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Which high-salary options are the most appealing for lineups?
- Patrick Mahomes II
- Drew Brees
- Christian McCaffrey
- Saquon Barkley
- Derrick Henry
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Michael Thomas
- Julio Jones
- Davante Adams
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Tyreek Hill
- Travis Kelce
- Mark Andrews
- Tyler Higbee
- Jared Cook
PHIL ALEXANDER
- Ezekiel Elliott - Washington has been decimated by opposing running backs, both on the ground and through the air, over the last three weeks. Now they face a workhorse in Elliott (who has averaged six targets per game over his last four) as 11-point underdogs. Anything short of 150 total yards and at least one touchdown would qualify as a disappointment for Elliott in this spot and the upside is there for more.
- Julio Jones - Jones has 35 targets and 300 receiving yards over two games without Calvin Ridley in the lineup. He is once again a certifiable WR1 we can bank on for elite usage each week. The matchup against a weak Tampa Bay secondary he has historically dominated is just the gravy. There should not be a $1,400 gap between the Ridley-less Jones and Michael Thomas on DraftKings.
DAN HINDERY
This is a great spot for Ezekiel Elliott to end the season on a high note. Washington has been giving up massive fantasy games to opposing backs down the stretch. Last week, Saquon Barkley put up 46.0 fantasy points (DK scoring). The week before, Miles Sanders had 38.2. The week before that, Aaron Jones posted 34.2 fantasy points. That is an average of 39 fantasy points per game to the opposing RB1 over the last three weeks. The only minor concern would be that the Eagles jump out to a big early lead against the Giants and some scoreboard watching could potentially come into play in the second half. Even then, there would be nothing to save Elliott for at that point and Dallas would probably keep their foot on the gas.
JASON WOOD
Drew Brees -- Yes, he's on the road, but it doesn't matter given the opponent. Carolina is reeling and Coach Payton has made it clear the Saints are going to play to win and hope it lands them home field.
Ezekiel Elliott -- Dak Prescott missed practice on Wednesday. Although the team says he's healthy, he probably isn't. Elliott has to be dominant against a terrible Washington team for the Cowboys to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Tyreek Hill -- The Chiefs have plenty to play for and Hill hasn't had a signature game in some time. It's hard to imagine either he or Travis Kelce going off, and it's quite possible both will put up big numbers.
JUSTIN HOWE
Julio Jones is a fantastic leverage play off of Michael Thomas. In fact, he'll probably wind up the higher-played receiver of the two. Jones boasts the same elite usage profile as Thomas - he's drawn 35 targets through 2 games without Calvin Ridley - but with more explosive upside. If we were to give both 15 targets, Jones would project even better. He tops Thomas in per-catch and big-play production, and his individual matchup is a bit more appealing.
Travis Kelce has been Mr. Consistent of late, drawing 9+ targets in 6 of his last 7 games. And a consistent Kelce is necessarily a productive one: over that span, he's put up more DraftKings points than WR1s Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, and Julio Jones. He'll need to approach 20 to bring home cash-game value, and he's reached 19 points in 5 of those 7 games. Kelce posts big games when Patrick Mahomes II isn't forced to throw as often, so he's the preferred cash play to Tyreek Hill.