Now that we’re a quarter of a way through the season, it’s much easier to make judgements on players, and we’re in the sweet spot of bye weeks, too, where we’re only missing out on the Raiders and Dolphins this week.
Here’s how to take advantage of that sweet spot in daily leagues, and use your knowledge of the league so far to build the perfect team this week.
For an explanation of daily leagues, click here.
Quarterback: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (NE) - $7,700
At first, I wanted to spend almost $1,000 more on Andrew Luck, but this week, Dalton could score just as much as Luck. After a bye week, Dalton is getting Marvin Jones back, and Mohamed Sanu has played well in Jones’s absence. The Patriots are also struggling right now, and despite the cliche of “Bill Belichick never loses two games in a row,” I don’t expect the Patriots to be any more than a 9-7 team this season. The Bengals will roll, and so will Dalton.
Running Back: Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (JAC) - $8,600
Bell is by far worth the money this week against the Jaguars. They’ve allowed the second most fantasy points to running backs this season, per our fantasy against rankings (paid subscription required) and if there was a re-draft today, Bell might be the No. 1 overall pick in standard leagues. Bell is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and over 10 yards per reception. He’s a must-start, no matter the cost.
Running Back: Rashad Jennings, New York Giants (ATL) - $7,200
At this point in the season, RB2 is a crapshoot. But in that area of the rankings, Jennings is at least as sure as they come. Just ahead of Jacksonville in points allowed to running backs this season is Atlanta, and they’ve allowed eight rushing touchdowns. Jennings will definitely find the end zone once on Sunday, if not twice, and that’s about all you can ask from an RB2.
Wide Receiver: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers (JAC) - $9,000
Much like last week with the Chargers against the Jaguars, I’m loading up on Steelers this week. Brown is the highest scorer in fantasy through four weeks, and will have an amazing game against a very young and very bad Jacksonville secondary.
Wide Receiver: T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (BAL) - $6,700
According to Pro Football Focus (paid subscription required), Asa Jackson is allowing a 115.4 quarterback rating to opposing quarterbacks who are throwing at him, and Chykie Brown is allowing a 131.5 rating. At least one of those guys will be covering Hilton on Sunday, with Jimmy Smith likely on Reggie Wayne for most of the day. Hilton also has Andrew Luck throwing to him, who is an early MVP candidate.
Wide Receiver: Andrew Hawkins, Cleveland Browns (TEN) - $5,300
After spending big money on Bell and Brown, Hawkins was a safe pick for the price. I’ve written about this in past weeks, but most FanDuel leagues give points per reception, and Hawkins is the definition of a possession receiver. He’s caught at least six passes in his first three games with Cleveland, and although he isn’t a great red zone target given his size, Hawkins will be a solid WR3 given how consistent he’s been.
Tight End: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (SF) - $5,300
San Francisco has only allowed the third fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, but don’t let that scare you off of Kelce. He’s PFF’s fifth ranked tight end, and has scored a touchdown in each of his past two games. Kelce leads the Chiefs in targets and receiving yards, and if you can get a No. 1 pass catcher on a team for this price, it’s worth it every time.
Kicker: Cody Parkey, Philadelphia Eagles (STL) - $4,900
Defense: Cincinnati Bengals (NE) - $5,300
Again, we’re looking past the cliches surrounding Brady and Belichick here. Even with a bye week, the Bengals are the seventh best fantasy defense this season. Brady threw two interceptions against the Kansas City Chiefs, and had one of them returned for a touchdown. He also has the fourth worst accuracy rating in the league, per PFF, which measures completion percentage if drops were counted as receptions. The offensive line in New England has been struggling since they traded away Logan Mankins, and with a bye week of rest, Cincinnati is in for a big day.