An exciting 11-game slate in the NFL on Monday morning lies ahead, with 7 games in the early window, and 4 in the late window. The early window is highlighted by the Seahawks and Bengals, with several other matchups to get excited about. In the late window, the Lions take on the Bucs, and Eagles take on the Jets, in two of the more intriguing games. Totals are down this week, with inclement weather expected to impact several games this week, so we need to be careful when selecting our teams to take this into consideration.
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Quarterbacks
Tua Tagovailoa - $16,070
Tua has continued to dominate this season and is well in the conversation for Most Valuable Player. This week, Tua gets to take on a Panthers defence that, whilst at their top-end are exceptionally talented, they do have several injuries, particularly in the secondary. Tagovailoa currently ranks 2nd in passer rating, fourth in fantasy points per dropback, and leads the league in yards per attempt, and passing yards per game. He will get to attack a zone heavy defence in the Panthers this week, and he should dominate.
Justin Fields - $15,880
Fields has finally kicked into gear and appears to be back into the fantasy form he was showing during the middle part of last season. Fields has two straight 30+ scores, and this week gets to take on a Vikings defence that has given up the 8th most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Beyond this, the Vikings have also given up the second-highest adjusted completion percentage, and third-highest passer rating. The biggest concern with taking Fields is the possibility of inclement weather in this matchup, with rain and moderate winds expected. However, if this doesn’t concern you, Fields should eat against this Vikings defence.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey - $18,310
Run CMC continues to absolutely monster at the running back position and leads the league in points per game in fantasy. This week, CMC gets a Browns defence which rates as one of the best in the NFL, however their numbers against the run aren’t as impressive as their pass defence. The Browns rate third highest for missed tackles, fifth-highest explosive rush rate, and fifth-highest yards after contact. McCaffrey ranks top 3 in the league amongst running backs in carries, targets, and redzone touches. With the weather expected to be pretty horrible in Ohio this week, expect the 49ers to lean on the run game, and the short passing game.
Kenneth Walker - $11,840
Walker has been very good again to start this season, and after a bye last week, should be fresh and ready to go this week against the Bengals. The Bengals have struggled against the run, recording the second most missed tackles, third-highest explosive rush rate, and 6th highest yards after contact per attempt to opposing running backs. Walker ranks above average in all these areas, and with a solid discount on the likes of McCaffrey and Bijan Robinson, Walker is a handy cheap option at RB1, or a big play as your RB2/FLEX option.
D’Onta Foreman - $8,000
This selection is a slight dart throw, however Foreman showed last season with the Panthers he can step up and contribute right away. With the Bears’ top two running backs on the shelf, Foreman takes over as RB1, and you can pick him up for bottom dollar. He gets a Vikings defence which has been ok against the run this season, however I like this as a value play here. The other positive for Foreman is the potential for weather, which could turn this into a run-heavy game, which would leave him with a solid floor purely from a volume standpoint. Not a lock, but a cheap option with high-end RB2 upside.
Wide Receivers
Ja’Marr Chase - $17,420
We had Chase last week and boy did he deliver. The Bengals WR1 had 15 receptions for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns, on his way to 55.2 points. This week, Chase gets to take on a Seahawks secondary that has been chippy during the week, and this will surely add to the narrative around Chase having another huge game. In terms of statistics, Chase ranks 4th in the league in first read share, 3rd in target share, 15th in air yard share, and 23rd in yards per route run. These numbers increase again in zone coverage, of which the Seahawks are heavy on. Expect another big game this week, and with Tee Higgins currently listed as questionable, I’m all in on Chase.
DeVonta Smith - $11,580
Since A.J Brown had his little tantrum on the sideline in week 2, he has well and truly taken over as the Alpha in the Eagles wide receiver room. This has hurt Smith, who has seen his numbers, and scores, drop. This week though, I can see both these guys eating, with the Jets’ cornerback room in tatters, with Sauce Gardner and D.J Reed both out. Given how little Smith has been used the past few weeks, I fully expect Head Coach Nick Sirianni to get his WR2 more involved this week. Smith is at a low enough price that an average game won’t hurt you too much, however he has WR1 upside if he’s allowed to eat in this game.
Curtis Samuel - $7,700
Samuel has been a nice little surprise this season, with the Commanders pass heavy offense allowing him to score at a nice clip in fantasy. This week, I love the matchup against the Falcons, with the Falcons defending exceptionally well on the outside, I expect to see Howell get the ball to Samuel in the slot. With 15 targets in the past two games, Samuel has become a genuine safety blanket over the middle for his QB. For a minimum wage wide receiver, you’re getting exceptional value for money, especially if Samuel can manage to a score.
Tight End
Dallas Goedert - $9,600
Goedert bounced back last week, with easily his best game of the season, going for 8 receptions, 117 yards, and a touchdown on his way to 28.7 points. This week, Goedert gets a tremendous matchup against the Jets, who have been horrible at defending tight ends. The Jets allow the most fantasy points per game to tight ends, along with the 9thmost receiving yards. Should eat this week.
Zach Ertz - $7,870
Ertz isn’t going to get you a huge total, given his poor efficiency statistics, however he is a solid volume play in this slate. Ertz currently has a 21.9% target share, 20.6% air-yard share, and 23.8% first-read share. He gets a great matchup too, as the Rams have given up the 5th most points per game to tight ends in fantasy, 2nd highest yards per reception, and 3rd most receiving yards. Ertz has the 5th highest targets per game amongst tight ends and should get fed against the Rams defence.
D/ST
San Francisco 49ers - $7,020
I love the 49ers in this spot, and with this game being totalled as the lowest of the season, is a perfect spot to lean on a strong defence against a poor offense, in poor weather. Their opponent, the Browns, have conceded the 7th most sacks this season, whilst playing one fewer game than most teams. They have also lost their QB, with Deshaun Watson out. P.J Walker will start, who was not averse to throwing the ball away at his time in Carolina. There is a very real possibility the Browns score in the single digits in this game, whilst giving up sacks and turnovers. Love this play.
Philadelphia Eagles - $6,920
The Eagles take on the Jets, with this game being totalled at 42.5, indicating a low scoring affair is likely. The Jets have conceded the 9th most sacks this season, whilst the Eagles have the 9th most sacks this season. The Eagles have managed 8 takeaways this season, good for 10th in the league, whilst the Jets have given the ball away 8 times. The Eagles D/ST hasn’t been great this season, but this could be a nice little breakout game for them.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
