The Docket: Week 4

Photo: Imagn Images

Welcome to Week 4 of The Docket, a weekly column that will offer strategy and advice on players that you should be targeting and avoiding each week. We bring the energy each week with the positive, neutral and negative charge. 

One quick note … both the Raiders and the Seahawks are traveling East this week and playing 10am games (and the Colts and Jags are playing in London, UK).  As we saw with the Cardinals last week against the Bills, teams are often half asleep to start games when they have to play so early in the morning, so lower expectations for all their skill players and I think the Jets offensive players perform well against the Seahawks early, the same with the Ravens skill players against Oakland.

Colts vs Jaguars (+2.5 o/u 49.5  - Playing in the UK)

Positive

• Andrew Luck – The Jags are tough against the run but can be had through the air. Look for Luck to have a solid game this week with one of the biggest over unders of the week.
• T.Y. Hilton – Hilton abused San Diego shutdown CB Verrett last week and will have no problem handling this Jaguars secondary. Look for him to continue to roll this week with Moncrief still out.
• Allen Hurns – Has the easier matchup this week and put up 7/110/1 on them last year. With a tough matchup for Robinson on the other side, he is a good bet to score this week.
• Marqise Lee – He’s been coming on lately and with Robinson dealing with CB Davis, Julius Thomas dealing with an elbow injury and top notch slot corner Darius Butler out, Lee is a sneaky play to have a good game in a potential shoot out. 

Neutral

• Phillip Dorsett – Disappointed last week against a tough San Diego secondary, but should have an easier go of things this week as a full time player in their offense going up against beatable CB Devon House. Still only a WR3 in standard leagues.
• Jack Doyle – Despite playing fewer snaps than Allen, Luck looks to him more in the redzone, which is what counts the most. The Jags are tough against the tight end, but he’s a viable reach play if you need him.
• Allen Robinson – Big bounce back last week in the touchdown department, but still not a huge game in terms of yards and catches, going 7/57/2.  Will see a lot of top notch CB Vontae Davis who shut him down in their two games last year and Bortles playing poorly.  Per my boy Scott Barrett at PPF, “ARob averaged 0.68 FP/Tgt (32 tgts) against PFF's top-20 graded CBs, while he averaged 3.1 FP/Tgt (23 tgts) against bottom-25 CBs.” You are hoping for a shootout, which might be tough in London, so he’s a fade in DFS this week.
• Julius Thomas – He is questionable with an elbow injury, but if he plays, he should bounce back this week against a very beatable linebacker core. He put up 5/54/1 on them last year and could easily do that again this game. 

Negative

• Dwayne Allen – Splitting time with the Detective Jack Doyle, and playing against a Jaguars defense that is tough against the TE on the soggy fields of London, it’s a risk to use him this week especially since Doyle is seeing more targets now.
• Frank Gore – A tougher matchup, as the Jags are solid against the run, but they do give up a decent amount of catches and he is their 3 down back.
• Blake Bortles – This could very well turn into a shootout with both teams doing little on the ground. It’s a shame you have to rely on garbage time and shootouts for this guy to put up numbers, but that’s where we are.
• T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory – The matchup can’t get any better, yet I have no faith in either of these guys.

Lions vs Bears (+3 o/u 48)

Positive

• Matthew Stafford – The Lions should put up a lot of points in this game and Stafford will lead the way.
• Theo Riddick – He’s a solid PPR RB2 this week against a Bears defense giving up 7 RB catches a game, and probably a flex in standard leagues with Washington getting the bulk of the rushing work.
• Dwayne Washington – The Bears defense is missing a lot of big pieces including run stuffing NT Goldmon. He should get things going this week and is a good bet for a TD.
• Marvin Jones – He should continue to dominate this week, if you have him, use him, if you don’t … use him in DFS and celebrate with those that do.
• Eric Ebron – He’s involved every week and this is a great matchup. Keeps getting nicked up though, which is a concern.
• Jordan Howard – Even if Lions go up big, he is being used in the passing game, catching 4 passes for 47 yards last week. He is also averaging 5.6 per carry and Lions give up 5.3ypc and around 6 catches in the passing game to opposing running backs. The Bears also have two Top 10 guards in Long and Sitton. 

• Zach Miller – Finally came through this past week, snagging 8 catches for 78 yards and 2 TDs. Hoyer clearly seems to be looking his way and the Lions are giving up over 23 points to tight ends this year. With Ziggy Ansah out this week, Hoyer should have time to throw in the friendly confines of Solider Field. Miller makes for an excellent play in all formats. 

Neutral

• Golden Tate and Anquan Boldin – Boldin has taken over slot duties, which has led to a decline in Tate’s production this year. In a plus matchup, Tate should hold high-end flex value and I can see him bouncing back. Boldin is a low-end flex play that you use if you need in deep leagues.  
• Alshon Jeffery – Hoyer seemed to lock on White more, for what reasons, it’s beyond me. Alshon is a must start in season long, but will face off against tough CB Slay, limiting his upside.
• Kevin White – Saw 14 targets last week but looked a bit lost and slow, catching only 6 of them. This is a beatable matchup and sometimes volume is all you need.

Negative

• Brian Hoyer – He has some solid weapons and could be used in deep leagues as a QB2. Hard to trust him though, but at least he’s playing at home.
• Eddie Royal – If you need 4 or 5 catches for 50 yards, he can do that, but had better mojo with Cutler.  

Panthers vs Falcons (+3.5 o/u 50)

Positive

• Cam Newton – He actually struggles a bit against them on the road, but with no glimpse of a pass rush, there is no logical reason to think he won’t have a good game.
• Greg Olsen – The Falcons getting lit up by tight ends, giving up over 23 points a game to the position.  He should have a great week and is the top play at the position this week.

Neutral

• Kelvin Benjamin – Gets another tough matchup this week against CB Desmond Trufant, but they should scheme him open and go to him more as they realize they need him to win.
• Fozzy Whittaker – Played on nearly 60% of their passing downs and Falcons giving up 9.3 RPG to opposing running backs, so viable flex PPR reach in this one which could be a shootout.
• Ted Ginn Jr – Could easily catch a long one in this game, and I think he does, but he’s not a reliable option.
• Matt Ryan – This secondary is beatable, but he will have a lot of pressure all day, which could lead to some turnovers.
• Julio Jones – The Panthers can be beaten through the air more than on the ground. He has to get back to business this week, right? Right! Still a bit banged up.

Negative

• Mike Tolbert and Cameron Artis-Payne – The matchup is not scary, but game script should be more in Whittaker’s favor this week.
• Devin Funchess – Just not seeing the field and getting enough looks. Always a chance to come through, but a desperate reach.
• Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman – These two come back to earth as they RBBC each other to death in this tougher matchup. Both can be used as flex options, but there is no way to know who will get the money touches.  
• Mohamed Sanu –Banged up so need to monitor his availability. A decent WR3 PPR play if he goes.
• Jacob Tamme – He didn’t do much against them last year in two games and just too hard to trust as a viable option. If Sanu is out, he becomes a more reliable play.

Raiders vs Ravens (-3.5 o/u 46.5)

Neutral

• Derek Carr – Lit them up last year, but I always lower expectations when West Coast teams play at 10am on the East Coast. This Ravens defense is also much improved, led by stud safety Eric Weddle.
• Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree – Both of these guys are solid plays this week and should get plenty of targets. Cooper had 9 and left some plays on the field last week, while Crabtree has been very solid, getting 11 targets last week for 8/102. Cooper has the tougher matchup against CB Jimmy Smith while Crabtree should easily out duel CB Shareece White. Neither matchup is prohibitive for these two.
• Latavius Murray – It’s a full on three way time share, seeing only slightly more than 25% of the teams running back touches, but he’s at least running well and getting the red zone touches. I would recommend trading him to an owner just looking at the bottom line, as this can’t last.
• Joe Flacco – A decent streamer if you need him at home against a Raiders team that is giving up a lot of production through the air each week. Always tough to trust, but just missed a TD to Wallace last week and the Raiders defense could be asleep early in this game as they head East for an early start time. Worth pointing out that they could be missing their starting LT (Stanley) and LG (Lewis), which could be a concern for Flacco. 
• Mike Wallace – Just missed a TD last week, but a viable WR3 every week because he does get deep shots every week. The Raiders also allow the most 20+ yard plays in the league this year and that is where Wallace works best. 
• Dennis Pitta – The Raiders can be had at the TE spot, but little upside. Then again, just solid numbers at the Tight End spot is what we all need.
• Steve Smith – He leads the team in targets and actually started to look like his old self last week, breaking off a couple of nice yards after the catch. He caught 8 of 11 targets last week and Raiders giving up a ton of yards to the position.

Negative

• Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington – See Murray above. Probably not the best week to use these guys until we see some sort of separation. Both guys have broken off big runs though, so if you are desperate, anything can happen and Washington looks capable of eventually carrying the load.
• Clive Walford – The Ravens and Eric Weddle play the tight end very tough, so look elsewhere this week.
• Justin Forsett and Terrence West – Forsett averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, while West 3.6 ypc. HC Harbough has stated that a change is coming to the position, whether that is a Forsett benching or rookie Dixon taking over lead duties next week, we just don’t know.

Bills vs Patriots (-6 )

Positive

• LeGarrette Blount – This should be a Blount game once again, especially if rookie QB Brissett is forced to start. Even if Jimmy G gets the start, he should still put up decent numbers, carrying the rock at least 20 times and has looked great. A great play in season long and in DFS.
• New England Defense – HC Bill Belichick had 10 days to plan for this game … against Bills HC Rex Ryan. Oh boy. Use them, and use them in all the lineups you have.

Neutral

• LeSean McCoy – The Patriots won’t be asleep like the Cardinals were last week, especially with 10 days to plan.  You better bet that HC Bill Belichick will look to take him out of the game and with this run defense; he has a good shot to do it.

Negative

• James White – He needs Brady back to start having reliable value, but we are just one week away, so keep him stashed.
• Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski – Bump these guys up to Neutral if Jimmy G plays at quarterback. But even Jimmy G is banged up, so this could be a defensive game with a lot of Blount.
• Martellus Bennett – Should be one more week of blocking until he seems more consistent action with Brady. Decent buy low candidate.
• Tyrod Taylor – He will take some deep shots every game and add some yards on the ground, but with Watkins hobbled, he’s tough to trust in this tough matchup. Going up against Bill Belichick with 10 days planning is a tall order.
• Sammy Watkins – Doesn’t look like he is going to play, and even if he does, this defense should contain him while he is still hobbled.

Browns vs Redskins (-7.5 o/u 46.5)

Positive  

• Kirk Cousins – Leads the league in passing yards despite leaving plays on the field every week.  Unfortunately he is only 7 for 22 in the redzone, which is a problem. Some of that has to do with targeting small slot receiver, Crowder, instead of his bigger tight end.  The Browns giving up 24.5 FPG to quarterbacks, so a great play in all formats.
• Jordan Reed – The Browns are allowing the second most receptions to opposing tight ends and you have to hope they realize he is their best red zone weapon at some point.
• DeSean Jackson – A tougher matchup against CB Joe Hadden, but he won’t be able to stop DJax from getting deep.
• Jamison Crowder – He’s been solid in PPR leagues getting 8 targets a game and averaging over 15FPG in PPR leagues. That said, with over 30% of his targets coming in the redzone his production could plummet at any time, but use him while he’s balling.
• Isaiah Crowell – Game script might not be in his favor if the Redskins jump out to an early lead, but the Browns giving 4.6 YPC and over 32 FPG to RBs. He is dominating running touches and should keep it going this week.
• Terrelle Pryor – I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. He dominated in all phases of the game last week, although he should see a lot of Josh Norman in the pass game; so will need to produce in other ways, which he can easily do. They will also move him around the formation and Norman probably won't follow him. 

Neutral

• Chris Thompson – Viable PPR flex play in an easy matchup.
• Matt Jones – Saw 19 targets last week, but Browns decently tough against the run.
• Duke Johnson Jr – Redskins giving up 5 catches a game to running backs and he’s starting to produce. If you need a PPR flex play, he’s viable.

Negative

• Gary Barnidge – Caught five passes last week as Cody Kessler’s security blanket, but Redskins decently tough against the tight end and it’s hard to have faith in this pass game just yet.

Titans vs Texans (-4.5 o/u 40.5)

Positive

• DeAndre Hopkins – A rock solid WR1 in this matchup to a Titans team giving up production to wide receivers. While CB Jason McCourty is decent in coverage, they will move him around and he will abuse CB Parrish Cox.
• Will Fuller – He should get back on track this week mainly facing beatable CB Parrish Cox. He leads the league in targets over 15 yards, so if you are looking for an upside play, he is it.
• Demarco Murray – PFF’s #4 rated RB, averaging 6 YPC and nearly 6 catches a game. His passing chops make him matchup proof especially against a Texas defense without JJ Watt.
• Lamar Miller – The Titans have a solid front 7, but he’s getting a ton of volume, with 25 touches a game. Not sure this is the week he breaks out, but he’s a solid RB1 in season long and a cash game play in DFS.

Neutral

• Brock Osweiler –Titans giving up only 16.4 FPG to opposing quarterbacks and he played horribly last week. Viable in 2 QB leagues only, at least his receivers have decent matchups.
• Delanie Walker – The Texans play the tight end position tough, but with Sharpe floundering, Walker is the teams’ top option.
• Kendall Wright – This is PPR long shot, but he is the teams most talented pass catcher and he’s back. Mariota might just pepper him with short passes all game long.

Negative

• Marcus Mariota – Hopefully the return of Walker and Wright can help him put up some points, but right now it’s not happening for Mariota.  
• Tajae Sharpe and Rishard Matthews – Facing a tough Texas pass defense, best to look elsewhere as this might be a low scoring affair. If I had to take a shot, I thin Matthews has the better chance of coming through with Sharpe having a tough time against in season corner backs.
• Derrick Henry – Played better last week, but still just a handcuff. A must own one at that.

Seahawks vs Jets (+2.5 o/u 40)

Positive

• Doug Baldwin – Facing off against Jets CB Buster Skrine is a tougher matchup, but Baldwin has proven to be matchup proof out of the slot. As Rotoworld’s Richard Hribar mentioned in his excellent Workbook column, “Doug Baldwin has been a top-10 scorer in seven of his 11 games, the same amount as Antonio Brown.” There is no way you can sit him.
• Matt Forte – The Seahawks are great against the run, allowing just 3.5 yards per carry against them and also are limiting catches to opposing RB’s, allowing only 8 all year. That said, I have a feeling that this Seattle defense will be sleepwalking the first half, just as the Cardinals did last week when they headed east for an early morning game. This one is a gut call, but I have a feeling he provides RB1 PPR value this week.

Neutral

• Jimmy Graham – He is playing much better and they are also running plays to involve him. Lower expectations in this tougher matchup, but he could easily catch 5 passes.
• Quincy Enunwa – Leads the team in receptions and with Decker potentially out this week, he should see a ton of targets. Look for him to do battle with CB Jeremy Lane in the slot, who is good, but who can be beaten.
• Brandon Marshall – They will move him around so he won’t be covered by CB Richard Sherman all game. Once again, lower expectations, but I think the Seattle Defense comes out slow.

Negative

• Russell Wilson –He’s banged up and this Jets front seven is nasty. Look for him to feel the heat this week.
• Christine Michael – It’s easier to beat the Jets in the air than on the ground. After a huge week beating up on the 49ers last week, he’s nothing more than a RB3 this week and probably an avoid outside of standard leagues.
• Tyler Lockett , Paul Richardson Jr and Jermaine Kearse – Lockett has actually played fewer snaps than Richardson the past two weeks and with the emergence of Jimmy Graham, there isn’t enough passes to go around to have much trust in any of these three guys. Can any of them go off this week? Without a doubt. Which one? I have no idea and would bet against them all.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick – While I would be willing to trot out Marshall and Enunwa, you have to be off of Fitzpatrick. The Seahawks have yet to allow a passing touchdown, he’s completing only around 56% of his passes and the Seahawks giving up only around 12 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Once again, I think Seattle comes out flat, but using Fitzmagic is too much of a risk.
• Bilal Powell – Keep him stashed since Forte is getting over worked, but just a handcuff for now.
• Eric Decker – Seems like he is going to miss this week and maybe many more.

Broncos vs Buccaneers (+3 o/u 43)

Positive

• Emmanuel Sanders & Demaryius Thomas – Siemian is starting to air it out and these guys are dominating the touches. The Bucs are giving up the most touchdowns and a whopping 42.8 FPG to opposing wide receivers, so both of these guys should eat this week.  Sanders is seeing a higher target share, so he’s the better DFS play at their given pricing.

Neutral

• Trevor Siemian – This could be a sequel to last week, once again playing a tougher run defense forcing the Broncos to put the ball in the air.
• C.J. Anderson – The biggest giving up only 3.3ypc, so this will be a tough game for Anderson, but Gurley did score a two TDs last week, but he saw an insane 27 carries, which isn’t going to be necessary this week for Anderson.
• Charles Sims – Broncos are tough to run on, but have given up 4.2 YPC and 5 catches a game to opposing RBs this year. He has a safe PPR floor due to his receiving ability. Once again on the PPR flex radar as the teams lead back with Martin injured.
• Mike Evans – Seeing a ton of targets, so he is a must play in season long leagues where Kelvin Benjamin put up numbers on this defense. When he lines up on the left side, he can take advantage of CB Bradley Roby who is the 100^th ranked CB by PFF this year.  

Negative

• Devontae Booker – Just a handcuff, especially against a tough run defense.
• Jameis Winston – Best to avoid him against a tough defense. This could be one of those 1 TD and 4 INT games.
• Vincent Jackson and Adam Humphries – Yay, Adam Humphries had a big game last week! Well, this week he faces off against PFF’s #5 rated corner Chris Harris Jr, while over the hill Vincent Jackson has to try and catch a pass against all-pro corner Aqib Talib. No thanks.

Saints vs Chargers (-4 o/u 53.5)

Positive

• Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Travis Benjamin and Tyrell Williams – The Saints don’t have anything that resembles a defense and they are on the road where they usually falter. Did you see what Freeman and Coleman did to this Saints Defense last week? Well, Gordon is at home and is just one person, not two splitting reps. Meanwhile, Williams is seeing the most redzone targets of the Chargers receivers and him and Benjamin get to face off against Ken Crawley and Sterling Moore, both outside the Top 80 in PFFs corner-back rankings. One note of concern is that the Chargers will be without three of their starting offensive lineman, which could effect Gordon. Fortunately, the Saints don't have much of a pass rush so everyone else should be okay. 
• Willie Snead – Playing a lot of his snaps out of the slot, he will do battle with beatable slot CB Brandon Flowers. The key is his health, if he goes, he is a solid WR3.
• Mark Ingram – They still aren’t going to him enough, but he is clearly their lead back and the Chargers giving up 9 catches and 4.10 YPC to opposing RBs, so he is looking good this week.
• Coby Fleener – He finally came through last week and is seeing monster target numbers, with another 11 last week. This is a cake matchup against a Chargers Defense giving up nearly 8 catches and 94 yards to opposing tight ends. While the Chargers shut down the outside receivers, they are vulnerable in the middle of the field.

Neutral

• Drew Brees – His struggles on the road and on grass fields is legendary. Last season he only finished as a Top 10 QB in one road game. The Chargers have little pass rush, despite having a very solid secondary, so he should have time to throw, so he is a must start in season long but a fade in DFS.
• Brandin Cooks – Will do battle with top notch CB Jason Verrett. Hilton got the better of Verrett last week, but Cooks struggles on the road on grass fields, so temper expectations big time.
• Travaris Cadet – Tough to trust as anything more than a PPR flex option, but the Chargers are giving up 9 catches a week to opposing RBs and caught six passes last week.

Negative

• Dontrelle Inman - Facing off against decent slot corner B.W. Webb, so not someone to trot out this week.
• Michael Thomas – Has a tough matchup against Chargers CB Casey Hayward, PFF’s #2 rated CB this year.
• Dexter McCluster – Was just getting his feet wet last week and should be more acclimated to the team now. In this easy matchup, it’s certainly possible he catches 4 or 5 passes, but tough to rely on him just yet. I’m interested to see if he can take on more of the Woodhead role, one in which Gordon failed at last week.

Cowboys vs 49ers (+2 o/u 45)

Positive

• Ezekiel Elliott - The 49ers have allowed over 100 yards rushing over the past two games and he’s getting a ton of volume. However, the 49ers do play tougher at home, allowing only 15 points at home since last year compared to 33 on the road. So while this looks like an easy matchup, it could also be a trap game.
• Cole Beasley – The 49ers have allowed over 300 yards passing and catching at least five passes every game. There isn’t much upside, but if you need 5 catches for 50+ yards, he’s your guy.   
• Jason Witten – Without Dez, Witten should see a ton of targets and the 49ers giving up over 17 FPG to opposing tight ends.
• Cole Beasley and Eddie Royal – It’s like looking in a mirror. They will both catch 5 or 6 passes a game. Not much upside, but if you are looking for 10 PPR points, they are your guys.
• Carlos Hyde – This game should be close with the 49ers defense playing better at home and Dallas giving up 4.9 YPC this season. Locked in as a rock solid RB1.

Neutral

• Dak Prescott – The 49ers have allowed over 300 yards passing but the loss of Dez Bryant knocks Prescott from a great play to more of a QB2 and the 49ers always play tougher at home.

Negative

• Blaine Gabbert – He’s not good.  
• Torrey Smith – It’s not going to happen for him this year. Not only is Gabbert bad, but also his catch rate is one of the worst in the league ranked 90^th by PFF of all receivers.
• Jeremy Kerley – If you need 5 catches and not much else, he’s your guy.
• Terrence Williams – With Dez out this week, he should see more volume, but has proven not to be a great fantasy options with or without Dez,
• Alfred Morris – He’s a TD vulture, but not much else. If you are in standard leagues and looking for a cheap TD, he’s a good bet as any to get one.

Rams vs Cardinals (-7.5 o/u 42.5)

Positive

• David Johnson – Locked in as a rock solid RB1 every week. Despite the tougher matchup on the ground, he can easily get it done through the air, with the Rams giving up 7 catches and over 70 yards to running backs last week.
• Larry Fitzgerald – Getting double digit targets each week and should be Palmer’s security blanket with a tough pass rush. Locked in as a solid PPR WR2.
• John Brown – I told you last week I had a feeling Jimmy Graham was about to explode, well this week, I think it is John Brown. Michael Floyd looks horrible and Brown looks to be coming on. He had 6/70 last week on 11 targets.  Rams weakest CB, Troy Hill, is no match for him on the outside.

Neutral

• Carson Palmer – The Rams should provide a ton of pressure, but back playing at home, Palmer should be good for at least 3 TDs, just hopefully not many Ints. Since the Rams are good at stopping the run, Palmer has upside this week to be a Top 5 option.
• Todd Gurley – He is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry on the year, but at least he scored twice last week and averaged 6.7 ypc against them last year. This is another tough matchup, but he gets a ton of volume and the Cardinals are missing DE Frostee Rucker and DT Robert Nkemdiche, which helps.

Negative

• Kenny Britt – Their top outside receiver, which means nothing.
• Tavon Austin- Not an easy matchup against solid slot CB Tyvon Branch, but at least he seeing 10 targets a game. Not someone to reach for this week, but he should at least put up some PPR points.  If it sounds like I’m wishy washy on him, it’s because I am and because he can go from being a top 15 receiver one week to a bottom 75 the next. Case in point, in one matchup last year he finished as fantasy’s #2 WR and in the next matchup with them he was fantasy’s #72.
• Michael Floyd – He’s not playing very well right now and may miss the game due to a concussion, which is concerning, but he does have a decent matchup against Rams CB Trumaine Johnson, who is the 79^th ranked CB this year per PFF.

Chiefs vs Steelers (-5 o/u 47)

Positive

• Alex Smith – The Steelers giving up over 300 yards a game to opposing quarterbacks and are easier to pass on than run on.  Due to injuries they have recorded only 1 sack and have brought very little pressure. Smith makes for a solid streaming option and sleeper DFS play for his price. He can also always adds some yards on the ground.
• Spencer Ware – The Steelers are tough against the run, but have been gashed through the air by running backs, as they are dead last in the league, allowing 7 catches and 96.7 yards per game. With Charles and West both hurt, Ware will be an every down back and should come through for you again.
• Jeremy Maclin – They are allowing 322 yards per game through the air and Maclin is the top dog in this offense. While LCB Ross Cockrell has been playing well, they move Maclin around the formation where he should do damage in the slot against struggling CB Sean Davis. Maclin is currently tied for 10^th in the league in targets a game and should put up solid WR2 PPR points in this game.
• Travis Kelce – The Stealers are giving up 6 catches and nearly 70 yards a game to tight ends. With linebacker Ryan Shazier questionable, Kelce should have another solid game, although maybe not a ton of upside on the road.
• LeVeon Bell – The Chiefs are giving up 4.29YPC on the ground and Bell will slot in as the teams number two pass catcher behind Brown. Look for him to have a huge return game.
• Antonio Brown – Brown dropped 6/124 against them last year and they will move him all over the field, avoiding tough CB Marcus Peters, who himself is no match for Brown. Look for him to abuse RCB Phillip Gaines, PFF’s 90^th ranked CB.

Neutral

• Ben Roethlisberger – Ben is usually money at home, but the Chiefs Defense has been coming on strong lately and has essentially shut down Rivers, Brock and Fitzpatrick this year. I like him in season long, but would be careful in DFS.

Negative

• Eli Rogers and Markus Wheaton – Hard to trust either of these guys, so look elsewhere.
• Jesse James – Chiefs safety Eric Berry shuts down teams’ opposing Tight Ends, allowing the third fewest points to the position. You are just hoping for a cheap TD

Giants vs Vikings (-5 o/u 43.5)

Positive

• Kyle Rudolph – Bradford has breathed new life into him and the Giants have given up over 5 receptions a game to tight ends. He is a great start this week.
• Stefon Diggs – He’s their top dog and the Giants are dealing with a slew of injuries in their secondary. With a tougher run defense, the Vikings should be able to do something through the air this week.

Neutral  

• Sam Bradford – Giants only giving up 17 fantasy points per game, but with the slew of secondary injuries, he could put up 2 or 3 TDs and 250 yards in this one.
• Odell Beckham Jr – You’re starting him every week, but this Viking’s pass defense is solid with the return of Xavier Rhodes and they have allowed just one TD to a wide receiver this year. Like T.Y. Hilton last week, ODB is matchup proof and can explode against any defense, but not worth paying up for in DFS in cash games, but could be a sleeper in GPP’s due to low ownership numbers.  

Negative

• Eli Manning – It’s a tougher matchup and he hasn’t had a great week yet, so tough to expect a big game despite having good weapons.
• Orleans Darkwa and Rashad Jennings – Even if Jennings sits, Vikes giving up only 3 yards per carry and have yet to allow a rushing TD.  
• Victor Cruz – Not putting up big numbers just yet and this is a tough matchup on the road. Hopefully he dances, but if he does, it might be his only catch of the night.
• Sterling Shepard – He’s been great this year but this is not an easy matchup going against CB Captain Munnerlyn. Tough to expect much beyond 4 or 5 catches.
• Larry Donnell and Will Tye – Not worth using either of these guys this week.
• Adam Thielen – Has a decent matchup against slot corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, so he should get you 4 or 5 catches for 40 or 50 yards if you need it. Crowder, Beasly and Snead have all done well against them this season out of the slot, so he has a chance to come through as the third option on this team.
• Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata – McKinnon played 65% of the teams snaps and is the teams lead dog, but the Giants have a stout run defense. Asiata is a no go, but McKinnon could do something in the air making him an average PPR flex play.

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