Well hi there. You must be new ’round here. Name’s Josh and I have quite the deal for you. All you gotta do is click this here link and you get to sign up for a chance to win some cold, hard, cash. No catch, no gimmicks, just you winning some nice greenbacks. All ya gotta do is beat the rest of us in this week’s FanDuel freeroll. Pick your team, stay under the salary cap, and score more fantasy points than everyone else. Simple, right? Even more simple, since I’m going to show you all the bargains right now:
Christian Ponder ($6,900 at DET): I’m just as surprised to be putting this name here as you are to be reading it, but the second-year QB has shown marked improvement. Ponder has multiple TDs in two of his three games and has thrown for 245 or more yards in just as many (and the lone exception there is last week’s win over the 49ers where the Vikings were trying desperately not to screw up a good thing). Maybe those sound like Alex Smith numbers, but even Smith put up 226 yards with two TDs against the woeful Lions secondary.
Mikel Leshoure ($6,000 vs. MIN): Speaking of the Lions, Leshoure has a chance right now to be what Kevin Smith was at the end of last year: A dynamite player who tops the weekly charts like Mariah Carey (no relation). Sure, last week was a fluke, but at his current salary, he has a chance to be just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby.
Willis McGahee ($5,400 vs. OAK): This has the potential to be my Kevin Smith pick this week – that is the one where I’m scrambling into the comments of this post at 12:50 PM Eastern Sunday morning and telling you to not listen to what I said two days before (sorry bout that). But, hurt or not, it’s hard not to love a starting RB with the potential for a full workload at this low a salary. Heck, even Michael Turner still costs $6,100. But do have a backup plan in place for any Sunday morning surprises.
Michael Crabtree ($5,400 vs. NYJ): I have a lot of friends who are Jets fans. They are just hanging their heads like, well, the replacement refs, at the thought of having to continue the season without Darrelle Revis. Their loss is your gain, since you can pretty much slot in anyone in the opposing passing attack into your lineup. This week, that’s Crabtree.
James Jones ($4,900 vs. NO):Â As disappointed as Jets fans are right now, that’s how angry Packer fans are after Monday night’s debacle of a game. The Saints defense without Greg Williams hasn’t shown the ability to stop a housefly and Green Bay’s team is going to be pissed about starting the season 1-2. The Over/Under on this game is 53.5 and that might still be too low – for Green Bay alone. I’m expecting hordes of fantasy points here and even a third or fourth tier option like Jones to get in on the action.
Mike Williams ($5,200 vs. WSH): 38, 32, 31. No, those aren’t some LOST-like mysterious winning lottery numbers, it’s the points per game the Redskins defense has allowed this season. With that kind of buffet of fantasy points available, you have to think somebody other than Vincent Jackson or Doug Martin will cash in. My pick is Williams.
Tony Gonzalez ($6,000 vs. CAR):Â You get the highest-scoring TE in FanDuel PPG with a good matchup for less than you’re paying your QB. This pick doesn’t take a lot of thought.
Shayne Graham ($5,000 vs. TEN):Â You want your kickers to be on one of those “good-not-great” offenses that might stall just outside of the red zone. Houston really seems to fit the bill, and Graham has the range and accuracy to nail his opportunities when given his shot.
Houston DEF ($5,000 vs. TEN): Reports of the Texan defense’s demise might have been greatly exaggerated. Wade Phillips is still Wade Phillips, even if he doesn’t have Mario Williams to throw around as a human wrecking ball. Houston is giving up just 14 points a game this year and a visit from Jake Locker could net you some extra points as well.
What are your thoughts? Feel free to share your under-the-radar picks for this week in the comments.
