The Daily Dose: Week 4 FanDuel Starts
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Welcome to the Week 4 edition of the Daily Dose: FanDuel Starts of The Week. Every Friday on The Fantasy Footballers Podcast, the guys welcome Chris Meaney from the FNTSY Sports Network to deliver his top DFS picks of the week. Here I’ll summarize Chris’ pics and give you some bonus picks of my own. You can follow Chris on Twitter @chrismeaney and myself as well @brandontsanders. Don’t miss all of Episode #276, and you can also jump straight to the Daily Dose segment on YouTube.
Quarterbacks
Week 4 brings us so many juicy matchups that you have multiple options to roll out! These are ranging from the high-end budget price all the way down to finding some great value picks at the passing position. So let’s line up the QBs Chris had his eye on this week.
Cam Newton @ ATL, $9,300
With the frustration Cam has had the past few weeks having to take on big-time defenses like Denver and Minnesota, this matchup going into the Georgia Dome can be a game he can really let it fly and bring back the running game he is also known for. Atlanta has given up 936 yards in the air which is 4th overall in the league, and 2nd in fantasy points allowed this year.
Drew Brees @ SD, $8,600
We get the hesitation as it’s been well documented that Drew Brees plays horribly on the road compared to when he’s playing at home. However, San Diego has been quite the leaky defense and letting fantasy points continue to come from them. Keep in mind Drew Brees once played for the Chargers and knows the field well so it may not feel like such an away game for him. He’s going to give you the usual stat line so a safe pick this week.
Philip Rivers vs NO, $8,500
The same can be said on the other coin of this matchup. The unspoken word is if you have players playing the last-place New Orleans Saints defense, you play them. Rivers is going to have another big day like he did against the Jaguars in this contest. He still has some weapons that are very hungry for targets. Another easy pick-up for this week.
Joe Flacco vs OAK, $7,700
Once again Joe Flacco finds himself with another favorable matchup in Week 4 as he takes on the Oakland Raiders who is ranked 2nd highest in giving away points to the opposing teams. With the emergence of the veteran Steve Smith Sr. coming back from his Achilles injury, and Dennis Pitta looking much more like himself in the past few weeks, Flacco has a chance to give you some success cheaper than the other two listed above.
Trevor Siemian @ TB, $7,400
This is more of the contrarian pick this week and a good option for 50/50 leagues and GPP play for this week. We all know Siemian is not going throw over 300 yards and pass for 4 TDS every weekend, but he has a great matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who just last week gave up 37 points to the Los Angeles Rams just last week. Look for Trevor to find his wideouts Sanders and Thomas this week for the big time splash plays for big yardage and end zone attacks against a weaker Buccaneers secondary.
Running Backs
We have a few games where both RBs on each side can pay dividends because of the matchups that come to them in Week 4. Let’s dive in and have a look at which of these games Chris want’s you to look heavily at.
Ezekiel Elliott @ SF, $8,100
The game between these two teams could spell some big time fantasy points for the running backs this week. Easy E hasn’t had the prolific numbers we thought he would coming out of the gate, but he’s been consistent enough to put into your starting lineup as an RB1. Another tasty matchup could mean a return on a solid performance for Elliott.
Carlos Hyde vs DAL, $6,800
A much cheaper option this week is Carlos Hyde. The Dallas Cowboys are giving up quite a bit of yardage towards the run game this year, and with a bounceback week possibly looming, we could see an uptick in production from the former Ohio State Buckeye. This could also free up more budget for those elite QBs that were listed above as well.
Melvin Gordon vs NO, $7,600
With Danny Woodhead gone, and Dexter McCluster has yet to fully grasp the new offense in San Diego, we see the best matchup of the week for Melvin Gordon who plays the last place defense of New Orleans. With what we saw last week with both Freeman and Coleman for Atlanta shredding up this same defense on Monday Night Football, Gordon is a must play this week in your lineups. Sit back and enjoy the points coming in from this move!
Mark Ingram @ SD, $6,800
The other side of the coin for this matchup is also an enticing one as Mark Ingram is still trying to progress upwards in his production. But like we saw in Week 1 when Spencer Ware took San Diego’s defense to school, Ingram faces the same opportunity and volume in this week’s showdown between the two teams. This play is more for the GPP and contrarian type of move but also very sneaky for other play styles this week on FanDuel.
Wide Receivers
As most can see this is the Week of solid matchups for a lot of favored teams on the Vegas line. It’s important to use those lines to snatch up a WR that can get it done and this week Mr. Meaney wanted to give you the middle of the road prices on FanDuel, but wideouts that can play big for you to rake in some cash flow.
Emmanuel Sanders @ TB, $6,900
With the trend showing that Denver loves to air it out on the road, and runs heavy at home and not to mention the secondary of the Buccaneers not being very elite, we got a great matchup for the “Squeaky Wheel” in Emmanuel Sanders. He torched the Bengals last week for 2 TDs. Can he do it again with a much easier team to face this Sunday?
Steve Smith Sr., $6,100 vs OAK
Each and every week since the veteran has been back from his injury that took him out last season, Steve Smith Sr. has come back like a Phoenix rising from the flames yet again and has been the favorite new target of Joe Flacco. As targets and catches come in more frequently now, so does the option of those opportunities turning into touchdowns for the scrappy WR. Great play here for GPP tournaments and a good stack with Flacco this week. Also look for his other wideout running mate Mike Wallace as he poses the deep threat each and every week and can make defenses pay for poor production.
Kevin White vs DET, $5,500
This is probably the biggest and cheapest sleeper you could find this week, but with Brian Hoyer starting at QB, and with Alshon Jeffery not at 100%, Kevin White was heavily targeted last week, especially in garbage time. We expect the Bears to be trying to come back again this week which means tons of volume coming to White again this week. Great opportunity to save on budget and grab another strong position in your lineup and feel confident knowing this WR can get it done for you in Week 4.
Kelvin Benjamin @ ATL, $7,700
Last week the Minnesota Vikings completely shut down the passing game of the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton even said that Benjamin wasn’t factored into the game plan against the Vikings almost at all last week. He quoted that will never happen and again as well as their Offensive Coordinator Mike Shula. The Falcons can’t really guard anyone it feels like the past 3 weeks, so look for KB to have a big game this weekend!
Marvin Jones Jr. @ CHI, $7,600
Marvin Jones Jr is quickly showing he is the clear Number 1 WR for the Detroit Lions, and Matt Stafford is putting more and more trust in him each week that comes and goes. We went off on the Green Bay Packers who didn’t have Sam Shields in their lineup, and Jones made them pay going for 205 yards receiving and 2 TDs. This week is another division game where the secondary can’t touch him. We know Jones always is struggling with a lingering hamstring injury that’s plagued him since playing for the Bengals, but as of this article he has practiced on Friday morning which is a good sign he might be ready to go by Sunday.
Tight Ends
In a world where we see a lot of “barfy” Tight End play happening in the season so far, we must wade through the toxins and try to find us a gem that could go big for us in our lineups in Week 4. Chris has the super safe pick here, a mid-tier guy,and the biggest contrarian pick of the week as well.
Greg Olsen @ ATL, $7,900
Mr. Reliable himself, Greg Olson has the best matchup this week in taking on the Atlanta Falcons which we have highlighted as a team you want to put players against when playing DFS this season. Olson is always targeted heavily by Cam Newton and a staple in the Carolina offense. No brainer here, pay up for reassurance and get Olson in the lineup this week.
Zach Miller vs DET, $5,000
Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Zach Miller caught 8 of his 9 targets and hauled in 78 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now with the Vegas line having Chicago playing from behind this week, Brian Hoyer can look towards Miller yet again as a safety blanket and try to get some points on the scoreboard and try to keep it close against the high-octane Detroit Lions. A great value as well for Zach and a great way to save on the budget to get some more elite players in certain positions as well.
Hunter Henry vs NO, $4,500
Last week when the report came out that Antonio Gates was “nowhere near ready to play” this gave a lot of people confidence that the rookie TE Hunter Henry will get his 2nd start this week and has the best matchup possible in front of him. Even though he had a costly fumble at the end of the game last week, Henry is a rookie but can do everything that Gates is also capable of. Rivers had no issue trusting Henry with the football as he got 5 receptions for 72 yards, one of those going for a gain of 33 yards by itself. A great way to save money and go contrarian this week in GPP play.
Defense
Chris Meaney said there’s really only one team that you should focus on this week at Defense to deliver max payout for the price you’ll pay for them. They are a safe a productive play. Go with the Denver Broncos against Tampa Bay this weekend.
Denver Broncos @ TB, $5,200
Brandon’s Picks
Alright, Week 4 is here so let’s get you a few more options for each position so we can get you ready to make some bank and cash in on these players. They are as follows:
QB: Kirk Cousins vs CLE, $7,600
It’s captain Kirk and he’s got Cleveland this week. Take advantage of the matchup and watch Cousins air it out to DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder for another week. Not a bad price point for Cousin’s this week too!
RB: Duke Johnson Jr. @ WAS, $5,400
Since Week 1 where Johnson was only getting 3 receptions since RG3 and McCown have been out and the rookie Cody Kessler has been in, we saw his receptions go up 1 each week. Last week he had 5 receptions for an additional 12 yards to go with his 10 running attempts. As long as this trend continues, you can use the 0.5 PPR advantage FanDuel gives you to get those additional points from Duke to help get the advantage against the field you’re playing against.
WR: Cole Beasley @ SF, $5,200
This is Dak Prescott’s favorite target, and with Dez Bryant being in question to suit up for this week’s matchup, the small and speedy slot receiver can see a higher dose of targets then he’s already getting and could thrive in the PPR format that is given to us. Also another great value play and price for Week 4!
TE: Dennis Pitta vs OAK, $5,400
Pitta seems to be back after the injuries that plagued him for almost 2 full years. The Raiders are notorious for being terrible at stopping the TE position in fantasy football, so Pitta has a chance to go off in this matchup at home this week. A much cheaper price as well versus paying up big for Greg Olson.
Defense: Denver Broncos @ TB, $5,200
This week Chris and myself are in one accord, just don’t get crazy with the selections at defense this week and play the safest route. The Broncos are undoubtedly the best in the NFL at the moment. Let them help you rack up some points. Plus $5,200 for their budget isn’t a steep asking price either.
Be sure to stop by again next week as we’ll have brand new picks for you Week 5. Don’t forget to catch all of Episode #276 of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast.
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