Quarterback (Cash/GPP)
Philip Rivers (vs Baltimore) Price: $7000
Two specific trends have emerged that I look to target each week. The first, is I want to target whatever defense is playing against Jameis Winston. The second is to target the quarterback playing against Baltimore. In this instance it is doubly enticing, as Philip Rivers has been the most consistent quarterback from week to week. Not only is he completing a league leading 69.1 % of his passes, but he’s also leading the league in passing yards (2,452). The only knock on Rivers thus far is he’s thrown 7 interceptions, but considering the Ravens have allowed 13 passing touchdowns to only three interceptions, it is much less of a concern this week. There are other matchups that deserve a look this week, but none better than Rivers. You can play him with confidence in your cash games.
Quarterback (GPP)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (vs Oakland) Price: $6000
If you are in search of salary relief at the quarterback position, look no further than Fitzpatrick. At $6,000, he has a very good chance of reaching a 3x multiple on his salary, with the upside to approach 4x. He’s averaged 25 points over his last two games which speaks to how high his ceiling is in the right situations and game scripts. Fitzpatrick has thrown for multiple touchdowns in all but one game this season, and it looks like that will continue this week against an Oakland defense that has surrendered multiple passing touchdowns in every game but one. Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have done a great job of gaining yards after the catch, allowing Fitzpatrick to pick his spots and not have to force the ball down the field. He is also a better athlete than given credit for, eclipsing 30 rushing yards in each of his last three games. Fitzpatrick is a consideration in cash games, but is more suited for GPP’s this week.
Alex Smith (vs Detroit) Price: $5600
Smith is another option at quarterback providing a nice amount of salary relief. He gets Jeremy Maclin back just in time to take on a Detroit secondary that has been unable to stop anyone this season. Last week, Teddy Bridgewater carved up the Lions defense to the tune of 25 of 35 for 316 yards passing and two touchdowns. With Jamaal Charles out for the season, the Chiefs have to retool their offensive philosophy and that will start by heavily targeting both Maclin and Travis Kelce in the passing game. This game is an early start in London (again), so make sure to check which tournaments have the matchup included in their slate of games. Stacking Smith with Maclin and/or Kelce is a great GPP option, with the stack as a whole providing salary relief, which is very hard to come by, especially given the collective ceiling they stand to produce.
Running Back (Cash)
Justin Forsett (vs San Diego) Price: $5300
A year after his breakout season, Forsett continues to go largely unnoticed from week to week, overshadowed by elite options like Leveon Bell and Devonta Freeman. Not that his lack of attention is unwarranted, Forsett has struggled to raise his floor to his 2014 level with the Baltimore offense forced to throw early and often in most of their games this season. I like Forsett against a San Diego defense that has let up seven rushing touchdowns, and another three touchdowns through the air to opposing running backs. This game should feature a lot of points, and Forsett should receive a nice blend of carries and receptions mixed in with red zone opportunities. Given his salary, Forsett represents a great value in a week where it I would prefer to spend on the elite options at wide receiver.
Todd Gurley (vs San Francisco) Price: $6300
Since being given the opportunity to start, Gurley has responded by averaging 144 rushing yards over three games, with two touchdowns to go along with it. This week, he gets a 49ers defense that has been extremely generous to opposing running backs. Gurley took advantage of a great matchup last week against Cleveland, and he should have no problem doing the same this week. In fact, Gurley could be looking at his best performance yet, as San Francisco has given up multiple touchdown performances to DeAngelo Williams (77 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Chris Johnson (110 yards, 2 touchdowns). It is safe to say that Gurley has the most talent of the three, and should see a high volume of carries in another winnable game for the Rams. Get him in your cash game and GPP lineups, I expect another top 5 week out of Gurley.
Doug Martin (@ Atlanta) $5000
Martin burst on the scene as a rookie, displaying impressive power, speed and versatility while looking every part of the feature back the Buccaneers drafted him as. He’s been beset by injuries the last two years, but after watching him over the first half of the season, it is clear Martin has regained his burst and is once again comfortable meeting defenders head on. Martin has thrown up three consecutive 100 yard rushing games (106/1, 123/2, 136/0), but what is really helping Martin’s cause is his contributions in the passing game. He’s combined for 11 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown over his last three games, which is impressive considering Charles Sims has played well in passing situations and continues to earn more opportunities. This week Martin gets an Atlanta defense that has yielded ten rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs, and in what looks to be a back and forth game, he will have a great chance of extending his consecutive 100 yard game streak, as well as scoring his fourth rushing touchdown on the year.
Wide Receiver (Cash/GPP)
Julio Jones (vs Tampa Bay) Price: $6450
Jones was a staple in this column for the first several weeks of the season, but his salary continued to rise to the point where there were better PP$ plays. Make no mistake, Jones is still my #1 wide receiver, but that doesn’t mean he is a must play each week, especially in cash games. In GPP’s, his upside is so high that you really can’t go wrong. This week he gets a Tampa Bay defense that has given up big games to Kendall Wright (4/101/1), DeAndre Hopkins (8/101/1) and Allen Hurns (5/116/1), making Jones a fantastic option in what should be a relatively high scoring game.
Wide Receiver (GPP)
Jeremy Maclin (vs Detroit) Price: $4800
As I mentioned above, Maclin makes a great play this week against a porous Detroit secondary that has been getting crushed by opposing wide receivers, week in and week out. Detroit has given up receiving touchdowns to Stephon Diggs, Ashlon Jeffrey, John Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Doug Baldwin, Demaryius Thomas and Stevie Johnson, while also allowing Keenan Allen to destroy them to the tune of 15 catches for 166 yards in week 1. Maclin is coming off an injury that forced him to miss a game, but has practiced in full this week and will be ready to go come game time on Sunday. This is one of the better matchups Maclin should see all season in that Detroit has had the most trouble containing wide receivers in the short field. They are an undisciplined secondary that takes too many chances, which should allow Maclin to take short passes and turn them up field. I am counting on Maclin breaking 100 yards with a touchdown, and there is even more upside on top of those numbers. Get him in your GPP lineups, his salary and upside are too good to pass up this week.
Ashlon Jeffrey (vs Minnesota) Price: $5100
Since returning from injury, Jeffrey has combined for 14 catches for 225 yards and one touchdown in two games. Overall, Minnesota has played very well against the pass, but if you are to dig a little deeper, you’d see that they are having trouble containing true #1 wide receivers. Calvin Johnson has tallied 15 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in two meetings against the Vikings, while Keenan Allen put up 12 catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns in San Diego’s week 3 meeting against Minnesota. Jeffrey has a similar skillset to both Johnson and Allen, so I would expect something in the neighborhood of 7 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. He should continue to be low owned, and his salary is very reasonable for a receiver of his caliber.
Travis Benjamin (vs Arizona) Price: $4450
Benjamin continues to be underpriced given his production through the first seven games. He's averaging five catches for 82 yards per game, with four touchdown on the year. Arizona has had trouble stopping deep threat receivers with skill sets similar to Benjamin, giving up 6/137/2 to Martavis Bryant, 6/96/2 to Tavon Austin and 5/78 to Steve Smith. Benjamin already has five games of 75+ yards receiving and has a great chance of earning his sixth with the game script looking like it will force Cleveland to pass for much of the game. He will be very low owned against what is perceived to be a very tough Arizona secondary.
Tight End (Cash/GPP)
Ladarius Green (@ Baltimore) Price: $4100
Antonio Gates is hampered by a MCL injury that even he said has robbed him of his lateral movement. Green filled in very well during Gates initial suspension to start the year, totaling 14 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first three games. Since Gates returned, Green still continued to produce, tallying 12 catches for 130 yard and two touchdowns. He has earned Philip Rivers trust, especially in the red zone, so in a game that should see the highest number of passing attempts on both sides of the ball, Green not only makes for a great value play, he is one of my top five plays at the tight end position. Get him in your GPP and cash lineups.
Team Defense (GPP/CASH)
St. Louis (vs San Francisco) $2650
I was very vocal in my support of a Todd Gurley/STL D/SP stack last week, as I explained the positive correlation between running backs and team defense. This week is another fantastic option to stack Gurley and the STL Defense, perhaps even more enticing than the matchup last week against Cleveland. The Rams host a 49ers team that has been downright awful on offense, especially on the road where they allowed the Seahawks to total 13+ points, The Packers 15+ points and Arizona 29+ points. In those three games, the 49ers offensive line allowed 14 sacks and five interceptions, including a league high 4 interceptions to the Cardinals. The Rams have one of the more aggressive defenses in the league, and when they start to smell blood, look out. They are capable of racking up sacks in a hurry, but they are also very impressive in the return game where Tavon Austin is one of the elite special teamers in the league right now. I will have a high exposure percentage to the STL Defense this week, well above suggested usage rates.
