The so-called “toilet bowl” was… actually pretty exciting.
The fashion in which the Dolphins lost to the Redskins last week was absolutely hilarious. The poor guys played their hearts out in what may have been their lone realistic shot to win a game all season long and actually put themselves in a position to come from behind and tie up the game.
And then they came literally nowhere close to converting the game-winning opportunity as opposed to forcing OT. Oh well. Such is life for a Miami Dolphin. Why they’re continuing to roll with Ryan Fitzpatrick is an entirely different discussion.
The other thing that came out of this game was a fantastic performance from Terry McLaurin, a name featured in a good amount of winning daily fantasy lineups despite his questionable availability heading into the game. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find the Scary Terry’s of Week 7 in this week’s DFS Guide.
Because DraftKings and FanDuel offer different prices for certain players and have a different cash total overall, one option may be better for a certain app than for the other app, and that will be noted. The first price is their DraftKings cost, and the second is the FanDuel cost.
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew ($5,400/$6,900)
This backfired last week, but I think the case is that the Saints simply outmatched the Jaguars in a number of different areas. I didn’t give their defense enough credit, and I also think that people just happen to have bad weeks. But Minshew Mania should return with a vengeance in a matchup against the putrid Cincinnati Bengals who are in the bottom-five in keeping fantasy quarterbacks from putting up numbers. Additionally, Minshew is capable of using his legs to generate offense and the Bengals’ linebacker crew has struggled with mobile quarterbacks this season, surrendering over 50 yards per game rushing to opposing signal-callers. Yes, this number is inflated by Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson and other explosive runners, Minshew is capable of scrambling and could find a lot of room on Sunday.
Other options: Josh Allen ($6,500/$7,700); Kyler Murray ($7,700 – FANDUEL ONLY)
Running Back
Frank Gore ($5,200/$6,000)
It doesn’t seem fair to just choose a running back that plays against the Dolphins each week. But it’s just so easy, and as the saying goes, all is fair in love and war and daily fantasy football. And so the choice had to be made between the ageless veteran Gore, flawlessly coined as the “Betty White of running backs” by Brad Evans on the Home & Home radio show, or the young but hobbled Devin Singletary who will return from injury against Miami. I’m going with Gore here because he’ll set the tone early, and though it might seem like the inevitable garbage-time period at the end of the game would lead Singletary to get more work, they’ll probably a) want to conserve his health and, more importantly, b) the game might not be all that one-sided. Who knows what will happen when Ryan Fitzpatrick is at the helm?
Whichever way you look at it, the one near-guarantee is that the Bills won’t be trailing by a lot at any point, meaning Gore’s workload should mean reliable fantasy production.
Kerryon Johnson (DRAFTKINGS ONLY – $5,100)
When Detroit let Theo Riddick go in the offseason, it seemed that Kerryon Johnson was ready to adopt a much larger role as a receiver. Though he hasn’t exactly fulfilled that expectation, catching just nine balls in five games, the Vikings could be a team that ups his involvement in the passing game. Three running backs have scored against the Vikings through the air, and this game should stay competitive the whole way through. I actually like the Lions to have the edge in this one too. The Vikings are boosted due to the fact that they faced the Bad News Eagles’ secondary and inflated everyone’s performance. Conversely, the Lions have been screwed over by the refs week after week, and their record is worse than the team’s talent would indicate. $5,100 dollars is really good value for a top-10 RB option.
Other options: Derrick Henry ($5,800/$6,500), Jeff Wilson Jr. (if Raheem Mostert can’t play – $4,200/$4,800)
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Hopkins ($7,800/$8,000)
True WR1s have thrived against Indy this season. Keenan Allen went for 8-123-1 and Julio Jones went for 8-128-1. The other three weeks were against the Titans, the Raiders, and the Chiefs sans Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins (Byron Pringle went for 100 and a touchdown, though). Simply put, this is the week that Nuk should regress to the mean and dominate the Colts secondary. An offensive battle is always possible at the hands of the Texans, and Fuller’s drops mean that Watson will look back to his most trusty target. Look for a big week here and a return to greatness for Hopkins.
Brandin Cooks ($5,400/$6,700)
Cooper Kupp is Jared Goff’s favorite target, and it’s actually been hard to trust the usually-reliable duo of Cooks and Robert Woods. But speedy deep threats have played very well against the Falcons… take a look at Nelson Agholor (8-107-1), AJ Brown (3-94-2), T.Y. Hilton (8-67-1), and, oh yeah, Will Fuller (14-217-3). All it takes is one for Cooks, who hasn’t broken off too many major plays this year. He will, and this could very well be the week where he does it. Another shootout is in the making between these two disappointing teams, and with Gurley’s availability in question, Goff will be airing the ball out a lot.
Other options: Golden Tate ($5,800/$6,100), Dante Pettis ($4,100/$5,100)
Tight End
Austin Hooper ($5,300/$6,600)
Fantasy football’s number one tight end so far gets to play in a potential shootout while his reeling team plays against another team desperate for a win. The Rams newly acquired Jalen Ramsey, meaning Julio Jones will have his hands full all game long. Another good option for Matt Ryan? Austin Hooper, who has been targeted consistently throughout the year and seems to be as reliable an option as there is at the position. He’s quietly been one of the biggest breakouts of 2019 and is my favorite for the top-scoring tight end of the week though he’s only priced as the fourth-best option.
Other options: T.J. Hockenson ($3,600 – DraftKings only), Jason Witten ($3,700/$5,000)
Defense
San Francisco 49ers ($4,100/$5,000)
There are a few fairly obvoius choices this week that you should save some of your budget for, but the 49ers seem like the best one to me. Though they’re priced lower than the Bills and the Patriots, they have the easiest matchup in my eyes. The Bills have to deal with the Dolphins, which isn’t a difficult matchup at all, but Ryan Fitzpatrick can randomly throw for three touchdowns in any given effort. As for the Patriots’ opponent, the Jets have been fairly decent on offense whenever Sam Darnold has been able to play, and this game could be quite competitive. However, the mess of a franchise that is the Washington Redskins almost lost to the Dolphins last week, who is the worst team in the NFL without question. I like the odds this week when they square off against arguably, and statistically, the best team in the NFL.
