Photo: Jenna Watson, USA Today Sports

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 popular options at certain positions—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. Now,let’s dive right in!

QUARTERBACK

MATT RYAN - $40 (CASH / GPP)

Matt Ryan comes into this week as the highest priced quarterback on the slate, but for very good reasons to be explained herein. As we all know, Matt Ryan has been absolutely stellar this season as he leads the league in a number of quarterback categories and has been the highest scoring fantasy quarterback in the league. The Falcons offense has been on fire as they are the only team in the league to average over 30 points per game, largely fueled by a league-high 52.1% offensive scoring percentage. The Falcons naturally come into this game with the highest expected team total of the week against a Green Bay secondary that has been decimated by injury this season and ranks in the bottom five overall. Green Bay has been strong against the run this season, and with Tevin Coleman likely to be out for Atlanta, the game flow here sets up to be a pass-heavy approach by the Falcons. Green Bay’s offense showed flashes of its former self last week and matches up well with Atlanta’s sub-par defense, so a shoot-out is a high probability for this game, in which case you will want one of these quarterbacks. Matt Ryan is the safest option and has as much upside as anyone else in the league, making him a solid play in all formats regardless of his top salary.

CAM NEWTON - $33 (GPP / CASH)

Cam Newton comes into a very tough matchup this week against the Cardinals, but his depressed salary has to put him in the conversation as a value play at the position. Newton is the top dual-threat quarterback in the league, with the ability to put up massive rushing and passing totals in any given week. Newton has a rushing touchdown in three of five games played this season in addition to a couple of 320+ passing yard games. There is no doubt that Cardinals defense has been one of the best units in the league this season, but this week they are forced to travel across the country after a 5-quarter brawl with Seattle on Sunday night. There is a strong chance that their defense will not be at 100%, while the Panthers are playing at home off the bye week. Arizona has also shown vulnerability to rushing quarterbacks this season as they have allowed more rushing yards (183) to quarterbacks than any other team this season. The risk is certainly there for Newton to get shut down, but one of the highest upside quarterbacks in the league sitting 8^th on the list of most expensive quarterbacks has to garner some attention, making Newton an excellent play in GPP’s and even in consideration (unstacked) for minor cash game exposure.

JAMEIS WINSTON - $35 (CASH)

Jameis Winston has an excellent matchup as he welcomes the Oakland Raiders what looks to be a close game sporting one of the highest point totals of the week. The Raiders defense has looked bad against the quarterback this season, ranking T-5^th in fantasy points allowed to the position. There have been four different quarterbacks to average over 10 yards per attempt against the Raiders this year while the Raiders have allowed at least two touchdowns to an opposing quarterback in five of their seven games. Last week, the Raiders allowed Kevin Hogan (who?) to rush for over 100 yards and a touchdown against them. This of course is highly encouraging for Jameis Winston as he has been known to make plays with his legs throughout his career. Winston sets up to be quite the popular play, and while his price is higher on Yahoo than many other sites, there are a number of value options that should make it no issue to pay up at quarterback this week. The advice here would be to balance your exposure to Winston with the elite options such as Matt Ryan and Tom Brady in cash games, but don’t hesitate to stack Winston with Mike Evans in GPP’s as this will be a high potential pairing.

RUSSELL WILSON - $31 (CASH / GPP)

There is no doubting that Russell Wilson has struggled mightily so far this season. He has three games in which he failed to throw a single passing touchdown, with only one game in which he found the end zone more than once. Lower body injuries have limited Wilson’s usual rushing upside as he has failed to rush for more than 20 yards in a single game while averaging only 3.7 rushing attempts per game compared to nearly seven attempts per game last season. However, as with any quarterback facing the Saints defense, Wilson is in a great spot to find his stride. The Saints are allowing the league’s third most passing yards per game (287) and the most overall points per game at 32.5. The last four quarterbacks to have faced the Saints have all thrown for two touchdowns, and Wilson could have a solid shot at exceeding that this week with the Seahawks sitting at the 4^th highest team total points of the slate. While the matchup is ideal to keep Wilson’s ceiling high, the risk is there that the Seahawks lean on their run game here. However, despite that risk, Wilson’s salary is low enough to roll him out with confidence in tournament formats.
 

RUNNING BACK

CHRISTINE MICHAEL - $32 (CASH / GPP)

Christine Michael gets the timely pleasure of taking on the Saints this week in prime conditions at the Superdome. Michael is coming off a rough stretch of matchups as he has faced three tough defensive fronts in the Jets, Falcons, and Cardinals, limiting him to an average of only 3.3 yards per carry after averaging over 5.1 yards per carry in his first three games. This matchup against the Saints is a great spot for Michael to turn things around. New Orleans is allowing an average of 3.8 touchdowns per game this season and has allowed at least 27 points at home in nine straight games. They have allowed a league-high 12 touchdowns (10 rushing, 2 receiving) to running backs this season through only six games since they have already had a bye week. The Saints are getting gashed both on the ground and through the air by running backs, and with Christine Michael receiving an average of over 20 touches over his last three games, he should be expected to thrive here. Expect for Michael to be a highly targeted option with plenty of upside and a very high floor due to the positive matchup, making him playable in all formats.

DEVONTAE BOOKER - $14 (CASH / GPP)

Devontae Booker should be the highest owned player at any position this week with the news of C.J. Anderson being out of the picture due to a knee injury. Booker has looked very good in his limited attempts this season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry while also showing the ability to catch passes out of the backfield. The Denver offense sets up its running backs in a good spot for fantasy production as they rank 7^th in rushing attempts this season. Booker will be facing off against a Chargers defense that has allowed the 4^th most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, with particular vulnerability to pass-catching backs as they have allowed more receptions to running backs than any other team. Only three teams have allowed more rushing touchdowns than San Diego this season, and while they kept Denver out of the end zone on the ground two weeks ago, Devontae Booker found plenty of room to run as he averaged over nine yards per carry to lead the team in yards with 46 on his limited attempts. Booker will be your chalk option at running back this week, so plug him into your cash game lineups and move on. Booker has a good deal of upside here so he actually can be considered for GPP’s also regardless of how highly owned he will be.

LAMAR MILLER - $27 (GPP)

Lamar Miller was on track for what looked to be a solid outing against a tough Broncos defense on Monday night, but he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him off the field limiting him to only 11 carries. Miller has been a workhorse back this season with one of the highest usage rates in the league. While the Texans offense is lackluster as a whole, one thing you can typically bet on is for Miller to get his 20+ carries and a few looks in the passing game. The Detroit rushing defense presents an interesting matchup here, as they have decent stats against the run this season due primarily to how soft their secondary has been. However, the one stat that stands out the most is a big zero in the rushing touchdowns allowed column. It is quite unsustainable for a mediocre defense like the Lions to have not allowed a single rushing touchdown through seven weeks of play. Miller has banked on touchdown regression to the mean once already this season after breaking his early season drought, so look for him to do it again this week. The health concern combined with what looks to be a wide open secondary (lacking Darius Slay) sheds some risk on Miller, but his usage upside and reasonable salary puts Miller in GPP consideration this week.

MATT FORTE - $21 (GPP / CASH)

Matt Forte appears to be back as of last week, gaining 83% of snaps and out-snapping Bilal Powell by 48 snaps. Forte has been plagued by knee issues this season, but did not show it last week as he finished as the third highest scoring fantasy running back of the week with 154 total yards and two touchdowns—one rushing and one receiving. Powell appears to be dealing with a turf toe issue that could sideline him in Week 8 against the Browns. If Powell were to be sidelined, Forte’s value will skyrocket as there would be no question around his usage. With the ongoing struggle at quarterback for the Jets, it would be very safe to assume that their coaching staff employs a run-heavy approach against the Browns to limit exposure to Ryan Fitzpatrick’s almost inevitable interception. When the Jets have a chance at leading, they are known to run the ball very heavily—and of all the games on their schedule this season, this one against the Browns should afford the Jets the best opportunity to take and keep a lead. Should Powell be healthy, Forte is more of a GPP option due to that question mark on usage. However, if Powell is scratched, Forte becomes an immediate chalk cash game option.
 

WIDE RECEIVER

JULIO JONES - $39 (CASH / GPP)

Julio Jones sets up to be a big beneficiary this week from the aforementioned stellar matchup against Green Bay’s atrocious secondary. Jones is one of the best in the game at his position, and a preeminent top play from week to week in DFS. This week, he is of particular value because of how many people will be tempted to save a dollar and pivot to Mike Evans. In a cash game situation, Jones should be the preferred option to Evans this week. This game has the highest total of the week with Atlanta in a solid matchup at home, and Matt Ryan has been the hottest quarterback in the league. Julio Jones is averaging over 20 yards per reception—the best mark in the league among receivers with more than 20 receptions. He is the only receiver to have at least 15 targets in multiple games this season, and one of Atlanta’s key offensive weapons in Tevin Coleman looks to be out this week. With shoot-out written all over this contest and a prime matchup against a bad secondary, look to Jones as your top-tier receiver in all formats and a solid stack with Matt Ryan.

TY MONTGOMERY - $15 (CASH)

Yahoo’s reluctance to allow Ty Montgomery running back eligibility will not keep anyone away from him this week as Montgomery comes in as one of the best values on the slate. Montgomery appears to have one of the highest H-Values we have seen all season at any position according to the Footballguys Interactive Value Chart for Yahoo. Montgomery has been spectacular in his past two weeks starting at running back, hauling in 80% of his 25 targets over the past two games. Only two other players have received more targets across that span of games, one of which is teammate Randall Cobb who is struggling with a hamstring injury this week. While Montgomery was limited in practice this week with an “illness,” he is fully expected to suit up on Sunday. Montgomery has not done much rushing while lining up in the backfield, but when he has rushed he has had success, averaging 6.7 yards per carry for 60 yards last week. Montgomery has really hit his stride with catching passes out of the backfield, amassing 164 receiving yards in his two games as starter. While Montgomery has yet to find the end zone, he should have a good shot at it against an Atlanta team that is allowing the 6^th most fantasy points per game to running backs. The Falcons are a particularly good matchup for Montgomery’s skill set as they have allowed the league’s most receiving yards and second most receptions to running backs as well. Top cornerback Desmond Trufant should present quite the challenge for Jordy Nelson, leaving Montgomery with plenty of opportunities to make plays.  Montgomery will be a chalk option at wide receiver with this near-minimum price, making him an excellent play in cash games. His potential lack of touchdown upside and high projected ownership makes Montgomery tough to roster in GPP’s.

TYRELL WILLIAMS - $14 (GPP)

While Tyrell Williams has one of the worst team matchups of the week facing a Denver defense that has suffocated wide receivers this season (allowing league-low 16.1 fantasy points per game), Tyrell Williams is stacking up to be an interesting contrarian play for GPP consideration. Williams is a down-field option for the Chargers, averaging 17 yards per reception and a reception of 38-yards or more in four of seven games this season. The Chargers will enter this game close to touchdown underdogs, so game script should have them passing the ball often. With the Broncos cornerbacks not known to shadow, Williams has a solid chance of drawing Bradley Roby in coverage—a bottom tier cornerback according to Pro Fantasy Focus. If Williams can get over the top just one time for a long touchdown, he immediately hits tournament value at this near-minimum salary. Definitely avoid him in cash, but Williams makes for a sneaky low-owned tournament option to that allows you to pay for safer upside elsewhere.

LARRY FITZGERALD - $34 (CASH)

Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals have the best matchup of the week on paper in terms of the passing attack, as the Carolina secondary is ranked dead last in the league this season. The Panthers have allowed at least 17 fantasy points to WR1’s in their past three games, including massive games from both Brandin Cooks and Julio Jones. Fitzgerald is coming off a season-high 14 targets last week and draws a very solid individual matchup against Robert McClain that he should be able to take advantage of. Fitzgerald is priced near the top, but looks to have a very high floor given his matchup, making him an excellent play in cash games.

DEZ BRYANT - $20 (GPP)

Dez Bryant is finally slated to be back on the field for the first time since Week 3. Bryant had underwhelmed in his few opportunities to play with quarterback Dak Prescott, but he should be a much-welcomed jolt to the Cowboys offense that hasn’t had a ton of reliable down-field options this season. The Eagles defense as a whole has played well this season, but their secondary as a unit has been one of the worst in the league, ranking 30^th overall prior to Week 7. Bryant is set up to draw a matchup with cornerback Nolan Carol who is ranked 105^th among qualifying cornerbacks according to Pro Fantasy Focus. There are certainly doubts around what volume Bryant will see this week since Dallas has been so successful running the ball this season, but a guy like Dez Bryant has the talent to explode in any given week if the game flow shifts his way. At a $20 price point, Bryant deserves massive consideration as a GPP option. However, the advice is to steer clear in cash games due to the uncertainty of his role in this first game back from injury.
 

TIGHT END

C.J. FIEDOROWICZ - $12 (CASH / GPP)

C.J. Fiedorowicz has really come on strong lately, ranking as the 5^th highest scoring tight end over the past four weeks with an average of nearly seven targets per game. Detroit has been known this season for their lackluster play against tight ends, and while their streak of at least one touchdown per week to opposing tight ends was snapped last week against a Washington team that lacked Jordan Reed, the Lions still managed to allow a total of seven receptions for 90 yards to the pair of backup options in Washington—the second highest yardage total allowed to the position this season. The value is there with Fiedorowicz coming in near the minimum price, and he should be the popular punt option as people take advantage of the value to pay up for top options at other positions. Look to Fiedorowicz primarily in cash games, as even an average performance without a touchdown should allow him to hit value. While he is playable in GPP’s due to the price, there are higher upside guys out there Houston may actually be able to throw to their wide receivers this week with such a prime matchup.

JIMMY GRAHAM - $22 (CASH / GPP)

The narrative is strong with Jimmy Graham this week as he makes his return to New Orleans. Believe that the masses will be on him as Graham should be one of the highest owned tight ends of the week because of this situation he is in. The hype is justified against the Saints defense in an ideal matchup. While the Saints have not given up a ton of points to tight ends, they have a very vulnerable secondary overall while Graham has led the Seahawks in targets in each of their last three games, averaging nine targets per game across that span with at least 50 receiving yards and five receptions in each game. Graham is finally healthy and looks like he did when he was in New Orleans, dominating strong coverage and making plays on a consistent basis. Graham does not have a rock bottom salary, but he is discounted from the top tier and represents a good value given his matchup and recent usage. Fire him up in all formats here, but expect the ownership to be high.
 

DEFENSE

DALLAS COWBOYS - $11 (CASH / GPP)

The Cowboys stack up to be a sneaky value option this week in a matchup at home with the Eagles. The Eagles started the season hot on offense, averaging over 30 points per game as they won their first three. Since then, the Eagles have lost two of three games while averaging only 21 points per game. In their past two outings, the Eagles have failed to exceed 240 yards of total offense per game. The Cowboys defense has been playing very well this season, allowing a league-7^th 17.8 points per game and no games with more than two total touchdowns. The Cowboys secondary was ranked 4^th overall coming into last week by Pro Football Focus, making this a pretty solid mismatch considering the Eagles’ mediocre rushing attach. With the Eagles having this low of a team total and the Cowboys coming off the bye at home, there is no reason for this salary here to be as low as it is. For that reason, feel free to look to the Cowboys in all formats.

DENVER BRONCOS - $18 (CASH / GPP)

The Broncos continue to show that they are an elite defense in the league this season. After absolutely dismantled the Texans last week, limiting them to only 271 total yards and zero touchdowns while forcing four fumbles (two turnovers). The Broncos only managed to record one sack, but hit the quarterback a total of eight times while limiting Brock Osweiler to only 131 passing yards from 41 attempts. The Broncos have now held five quarterbacks to under 200 yards passing—good for league lows of 175 passing yards per game and only 5.7 passing yards per attempt. While the Chargers have a solid offense, Vegas has them close to the 2^nd lowest team total of the week as they visit Mile High Stadium. Look for the Broncos to be a solid play as you get them at a partial discount from the top price this week.