This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Matthew Stafford (DET, $37)
After throwing for four TDs in the season opener, Stafford was looking like he'd be a fantasy force this year. Unfortunately, he's had three games since with one TD or fewer along with three contests in which he's been held to fewer than 230 yards. The good news is that he's thrown for 784 yards over his last two games despite finding the end zone just twice. He should be able to add multiple TDs this week in his matchup against the Browns, who snuff out opposing rushing attacks, forcing opponents to take to the air. That should lead to him to a massive fantasy day against a defense that's in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs.
RB: Doug Martin (TB, $20)
Once he returned from his three-game suspension to start the season, Martin settled in as a player who's getting about 20 touches a week before seeing very little action in last week's blowout loss. Given that his salary is quite affordable, the volume he receives makes him a very solid cash-game play, even though he's yet to string together the type of big games that fantasy owners would like to see. Although his opponent, the Jets, have a reputation as being a run-stopping unit, they're bottom 10 against RBs this year, and with Ryan Fitzpatrick starting at QB, Martin should see plenty of work. In addition to his typical volume, this could also be a game in which the Bucs lead in the second half, so he could get more work than usual if the team needs to kill the clock.
WR: Robby Anderson (NYJ, $24)
On paper, this looks like the perfect storm. Anderson, the big-play threat, facing one of the most generous defenses in the league against opposing receivers. Yep, sign us up for that one! Since Week 3, Anderson has been targeted at least five times in the majority of his games, and he's scored in three of his last seven games. In addition, he's posted at least 59 yards in four of his last seven contests. Sure, his role in the offense always has downside, but at his salary, he has a great chance to smash his value.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Eli Manning (NYG, $34), Jared Goff (LAR, $31)
RB: Lamar Miller (HOU, $25), C.J. Anderson (DEN, $18), Isaiah Crowell (CLE, $14)
WR: Julio Jones (ATL, $32), Sammy Watkins (LAR, $13), A.J. Green (CIN, $32)
TE: Kyle Rudolph (MIN, $21), Darren Fells (DET, $13)
DST: Los Angeles Rams ($20), Green Bay Packers ($16)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Josh McCown (NYJ, $32)
Even though his yardage totals have been far from elite, since Week 5, McCown has been regularly throwing at least two TD passes per week. He should have little trouble maintaining that type of production this week, as he faces a Buccaneers defense that's among the worst in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing QBs. In addition, being on the road could increase the chances that the Jets are playing from behind, potentially raising his ceiling while holding his solid floor.
Running Back
Jordan Howard (CHI, $32)
John Fox sure loves to feed his star running back. Even when the Bears are trailing, Howard's almost a mortal lock for at least 20 touches. Despite opposing defenses knowing that he'll get the ball, he's been very productive, even against some strong defenses against the run. This week, he won't have that problem, as he'll be up against a Packers defense that's been one of the five most generous units against RBs. It should be noted that Howard only had 53 yards (though he did score a TD) when facing this defense in Week 4, but Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a blowout win, and the game should be much closer with Brett Hundley under center.
Le'Veon Bell (PIT, $41)
Nobody gets the workload that Bell gets each week, and that makes him one of the safest, though expensive, cash-game options available. Since Week 4, he's had three games with at least 35 touches, and he hasn't had fewer than 25 in any of those games. It's not always optimal to start a RB on the road, but the Steelers should be able to control this contest against the Colts from wire to wire, and he should see another massive workload. Not only is the volume important, but he'll be facing a defense that is among the very worst in the league against RBs both as runners and receivers. His floor is extremely high as always, but his ceiling is through the roof.
Wide Receiver
Sterling Shepard (NYG, $21)
Shepard's been recovering from an ankle injury for over a month, but he should be very close to, if not at, 100 percent this week, especially after playing very well last week. It's been well documented that the Giants have lost three of their top four WRs for the season, with Shepard being the last man standing. Not only should he see plenty of targets, but he'll be facing a 49ers defense that gives up truckloads of yardage to opposing WRs just about every week. He'll be busy enough to earn his salary, but he also could end up being one of the best values of the week.
Adam Thielen (MIN, $22)
Coming out of their bye, the Vikings should have a fully healthy WR corps, and that means that Thielen should be able to spend most of the afternoon in the slot, where he's an absolute terror for opposing defenses to deal with. In the first half of the season, he's had just one game under 40 yards while breaking the 90-yard threshold four times, and many of his good games came while he was seeing extra attention from defenses while Stefon Diggs missed time. Although the Vikings will face a solid Washington pass defense, they're vulnerable in the slot, and that's why Thielen will thrive this week.
Golden Tate (DET, $20)
Not many WRs have a role as consistent as Tate, who's been targeted at least eight times in the majority of his games. Only twice has he been held to fewer than 48 yards, but he's gone above that number in each game since Week 4. He should be very busy this week against a Browns defense that snuffs out the run and basically forces opponents to throw the ball on them. In addition, with Tate running many of his routes from the slot, he'll avoid Cleveland's top CB, Jason McCourty, all but ensuring that he'll have another productive performance.
Tight End
Cameron Brate (TB, $19)
Although O.J. Howard's name comes up quite a bit when talking about the Bucs' TEs, it's been Brate who's been the fantasy factor. Since Week 3 and before last week's blowout loss when nobody in the Tampa offense performed well, he hadn't posted fewer than 60 yards in each game while scoring in four different contests. Not only does he provide a fantastic floor, but his ability to find the end zone gives him great upside as well. If his consistency isn't enough, his matchup against the Jets should make the case for using him even stronger, as the Jets are among the five worst teams in the league in terms of allowing fantasy points to opposing TEs. With Mike Evans suspended for this game and Fitzpatrick taking over at QB, Brate could have one of his most productive games of the year due to being targeted more than usual.
Defense/Special Teams
Minnesota Vikings ($15)
The Vikings have an excellent matchup against a Washington offense that's suffered a rash of injuries to their O-line. In addition, Jordan Reed continues to deal with injuries of his own while the receiving corps has been a very inconsistent and underperforming group. If that's not enough, not only do the Redskins struggle to effectively run the football, but the Vikings are lights out against the run. With Kirk Cousins likely having to throw all day behind a depleted line, the Vikings pass rush and secondary could have a field day, and a huge fantasy performance as well.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB, $21), Matt Ryan (ATL, $29)
RB: Leonard Fournette (JAC, $40), Melvin Gordon (LAC, $33)
WR: Antonio Brown (PIT, $39), DeVante Parker (MIA, $18)
TE: A.J. Derby (DEN, $10), Rob Gronkowski (NE, $32)
DST: Detroit Lions ($21)
