Bye weeks are in their final throes for 2014, but there are still six teams with some big names out this week. That means fewer names to choose from for daily fantasy football. Choose wisely.
STACK OF THE WEEK
Fanduel
Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons - $7,800
Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons - $8,000
There are so many juicy stack options this week, it was difficult to pick just one.
The Atlanta Falcons are actually underdogs this week in Tampa Bay despite having crushed the Bucs 56-14 earlier this season. That seems insane, though the game is being played in Tampa this time around. Assuming Vegas is right, this one is going to be much closer, and it is going to be a fairly high-scoring affair.
The game flow didn't really affect Matt Ryan and Julio Jones last time around anyway—the latter caught nine passes for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Anything resembling that would be huge here, and there is a high likelihood this duo will bounce back this week given the Tampa Bay defense isn't exactly fixed.
Ryan and Jones also make for an excellent stacking option over at Draft Kings, where their combined price is just $12,900.
Draft Kings
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers - $7,500
Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers - $8,700
Sure, you might be chasing points by playing Ben Roethlisberger, even a 33 percent dropoff would be a great game. It’s likely he’ll cut his touchdowns in half this week, but he still has a plus matchup against the horrific New York Jets pass defense. The daily fantasy world might be fading Roethlisberger, expecting a regression.
At his current price—which was likely set before his second consecutive six-touchdown performance—it’s difficult to take your eyes off Roethlisbrger. The Jets are awful defensively, having given up the third-most fantasy points per game (PPG) to opposing quarterbacks this season thanks to a M.A.S.H. unit at cornerback and some abysmal safety play led by rookie disappointment Calvin Pryor. With Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant at his disposal at receiver—not to mention tight end Heath Miller and running back Le'Veon Bell out of the backfield—this matchup and price are too good to pass up, right?
Speaking of Brown, Pittsburgh's No. receiver has established himself as one of the league’s elite receiving options, and he is probably licking his chops knowing he will be shadowed by the likes of Josh Thomas, Marcus Williams or Phillip Adams this week at cornerback. If you are asking yourself who those guys are, well, that’s the point.
Plays
Quarterback
Mark Sanchez, Philadelphia Eagles - Draft Kings (DK): $5,700, FanDuel (FD): $6,600
The last couple of weeks have featured Nick Foles in this portion of the column. Unfortunately for him, a broken clavicle has all but ended his season.
That makes his replacement, Mark Sanchez, a tantalizing option in daily gaming, however.
Taking Sanchez allows you to stack him with highly priced Jeremy Maclin (DK: $8,300, FD: $8,700) without blowing your budget. Of course, this could all blow up in our faces if Sanchez relives his butt fumble days. Then there is the likelihood that owners will be all over Sanchez at this price and predicted game outcome. Still, there are plenty of positive indicators here.
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers - DK: $6,600, FD: $7,700
Sanchez’s opposing counterpart this week comes into town in fantasy freefall, which is why he is priced so nicely.
Cam Newton has has a rough go against the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints the past couple of weeks, washing away the previous weeks’ success. The Philadelphia Eagles defense presents a tantalizing matchup, however.
That would be an Eagles defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy PPG to opposing quarterbacks this season, including 23-plus points to Houston's Ryan Fizpatrick last week despite a performance poor enough to get him benche for Ryan Mallett during the ensuing week.
Newton has been abysmal the past couple of weeks, but one of those was at least partially due to a short week against the New Orleans Saints. He has since had extra time to prepare for Philadelphia's sieve-like secondary. The over-under in this game is set to 48, and the Panthers are six-point underdogs, so we could be seeing plenty of Newton in the second half.
And, of course, that is all not to mention the upside he brings every week with his legs. Newton may not be lighting up the NFL like he did as a rookie, but he is certainly capable of putting up a huge line rushing the ball any week.
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders - DK: $5,500, FD: $6,800
As cheap quarterback options go, Derek Carr might have the best shot of putting up a huge game.
The Denver Broncos just got done getting shredded by Tom Brady on the road. This time, they take their defensive talents on the road to Oakland, perhaps looking for some blood against division rival Oakland Raiers.
Of course, Carr is no Tom Brady, but the game flow in this one could seriously favor the rookie when it comes to putting up fantasy points. Denver figures to get out to an early lead, perhaps leading to an early garbage time period. Even if we don't quite reach that time in the game, a big deficit means plenty of passing for Carr, and the Broncos don't quite have the defense they saw last week in Seattle.
Running Back
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys - DK: $8,600
The Arizona Cardinals finally knocked DeMarco Murray off his 100-yard streak last week, and that knocked a little off his price for Week 10. Expect a big bounce-back against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. The Cowboys are favored by 10 points in London in a low-scoring affair. Murray is likely to be featured, especially with quarterback Tony Romo still dealing with a back injury.
Murray is only really a value at Draft Kings—he is the second-most expensive running back, but he is still $1,400 cheaper than Matt Forte. That makes for a far more cost-effective anchor in your lineups this weekend.
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles - DK: $5,600, FD: $7,700
When will LeSean McCoy score a touchdown? The answer is this weekend. Well, that’s the hope, anyway.
McCoy has improved after struggling early this season, but a lack of touchdowns has limited his upside. This weekend is an excellent opportunity for the Eagles star running back to get off the schneid. The Carolina Panthers have given up 12 total touchdowns this season—four in the past three weeks—a big reason why they have given up the fourth-most fantasy PPG to date.
Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars - DK: $5,100, FD: $6,800
What more does Denard Robinson have to do to get folks to believe in him?
Despite a strong run of 100-yard games—including one against the vaunted Miami Dolphins defense—Robinson’s pricing continues to be depressed across daily fantasy football sites. Of course, part of the reason for that might be the fact the Jaguars are big underdogs yet again.
That won't be conducive to Robinson having a massive game, but he will still be valuable in cash games this week. He has taken over the lead back role for the Jaguars, and he has scored well in big defeat in the recent past. Plus, the Dallas Cowboys are hurting at linebacker yet again, making this a nice matchup from a defensive standpoint.
Reggie Bush, Detroit Lions - DK: $4,200, FD: $6,600
It's becoming increasingly difficult to resist the Siren song of Reggie Bush for Week 10.
Yes, he has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick to contend with, but Bush probably has the highest upside of the three. Bell is a bit of a plodder, and the Miami Dolphins have had no problem stopping those this season. Riddick won't probably get enough playing time to be fantasy-relevant despite his recent rise.
Bush, meanwhile, gets a crack at his former team. He will also be in line for 15 touches in a tight, low-scoring game that could feature many checkdowns from quarterback Matthew Stafford.
He is probably a better cash game value than he will be in GPP leagues simply because he won't get enough touches for a huge game, plus the Dolphins defense has been great. But he could easily garner six or seven targets and get to 15 points in full PPR formats.
Wide Receiver
Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears - DK: $5,600, FD: $7,300
The Chicago Bears are mired in a tailspin right now, and receiver Brandon Marshall has seen his numbers suffer as part of the malaise.
Hopefully the bye week has given the Bears some time to gather themselves for the stretch run. Offensively, Marshall hasn’t been clicking with former BFF Jay Cutler, who has had yet another disappointing season. This is the week he breaks out of that funk.
The Bears are 7.5-pount underdogs this week as they visit Lambeau Field in a huge divisional matchup that could make or break their season. The over-under is also set at 53, meaning there should be plenty of points to go around. Granted, being in a big hole hasn't exactly helped Marshall in recent weeks, but he is still being heavily targeted—29 times over his past three games, in fact.
His recent slide has made him a nice value, and he should be good in both cash games and GPP tournaments if he can start making good on those targets.
Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers - DK: $4,200, FD: $6,700
Afraid of getting burned? Don’t worry, you can step closer to the fire.
He might have been near absolute zero last week, but Kelvin Benjamin should heat up rather quickly this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. That is the same Eagles team that has allowed the fourth most PPG to opposing receivers this season. The Panthers figure to be in a high-scoring climb from behind, at least if oddsmakers have this one pegged correctly with the Eagle being six-point favorites and 48-point over-under. Simply put, Benjamin is yet another candidate for a bounce back who is priced rather nicely.
Incidentally, if you play over at nascent DFS site Victiv.com, Benjamin has a double-take-inducing price over there—he is a minimum salary guy at $2,000.
Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons - DK: $5,100, FD: $6,600
If you are looking for a cheaper stacking option for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, Roddy White is your man. Many of the reasons why Julio Jones is a quality play apply here, and White is cheaper. He wasn't active when the Falcons throttled the Buccaneers, and Tampa Bay might be focusing its efforts to stop Jones. That would be great for White, who has had a healthy target count this season across from his talented teammate.
Tight End
Mychal Rivera, Oakland Raiders - DK: $3,800, FD: $5,700
Looking for an opportunity for an extremely cheap-yet-viable stack that will allow you to spend big money elsewhere? How about a guy who has garnered 20 targets over the past two games and delivered with 15 receptions for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns in that span?
Mychal Rivera has suddenly become a favorite target for Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr, and the duo should hook up plenty this week in a bid to keep pace with or simply catch up to the Denver Broncos. This is the same Broncos defense, by the way, that has given up the sixth-most fantasy PPG to opposing tight ends this season.
Julius Thomas, Denver Broncos - DK: $4,900
My, how the mighty have fallen.
A few weeks ago, Julius Thomas was a pricey choice everywhere you looked. That wasn’t without good reason—he had scored roughly 73 touchdowns in the first few weeks of the season. He had several duds before getting back on track last week, though he did only catch two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. That cost is rather enticing for a guy who can go off for three touchdowns on any given Sunday, however, making Thomas a great GPP option.
His pricing hasn’t come down over at FanDuel, however, so this is strictly a Draft Kings affair.
Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens - DK: $3,200, FD: $5,400
The Baltimore Ravens are hosting the lowly Tennessee Titans this weekend, a team that gave up 91 yards and a score to Jacksonville tight end Clay Harbor just a couple of weeks ago. All in all, the Titans haven't been great at defending opposing tight ends, and Daniels should see plenty of targets this week—he has seen 18 over his last two games, which are sandwiched around a DNP thanks to injury.
He doesn't possess a ton of upside, but Daniels makes for a solid cash game value this week at those low prices.
Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers - DK: $4,500, FD: $5,300
He has always been an inconsistent fantasy option, but this should be another one of thos big games from Heath Miller if we are reading all the tea leaves correctly.
As alluded to earlier, the Jets have an awful pass defense. They have given up a ton fo fantasy points to opposing receivers, but they have also been rather generous to tight ends, having given up the second-most standard PPG this season. With so many options to worry about on the Steelers offense, New York is liable to let Miller run amok.
Fades
Quarterback
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys - DK: $7,500, FD: $8,100
It looks like quarterback Tony Romo found Batman’s chiropractor.
Romo was listed as probable for this Sunday’s matchup in London against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. With weapons like Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and DeMarco Murray, why fade him?
Well, for starters, we don’t know how effective he will be with those fractured vertebrae. He could have a toradol shot and be none the wiser to the pain in his lower back, but he could very well be limited by the injury.
More importantly, the matchup isn’t particularly good.
The Jaguars have given up the fewest points fantasy PPG to opposing quarterbacks over the past five weeks. Four of those weeks yielded fewer than 20 standard fantasy points, and Andy Dalton barely breached that number last week.
Dallas is favored by more than a touchdown in a game with 45 total points expected by the oddsmakers. While Romo should still see a significant chunk of those points, it could be the DeMarco Murray Show in London.
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins - DK: $7,400, FD: $8,000
He may have been a great option last week, and anyone who took him cashed in big time. This week, however, Ryan Tannehill is in for tough sledding against a tough Detroit Lions defense.
The Miami Dolphins are traveling to Detroit to take on a defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy PPG this season despite having faced Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan this season. The likelihood we will see a repeat performance from last week is pretty low, and he should be priced out of your lineups this week.
Running Back
Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers - DK: $7,000, FD: $8,700
At first blush, Le’Veon Bell seems like a decent deal. He is the lead back in Pittsburgh—though LeGarrette Blount has been cutting into that recently—and catches plenty of passes out of the backfield, a huge advantage in PPR or even half-PPR formats. However, this may be the week to stay away.
As bad as the New York Jets are against the pass, they have been great against the run this season. They have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy PPG thus far this season, after all. Jamaal Charles just had a pretty good game against them last week, but he was limited to 3.9 yards per carry. His goal line touchdown made an average day look good.
While Bell could certainly match that output, he could just as easily be held below 100 yards and shut out of the end zone. Somehow, the Jets are only 2.5-point underdogs despite Pittsburgh’s torrid play in recent weeks—if that is anywhere near accurate, the game script won’t lean toward a run-heavy second half thanks to a huge lead for the Steelers.
Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins - DK: $5,700, FD: $7,200
The analysis applied to fading Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill applies here.
Detroit hasn’t been quite as stingy to opposing running backs, but they still rank in in the top 12 when it comes to allowing fantasy points to the position. Miller, meanwhile, was dinged up last week and could see a lighter workload as a result. The Dolphins are also underdogs in Detroit, which could mean fewer touches for that backfield in general if they fall behind.
Wide Receiver
Golden Tate, Detroit Lions - DK: $7,000, FD: $8,200
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions - DK: $7,100, FD: $8,600
Calvin Johnson is back, and he is cheaper than ever in the daily fantasy space. Spam him in your lineups!
Actually, that may be a bad idea. While he is certain to see plenty of targets, the Miami Dolphins defense has been rather stout to opposing wide receivers this season. The increasingly strong unit has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy PPG to the position this season and the second fewest PPG over the past three weeks. Among the receivers Miami has faced this seasons are Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Sammy Watkins, Andre Holmes, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Keenan Allen. The Dolphins have only allowed five touchdowns to the position on the season, and two of those were of the garbage time variety.
If you are going to pick one of Detroit’s receivers, Johnson should provide more bang for your buck. But neither of them figure to meet value if Miami’s defense continues to roll.
Tight End
Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers - DK: $3,400, FD: $5,500
This is just a fantastic price, but beware—the New Orleans Saints have been stingy against opposing tight ends this season.
