This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
There are a lot of divisional games this weekend, and we're back to having four teams on the bye. The NFL did a better job with the schedule this week, making it more of an even split with seven early games and four late games. Who should we be targeting for DFS? Let's take a look.
QUARTERBACK
I keep going back and forth on whether to use Justin Herbert ($8,200) or Tom Brady ($8,100) as my quarterback in cash games. Herbert faces the 32nd defense against the quarterback, while Brady gets the Falcons who are 27th. For every game Brady has had under 20 fantasy points, he's bounced back the next week with more than 20 fantasy points every time. Herbert is actually averaging more fantasy points per game (by .1) than Brady this season, and both are playing in games with an over/under of 50.5. Brady seems like the safer play to me, although I think Herbert has the higher ceiling with his rushing ability. Ultimately, I'm probably going to make lineups using both players this weekend but lean toward Brady in cash games.
Looking at the next tier or two of quarterbacks to use in GPPs, Matt Ryan's ($6,800) stock has plummeted. The way you beat Tampa is through the air and not on the ground. That works out perfectly for the Falcons, as they don't have much of a running attack. Cordarrelle Patterson is best used as a receiver out of the backfield, and Ryan will take what he can get from his other wide receivers. The other quarterback to consider is the Dolphin's Tua Tagovailoa ($6,900). The Giants are league-average against the quarterback position, and Miami will have home-field advantage. Look for Tua to bounce back after a tough matchup with the Panthers last week.
RUNNING BACK
While they both have good matchups, I'm going to pass on Jonathan Taylor ($10,500) and Joe Mixon ($9,400) this week. Instead, I'll be more interested in Austin Ekeler ($9,000) who has the best matchup on paper of the three. Ekeler actually averages more fantasy points per game than Mixon, and the $1,500 discount from Taylor is attractive as well. Recency bias will push most owners in the direction of Taylor and Mixon.
There are plenty of values at the running back position this week, and it's a good spot to fill your flex spot. Let's start with Jamaal Williams ($6,500) who will get the lion's share of touches for the Lions this week with D'Andre Swift out. The Vikings are 24th against the position, making this a good matchup for Williams, a capable receiver out of the backfield who will handle goal line work as well. Myles Gaskin ($6,400) isn't the most attractive option, but by the time the whistle blows and the game is over, he's been productive. Gaskin has 18.2 and 17.1 fantasy points over his last two games, and the Giants rank 27th against the running back position.
WIDE RECEIVER
There are some solid options without killing your salary cap this week at wide receiver. I'm going to pass on Cooper Kupp ($9,000) given his salary cap hit and instead look to Chris Godwin ($7,600), Mike Evans ($7,200) and Keenan Allen ($7,300). The Falcons rank 26th against the position while the Bengals are dead last. I'd use all three in any format — tournaments and cash games.
Is Odell Beckham ($6,000) back in the circle of trust? He scored 16.6 fantasy points out of the bye and got 10 targets from Matthew Stafford against a tough Green Bay defense. This week should be easier sledding at home against the Jaguars, but I'm only going to use him for GPPs. Tyler Boyd ($5,700) seems like an afterthought when thinking about the Bengals receivers, but every time he's had few targets (three or less) he's been more of a focus the following game. It's tough to read the tea leaves when it comes to the Bengals receivers, and Boyd is another player I wouldn't trust in cash games but look to as a contrarian play for tournaments.
TIGHT END
Foster Moreau ($5,000) is my favorite play of the week at tight end given that Darren Waller is doubtful. Moreau has scored touchdowns in two of his last three games and should get plenty of targets with Waller being sidelined. The Football Team has to travel across the country on a short week and will be without the services of Chase Young. Washington ranks just below league-average in defending the tight end position.
After a strong start over the first half of the season, Kyle Pitts ($6,200) has gone quiet, as it appears the league has figured out how to defend him. He hasn't scored more than eight fantasy points in any of his last five games but does have at least five targets in his last eight games. Given his lack of production, he will have a low roster rate this week, making him a good tournament play.
DEFENSE
It's taken me some time to come around to the Miami Dolphins ($4,000) after they've won four games in a row. It doesn't look like Daniel Jones will be starting, and that makes the Giant's offense even more of a hot mess. Miami has been getting turnovers (10) and sacks (16) over those last four games, so there's a high floor and ceiling here.
