*For those that are weekly readers, simply skip the first few paragraphs of explanation and jump down to the ideal matchups. Don’t forget that the promo code ‘PFF’ is worth a 100 percent deposit bonus.
If you’ve never played weekly salary cap games, you’re missing out on an exciting game to play throughout the NFL season. The game that we’ll be breaking down in this weekly article is for the website FanDuel.
For those of you that have never played a salary cap game before, I’ll quickly go over the rules so you can understand how these games work. Each player is given a monetary value based on statistics, matchups and that player’s hype. You then try to create the ideal lineup using as salary cap, such as $60,000.
The purpose of this weekly article is to point out the best values each week so you can make the most ideal lineup. A few positions you’ll never see on this article is defenses and kickers. With these positions you’re just basically looking for the most ideal matchup, whether that’s a rookie quarterback for a defense or a terrible defense for a kicker.
With all this information, let’s now take a look at some of the most ideal matchups over at FanDuel. We’ll also give you an ideal lineup using these bargain players while also breaking down a handful of huge upside plays for the riskier folks out there.
Ideal Matchup at Each Position
Quarterback – Matt Glennon, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There aren’t many cheap options at quarterback that scream bargain, so Glennon makes our list as the most ideal. His cost is only $6,500, so his salary would still allow you to do a number of things with your roster.
Glennon has been fantastic since becoming the starting quarterback in Tampa Bay. He’s thrown 13 touchdowns compared to only five interceptions. He also plays the Buffalo Bills this week who have been allowing 25.6 points and 354.1 yards per game this year.
Look for Glennon to continue his strong play and put up solid numbers for his cost this week.
Running Back – Montee Ball, Denver Broncos
The only running back to have a better grade last week than Ball was Adrian Peterson. That’s nice company to be in.
Ball dominated last week against a stout Kansas City Chiefs defense to the tune of 117 yards on only 13 carries. That type of performance should continue to get Ball touches this week against the Tennessee Titans.
At a cost of only $4,800, Ball has huge upside and could end up being the steal of the week.
Wide Receiver – Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
How Bowe only has a salary of $5,000 is a complete shock to me. Sure, he isn’t putting up huge numbers, but he’s still the No. 1 target for quarterback Alex Smith.
This week Bowe gets to matchup against one of the worst secondaries in the league, the Washington Redskins. The Chiefs should have little trouble successfully passing the football and Bowe should see plenty of targets.
Bowe’s found the end zone in two of his last three games, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see that trend continue this week.
Tight End – Joseph Fauria, Detroit Lions
Fauria only has 11 receptions this year. However, six of those 11 receptions have gone for touchdowns.
Still, the only reason you’d start Fauria, who only costs $4,500 this week, is if you thought he was going to have another performance similar to his three touchdown game back in Week 6. Well, that’s exactly what we think is going to happen.
Fauria plays the Philadelphia Eagles this week and their -24.2 grade in pass coverage. The Lions should have no trouble putting points on the board and Fauria is a legitimate candidate to have another multiple-touchdown game.
Ideal 65K Salary Team
With a 65K salary, you have the opportunity to put together a rather solid roster. This becomes even truer if you’re willing to take some chances at positions in order to get more elite players on your roster.
This is what we’ve done this week by combining top-tier players with a number of high-upside picks.
QB – Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers ($9,300) – The Panthers play the New Orleans Saints who just gave up 34 points to the Seattle Seahawks. With Newton playing fantastic football and making an impact with both his arm and his legs, Newton has the potential to put up similar points this week.
RB – Matt Forte, Chicago Bears ($8,600) – The Bears play the Dallas Cowboys and their second-worst run defense in the league. That means the Bears will likely feature Forte this week on the ground this week. Look for him to have one of his best games of the season this week.
RB – Montee Ball, Denver Broncos ($4,800) – There is no doubt that Ball is a major risk-reward player, but all signs point to him being much more reward. He put up 117 yards last week and the Broncos simply can’t ignore that type of production.
WR – Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns ($9,200) – Back-to-back 200-yard receiving games is really all you need to know about Gordon this week. He’s quickly becoming one of the most dominant receivers in the league and a must-start player every week.
WR – Victor Cruz, New York Giants ($6,500) – The Giants play the San Diego Chargers this week. San Diego has a -61.8 grade in pass coverage this year. That’s the worst in the NFL and that’s why Cruz is in for a huge game.
WR – Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs ($5,000) – Bowe gets the Washington Redskins and their second-worst pass defense this week. The Chiefs are also finally putting things together offensively, and Bowe’s production in recent weeks is a big reason why.
TE – Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots ($8,500) – Gronk is back after posting six receptions, 127 yards and a touchdown last week. However, his 12 targets is the best stat for fantasy owners. He’ll continue to see targets and put up huge numbers this week against the Cleveland Browns.
K – Kai Forbath, Washington Redskins ($5,100) – The Redskins play the Chiefs and the Chiefs have been giving up over 34 points a game in their last three games. Look for this matchup to also be a shootout and for Forbath to put some major points on the board.
DEF – New York Jets ($5,200) – The Jets defense gets a rookie quarterback this week in their matchup against the Oakland Raiders. That’s all you really need to know as to why the Jets defense is going to dominate this week.
High Upside Picks
Geno Smith, Quarterback, New York Jets
Yes, Smith has been awful the past few games, but nothing says bounce-back performance like a game against the Raiders. Oakland has the eighth-worst graded defense overall and it’s the sixth-worst in pass coverage. Smith only has a cost of $5,000 and could easily have one of the biggest games of his rookie season. He’s the biggest risk/reward player this week.
Brandon Bostick, Tight End, Green Bay Packers
Bostick has missed the past two games with a concussion, but should be back for Week 14. Before getting injured, Bostick had become a favorite target for the Packers backup quarterbacks Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn. With his return this week, and a cost of only $4,500, Bostick could surprise some people, especially with a matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.