Each week, we’ll dive into Fanduel’s main slate to highlight some of the juiciest matchups and situations to exploit. Whether it’s finding the low(er)-owned gems in a popular upcoming shootout or identifying an overlooked clash that DFSers can use to gain leverage over a tournament field, our aim is to provide you the individual plays and overall strategy to consider as you chase profitability in your DFS portfolio. Let’s jump in.

Buccaneers at Bengals (-3.5, 54)
Another week, another chance to pick on the game’s worst pass defense. Throughout the Bucs’ first six games, they’ve been gashed through the air by elite receivers, slot receivers, tight ends and running backs. Whether all parties get to eat so lavishly on Sunday remains to be seen, but what can be assumed is that there will be a large spread to be munched on for 60 minutes of game time. The obvious attraction here is  A.J. Green ($8,800), who gets moved around the formation enough (18.8 percent out of the slot) for the Bengals to manipulate the Bucs’ defense into favorable matchups. Green is seeing 27 percent of the targets on a pass-heavy attack and should be expected to deliver double-digit FanDuel points at a minimum with a reasonable chance at surpassing 20. He’s not the only Bengal offering profit potential though. While Tyler Boyd ($6,800) has delivered a couple of stinkers in recent weeks, he’s also in a prime spot as the Bengals’ primary slot option (69.2 percent of routes) and owns an 84.4 percent snap share, nearly identical to Green’s 84.6. Finally, TE C.J. Uzomah ($5,400) may not have the production to warrant widespread excitement, but he is basically the sole option the Bengals are willing to use (72.5 percent snap share overall, 93 percent since becoming starter). His appeal comes strictly from the fact that he’s the only show in town and that the Bucs have been victimized by the position on multiple occasions. Vegas expects a high-scoring, competitive matchup, so using multiple options from this Bengals offense is a reasonable strategy. However, if you’re entering multiple lineups, don’t be afraid to get greedy on some of them and try to pinpoint the single piece of the Bengals’ offense who you think gets to chow down on the largest piece of the pie.

Broncos at Chiefs (-9.5, 53.5)
The Chiefs haven’t been on the main slate since Week 5 and have continued to hum offensively, so you know there will be a lot of DFSers itching to hitch their wagons to the weekly fireworks display. They continue to shred defenses through the air, but this has the makings of a Kareem Hunt ($8,100) week. The Broncos allow the 11th most yards per game, and of that yardage, 39.1 percent is gained via the ground (2nd highest on the slate). Hunt had himself a performance at Mile High during a Week 4 win against these same Broncos, rumbling for 165 total yards, a touchdown and 25 FanDuel points — a plateau he’s met or eclipsed in three of the of his last four contests. Hunt isn’t likely to be low-owned, so you’ll need to differentiate your lineups elsewhere, but fading him is also unlikely to end up serving as a piece of this week’s winning formula.

Seahawks at Lions (-2.5, 49)
Week 8’s Seahawks-Lions tilt is a fascinating one from a matchup standpoint. Despite suffering through a rash of off- and in-season losses on the defensive side of the ball, Seattle has continued to make life challenging for opposing pass offenses. Only 63 percent of the yardage they’ve allowed have come through the air, good for fifth fewest on the slate. On the opposite side of the ball, Detroit has allowed the fourth smallest percentage of yardage to come via the pass (61.3). Meanwhile, Vegas is anticipating a competitive and relatively high-scoring contest. Considering each team’s strengths, we’re either going to see a lower scoring game than the Vegas total suggests or we’re going to see a healthy dose of production coming on the ground. Lions RB Kerryon Johnson ($6,900) has only seen 46 percent of the carries on the season (you can thank OC Jim Bob Cooter for that), but that rate climbed to 54 percent in Week 7’s win over the Dolphins, and he parlayed that into 179 total yards and 18.9 FanDuel points. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether we will see that percentage continue to climb, but one trend that we can place some stock into is Johnson scoring at least 12 FanDuel points in three of the last four weeks. No, 12 points isn’t going to catapult your lineups into the green, but Sunday’s matchup sets the stage for him to not only see a healthy share of work, but to produce at an efficient clip with those opportunities. As vexing as Detroit can be with their running back split, Seattle’s backfield hierarchy can be equally as infuriating, but it’s worth exploring nonetheless, particularly considering this matchup. Chris Carson ($6,300) will continue to start, but has only received 43.3 percent of the carries as he shares the load with both Mike Davis ($5,400) and rookie Rashaad Penny ($4,800). Carson appears to be the best bet of the three, but doesn’t come without a low floor. Those are the types of risks necessary throughout a season though if you have your eyes set on high finishes in large tournaments. If you do decide to venture into the murky waters of Seattle’s running back rotation, bank on the guy seeing the heavy side of the platoon.

QUICK HITTERS
If you need a Hail Mary at QB, look at Sam Darnold ($6,700) against a Bears defense allowing 75 percent of their surrendered yardage to come through the air. This is strictly a tournament play as the risk of him scoring single-digits is very real. … We talked about Hunt’s chances of a big performance on Sunday, but if you’re in desperate need of a sleeper, consider Spencer Ware ($4,600). He probably won’t deliver the goods, so don’t go overboard, but in a matchup heavily favoring the Chiefs and their running game, it’s not a stretch to suggest that Ware could handle 10-12 touches. If he can scrape together 10-plus points at near-minimum salary, he’ll be worth the gamble. … 49ers RB Raheem Mostert ($5,600) is another pooch punt option, if you will. With Matt Breida nursing an ankle injury, we could see a little more of Mostert against one of the game’s worst run defense. … Sticking with the same Niners-Cardinals showdown, this could be the best value we see for David Johnson ($7,300) this season. We can only speculate as to what adjustments interim offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich will implement, but it should be safe to assume that he’ll be more creative with his franchise player than the ousted Mike McCoy was.

Each week, we’ll dive into Fanduel’s main slate to highlight some of the juiciest matchups and situations to exploit. Whether it’s finding the low(er)-owned gems in a popular upcoming shootout or identifying an overlooked clash that DFSers can use to gain leverage over a tournament field, our aim is to provide you the individual plays and overall strategy to consider as you chase profitability in your DFS portfolio. Let’s jump in.

Browns at Buccaneers (-3.5, 51)
The defensive woes of the Bucs have been well-documented, and with injuries to key members of their defensive line, the struggles will likely continue. That puts the Browns — and their top three pass-catchers in particular — in a position to take advantage. The target shares of their top three options are as follows:

Jarvis Landry ($6,500) – 28.5%
Antonio Callaway ($4800) – 17.0%
David Njoku ($5700) – 19.5%

Among the teams on this week’s main slate, the Bucs see the fifth-lowest percentage of run plays against them, surrendering only 3.8 YPC. More on this in a bit, but first let’s focus on the Browns’ short-handed passing attack, which will provide their top three options with an uptick in chances. Considering the prices, the usage, the matchup and Vegas’ expectations of a high-scoring competitive affair, DFSers shouldn’t be afraid to run multiple pieces from the Browns passing attack into lineups. That comes with the caveat that Callaway remains a high-risk/high-reward play, but he continues to receive targets (32 over last four games) and leads the team in air yards from Week 2 on.

Generally speaking, attacking the Bucs on the ground hasn’t been the most effective option to move the ball. The absence of two linemen could open up more holes for the Browns this week though. Now that he’s the starting running back in Cleveland, Nick Chubb ($4,800) could be this week’s most popular running back play. Nobody will fault you for having plenty of Chubb shares, but don’t forget about Duke Johnson ($5,100), who led the backfield in snaps in a negative game script last week. The Bucs have been burned by backs in the passing game as well, making Johnson an affordable GPP pivot worth considering.

Saints at Ravens (-2.5, 49.5)
Sunday’s Saints-Ravens clash pits the top-scoring offense vs. the top-scoring defense, respectively, and figures to see plenty of attempts and yardage through the air as both offenses rely heavily on the passing game. Running out Drew Brees ($8,600) and/or Michael Thomas ($8,600) is a fine contrarian strategy as many will shy away from challenging Baltimore’s stingy defense, but there may be more value in the Ravens’ receiving corps. Let’s check out the target shares and yards-per-reception:

Michael Crabtree ($6,600) – 20.9%, 11.4
John Brown ($6,500) – 17.9%, 20.2
Willie Snead ($5,400) – 16.4%, 10.4

In a matchup that has sneaky shootout potential, there are a number of options in this game — on both sides — who could provide value. However, for tournaments, Brown appears to be a great choice. Not only is he seeing the second-highest target volume on the team, but he’s seeing the most air yards and a ridiculous YPC. If there’s an explosion brewing in this matchup, Brown has as good of a chance as anyone to deliver it.

Lions (-3, 46.5) at Dolphins
The good news here is that the Lions are among the most porous run defenses in the league. Of all their yardage surrendered, 39.6 percent has come via the ground, which is tops among main slate defenses. Additionally, opponents have averaged 5.3 yards per carry against them. The bad news is we don’t have a clear idea of which Dolphins running back will have the best shot at exploiting this weakness. Kenyan Drake ($6,300) has a sizeable lead over Frank Gore ($5,600) in snap percentage this season (62.5 vs. 38.9), but trails the veteran runner 62 to 52 in carries and has received the small piece of the pie in each of the last two weeks. It should be noted that Drake has out-targeted Gore 31 to 5 and out-caught him 21 to 4. With that said, this still presents a tough choice if you decide to take advantage of Detroit’s run defense. It’s not a spot to lean on heavily throughout your DFS portfolio, but if you need a low-priced — and low-owned — option that allows you to squeeze in an extra stud elsewhere, both Drake and Gore deserve some consideration.

QUICK HITTERS
The Eagles (-4.5, 44.5) continue to surrender most of their yardage through the air while limiting non-Saquon Barkley running backs to 3.4 yards per carry. While the Panthers have a nice running back of their own, he shouldn’t be expected to have the same type of impact. Instead, Carolina may need to take to the air for big plays. In the two games since the Panthers’ Week 4 bye, Devin Funchess ($6,400) leads the team in target share, air yards and is second in average depth of target. … What the Patriots (-3, 49) decide to do week-to-week is anyone’s guess, but they face off against the Bears, another team that allows a disproportionate amount of yardage via the pass. Tom Brady ($8,700) is rarely a bad bet to produce, but his price will force sacrifices elsewhere. On the plus side, you’re probably looking at modest ownership percentages if you’re aiming to pay up at the position. Also of note is that Bears all-world linebacker Khalil Mack is questionable with an ankle injury. … Kirk Cousins ($8,000) is another option under center if you want to create uniqueness through the quarterback position. The Vikings finally showed some life on the ground against the Cardinals in Week 6, but running over the league’s worst run defense hardly engenders enthusiasm going into this week’s matchup against a solid Jets defense — especially with Dalvin Cook ruled out again. Look for Cousins and Co. to get back to their bread and butter and chuck the rock around as 3.5-point road favorites.

Each week, we’ll dive into Fanduel’s main slate to highlight some of the juiciest matchups and situations to exploit. Whether it’s finding the low(er)-owned gems in a popular upcoming shootout or identifying an overlooked clash that DFSers can use to gain leverage over a tournament field, our aim is to provide you the individual plays and overall strategy to help you take your lineup construction to the next level. Let’s jump in.

Buccaneers at Falcons (-3, 57)
With the highest Vegas total on the main slate, Sunday’s Bucs-Falcons tilt is going to be very popular in both cash games and tournaments. Everyone will want a piece of this game and understandably so, but let’s look at the target shares to see if there’s an opportunity to zig while everyone else zags:

Mike Evans ($8,000) – 26.1%
DeSean Jackson ($6,500) – 14.7%
Chris Godwin ($5,900) – 14.7%
O.J. Howard ($5,500) – 11.4%
Cameron Brate ($4,500) – 6.7%

Julio Jones ($8,500) – 29.8%
Mohamed Sanu ($5,800) – 16.8%
Calvin Ridley ($6,700) – 14.1%
Austin Hooper ($5,600) – 14.6%

Evans and Jones project to have the highest ownership while Brate could join them pending the availability of Howard. Depending on where you are in your DFS development, the term “chalk” may seem like a dirty word. If you want to roster Evans and Jones in a lineup, go for it. There’s no need to be afraid of chalk plays if you differentiate your lineups elsewhere. Alternatively, you can reap the benefits of this presumptive shootout by rostering/stacking the secondary pieces who could chew off a large chunk of the scoring opportunities for themselves. Don’t be afraid to explore a Jackson-Ridley game stack as they both possess the big play ability and high ceiling we want in our tournament lineups. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Ronald Jones ($5,600) won’t be heavily owned, and if he’s able to come out of the bye week with a better grasp of his responsibilities, he could be profitable. Again, that’s certainly a high-risk maneuver, but it underscores the overall point when looking at ways to attack a potentially explosive matchup: don’t be afraid to get creative in order to build a unique lineup.

Jaguars (-3, 40.5) at Cowboys
Opportunity is king. And opportunity is what Ezekiel Elliott ($8,100) receives at a staggering rate — he has received a hand-off or target on 42 percent of the 290 plays the Cowboys have run this season. The Cowboys’ embarrassing receiving corps coupled with the Jaguars’ top-ranked pass defense suggests Elliott will see as much opportunity as he can handle, especially if the game remains as close as Vegas believes it will. While not exactly porous against the run either, Jacksonville does surrender 101.2 yards per game on the ground (14th fewest), so there figures to be a little more breathing room for Dallas’ rushing attack. This looks like an ugly matchup for the Cowboys, but Elliott’s expected opportunity combined with relatively low ownership provide DFSers with a potentially profitable pivot from more popular backs in a similar price range.

Seahawks (-2.5, 48.5) at Raiders
The Seahawks and Raiders cross the pond for the season’s first trip to London, and Vegas has painted an encouraging picture of a closely contested and fairly high-scoring showcase — a high-scoring showcase that could see both teams’ featured runners enjoy success. Rushing accounts for 38.7 percent of Seattle’s yardage gained and 31.4 percent of Oakland’s yardage allowed, so the Seahawks’ Chris Carson ($6,400) and his 17.5 touches per game (27 per game over last two weeks) finds himself in a promising game script. On the other side of the coin, Marshawn Lynch ($6,500) and his 17.8 touches per game may find some running room as well. Oakland prefers an aerial attack as opposed to a ground and pound approach, but Seattle has managed to provide more resistance through the air thus far in the season, creating a funnel opportunity for the Raiders and Lynch to exploit. As long as this game remains competitive, neither offense will be forced to abandon the run, allowing Carson and Lynch to take advantage of their opponent’s 4.9 and 4.7 yards per carry allowed, respectively.

QUICK HITTERS
The Chicago Bears (-3.5, 44.5) have been particularly stout against the run, allowing only 3.4 YPC over four games, three of which held a neutral game script throughout much of the contest. That suggests the Dolphins and Ryan Tannehill ($6,600) may have to rely on their passing game to move the ball. He’s a cheap and overlooked alternative to the popular options this week, but make sure you keep tabs on his shoulder ahead of kickoff as he’s currently listed as questionable. … If you’re looking for a “free square” this week, Antonio Callaway ($4,900) offers some promise. The Browns naturally want to protect their rookie quarterback with a heavy reliance on the run, but passing yardage has accounted for 73.8 percent of the total output allowed by the Chargers. While Callaway is only third on the team with a 15.4 percent target share, he is second on the team in air yards and first in average depth of target (min. 10 targets). He would strictly be a tournament play as you’re chasing a home run — or two — but he’s getting the playing time (63.2 snap percentage overall) and receiving “big play” targets.

Each week, we’ll dive into Fanduel’s main slate to highlight some of the juiciest matchups and situations to exploit. Whether it’s finding the low(er)-owned gems in a popular upcoming shootout or identifying an overlooked clash that DFSers can use to gain leverage over a tournament field, our aim is to help you take your lineup construction to the next level. Let’s jump in.

Vikings at Eagles (-3, 46)
With six matchups on the main slate drawing a higher Vegas total than the Vikings-Eagles tilt, DFSers may be able to secure some explosive, yet low-owned, production. The Eagles, while ranked as a top 10 defense in DVOA, have been so good against the run that teams are forced to lean on their passing attack in order to move the ball against them. Not only are the Eagles seeing the highest percentage of pass attempts against them (64.8) in the NFL, but of all the yardage they’ve surrendered, nearly 81 percent have come via the air, also the most in the NFL. Enter QB Kirk Cousins ($7700), who leads the most pass-heavy attack on this week’s slate. Passing yardage has accounted for 83.9 percent of the Vikings’ total offensive output thus far, and with their run game showing no immediate signs of kicking into high gear, they should continue to lean on Cousins’ right arm. WRs Adam Thielen ($8300) and Stefon Diggs ($8200) own 29.9 and 23.5 percent target shares, respectively, and both figure to be busy on Sunday afternoon. Pairing one or both with Cousins has the look of a profitable stack. If you want to toss a Hail Mary, WR Laquon Treadwell ($4800) has averaged a 65.8 percent offensive snaps share per game, peaking at 88 percent in Week 3, and has seen six or more targets twice. He’s purely a tournament gamble, but one who could allow you to squeeze additional studs into your lineups.

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5, 58)
With the highest Vegas total on the board in Week 5, prominent members of both the Falcons and Steelers figure to be among the chalkiest choices on the slate. Fading this matchup might be tough to stomach for many DFSers, and that’s okay, but we need to consider some lower-owned pieces in this presumptive track meet if we’re going to gain some leverage over larger tournament fields. Those looking for a more under-the-radar piece can start with TE Vance McDonald ($4600), who has averaged five targets and an 80 percent catch rate in his three games while increasing his offensive snap percentage to 63 percent in Week 4. The middle of Atlanta’s defense is battered and they’ve surrendered 6-88 and 5-46-1 lines over their past two games. On the other sideline, WR Mohamed Sanu ($5600) is likely to be overshadowed by his aforementioned running mates and potentially overlooked by those attacking this high-powered showdown, but he is second on the team with a 17.3 percent target share. You can’t always be afraid of chalk plays in DFS, but hitting on a tertiary option in this type of matchup can often yield profitable results.

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (51, PK)
We’ve touched on two passing matchups to exploit, and now it’s time to highlight a promising running back option. Green Bay’s ground game often takes a backseat to their weekly aerial assault, and this year’s numbers paint a similar picture as the Packers rely on their rushing attack for less than 27.5 percent of their offensive yardage. That’s not likely to drastically change anytime soon, but this week’s matchup presents a scenario where one can reasonably expect an uptick in ground production. Not only are the Packers home to a banged up receiving corps, but the Lions own one of the league’s worst run defenses, surrendering 5.3 yards per carry and yielding 47.9 percent of their overall yardage through the run game. While RB Aaron Jones ($6100) doesn’t qualify as a cash play, he has the type of potential to pay dividends in tournaments. After missing the season’s first two games due to suspension, Jones handled a 25 percent snap rate with seven touches in Week 1 and a 36 percent snap rate with 12 touches in Week 2. Sunday’s matchup should provide Jones with an opportunity — at low ownership — to command the lion’s share of backfield work in a high-scoring affair. In the two games he saw 20-plus touches last season, Jones delivered 126 total yards with a score and 134 total yards with a score.

BONUS: Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints (52.5, -6.5)
Those looking for exposure to Monday Night Football’s action should be treated to an exciting affair as the ‘Skins meet the Saints in the Big Easy. The Saints’ stout work against opposing rushing attacks suggests the Redskins, who have leaned heavily on their own run game this season, will need to find other avenues to advance up and down the field. It shouldn’t be a surprise that in the two matchups the Redskins won handily, they enjoyed success on the ground. However, in their 21-9 loss in Week 2, they were forced into a pass-heavy approach, with RB Chris Thompson ($6100) reeling in 13 of 14 targets for 92 yards. Thompson owns a team-high 24.7 percent target share, followed by TE Jordan Reed ($6200) at 21.5 percent. If the Redskins find themselves playing from behind — as Vegas believes they will — with their run game stuck in neutral, they won’t have any choice but to take to the air, benefitting their top pass-catching options in the process.