Play the matchups in fantasy football, and you’ll win more often than you lose. Now that we’re in the thick of the bye weeks, knowing the matchups to avoid and exploit becomes even more important. Bellow you’ll find the key matchup stats to know from each of the 13 remaining games this week.
Buffalo @ Cincinnati
Fade Andy Dalton.
He’s been a strong play over the last two weeks, but fantasy owners will want to avoid Dalton in this contest. Buffalo has been surprisingly tough on opposing signal callers, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the position through the first month of the season. Over that span, Buffalo held Cam Newton and Matt Ryan in check. Sean McDermott’s defense has surrendered just one passing score this year. Dalton is likely to struggle this week.
NY Jets @ Cleveland
Josh McCown is in play in DFS this week.
It isn’t wise to go into battle with McCown as your starter in season-long, but he’s an appealing DFS punt option who will allow you to pay up at the other positions. McCown gets the No. 4 fantasy matchup for quarterbacks with the Browns giving up an average of 2.3 passing scores per game. McCown is far from a safe play, but he’s a good bet to reach value in DFS this week.
Carolina @ Detroit
Tough to trust Cam Newton.
Yes, he was last week’s No. 2 fantasy quarterback, but that performance came against the Patriots. Otherwise, Newton has essentially unplayable for fantasy purposes this season. He draws a tough matchup this week against a Lions defense that currently ranks as the fourth-worst matchup for quarterbacks. Detroit has allowed just four passing scores and picked up seven balls this season.
San Francisco @ Indianapolis
Fire up Carlos Hyde with confidence.
Hyde has been limited in practice, but he was able to suit up last Sunday and there’s no indication that the same won’t be true this week. He makes for an RB1 play against a suspect Colts defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. Indianapolis is one of just three teams to allow more than one rushing score per game to the position and just gave up 132 rushing yards to the Seahawks in Week 4.
Tennessee @ Miami
Is this Jay Cutler's week?
Like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, I really want to believe in Jay Cutler. But the rational part of my mind continues to tell me that he just isn’t real as a fantasy option. We recommended him as a streamer last week and that didn’t work out very well. So we’re not going down the same path this week, but this is a contest to keep an eye on. Tennessee got straight up torched by Deshaun Watson last week and have surrendered the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks over the first month of the season. If it doesn’t happen for Cutler this week, it isn’t likely to happen for him at all this year.
LA Chargers @ NY Giants
Antonio Gates is in play.
Sorry, Hunter Henry owners, but Gates is the preferred Chargers tight end this week in a fantastic matchup against the Giants. Through the first month of the season, the Giants yield the most fantasy points per game to tight ends and have surrendered a touchdown to the position in all four of their games. So why Gates over Henry? Gates has run 107 pass routes this season, which is 37 more than Henry. He’s also out-targeted Henry 13-10. Perhaps most importantly, Gates has been Philip Rivers’ favorite red-zone target for a better part of the last decade-and-a-half. Gates is a very intriguing DFS option and is on the streamer radar in season-long.
Arizona @ Philadelphia
Stream Carson Palmer this week.
This one looks like the perfect storm for Palmer. The veteran signal caller only has five passing scores in 2017, but he’s topped 300 yards in each of the last three weeks. This week, he faces a suspected Eagles secondary that has surrendered 300-yard performances to each of their last two opponents, with both Eli Manning and Philip Rivers posting QB1 weeks against Philly. Palmer is a top-10 play with a lot of DFS appeal.
Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh
Le’Veon Bell continues last week’s dominance.
Bell is coming off a massive 39 touches in Week 4 and is in store for another big workload against the Jags. Jacksonville has done a good job against the pass this season, but they can’t stop the run. Each of the last three backfields the Jags have faced have topped 100 yards with the Jets going nuts for 256 yards and two scores last week. Bell is this week’s top fantasy play is the absolute chalk in DFS.
Baltimore @ Oakland
This is the week for Marshawn Lynch.
There are many frustrated Beast Mode owners out there in fantasy land, but things are looking up for Lynch. He draws a favorable matchup against a Ravens defense that has allowed a combined 322 rushing yards and three scores to opposing running backs over the last two weeks. Even with E.J. Manuel under center, Lynch is worth starting as an RB2 and makes for a DFS tournament option.
Seattle @ LA Rams
Seahawks running backs get a great matchup, but …
It’s almost impossible to trust a Seattle running back in your starting lineup this week because we just don’t know how the touches will be distributed. Pete Carroll said that both Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy would lead the backfield following Chris Carson’s injury, but it isn’t clear if this will be a 50-50 split or hot-hand approach. There’s also the possibility that one of those two backs will slide right into Carson’s role. Many will also be looking to J.D. McKissic after his big Week 4 performance, but even his role isn’t clear with Carroll suggesting C.J. Prosise could return to play this week. Prosise has yet to practice, so keep an eye on his status. Regardless, it’s wise to avoid this Seahawks backfield until we get more clarity on how touches will be distributed.
Green Bay @ Dallas
It’s also tough to trust the Green Bay backs.
The Packers backfield gets a plus matchup this week with the Cowboys surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points per game. But like Seattle, there’s little clarity on who will lead the backfield in touches. Many fantasy players will be looking to Aaron Jones after his solid performance in relief of both Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams last week. Montgomery is dealing with broken ribs, but has gotten limited work in at practice this week. For him, it’s a pain management issue, and he very much has the chance to suit up. Williams was initially given a multi-week timetable, but he’s remarkably been full in practice all week. There’s a very real chance we see all three backs get touches this week if Montgomery suits up. If he sits, the Packers will likely split touches between Williams and Jones. Either scenario is very volatile for fantasy purposes.
Kansas City @ Houston
Tough matchup for Kareem Hunt.
The rookie phenom current sits second in fantasy scoring among running backs, but Hunt faces arguably his toughest test so far this season. Houston has held opposing backfields in check over the last three weeks and currently sit as the second-worst fantasy matchup for the position. Hunt is still in play as an RB1 option, but don’t freak out if he doesn’t put up massive fantasy numbers this week.
Minnesota @ Chicago
Downgrade Jordan Howard.
There are multiple factors working against Howard this week. Mitchell Trubisky draws his first professional start against a good Vikings defense, which means the Bears will likely struggle to move the ball. To make matters worse, Minnesota has been brutal on opposing running backs this season, allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. Minnesota is one of just five defense to hold opposing backfields to under 100 combined receiving and rushing yards per game.
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