FanDuel Bargains: Week 13

Mike Valverde Posted On December 4, 2016

Editor’s Note: We’re going to be bringing you an unprecedented amount of content this year during the season, mostly dynasty related. However, seeing the explosion of DFS games, we’ll also be ramping up our Daily coverage, similar to last season. Even if you don’t play in DFS games, these articles can help you in making lineup decisions or judge the current value of your dynasty assets.

Over the next 17 weeks (and into the post-season), I’ll be highlighting some of the best bargains on the best daily site in the industry, FanDuel.

Keep in mind that these suggestions are for GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) tournaments with more than 50 participants where players are looking for bargains to fill out their lineups after already inserting their “studs” for the week. Many of them are risky plays and shouldn’t necessarily reflect good choices for head-to-head or 50/50 games. Rankings courtesy of ESPN.

Matt Barkley, QB CHI ($6,000)

Could this be? Matt Barkley? Well, he had one heck of a game against the Tennessee Titans, which would have been even better if his receivers could catch the damn ball. After the game, Barkley’s stat line read: 316 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

This week, he faces the San Francisco 49ers and their horrible defense. The 49ers have allowed 344 points, which is the second worst in the league (352 for Browns), however the 49ers have played one less game.

For him to make his price tag he will need at least 250 yards and a touchdown. He put up 11 FD points against Green Bay, and 22.6 versus Tennessee in the last two weeks. What is even better is that most are going to pass up on Barkley because of his history.

Matt Barkley is averaging 11.9 FanDuel points per game.
The implied points for the Bears is 21
The San Francisco 49ers are favorites (1.0) on the road and the over/under is 43

CONSIDER:

Carson Palmer, QB ARI ($7,000)

Carson Palmer did well against the Atlanta Falcons, according to his stats. He finished the game with 289-yards and two touchdowns.

The offensive line is bad, many players are hurt and Palmer isn’t the type who can avoid pressure. He faced constant pressure against a horrible Atlanta Falcons defense, being sacked twice. He hooked up with Jermaine Gresham for a one-yard score and connected with David Johnson in garbage duty.

This week he faces the Washington Redskins who are a tighter group than the Falcons, but they also give up chunks of yards. They rank 16th against the pass giving up 252.9 yards per game. As for fantasy, the Redskins give up 16.6 to quarterbacks. A little less than his asking price, but Palmer still has a solid offense around him.

Carson Palmer is averaging 16.4 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Cardinals is 26
The Arizona Cardinals are favorites (2.5) at home and the over/under is 48.5

RUNNING BACKS

Theo Riddick, RB, DET at NO ($6,500)

When a shootout is scheduled, we all are going to want to jump on that train. I look to Theo Riddick who should be the main contributor to the high-octane offense against a weak defense. We all like what he brings in with the dual-threat of catching and rushing the ball. Matt Stafford should continue to look his way. I don’t see him going under 8.0 FanDuel points, and he’s gone north of 23.0 three times this season. The Saints have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to the position and are especially susceptible to pass-catching backs. This is great news considering a running back who averages 5+ receptions per game and should get that and more this week.

Theo Riddick is averaging 13.9 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Lions is 23
The New Orleans Saints are favorites (6.0) at home and the over/under is 52

Jeremy Hill, RB CIN ($5,800)

Unfortunately Jeremy Hill didn’t have the greatest of games against the Baltimore Ravens. He rushed 12 times for 21 yards and caught all six of his targets for 61 more in Sunday’s 19-14 loss. His 71 percent of the team’s carries is good news and shows that his volume will be in play. He should be the workhorse back the rest of the way.

This week his matchup will be equally as tough. He will matchup against an Eagles front that is average (16th) allowing 102.8 yards per game. They are a little tougher in giving up fantasy points (13.8), ranking eighth. With Hill catching passes, that will be a benefit for him. The Eagles have allowed the 25th most receptions (59).

With a workload of 20-plus touches coming for Hill and use in the passing game, Hill has the upside to hit 3x or 4x value if he can find the end zone too. Rex Burkhead may have something to say about all this, but I believe Hill at least matches his price tag.

Jeremy Hill is averaging 10.9 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Bengals is 22
The Cincinnati Bengals are favorites (2.0) at home and the over/under is 41.5

Kenneth Dixon, RB BAL ($5,100)

Kenneth Dixon has been the standout for the Baltimore Ravens in their running game. He rushed for 49 yards on 13 carries (3.7) and caught four balls for 31 yards in the victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. For the second time in three weeks he has reached at least 80 yards combined. He is the pass catcher the Ravens have needed since Justin Forsett left.

In three of his last four games he has seen double-digit touches and that could increase. Dixon is becoming more of a bell cow back. He had more touches (17-16) and total yards (80-64) than Terrance West last Sunday. Plus, Dixon is the guy the Ravens drafted.

What is worrisome is the volume. Even though Baltimore has increased his snaps every game in the last three contests he is earning the trust of the coaching staff. Now with that in mind, he also faces a weak defense this week in the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are 30th in the NFL (132.2 yards per game). They also allow 14.9 fantasy points to running backs. Even though the have given up chunks of yards, they are strict when it comes to allowing touchdowns (4).

Kenneth Dixon is averaging 4.3 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Ravens is 22
The Baltimore Ravens are favorites (3.5) at home and the over/under is 41

CONSIDER:

Devontae Booker, RB DEN ($6,400)

Devontae Booker carried the ball like a bell cow (24 times) but gained just 79 yards against a tough Kansas City Chiefs defense. He also added a reception on two targets for 22 yards in the 30-27 loss. He has been finding it tough overall this season as he is averaging just three yards per carry in 77 attempts.

This week will be a good test for the running back. The Broncos will face the Jacksonville Jaguars and their weak rushing defense (24th) allowing 116.6 yards per game. For fantasy points they give up 16 points per game and have allowed nine touchdowns on the season.

The volume of carries should be there for Booker and if he takes advantage of the Jaguars defense he should put up the amount of FanDuel points to cover his price tag.

Devontae Booker is averaging 7.1 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Broncos is 26
The Denver Broncos are favorites (3.5) on the road and the over/under is 39

Wide Receivers

Brandin Cooks, WR, NOS ($6,800)

Brandin Cooks went missing in action last week as the Saints scored 49 points and gained 555 yards of total offense. He was so invisible that he went without a single target. Great players who go invisible one week usually make up for it the following.

This week he faces the Detroit Lions who represent a tougher defense than the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions are 15th against the rush allowing 102.5 yards per game, and for fantasy points they are also tough just allowing 20.4 per game, and have given up 11 touchdowns.

Cooks will be in the spotlight this week, he has already cemented his targets this season as he saw at least eight in six of ten games this season, and his lowest was five. He isn’t the same producer as he was last season as Michael Thomas has shown the capability to take that away. However, with this price tag and Drew Brees, he should not be ignored.

Brandin Cooks is averaging 13.8 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Saints is 29
The New Orleans Saints are favorites (6.0) at home and the over/under is 52

Michael Thomas, WR NOS ($6,900)

The rookie Michael Thomas has taken over the New Orleans Saints offense. Last week he was the main culprit in the Saints offensive blowout of the Los Angeles Rams. He brought in nine passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Thomas has been incredibly efficient this season, catching 77.4 percent of his targets. He leads the Saints in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Plus anytime you have a quarterback such as Drew Brees throwing the ball, the numbers will always be there.

This week he will face a better defense in the Detroit Lions. Lions are 15th against the rush allowing 102.5 yards per game and for fantasy points they are also tough just allowing 20.4 per game, and have given up 11 touchdowns.

Michael Thomas is averaging 13.6 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Saints is 29
The New Orleans Saints are favorites (6.0) at home and the over/under is 52

Malcolm Mitchell, WR NEP ($5,600)

After being the key ingredient playing 76 percent of the snaps in week 11, Malcolm Mitchell dropped down when Chris Hogan returned from injury in week 12. Even so, his volume remained impressive. He saw season-high seven targets in the game, catching five for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

His volume should continue to rise with Rob Gronkowski now out for the season and it is appearing that Tom Brady is putting more trust in his direction. This week they face the Los Angeles Rams who got blown out against the Saints last week. Their defense was downright horrible, allowing 555 yards of offense and 49 points scored.

The Rams defense has been tough against the pass (seventh) allowing 227.5 passing yards per game. On the fantasy side, they are giving up 22.5 points per game to the wide receivers and teams have scored 13 touchdowns against them.

He looks like a solid play even though the Rams have a strong passing front. With Brady behind center, not too many teams can stop him. Brady should get at least two touchdowns against Los Angeles, and Mitchell could be the beneficiary of one or both.

Malcolm Mitchell is averaging 6.2 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Patriots is 29
The New England Patriots are favorites (13.5) at home and the over/under is 44

CONSIDER:

Anquan Boldin, WR DET ($5,000)

Anquan Boldin has a great price tag this week. He has scored in four of the past six games and has been targeted at least nine times on three occasions. On Thanksgiving he put up 16.4 FanDuel points and Matt Stafford should continue to look his way. In the red zone, he has 26.7 percent of the targets this season.

We know that targets are more than needed in a half point PPR league, but, with this week’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints, he might not have to worry about just getting those, he also should be in the hunt for some touchdowns also.

Anquan Boldin is averaging 9.0 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Lions is 23
The New Orleans Saints are favorites (6.0) at home and the over/under is 52

TIGHT END

Jermaine Gresham, TE ARI ($4,500)

Jermaine Gresham has been a go-to mainstay for the Arizona Cardinals over the last month. In four games he has seen 23 targets and has caught 14 of them. Each game he has gone over 30-yards receiving. He also has scored in the last two weeks.

Gresham now will face a Washington Redskins defense that is weak when it comes to shutting down the tight end position. They have allowed three touchdowns in the past four games to that position and his price tag is too cheap to pass up.

Jermaine Gresham is averaging 4.0 FanDuel points per game
The implied points for the Cardinals is 26
The Arizona Cardinals are favorites (2.5) at home and the over/under is 48.5

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Mike Valverde

Writer at Dynasty League Football

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice to go with my master degree in Business Administration. In between these programs, I graduated the from the police academy. Yet, I decided to write for a career. You can catch me at the movies, playing video games, reading or writing out cryptograms, basically anything that requires me sitting on my arse. And it's a surprise to many why I like fantasy football so much.