Le'Veon Bell's holdout continues, though that doesn't guarantee James Conner a big workload -- or a big day. And given the poor weather conditions in Cleveland, Bell might actually strengthen his hand after this weekend.
The Chargers and Chiefs are missing plenty of key defenders. The two teams should combine for 50+ points. Of course, there are realistically up to eight Chargers who could benefit from that outburst.
Greg Olsen is dealing with an unexpected back injury, but is expected to suit up. In deep leagues, rookie Panther TE Ian Thomas is a name to stash away.
--
Last year I started a new feature: the DFS 50-50 Lineup of the Week. After hitting on most of them, I've decided to test my luck and do it again. As always, I'm working off of Fan Duel pricing. If you're into Draft Kings or something else, while the dollar amounts might be different, the relative values among the players should be fairly comparable.
QB Philip Rivers ($7,500) -- There are several good options this week who come $1,000+ cheaper. I also strongly considered Cam Newton. But as previously written on this page, Rivers' consistency has been incredible: a top 16 fantasy QB in 11 of 12 seasons as a starter. And his intra-divisional home matchup against a beatable K.C. defense makes him a likely top-8 option at a reasonable price.
RB Alvin Kamara ($8,700) -- I could go David Johnson and save $100. But Kamara has a great matchup and should net 16+ touches. While nothing's guaranteed, he's as safe as they come with a good shot at elite RB production.
RB James Conner ($5,000) -- Not thrilled about this pick, yet tempted by the fact that he should net 14+ touches. And locking in a high-usage RB at this dirt cheap price gives me flexibility to secure an extra high-impact player elsewhere. Simply hoping Conner is a top 25 RB this week.
WR T.Y. Hilton ($7,200) -- Forget last season, obviously. With Andrew Luck back behind center, a sub-par running game, and limited aerial options, Hilton will earn 12+ targets today. That’s good enough for me.
WR Chris Hogan ($6,700) -- Hogan was exceptional last year when healthy, and that was while competing for looks with Gronk and Brandin Cooks. He’ll go into today’s game as the Pats’ clear-cut #1 wideout -- one of the cheapest #1’s in DFS.
WR Keelan Cole ($4,500) – Always, always, always scan through every single DFS player. These sites require human intelligence, and while the people behind them are very good at what they do, they’re human after all. Cole was always going to be a sold streamer in regular leagues; in other words, he should have been valued at around $5,500. Then factor in that Fan Duel priced him earlier this summer when Marqise Lee was still healthy. And that’s how some DFS bargains are born.
TE Rob Gronkowski ($7,900) – A hedge. Hard to see Tom Brady struggling today. Maybe he won’t be his normal brilliant self against a seemingly well-equipped Houston D. But Hogan and/or Gronk will post must-start stats, and that’s a competitive advantage worth pursuing.
FLEX Tyreek Hill ($7,300) – This year Fan Duel replaced the kicker position with a flex option. Hill is a reasonable bet for top-15 WR production. Although there are at least a dozen flex guys worth considering, I like Hill’s floor and love his ceiling in a top-heavy (Hill/Kelce/Hunt and not much else) offense against a Chargers secondary decimated by injuries.
DST Ravens ($4,800) – The most expensive DST of the week, though that’s irrelevant given their price point. Baltimore is a near lock to post top-8 DST numbers and is a decent wager for elite production.
--
Good luck, everybody.
The Chargers and Chiefs are missing plenty of key defenders. The two teams should combine for 50+ points. Of course, there are realistically up to eight Chargers who could benefit from that outburst.
Greg Olsen is dealing with an unexpected back injury, but is expected to suit up. In deep leagues, rookie Panther TE Ian Thomas is a name to stash away.
--
Last year I started a new feature: the DFS 50-50 Lineup of the Week. After hitting on most of them, I've decided to test my luck and do it again. As always, I'm working off of Fan Duel pricing. If you're into Draft Kings or something else, while the dollar amounts might be different, the relative values among the players should be fairly comparable.
QB Philip Rivers ($7,500) -- There are several good options this week who come $1,000+ cheaper. I also strongly considered Cam Newton. But as previously written on this page, Rivers' consistency has been incredible: a top 16 fantasy QB in 11 of 12 seasons as a starter. And his intra-divisional home matchup against a beatable K.C. defense makes him a likely top-8 option at a reasonable price.
RB Alvin Kamara ($8,700) -- I could go David Johnson and save $100. But Kamara has a great matchup and should net 16+ touches. While nothing's guaranteed, he's as safe as they come with a good shot at elite RB production.
RB James Conner ($5,000) -- Not thrilled about this pick, yet tempted by the fact that he should net 14+ touches. And locking in a high-usage RB at this dirt cheap price gives me flexibility to secure an extra high-impact player elsewhere. Simply hoping Conner is a top 25 RB this week.
WR T.Y. Hilton ($7,200) -- Forget last season, obviously. With Andrew Luck back behind center, a sub-par running game, and limited aerial options, Hilton will earn 12+ targets today. That’s good enough for me.
WR Chris Hogan ($6,700) -- Hogan was exceptional last year when healthy, and that was while competing for looks with Gronk and Brandin Cooks. He’ll go into today’s game as the Pats’ clear-cut #1 wideout -- one of the cheapest #1’s in DFS.
WR Keelan Cole ($4,500) – Always, always, always scan through every single DFS player. These sites require human intelligence, and while the people behind them are very good at what they do, they’re human after all. Cole was always going to be a sold streamer in regular leagues; in other words, he should have been valued at around $5,500. Then factor in that Fan Duel priced him earlier this summer when Marqise Lee was still healthy. And that’s how some DFS bargains are born.
TE Rob Gronkowski ($7,900) – A hedge. Hard to see Tom Brady struggling today. Maybe he won’t be his normal brilliant self against a seemingly well-equipped Houston D. But Hogan and/or Gronk will post must-start stats, and that’s a competitive advantage worth pursuing.
FLEX Tyreek Hill ($7,300) – This year Fan Duel replaced the kicker position with a flex option. Hill is a reasonable bet for top-15 WR production. Although there are at least a dozen flex guys worth considering, I like Hill’s floor and love his ceiling in a top-heavy (Hill/Kelce/Hunt and not much else) offense against a Chargers secondary decimated by injuries.
DST Ravens ($4,800) – The most expensive DST of the week, though that’s irrelevant given their price point. Baltimore is a near lock to post top-8 DST numbers and is a decent wager for elite production.
--
Good luck, everybody.