This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
Quarterbacks
If there are two quarterbacks I'm willing to spend a lot of salary cap money on, it's Lamar Jackson ($8,200) and Tom Brady ($7,900). While Jackson has been a bit disappointing this fantasy season, he has scored 34.92 and 26.68 fantasy points over his last two games. Jacksonville ranks 30th against the position and it bodes well they can't stop either the pass and the run. Looking at Brady, he underperformed last week in a plus matchup, which should keep his ownership down this week. I've picked on the Falcons all season long and generally speaking, it's worked out very nicely. The Bucs should lean more on the passing attack with Ronald Jones likely to be out, and the Falcons are dead last against the quarterback position this season. While Brady may lack rushing ability (although he ends up with two or three rushing TDs every season) his receiving weapons are top-five in the league and should help him have a big day Sunday.
I asked the question last week, "are you feeling lucky" when recommending Jalen Hurts. This week that honor is bestowed on Dwayne Haskins ($6,500). Alex Smith has been ruled out, meaning Haskins will have a long leash in this game even if he commits an early turnover or two. This is an excellent matchup for him as Seattle has been awful against the pass and has to travel across the country for this game. If he makes it to 20 fantasy points, he'll be a great value for his price.
Running Backs
While it's not going out on a limb making this recommendation, Derrick Henry ($10,200) should be a staple for cash game lineups Sunday. He's facing the worst defense against the running back position and is a -335 favorite to score an anytime touchdown. Is Jonathan Taylor ($7,400) in the Circle of Trust now? His fantasy points have had an upward trajectory over his last four games and he's score 21 and 29.5 fantasy points over the last two games.
There are two players whom I'll use in tournaments this weekend and consider for cash games as well -- Leonard Fournette ($5,500) and Raheem Mostert ($6,900). Fournette got the week off last week, which means he'll likely be an unpopular play, but the absence of Ronald Jones should get him plenty of work. I'm guessing Bruce Arians was giving Fournette some time off and he's ready to handle a full workload this week. Mostert is off the injury report, and while Jeff Wilson will get some work, you have to love this matchup against the Cowboys. Mostert will get 10-plus touches in this one, and his big-play ability puts his upside at 20-plus fantasy points.
Wide Receivers
It's hard to argue with Calvin Ridley's ($8,400) production when Julio Jones is out, and last week he had a 22.4 fantasy points. Sticking with the Falcons, Russell Gage ($5,500) is coming off two games of 16.26 and 13.1 fantasy points. He's a more economical option this weekend who should make value for his salary cap hit.
It makes sense in GPPs to fade Derrick Henry, but you'll want some piece of the Titans offense. That makes YAC-monster A.J. Brown ($8,300) a viable option this weekend. Detroit is 29th against the position and just lost Jeff Okudah to a season-ending groin injury. Brown should have his way against this defense.
Similarly to the Henry/Brown situation, if you don't go with Mostert, using Brandon Aiyuk ($6,900) makes a lot of sense. Here's his fantasy points over the last five games: 16.9, 18, 16.2, 19.1 and 14.5. The injury to Deebo Samuel makes Aiyuk the primary target among the 49ers' wide receivers, and it's a great matchup against Dallas.
Tight Ends
The two players I'm looking at this week at this position are Mark Andrews ($6,800) and Rob Gronkowski ($6,300). They're both facing teams who are horrible defending the position, and at less than $7K you can pencil both in for double-digit fantasy points.
Digging a bit deeper and looking for a better option to fit lineups with a tight budget, Dan Arnold ($5,200) is worth considering. He's become a safety blanket for Kyler Murray and has four touchdowns in his last four games. Philadelphia is 22nd against the position and has to travel across the country to play this game.
Defense
It's never a bad idea to fade the Jets and who are up to a 17.5 point underdog against the Rams ($5,000). Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey should have their way against New York who could be without Jamison Crowder.
This is going to be an unpopular selection, but I like the Arizona Cardinals ($4,300) at home against the Eagles. As pointed out previously, the Eagles have to travel across the country, and there will be bumps in the road for rookie Jalen Hurts. Patrick Peterson is still a playmaker and there's now a full game of tape for the Cardinals to study on Hurts.
