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There is a 13-game Sunday slate on FantasyDraft which includes the primetime matchup between the Steelers and Patriots. My weekly FantasyDraft article for the Sunday slate will serve as a hybrid between building cash game lineups and GPP lineups. I’ll provide my Cash Game Core that most weeks will include a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end to center your cash game lineups around, followed by a list of other cash-game considerations to pick and choose to fill out your squad. Next, I’ll highlight one GPP stack that I expect will be low-owned but offers significant upside, followed by a list of other low-owned GPP fliers with big-game potential. Read on to find out who I recommend building your cash game and GPP lineups around.
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Cash Game Core
Jameis Winston (QB – TB): $11,100 vs. SF
While I am going back-and-forth on which quarterback to roster in cash games on some other sites, Winston is locked in for my cash game lineup on FantasyDraft where his salary is lower than most of the other options worth consideration. The lack of a strong running game in Tampa opens the door for a funnel offense that focuses on the pass. Winston gets a favorable matchup at home against the 49ers in a potential shootout with a high Vegas total and tight line. The 49ers pass defense ranked 27th Defense-adjusted Value Over Average last season according to Football Outsiders. They were especially vulnerable in the red zone as opposing quarterbacks averaged 2.2 TD passes per game last season for the second-highest rate in the league.
Chris Carson (RB – SEA): $10,600 vs. CIN
Carson should be in a great spot on Sunday with the run-heavy Seahawks playing at home as a near double-digit favorite against the Bengals. The Bengals ranked 26th DVOA against the run last season while yielding 4.94 YPC (31st) and 0.9 rushing TDs (25th) to running backs for the year. Carson was at his best at home last season averaging 92.3 rushing yards with six scores in eight games. I typically don’t like to roster running backs who don’t offer much in the passing game, but there are rumors circling that Carson will see an uptick in his targets this season as he was efficient with is 27 targets last season converting them into 22 catches for 162 yards (7.4 YPC).
Tyler Boyd (WR – CIN): $11,800 @ SEA
There are both pros and cons in regard to how A.J. Green’s absence will affect Boyd. The main pro is that the loss of Green for the first few weeks of the season should result in more targets going Boyd’s way. The con is that also means there will be more defensive attention focused on the Bengals’ new No. 1 wideout. I’ll take the volume and worry about the efficiency later. This week, he will face a Seahawks secondary and pass defense that doesn’t cause much concern assuming that Boyd continues to do most of his work out of the slot. The game script could have the Bengals throwing a lot as a near double-digit Vegas underdog. Volume is our friend in cash games.
Evan Engram (TE – NYG): $8,200 @ DAL
There are a couple of strong value options at tight end on the Sunday slate on FantasyDraft with Engram and Hunter Henry. I prefer to spend the extra $900 to roster Engram. Engram should be one of the primary targets for Eli Manning and the Giants offense this season with a depleted wide receiver corps that is without Beckham on the team and without Golden Tate for the first four weeks due to a suspension. In four games without Beckham last season, Engram averaged 5.5 receptions for 80 yards per game while reeling in one score. The Giants could have a game script that forces them to pass against the Cowboys who ranked 19th DVOA against the tight end position last season.
Other Cash Game Notables:
- Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $10,900 @ MIA
- Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR): $16,100 vs. LAR
- Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN): $12,500 vs. ATL
- Kerryon Johnson (RB – DET): $10,900 @ ARI
- Odell Beckham (WR – CLE): $15,600 vs. TEN
- Mike Evans (WR – TB): $14,600 vs. SF
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – PIT): $13,000 @ NE
- Chris Godwin (WR – TB): $12,000 vs. SF
- Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA): $11,300 vs. CIN
- Dede Westbrook (WR – JAX): $9,500 vs. KC
- Hunter Henry (TE – LAC): $7,300 vs. IND
- Ravens (D/ST – BAL): $7,000 @ MIA
- Jets (D/ST – NYJ): $5,100 vs. BUF
Contrarian GPP Stack
Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN): $11,300 / Adam Thielen (WR – MIN): $13,100 vs. ATL
Vikings running back Dalvin Cook is expected to be one of the most popular players on the slate as the Vikings have talked all offseason about committing more to the run. However, let’s not forget that the Vikings have a consolidated passing attack and they will be facing a Falcons’ team that can also put some points on the scoreboard with Matt Ryan at the helm giving this matchup some shootout potential. The Falcons’ pass defense allowed an average of 273 passing yards (26th) and 2.1 TD passes (29th) per game last season. You could run both Vikings wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Thielen in a stack, but they both found the end zone the same week just three times last year. With Diggs nursing a sore hamstring, I’ll give the edge to Thielen. Consider bringing the stack back with a Falcons’ wide receiver. I’ll go with the cheaper option, Calvin Ridley.
Bring it back with: Calvin Ridley (WR – ATL): $10,800
Other Contrarian GPP options:
- Russell Wilson (QB – SEA): $13,300 vs. CIN
- Jimmy Garoppolo (QB – SF): $11,900 @ TB
- Le’Veon Bell (RB – NYJ): $13,300 vs. BUF
- Mark Ingram (RB – BAL): $10,900 @ MIA
- Dante Pettis (WR – SF) $10,100 @ TB
- Michael Gallup (WR – DAL): $7,700 vs. NYG
- Will Dissly (TE – SEA): $5,300 vs. CIN
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Brad Richter is a featured writer at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
