Cash Game Projections
Cam Newton certainly hasn't been a great fantasy option this year, at least compared to what we saw last year. But, he's in a great spot against what is a 'have not' defense. The Raiders offense has completely carried their defense in 2016, and should continue to do so, but that should make this a high scoring affair. Without Luke Keuchly, the Panthers defense shouldn't be able to hold down the Raiders defense for long, and if that's the case, then once again, game-flow should be high scoring. While I'd love to stack Newton with Greg Olsen, I'm not going to knock Jared Cook after last weeks performance, even with the fumble considered. Cook totaled over 100 receiving yards and was a clear big-play source that could be utilized going forward. His price simply makes sense. If you want to go with the Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson combination, I'm certainly not going to tell you otherwise. These two running backs are absolutely dominating the NFL over the last month, and while their prices are expensive, it's totally worth it. They both have plus match-ups and are in positions to succeed. Brandon Marshall is likely the cheapest he's going to be all season long, and with that considered, against a defense that's been below average for weeks now, he's certainly a viable option in both cash games and tournaments. Jarvis Landry on the other hand, isn't someone i'm interested in. He's on an offense that's struggled to find a consistent running game for the first two years of his career, and now that they have one, it's negatively shifting targets and opportunity away from him. He's certainly cheap, but it's tough to rely on him at this stage. When healthy this year, Tyrell Williams has been a really solid fantasy asset, and should be considered a solid option moving forward. However, in this matchup, he's not something I'm getting to excited about. The Texans secondary has actually played really well this year, despite struggling to stop the run up front. It seems more than likely that the Chargers will attack the Texans through the run rather than the pass. Wendell Smallwood is being thrust into a prominent role this week, and with the matchup and potential role considered, you should be excited. Smallwood has made rookie mistakes this year, but don't confuse that for lack of talent. He's displayed explosiveness and ability to make things happen on multiple occasions this year. Against this Packers defense, it makes sense to target any player, at this stage. The Steelers defense is coming off a really nice game in which they were able to consistently get pressure against a below average quarterback. Now that they aren't facing Andrew Luck, it seems reasonable that they would once again be in play in all formats. They get the benefit of being priced like they're facing Luck, but they aren't. Especially if you want to fit in the expensive running backs, this is a great way to do it.
GPP Projections
Not many differences here. I'm not a huge fan of Ben Roethlisberger on the road, but with the opponent and Andrew Luck being out considered, it's fair to believe that the Steelers will blast through the Colts. Terrance West is certainly a cheap option, and with his workloads considered, this matchup makes sense. He tends to get a big workload in games that the Ravens win, and with no A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard for the Bengals, it's unlikely they'll be able to get out to a lead of any sort. Eddie Royal is a 'desperate times call for desperate measures' play, and while it's certainly something to consider, not big on my list of plays. If I'm looking for a cheap wide receiver in that game, I'd much rather go with the one who isn't playing with a third string quarterback. Kendall Wright has been inconsistent this year, but if you're making tournament lineups, you're willing to embrace that volatility. C.J. Fiedorowicz has been the most targeted player in the Texans offense in quite a few of the most recent games, and while he's not the most talented player of the group, he's benefitting greatly from Brock Osweiler's struggles. Fiedorowicz should be able to find open room to roam with the Chargers defense considered, he should be able to find room to move down the seam. He's still reasonably priced and is locked in as an every week contributor for the Texans.
Stack
Well, um, yea, duh.
Lineup Including StackToolsDFC Stacking Generator:
This is the same as the GPP lineup construction, and it makes sense. The Steelers are not only the top stack of the week, but It's viable to play four of them in one lineup. This is a team that should roll against the Andrew Luck-less Colts.
DFC Stacking Generator: https://www.dailyfantasycafe.com/tools/stackgenerator/nfl
DFC Lineup Optimizer: https://www.dailyfantasycafe.com/tools/lineupoptimizer/nfl
