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NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8 – Quarterbacks

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

Reader-only discount! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.

Bye weeks and prime time games leave the main Sunday slate in DFS for Week 8 missing some top options including Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Matt Ryan. However, there are still plenty of great players on the board. Let’s examine some quarterbacks to target and avoid as you craft your lineup. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

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NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8 - Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $9,200
DraftKings = $7,000

Mahomes kept things rolling Sunday night against the Bengals, throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns. He even chipped in a season-high 45 rushing yards on four carries. If you want to be picky, he did throw an interception for the third straight game after not throwing a pick in any of his first four contests. It’s easy to overlook the turnovers, though, since he has already thrown at least three touchdowns in a game five times and at least 300 yards in all but one contest.

There is no quarterback with a higher floor than Mahomes. He has a ton of weapons around him, making it hard for defenses to figure out who to try and stop. Even his running back Kareem Hunt has four receiving touchdowns. The Broncos haven’t been horrible defending the pass, but Mahomes is still a top option in cash contests, especially with this game being at home.

Jared Goff vs. Green Bay Packers
Stadium – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $6,000

Goff failed to throw a touchdown in a game for the first time this year in Week 6, but he rebounded with two scores Sunday. He’s thrown for 201 yards and 202 yards in his last two games, respectively, in large part because he attempted 28 passes or fewer in both contests. With Todd Gurley destroying opposing defenses on the ground, the Rams don’t always need to have Goff throw a lot.

One thing to note about both of Goff’s recent performances is that they came on the road. Goff has five touchdowns across four road games this year, but he has nine touchdowns over his three home contests. His last two games also came against two bad offenses in the Broncos and 49ers. The Rams might be forced to throw more to keep up with the Packers, making Goff a viable option to consider.

Andrew Luck vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $6,300

Luck had a bizarre performance in Week 7. The Colts got up big early against the horrid Bills, leaving Luck to record season lows in pass attempts (23) and yards (156). To put that into perspective, he had thrown the ball at least 40 times in five of his first six games. However, he was still extremely productive with four touchdowns, marking the third time in the last four weeks that he had exactly that many scores.

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Luck attempt fewer passes in this game, as well. Marlon Mack has breathed some life into their running game, and while the Raiders aren’t nearly as bad as the Bills, they aren’t great offensively, either. It’s hard to imagine them playing any better this week with Amari Cooper traded to the Cowboys and Marshawn Lynch on IR. Their defense has allowed 13 touchdown passes and recorded just four interceptions, leaving Luck with a matchup to exploit.

GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8 - Quarterbacks

Andy Dalton vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $6,200

Dalton and the Bengals laid an egg against the Chiefs on Sunday. Playing in Arrowhead Stadium is no easy task, but the Chiefs defense has been lit up this year. Dalton made them look excellent, completing only 15 of 29 passes for 148 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. After throwing at least two touchdowns in each of his first four games, he has four touchdowns across the last three games.

Dalton quickly gets a chance to redeem himself against a Bucs team that has allowed the most passing yards per game (328) and passing touchdowns (18) in the league. If that wasn’t bad enough, they’ve only picked off one pass. Some people might be down on Dalton after last week, but he’s still a great option in tournament play.

Jameis Winston vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – Paul Brown Stadium
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $6,000

After posting 395 passing yards in his first start in Week 6, Winston followed that up with 365 yards in Week 7. However, he threw four touchdowns passes two weeks ago, but failed to record a touchdown through the air Sunday. He also threw two more interceptions. Luckily, he was still able to somewhat salvage his performance with 55 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

The Bucs defense is so bad that their offense has to throw a lot to keep pace with the opposing team. They also don’t run the ball well, which has led to Winston attempting at least 42 passes in both of his starts. Turnovers will likely continue to be a problem, but this a matchup to exploit since the Bengals have allowed the third-most passing yards per game (301) and are tied for the fifth-most passing touchdowns (15) allowed.

Mitch Trubisky vs. New York Jets
Stadium – Soldier Field
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $6,100

Trubisky is the quarterback of the future for the Bears, but he looked shaky with two touchdown passes and three interceptions across the first three games this year. He failed to throw for more than 220 yards in any of those contests, as well. Then, everything turned on a dime when he threw for 354 yards and six touchdown passes during a route of the Bucs in Week 4. He’s kept things rolling with 649 yards and five touchdowns across two games since.

Last year, Tribusky had four touchdowns and one interception at home compared to three touchdowns and six interceptions on the road. His favorable home splits have continued this season with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions at home compared to three touchdowns and two interceptions on the road. While he may not have as high of an upside as Dalton or Winston, Trubisky could still be extremely productive in this game.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 8 - Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stadium – Ford Field
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $5,600

The Lions offense is built around Stafford and their passing game, but he’s attempted 48 passes over his last two games, combined. He did still throw at least two touchdown passes in both games, but he failed to accumulate more than 217 yards in either contest. Those two games are more than likely just outlier performances, but even if he throws the ball more in Week 7, that doesn’t necessarily mean you want him in your lineup. The Seahawks have allowed the third-fewest passing yards per game (206) and have more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes allowed (eight).

Sam Darnold vs. Chicago Bears
Stadium – Soldier Field
FanDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $4,500

Darnold has played well at times, but he’s largely been inconsistent. He’s had four games with one or no touchdown passes and has thrown for fewer than 200 yards four times. Turnovers have been a problem for him, as well, with 10 interceptions to go along with his 10 touchdowns. The Bears defense has been porous the last couple of weeks, but if you want to go with a cheap option at quarterback in tournament play, Darnold is not your guy.

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 – Quarterbacks

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

Early bird special! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.

We’re only two weeks into the season, but injuries are piling up across the league. Aaron Rodgers was able to battle through a knee injury Week 2 against the Vikings, but Marcus Mariota was unable to play against the Texans due to an injured elbow. Week 3 brings some good news at quarterback with Carson Wentz set to return for the Eagles. It also brings another opportunity to win some cash in DFS. Let’s examine some quarterbacks to target and avoid as you craft your entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

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NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 - Quarterbacks

Patrick Mahomes vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $8,900
DraftKings = $7,000

The Chiefs made the decision to move on from Alex Smith during the offseason and give their promising young quarterback in Mahomes a chance to shine. He’s done just that through the first two weeks, throwing for 582 yards and a staggering 10 touchdowns. There was some concern that he could turnover prone heading into the season, but he’s yet to throw an interception. He’s also completed 69.1% of his passes.

This might be the perfect storm for Mahomes. He has a big arm and a ton of talent around him on offense. The Chiefs are also horrible on the defensive side of the ball, which should force him to throw a lot in high scoring games. Not only has Mahomes dominated in his first two contests, but it shouldn’t be overlooked that both of those performances came on the road. He’ll finally get to play at home against a 49ers defense that allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2. Mahomes’ price has jumped significantly, but his ceiling is tremendous.

Kirk Cousins vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – U.S. Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $6,800

The Vikings came away with a tie against the Packers in Week 2, but Cousins had an impressive performance. After completing just 55.6% of his passes in Week 1, he connected on 72.9% of his attempts against the Packers. He amassed 425 passing yards, marking the fourth time in his career that he has thrown for at least 400 yards in a game. He also chipped in four touchdowns to go along with only one interception.

Cousins had some decent weapons around at times with the Redskins, but nothing like the trio of Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, and Kyle Rudolph. He’s primed to have an excellent season. Sunday brings an extremely favorable matchup against a Bills defense that has allowed six touchdown passes and has failed to record an interception through the first two weeks. This game might get out of hand early due to the Bills putrid offense, but Cousins still has a high floor.

Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $7,400
DraftKings = $6,500

Garoppolo understandably struggled in the first game of the season against a tough Vikings defense. He only had to attempt 26 passes in Week 2 against the Lions as the 49ers raced out to an early lead, but he completed 18 of those attempts for 206 yards and two touchdowns. His 69.2% completion percentage was on par with the 67.4% mark that he posted in 2017. It should also be noted that he was missing arguably his best pass-catching option in Marquise Goodwin due to a quad injury.

Going up against the vaunted Chiefs offense, expect Garoppolo to throw a ton in this game. The Chiefs defense was lit up by Ben Roethlisberger last week and has allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks through the first two weeks. It’s still uncertain if Goodwin will be able to return for this game, but Garoppolo is an excellent option even if he’s missing his speedy receiver.

GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 - Quarterbacks

Deshaun Watson vs. New York Giants
Stadium – NRG Stadium
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $6,100

Watson looked rusty in Week 1 against the Patriots. He completed only 50% of his passes for 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He did chip in 40 rushing yards on eight carries, but it was a disappointing performance based on the lofty expectations that he set for himself last year before going down with a torn ACL. However, he looked more like himself last week against the Titans, completing 68.8% of his passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to go along with 44 rushing yards.

Possibly one of the biggest reasons for his disappointing first game was the absence of Will Fuller. For his career, Watson has averaged 35.4 fantasy points per game in the games Fuller has played compared to 17.4 points per game without him. With Fuller’s return for Week 2, Watson thrived. The Giants defense has had plenty of trouble defending mobile quarterbacks this year, allowing Blake Bortles to rush for 35 yards in Week 1 and Dak Prescott to rush for 45 yards last week.  Watson could be in line for a huge performance.

Alex Smith vs. Green Bay Packers
Stadium – FedEx Field
FanDuel = $7,100
DraftKings = $5,800

Smith was set up nicely for a big game last week against a Colts secondary that has plenty of holes. He did complete 71.7% of his passes, but he only finished with 292 yards on 46 attempts. He again didn’t throw an interception, but he failed to throw a touchdown pass, as well.

Smith is going to take care of the football and keep his team in the game most weeks. The problem is, he’s not always a big-play quarterback. He threw 26 touchdown passes all of 2017, but his replacement Mahomes already has 10 through two contests. The good news for Week 3 is that the Redskins are facing a Packers defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks across the first two weeks. They also might be forced to throw a lot to keep up with Rodgers and the Packers offense, making him someone to consider for your entry.

Ryan Tannehill vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
FanDuel = $6,600
DraftKings = $5,300

Tannehill is back and the Dolphins are 2-0. What more could you ask for, right? Well, before Dolphins fans get too excited, they did beat two mediocre teams in the Jets and Titans. You can only beat who’s on your schedule, though, and Tannehill’s return at least gives them some hope to be more competitive this season. He threw for just 168 yards last week, but only attempted 23 passes in what was a convincing win. He did complete 73.9% of his attempts and record two touchdowns.

It’s encouraging that Tannehill has completed at least 70% of his passes and thrown for at least two touchdowns in both games this season. While not flashy, he has some solid receivers around him in Kenny Stills, Danny Amendola, and Albert Wilson. The Dolphins rushing duo of Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore can cause problems, as well. His upside isn’t as high as that of Watson, but Tannehill could be a low-owned player who provides value at this cheap price.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 - Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Stadium – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
FanDuel = $7,400
DraftKings = $5,800

Rivers is off to a fast start, throwing for 680 yards and six touchdowns over the first two weeks. He’s been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league during his career, throwing for between 28 and 33 touchdowns in each of the last five seasons. The problem is that he has to go against the vaunted Rams defense that has allowed an average of 3.9 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks through two weeks. Yes, you read that correctly. There will be plenty of weeks that you want to roll with Rivers for your entry, but Week 3 is not one of them.

Dak Prescott vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stadium – CenturyLink Field
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $5,100

Prescott got off to a fast start Sunday night against the Giants, throwing a 64-yard touchdown pass to Tavon Austin on the third play of the game. That being said, he only threw for 96 yards the rest of the game. He threw for just 170 yards in Week 1, as well, and is clearly hampered by the Cowboys lack of talent at wide receiver. This team is built around Ezekiel Elliott and their rushing attack, which will likely limit Prescott’s opportunities. The Seahawks defense is not nearly as formidable as it has been in recent years, but Prescott doesn’t have enough upside to warrant consideration for your entry.

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 1 – Quarterbacks

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

Early bird special! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.

The NFL season is finally here! Along with it comes another exciting year of daily fantasy football. We’ll be doing things a little differently as we look to help you fatten your wallet. We’ll be churning out four articles a week, including one each for quarterbacks, runnings backs, wide receivers and a combined piece for tight ends and defenses/special teams.

In each article, we’ll highlight some players that work for cash or GPP contents. We’ll also highlight some players to avoid as your craft your lineup. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

CASH CONTEST OPTIONS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 1 - Quarterbacks

Tom Brady vs. Houston Texans
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $7,200

Brady had another stellar campaign in 2017, finishing with 4,577 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. It marked the sixth time in the last seven seasons that he finished with at least 4,100 yards with the only time he didn’t reach that plateau being the 2016 season when he played only 12 games due to a suspension. He also threw just eight interceptions, marking his fourth-straight season with less than 10 picks.

There has been a lot of talk heading into Week 1 about the Patriots lack of wide receivers with Julian Edelman suspended. Chris Hogan will lead that unit for now, but Brady still has star tight end Rob Gronkowski at his disposal. He also has excellent pass-catching running backs in James White and Rex Burkhead. He’ll get a favorable matchup right out of the gates against a Texans defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points per game last year to opposing quarterbacks. They did add safety Tyrann Mathieu during the offseason, but their secondary is still ranked 25th by Pro Football Focus. Brady is a safe bet to have a productive Week 1.

Drew Brees vs. Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $6,800

The Saints turned to a more run-heavy offense last season, which resulted in a down performance from Brees. He had a stellar 72% completion percentage, but his 536 pass attempts were his lowest mark since 2009. He also threw just 23 touchdown passes, breaking a streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least 30. On a positive note, he only threw eight interceptions, his fewest since 2004.

The Saints’ running game last year was led by the two-headed monster of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. Ingram will be suspended for the first four games of the season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Saints relied a little more on the passing game to help spell Kamara. The Saints not only have star wideout Michael Thomas, but they also added Cameron Meredith to go along with Ted Ginn Jr. A healthy Ben Watson could be a sneaky valuable weapon at tight end, as well. The Buccaneers have the 31st ranked secondary according to Pro Football Focus, leaving Brees with a high floor for this contest.

Cam Newton vs. Dallas Cowboys
Stadium – Bank of America Stadium
FanDuel = $8,100
DraftKings = $6,900

Although Newton’s 59.1% completion percentage last year was a significant improvement from 2016, it still resulted in his fourth straight season with a completion percentage under 60%. His 3,302 passing yards were his lowest total since 2014 and he threw 16 interceptions compared to 22 touchdowns. He was a tremendous weapon in the rushing attack, though, gaining a career-high 754 yards on the ground. He also finished with six rushing scores and has at least five rushing touchdowns in every season of his career.

Part of the reason for Newton’s poor passing numbers last year may have been due to his lack of weapons. Greg Olsen missed much of the season due to injury and the Panthers were very thin at wide receiver. Olsen enters this season healthy and they added Torrey Smith and rookie D.J. Moore to go along with the emerging Devin Funchess at wide receiver. While Newton might not have as high of a ceiling as Brady and Brees, his ability to run the ball gives him a high floor most weeks.

GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 1 - Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – StubHub Center
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $6,400

Rivers is still posting big numbers as he enters his 16th season in the NFL. He finished 2017 with 4,515 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. He also attempted at least 570 passes and had a completion percentage of at least 60% for the fourth straight season. If you play season-long fantasy, he’s one of the more underrated safe bets to provide valuable numbers at the quarterback position.

He enters this season with plenty of weapons around him. Keenan Allen has been one of the best wide receivers in the league and promising young wide receiver Mike Williams is finally healthy heading into this year, providing Rivers with another big red zone target. The Chargers lost Hunter Henry to a torn ACL, but just brought back Antonio Gates, who has developed a great relationship with Rivers over their long careers together. The Chiefs were tied for the eighth-most fantasy points allowed per game to opposing quarterbacks last year and might be even worse in 2018 after trading star cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams.

Andy Dalton vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – Lucas Oil Stadium
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $5,800

Dalton had what may have been the worst season of his career last year. He averaged a career-low 207.5 yards per game and his 59.9% completion percentage was his worst mark since his rookie campaign. He only had 15 combined interceptions in 2015 and 2016, but he threw 12 picks last year.

The Bengals offense could be better this season with Joe Mixon looking to break out in his second season in the league. They still have star receiver A.J. Green to go with an emerging John Ross, who opened some eyes in the preseason. Don’t be surprised if they have a huge Week 1 against the Colts, who have the league’s worst secondary according to Pro Football Focus. At this cheap price, Dalton has the potential to provide significant value.

Case Keenum vs. Seattle Seahawks
Stadium – Broncos Stadium at Mile High
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $5,100

Keenum earned a starting role with the Vikings last year and helped lead them into the playoffs. Although his 3,547 passing yards wasn’t off the charts, he had a 67.6% completion percentage to go along with 22 touchdown passes and just 7 interceptions. The Vikings made a big splash bringing in Kirk Cousins during the offseason, which ultimately resulted in Keenum joining the Broncos.

Keenum had two extremely talented pass catchers with the Vikings in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. He’ll see a downgrade at that position with the Broncos, but Demaryius and Emmanuel Sanders are still a formidable duo. They also drafted the very promising Courtland Sutton and should have a solid rushing attack with Royce Freeman and Devontae Booker. The “Legion of Boom” era is a thing of the past in Seattle as their secondary looks susceptible this year, especially with Earl Thomas still holding out. Even if Thomas does return to the team before this game, Keenum still has some upside in tournament play.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 1 - Quarterbacks

Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Minnesota Vikings
Stadium – U.S. Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $7,100
DraftKings = $5,700

Jimmy Garopplo started off his career with the 49ers in style. He only played in six games, five of which were starts, but he averaged 260 yards per contest. His seven passing touchdowns weren’t great, but he had a 67.4% completion percentage and showed a glimpse of what many believe is a bright future in the NFL. However, he draws a tough matchup this week against a very stout Vikings defense that allowed the fewest points in the NFL last year.  There will be plenty of weeks that you want to roll with Garoppolo for your entry, but this might not be one of them.

Patrick Mahomes II vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – StubHub Center
FanDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $6,000

The Chiefs dealt Alex Smith to the Redskins to replace Cousins, handing over the reins to Mahomes. Selected 10th overall in the 2017 draft, it was only a matter of time before Mahomes took over the starting quarterback job. He has a big arm with talented playmakers around him including Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt, which should serve him well. However, he could be turnover prone and may go through some growing pains. Although cornerback Jason Verrett has already been lost for the season with a torn Achilles, the Chargers still have an extremely talented secondary and an excellent pass rush anchored by Joey Bosa. I’d much rather take a chance on someone like Dalton rather than Mahomes if you want to go with a cheap quarterback in tournament play.

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17

by Cesar Becerra 0 Comments

* Cesar Becerra *

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17

As I prefaced the article last week, the final two weeks of the NFL season are often the toughest to digest from a DFS perspective. Last week we didn’t see any teams rest any of their star players, but this week we have an entirely different scenario. We’ve already received reports that the Steelers, Rams, Eagles, Chiefs, and potentially the Vikings and Jaguars are all resting their starters.

We have a few teams like the Vikings, Saints, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, Patriots, Steelers,  Ravens, Chargers, Titans, and Bills all still fighting for either their playoff lives of their playoff positioning. Here is a thorough look at what the Week 17 playoff scenarios look like.

 

Vegas

As you’d expect with all the late news about teams sitting their star players we’ve seen a lot of movement within the Vegas lines. The largest line movement of the week was a 10 point swing with the 49ers going from +6.5 underdogs to a -3.5 favorite. The following are the biggest shifts in the Vegas lines Browns (+14.5 to 7), Colts ( +o to -5.5), Cowboys (+1 to -3), Seahawks (-7.5 to -10), and Jags (+5 to +3).

Despite the line movements, there are still seven teams that are more than a touchdown favorite, the Patriots (-16.5), Vikings (-13), Seahawks (-10), Ravens (-10), Chargers (-7.5), Steelers & Saints (-7). Most of these teams also sit with the highest implied team total starting with the Patriots (30). Followed by Saints (28.25), Vikings (26.25), Ravens (25), Lions (24.74), Chargers (24.75), Falcons (24.5), Seahawks (24.25), and 49ers (23.25).

There aren’t many games with incredibly high over/under with only two games sitting with a game total over 45, (NO @ TB 49.5) and (ATL @ CAR 45). There are 8 games  (CIN @ BAL 40), (CHI @ MIN 39.5), (WAS @ NYG 39.5), (DAL @ PHI 39), (ARI @ SEA 38.5), (KC @ DEN 38.5), (CLE @ PIT 36.5) with game totals of 40 points or less, which leaves game stacks hard to come by for this slate.

This data was taken as of Friday afternoon, but as always, you should always check back at Vegas Insiders on Sunday morning.

Quarterbacks

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17 - Lineuplabs.com

Russell Wilson (DK $6,900) – Wilson might be the safest play at quarterback this week, and unfortunately, he doesn’t come cheap as he is the highest priced quarterback on the slate. But with all these secondary players playing this week, there is a ton of value on this slate. Wilson checks the all the boxes you would ask for during week 17. He has a decent team total (24.25), is playing as a home favorite, and is playing for their playoff lives. He’s facing the Cardinals who rank 8th in aFPA, but Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league following the Seahawks’ bye this season.

Jimmy Garoppolo (DK $6,700) –  At this point, nothing else can be said other than Jimmy G is the GOAT. He is coming off of a week where he destroyed the best defense in the league by completing 70% of his passes. He has exceeded his value in 3 of his first 4 starts with the 49ers and now faces the Rams who will likely be rolling out second stringers. The matchup doesn’t look great on paper (Rams rank 5th in aFPA vs. QB), but the 49ers offense is white hot right now and if the Rams most of their starters, look for Garoppolo to have a field day to ride into the offseason with a perfect 7-0 record as a starter.

Patrick Mahomes (DK $4,700) – After the news broke that Andy Reid was going to rest Alex Smith in the final regular season game, Mahomes immediately became the best value play at the quarterback position. During the preseason, Mahomes completed  63% his 54 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also showed his athleticism that we saw so much in college with 8 rushes for 44 yards. I’ve noted in the past that the Broncos secondary is not as scary as they used to be (16th in aFPA) and have allowed the second-most passing touchdowns in the league (29). Mahomes will be the chalk for people paying down at QB

Cash:

R. Wilson, J. Garoppolo, C. Newton,  P. Mahomes, K. Cousins, P. Mahomes

GPP:

(all of above), M. Stafford, P. Rivers, T. Taylor, M. Ryan, J. Brissett

Running backs

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17 - Lineuplabs.com

Alvin Kamara (DK $7,900) – With the news that Bell and Gurley are sitting the high tier at running back is very thin. I also expect Kareem Hunt (7,600), Leonard Fournette (7,100), and potentially Melvin Gordon (7,400) to all sit or be very limited so I will be staying away from them. That makes Kamara my favorite high priced back. Kamara has seen his price dip below 8k for the first time since in five weeks, which is appropriate given that he hasn’t met salary expectations in 3 of the last 4 games. This week the Saints still have an opportunity to clinch the division and are going up against the Bucs who rank 21st in aFPA against running backs. Kamara already destroyed the Bucs back in week 9 when he put up 32.2 DK points and totaled 2 touchdowns with 152 yards.

Kenyan Drake (DK $7,200) – I surprisingly haven’t heard many people talking up Drake this week, so it seems that I will be overexposed to the field this week. Drake has crushed value in 4 of his past 5 games and last week he only got 13 touches because of the game flow. This week the Dolphins are at small underdogs (+2.5) at home against the Bills. The Bills are dead last in aFPA, and Drake smashed them two weeks ago for 23.3 DK points and 113 total yards with one score. Drake is coming in as a sneaky tournament play. I’m not sure if I can play him in cash given the uber chalk  Dion Lewis is $400 cheaper, but I like him as a pivot for tournaments.

Derrick Henry (DK $5,500) – Henry is finally expected to work as the Titans’ featured back with DeMarco Murray expected to either be limited or inactive with an MCL sprain. Football fans have long been waiting for the former Heisman trophy winner to get a full workload and he appears in line for that against the Jags who have a run funnel defense, ranking 25th in aFPA vs. running backs and 9th in aFPA vs. quarterbacks. Henry is the chalk for value running backs this week.

Cash:

A. Kamara, D. Lewis, M. Ingram, C. McCaffrey, D. Henry

GPP:

(all of above), K. Drake, E. Elliott, C. Hyde, A. Collins, J. Williams

Wide Receivers

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17 - Lineuplabs.com

Julio Jones (DK $8,200) – Julio comes in as the chalk this week at wide receiver.  He’s averaging at least 7 targets the past 16 games and is going up against the Panthers who rank 30th in aFPA. In Julio’s first time facing the Panthers, he went off for 20.8 DK points with 6 catches for 118 yards. In a must-win game for the Falcons, look for Matt Ryan to force feed Julio like he did last week against the Saints. Julio will be the highest owned receiver, but I don’t mind pivoting to Keenan Allen against the Raiders (22nd aFPA vs. WR) if you’re willing to eat the ownership on Julio.

TY Hilton (DK $5,900) – Hilton is the other chalk wide receiver. He’s coming off of a 6 catch, 100-yard performance against the Ravens who are a top 10 team against defending wide receivers. Hilton now gets the Texans who are dead last in aFPA to wide receivers. Earlier this season Hilton torched the Texans for 37.5 DK points on 5 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hilton has 29 targets in the past 4 weeks of tough matchups (Baltimore (12), Broncos (7), Bills (4), & Jags (6). He is 48 yards shy of his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season, so I expect Brissett to feed him the ball.

Randall Cobb (DK $4,700) – With the reports that Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson will be out week 17, that makes Cobb the new number 1 target for Brett Hundley. Cobb has 29 targets in the past 3 weeks, and the supporting cast will feature Geronimo Allison (3,200) and Michael Clark (3,000). Cobb should be a lock to see double-digit targets and goes up against the Lions who rank 26th in aFPA.

Cash:

J. Jones, K. Allen, A. Green, T. Hilton, M. Goodwin, D. Baldwin, M. Jones, M. Thomas

GPP:

(all of above), J. Crowder, R. Anderson, R. Cobb, J. Doctson, W. Fuller, D. Amendola

Tight End

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17

Rob Gronkowski (DK $7,000) – Gronk earns a $2M bonus if he accomplishes either of these stats. 11 catches for 80 on the season or 116 yards to reach 1,200 for the season. #NarrativeStreet.

Greg Olsen (DK $5,600) – Greg Olsen has seen a total of 18 targets in his last two games since returning from injured reserve. In that span, he has 12 catches for 143 yards and 1 touchdown. This week he faces the Falcons in a pivotal game for the Panthers to clinch the division. Olsen could see anywhere between 6-10 targets against the Falcons who rank 14th in aFPA.

Vance McDonald (DK $2,700) – In the past two games where McDonald was active, he has seen 11 targets for 8 catches and 104 yards. McDonald has worked his way into becoming the primary pass catcher over Jesse James and faces the Browns who rank 27th in aFPA to opposing tight ends. In a game that doesn’t feature Ben, Brown, or Bell, Landry Jones could check down to McDonald often.

Cash:

R. Gronkowski, G. Olsen, J. Doyle, C. Clay

GPP:

(all of above), J. Graham, E. Ebron

Defense

Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 17

Seattle Seahawks (DK $3,400) – I like the Seattle defense to step up big at home in a must-win game against Drew Stanton. They aren’t quite the same legion of boom that they were a few years ago, but they are coming off of their best performance of the season (20 DK points) with 3 turnovers. Stanton hasn’t been awful but did throw 2 interceptions last week against the putrid Giants secondary.

Cash:

Patriots, Seahawks, 49ers

GPP:

Ravens, Vikings, Chiefs