This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
Before jumping in headfirst into the whirlwind of fun that is Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football, be sure to differentiate from the variety of games offered. Since Head-to-Heads, 50/50s and Double Ups pay nearly half of entrants, your best bet to cashing is to target players with higher floors. Think heavily targeted No. 1 WRs, RBs who get the bulk of a team's carries and upper-echelon QBs in matchups with a tight Vegas point spread and a high total.
Tournaments/Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs) require a bit more of your inner contrarian -- target offensive players with higher ceilings in advantageous matchups. Huge point totals can come from the most unpredictable of places -- the most obvious plays are not always the right ones. Although previous week's performances should be noted, each new week of action should be considered its own season. Don't chase last week's stats.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
Landry Jones (CHI, $25) - The Steelers third-string quarterback is worthy of our consideration in tournaments at near-minimum salary this week. Backup QB Michael Vick had a horrendous performance in Week 6 (six total passing yards), before straining his hamstring and getting replaced by Jones. Jones completed 8 of 12 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns as he stepped in for Vick. The former Oklahoma Sooner is a prototypical pocket passer with decent size (6-foot-2, 225) and was extremely effective in the short to intermediate passing game in college. The Steelers should be slight favorites in their matchup against the Chiefs. Jones will have to rely on bellcow Le'Veon Bell, but will look to get Antonio Brown involved since Vick has sabotaged his productivity over the last three weeks. Martavis Bryant is another yards-after-contact weapon that Jones has at his disposal. If you're looking to save at QB this week, don't be afraid to give Jones or veteran Matt Cassel (DAL, $26) a shot.
Christine Michael (DAL, $13) - It's been a long road for "C-Mike," who received just 52 carries over his first two seasons as a bench-warmer behind veteran Marshawn Lynch in Seattle. Week 7 may provide Michael with an opportunity to show off his skills and take over as the Cowboys' primary tailback. Michael has been splitting carries with Joseph Randle at practice all week, and the writing is on the wall for Michael to get the start Sunday. Randle should still see a handful of carries, and Darren McFadden will handle third downs and passing situations. Michael isn't the fastest back (4.54 40) and has a history of character issues similar to Randle, but is explosive and has the ability to run away with the job. The New York Giants are stout against the run this year, allowing just 93 YPG and 3.6 yards per carry. Nevertheless, $13 in a tier of limited options this week puts C-Mike squarely on our RB2 and Flex radars.
Mike Evans (TB, $19) - Since dealing with a hamstring injury in training camp, Evans has yet to get into a rhythm with quarterback Jameis Winston this season. Evans saw a whopping 17 targets in Week 3 (7 Rec, 107 Yds), but had just 17 balls thrown his way in the other three games, including a Week 2 goose egg against the Saints. Evans made quite the impact in his rookie season, particularly over a three-game stretch last November where he averaged 32.3 FPG, amassing 458 yards and five touchdowns on 21 receptions. Evans' $19 price may well be the lowest we will see all year. Although his floor is low, he has the potential to go absolutely bonkers. That's just what we're looking for in these large field GPPs. The Redskins' secondary has been dealing with injuries to key players, and let another big wideout in the Jets' Brandon Marshall manhandle them last week to the tune of seven receptions, 111 yards and a touchdown. Mix Evans into some of your lineups this week in hopes of his big 2015 breakout.
Other Against-the-Grainers:
QB: Matt Cassel (DAL, $26)
RB: Adrian Peterson (MIN, $36), Latavius Murray (OAK, $31)
WR: Martavis Bryant (PIT, $21), Donte Moncrief (IND, $19), Terrance Williams (DAL, $16)
TE: Jason Witten (DAL, $20)
DEF: Washington Redskins ($12)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Drew Brees (NO, $39) - The 36-year-old vet will be heavily relied upon in what may be the highest scoring game of Week 7. The Saints are 4.5 point underdogs with the only projected total over 50 this week. Brees has just two multi-touchdown games in five matchups this year, but has thrown for more than 300 yards in four and is due for one of his patented three-touchdown outings. Other cash game options in his range include opposing QB Andrew Luck ($41), Cam Newton ($42) at home against the Eagles, and Carson Palmer ($43), at home against a sloppy Ravens secondary on Monday Night Football.
Running Back
Todd Gurley (STL, $31) - Gurley will be a popular option this week, as the world expects the Rams to pound a weak Browns run defense that ranks as the league's worst. No team has allowed more rush attempts (181) or rushing yards per game (149.8) than the Browns, and only the Chargers' 5.4 yards per carry allowed is higher than than the Browns' 5.0. The game is projected to be the lowest scoring of the week (42 points), with the Rams favored by 5.5 as of Wednesday morning, indicating potential positive game flow and 20-plus carry potential for their dominant rookie runner. Despite the increased price, expect to see Gurley on at least 20 percent of GPP lineups and an even higher percentage in cash games. There are spots to pivot at this week, but Gurley as one of your running backs surely isn't one of them.
Frank Gore (IND, $29) - If you trust one of the cheaper options at quarterback this week and aren't "Going Gronk," it's quite possible to fit both Gurley and Gore in your lineups this week. The Colts are favored by 4.5 in the highest projected point total in Week 6, which may mean plenty of Frank the Tank. Gore has yet to hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season, but has a two-touchdown game under his belt already and has hit at least double-digit fantasy points in three of six games. Gore is averaging nearly three red-zone carries per game and will more than likely have a couple opportunities for goal-line strikes this week. Gore deserves consideration at a relatively high price due to a possibly positive game script and the potential for a multi-TD game.
Wide Receiver
Amari Cooper (OAK, $27) - Cooper is on track to become one of the league's most effective and dominant wideouts and has quickly earned the trust of sophomore quarterback Derek Carr. Cooper has at least four catches in every game this season, and has seen nine targets in four of five games this year, with the only true dud against a league-best Broncos pass defense. Cooper is cash-game worthy and is priced reasonably this week. Per Pro Football Focus, Cooper has lined up on the left side 53 percent of the time this season, and likely will see plenty of shutdown corner Jason Verrett in coverage. Cooper has a size advantage over Verrett, can easily outmaneuver him and has a knack for catching difficult balls in traffic. Don't let the matchup scare you. Coming off his bye week, Cooper is poised for his fourth game of the season with either 100 yards or a touchdown.
Eric Decker (NYJ, $27) - Decker has been marvelous in the four games he's played this season with at least one touchdown and 10 FP in each. As we've learned over the years, Bill Belichick typically game plans to take out the opposing team's top weapon. In this case, that's Brandon Marshall. This 48.5-point projected affair may well set up to be a "Decker game" as the only thing missing from an otherwise fantastic start to his season is a steady dose of targets. Decker primarily lines up in the slot, and should have a field day with Patriots slot corner Logan Ryan.
Michael Floyd (ARI, $12) - Last week, Floyd caught five of his eight targets for 50 yards and a score, and nearly had two more touchdowns, in the Cardinals' Week 6 loss to the Steelers. Floyd struggled for most of last season, and was an afterthought in the Cardinals' offense in the first few games of this season. Floyd has seen 50-plus snaps in two of the last three games. He is still one of the fastest receivers in the league and is capable of occasionally posting some big fantasy games. Floyd is not the most reliable option for cash games, but at 12 bucks in a Monday night game against a reeling Ravens secondary, Floyd is definitely in play as your WR3 this week.
Tight End
Antonio Gates (SD, $25) - Gates is a beast among men, and finds himself in this spot as a recommended play for the second week in a row. He followed up his season debut in Week 5 (9-95-2, 25.7 FP) with another big outing last week, catching nine of 16 targets for 92 yards. Although he did not score a touchdown against the Packers, he was overthrown for what would have been an easy one in the first quarter. Fellow tight end Ladarius Green still sees the field, but Gates saw an increased number of offensive snaps last week (69) and remains one of the league's most efficient red-zone weapons. This is definitely not a spot to get too cute. Put Gates in your lineup again before his salary reaches the $30 threshold.
Defense/Special Teams
Carolina Panthers ($16) - The Redskins are a solid value play against Jameis Winston and the Bucs, but if you have the salary cap, the Panthers should be locked and loaded for a home tilt against an erratic and indecisive Sam Bradford. The Panthers' fantasy defense has been a mixed bag with three games of five FP or less, but they've had two monster outings against the Jaguars (Week 1) and the Bucs (Week 4) where they averaged nearly 20 FPG, with seven sacks and six interceptions, two for pick-sixes. Bradford is always capable of stepping up when we least expect it. But with as many interceptions as touchdowns (nine), a road matchup against the Panthers is not the best spot for the quarterback to succeed. Take what the matchup gives you and don't overthink this one.
Honorable Mentions:
QB: Carson Palmer (ARI, $43)
RB: Arian Foster (HOU, $31), Chris Johnson (ARI, $20)
WR: DeAndre Hopkins (HOU, $36), Larry Fitzgerald (ARI, $32), Willie Snead (NO, $22)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (NE, $34)
DEF: St. Louis Rams ($16)
