QUARTERBACKS
Cam Newton $9,300 - Newton has really came into his own this season and has stepped up and been the leader of the Panthers team. He is showing some great leadership abilities to go along with his very productive play on the field. Through the air he is a borderline QB1 and when you add in his incredible rushing numbers he is a top 5 QB with upside every week. Look for the Panthers to rebound big this week against the Jets.
Nick Foles $9,200 - Foles price continues to rise into the elite QB range and on a typical Sunday you may want to choose one of the bigger name QB's. This Sunday is a different story as Foles has one of the best passing matchups of the week as he plays indoors against the Vikings and is set to continue on his torrid production as he has 14 passing touchdowns and 2 more rushing ones over the last 5 games.
Matt Ryan 7,500 - This is a bit of a risk reward type of pick. Ryan has been very underwhelming all season long but it is hard to ignore him this week at a modest $7,500 and a matchup against Washington who have more than their share of problems on defense. A healthy Roddy White is making Ryan look even better and he might be worth a shot if you are looking to pair up modest price QB/WR combo.
Value Plays: Kirk Cousins $5,100
RUNNING BACKS
LeSean McCoy $10,400 - McCoy played out of this world last week in severe weather conditions and against a supposedly tough defense in Detroit. This week everything is switched on him in a good way as he gets to play indoors and against a very poor Vikings defense. It seems like a great week to spend on the most exciting RB in the NFL.
Jamaal Charles $10,300 - Much like McCoy, Charles can do pretty much the same things on the field, and is a proven fantasy producer week in and week out. He has a great matchup against the Raiders this week and if you can afford the dynamic combo of McCoy/Charles you might be well ahead of the field this week.
Shane Vereen $7,600 - The season ending injury to Gronkowski really hurt the Patriots chances going forward. He was the one big difference maker that Brady could always count on and now Brady is going to have to look elsewhere and the Patriots game plan might have to change in the process. Vereen is the guy in this offense that can make a real difference and help Brady when he is in trouble. Catching 12 of his 17 targets for 153 yards last week is not your typical RB numbers. To make things even better he picked up a rushing touchdown, and he will be counting on in a big way this week as the Patriots play a tough road matchup against the Dolphins.
Eddie Lacy $7,200 - Lacy continues to be the guy in the wake of Rodgers injury that keeps putting up decent fantasy numbers. This week's matchup against the Cowboys defense is a good one and if the Packers can get Rodgers back on the field, Lacy could see even more room in the running game.
Value Plays: Ben Tate $6,800, Andre Brown $6,700, Alfred Morris $6,400, C.J. Spiller $5,900
WIDE RECEIVERS
Calvin Johnson $9,900 - Coming off the snow game in Philadelphia, Johnson was unable to put up the numbers that he has in the past and is in a prime situation to rebound in a big way. The six previous games prior to the Eagles game Johnson saw 85 total targets which is an average of over 14 targets a game. Look for Johnson to see something similar along those lines and get back to his Megatron type fantasy numbers.
DeSean Jackson $6,900 - Last week Jackson continued to produce even in a snow filled game finding the endzone once and ending with 59 yards receiving. He has one of the best passing matchups of the week against the Vikings and this week the weather will not be an issue as the game will be indoors. He is priced really low right now at $6,900 and he has the potential to be a big upside WR1 this week.
Pierre Garcon $6,800 - Garcon has quietly put up 1000+ receiving yards this year and has done it in the mess in Washington. He also has 7 straight games of seeing double digit targets and is the vocal point of the Washington offense. With Kirk Cousins under center this week he is going to need to rely on his top receiving target and with a matchup against the soft Falcons secondary.
Jordy Nelson $6,300 - If Aaron Rodgers somehow gets clearance to play, Nelson is a huge value against the Cowboys secondary that just allowed 4 passing touchdowns to the Bears last week. The Cowboys are ranked near the bottom in all defensive categories and the Packers offense should be able to move the ball on them with or without Rodgers under center.
Marques Colston $5,700 - Colston had a breakout game last week posting his best numbers of the season and he looked good in doing so. He might be considered as your WR3 as he is priced very low right now and could continue his production for two weeks in a row against the Rams inconsistent defense.
Value Plays: Roddy White $6,200, Mike Wallace $6,000, Torrey Smith $6,000, Riley Cooper $5,800, Dwayne Bowe $5,400, Steve Johnson $4,900
TIGHT ENDS
Jimmy Graham $8,200 - The Rams defense has been up and down all season and most often on the down. They seem to give up big chunks of yards and a lot of points when they are facing a better than average offense. Now with Gronkowski sidelined with injury for the rest of the season, Graham is the stand alone TE1 and continues to put up massive numbers each week. If the Rams can keep this game close throughout, Graham will even have more chances at additional receptions, yards, and possibly touchdowns.
Greg Olsen $5,800 - Olsen has quietly put together a 58/651/5 stat line on 88 targets this season so far and has shown how valuable of a contributor he is for Cam Newton. In the past 4 games he has seen 36 targets and is going to be counted on even more to end the season as the Panthers look to make a push to secure their playoff spot. Olsen having an 8-12 target type of game against the Jets is a strong possibility and in doing so he should put up decent numbers to go alongside the targets.
Value Plays: Dennis Pitta $5,700, Tony Gonzalez $5,300
KICKERS
Dan Bailey $5,000 - The Cowboys are in a desperate situation right now and every game is so critical for their playoff chances. They get to play at home this week against the Packers who may or may not have stud QB Aaron Rodgers back and will be in a close game where every scoring opportunity matters.
Alex Henery $5,000 - Last week's snow bowl game in Philadelphia made it so the kickers didn't have a chance to kick a PAT or a FG. This week the Eagles high flying offense heads to Minnesota to play indoors and there should be once again kicking opportunities for Henery and he will have a good chance to make up for last week's non kicking day.
Value Play: Garrett Hartley $5,000
DEFENSE
Kansas City Chiefs $6,500 - It might be harder to pull the trigger on the Chiefs now with their high price tag of $6,500. This is actually about the highest a defense has been listed on FanDuel all season long and rightfully so after what the Chiefs did last week putting up a massive fantasy score. This week they have another potential juicy matchup as they square off against the Raiders who have been struggling on offense.
Carolina Panthers $6,000 - Panthers have been one of the top 5 defenses in the leagues over the course of the season and had a slip last week on the road against the Saints. This week they have a great opportunity to have a nice rebound game as they get to play against the dreadful Jets offense.
Value Plays: Jacksonville Jaguars $5,100
SUGGESTED ROSTER ($60,000)
- QB Kirk Cousins WAS (at ATL) $5,100
- RB Shane Vereen NE (at MIA) $7,600
- RB Ben Tate HOU (at IND) $6,800
- WR Calvin Johnson DET (vs BAL) $9,900
- WR DeSean Jackson PHI (at MIN) $6,900
- WR Dwayne Bowe KC (at OAK) $5,400
- TE Jimmy Graham NO (at STL) $8,200
- K Alex Henery PHI (at MIN) $5,000
- D Jacksonville Jaguars (vs BUF) $5,100
SUGGESTED 50/50 ROSTER ($60,000)
- QB Kirk Cousins WAS (at ATL) $5,100
- RB LeSean McCoy PHI (at MIN) $10,400
- RB Jamaal Charles KC (at OAK) $10,300
- WR Pierre Garcon WAS (at ATL) $6,800
- WR Marques Colston NO (at STL) $5,700
- WR Steve Johnson BUF (at JAC) $4,900
- TE Greg Olsen CAR (vs NYJ) $5,800
- K Dan Bailey DAL (vs GB) $5,000
- D Carolina Panthers (vs NYJ) $6,000
