WOAHHHHHHH BABY!!!!! WHAT A WEEK!!!! Clear the deck folks, Jimbo is ready for takeoff! Channeling my inner Hannibal from The A-Team, I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER! Tony Pollard, D’Onta Foreman, Tyreek Hill, De’Andre Hopkins, DJ Moore, Tua, Kenneth Walker, the hits just kept on coming and coming and the dollar signs kept cha-ching’ing.
Let’s ride!
QUARTERBACKS
Kirk Cousins $6,200 (at WAS)
I like spending down at QB this week with a handful of options to choose from and Cousins would probably be the highest I go, especially after his last inspiring performance. He showed some wheels on the touchdown run and upgraded at tight end with the arrival of TJ Hockenson. It just feels like he’s due for a big passing game in the early timeslot.
Justin Fields $5,300 (vs MIA)
The Justin Fields come-back tour might officially be on after these last two weeks. The passing numbers and touchdowns are up, while the running game is on full display as Fields is flashing that true Konami Code upside. Dropping 26 DK points against an elite Cowboys defense is impressive, so I like his odds for another solid game against the Dolphins in what should be a positive game script for Fields.
Trevor Lawrence $5,200 (vs LV)
A potential pivot from Fields here, Trevor Lawrence has struggled mightily but could be in a great bounce-back spot here against the Raiders. We just watched Andy Dalton put up solid numbers against them, why can’t Lawrence do the same? He hasn’t had multiple touchdown passes since Week 4 so some positive regression is in play, and some squeaky wheels need to be greased.
Other intriguing options:
Geno Smith $5,800 (at ARI), Taylor Heinicke $5,400 (vs MIN), Marcus Mariota $5,300 (vs LAC)
RUNNING BACKS
Aaron Jones $7,400 (at DET)
It looks like the Packers finally figured out that Jones is their best weapon on offense and should get him the ball more often than not. He finally broke 20 carries last week, and he’s still being used in the passing game which is a huge plus. The Lions here are a terrible defense that should present no challenge for Jones to carve up.
Travis Etienne $6,300 (vs LV)
Travis Etienne is coming off elite workhorse usage, seeing 27 touches last week in London. He’s an electric playmaker and the best option the Jags have on offense. I would expect another high-usage game for him, paired against the Raiders’ bad defense.
Rhamondre Stevenson $6,200 (vs IND)
The true RB1 in New England, Rhamondre Stevenson has been one of the few lone bright spots for the Patriots offense. He’s supplanted Damien Harris as the starter (who’s missed two practices in a row with an illness). Should Harris end up missing the game, I’d love Stevenson even more, but I already like him quite enough. He gets great volume in a run-heavy offense, they’ll be favored at home in a positive game script, and he catches a handful of dump-offs from whoever is at quarterback.
Deon Jackson $5,200 (at NE)
A flip from the Stevenson play, Deon Jackson will be the chalk with Jonathan Taylor missing Week 9. Nyheim Hines was just traded to the Bills, opening up the backfield for Jackson to claim for his own with Taylor shelved. In Jackson’s one start this year, he finished with 28 DK points, thanks to 10 receptions in the game. Just unreal usage, although I don’t know if I trust Sam Ehlinger to be a dump-off guy and sustain an offense just yet.
Other intriguing options:
Austin Ekeler $8,800 (at ATL), Dalvin Cook $7,800 (at WAS), D’Onta Foreman $6,000 (at CIN), Jamaal Williams $5,900 (vs GB), Cordarrelle Patterson $5,900 (vs LAC), Khalil Herbert $5,800 (vs MIA)
WIDE RECEIVERS
Justin Jefferson $8,600 (at WAS)
Despite not scoring since Week 1, Justin Jefferson has still put up WR1 numbers thanks to a heavy target share. This might be more of a gut pick, but it just seems like he’s due for a blowup game anytime now and the Commanders haven’t exactly been elite. The other top receivers on the slate face tougher matchups for my liking.
De’Andre Hopkins $7,900 (vs SEA)
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Another double-digit target game for DeAndre Hopkins and another 10-plus catch, 100-plus yard game with a score. Even when he’s heavily covered, Hopkins is still open and making crazy catches that prove he’s still elite. He is the focal point of this passing attack and will continue to be heavily targeted at least until Marquise Brown returns. Seattle has a good secondary, but the volume is just too strong here.
Christian Kirk $5,500 (vs LV)
Here’s another ‘get right, gut pick’ with Christian Kirk. His target numbers and volume are all there, the production is just way off. He and Lawrence are too talented for this to continue much longer, and what better recipe for success than a matchup with the Raiders’ secondary.
Josh Palmer $5,100 (at ATL)
Maybe the easiest play of the week here, Josh Palmer is looking at a huge bump in production due to the absences of both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. This would slot Palmer in as the WR1 for the Chargers facing a Falcons defense that is riddled with injuries and ranks bottom of the league against the pass. If PJ Walker just sliced them up, imagine what Herbert could do.
Other intriguing options:
Allen Lazard $6,000 (at DET), Terry McLaurin $5,900 (vs MIN), DJ Moore $5,800 (at CIN), Adam Thielen $5,600 (at WAS), Jakobi Meyers $5,400 (vs IND)
TIGHT ENDS
Gerald Everett $4,800 (at ATL)
Similar to Palmer above, Gerald Everett should see a nice bump in usage thanks to the injuries. The Falcons, while bad in the secondary, are just flat-out horrific against the tight end. Everett has the skill and athleticism to go for a huge day this week.
Evan Engram $3,300 (vs LV)
With three double-digit games in his last four appearances, Evan Engram is quietly producing some TE1 numbers. He has great yardage numbers despite lower reception numbers within the offense. Still, the targets are very encouraging as he’s a reliable weapon for Lawrence and his red zone skills finally got him in the end zone last week.
Other intriguing options:
Zach Ertz $5,100 (vs SEA)
DEFENSE
Buffalo Bills $4,300 (at NYJ)
We saw how awful Zach Wilson looked last week against the Patriots. Now, you put the No. 1 defense against the pass opposite Wilson, minus Breece Hall in the running game, and this could get really ugly.
Carolina Panthers $2,300 (at CIN)
Carolina is a potential punt option. I whiffed on Chicago last week, but Carolina has a sneaky decent defense and we just saw how the Browns manhandled the Bengals on MNF. Without Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati could be struggling to adjust offensively, and they already have a pretty poor offensive line that allows opposing defenses to get to the quarterback at a high rate.
Other intriguing options:
New England Patriots $4,100 (vs IND)
