This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
Quarterback
Philip Rivers ($7,300) stands out this week as a good play in a must-win situation. He has an excellent matchup against the Jaguars, who rank 30th against the position. Rivers has gotten T.Y. Hilton more involved in recent weeks, and Zach Pascal is proving to be a deep threat with a long touchdown last week. Rivers is viable in all formats this weekend, just don't expect any additional fantasy points from him running.
I don't completely trust Andy Dalton ($7,100) but I do trust the trio of receivers he has and Dalton Schultz. Dalton put up 27.58 fantasy points last week and is also in a must-win situation. The ground game has done little this season and the Cowboys might just air it out as their offensive line is better at pass blocking more than run blocking. Dalton has scored at least 15.3 fantasy points in each of his last four games so he has a decent floor.
It seems like a backup QB will have a big week. I'm putting my money on John Wolford ($6,500) to be that guy. It's a better than average matchup against the Cardinals and Wolford has had all week to practice with the first string. He's a mobile quarterback as well, so unlike Rivers he should get extra fantasy points using his legs. Use him only in GPPs, as his floor his too low for cash games.
Running Back
With the news that Dalvin Cook will miss this week's game, it's an easy pivot to go to Alexander Mattison ($5,000). The Lions are a great team to pick on, and Mattison could end up being the value of the week given the low salary. He'll be chalky in cash, but that doesn't mean you should fade him.
Using Mattison offers an easy path to pair him with Derrick Henry ($10,200) despite the hefty salary cap hit. Houston is last against the running back position and Vegas has Henry as a -335 favorite to score an anytime touchdown. His floor is about 15 fantasy points with 30-plus point upside if everything breaks his way.
Wide Receiver
Calvin Ridley ($8,700) has scored at least 11.3 fantasy points in each of his last six games and has been targeted more heavily with Julio Jones out of the lineup. That will be the case again this weekend vs. the Buccaneers, against whom Ridley had 27.3 fantasy points just two weeks ago. Tampa Bay is locked into its playoff spot, so it might end up resting starters at some point during this game.
Kansas City will be without both Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins this week putting Mecole Hardman ($5,300) in a nice spot. Next to Travis Kelce, Hardman should lead the team in targets and has the big-play ability to score anytime he touches the football. I'd be more optimistic if Patrick Mahomes was playing, but there are worse backup options than Chad Henne.
An under-the-radar player to consider for GPPs is Keelan Cole ($5,100). DJ Chark will miss this game setting up Cole to be the top receiving target for the Jaguars. Cole quietly has a career-high five touchdowns this season and should approach double-digit targets this week.
Tight End
Mark Andrews ($7,200) comes in as the top option this week with Travis Kelce not likely to play the whole game. This is another must-win situation and Andrews has a fantastic matchup as the Bengals rank 27th against the position. Look for Andrews to have a big day working over the middle against a vulnerable Cincinnati defense.
Robert Tonyan ($6,300) is coming off a 2.2-fantasy point performance but should bounce back Sunday against the Bears. Before last week's disappointment, Tonyan had scored at least 9.3 fantasy points in his previous five games. Tonyan had success against the Bears in the first meeting this season with 5-67-1 (15.2 fantasy points), and Green Bay is treating this game as if it was the playoffs.
Defense
There's nothing wrong with spending up for a defense this week for the Colts ($5,000), Ravens ($4,900) or the Patriots ($4,800). I probably prefer the Colts, but there are more economical options this week if you need to punt the position. The Vikings ($3,800) are a good option facing the Lions and Matthew Stafford, who is a walking injury. While I recommended John Wolford, I can see using the Cardinals ($3,800) against a quarterback making his first NFL start.
