Going all-in on a Deshaun Watson-DeAndre Hopkins stack and pairing that with stud RBs Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette looks like the path to an optimal FanDuel cash lineup this week. Helping gamers get there is Allen Lazard ($4,500) aka the Lazard King, the apparent last man standing in Green Bay’s receiving corps. None of Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Geronimo Allison practiced on Wednesday or Thursday, throwing their statuses in doubt. Lazard flashed when Aaron Rodgers called his number in Week 6, catching 4-of-5 targets for 65 yards and a TD. Tyler Boyd came in at an eyebrow-raising $5,600 despite ranking No. 4 overall with 59 targets. He’s also due for a blowup game and might just do it against the Jaguars, who traded Jalen Ramsey to the Rams. Keep those players in mind when building lineups.
QB
Deshaun Watson (HOU) $8,300: On fire in a stretch of favorable matchups Watson scored a combined 73.14 FD points over his past two games. Perhaps more importantly, the Texans offensive line held opponents without a sack during that span after allowing 13 total in the first four games. Watson should continue to get time to throw: the Colts rank below the league average with 13 total sacks. His completion percentage from a clean pocket (77.6) ranks No. 11 per PlayerProfiler, but that number drops to 39-percent when he’s pressured. Watson’s rushing prowess offers even more upside. He eclipsed 40 yards rushing in Weeks 5-6 and leads all QBs with five rush TDs.
RB
Dalvin Cook (MIN) $8,300: Cook rolls into Detroit ranked in the top-5 at RB in rush yards (583), total TDs (6), and yards created (265). He faces a Lions defense that allows an average of 5.1 yards per carry – tied for fourth-most in the league – and 133.8 rush yards per game. The Vikings run the ball an average of 31.3 times per game (No. 5) and Cook sees the majority of that volume. Detroit just got gashed by Jamaal Williams (14 carries for 114 yards) who added four catches for 32 yards and a score.
WR
DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) $8,000: I’m going right back to Nuk after he tanked in a choice spot against the Chiefs. Too many factors point to an explosive game from one of the best in the NFL. First, Hopkins looks like a prime candidate for positive TD regression having not scored since Week 1. Second, he’ll see a whole bunch of Rock Ya-Sin and/or Kenny Moore who are both beatable cornerbacks. Ya-Sin ranks No. 67 and Moore No. 107 at the position according to PlayerProfiler. Third, the game carries a solid over/under of 47 and will be played indoors. Finally, the narrative for the win: Hopkins and his mom were just featured on ESPN.
TE
Hunter Henry (LAC) $5,700: He’s $500 cheaper than Darren Waller, the only other tight end I really considered this week. While the masses will pay up for Evan Engram ($6,800) that’s too rich for my blood on this slate. Instead, give me Henry, fresh off scoring 26 FD points on an offense that’s short on receiving options. He draws a decent matchup against the Titans but it’s more his price I’m after.
D/ST
Minnesota Vikings $3,800: They’re favorites, albeit on the road, average 8.67 FD points per game and rank in the top-10 in overall DVOA. The Vikes are no strangers to takeaways, and their 11 (six INTs, four fumbles) also rank in the top-10. Priced well below the Bears, Minnesota offers value with upside.
Sample Lineup
QB: Deshaun Watson (HOU) $8,300
RB: Dalvin Cook (MIN) $8,300
RB: Leonard Fournette (JAC) $7,900
WR: DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) $8,000
WR: T.Y. Hilton (IND) $7,600
WR: Tyler Boyd (CIN) $5,600
FLEX: Allen Lazard (GB) $4,500
TE: Hunter Henry (LAC) $5,400
D/ST: Minnesota Vikings $3,800
Week 6 Rewind
Riding with Alvin Kamara was a mistake after he only got in limited practice, and he obviously struggled with knee and ankle injuries while ceding work to Latavius Murray (11 touches, his most of the season). Derrick Henry also should not have been in consideration against a Denver defense ranked No. 8 in DVOA, per Football Outsiders. He face-planted with a season-low 3.8 FD points.
I’ll take process over results with DeAndre Hopkins anytime. In a juicy high-total matchup against the Chiefs, he saw 12 targets and disappointed with 12 FD points. He’s still due for a signature game and hasn’t eclipsed 20 FD points or caught a TD since Week 1. Overall, I cashed one of three 50/50 lineups in a down week.
QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC) 9,200 [19.82, 2.2 x value] QB: Kyler Murray (ARI) $7,700 [28.8, 3.7 x value] RB: Alvin Kamara (NO) $7,900 [10.1, 1.3 value] RB: Derrick Henry (TEN) $6,700 [3.8, 0.6 x value] RB: Tevin Coleman (SF) $5,000 [13.1, 2.6 x value] WR: DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) $8,400 [12, 1.4 x value] WR: D.J. Chark (JAC) $6,500 [5.8, 0.9 x value] TE: Austin Hooper (ATL) $6,400 [21.7, 3.4 x value] D/ST: San Francisco $3,500 [10, 2.9 x value]
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