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DFS Three And Out 2016 week 7

By Bob Harris
Bob Harris Three DFS players I'm investing heavily in for tournament (GPP) play this week. ... And one I'm not.

I'm in:

Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
As the Washington Post noted, with each leading offenses that possess a plethora of weapons, Cousins and Matthew Stafford could wind up engaging in a shootout this weekend. Yes, Stafford has a better passer rating and 14 TDs, but Cousins ranks sixth in the NFL, with 1,695 yards (283 per game) and 10th in touchdown passes (10). Looking deeper, the Redskins’ offense is tied for fifth in the league in total offense (2,323 yards) and 15th in points per game (23.7). The Lions rank 15th in total offense (2,096 yards) and 12th in points per game (25). But as ESPN.com pointed out, opposing quarterbacks have completed 73.7 percent of their passes for 17 touchdowns, three interceptions and 8.2 yards per attempt when going up against the Lions this season and no team gives up more fantasy points to QBs this season. Remember, Case Keenum torched them for 321 yards and three touchdowns last week. Given all that, I'd might already lean toward Cousins in this even though I like both. But if the matchup wasn't sufficient, the price would be. Cousins ($5,900 on DraftKings and $7,300 on FanDuel) is more affordable than Stafford ($6,400 on DraftKings and $7,900 on FanDuel). And I'm a cheapskate. Everybody knows that.

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will be missing their top running back when they take on the 49ers in San Francisco on Sunday, but that might not matter much considering how poorly the Niners are playing against the run. Indeed, fresh off yielding 312 rushing yards in a blowout loss at Buffalo, the 49ers are giving up a league-worst 174.3 yards per game on the ground. So, with Doug Martin (hamstring) sidelined by a setback, Rodgers will get the call again. The 5-6 tailback is coming off a 101-yard game in Tampa Bay's win over Carolina. In addition, a depleted receiving corps and the team's desire to keep Jameis Winston from trying to do too much further ensures a run-heavy approach. Price? Oh yeah. Rodgers ($4,300 on DraftKings and $5,600 on FanDuel) is quite affordable. Have I mentioned I'm cheap?

Hunter Henry, TE, San Diego Chargers
While Antonio Gates, 36, has been battling back from a hamstring injury, Henry has established himself as one of Philip Rivers’ favorite weapons. Henry, who played at Arkansas, has 19 catches for 310 yards and leads the team with three receiving touchdowns. He is one of four Chargers with receptions of 50 yards or more. Worth noting: Rivers has averaged 302 yards passing and a 117.4 passer rating and he has no interceptions against 13 touchdown passes in the past four meetings, all victories, against the Seattle-style defense that the Falcons run. Adding to the fun, the Falcons don't run it all that well. The Falcons have allowed 27.7 points per game, 26th in the NFL, this season (while San Diego has scored the second-most points in the league through six games). Want more? Only one defense (Cleveland) has given up more fantasy points to tight ends than the Falcons have this season. More? Hunter's price ($3,600 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel) is right. Sold! On the cheap!

And yes. There are, once again, a number of players I'll be working to shoehorn into tournament lineups this week. The list includes Andy Dalton, Blake Bortles, Marcus Mariota, Rivers, DeMarco Murray, Jamaal Charles, Devonta Freeman, Mike Evans, Chris Hogan, Travis Benjamin, Jamison Crowder and Jack Doyle -- who is incredibly cheap this week (I like that in case you hadn't heard).


I'm Out

Matt Forte, RB, New York Jets
So I might as well be using Forte as the embodiment of how I feel about all the Jets' skill player this week. With Geno Smith taking over for Ryan Fitzpatrick, I'm not eager to start anybody involved in the team's passing attack. That said, if New York is going to do anything coming off a QB change on a short week, it's going to be Smith hooking up with Brandon Marshall going up against a Ravens secondary that's been hammered by injuries (Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham finished with a career-high 222 yards on 8 receptions with a pair of long touchdowns against the Ravens last weekend). That weakness for Baltimore will be helpful if the Jets find themselves playing from behind. And yes, that's become the norm for New York thanks to their own defense, which is one of the worst against the pass in NFL. As Metro Media's Tony Williams reminded readers, early on it appeared that the Jets would roll with a ground-and-pound approach as Forte was almost unstoppable (196 yards and three scores) in the first two weeks of the season. But Forte and backup Bilal Powell have combined for just 28 carries the past two weeks. That tough sledding continued Monday night in Arizona, where Forte only tallied 19 rushing yards. His recent four-game slump has only provided 41 rushing yards per game. Meanwhile, as ESPN.com pointed out, over the past four weeks, no team has allowed fewer rushing yards per game than the Ravens. All in all, the situation makes it hard to account for Forte's higher-than-expected price ($5,500 on DraftKings and $6,700 on FanDuel) -- although this one has more to do with expected production than me being a cheapskate (which, if I haven't mentioned, I totally am).


Carson Palmer is also on the no-fly list this week, as well.