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.
Raiders at Chiefs (-14, 52.5)
With Spencer Ware ($6,600) likely back in action after making his return to practice this week, the Chiefs will pair him with Damien Williams ($6,900) for a nice 1-2 punch in their backfield. This can be a tricky situation from a DFS perspective as we’re not certain who’s going to get the bulk of the work, but consider that when both backs were healthy against the Ravens in Week 14, Ware handled 20 touches and earned 15.4 FanDuel points while Williams received 13 touches for 17 FD points. That was against one of the top defenses in the league. Volume shouldn’t be an issue when they line up against the Raiders, owners of one of the league’s worst run defenses. As 14-point favorites, the Chiefs should be able to provide volume for each runner as they’ll probably be taking the air out of the ball much of the second half. Williams is the safer choice as he’s been healthy, but Ware offers appeal as a low-owned leverage play.
Speaking of taking advantage of low ownership, Derek Carr ($6,800) will not be a popular play as he’s fresh off a pair of stinkers. But if you’re willing to place the fate of your lineup in Carr’s hands, there are a couple of promising points to hang your hat on. First of all, as much as the Raiders may have enjoyed only attempting 26 passes in last week’s win against the Broncos, they’re likely to have to rely heavily on Carr’s right shoulder in order to keep this contest close. Secondly, the last time these two division foes met back in Week 13, the Raiders and Carr kept things interesting as the latter attempted 38 passes and came away with 24.2 FD points in a 40-33 barn burner.
Want more? Follow CWi Sports on Twitter and Instagram for fantasy NFL, NBA and MLB insight!
Bengals at Steelers (-14.5, 45.5)
After nearly breaking the 30-point barrier, we’re going back to the well on Ben Roethlisberger ($8,700) in a must-win showdown with the Bengals’ sieve defense. The Steelers continue to rely on their passing game, gaining 77.4 percent of their yardage through the air. Meanwhile, they’ll line up against the team that has allowed the most yards from scrimmage in the NFL thus far. Big Ben may not need to chuck it 50 times Sunday, but he’ll be a safe, albeit popular, option this week.
Falcons (-1.5, 52) at Buccaneers
With two high-flying offenses pairing with two incapable defenses, we could be treated to southern shootout to close the chapter on both teams’ disappointing seasons. At the time of this posting, it looked like Tevin Coleman ($6,300) was a long-shot to suit up, leaving Brian Hill ($5,300) in line to handle the bulk of the work. Considering the former is nursing a groin strain, there’s reason to fire Hill up in your lineups even in the event Coleman is active. On the other sideline is Peyton Barber ($5,500), who makes up for a lack of flash with healthy volume. He’s cracked the 20-touch plateau in four of the last six weeks, but not one of those teams was as disinterested in providing defensive resistance as the Falcons.
Jets at Patriots (-13.5, 46)
It’s been back-to-back strong performances for Sam Darnold ($7,500), who will look to crack 20 FD points for the third straight week. Facing off against the Pats defense is never a walk in the park, but considering the spread is large enough to span the distance between East Rutherford and Foxborough, Darnold figures to be in a position to pad his fantasy stats with meaningless production. The natural inclination will be to stack Darnold with his top target, Robby Anderson ($7,000). The volume has been plentiful (31 targets since Week 14) and the price is reasonable. Before you submit that lineup though, keep in mind that Bill Belichick and Co. are notorious for making teams beat them with secondary options.