This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
It's shocking I didn't win the Million last week but I did want to point out a lesson I learned. I hit 167 fantasy points on a down week and while that payed minimal in the big GPP, I could have made a ton of money in single-entry tournaments. Always check out the various tournaments (and get in early before they fill) to see how they pay out; a very profitable week doesn't mean taking the top overall spot in a tournament. Let's take a look at this week's picks.
Quarterbacks
Both Deshaun Watson ($8,300) and Josh Allen ($8,200) are awfully attractive options facing the 30th and 31st defenses against opposing quarterbacks this week. Watson has had an extra week to prepare while Allen gets a Seattle defense at home that has allowed some huge games to the opponent's quarterback. Allen is coming off four mediocre fantasy performances so he may be a bit more unpopular selection, making him ideal for big GPPs. Either way, both quarterbacks will work for cash games this week. My favorite tournament play at the position is Drew Lock ($7,200). Do I think Lock is in the middle of a breakout season and is heading toward being an elite quarterback? Nope. This is all about the matchup with the Falcons who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Atlanta's secondary has been terrible this season and Lock should be able to take advantage of them. Using a stack of Lock, Jerry Jeudy ($5,700) and either Noah Fant ($5,800) or Albert Okwuegbunam ($5,000) might be the winning combination for a large GPP this week.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook had a monster week last Sunday and now gets to feast on a Lions' defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Cook is averaging more than 108 rushing yards per game and while (logically) 47.6 fantasy points isn't likely again this season for him, it looks like expecting a floor of 20 fantasy points is reasonable this week. Don't be afraid to spend up for him this week in cash games. The best economical option of the week could turn out to be the Arizona Cardinals' Chase Edmonds ($6,700). Kenyan Drake ($6,000) is listed as questionable and didn't practice Thursday, putting his status into further doubt. Edmonds has been productive in a timeshare role this season, a full workload would give him a high ceiling. While the defense has improved, the Dolphins are surrendering the seventh-most fantasy points to the other team's running backs. Looking further down the salary cap list, DeeJay Dallas ($5,100) could be in a great spot if Chris Carson is ultimately ruled out. Carlos Hyde won't play in this game, and while Travis Homer will be available, he's best suited as a change-of-pace/pass-catching role. The Bills have been terrible against the run as of late, Dallas would just need that starting role to be a viable option.
Wide Receivers
The wide receiver spot appears to be a good place to use a lesser amount of salary cap than most weeks. Most of the receivers with a bigger hit to the cap aren't in great matchups and you'd have to go all the way down to Stefon Diggs ($7,600) to find someone in a great matchup. Diggs should have a big game Sunday against the Seahawks who allow the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Diggs has scored double-digit fantasy points in seven out of eight games this season and the Bills' running game has been effective enough to keep the Seattle defense honest. It's tough to read the tea leaves when it comes to the Pittsburgh wideouts as they seem to rotate having big fantasy games. When in doubt, I like to go back to JuJu Smith-Schuster who has a whopping 22 targets over his last two games. Dallas is a great defense to target against as it ranks 27th in the league against the other team's wide receivers. Jeudy ($5,700) was mentioned earlier, and his matchup is so good, I think he's an option in both cash and tournaments this weekend. Finally, the hit-or-miss play of the week is the Raiders' Henry Ruggs ($5,700). He could go 2-8 or 2-35 as he's done the last two games, but he can also ring up 18.8 fantasy points as he did against the Chiefs. He won't be a volume guy as far as targets go, but he has a ton of big play potential.
Tight Ends
It's hard to argue against Travis Kelce ($8,000) this week coming off a big game and he's a solid option every week. However, he's expensive, and I think dollar for dollar there are probably better options out there. That starts with Darren Waller ($6,700) who gets a Chargers team that ranks 24th against the position. Waller has at least 11.3 fantasy points in four of his seven games this season. Have we all given up on Hunter Henry ($5,600) yet? Maybe we should, but the talent is still there, and even in GPPs he's almost a guarantee to be below five percent on rosters. The Raiders rank around league-average in defending tight ends.
Defenses
There's nothing wrong with spending up this week and taking a strong Pittsburgh Steelers ($5,000) going against a reeling Dallas Cowboys team. Whether it's Cooper Rush or Garrett Gilbert under center for Dallas, either should be good for at least a couple of turnovers. Amongst the cheaper options, the Minnesota Vikings ($3,400) are an attractive option. Detroit could be without the services of Matthew Stafford, and Chase Daniel under center doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
