This article is part of our Four-Down Duel series.
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50/50 or Heads Up
In 50/50 or Heads-Up contests, always aim for a lineup that has a higher floor over a higher ceiling. In 50/50 contests, the top half of all entries finishes in the money, meaning you don't have to pick a high-ceiling lineup that shoots for the moon. Build these lineups with the players that are essential to winning regardless of their price.
Matt Ryan, $8700 – There's a lot to like about Ryan this week, which makes him a really safe pick for cash games. The Falcons, like the Saints, have always played better at home. Plus, Atlanta plays in a dome, which eliminates any weather concerns. Ryan has a great tandem of wide receivers in Julio Jones and Roddy White. White appears to be healthy again after being banged up earlier in the season, and Devin Hester has been a nice surprise as the Falcons third or fourth receiving option. The Bears don't have a good defense, and Chicago's offense will be able to put up plenty of points against a suspect Falcons defense. Expect a high scoring affair, which is the perfect formula for a big fantasy game from Ryan.
Branden Oliver, $6200 – Philip Rivers almost made this list, and while we went in another direction at quarterback, you'll still want a piece of the San Diego offense this weekend. With Donald Brown (concussion) and Ryan Mathews (knee) likely out, Oliver is going to see around 20 touches. Oliver looked very good last week against a good run defense and his ability to catch passes in the open field only adds to his value. He should surpass 100 yards from scrimmage and find the end zone again this week.
Andre Williams, $6300 – Like Oliver, Williams will get the lion's share of touches in his backfield with Rashad Jennings (knee) already ruled out. Williams had a touchdown run last week in relief of Jennings, and the rookie running back should find success against a team that is giving up over 27 points per game. Eli Manning is moving the offense, and if there are any carries inside the five, it'll be Williams who gets the goal line work. This should be another game where the offenses dominate.
Julio Jones, $9000 – As usual, pairing your quarterback up with one of his top receiving options is a smart play, and it's hard to argue against Julio given how dominant he's been this season. Going cheaper on the two running backs in your lineup will allow you to slot in a stud wdieout like Jones.
Golden Tate, $6400 – Tate makes his first appearance in my FanDuel recommendations, although daily owners, especially in GPPs, already know how valuable he can be. It looks as though Tate will be the main receiving target Sunday, as the Lions could keep Calvin Johnson (ankle) out or at best use him as a decoy again. That translates into Tate seeing at least 10 targets and being the focal point of the passing attack.
Mohamed Sanu, $6000 – A.J. Green (toe) could miss Sunday's game, and even if he plays it could be in a limited fashion. Alos, Marvin Jones (ankle) hasn't found his way back to the field. Those two factors could make Sanu the de facto No.1 receiver for the Bengals. Sanu had 15 fantasy points in each of the two games Green left early or missed altogether.
Rob Gronkowski, $7600 – With Jimmy Graham and the Saints on a bye, Gronkowski and Julius Thomas will likely be heavily owned this week. The reason Gronk is picked over Thomas is very simple: he kills the Bills, especially in Buffalo. A native of Buffalo, Gronk always performs at an extremely high level with family and friends in the crowd. He finally looked back to being 100 percent in the Patriots win over the Bengals Sunday night. In case you were wondering, Gronk's three games in Buffalo look like this: 7-54-2, 9-109-2 and 11-104-1. Not too shabby.
Robbie Gould, $4600 – Only $100 over the minimum, Gould provides a consistent veteran kicker at a very reasonable price. The Bears will move the ball on the Falcons, and instead of battling the weather conditions in Chicago, Gould will be kicking indoors.
Tennessee Titans D/ST, $5100 – The Titans defense isn't overly impressive, but every thing is in their favor Sunday. Tennessee have a home matchup against the Jaguars, who opposing defenses have feasted on with regularity this season.
Tournaments
For tournament lineups, you have to look at upside and use some "outside-the-box" picks if you want to cash. Don't use this lineup completely as there is a lower floor here with a lot of players. A mix of studs with a few of the cheaper options listed below could net the top overall prize.
Chris Ivory, $5600 – It's hard to imagine anyone in DFS wanting to use a Jet after their embarrassing performance last week. Ivory might be the lone bright spot on the team, and this game seems like it could be a trap for a Broncos team travelling across the country. With the game out of hand last week, the Jets naturally got away from the running game, making it easy to forget Ivory had 19 touches two weeks ago. He's being used in the passing game as a check down when he's not in pass protection, and New York seems to have now realized he's their most talented running back.
Andre Holmes, $4700 – Many DFS players won't think twice about the Raiders given their home matchup against the red-hot Chargers. However, two weeks ago Holmes, albeit in a blowout, got 12 targets and turned those into five catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. With Rod Streater (foot) out, Holmes is now starting, and he has the advantage of working with the first team for the last two weeks with the bye.
Owen Daniels, $5300 – Without Dennis Pitta, it seems like it's only a matter of time before Daniels has a repeat of his huge Week 2 performance (five catches, two touchdowns). He seems to have built a nice floor without Pitta in the lineup, scoring 6.3 and 9.5 fantasy points the last two weeks. With Julius Thomas and Rob Gronkowski likely to be heavily owned in GPPs, Daniels seems like a nice play to fade those two.
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