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DFS Three And Out 2019 week 16

By Bob Harris

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

I'm In

Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Mixon finished last week's game -- a very tough matchup against the Patriots -- with 136 yards on 15 carries, good for a healthy 5.4-yard per carry average. He also caught three passes for 20 yards. That performance highlights the fact that Cincy's run game has become effective since coaches overhauled the blocking schemes and started using more toss plays with Mixon at midseason. He's run for 146 and 136 yards in the past two games against the Browns and Patriots, leaving him 75 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. He had 54 touches combined in those games. But it goes beyond that. Mixon has been solid and consistent with at least 110 rushing yards or a touchdown in seven of his past eight games (while accounting for 83.2 percent of the Bengals' running back touches over that span). Meanwhile, as ESPN's Al Zeidenfeld notes, the Dolphins have allowed the fifth-most RB DraftKings points and the fourth-most rushing yards per game. In fact, Miami has allowed 178.3 total yards per game to running backs this year, including 169 total yards and three touchdowns to the Giants backfield last week (when Saquon Barkley crossed the goal line for the first of his two touchdowns against the Dolphins last Sunday, it was his first score since Week 8). According to FantasyPro's Mike Tagliere, there hasn't been a game this season where they've allowed fewer than 114 total yards to opposing running backs.

DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins

Parker signed a four-year contract extension last week and the 2015 first-round pick didn't let that distract him from his breakout 2019 season. Parker pulled in four catches for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns, perfectly demonstrating his upside in a loss to the Giants. In fact, Parker has found the end zone four times in his last three games. As ESPN's Mike Clay noted, ignoring a Week 13 game in which he went down with an injury after 17 snaps, Parker has reached 12 fantasy points in 10 consecutive games. He's also been targeted at least 10 times in five games and has scored a total of eight touchdowns during the span. Parker is fantasy's No. 7 wide receiver since Week 4. Yes, as NFL.com's Michael Fabiano pointed out, the Bengals defense can be tough on perimeter receivers, Parker is feeling like a matchup-proof play to me at this point -- and an underpriced one ($6,900 on FanDuel; $6,800 on DraftKings) at that.

Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons

Who doesn't love this play? Our own Kyle Dvorchak is ALL over Hooper (albeit more as a cash game play). Bobby Gomes co-signed on it during this week's FootballDiehards Podcast. My cohost on the FootballDiehards on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Mike Dempsey, is all in, too. And me being a total cheapskate (who is ready to pay more for Parker than I'd like), the price is as appealing as the matchup here. As Zeidenfeld wrote, "Hooper's price on DraftKings has to be a mistake." Zeidenfeld went on to explain that when healthy, Hooper ($6,000 on FanDuel; $4,400 on DraftKings) brings a tremendous floor of targets into every game -- a floor that gets boosted due to the Calvin Ridley injury. It might be get a further bump with Julio Jones dealing with A.J. Bouye and Russell Gage going up against D.J. Hayden. Beyond that, Jacksonville has allowed the fifth-most yards per play, the third-most yards per reception and the fifth-highest TD rate to opposing tight ends. Looking for evidence? Try last week's box score, which shows you that Darren Waller pounded the Jags with 8 catches for 122 yards in Oakland.

I'm Out

A.J. Brown, WR, Tennessee Titans
Brown's development over the course of his first season cannot be ignored. With eight catches for 114 yards and his seventh touchdown of 2019, the rookie has already surpassed Oilers/Titans great Chis Sanders (823 yards) for the third-highest receiving yardage total by a rookie in franchise history. Brown (893 yards this season) became the first Tennessee player with consecutive 100-yard receiving games since Nate Washington against the San Diego Chargers in 2013. So yes, he's on a roll. Also yes, this is a tougher matchup. As Clay reminded his readers, Brown ($7,200 on FanDuel; $7,000 on DraftKings) has yet to be shadowed in a full-time capacity this season, but that could change this week if the Saints decide to prioritize fantasy's No. 2 wide receiver over the past month. If they do, Marshon Lattimore will be on Brown on nearly all of his routes, as Brown aligns on the perimeter 89 percent of the time. But Clay added that Brown aligns at left perimeter receiver 52 percent of the time, which is Lattimore's home when not shadowing, so these two will see plenty of each other regardless of New Orleans' game plan. Beyond that, am I the only one thinking Ryan Tannehill is going to turn back into Ryan Tannehill at the worst possible time?