This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
Before jumping headfirst into the whirlwind of fun that is Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football, be sure to differentiate between the variety of games offered. Since Head-to-Heads, 50/50s and Double Ups pay nearly half of entrants, your best bet for cashing is to target players with higher floors. Think heavily targeted No. 1 WRs, RBs who get the bulk of a team's carries and upper echelon QBs in matchups with a tight Vegas point spread and a high total.
Tournaments / Guaranteed Prize Pools (GPPs) require a bit more of your inner contrarian. Target offensive players with higher ceilings in advantageous matchups. Huge point totals can come from the most unpredictable of places, and the most obvious plays are not always the right ones. Though previous week's performances should be noted, each new week of action should be considered its own season. Don't chase last week's stats.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
Kirk Cousins (WAS, $34)
Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Philip Rivers will garner most of the attention for Week 7, but they're also the three priciest options on the slate and we've got several viable alternatives who could match or exceed their production at lower price points. Cousins won't get much love from DFS'ers this week given the universal narrative about staying away from him in road matchups. It's a small sample since he's played only two of six on the road, but Cousins' 7.32 road YPA is only slightly lower than it is at home (7.59) and only one of his six interceptions this season have come in those two road games. The Redskins won both of their road contests. A road matchup with the high-flying Lions this week could very well be a shootout. Currently marked at a 48.5 projected point total, Vegas expects this game to be a close one (one-point spread). The Lions are more susceptible to damage through the air (league-worst 17 pass TDs allowed to just three interceptions) than on the ground, though they're not much better there. With safety valve Jordan Reed likely to miss this week's tilt, Cousins will be locking in on his trio of receivers (DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder, Pierre Garcon) and it's about time for Jackson to turn some of those almost-touchdowns into sure things. Because of the multitude of playable options at QB across the slate this week, Cousins is surely going to be overlooked, especially with a heftier salary than guys like Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick. The risk is always high with Road Cousins, but I'd expect a 300-yard day with at least two passing scores against a hideous Lions' secondary.
Jeremy Hill (CIN, $21)
Talk about a guy your competition is almost guaranteed to overlook. Spending even one percent of your budget on Hill in a given week is always a risky proposition. But there's reason for hope given the matchup with the Browns in Week 7. Hill managed just 13 carries in Week 6, ceding goal line work to his diminutive counterpart Giovani Bernard. Hill did not even appear in the game until late in the first quarter, but less than conducive game flow against the Patriots and a lingering chest injury were mostly to blame. If signs point to full health for the Sunday outing, rostering Hill at under five percent could be a shot worth taking if we think he gets some goal line opportunities (he will if he's at full strength). Last year against the Browns, Hill averaged 75 rushing yards on 18.5 carries, finding the end zone in their Week 13 matchup. The fact that Hill has just one good effort in six weeks (21.7 FP against the Broncos in Week 3) makes him virtually unplayable to most. This works to our benefit, should positive health reports surface as we get closer to kickoff.
Antonio Brown (PIT, $37)
If you've made it through Kirk Cousins and Jeremy Hill and haven't clicked off this piece, then just stick with me. No matter the level of talent, last week's bums are always universally under-owned the following week. Kind of like a six percent-owned Julio Jones and his 300-yard outing following a one-catch game. Or Odell Beckham Jr. dropping 222 and two scores after being mired in five weeks of mediocrity. The Antonio Brown 'bounce back in Week 7' narrative won't be a tune you hear much of this week because the Steelers will be led out onto the field by semi-inept backup QB Landry Jones, and not Ben Roethlisberger himself. Jones started just one game for the injured Roethlisberger last year, and found his way under center on a few other occasions last season with not too stellar results – a paltry 58 percent completion percentage and a meager 3:4 TD:INT. Yet in that limited time, Jones did not seem to have an issue throwing deep balls. In fact he connected on an 88-yard bomb to Martavis Bryant in Week 6 last year on a play where Bryant did most of the work, as per usual. Jones connected with Brown on a 58-yard pass just two weeks later, in a game where Brown amassed 284 receiving yards, though mostly from Big Ben. The backdrop here is to enlighten you to the fact that Brown needs to be considered for your GPP lineups. This could be the only week of the season where Brown will literally be an afterthought. "Landry Jones? That guy sucks". He might, but guess what he's going to do on Sunday? Everything in his power to get the ball in Brown's hands on plays where he's not handing off to Le'Veon Bell. Keep in mind that it was Michael Vick who held Brown down last year, not Jones. Despite the small sample, Brown still garnered 31 percent of the target share when Jones lined up under center. A matchup with a tough and imposing Patriots' defense keeps Brown out of consideration for the masses even further, especially with gem matchups for Julio Jones and A.J. Green on the slate at similar price points. Antonio Brown is about to suit up for his first game in the DFS era as a contrarian play. A 40 dollar contrarian play, mind you. It's a place I want to go, because most won't be there, and because I believe that a 10-150-2 line is possible this week, with Landry Jones and against the Patriots. Even with all odds against him, cream always rises to the top.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Marcus Mariota (TEN, $30), Jameis Winston (TB, $29)
RB: Jamaal Charles (KC, $25), LeGarrette Blount (NE, $23), Chris Ivory (JAX, $12)
WR: DeVante Parker (MIA, $18), Adam Thielen (MIN, $14), Mike Wallace (BAL, $22) – if it's Joe Flacco at QB, not Ryan Mallett
TE: Jack Doyle (IND, $13), C.J. Uzomah, (CIN, $10) – if Tyler Eifert is inactive
DST: Baltimore Ravens ($17)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Matt Ryan (ATL, $39)
Ryan is the chalk play du jour this week, and a tough one to fade with the Falcons projected to put up nearly 30 points (highest team total of Week 7) against the Chargers. Ryan has been far and away the league's best quarterback this year. He's the only one to surpass 2,000 yards through six weeks and ranks second in touchdown passes with 15 to Roethlisberger's 16. Ryan is averaging 24.5 fantasy points using Yahoo's scoring system, and has dipped below 19 FP just once, in a tough matchup against the Broncos. Ryan has been known as a strong home splits QB over the years but he bridged that gap in 2015, holding a road QBR within three points of his home rating and completing passes at nearly the same rate. Ryan is in play whether home or away this season, at the helm of an absolutely blistering offense that's boosted by superstar receiver Julio Jones and the league's strongest running back tandem in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Ryan's matchup this week doesn't get any better as he faces a Chargers' team that is without its best cornerback (Jason Verrett) for the remainder of the season. The Chargers were steadfast at home last Thursday night, but that outing came against inexperienced signal-caller Paxton Lynch. Ryan should slice and dice the Chargers secondary this week and earn his newly inflated 39 dollar tag.
Running Backs
Devonta Freeman (ATL, $35)
You'll probably see a theme here for cash games. Don't be afraid to stack Falcons. Freeman with Ryan may not seem like the ideal play because there's a much lower positive correlation between quarterbacks with their running backs compared to with their receivers. Freeman hasn't been all that active as a pass-catcher, but could be in Week 7. He and fellow back Tevin Coleman have combined for 45 targets through the first six weeks. Freeman's 15 receptions ranks only 15th among running backs, though keep in mind he caught 73 balls last season – the third-best mark among RBs. Coleman has been slightly more active as a receiver, though playing Freeman with Ryan and Julio is a good way to lock in this week's top offense in a game that could be a shootout. Freeman ranks 10th among RBs with 14.5 fantasy points with much of his damage this season coming over a three week stretch in Weeks 3 through 5 where he averaged 131 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone in each of those games. I certainly can't fault you for saving cap with Coleman ($24), but with a handful of worthy and cheaper options at other positions, fitting Freeman in this week shouldn't be as tough of a task as it seems.
Jacquizz Rodgers (TB, $17)
This play hinges on Doug Martin not playing Sunday, who surprisingly didn't practice Monday following the team's bye (nor on Wednesday). At only 5-foot-6, Rodgers is the league's smallest back, but is well rounded out with a 205 pound frame. The six-year veteran out of Oregon State rushed an incredibly high 30 times in the Bucs' last game, receiving 36 touches in a 17-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. He wasn't particularly efficient (3.4 YPC) but the volume led him to 101 yards on the ground as well as five receptions for 28 yards. If Martin is inactive, it's a fantastic opportunity for Rodgers against a 49ers' team allowing a league-high 174 yards per game, tied with the Redskins for the worst YPC (5.0) allowed this season. Rodgers received an obvious price bump this week, which might keep his ownership rate reasonable, but if he's the lead back Sunday, there's no more equitable of a square than Quizz in cash.
Wide Receivers
Julio Jones (ATL, $40)
Let's keep this short and sweet. Jones is expensive, but he's the best option among wideouts on the board this week. He's the easy selection for the second part of a Ryan-Jones pairing just one week removed from a 139-yard effort against Richard Sherman and the Seahawks, not to mention, the 300 yards he hung on the Panthers in Week 4. The Chargers secondary is a shell of its former self with their anchor Jason Verrett out for the season. Jones will get to avoid the talented Casey Hayward for most of his snaps since he lines up on the left side more frequently and will primarily tangle with RCB Steve D. Williams, who gives up five inches and 35 pounds to Julio. We can't ignore the possibility of shadow coverage from Hayward, but that matters little to arguably the league's most talented pass-catcher. Ryan and Julio will be a popular combination this week and one that should be faded at one's own peril.
Jamison Crowder (WAS, $18)
Crowder was a sneaky contrarian option last week with tight end Jordan Reed sidelined. Crowder delivered with a touchdown, catching three of four targets for 52 yards (11.8 FP), but didn't see as many targets as some would have expected. Crowder is one of the league's fastest players and offers additional value with the possibility of taking one to the house on one of his punt returns each week. His Week 7 matchup against slot corner Quandre Diggs is a spicy one, as Diggs is allowing half a fantasy point for every route run against him this season, per Pro Football Focus. Reed is still sidelined, so those of us rolling with Crowder hope he sees the 8.3 targets per game he received over the first three weeks as opposed to the 3.3 over the last three weeks. Crowder may command more attention from fellow cash gamers as we get closer to the weekend, but for now he's a solid under the radar option who may garner a lower ownership share than he deserves.
Adam Humphries (TB, $10)
Unfortunately, the end looks near (read: it's here) for aging veteran wideout Vincent Jackson, who was placed on injured reserve following an ACL injury. This void should increase target share for Humphries, who is currently receiving slightly less than 16 percent of Jameis Winston's targets this season and has seen a decrease in snaps over the Bucs' last couple of games. The biggest beneficiary of Jackson's absence should be tight end Cameron Brate, but there's enough of Winston's attention to go around. Humphries has yet to find his way into the end zone, but had an impressive performance against the Rams in Week 3, catching nine of 12 targets for 100 yards (a career high). Humphries is an undrafted second-year player out of Clemson without any specific strengths outside of his quickness. Most importantly for our scenario, he steps in as the team's number two receiver facing a ravaged Niners' defense and is priced at minimum salary. Rolling with Humphries provides you with the opportunity to get some of your higher priced options into lineups this week.
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski (NE, $29)
A sobering reminder that cream always rises to the top. The writing was on the wall for last week's monstrous stat-line (7-162-1 for 25.7 FP) following his five-catch, 109-yard effort the week prior. Most importantly, signs pointed towards Gronk being at nearly full strength which is an example of a scenario we need to identify beforehand and buy into before the rest of the field. But Gronk's percentage last week hovered in the single digits due to the masses desire to play Delanie Walker and Greg Olsen in great-on-paper matchups (not to mention, concerns of Martellus Bennett's presence in this offense, especially coming off a three-touchdown performance). But that's exactly why it is so important to project ahead and not count last week's winnings. With Julian Edelman clearly still battling a foot injury, it made sense (both in hindsight and at the time) to run with some Gronk lineups in Tom Brady's first home game of the season. The two-week run of a low percentage Gronk is officially over, as we should expect him to easily garner the highest ownership rate among tight ends. Travis Kelce against the Saints and rookie Hunter Henry in an expected shootout will take some market share this week, but we're ultimately back to 'Gronk or Bust' in both cash games and tourneys.
Defense/Special Teams
Cincinnati Bengals ($16)
Many of the league's top defenses are rising price-wise, but there are always viable alternatives lurking for just a few bucks less. Front and center for cash games this week are the Bengals' fine unit in the week's largest point spread – 10-point favorites over the Browns as of Wednesday morning. The Bengals annihilated their division rival in both matchups last season, outscoring the Browns 68 to 13. With Browns' QB Josh McCown yet to be cleared to return, Bengals linebackers are eager to make Cody Kessler's time on the field Sunday a living hell. Kessler has managed to throw just one pass for an interception through four starts, but has been sacked 10 times and could possibly be without his top weapon, virtual Swiss army knife Terrelle Pryor. The Browns have allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked 19 times this season, the league's second-worst mark, while the Bengals have been slightly above league-average at putting pressure on opposing QBs (13 sacks, tied for 12th in the league) and have only surpassed the 10 fantasy point mark once in six games. A home matchup against the Browns with a great big spread is a good spot for the Bengals defense to get their swagger back.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Andy Dalton (CIN, $31), Colin Kaepernick (SF, $24)
RB: DeMarco Murray (TEN, $38), Spencer Ware (KC, $23), Zach Zenner (DET, $11)
WR: A.J. Green, (CIN, $37), Mike Evans (TB, $33), Jeremy Maclin (KC, $28), Chris Hogan (NE, $16)
TE: Travis Kelce (KC, $23), Hunter Henry (SD, $17)
DEF: New England Patriots ($16)
