This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Philip Rivers (LAC, $39)
Although the Browns have improved their pass defense, they still rate as a middle-of-the-pack unit. In addition, they have a strong front seven that can easily stifle mediocre rushing attacks. Even though he's been a fantasy star, Melvin Gordon will likely struggle to keep the Chargers out of obvious passing situations in this game, as his yards per carry shows that he can be slowed down by a good defense. As a result, Rivers will likely air the ball out, and he should do so with great success, especially as he comes into this contest having thrown multiple TD passes in each of his last three contests.
RB: Devontae Booker (DEN, $13)
The Dolphins had a strong defense against the run earlier in the season, but they've completely fallen apart lately, and they're performing as a bottom-eight unit over the last five weeks. It's true that the Broncos don't exactly have a formidable offensive line that's capable of consistently blowing open big holes, but Booker has sneaky value this week. In Week 10, he finally began to see a heavy workload, as he touched the ball 19 times, turning his opportunities into 98 yards against a stingy Cincinnati defense. Although he didn't fare nearly as well last week, that game got out of hand quickly. With a much easier opponent and with Trevor Siemian expected back under center, this could be the week where he has a breakout performance, and at his salary, he's an excellent GPP option.
WR: Josh Doctson (WAS, $17)
Doctson sure looks to be on the cusp of becoming something special, and this could be the week that he finally puts together the first big game of his career. To date, he hasn't had more than 81 yards in a game, and he's scored three times over his last seven matchups, so it's understandable why his weekly salary is as low as it is. However, over the last few weeks, he's had a couple of near misses on TD receptions while also drawing a number of pass interference penalties on deep passes. This week he'll face a Dallas secondary that's recently been roasted by Keenan Allen, Emmanuel Sanders, Davante Adams and Larry Fitzgerald. Although each is a different type of receiver, it shows a Dallas struggles against any receiver that's highly targeted.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Derek Carr (OAK, $36), Josh McCown (NYJ, $28)
RB: DeMarco Murray (TEN, $18), Alex Collins (BAL, $17), Christian McCaffrey (CAR, $23)
WR: Tyreek Hill (KC, $25), Julio Jones (ATL, $33), Corey Coleman (CLE, $17)
TE: O.J. Howard (TB, $11), Jared Cook (OAK, $19)
DST: Jacksonville Jaguars ($21), Los Angeles Chargers ($22)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Cam Newton (CAR, $35
At the very least, we should be looking at a fairly high-scoring contest as the Panthers travel to New Orleans. Carolina will definitely need a win, as it's looking like teams will need at least 10 wins to earn a playoff spot in the NFC this year. Since Week 3, the Panthers have no issue using Newton on designed running plays, and he's responded by running for at least 44 yards in five of his last six games. His rushing ability gives him a substantial floor that offsets many of his deficiencies as a passer, and he won't need to have a huge day throwing the football to easily earn value.
Running Back
Samaje Perine (WAS, $20)
Make no mistake about it, volume is the name of the game in these types of contests. After rushing the ball at least 23 times in each of his last two games, Perine now qualifies as one of the few running backs who is slated to see enormous volume. He's also shown in those two games that he has the ability to wear out a defense and churn out big yardage late in the game, even if he gets off to a slow start. With as poorly as the Cowboys have played the last couple of weeks, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Redskins had a solid lead in the second half that would allow Perine to have his third productive game in a row.
Jordan Howard (CHI, $31)
There'll be a perfect storm brewing in Chicago with a forecast of fantasy success for Howard. Not only is the team extremely committed to getting him the football as often as possible, but he'll be facing the worst defense in the NFL against the run. The 49ers give up well over 100 yards per game on the ground, and with Howard playing on his home field in what could easily be a Chicago victory, he should have little trouble having one of his better performance of the season. Despite the team winning very few games, he's had at least 15 carries in each of his last nine games, and in their most recent victory, he ran the ball an astounding 36 times for 167 yards. Also, after last week's horrible performance against the Eagles, he could go overlooked a bit in this cake matchup.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams (GB, $30)
Jordy who? That may be a little harsh, but Nelson has yet to crack 35 yards with Brett Hundley in at quarterback. On the other hand, Adams has been thriving with the backup QB, as he's posted at least 82 yards in his last three games while adding a pair of TDs as well. He should continue rolling against a Buccaneers unit that's among the very worst pass defenses in the entire league. Tampa Bay has given up almost 200 yards per game to wide receivers, and with the connection that Adams has shown with Hundley, he should easily be able to justify his salary.
DeAndre Hopkins (HOU, $37)
Obviously, Hopkins is money in just about any matchup he has. However, his matchup against the Titans is one of the best he'll have all year. The Tennessee secondary gives up about 150 yards and 1.5 TDs per game, making them the fifth worst defense against opposing wide receivers. When he faced this same defense in Week 4, he caught 10 passes for 107 yards and a TD, and the Titans have nothing remotely resembling a shutdown cornerback, making this a matchup that he should physically dominate. In addition, volume is usually never an issue, as he's been targeted at least 11 times in all but three games this season.
Adam Thielen (MIN, $31)
There's no two ways about it, Thielen has become an elite receiver before our very eyes. Although he runs many of his routes from the slot, he has the ability to dominate wherever the Vikings choose the line him up. To date, he's averaging a stunning 91 yards per game while being targeted 10 times per contest. Although he appears to have a difficult matchup against an Atlanta defense that's in the top 10 in terms of least production allowed to opposing wide receivers, this projects to be a high-scoring contest that should have plenty of passing attempts by the Vikings. It's certainly true that Atlanta has a strong secondary, but it's nearly impossible to bet against Thielen in any game in which he sees volume.
Tight End
Greg Olsen (CAR, $20)
Since his x-rays came back negative after leaving last week's game with a foot injury, if Olsen is able to play this week, he should be a strong option. After Cam Newton missed him for a pair of easy receptions, including one in the end zone, Olsen will be overlooked this week. The Panthers will likely find themselves in a shootout as they travel to New Orleans. Although it would appear that he has a fairly difficult matchup against a Saints defense that's ranked in the middle of the league in terms of fantasy production allowed to tight ends, this is far from a daunting matchup. Actually, the Saints haven't had a difficult schedule against tight ends, and when they faced the one elite TE on their schedule, Rob Gronkowski, he burned them for 116 yards and a TD. Recently, Vernon Davis put up 67 yards on three catches against this unit. With a week in the books to have shaken off rust and reestablish his rapport with Newton, Olsen should be in line for plenty of targets, which should allow him to easily earn his salary.
Defense/Special Teams
Baltimore Ravens ($20)
Not only are the Ravens at home this week, but there's a strong likelihood that Matthew Stafford will either play this game with limited mobility after suffering an injury Thanksgiving Day, or the team will be forced to go with a backup QB. In either case, Baltimore is fully equipped to take advantage of anything less than a QB at full capacity, as this unit is strong at all three levels. It's extremely unlikely that the Lions will be able to run the ball with any effectiveness against this defense, and if forced to go to the passing attack with a limited QB, there should be plenty of big plays available for this unit.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Carson Wentz (PHI, $37), Russell Wilson (SEA, $35)
RB: Leonard Fournette (JAC, $37), Todd Gurley (LAR, $40)
WR: Doug Baldwin (SEA, $28) Mike Evans, (TB, $30)
TE: Zach Ertz (PHI, $27), Evan Engram (NYG, $20)
DST: Chicago Bears ($18), Arizona Cardinals ($10)
