertz. These two Pro Bowlers have done a good job shutting down opposing pass catchers, which leaves Agholor in a good position. Again, this is a gut call but he can have a massive game and will go low owned.
Tight End
Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens ($3,900): When Derek Carr went down with an injury, EJ Manuel targeted Cook four times in the last couple drives of the game. The Ravens have struggled against tight ends and Cook seems to be Manuel’s go-to guy. His price is low and he has a good floor which I what we want at the position. Start Cook with confidence this week.
Antonio Gates, Los Angeles Chargers @ New York Giants ($3,300): The Giants are bad at stopping the tight end. How bad are they? They gave up six receptions, 143 yards and two touchdowns last week to the Bucs tight ends. Both tight ends scored a touchdown and the Chargers have two tight ends that they use. Gates out-snapped Hunter Henry last week (35-to-34) and I am expecting most people to start Henry. He will go less than five percent owned and if he scores a touchdown, you will win money.
Defense
Baltimore Ravens ($2,900) @ Oakland Raiders: The Ravens defense is the only defense I will be playing this week. Yes, they struggle against tight ends but they get EJ Manuel and there is a reason he is a backup. The Ravens are one of only five defenses that are averaging over 10 fantasy points a game. Start this defense with confidence.
