Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers

Total: 41.0
Line: MIN by 3.0

QBs
Case Keenum: America’s favorite quarterback (self-dubbed) had another competent performance against the shorthanded Falcons defense last week, throwing for 227 yards and two touchdowns on just 30 pass attempts. He’s now thrown the ball 31 times or less in four of his last six games, which does give some concern to his stability, as the Vikings defense is playing lights out football. His touchdown rate over the last five games sits at 6.5 percent, much higher than it should be. Even elite quarterbacks wind up in the 5-6 percent range, so we have to be concerned with some regression going forward. Against the Panthers, it may not happen, as they’ve allowed 7-of-12 quarterbacks to throw for multiple touchdowns, including three quarterbacks to throw three of them. I’d consider this an average matchup for Keenum, and one where I wouldn’t be shocked to see him do well or do poorly. The Panthers are in a must-win situation at home, and it’s concerning that this could be another low-scoring game. With Keenum’s hot streak and knowing that the Panthers should shut down their run game, it’s hard to say he’s not a high-end QB2, because he is.

Cam Newton: Even though the offense hasn’t been clicking on all cylinders the last few weeks, Newton has stretched his streak of 17.5 or more fantasy points to four games. His rushing totals over the last seven games: 60.7 yards per game and 0.43 touchdowns. That amounts to 8.65 fantasy points right away, which is two passing touchdowns. All we need for him to be started as a QB1 is 200 yards and one touchdown. Against the Vikings, that may be tough for him to do. They have held four quarterbacks touchdown-less, including Matt Ryan last week. No quarterback has thrown for more than two touchdowns against them, and you have to figure that Xavier Rhodes will take away Devin Funchess, leaving him with sketchy options in the passing game. Expect a lot of McCaffrey, which can get him to QB1 levels. I’d play him as a high-floor, low-ceiling QB1/QB2 this week, though I’d try to avoid in DFS. The lone bright spot is that Kirk Cousins rushed for two touchdowns against them in Week 10, something Newton can do.

RBs
Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon: It’s clear what’s going on with this backfield, as Murray is the primary running back in a 60/40 split, with McKinnon seeing the majority of passing-down work. Fortunately, both can work in fantasy with a team whose defense holds down many of their opponents, meaning there’s plenty of work to go around. This is going to be a tough one for them, as the Panthers have been what is the best run defense that they have seen in a long time. On the year, the Panthers have allowed just two running backs to top 71 yards on the ground, and none to top 85 yards, which Alvin Kamara did last week. Knowing that, Murray is going to need to find the endzone to hit value, something that only three non-Saints running backs have done against them. He’s seeing a ton of volume, so he’s still on the high-end RB3 conversation, but it’s not a week where he’ll win you a DFS tournament. There have been eight running backs to rack up 30 or more receiving yards against them, which would best suit McKinnon’s game. He’s still seeing 9-14 carries as well, so it’s not like he’s only getting points from his receptions. He should be considered a high-end RB3 in standard, but a solid RB2 in PPR. If you really wanted to play one in DFS, it’d be McKinnon, though I probably wouldn’t.

Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Stewart: It’s not just the Panthers who can stop the run in this game, as the Vikings have actually allowed the fewest points to running backs this season. But, is it fair to call McCaffrey a running back? I mean, is he actually a running back when just 40.4 of his 176.5 PPR points have come on the ground? He’s seen at least five targets in every game, and has totaled at least 27 receiving yards in every game. Stewart is the one you want no part of against the Vikings, as they have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher and have allowed just three rushing touchdowns. McCaffry should be able to rack up yardage, as there’ve been five different running backs to total 41 or more yards through the air against the Vikings. McCaffrey is an every-week RB2 in standard leagues and a low-end RB1 in PPR formats, though his upside is capped in this matchup. There are better DFS options than him this week.

WRs
Adam Thielen: Leave it to a matchup against a team that was down two starting cornerbacks to hold Thielen under five receptions. He was the only wide receiver in the league to have at least five catches in every game, so we don’t want to overreact. The Vikings got slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn back last week, and even though this will be a matchup against his former team, it’s hard to say that it will matter against Thielen. Munnerlyn hasn’t been great in coverage this year, allowing 17-of-22 targets to be completed, though he’s yet to allow a touchdown in coverage. Thielen is still going to get opportunities against Daryl Worley to do that, and he’s allowed four touchdowns on just 44 targets. Thielen is right back in the high-end WR2 conversation. His price has gone up so much in DFS that it’s hard paying that much for him in cash lineups, because he’d essentially need a floor of 17 PPR points, a number he’s hit four times this year. He’s still in play for tournaments, though.

Stefon Diggs: Ugh. That’s Week 13 summed up for Diggs and his owners. He’s now failed to see more than seven targets since Week 3, and that’s disappointing, because in each game he saw eight or more targets this year, he’s totaled at least 93 yards and scored two touchdowns in each game. Crazy to throw him the ball more often, right? He’s going to see James Bradberry in coverage this week, and while it’s a tougher than average matchup, all Diggs needs is the targets. Knowing how well the Panthers stop the run, he may just get those targets. There have been just three wide receivers to post top-12 numbers against the Panthers, but there’ve been 10 of them to post top-24 numbers, and 18 of them to post top-36 numbers. Continue trotting Diggs out there as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3. He makes for an excellent tournament play coming off the performance he had against the Falcons when a lot of people played him.

Devin Funchess: It really helped Funchess’ overall performance last week that Marshon Lattimore decided not to play. Because of that, Funchess took advantage of his size against the undersized Ken Crawley. That won’t be the case in Week 14, as Xavier Rhodes isn’t one to be bullied around. He’s coming off a game in which he held Julio Jones to just two catches for 24 yards. He’s the reason the Vikings have allowed just one top-10 performance this year, which went to Marvin Jones on Thanksgiving. Seeing at least six targets in each of the last 11 games makes him playable, as all it takes is one touchdown from the 6-foot-5 receiver, but against Rhodes, it’s not likely. He’s just a low-end WR3 this week.

TEs
Kyle Rudolph: He’s now scored three touchdowns in the last two weeks and is turning into a more consistent option for Keenum. With a healthy Diggs, Rudolph isn’t going to get the nine targets he was during Weeks 5-6, but he’s making the most of his 4-7 targets as of late. He’s now finished with at least 8.7 PPR points in each of the last eight games, including four games with 13.6 or more points. The Panthers have allowed just two tight ends to haul in more than 36 yards against them, but they have allowed multiple touchdowns to two different tight ends (Zach Ertz and Darren Fells). He’s in the TE1 conversation, and someone who you can take the chance on in a few tournament lineups.

Greg Olsen/Ed Dickson: I don’t know if Olsen will play at this point, but even if he does, I’m waiting to see him get through an entire game, and not only that, but see him be productive in that game. Foot problems are something that’s haunted pass catchers over the last few years, and knowing that Olsen is older than most tight ends, it may take longer recovery. Think about Sammy Watkins and how bad his numbers were affected last year while trying to play through the pain. It’s not as if the matchup is great against the Vikings, either, as there’s been just two tight ends who have totaled 40 or more yards against them all season. If he sits and Dickson plays, it’s tough to trust him in general. They may see more targets than usual, knowing that Funchess has a brutal matchup, so don’t cross them off your tournament sheets, but don’t even think about them in cash lineups.

San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans

Total: 43.0
Line: HOU by 2.5

QBs
Jimmy Garoppolo: While the stat-line may not show it, Garoppolo played well in his first start with the 49ers. He was poised, didn’t force anything, and took what the Bears gave him. Working with the wide receivers he is, you’re going to see underwhelming stat-lines more often than you’d like. Against the Texans, though, it may not matter much. They’ve been giving points to fantasy quarterbacks ever since J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus went down in Week 5. Since that time, they’ve allowed an average of 20.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, and that’s not including bonuses. There have been just two quarterbacks who’ve totaled less than 18.3 points, and they were Joe Flacco and Kevin Hogan, two quarterbacks who haven’t gotten anything done against anyone. The best part – they’ve been getting it done with minimal attempts, as just one quarterback has surpassed 37 attempts. Knowing his situation and that it’s hard to have a massive ceiling, he’s still just a QB2, but a high-end one that you can stream in a pinch. He’s not the worst cash-game quarterback, though his price is higher than I’d like on DraftKings. Not sure if he has the upside with those pass-catchers to win a tournament.

Tom Savage: Is it fair to say Savage has been better than expected? Well, that’s not saying much, as my expectations were for him to throw his first NFL touchdown pass at some point. He’s now thrown five of them over the last five games, so it’s not the worst possible scenario. The 49ers are allowing the second-most fantasy points per pass attempt, right behind… the Texans. This should be fun. The 7.5 yards per attempt they’re allowing is extremely high, as that number is typically reserved for the better quarterbacks in the league. Knowing that they don’t have an answer for Hopkins makes me like Savage in 2QB leagues. No quarterback has left a game against the 49ers without at least one touchdown, whether it be passing or rushing, and 8-of-12 have had multiple touchdowns. Savage is a mid-to-low-end QB2.

RBs
Carlos Hyde: I’m not sure what it is, but Hyde has had multiple bad games this year, and I’m not talking about the stat-sheet. He looked lost against the Bears in Week 13, as he couldn’t get a grip on the ball, wasn’t finding the holes, while Matt Breida was. It wasn’t the first or second time this year this has happened, either. That’s an issue going into the fantasy playoffs, but let’s be honest, you’re starting a running back who gets anywhere from 16-23 touches per game. The fact that Garoppolo looks good will only benefit Hyde, as he should have more scoring opportunities going forward, though it seems like his targets may take a slight hit. He saw five targets in Week 13, so it’s not like they went away completely. The Texans have shown signs of weakness over the last couple weeks, allowing the combination of Ravens and Titans running backs to run for 272 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Prior to those games, they’d allowed just one rushing all year. Of the five running backs who saw more than 14 carries against them, every one of them totaled at least 77 total yards and three of them scored a touchdown. Hyde is still in the low-end RB1 conversation. You don’t want to use him in cash-games this weekend, but he’s a solid tournament play in what might be a higher scoring game than most anticipate.

Lamar Miller: Oddly enough, he’s someone who seems to have gained value with Savage under center, as he’s been extremely consistent as of late, totaling at least 9.4 standard points in three straight games. The 49ers have been a team to allow tons of carries to opponents, as there have now been 13 running backs to total at least 13 carries against them. We’ve played 12 games to this point. Knowing that D’Onta Foreman is out for the year, Miller is in line for 18-plus touches this game. Despite all those carries, they have allowed just six rushing touchdowns on the season, and Miller isn’t a goal-line guy either, so a multi-touchdown game is very unlikely. In fact, outside of Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley, they haven’t allowed 20 PPR points to any running back. Because of that, Miller is a high-floor RB2 and usable in cash-games, though you can likely do better. I’d shy away in tournaments.

WRs
Marquise Goodwin: One of the smarter decisions I made last week (there wasn’t many) was to play Goodwin in my cash-game lineup. He’d been posting solid numbers with C.J. Beathard, and the move to Garoppolo made me feel even better about it. This week, there’s even more reason for optimism, as the Texans defense is allowing a ridiculous 7.8 yards per attempt to opposing quarterbacks, which is the fourth-highest total in the league. They have allowed a league-high six wide receivers to hit the 20-point mark in PPR formats. Knowing that Goodwin is the only real threat on that team, and that he ranks 25th in yards among all wide receivers, we may be onto something here. Most will say that he’s boom-or-bust, but he’s now totaled at least 68 yards in each of his last four games, and five of his last six. Play him as a WR3 who has upside for more. His price came up quite a bit this week, so while he’s cash-game viable, he’s better for tournaments.

Trent Taylor: Overshadowed by what was a great game for Goodwin, Taylor showed rapport with Garoppolo, connecting on all six of his targets for 92 yards. It was more than double his previous season-high. On top of that, he did it against a Bears defense that has defended the slot extremely well. Taylor will match-up with Kareem Jackson, the Texans best cornerback, but even he has allowed a 75 percent catch rate in coverage this year. Taylor has the looks of someone who can be used as a desperation WR4 in PPR formats. If he posts another solid game this week, he’s going to be a thing going forward.

DeAndre Hopkins: He didn’t go bonkers against the Titans like he did last year, but he was close, as there was a touchdown overturned on what would have been another circus catch in the end zone. He’s in a zone right now and there isn’t a cornerback who can stop him. This week should be fun, as the 49ers don’t even have someone in the same zip code as Hopkins from a talent standpoint. There have only been three wide receivers to see 10 or more targets against the 49ers, and all of them scored at least 19.3 PPR points. Hopkins is going to go bonkers this week and is playable in all DFS contests. He just might be the WR1 this week.

Will Fuller: It seems likely that Fuller will return this week, but you guys know my rule. If someone is returning from a multi-week injury and they’re not a superstar, give them a week to see how they hold up. Fuller’s skill-set doesn’t match Savage’s arm, so it’s not as if he’ll be a great start even when healthy.

TEs
George Kittle/Garrett Celek: Ever since Kittle went down with an injury, he’s trailing Celek in snaps. He’s only played 25 and 27 snaps the last two weeks, his two lowest totals of the year, while Celek played 48 and 53 snaps. Whenever we see a timeshare at the tight end position, it makes things even dicier than usual at a very unpredictable position. The Texans have allowed multiple tight end touchdowns on two different occasions this year, but trusting Kittle or Celek as anything more than a tournament hopeful in DFS wouldn’t be wise. If forced to pick one, I’d go Celek as he’s playing almost double the snaps.

Stephen Anderson: It seems like we’ll have Anderson as the starting tight end this week with C.J. Fiedorowicz suffering another concussion. Once that happened, Anderson stepped in and saw 12 targets against the Titans, hauling in five passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. On the year, Anderson has double the yardage of any other Texans tight end, so you could say that he’s already been a thing. Against the 49ers, though, it’ll be tougher sledding, as they’ve allowed just one tight end to finish with more than 34 yards against them this season. They’ve played against Evan Engram, Jason Witten, Zach Ertz, Jimmy Graham (twice), Jordan Reed, and Greg Olsen, so it wasn’t lack of competition. Anderson is going to be a popular streamer this week, but it’s not an ideal spot for production. He’s more of a middling-TE2 who will need to score to make it into TE1 territory.

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills

Total: N/A
Line: N/A

QBs
Jacoby Brissett: This is the case of two teams/players going in entirely different directions, and Brissett’s isn’t the right one. He’s struggled over the last two weeks, completing just 58 percent of his passes for 5.7 yards per attempt, with one touchdown and two interceptions. One game was against the Jaguars, but the other was against the lowly Titans secondary. The Bills started the year strong, then had a rough patch from Week 7-11, but appear to be back on track after holding the combination of Tom Brady and Alex Smith to just 457 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions the last two weeks. This game will also be taking place in Buffalo, as the Colts have struggled to get things going in outdoor games this year. There have now been 10 quarterbacks who failed to throw for more than one touchdown against the Bills, so feel free to look elsewhere, even in 2QB leagues.

Tyrod Taylor/Nathan Peterman: We don’t have any information on who will start as of the time I’m writing this, but knowing that Taylor isn’t practicing on Wednesday, it’s not looking good for his availability. The matchup against the Colts is pristine, as they just lost their third cornerback for the season, and that’s on top of their lost starting free safety. Assuming Peterman starts, there isn’t a player on this team you should feel comfortable starting outside of LeSean McCoy. The Colts have held just two quarterbacks out of the top-15 this year, but my money would be on Peterman being the third. Do not play him with your playoff hopes on the line. If Taylor plays, even he is just a weak QB2 because it’s highly unlikely he’d be able to move around very well.

RBs
Frank Gore and Marlon Mack: Outside of the Chiefs, everyone and their grandmother have been able to run the ball on the Bills, as they’ve now allowed 802 yards on 141 carries (5.69 YPC) with 11 touchdowns in their last four non-Chiefs games. Yeah, there’s no typo in there, they’ve been that bad. The issue is that Gore hasn’t topped 82 yards all season and he’s topped 62 yards just once. There have been six games where he’s caught one or zero passes, which presents us with a low-floor. Some will point to the fact that he’s the No. 23 running back on the season, but he’s finished inside the top-20 just twice all season. It’s about durability and job safety for him. Knowing that he’s down to his last four games, expect them to continue riding him into the sunset. He’s a legitimate high-end RB3 for this game and I haven’t said that in a while. You can use him in cash-games, though I’d avoid in tournaments. Mack is just a player you can stick into your lineup in a pinch and hope he breaks off a big play, meaning he’s just an upside RB4/RB5.

LeSean McCoy: Knowing that the Bills are likely to start Peterman, McCoy has to be in line for a ton of work, right? I mean, there have been five different running backs who have totaled at least 17 carries against the Colts, so there’s plenty of work to go around. He’s totaled at least 14 touches in each of the last three games, and there’s very little chance the Bills are down big in this game. Since coming to the Bills, there have been nine games in which they were at home and favored. In those games, McCoy has averaged 21.1 attempts for 122.2 yards and 1.3 touchdowns on the ground, with another 3.3 receptions for 19.0 yards through the air. He’s a must-play RB1 and one that I’d play aggressively in DFS.

WRs
T.Y. Hilton: It’s hard to say that you like Hilton this week, knowing how the Bills have played the last two weeks. I mean, Brandin Cooks (likely his best comp) was just held to two catches for 17 yards. Sure, Hilton always offers you that one big play potential, but it’s all about probability. Knowing that he got one last week against Jacksonville makes the odds dissipate the very next week. It does help him if Tre’Davious White is out with his concussion, but Hilton moves all over the formation, so it’s just part of the matchup. He’s in play as a high-risk, high-reward WR3 this week whose appeal goes down if the weather is bad in Buffalo, which is possible.

Zay Jones: There will be a lot of DFS players who are waiting to slot Jones into their lineups depending on whether or not Taylor suits up, though I don’t think it matters all that much who’s under center. A fun fact about Jones is that he’s failed to record higher than a 33 percent catch rate in 8-of-11 games this year, so Taylor obviously doesn’t have much rapport with him. In fact, Peterman was seemingly more willing to target Jones. Knowing that the Colts have lost their starting free safety and top three cornerbacks from the start of the year, it’s difficult not to like Jones in some capacity. The Colts have allowed 21 wide receivers to finish as top-36 options this year, so why can’t Jones. I can’t say he’s better than a WR4 with how efficient he’s been, but he’s really not a bad play this week. He’s cheap enough to consider in cash lineups, and he should have enough targets to consider for tournaments.

TEs
Jack Doyle: There was a stretch this season where Doyle was a must-play, but we’ve passed that time now that he’s failed to record more than 16 yards in two of the last three games. His targets are still intact, though, which is what you want when choosing a tight end. He’s totaled at least five targets in every game since Week 2 and has seen seven or more targets on seven different occasions. The Bills haven’t allowed touchdowns this year (2) to tight ends, but they have allowed a decent number of yards to them. They have allowed 766 of them to be exact, which is fifth-most in the league. Doyle was never a touchdown guy anyway, as he’s got just two on the season, but he’s most definitely in the TE1 conversation this week, and one that I’d consider in cash lineups for DFS.

Charles Clay: He’s reportedly still dealing with some injuries, as he was supposed to practice on Wednesday, but didn’t participate at all. We’re to the point with him where he needs to show us something before we trust him. Since returning four weeks ago, he’s failed to see more than four targets in any one game, and has eclipsed 27 yards just once. Surprisingly, the Colts have allowed just one top-10 tight end all year and it was way back in Week 5 when they were semi-healthy. Clay is just a risky TE2 this week.

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals

Total: 39.5
Line: CIN by 6.5

QBs
Mitch Trubisky: It hasn’t been a great season for the Bears, and that includes Trubisky. There’ve been times where we’ve seen brilliance, but others where he looks like a rookie who can’t get on the same page with his wide receivers. The Bears need to get him some weapons this offseason. Going against the Bengals isn’t going to cure anything for their problems, though it’s not as bad of a matchup as most would think. Since their bye in Week 6, they have allowed at least 14.6 fantasy points to each of the seven quarterbacks, including Brock Osweiler, Jacoby Brissett, and DeShone Kizer. A big part of the reason is because four of the last five quarterbacks have rushed for at least 20 yards, including 39 to Kizer and 51 to Marcus Mariota. Still, knowing the Bears are unlikely to throw the ball more than 30 times, it’s hard to say Trubisky is an option. He’s now finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points in six of his eight starts. He’s just a low-end QB2.

Andy Dalton: He’s played extremely well as of late, but will be coming off a brutal Monday night loss that all but destroyed their playoff aspirations. The Bears defense has played better than most expected, but they’ve struggled on the road over the last two seasons. There’s been just one quarterback to throw for 300 yards against them and that was Matt Ryan way back in Week 1. The concern is that the Bears can’t hang around, leading to a bunch of rushing attempts for either Mixon or Bernard. If Dalton doesn’t throw a lot, it’s concerning because the Bears have allowed the 10th-fewest fantasy points per attempt this season. Still, Dalton is a safe play, especially if Mixon misses this game, because they won’t want to run Bernard into the ground. Dalton belongs in the middling QB2 conversation (high-end if Mixon is out), though he’s not a recommended DFS play. There’s a reason this game has one of the lowest totals on the slate.

RBs
Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen: What a mess. In a crush-spot against the 49ers, Howard carried the ball just 13 times for 38 yards and caught one pass for -5 yards. So even in a great game, he finished outside of the top-30 running backs for the fourth-time in the last six games. It’s not a great game-script for him in this one, either, as he fails to get work in the passing game (for good reason). It does seem that they will get a break with Vontaze Burfict, the top Bengals linebacker who was taken out on a stretcher in the Monday night game against the Steelers. They missed him the first three weeks of the season to suspension, where they allowed 297 yards on 84 carries (3.54 YPC) and one touchdown, so it wasn’t as if they were bad without him. Howard is more of a high-risk RB2 this week, and one that I’d avoid in DFS cash-games. Cohen should be someone who benefits from the matchup, but with the way John Fox has handled him, it’s impossible to trust him in season-long leagues as anything more than a desperation RB4. The Bengals have struggled against pass-catching running backs, so maybe you can take a shot in tournaments, though I’ve been down that road before.

Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard: It’s tough to say whether or not Mixon will be cleared in time for this game. Not only is the concussion protocol often tight for those with a seven-day window, but with just five days to get cleared, you shouldn’t be counting on him this week. Bernard looked good filling his shoes on Monday night, totaling 77 yards on 13 carries and chipping in another 19 yards through the air. The Bears have still yet to allow a 100-yard rusher against them, but have allowed eight different running backs finish as top-24 options against them. They’re allowing 3.99 yards per carry and have allowed eight touchdowns. It’s the definition of an average defense, though Bernard is at home as a heavy favorite. He’s got the looks of a solid RB2 this week, provided Mixon misses the game. He’s in play for cash-games this week, too, as his price wasn’t adjusted due to his game being on Monday night.

WRs
Dontrelle Inman: As is always the concern with starting a Bears receiver, they threw the ball just 15 times in Week 13, though two of those passes went to Inman for 21 yards and a touchdown. He’s still seeing over a 20 percent target share since joining the Bears and is clearly Trubisky’s favorite target. This should be a game where there are more attempts, though the Bengals secondary isn’t a pushover like the 49ers were last week, though they may be without Adam Jones, who left the game against the Steelers with a groin injury. The game-script should include more passes this week, so Inman remains in the WR4 conversation, though his upside is limited.

Kendall Wright: He’s been seeing a solid target share over the last five weeks, as his 27 targets in that time have been 18.6 percent of Trubisky’s attempts, which would amount to 5-6 targets in a 30-attempt game. His matchup may be the best on the team against slot cornerback Darqueze Dennard, but I’m still not trusting him as anything more than a WR5. He doesn’t have tournament-winning upside.

A.J. Green: He had an amazing 12 targets in the first half against the Steelers on Monday night where he dominated, but saw just four in the second half and did nothing with them. The myth that the Bears stop opposing No. 1 wide receivers has no truth to it, as there have been eight receivers to finish top-15 against them, and seven of them have been No. 1 wide receivers. Kyle Fuller has no chance to hang with Green, which is who the Bears will ask to cover him. If he gets the targets, he’s going to produce. Knowing that Mixon is likely to miss this game, and that Bernard isn’t really a 20-carry guy, this may be a 10-plus target game for Green. Start him as you normally would, as a WR1. He can be used in both cash and tournaments this week.

Brandon LaFell: The definition of a boring fantasy option, LaFell has now totaled in between 0.5 and 5.5 fantasy points in 10-of-12 games this year. The only times he finished with more was when he scored. This doesn’t strike me as a matchup where that will happen, knowing that Green should dominate Fuller, so LaFell is just a WR5 who needs to score in order to not completely burn you. He’s not even in play for tournaments, as his ceiling is likely 60 yards and a touchdown.

TEs
Adam Shaheen: He played just nine snaps last week, behind both Dion Sims and Daniel Brown, so it makes no sense to even contemplate him in fantasy leagues. The Bengals have allowed just three TE1 performances anyway.

Tyler Kroft: His role has somewhat dissipated over the last three weeks, though touchdowns kept him afloat against the Broncos and Browns. He’s seen just nine targets in the last three games, not nearly enough to start him confidently in season-long leagues. The Bears have faced five different tight ends who have seen at least seven targets against them and just two of them have totaled more than 4.9 standard fantasy points. Because of that, it’s not a recommended spot to play Kroft, as the passing game should have lower volume once again.