Whether you’ve played Daily Fantasy on Yahoo before or are giving it a try for the first time, this weekly column will take a look at the DFS landscape, revealing whom I like building lineups around, stars to fade, undervalued plays and bargain bin options to help you construct a better team.
Lineup building blocks
Christian McCaffrey ($42) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Last week, McCaffrey saw his fewest touches in a game since October and gets a far easier matchup Sunday. CMC leads the NFL with 17 touchdowns, and he faces a Seattle defense allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. The Seahawks have been vulnerable to receiving backs and have seen their run defense fall dramatically over the last five weeks. The 49ers have the highest implied team total on the DFS slate, so McCaffrey is a building block.
Justin Fields ($34) vs. Detroit Lions
Fields hasn’t had a monster fantasy game since Week 5, but that should change Sunday. His thumb should be healthier following Chicago’s bye, and his 30 rush attempts over his previous two games reveal a ton of fantasy upside. Detroit’s pass defense has been getting destroyed latelyand they’ve struggled especially against mobile quarterbacks. The Lions have ceded the fifth-most passing touchdowns and the fourth-most fantasy points to QBs this season. Fields is a threat to finish as this week’s top-scoring quarterback.
DJ Moore ($25) vs. Detroit Lions
Moore is coming off a bye and should continue to benefit from the return of Justin Fields. Moore has averaged 119 receiving yards and a touchdown over his last six full games with Fields. He’s been fantasy’s No. 2 wide receiver with Fields this season. The Bears get a Lions defense completely falling apart that’s allowing the second-most points per drive over their last six games. Assuming weather cooperates, Moore is in a smash spot facing a Detroit secondary yielding the seventh-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to wide receivers.
Star to Fade
C.J. Stroud ($33) @ New York Jets
Stroud is in the middle of the best rookie QB season ever and already a star, but he’s a fade this week. He’s gotten 9.2 YPA at home but 7.4 on the road, and the Jets are allowing the second-fewest YPA (6.2) and the fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to quarterbacks. Remarkably, just one QB (Josh Allen) has reached 10 fantasy points against New York since Week 6, and that includes facing Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Tommy DeVito. Stroud has a salary of a top-five QB this week, so he’s not a DFS consideration.
Undervalued Options
Davante Adams ($23) vs. Minnesota Vikings
Adams was shadowed by L’Jarius Sneed before Las Vegas’ bye but should continue to see an outrageous target rate from Aidan O’Connell. Adams’ salary remains moderately priced for a receiver who leads the league in air yards share (46.1%), and he should be busy Sunday facing a pass-funnel Vikings defense. Minnesota shuts down the run but is allowing the sixth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to wide receivers this season. A potential shadow matchup against Byron Murphy shouldn’t shy you away from using Adams in DFS lineups this week.
Zack Moss ($25) @ Cincinnati Bengals
Moss was a DFS bust last week against a tough Titans run defense but saw encouraging usage without Jonathan Taylor. Moss played 94% of the snaps and got every Colts running back carry, including seven inside the 10-yard line. He was No. 2 among running backs in fantasy usage and was unlucky being stopped at the one-yard line. Moss will remain Indy’s workhorse with Taylor still out this week in a much better matchup. The Bengals’ run defense has been one of the worst in the league over the last five weeksso turn back to Moss in DFS this week.
Rashee Rice ($18) vs. Buffalo Bills
Rice still isn’t being used as a full-time player, but he’s led Kansas City in targets each of the past two games. The rookie ranks top 15 in the league in target rate and top five in fantasy points per route run thanks to playing with Patrick Mahomes. And Rice is set to become a bigger part of the Chiefs offense down the stretch. Kansas City is at home Sunday with the second-highest implied team total on the slate, and Rice could be busy with Isiah Pacheco ruled out and Travis Kelce showing his age.
Bargain Bin
Desmond Ridder ($22) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ridder has averaged 9.2 fantasy points on the road but 17.6 at home this season (about what Trevor Lawrence has averaged this season). Atlanta is incredibly run-heavy, so Ridder’s upside is limited, but he’s a DFS option at the near minimum. The Buccaneers have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and that includes recent matchups against Bryce Young, Gardner Minshew and Will Levis. The Falcons have a solid team total, so Ridder could sneak in as a top-12 QB this week.
2023-12-08 22:12:19
#DFS #building #blocks #values #star #fade
