Welcome to the Exclamation Point!, an analysis of stand-out cash and GPP options for consideration on Yahoo Daily Fantasy Sports. Yahoo presents a variety of options to suit the fancy of any DFS player out there, and we are looking to arm you with the information needed to build winning lineups no matter what type of player you are. To avoid calling out the same plays each week, we may leave out a few of the top options at certain positions (such as Tom Brady and Julio Jones)—but this is intentional so that we use your time talking about the value options that really make room for you to take a number of approaches to building lineups. This week, injuries have yielded plenty of value to choose from, particularly at the running back position—so let’s jump right in!
QUARTERBACK
KIRK COUSINS - $34 (CASH / GPP)
Kirk Cousins gets a very solid matchup this week against a Detroit Lions defense that has been decimated by opposing quarterbacks this season. The Lions rank 31st in DVOA pass defense and have given up more points to quarterbacks than any other team, fueled by a league-high 17 passing touchdowns with at least two touchdowns allowed each week this season. The Lions defense has allowed quarterbacks to complete nearly 80% of their passes over the past three weeks, which would be a nice boost for Cousins’ mediocre 65% completion rate. While it is concerning to see Cousins on the road here, this game will actually feel like home to him as he grew up and went to college in Michigan. This game has a point total creeping up on 50 and could very well be a shootout with the spread close to even. In a pass-heavy offense that should be put to work this week, look to Cousins as a solid value play in all formats.
ANDY DALTON - $31 (GPP / CASH)
Andy Dalton has one of the best matchups of the week against a Browns secondary that has been decimated this season. Aside from the Lions (see Kirk Cousins), the Browns are the only other team to have allowed multiple passing touchdowns in every game this season. This matches up very well for Dalton as he has struggled to find the end zone this season yet still ranks 10th at his position in fantasy scoring as he is averaging a league-4th 293 passing yards per game. Dalton should be able to have his way here against the Browns, and with Tyler Eifert back to practicing, Dalton would receive a nice boost by having that added weapon back in play. The primary concern with playing Dalton would be game flow, especially if the Browns are without Terrelle Pryor. With Pryor out, Dalton will be more playable in GPP’s. However, at his price, Dalton still warrants exposure in cash games if the pivot down is needed.
MATT RYAN - $39 (CASH / GPP)
While Tom Brady may be your safest play at this top tier salary, Matt Ryan is a guy in a very good spot who should come in with lower ownership in all formats. Ryan has thrown for multiple touchdowns in all but one game this year as only Drew Breese has thrown for more yards per game than him. The San Diego passing defense has some talent, but still ranks in the bottom third of the league having allowed multiple passing touchdowns and over 300 passing yards in four of six games this season. With Atlanta returning home with the highest team total of the week, Matt Ryan will have significant upside and be a solid target in all formats.
COLIN KAEPERNICK - $24 (GPP)
While Colin Kaepernick is far from a proficient passer, he has some wheels underneath him in an offense that is very willing to allow the quarterback to run with Gabbert averaging nearly eight carries per game. Kaepernick completed only 45% of his 29 passes last week for 187 yards but managed to rush for 66 yards on eight carries against a talented Bills defense. This week, Kaepernick draws a Tampa Bay defense that may help him through the air as they have been gashed for 13.7 yards per completion this season, the highest mark in the league. They have shut down any resemblance of a rushing game by opposing quarterbacks allowing only 11 rushing yards to the position this season, but they have yet to face a quarterback that is known whatsoever for their ability to run. While Kaepernick’s floor is certainly low, the upside with a rushing quarterback is always there, and he is priced near the minimum at his position. With a few options to pick from at this low-tier level, Kaepernick clearly is the top option and can be trusted much more so than Landry Jones and Geno Smith due to his rushing upside. There is a ton of value at other positions, so he is not a recommended play in cash games---but Kaepernick will be an excellent option to plug into GPP lineups this week.
RUNNING BACK
DEMARCO MURRaY - $38 (CASH / GPP)
The Titans offense has been funneled through DeMarco Murray all season, and that should have no reason to change in this prime matchup against the Colts. Murray ranks third in the league in total touches (138), and he has the most receptions among running backs with over 50 carries on the season. He is averaging just about as many yards per carry (4.6) as he did during his breakout season with the Cowboys in 2014 rushing behind a Titans offensive line that has made significant improvements this season. The Colts are allowing the 2nd most fantasy points to running backs this season and have allowed more receiving touchdowns (four) to running backs than any other team. Lamar Miller torched the Colts last week for 149 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards while finding the end zone for the first time this season both on the ground and through the air. Expect for Murray to be the chalk running back play of the week at the elite tier—he will be an excellent cash game target and an even better GPP target due to so many people likely to be on the cheap running backs this week along with LeSean McCoy likely to be ruled out.
JACQUIZZ RODGERS - $17 (CASH)
Jacquizz Rodgers looks to be in line for the start again this week as Doug Martin suffered a setback in his recovery from a lingering hamstring injury. The Bucs offense leaned heavily on Rodgers in their last outing against Carolina as he carried the ball a whopping 30 times in addition to hauling in five of six targets. While Rodgers should not be expected to hit those numbers again, his matchup this week certainly affords him with plenty of upside as San Francisco is the worst team in the league against the run. Opponents have averaged 29 rushing attempts and 174 rushing yards per game—both the worst in the league by significant margins. From Week 2 onwards (throwing out what now looks like a fluke shut-out versus the Rams), the 49-ers have allowed more rushing touchdowns (nine) in addition to more total fantasy points to running backs than any other team. They have yielded the league’s top fantasy scoring running back for the past two weeks and allowed top-10 scoring running backs in two additional weeks. Given the bump in snaps expected when playing San Francisco in addition to the sheer lack of depth behind him, Jacquizz Rodgers should be a solid bet for at least 20 touches in this game, making him an excellent value at this price and likely to be one of the highest owned players of the week. He should be a top cash game option, and a top GPP fade due to ownership percentages.
MELVIN GORDON - $28 (CASH / GPP)
Melvin Gordon enters into a Week 6 matchup in a solid spot against the Falcons. Gordon has been afforded a very hefty workload thus far this season, rushing 116 times (5th most) with an average of over 20 carriers per game in his last three outings. A primary criticism of Gordon this season has been his lack of efficiency, as his yards per attempt is definitely sub-par at only 3.4. However, the touchdowns have been aside from last week as he has found the end zone seven times this season. Gordon faced a tough run defense in Denver last season, but Gordon still was afforded a season-high 27 carries and rushed for nearly 100 yards. The Falcons have done a good job stopping the run as of late, but opposing running backs have been doing plenty of damage through the air against them as the Falcons have allowed the league’s 2nd most receptions (52) and the most receiving yards (423) to opposing running backs. Gordon’s usage in the passing game has been up and down, as he caught 10 passes on 14 targets in Weeks 3 & 4, but has only been targeted a total of three times with one reception in the past two weeks. The San Diego coaching staff most certainly will see how Atlanta has been vulnerable to pass-catching running backs, so expect Gordon to get back on track with a significant boost in targets this week. Gordon’s price is down enough to justify rostering him in all formats, but the recommendation would be for higher exposure in GPP’s since this week lines up to be a week favoring the high-priced / low-priced pairing strategy in cash games at this position.
SPENCER WARE - $23 (GPP / CASH)
Despite the return of Jamaal Charles, Spencer Ware continues to dominate the Chiefs backfield as he out-carried Charles 24-9 last week. While they both managed to find the end zone, Ware rushed for huge yardage as he put up his largest rushing yardage total of the year (131) and actually received two more red zone looks than Charles. Coach Andy Reid has been quoted saying Charles is “not yet ready” for heavier usage in this offense, yet Ware continues to be priced below Charles on Yahoo. The matchup is amazing as the Saints have a notably atrocious defense ranking 30th in DVOA rush defense and allowing the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Ware has accounted for 35.1% of the Chiefs offensive yards this season, and he should continue to be productive this week. While there is a risk of Charles taking touchdowns, Ware should still have a high floor and ceiling in this matchup, making him playable in all formats but more so in GPP’s due to the excellent values at the position out there this week.
WIDE RECEIVER
MIKE EVANS - $33 (CASH)
Mike Evans stacks up to be one of the highest owned plays at wide receiver this week, and for very good reason. Evans has been an absolute target monster this season, leading the league by a whopping 1.5 targets over the #2 ranked player with 12.2 targets per game. Evans has nearly twice as many targets as any other receiver on the Buccaneers offense, and with the loss of WR2 Vincent Jackson, that number only stands to increase. Since 2015 in games without Vincent Jackson when Jameis Winston has been quarterback, Mike Evans is averaging a three more targets and 35 more receiving yards per game (12.5 targets / 107 receiving yards). With him already averaging over 12 targets per game with Jackson playing this season, you can imagine his upside. While the 49-ers are notably the worst team in the league against the rush, they have also allowed an average the 2nd most touchdowns (10) to wide receivers this season. With teams only targeting wide receivers 105 times against San Francisco, that is an average one touchdown for almost every 10 targets touchdown for every. While the total targets may be down for Evans this game, there are not many other options to throw to for Winston here, and his touchdown upside is as high as it has been all season. Evans is priced below the elite level, but belongs right there among the top and makes for an excellent option in cash games but may be a wise fade in tournaments due to the high expected ownership.
PIERRE GARCON - $18 (CASH / GPP)
Pierre Garcon looks to be in line for a solid week with Desean Jackson having yet to practice as of Thursday. Last week, Garcon went form averaging around seven targets per game to getting a team-high 11 targets and a season-high four red zone looks with Jordan Reed absent from the field. Now, with Jordan Reed’s status in the air this week (has not practiced thru Thursday) and Desean Jackson also looking likely to miss, Garcon should be in store for a heavy workload against a Detroit defense that has allowed opposing quarterbacks to pass at will on them this season. While Darius Slay is certainly a risk, the rest of the Lions’ cornerbacks along with their safeties have played quite poorly. Even with Slay in the mix, Detroit has allowed the 6th most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season. Garcon is a cheap option below the $20 mark and makes for a nice fit into a lot of lineups this week as you pay down for extreme value and pay up for the top position options.
A.J. GREEN - $37 (CASH / GPP)
A.J. Green is in a really good spot to bounce back this week after a couple of tough fantasy outings against Dallas and New England. The Browns have already allowed four top-10 fantasy scoring receivers this season, and they are shaping up to be without top cornerback Joe Haden this week as he has yet to practice this week (as of Thursday). A.J. Green is averaging over 10 targets per game with the league’s 3rd highest receiving yard total at 606 yards. He is one of only three players with at least eight targets in each game he has played in this season, showing that Andy Dalton has consistently favored him above other options in the offense. While Brandon Lafell has three touchdowns across the last couple of games in which Green has struggled, Green is the guy who has been shadowed by the likes of Malcom Butler / Devin McCourty from the Patriots and had to contend with high attention from Dallas’s 4th ranked secondary and high-performing safety Byron Jones. Green should garner significant attention this week, yet his ownership in cash games should be lower than top priced option Julio Jones and another top play of the week in Mike Evans, making Green a sneaky pivot for some differentiation in cash game rosters in addition to a high upside play for tournaments.
STEFON DIGGS - $21 (GPP)
Stefon Diggs is a contrarian tournament option this week at the wide receiver position. This game has the lowest point total of the week with two teams noted for impressive defensive play this season. While the Eagles defense is not on Minnesota’s level, they have still excelled against wide receivers allowing the 5th fewest fantasy points per game to the position. The angle here for Diggs is that Eagles cornerback unit has been atrocious this season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles secondary is ranked 30th overall so far this season with their top three cornerbacks ranking 93rd, 101st, and 108th out of 112 qualifying players. Diggs has been nursing a hamstring injury as of late, but will be coming off the bye well rested this week with a chance to do serious damage against this unit. He is still only playable in GPP formats as the hamstring remains a concern, but this matchup could present some serious upside should Diggs find some deep balls thrown his way.
TIGHT END
GARY BARNIDGE - $17 (CASH / GPP)
With the status of Cleveland’s primary offensive weapon in Terrelle Pryor questionable for Sunday, Gary Barnidge would look to be the biggest beneficiary should Pryor miss this game. Barnidge has put up consistently mediocre numbers this season as he is averaging nearly five receptions and 60 yards per game from Week 2 onwards. The Cincinnati defense has not faced many quality pass-catching tight ends this season, but they were absolutely demolished last week as Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett combined for 210 yards and a touchdown against them. The Browns really have limited downfield options with Pryor out, so Barnidge should be afforded a significant bump in workload with an always favorable game script as the Browns should be playing from behind. He has yet to find the end zone this season, but Barnidge has a history of putting up big numbers and scoring touchdowns from what we saw last year. Look to Barnidge in cash games and even GPP’s at this discounted price should Terrelle Pryor be ruled out. If Pryor is playing, significantly reduce your exposure to Barnidge.
HUNTER HENRY - $17 (CASH / GPP)
Hunter Henry has been spectacular thus far this season, scoring a touchdown in each of his last three outings, Henry ranks third among tight ends in receiving yardage (294) while his three touchdowns rank him 4th. The Falcons have given up touchdowns to five different tight ends this season and ranks near the bottom in all stat categories to tight ends, including targets, yards, and touchdowns. Antonio Gates on the field always leaves the threat for Henry to lose production, but with this game’s point total being the highest of the week and Atlanta playing so poorly against tight ends, there should be plenty of production to go around. Henry is priced the same as Gary Barnidge and would be a nice pivot in any format should Barnidge’s value drop due to Terrelle Pryor making a surprise appearance on the field.
ROB GRONKOWSKI - $29 (CASH / GPP)
There is little need to talk up Rob Gronkowski at this point. While he started slow due to his nagging injuries, Gronkowski has come on full steam in the past two weeks as he has over 100 yards in two games in a row, including a career high 162 receiving yards with his first touchdown of the season last week. While this is a road matchup, the Pittsburgh defense has been just bad against the pass this season allowing the 3rd most passing yards per game at 294. While they have been stingy in allowing touchdowns, Tom Brady is looking as sharp as ever and should be fully expected to have his way in this matchup. Gronkowski tops our Footballguys Yahoo Interactive Value Chart in total points and H-Value for tight ends and will be a prime play that can be easily fit in this week with all of the value out there.
DEFENSE
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - $16 (CASH / GPP)
The Patriots could not have been looking forward to this game coming into the season as the Steelers stacked up to have one of the most explosive offenses in the league. However, with Ben Roethlisberger going down with a knee injury last week, the Patriots have been gifted what could be a very juicy matchup against backup quarterback Landry Jones slated to start. Jones is prone to throwing the pick as he turned it over five times, four of which were interceptions, in his limited action last season. Jones looked similarly bad in preseason this year with four interceptions in a single game, and based on how Miami game-planned to shut down the Steelers last week, one can only imagine what Bill Belichick and the Patriots could have in store for them here. The Patriots will be a nice pivot down in price from the chalk options of the week, making them playable in all formats.
DENVER BRONCOS - $20 (CASH / GPP)
The Denver Broncos continue to dominate on defense this season, ranking 4th overall in total yards allowed per game. Their strength is definitely against the pass, as Denver has allowed the 4th fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and the fewest per game to wide receivers. Their run defense has been their biggest Achilles heel, but with Brock Osweiler having thrown at least one interception per game this year, the floor should be quite high in this contest. This is a solid mismatch on paper considering the Texans’ turnover woes at quarterback combined with their overall inability to score averaging only 18 points per game (3rd-worst). Vegas agrees as the point total is low with Houston having the lowest expected team total of any team this week. On top of all of this, the Denver defense has a personal reason to play well here as there is widespread displeasure in the locker room with their former quarterback’s offseason decision to leave the team in addition to blowing off the ring ceremony at the White House. Expect for Denver to be highly owned and a very attractive play in all formats, particularly cash.
