Week 14 FanDuel NFL Value Picks

Howdy folks, I’m changing the format of this article a bit in order to maximize the amount of value I can bring while saving me time. My wife is eight months pregnant with our second daughter and we’re in the process of moving into our first house so things are crazier than Gary Busey and Jon Gruden locked in a room together. There will be less of me rambling (thank God, I know) and more of me talking straight value and my reasoning behind the picks. For those of you who actually enjoyed listening to me go off about this or that (what the Hell is wrong with you?) I‘ll still be writing other pieces, just not weekly. Let’s roll up our sleeves and dig in.

Value Town

Carson Palmer $7100: Is there anyone who doesn’t think the Raiders won’t be behind and forced into chucking the rock early? You in the back with your hand up, go out in the hallway. The added bonus is that with the Broncos breathing down their necks they’ll have pull out all the stops to try and keep the division lead.

Rex Grossman $6200: Same as above, only with an infinitely less talented quarterback. That’s why he’s cheaper doncha know? I can easily see 2-4 turnovers, but since good fantasy offense outweighs bad fantasy offense I see 15+ points this week.

Brandon Saine $4900: James Starks is still nursing an ankle injury and Ryan Grant has looked as impressive as a manatee on rollerblades. Saine has shown good pass-catching ability (I’ve heard that’s good in the Packers offense) and could settle into a nice role down the stretch. If it happens this year I believe Sunday is his breakout day.

Roy Helu $6900: The risk of getting Shanahaned is omnipresent, but even that jerk is running out of options worthy of replacing Helu short of calling up Larry Johnson or Clinton Portis (you think I’m kidding.) The Patriots are on the slate and Helu might just go hog-wild.

CJ Spiller $5900: After fumbling over himself to a day that showed why he was a first round pick, Spiller gets the Chargers who were most recently shredded by one Maurice Jones-Drew, especially in the short passing game. Spiller is an open field back built for turning dump offs into big plays and I wouldn’t be surprised if he matched or exceeded last week’s point total.

Marcel Reece $5000: One week after swearing up and down that Reece would be a focal point of the offense, he did nothing but, uh, well…..run up and down the field. Receiving only two touches, the often dynamic back figures to play an expanded role once again if the Raiders skill positions are sidelined with injuries. Keep an ear to the wire as his value is completely in flux.

Marion Barber $5600: In some of the most devastating news of the year, superstar and all around good guy Matt Forte is most likely done. The Barbarian has lost a few steps since his glory days in Dallas, but he’ll receive enough touches to make his price tag worth it.

Darrius Heyward-Bey $5600: Much like Marcel Reece above, DHB’s value will ebb and flow with the health of his teammates. Given the matchup he’s a strong play regardless of their status, but if Jacoby Ford or Denarius Moore can’t go he gets a huge bump.

Santana Moss $6200/Jabar Gaffney $5900: Rex Grossman was listed above and he’ll have to throw to someone this week if the Redskins hope to keep up with the Patriots (that’s called a platitude for those of you keeping track at home.) I’d say either guy could potentially have a 20 point day so figure out which one you like best and give it a whirl. For the record my guy is Gaffney here, just a hunch.

Tedd Ginn Jr. $4700/Kyle Williams $5100: Cheap players plus amazing matchup equals potential. Neither player is particularly skilled so there’s not much more to say.

Michael Crabtree $6200: Crabtree is coming along nicely as the player we all imagined he would be when drafted. After starting the season slow he’s accumulated 37 catches for 473 yards and 2 touchdowns in his last 7 games. He’s goes into week 14 facing one of the leagues worst secondaries in Arizona.

Brad Smith $5000: I love it when players have midseason breakouts and Smith is a man after my own heart in that regard. The Bills are struggling to put out anything remotely resembling football, and Smith has stood out as a bright spot going for over 70 yards each of the past two weeks. He’s cheap and on fire, so roll with him until the candle burns out.

Damian Williams $5300: The Titans will be behind and they will be behind early. If they have any chance of defeating the Saints they’ll have to rely on Matt Hasselbeck’s (or possibly Jake Locker?) arm. If that happens, look for Williams to come out with a potential line of 5-80-1.

Golden Tate $5000: Pete Carroll is 100% behind his guy as the new WR1 in Seattle, and while that doesn’t mean a whole lot it makes him a steal at $5000 against a pathetic Rams team. Don’t sleep on his above average athleticism either, he has the ability to dazzle.

Brent Celek $5200: Michael Vick is back, and while the Dolphins have proven to be a tough team defensively, they’re giving up over 60 yards a game to tight ends. I think Celek gets in the endzone and posts around 14 points.

Vernon Davis $6000: I’ve not been a huge believer in Davis this season as his role has been drastically altered, but against the run-bottling Cardinals on Sunday I believe the 49ers will be forced to throw a little more and that bodes well for their most intimidating receiving presence.

Miami Dolphins $5100: No matter which quarterback is at the helm, the disarrayed Eagles have been turnover machines this season. Of all the cheap defenses I think the Dolphins have the best chance for huge day should Vick turn into old Vick.

Thanks for reading, Seacrest out.

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