For the uninitiated, playing daily games on DraftKings can be an enjoyable experience, but equally sobering is the fact that season-long knowledge does not always translate to success in the daily space. FootballGuys will bring you a series of value- and strategic-based selections from a number of seasoned daily veterans throughout the NFL season. Herein is another edition of “Tipandpick’s Tips and Picks,” where we will examine the salaries of players at each position on DraftKings and make value-based recommendations for both your cash games and tournaments.
Below you will find a list of recommended players for both formats. GPP players generally have high-upside, but are too risky for cash games; cash game players are consistent with high fantasy floors. In some instances, the value for a player is so strong, he may fall into both categories…let’s have a look.
QUARTERBACKS
GPP
Andrew Luck (Primarily GPP, Salary: $7600). Andrew Luck has had a rough go of it in 2015. In Week 1, he traveled to Buffalo to face a fresh, fired-up Bills defense at "The Ralph," where even the best offenses tend to stutter. In Week 2, Luck faced a stingy Jets' pass defense and he struggled once again. The following week, we expected a rebound against the Titans, but Luck was terrible and we discovered that he had been masking a shoulder injury that might have otherwise compromised his passing. With two full weeks of rest and rehab, Luck returned last week against the New England Patriots and he finished the night with a 312 yard, 3-touchdown performance, which might indicate that 2014 Andrew Luck has returned. If Luck is finally healthy, he could be a great GPP play against the Saints' last-ranked pass defense (via Football Outsiders' DVOA metric) this Sunday; the Saints have allowed half of their opposing quarterbacks to pass for 300 yards this season and Matt Ryan just missed the mark by five yards last week. The Colts are tied with the Patriots for the highest implied team total, which should mean that there are plenty of fantasy points to be had on the Colts' side of the ball. At $7600, Luck will likely go somewhat underowned, especially given his slow start, making him an attractive option for your Sunday GPP's.
Alex Smith (GPP only, Salary: $5100). Alex Smith needs 20 fantasy points to achieve GPP value against the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend; the Steelers have allowed 20 or more fantasy points to 67% of their opposing quarterbacks this season, including the oft underperforming, Colin Kaepernick. Alex Smith is not an exciting quarterback to watch, but Jeremy Maclin practiced on Friday, which means that the Chiefs should have their full arsenal of receivers against the Steelers on Sunday. The Kansas City ground game was disappointing in their first week without Jamaal Charles and Smith could be forced to shoulder an increased workload moving forward. This would be a perfect spot for Smith to put up a 300-yard day with a pair of touchdowns, which would be enough for him to acheive value for tournaments.
Jameis Winston (GPP only, Salary: $5100). It is admittedly going to be difficult to click 'submit' if Jameis Winston is on your DFS roster this weekend, but you should give it serious consideration. Winston and the Bucs are coming off a bye week and will face a Redskins team that will, once again, be without both of its starting cornerbacks (Chris Culliver and DeAngelo Hall); last week, Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to collect 26 fantasy points against these same backup Redskin cornerbacks. Only Andrew Luck has been more inaccurate than Jameis Winston this season (ProFootballFocus Accuracy Rankings), but Winston has two stellar wide receivers and an extra week of preparation for this matchup, which should make him viable for tournament play in daily circles. At some point, things are going to click for Winston and he is going to score 30 fantasy points at a bargain salary; the pieces are all there for that to occur in Week 7.
CASH GAMES
Carson Palmer (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $6700). Carson Palmer is a model of consistency this season, having scored between 18 and 28 points every in every performance; his 18-point display was still a stellar effort, where Palmer threw only 14 times, but managed 3 touchdown passes. Consistency is one of the most important components of a cash game player and we have no reason to expect anything different this week against the Ravens, who have given up the 6th most passing yards in the league and who have yielded 25 or more fantasy points to Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, Josh McCown, and Colin Kaepernick this season. Palmer is better than all of those quarterbacks and should have no difficulties picking apart this Ravens secondary to finish the day with a 20+ fantasy point performance.
Cam Newton (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $6600). After a big victory against the Seahawks in Seattle last week, the Panthers will play host to the Eagles, who won a sloppily-played game on Monday night. The Eagles have been monsters in defending the run this season, allowing 3.5 yards per carry (2nd to only Jacksonville), which should minimize Jonathan Stewart's role in this game. The Panthers do not have a receiver that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents, but they are steadily getting the job done, as evidenced by Newton's five-game multiple touchdown streak. Furthermore, Newton has rushed for at least 30 yards in every game this season, which solidifies his scoring floor. With a generous team total and a likely fast-paced game, Newton should be a lock to score 20 fantasy points for your cash games and possesses the type of upside to bring home a GPP, too.
Philip Rivers (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $6500). With three consecutive 300-yard passing games entering Week 7, Philip Rivers is another solid option for cash games this weekend. Rivers threw for 503 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Packers and piled up a lot of those yards without star receiver, Keenan Allen, in the second half. This week, Rivers gets ProFootballFocus' 5th worst pass coverage unit (Raiders) that is allowing the most passing yards per game in the league in 2015 (299.2 passing yards per game). With Melvin Gordon sputtering to this point in the season, Rivers could continue to do the heavy lifting in this offense, which should not be a difficult task against this secondary; look for another 300-yard, multiple touchdown effort here.
RUNNING BACKS
GPP
Adrian Peterson (Primarily GPP, Salary: $7600). On Saturday evening, it was announced that Adrian Peterson is 'questionable' with an illness for his matchup against the Detroit Lions. Most Twitter activity indicates that Peterson will be active unless his illness worsens overnight; Ben Goessling of ESPN reported that Peterson's confidants were quoted as saying "Adrian is Adrian," meaning that Peterson will be ready to suit up on Sunday. That information, along with Peterson's miserable performance last week against the Chiefs, will be enough to keep the masses away from him on Sunday in DFS circles. Any time Adrian Peterson is less than 10% owned, you will want a piece of him in GPP's...particularly when Devonta Freeman and Todd Gurley are going to be 30% and 50% owned in GPP's, respectively. Peterson offers similar upside to those other running backs, but will do so at a fraction of the ownership likely for the other two; if one of them is injured or busts entirely, having Peterson on your roster as a differentiator could pay off a nice premium. Lastly, over the course of his career, Peterson has largely owned the Detroit Lions, including a 192 all-purpose yard performance just a few weeks ago.
Latavius Murray (Primarily GPP, Salary: $6100). First thing first: Latavius Murray could be a cash game play on DraftKings this week; it really just depends on how you construct your lineups, but his matchup, volume, and salary are all attractive enough to put him in that small pool of players. Coming out of a bye week, Murray should be rested and ramped up to play against the league's worst rushing defense (5.4 yards per carry). In the three games in which the Raiders were competitive (i.e., not being blown out) this season, Murray has at least 18 touches in each of those games. Providing the Chargers do not jump out to an early 14-point lead, Murray should see plenty of action here, as the Raiders will want to exploit the Chargers' defensive weakness--their run defense. After a bye week, Murray will be off the casual player's radar, but you should strongly consider him for GPP games because he will go underowned while everybody is looking to cram Devonta Freeman and Todd Gurley into their rosters.
Matt Jones (Primarily GPP, Salary: $3200). Full disclosure: You could substitute Alfred Morris' name into this selection and everything would be the same...the only problem with rostering Matt Jones is that you run the risk of Alfred Morris scoring 20 points and the only problem with rostering Alfred Morris is that you run the risk of Matt Jones scoring 20 points! What we do know is that the pass-catching specialist, Chris Thompson will be sidelined for this game, which should open up additional opportunity for both Matt Jones and Alfred Morris. The matchup appears average at best, since the Bucs have only allowed 3.9 yards per carry this season and only one 100-yard rusher (Alfred Blue) thus far, but they have not yet faced a formidable running back through five games (Bishop Sankey, Mark Ingram, Jonathan Stewart, and T.J. Yeldon). Jones get the slight nod (for me) over Alfred Morris because he is reportedly going to take the third down (passing) role and I expect to see him mixed in at various situations throughout the game; both options, however, are near the site minimum and are, therefore, both in play in GPP format.
CASH GAMES
Devonta Freeman (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $7900). After four consecutive 35+ fantasy point performances, Devonta Freeman's salary has risen to $7900 and one might think that makes the decision to roster him more difficult...but not this week. Freeman will face-off against the Tennessee Titans, who are FootballOutsiders' worst ranked rush defense (DVOA metric), having allowed 4.7 yards per carry to a list of far lesser running backs (Doug Martin, Isaiah Crowell, Anthony Dixon, and Lamar Miller). Coming out of a bye week, we should expect a heavy dose of Devonta Freeman, as we have seen over the past four weeks, where Freeman has averaged 27 opportunities (rush attempts plus targets) per game. Freeman will be at least 50% owned in cash games this week and for good reason--if you are looking to diversify, do it elsewhere, as not having him (or Todd Gurley) will likely kill your chances of cashing in Week 7.
Todd Gurley (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $5000). Just do it. Put him in and move on. Todd Gurley has arrived. He has 49 rush attempts and 305 rushing yards (6.2 yards per carry) over the previous two games and those games were against decent rush defenses, where the gamescript was against Gurley. This week, Gurley returns home, rested off a bye week, and faces a Browns rush defense that is rated in the bottom three of every rush defense statistic and/or metric available. Oh...and Gurley is mispriced at $5000. Just do it.
Frank Gore (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $4900). If, for some crazy reason, you want to diversify away from Devonta Freeman or Todd Gurley, Frank Gore is in a good position for Week 7. The veteran running back has averaged 17 fantasy points in the Colts' three victories, but only 7 points in their three losses; this week, the Colts are 5-point favorites over the Saints, which bodes well for Gore's fantasy prospects. First, the Saints are the league's 30th ranked rush defense (rushing yards per game) and are allowing a hefty 4.8 yards per carry. Next, as solid favorites with a high implied team total (28.5 points), the Colts should be in a position to give the ball to Gore quite often in the second half. Lastly, Gore's salary is very fair and the likelihood of him achieving the 15 fantasy points necessary for him to reach cash game value is high.
Theo Riddick (Primarily cash format, Salary: $3400). As salary relief for you cash game rosters, you could look to Theo Riddick, who is the only running back on the Lions' roster without an injury or fumbling issues. Second-round pick and preseason phenom, Ameer Abdullah, has had four fumbles this season and it appears that the Lions are looking to reduce his action a bit, while they work on ball security with the rookie; meanwhile, Zach Zenner was put on injured reserve last week with broken ribs and a collapsed lung and Joique Bell has not played since Week 3 due to an ankle injury. While Bell is expected back this week and is probably in line for ~ 10 carries, Theo Riddick should enjoy a similar workload out of the backfield, but will also be heavily-used in the passing game; Riddick is averaging 7 passing targets per game, which, frankly, is enough to put him on your cash game radar at $3400...but if you also consider the fact that he should get decent usage in the running game, Riddick is a great salary-saving, cash game option.
WIDE RECEIVERS
GPP
Julio Jones (Primarily GPP, Salary: $9100). All sorts of game strategy indicates that Julio Jones is a strong GPP play in Week 7. First, he is the most expensive player on the site and $500 more expensive than the hottest receiver (DeAndre Hopkins) on the planet; with DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham, and Calvin Johnson all coming in at lower salaries, Jones will not get a lot of attention (i.e., ownership) on Sunday. Next, Jones is coming off three consecutive sub-20 point performances and recency bias will be in full effect as he gets the juiciest matchup of the season against one of the worst coverage cornerbacks in the league, Blidi Wreh-Wilson; over the past two years, Wreh-Wilson has been the favorite whipping boy of wide receivers (and quarterbacks) across the league, allowing an opposing QB rating of 110.9 when passes are thrown into his direction. The only reason to fade Jones this week is the plus matchup that Devonta Freeman should see against the Titans' front seven that are allowing 129.6 rushing yards per game; if Freeman feasts again, Jones could suffer. That said, a smart GPP pivot off Freeman would be to go with Jones because the likelihood of one of them finishing with multiple touchdowns is high and you will want a piece of that fantasy action for your rosters.
Mike Evans (Primarily GPP, Salary: $6400). Mike Evans has largely disappointed the fantasy community in 2015, collecting 13 receptions for only 174 yards to this point in the season. In fairness, Jameis Winston has had major accuracy issues, Evans missed the first game of the season with a hamstring issue, he was used as a decoy the week thereafter, and is now coming off a bye week...all of which have contributed to his subpar production thus far. Evans should start to see improvement now that he is completely healed and Winston is getting some experience under his belt. This week, Evans will line-up across from backup cornerback, Will Blackmon, who will be no match for a receiver of Evans' talent; if Winston targets Evans like he did in Week 3 (17 targets), Evans could finish the day with 25+ fantasy points, allowing him to reach GPP value for the first time in 2015.
Martavis Bryant (Primarily GPP, Salary: $4700). The Steelers promoted quarterback Tyler Murphy from their practice squad on Saturday, which all but eliminates Ben Roethlisberger from playing in Week 7. That means that we should see one more week of Landry Jones, who targeted Martavis Bryant on 5 out of 12 pass attempts last week; Bryant, in his 2015 debut, made the most of those targets, finishing the day with 6 receptions for 137 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which were impressive feats of athleticism. This week's matchup against the Chiefs is another mismatch for a receiver of Bryant's skillset. The Chiefs have already yielded eight 20-point wide receiver performances this season; if Landry Jones locks onto Bryant again this week, he could be the ninth receiver to log 20-fantasy points and would, in the process, achieve 4x value, good enough for most GPP's.
Danny Amendola (Primarily GPP, Salary: $3500). Word out of Boston is that Julian Edelman will spend Sunday being shadowed by Darrelle Revis, which means that he will be largely eliminated from the Patriots aerial attack. Brandon LaFell has been activated from the PUP list and should have an immediate role in the offense (NOTE: LaFell is not available on DraftKings this week), but it is Danny Amendola who presents the most value for DFS because of his anticipated volume and low salary. Last week, Amendola was targeted 9 times and pulled in 7 receptions for 105 yards against the Colts; if he puts together a similar performance against the Jets, while Edelman is relegated to Revis Island, Amendola would reach an amazing 5x multiplier. As an added bonus, Amendola is heavily-involved in the Patriots return game (kicks and punts) and could represent a nice "double-dip" opportunity for those looking to combine him with the Patriots' defense. [For those unfamiliar, a "double-dip" occurs when you roster a kick-/punt-returner along with his respective team defense; when he returns a kick/punt for a touchdown, you receive six points for each roster spot--a "double-dip."]
Michael Floyd (Primarily GPP, Salary: $3200). Larry Fitzgerald has been nothing short of special this season for the Cardinals and John Brown is fresh off a 10-catch, 195-yard performance just a week ago, which means those receivers will be on every DFS player's short list for Monday Night Football. Michael Floyd, however, has been enjoying about 75% of the Cardinals' offensive snaps over the past three weeks and is averaging six targets per game over that same span. Floyd should see plenty of coverage from the Ravens' Jimmy Smith, who has allowed 413 yards while in coverage (2nd worst in the league) this year. In fellow Footballguy Phil Alexander's DraftKings Ownership article, he projects John Brown to be > 20% owned this week and Larry Fitzgerald was 28% owned on Thursday night GPP's (credit to @justinbonnema), which means that Floyd is the odd man out and a solid choice for your GPP rosters because he will be supremely underowned.
CASH GAMES
DeAndre Hopkins (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $8600). DeAndre Hopkins has an obscene 51 targets over the past three games and is averaging 10 catches per game over that period. On a full-PPR site like DraftKings, you have to give serious consideration to any receiver seeing that type of volume simply because those catches represent return on investment. Hopkins' salary is getting pretty high at $8600, but the running back options (Devonta Freeman and Toddy Gurley) are reasonable, if not cheap, which allows the excess salary to be spent elsewhere; with very few expensive options that appear to be 'safe' this week, Hopkins seems to be the best choice among that group. He may not get to the 26-point plateau necessary for reaching cash game value, but he has done it five (out of six) times this year and that tends to set the mind at ease.
Eric Decker (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $5300). Eric Decker now has a receiving touchdown in every game he has played this year and his lowest scoring game was back in Week 1, where he scored 11.7 points; Decker's consistency is a reflection of his redzone prowess and his skillset as a receiver--he gets open, has good hands, and knows how to contribute. For those reasons, Decker is a great cash game receiver, particularly at his current salary of $5300. Truthfully, his salary would likely be higher, but Decker has been tackled inside the opponent's 5-yard line twice over the past few weeks; those near-misses will eventually regress to the norm (i.e., result in touchdowns) and Decker's salary will take a jump. Take advantage while the price is right.
Donte Moncrief (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $5200). Donte Moncrief's game logs are inconsistent, which is generally not what you want in a cash game receiver. A closer look, however, shows that his only poor performances have been when Matt Hasselbeck was at the healm (7/78/0), but he has been very consistent with Andrew Luck as the starter (23/269/4). If that does not convince you, how about the fact that Moncrief will see a steady dose of Saints' cornerback, Brandon Browner, in coverage on Sunday? Browner is allowing a league-high 19.2 receiving yards per catch on the season and will have his hands full once again with Moncrief, who is slowly usurping the WR1 role in Indianapolis. With the highest team total on the board, you almost have to have some exposure to Donte Moncrief (and the Colts) at his $5200 salary.
Stefon Diggs (Primarily cash games, Salary: $4300). A $4300 receiver with 19 targets and 34+ fantasy points in his only two weeks of play? Yes, please! Despite what some might say, Stefon Diggs has taken over the WR2 role in Minnesota; Charles Johnson has been out for three weeks due to a rib injury, but Johnson was only targeted eight times through three weeks. In lieu of what we have seen with Diggs over the past few performances, it is safe to say that Diggs is the superior receiver and will continue to log heavy snaps, even when Johnson returns this week. Out of the slot, Diggs will get to face-off against one of the league's worst slot cornerbacks, Josh Wilson, who is allowing an opposing QB rating of 117.1 when passes are thrown into his coverage. A 6-catch, 60-yard day is all that Diggs will need to reach cash game value and that would appear to be his floor after his past few performances.
Nate Washington (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $3000). If you are searching for salary relief this weekend, look no further than the Texans' Nate Washington. Washington has been sidelined with a hamstring injury for several games, but he returns this week and it is just in time for the Texans, who lost Cecil Shorts with the same injury last week. Before his injury, Washington was averaging over nine targets per game in this fast-paced Texans offense, but did not manage to score a touchdown during that time, which has kept his salary low; expect DeAndre Hopkins to get extra attention for awhile, which should play to Nate Washington's advantage...at $3000, he needs only a few catches and 50 yards to reach cash game value.
TIGHT ENDS
GPP
Rob Gronkowski (Primarily GPP, Salary: $8100). The salary for Rob Gronkowski is too high...so why is he recommended as a GPP play? Because his salary is so high, his ownership is going to be too low for the type of upside that Gronk brings to the table, particularly at a position where there are no great options in Week 7. If you have gotten this far in the article, you know that Darrelle Revis will shadow Julian Edelman this week and that should open up Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell, and Rob Gronkowski for additional action; Amendola looks to the volume option, whereas LaFell and Gronkowski could be the redzone receivers. After missing so much time, LaFell could be somewhat limited, which could augment Gronkowski's value even further. It is very difficult for any receiver to accrue 32 fantasy points, which is what Gronk would need to reach GPP value, but he has done it once this season and if he does it again, he will do so at season-low ownership levels.
Jordan Reed (Primarily GPP, Salary: $4200). Jordan Reed makes his first appearance back after missing several games due to a concussion. Prior to his injury, Reed was averaging 8.5 targets per game, third only behind Greg Olsen and Martellus Bennett; if he continues to see that type of volume upon his return, Reed will be extremely valuable at a position with limited weekly options. With DeSean Jackson missing yet another week with an injury of his own, Reed should see plenty of opportunity in this plus matchup against a Tampa Bay Bucs defense that is 29th in the league in pass coverage (ProFootballFocus). The biggest risk in rostering Reed is that he seems to be somewhat prone to concussions, as this past concussion was at least his fifth since college, so the possibility for an early exit with Reed is always possible.
Jordan Cameron (Primarily GPP, Salary: $3300). The second of two "Jordan" tight end position recommendations this week, Jordan Cameron is a sneaky GPP play because his production has not been commensurate with his opportunity in the Dolphins offense. Cameron is averaging over seven targets per game, but is managing to catch less than half those targets for only 40 yards per game; Cameron did, however, find the endzone last week under the new coaching regime, which might be a sign of things to come. His opponent, the Houston Texans, allowed Julius Thomas to score 20+ fantasy points just a week ago and have also allowed sizeable fantasy performances to the other two talented tight ends they have faced this season (Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce). Cameron is still going underowned in GPP's, which makes him a nice target on a week where everybody will be looking to squeeze in the Chargers' starting tight end against Oakland.
CASH GAMES
Delanie Walker (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $3900). The Tennessee Titans' passing game is a mess right now and it probably will not improve with Zach Mettenberger under Center on Sunday. Delanie Walker is averaging more targets per game (7.3) than any receiver on the Titans and should see similar volume with Mettenberger at quarterback; last season, Mettenberger targeted Walker 43 times in six games and Walker averaged 11.4 fantasy points in those games. Perhaps what is most attractive about rostering Walker this week is his matchup against the Falcons, who have allowed opposing tight ends to score a touchdown in 67% of their games this season, including last week when 35-year old Ben Watson scored 31.7 fantasy points against them.
Ladarius Green (Cash and GPP formats, Salary: $2900). Everybody wants to roster a tight end against the Oakland Raiders because the boys from Oak Town were allowing 25+ fantasy points to opposing tight ends through the first four weeks of the season; in Week 5, they managed to 'shut down' Owen Daniels, but Daniels was open in the endzone multiple times and Peyton Manning missed him on each occasion. The easy part of this equation is knowing to pick a tight end against Oakland; the hard part is knowing which tight end to choose...Antonio Gates tweaked his knee on the last drive of the Chargers game last week and he did not practice at all this week; he would be an attractive option after receiving 27 targets in his first two weeks back after a PED suspension, but he is risky for cash games because he is listed as a game-time decision for a 4 PM (EST) game. For those reasons, I am recommending Ladarius Green as a cash game play because, despite Gates' return, Green is still being targeted six times per game and remains a redzone targets for Philip Rivers; at $2900, Green represents a punt play that is minimally risky, but would appear to have a six-point floor, which is only a few points off of the 3x multiplier needed for cash games. If Gates is inactive, Green becomes a 'must-play' in cash games on DraftKings.
DEFENSES
GPP
Patriots (Primarily GPP, Salary: $3200). There is no denying that the Jets are a much improved team in 2015, but the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are telling us that they do not think much of the Jets' chances against the Patriots this Sunday. The Jets have one of the lowest team totals on the board this week and we know from experience that Ryan Fitzpatrick has the ability to throw up a stinker from time to time (or more often), so it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Patriots' team defense is a viable selection. Personally, I think this game stays close, but Vegas is far smarter than me and if their projections are correct, the Pats have to be on your short list of team defenses in Week 7.
Dolphins (GPP only, Salary: $2700). Entering last week, the Dolphins had only a single sack on the season, but the entire team was rejuvenated by the coaching change and the team defense responded by logging six sacks, four turnovers, and a defensive touchdown against the Titans. This weekend, they will have their hands full with the Houston Texans, who are the league's fastest-paced offense; that said, the Dolphins are at home and will try to carry last week's momentum into this matchup. Bobby Hoyer has not historically been a name that scares defenses and he has been prone to interceptions prior to this season.
Redskins (Primarily GPP, Salary: $2500). The Redskins are a tough sell this week without their two starting cornerbacks, particularly in light of the fact that the Rams are $100 less and have far less risk. That said, winning GPP's is all about finding that low-owned upside play and I believe the Redskins' defense fits the bill against a Jameis Winston-led Buccaneers team. Winston currently has as many interceptions as touchdown passes and he has allowed 40% of his opposing team defenses to score double-digit fantasy points this season. At $2500, if the Redskins were able to muster double-digit fantasy points this weekend, they would reach GPP value and would do so at ownership levels less than 2%.
CASH GAMES
Cardinals (Cash & GPP formats, Salary: $3600). The Cardinals host the Ravens on Monday Night Football and are hefty 8-point favorites. The Cards boast one of the best coverage cornerbacks in the league in Patrick Peterson, who will be assigned the task of shutting down Steve Smith; after Smith, the Ravens have few offensive options beyond Justin Forsett, who has seen better matchups than the Cardinals, who have only allowed two rushing touchdowns all season. The Cardinals' defense is the most expensive option on the board, but they are averaging 11.2 fantasy points per game and have scored double-digit fantasy points in half of their games this season.
Panthers (Cash & GPP formats, Salary: $3100). At a mid-range level, the Carolina Panthers defense could be interesting for cash games this week against the enigmatic Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have won three of their last four games, but have done so in ugly fashion. Sam Bradford has been intercepted as many times as he has thrown a touchdown thus far (nine/each) and no singular part of the Eagles' offense has been consistently good all season, including Jordan Matthews, DeMarco Murray, and the remainder of their skill players. The Eagles will be traveling to Carolina on a short week of preparation after a Monday night game, which sets up well for a fired-up Panthers team who just stole one from the Seahawks in Seattle last week. Advantage Carolina.
Rams (Cash & GPP formats, Salary: $2400). The chalk play of the week at the team defense position is the Rams' defense, which is averaging 12.5 fantasy points per game at home this season. The host the Cleveland Browns, who fought a tough battle against the Broncos last week and have scored no less than 20 points in any game this season; that trend could very well come to an end this Sunday in St. Louis, where the Rams, rested off a bye week, are averaging 5.5 sacks per game and are facing a Browns' offensive line that has allowed 22 sacks this season (29th in the league). The Browns have allowed double-digit fantasy points to half of their opponents this season, which represents excellent value for a $2400 investment on the Rams. On a Broncos' bye week, the Rams appear to be one of the safer defensive plays for DFS cash games.
For last-minute advice, player decisions, and injury news on Sunday morning, tune into the “NFL Gameday” webcast at 11:30 AM (EST) on RotoGrinders Live, where John “tipandpick” Lee, Justin "stlcardinals84" Van Zuiden, and Dean “Dean78904” Shavelson will analyze all NFL games every week. You can find the webcast at: https://rotogrinders.com/live. All other daily fantasy questions can be directed to John’s Twitter page at: https://twitter.com/tipandpick
