This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Drew Brees (NO, $38)
There's no question that this isn't the high-flying Saints passing attack that we've come to know and count on for fantasy success. Brees has thrown for two or fewer touchdowns and less than 300 yards in the overwhelming majority of his games this year. However, his matchup against the Buccaneers is as good as it gets. They've been regularly giving up at least 280 passing yards and multiple touchdowns to their opponents despite having faced a number of underwhelming passing offenses. There is little chance that the Tampa Bay secondary will have any answer for this passing attack, and Brees should have one of his better games of the season.
RB: Adrian Peterson (ARI, $24)
After his huge performance in his first game with the Cardinals, Peterson came crashing back to earth while running for fewer than two yards per carry against the Rams. After that disappointing effort, many fantasy managers will view his big game against the Buccaneers as a fluke. Although that may be true, he'll have an amazing matchup against the 49ers, who are getting absolutely smashed by opposing running backs. It'll be a surprise if Arizona doesn't lean upon their running back by giving him at least 20 carries, and he should come through with a big game.
WR: Tyreek Hill (KC, $28)
Obviously, Hill is the poster child for GPPs, as his big-play ability can allow him to smash his value in any given contest. It's no surprise that in the three games he's posted at least 90 yards from scrimmage, he's also scored a TD. The Cowboys will certainly be looking to contain the Chiefs rushing attack, and that should allow him opportunities to get behind the defense for a big play or two. He'll be facing a defense that's ill equipped to handle such a dynamic playmaker, and this is just the type of matchup in which the Kansas City playmaker can produce an amazing stat line.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Drew Stanton (ARI, $27), Jared Goff (LAR, $27)
RB: Ameer Abdullah (DET, $19), Orleans Darkwa (NYG, $17), Alfred Morris (DAL, $10)
WR: Marquise Goodwin (SF, $13), DeSean Jackson (TB, $17), DeVante Parker (MIA, $17)
TE: Jared Cook ($17), A.J. Derby (DEN, $13)
DST: Philadelphia Eagles ($20), Green Bay Packers ($15)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
Quarterback
Deshaun Watson (HOU, $42)
Even though Watson's massive weekly ceiling makes him look like the perfect GPP lineup option, he'll have a dream matchup Sunday against a beleaguered Colts defense. Not only are they one of the worst units in the league against the pass, they also lost two of their top playmakers, Malik Hooker and John Simon, in Week 7. Watson will have an extremely safe floor, but he'll also have eye-popping upside, and despite his salary there won't be many better cash options this week.
Running Back
Lamar Miller (HOU, $25)
Even if you're using Watson in cash games, there should be plenty of production for Miller as well. He's been seeing a very solid workload over the last four games, averaging 16 carries and four targets. In a game where that the Texans should be playing with a lead a lot against the Colts, he should continue to see plenty of opportunities to carry the ball. Although he struggled to gain yardage recently against the Browns and Seahawks the last two weeks, he averaged 4.3 yards per carry against the Chiefs and Titans in the previous two games. He'll have little trouble finding success against a defense that gave up at least 169 yards and two touchdowns to both the Jaguars and Titans backfield duos over the past three weeks.
Mark Ingram (NO, $33)
When the Saints traded away Adrian Peterson, that became the catalyst for Ingram becoming a major workhorse each week. He's gone from being a marginal fantasy option to an exceptional one, and not only does he now have a very high floor, he also has a massive ceiling. He'll be facing a Buccaneers defense that's in the bottom third of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and there aren't many safer plays on the board this week than him.
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas (NO, $27)
It may seem odd to recommend both a running back and wide receiver from the same team as cash-game options, but playing at home against the Buccaneers presents a unique opportunity. Not only is Tampa Bay one of the worst defenses against the run, they're one of the absolute weakest units against the pass. With Thomas seeing at least eight targets in just about every game, his typical floor is rock solid, and his matchup also provides fantasy owners with a great ceiling as well.
DeAndre Hopkins (HOU, $33)
Watson clearly has no issue force feeding his top receiver with targets. Hopkins has seen at least 12 targets in the majority of his games this season, and now he has an amazing matchup against the Colts, who are one of the most porous units against WRs in the entire league. Not only should he find himself with a solid yardage total, which makes him safe as a cash option, it's also likely that he'll be targeted in the red zone, giving him the potential to score a TD as well.
Larry Fitzgerald (ARI, $22)
When Fitzgerald faced this defense in Week 4, he was held to four receptions for 32 yards, but he did score a TD as well. Even though he'll play this contest with Drew Stanton instead of Carson Palmer, Fitz runs short routes out of the slot that Stanton will have no trouble connecting on. A more important difference in this rematch will be that Adrian Peterson is in the mix, and as a result, the Cardinals offense provides a credible threat to run the football for the first time since the loss of David Johnson. That should allow Fitzgerald the opportunity to see far less attention than he saw the previous matchup, and he should be able to take advantage of one of the weakest secondaries in the NFL. He's also seen at least 10 targets in three of his last five games, so he's almost a lock to see plenty of volume.
Tight End
Zach Ertz (PHI, $30)
Not only has Ertz emerged as an elite weekly fantasy option, he'll also have an incredible matchup this week. He's already posted at least 80 receiving yards in four different contests while becoming a major red zone threat by scoring a TD in almost every game since Week 3. He'll face a Denver defense that's allowed at least 73 yards to four different tight ends, and now they'll face one of the very best in the business in Ertz. It would be a surprise if the Eagles coaching staff didn't make it a primary focus to get the ball frequently into the hands of their playmaking TE in this plum matchup.
Defense/Special Teams
Jacksonville Jaguars ($21)
The Jaguars will face the Bengals, and although Cincinnati is in the middle of the league in terms of fantasy production allowed to opposing defenses, this projects to be an outstanding matchup for Jacksonville. In terms of offensive strategy, the Bengals like to use a quick-hitting passing attack, but facing an elite secondary, they'll likely struggle on the road to have success in that facet of the game. That should lead to the elite Jacksonville pass rush getting excellent pressure on Andy Dalton, which should lead to plenty of fantasy production.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Dak Prescott (DAL, $37), Alex Smith (KC, $33)
RB: Aaron Jones (GB, $24)
WR: Dez Bryant (DAL, $27), Demaryius Thomas (DEN, $21)
TE: Jimmy Graham (SEA, $22), Delanie Walker (TEN, $20)
DST: Seattle Seahawks ($17)
