This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
Cash Games
In 50/50s, double-ups or heads-up contests, always aim for a lineup that has a higher floor rather than a higher ceiling. In 50/50 contests, the top half of all entries finish in the money, which means you don't have to pick a high-ceiling lineup that shoots for the moon. Rather, build these lineups with safe players who can be counted on for production.
QB: Cam Newton, CAR vs. ARI ($8,500): Many will shy away from this pick but there are a lot of reasons why Newton should be considered this weekend instead of the other three quarterbacks. He's the most likely to gain extra yards using his legs and has the highest probability of scoring a rushing touchdown. Jonathan Stewart should have more trouble finding running room this week and the Cardinals defense was just lit up by Aaron Rodgers last Sunday. The Panthers have the highest expected team total this week according to Vegas, so getting their quarterback is a good idea.
RB: David Johnson, ARI at CAR ($8,000): Johnson disappointed last week with only 10.8 fantasy points but should be in line for a rebound this week. He possesses the most fantasy upside of any running back this weekend and still gets plenty of touches in the Arizona offense. He caught six passes out of the backfield last week and should see another 20-plus touches this week.
RB: C.J. Anderson, DEN vs. NE ($6,300): For the second straight week Anderson received 15 carries and for the third straight week he scored at least 12.6 fantasy points. It bodes well that he had a monster game against New England last time out with a 15-113-2 rushing line to go along with four catches for 40 yards. With Peyton Manning a shadow of his former self, it's likely Denver tries to slow the game down by establishing the run.
WR: Julian Edelman, NE at DEN ($7,800): Edelman is a good place to build the wide receiving corps around in cash games this week. He returned to the field for a healthy 10 catches for 100 yards last week and would have had a better game had he not had a few drops. He should have the rust knocked off this week and there will likely be extra attention paid to Rob Gronkowski in the red zone. A 20-plus fantasy point effort could be in the works if Edelman scores and gets close to another 16 targets.
WR: Michael Floyd, ARI at CAR ($7,500): Floyd's price went up $1,000 from a week ago so he's not quite the value he was then. This week, Josh Norman will likely see a lot of Larry Fitzgerald, and despite last week's production between the two, Floyd has been the more valuable fantasy player over the second half of the season. Floyd is a bigger red zone target and has at least 9.5 fantasy points in nine of his last 11 contegamessts (one of the misses was the Week 17 game against Seattle that they gave up in).
WR: Devin Funchess, CAR vs ARI ($5,100): The floor is very low here and that's why the price is very low as well. To fit the higher-priced players some bargains are going to need to be found and Funchess fits that description. He does have touchdowns in five of his last 10 games and is the biggest red-zone target for Newton. It never hurts to pair a receiver with your starting quarterback, even in cash games.
TE: Greg Olsen, CAR vs. ARI ($7,000):Rob Gronkowski will likely be the more popular pick coming off a two-touchdown game, but it's Olsen who has been the more consistent fantasy player over the second half of the season. Over his last 13 games, Olsen scored at least nine fantasy points 10 times. Despite having a good defense, the Cardinals were in the middle of the pack by allowing the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.
K: Stephen Gostkowski, NE at DEN ($5,100): There are very few kickers I'd recommend over Brandon McManus in Denver and Gostkowski is one of them. Despite moving back the extra point this season, he remains perfect for his entire career. It doesn't hurt that over his past four seasons he's 12-for-14 (85.7 percent) from 50-plus yards, a situation that could arise Sunday.
DEF/ST: New England Patriots at DEN ($4,600): They're the cheapest option this weekend and are needed to fill in the rest of the lineup. Peyton Manning hasn't shown the ability to throw for touchdowns, or even downfield, and the Patriots have always been adept at causing turnovers. Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones are both solid pass rushers who can pressure Manning into a pick or two.
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 type of lineup completely, as there is a lower floor with a lot of players. A mix of studs with a few of the cheaper options could net the top overall prize.
RB: James White, NE at DEN ($6,400): White is the perfect GPP play this week given how low is floor is and that owners will be off him after scoring 5.4 and 7.8 fantasy points in both of the last two games, respectively. However, White has games of at least 17 fantasy points in three of his last eight, showing his upside. Steven Jackson hasn't done much in the running game, so Tom Brady will likely air it out with short passes to try and beat the Broncos this weekend.
TE: Owen Daniels, DEN at NE ($5,000): With only two games this weekend it's likely even in tournaments that Greg Olsen and Rob Gronkowski combined are over 90 percent owned. The only other viable option appears to be Owen Daniels as a deeper sleeper. Vernon Davis has fallen out of favor with Peyton Manning, and Daniels does have a game earlier this season of six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. With Manning throwing shorter these days, that may benefit Daniels.
