Here at Roto Street Journal, we fancy ourselves as fantasy addicts. Fantasy football has evolved into something much more than your standard league draft. With the opportunity to enter new lineups every week through Daily Fantasy Sports, the RSJ will be giving you the best plays for your lineups, in order to win you some cash. From the high-priced superstars, to the penny stock sleepers, we have you covered to piece together the optimal lineup week by week.
Note:
- Standard DraftKings salaries are used when creating these lineups.
- The Thursday Night, and Monday Night Football games are excluded from tournament play
Quarterbacks
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Top Shelf
- Aaron Rodgers ($7,600) – You know the drill by now. Rodgers has been throwing 40+ times and has three straight games of 3+ touchdowns. Nothing should change against the Titans.
- Tom Brady ($7,400) – Don’t let the Seahawks defense scare you aware from this likely low ownership. I doubt the Patriots run more than 15 times, and Brady had the greatest Super Bowl fourth quarter ever against one of the NFL’s greatest defenses. Plus, he’s Tom Brady, meaning he’s basically God.
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Retail Price
- Jameis Winston ($6,300) – Winston looks to stay hot against an average Bears defense after steamrolling through Atlanta’s secondary. Luckily, Mike Evans has been practicing and should be on the field Sunday, solidifying Jameis’ high ceiling in the passing game.
- Dak Prescott ($6,100) – Dak has been on fire of late and has consistently started to find the end zone on a regular basis. With Tony Romo fully cleared to play now, Prescott cannot afford any bad games because he could be pulled in an instant.
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Bang For Your Buck
- Trevor Siemian ($5,600) – Siemian gets the luxury of playing New Orleans in the dome this week. The injury to running back CJ Anderson really hurt the run game, thus opening up more options for passing. Having to keep up with Brees should keep Siemian throwing.
- Carson Wentz ($5,400) – Sure Wentz had a rough game last week throwing no touchdowns and two picks, but now he faces Atlanta at home. The Falcons give up the most points to QBs so if you are looking for extreme potential at a very cheap price then Wentz is your guy.
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My Pick
- Marcus Mariota ($5,700) – As we’ve noted before, Mariota is playing the best football of his career right now. A matchup at home against Green Bay should be better than what Luck put out last week on the road. With the Packers’ stout run defense, Murray could be limited thus opening up the passing game for the Titans. Mariota’s ankle should be fine for Sunday.
Running Backs
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Top Shelf
- David Johnson ($8,400) – The monster that is DJ finds himself in a wet dream against the league worst 49ers run defense. The last time these teams played, Johnson went 27-157-2 while adding 3 catches for 28 yards. Shut up and take my money.
- Jay Ajayi ($7,000) – Ajayi has been a man possessed his last three games, all rushing for over 100 yards. The Chargers allowed DeMarco Murray to score 20+ points last week, and Ajayi’s usage isn’t declining anytime soon. He should continue his hot streak this week.
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Retail Price
- Lamar Miller ($6,400) – Miller returns from bye with a nice gift of the Jaguars defense. Nobody is blind to Osweiler’s struggles meaning Miller has been getting serious volume in the offense. He offers a pretty high ceiling for an averaged price RB.
- Jordan Howard ($6,000) – After a spectacular performance against the Vikings, Howard reestablished himself as the guy in Chicago’s backfield. He looked both elusive and explosive in that game and should regain his feature role against a Bucs defense that has struggled against the run.
- Mark Ingram ($5,400) – It’s not too often I’ll include a player going against the Broncos defense, but here we are. It’s no secret that Denver has struggled against the run, and Ingram ran like a man possessed last week. You can see how bad we wants to prove that he’s the guy the Saints need.
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Bang For Your Buck
- Tim Hightower ($4,600) – The reasoning is pretty much the same as Ingram’s, but Hightower actually out-touched him against San Francisco. Sean Peyton will still give him carries and he could very well find the end zone.
- Darren Sproles ($4,300) – Sproles was declared the lead back in the Eagles offense meaning his usage should see an increase. Coach Doug Pederson has said he wants Wentz to throw less going forward, meaning more carries could be heading Sproles’ way.
- Kapri Bibbs ($4,000) – Bibbs managed to find the end zone last week off a 69 (nice) yard catch which was his only one for the game. His usage was very limited, but if you are looking for a homerun cheap play consider Bibbs. He’s active in the passing game and plays against New Orleans in the dome. There’s some potential here.
- Dion Lewis ($3,000) – Here’s an even bigger homerun play right here, the utter definition of boom/bust. We have been waiting all season for Lewis’ return and can’t know for sure how much the Patriots will use him in his possible return. If he’s thrown right into the fire, think Shane Vereen in the Super Bowl the last time these teams played (11 catches 64 yards).
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My Pick
- Melvin Gordon ($7,100) – Gordon has been such a horse for the Chargers and isn’t slowing down. He finds himself facing the Dolphins defense who gives up an average of roughly 135 rushing yards per game. Gordon should continue to run wild against Miami and I love his ceiling at home.
Wide Receivers
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Top Shelf
- Mike Evans ($9,000) – Evans is a terrific play this week against the Bears who have given up the most points to receivers by Draftkings standards. After an absurd 11-150-2 game against Atlanta, Evans could see similar success Sunday.
- Larry Fitzgerald ($7,600) – Fitz has been amazing this year despite how old is he. This is his second matchup against the 49ers where we went for 6-81-2 the last time they played. The Cardinals offense should feast here, there’s tons of potential to go around.
- Jordy Nelson ($7,200) – Jordy has built that chemistry back with Rodgers after missing all of last season with injury. He’s gone for 94 yards and a score in back to back games, and Jordy should be able to thrive against the Titans with Rodgers continuing to sling.
- DeAndre Hopkins ($7,100) – It’s not super comfortable to put Hopkins in your lineup, but he gets the chance to face Jacksonville. Hopkins needs to have that big type of game that made him a first round pick this year.
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Retail Price
- Kelvin Benjamin ($6,800) – Kelvin needs to get back on the grind here and a matchup at home with Kansas City should be nice. The Chiefs have been susceptible to receivers and Newton needs to get back to his MVP status. Kelvin’s been getting the yardage, he just needs to score.
- Jordan Matthews ($5,900) – This is a super plus matchup here for Matthews at home against Atlanta. The Falcons were DESTROYED by Mike Evans, and clearly Matthews is no Evans but the opportunity for a big game is there. With this medium price tag, there’s a very high ceiling for Matthews.
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Bang For Your Buck
- Rishard Matthews ($4,200) – Here’s a good stacking option to pair with Mariota. Matthews has scored in four of his last five and has proven to be such a red zone option for the Titans as well as the guy Mariota looks to when things break down. The Packers secondary should be easy to produce on, making this value to much to pass on.
- JJ Nelson ($4,200) – Nelson had burst onto the scene in his last game going for 8-79-2. Coach Bruce Arians has declared him a starter and his game changing speed makes him a real weapon in the offense.
- Adam Humphries ($3,700) – Humphries has started to make a name for himself as the Bucs #2 guy alongside Evans. It should be a pass happy offense that has the opportunity to find Humphries for a decent day. There’s a higher ceiling for such a low priced guy.
- Chris Conley ($3,500) – Conley could see his stock boost with the absence of Jeremy Maclin for Kansas City. Facing the Panthers, Carolina is good defending the run, but struggles against the pass. With Alex Smith back, I could see more passing opportunities for Conley to be productive.
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My Pick
- Alshon Jeffery ($6,600) – What a difference a quarterback makes. The return of Jay Cutler was huge for Jeffery who caught his first touchdown in what seemed like forever. The Bears offense actually looked functional with Cutler at the helm, so I love Jeffery here against the Bucs. He should see a high number of targets and we all love the “contract year” storyline/motivations going on.
Tight Ends
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Top Play
- Travis Kelce ($5,600) – While this is tough to write, Kelce finds himself in a great spot. Mentioned above, Maclin could very well be out this week which should make Kelce the go to guy against the Panthers. Just don’t get ejected this game bud.
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Bargain Plays
- Zach Miller ($3,600) – Miller has been very consistent this year earning him a TE1 tag. Jeffery offers the most upside from Cutler’s weapons, but Miller provides a high floor for cheaper tight end options.
- Lance Kendricks ($3,000) – I really like this play here with Kendricks against the Jets. He’s been getting a steady amount of targets in the offense and now finds himself in a favorable matchup. If he finds the end zone this game, he’ll have huge ROI on such a low price tag.
Defenses
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Top Play
- Arizona Cardinals ($3,700) – The Cardinals are at home this week against the 49ers. Let that sink in real quick. This game could get ugly fast.
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Bargain Plays
- Carolina Panthers ($3,200) – Sure Carolina has struggled this year, but you have to like their chances at home against the Chiefs. Alex Smith is just coming off an injury, along with RB Spencer Ware. The top receiving option of Jeremy Maclin is also likely out.
- New York Jets ($2,800) – Here’s a stretch play as the Jets have just been a mess. Luckily, they are at home this week against Case Keenum and the Rams. Not exactly the most intimidating offense, but one that can be prone to turnovers.
