If you're nervous about how your players will do today, just think about how the actual players feel.
Your daily dose of unconventional thinking is all wrapped up in a four-minute, 44-second podcast I like to call "Fantasy Football for Winners' 4:44 Fantasy Fundown":
https://soundcloud.com/user-780565013/week-13-fantasy-football-preview-bargains-and-busts
This week's podcast consists of 11 bargains and six busts. I've hit 61% on the season. As always, let's see what happens. . . .
As for my DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week, it's hard to develop these with so many guys facing game-time decisions. Do I roll with Jamaal Williams, knowing that if Aaron Jones plays, Williams could become a huge bust? Is Antonio Brown off the table due to his questionable tag?
As always, I went through many iterations starting mid-week, with my final changes coming late last night:
QB Philip Rivers ($8,000) -- A fantastic matchup, an underperforming running game, and healthy receivers. Outside of Tom Brady and maybe Russell Wilson, Rivers has the highest floor of any Week 13 QB.
RB Jordan Howard ($7,500) -- I tagged him as a Week 12 bust in last weekend's podcast. Today he's a candidate for top 5 RB production against a Niners defense that can't stop anybody. Howard is headed toward a 20/100/1 performance.
RB Alvin Kamara ($8,500) -- I'll keep riding the Kamara train until his prospects look risky. No running back has played better in the past several weeks, and it's no fluke. While not anticipating near-elite numbers against Carolina, I'm banking on at least 15+ looks and 80+ yards, which should make him an automatic top 15 RB (with upside, of course).
WR Keenan Allen ($8,100) -- Yes, this is stacking. "What if the Chargers flop"? Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take. Allen has always been a WR1-caliber talent when healthy, and no one on the Browns can stop him. With Antonio Brown questionable, Allen is arguably the safest DFS wideout.
WR Davante Adams ($6,500) -- Since Aaron Rodgers' injury, Adams' gain has been everyone else's loss. Jordy Nelson? Unstartable. Randall Cobb? As mediocre as with Rodgers. Martellus Bennett? Cut. Adams has a dream matchup against the Bucs and clearly has rapport with Brett Hundley.
WR Zay Jones ($4,500) -- I don't generally pick ultra-cheap WRs in 50/50 lineups, but Jones has looked good these past three games and is Buffalo's de facto lead receiver with Kelvin Benjamin sidelined. I considered Seth Roberts, but Jones is more likely to be needed in all four quarters against the Patriots.
TE Travis Kelce ($7,000) -- I had Delanie Walker plugged in as I started writing this, but a voice in my head (one of many) reminded me of the guy I've been thinking about all week: Kelce. The Chiefs are facing a must-win game, and their offense has looked awful. So expect 12+ targets for Kelce as Kansas City plays to its strengths . . . and against a Jets D that will give up 20+ to the desperate Chiefs.
K Josh Lambo ($4,600) -- To help make room for the late addition of Kelce, I "downgraded" kickers. However, as some of you might remember from last year, Lambo is one of my favorite undervalued kickers. I like his odds for double-digit points.
DST Chargers ($5,300) -- The Kelce move also forced me to swap out the Jags' DST for the Chargers'. This could prove to be a mistake, but it shows how much I believe in Kelce this week. And let's face it: the Chargers will do just fine.
Good luck this week. I'll be thinking of you. Probably not each of you, and certainly not by name, because there are too many of you. But if you're wondering if I'm thinking of you, assume I am.
Your daily dose of unconventional thinking is all wrapped up in a four-minute, 44-second podcast I like to call "Fantasy Football for Winners' 4:44 Fantasy Fundown":
https://soundcloud.com/user-780565013/week-13-fantasy-football-preview-bargains-and-busts
This week's podcast consists of 11 bargains and six busts. I've hit 61% on the season. As always, let's see what happens. . . .
As for my DFS 50/50 Lineup of the Week, it's hard to develop these with so many guys facing game-time decisions. Do I roll with Jamaal Williams, knowing that if Aaron Jones plays, Williams could become a huge bust? Is Antonio Brown off the table due to his questionable tag?
As always, I went through many iterations starting mid-week, with my final changes coming late last night:
QB Philip Rivers ($8,000) -- A fantastic matchup, an underperforming running game, and healthy receivers. Outside of Tom Brady and maybe Russell Wilson, Rivers has the highest floor of any Week 13 QB.
RB Jordan Howard ($7,500) -- I tagged him as a Week 12 bust in last weekend's podcast. Today he's a candidate for top 5 RB production against a Niners defense that can't stop anybody. Howard is headed toward a 20/100/1 performance.
RB Alvin Kamara ($8,500) -- I'll keep riding the Kamara train until his prospects look risky. No running back has played better in the past several weeks, and it's no fluke. While not anticipating near-elite numbers against Carolina, I'm banking on at least 15+ looks and 80+ yards, which should make him an automatic top 15 RB (with upside, of course).
WR Keenan Allen ($8,100) -- Yes, this is stacking. "What if the Chargers flop"? Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take. Allen has always been a WR1-caliber talent when healthy, and no one on the Browns can stop him. With Antonio Brown questionable, Allen is arguably the safest DFS wideout.
WR Davante Adams ($6,500) -- Since Aaron Rodgers' injury, Adams' gain has been everyone else's loss. Jordy Nelson? Unstartable. Randall Cobb? As mediocre as with Rodgers. Martellus Bennett? Cut. Adams has a dream matchup against the Bucs and clearly has rapport with Brett Hundley.
WR Zay Jones ($4,500) -- I don't generally pick ultra-cheap WRs in 50/50 lineups, but Jones has looked good these past three games and is Buffalo's de facto lead receiver with Kelvin Benjamin sidelined. I considered Seth Roberts, but Jones is more likely to be needed in all four quarters against the Patriots.
TE Travis Kelce ($7,000) -- I had Delanie Walker plugged in as I started writing this, but a voice in my head (one of many) reminded me of the guy I've been thinking about all week: Kelce. The Chiefs are facing a must-win game, and their offense has looked awful. So expect 12+ targets for Kelce as Kansas City plays to its strengths . . . and against a Jets D that will give up 20+ to the desperate Chiefs.
K Josh Lambo ($4,600) -- To help make room for the late addition of Kelce, I "downgraded" kickers. However, as some of you might remember from last year, Lambo is one of my favorite undervalued kickers. I like his odds for double-digit points.
DST Chargers ($5,300) -- The Kelce move also forced me to swap out the Jags' DST for the Chargers'. This could prove to be a mistake, but it shows how much I believe in Kelce this week. And let's face it: the Chargers will do just fine.
Good luck this week. I'll be thinking of you. Probably not each of you, and certainly not by name, because there are too many of you. But if you're wondering if I'm thinking of you, assume I am.