Nimble w/Numbers

Super Unlikely

I already have my concession speech ready. In the most unlikely of collapses, my DFS luck ran out at the end of the regular season. In order to be the recipient of the championship whiskey, I will need to win by more than 37 points on Sunday. Any given Sunday, right?

With only one slate left, a Showdown slate, it will be even more difficult to reach the crest of the crater I left when I smacked into DFS rock bottom like the asteroid that killed all the cute dinosaurs. My Super Bowl lineup is as aggressive as I could afford to be. Here’s hoping I can hit optimal and also get Scott’s lineup to completely fall flat. Then I’ll be able to mock him with a nice dram, sipping with my pinky finger flying.

Bo’s Lineup

Captain – Odell Beckham Jr. – LA Rams – $12,600

The major risk I am taking with this lineup is fading both of the top wide receivers in the game. I am doubling down on my Kupp fade to Captain OBJ. Cincinnati’s pass defense isn’t terrible. They also play a lot of Cover-3 out of the nickel, which has the effect of taming Cooper Kupp’s outrageous upside. If I’m right, OBJ will duplicate his NFC Championship performance and score a touchdown.

Flex – Kendall Blanton – LA Rams – $4,600

I really don’t expect Tyler Higbee to be a factor in the passing game, even if he is able to play. Blanton stepped in masterfully against the 49ers, with 10.7 fantasy points in relief. A full game running routes against that shell zone scheme would result in very nice numbers at this salary for Blanton. Cincinnati is 29th in the NFL against opposing tight ends. McVay knows this and will slice the Bengals’ underbelly with an attack on the middle seam.

Flex – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $10,600

Joe Burrow is just too cool. I tried to find a reason to fade him, but his floor is simply too high. Sure, Ramsey will limit whomever he covers. On the other hand, Burrow has a trio of great receivers and the other defensive backs beside Ramsey have been a liability. Look for Burrow to need to pass for 300 yards for this game to be close.

Flex –  Tee Higgins – Cincinnati Bengals – $7,600

I fully assume that Ja’Marr Chase will draw the majority of Jalen Ramsey’s attention. This excites me because Darious Williams has been getting barbecued all postseason by receivers nowhere near as good as Tee Higgins. Higgins is a big, rangy receiver who will be called upon in the red zone. I don’t see any way the Rams can cover all of the Bengals’ receivers.

Flex – Samaje Perine – Cincinnati Bengals – $2,400

Perine is the third-down back for Cincinnati, which means draws and screens (especially off of chip blocks) will be his forte. Raheem Morris loves to bring pressure on third down, which might be a fatal error against Burrow. At only $2.4k, I’m taking the chance that Burrow will use Perine to slip in behind the blitz, where big plays (like the one Perine had versus the Chiefs) can completely change the game’s momentum.

Flex – Matthew Stafford – Kansas City Chiefs – $10,800

Yes, I truly believe Stafford is the quarterback of destiny this season. Burrow has led his Bengals to an improbable berth in this game, but the Rams were supposed to be hereafter trading for the longtime Detroit Lion. Los Angeles mortgaged its entire future for this season. I need the guy to only throw touchdowns to Beckham and Blanton. It sounds absolutely absurd after the season Kupp had, but I am banking (and praying) on this being a wild finish to the craziest season in NFL history.

Raise My Kupp

At no point in the 2021 NFL season did I envision myself one game away from defeating Bo McBrayer and winning the Clash of the Beards and Bellies. I’m humbled to be in that very position this Super Sunday. I have a 32 point lead on Bo with only one game remaining. I thought long and hard about my lineup. I knew that I needed to play it reasonably safe and that Bo would in turn be forced to pivot to riskier, high variance plays. I made sure to include both quarterbacks and Cooper Kupp in my lineup. Bo faded Kupp and hitched his wagons to the OBJ Express. “It’s a bold strategy, Cotton” is all I can really say at this point. Our season-long battle comes down to which Ram’s wide receivers catch the Matthew Stafford touchdowns. I’m betting on Kupp and he’s betting on OBJ. May the football gods be with me and only me. May the sweet taste of victory literally be mine!!

Scott’s Lineup

Captain – Cam Akers – LA Rams – $9,600

Cam Akers isn’t my favorite DraftKings captain this week, but he is my favorite pay-down option that allows me to load my roster up with both quarterbacks, Cooper Kupp, and a starting running back (Akers). The Cincinnati Bengals defense allowed over 2,100 total yards and 16 total touchdowns to running backs in 2021. Akers’ 54 attempts in three playoff games are second-most for backs in the playoffs behind only Jerick McKinnon’s 55. Akers should see plenty of action all game long. And if the Rams are winning come the fourth quarter, which they are favored to be, Akers could be called on to run the clock out. If the Rams are losing, even better. Akers will be used more in the passing game.

Flex – LA Rams DST – $3,400

The LA Rams DST has the home team advantage in the Super Bowl. Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey will be amped up and should feed off the electric energy from playing at home in front of their home fans. The last LA Rams Super Bowl game was predicted to shootout, but in the end, was a low-scoring tilt against the GOAT Tom Brady. I’m looking for 9-11 points from the defense, which should be manageable given the pass-rushing advantage the Rams enjoy/

Flex – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $10,600

Joe “Shiesty” Burrow is the truth. He’s beaten the Raiders, the Titans, Pat Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs in an improbable sophomore run to the 2021 Super Bowl. Last season there were questions about whether he would be able to return to his rookie form after his gruesome 2020 knee injury. Burrow, aided by rookie wide receiving sensation Ja’Marr Chase, has exploded onto the NFL landscape, introducing the world to one of the coolest kids around. How can you not cheer for Joey B this week? Bo is no idiot, and of course, has Burrow on his squad as well. We all want a piece of greatness.

Flex – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $11,600

Speaking of Kupp, he’s the highest-scoring player in DraftKings, averaging 27.8 points per game. Kupp was incredible, amassing 145 receptions, 16 touchdowns, and over 1,900 receiving yards. Kupp is the most expensive player, but for good reason. A Cooper Kupp anytime touchdown is -165. The man is expected to put up real and fantasy points on Super Bowl Sunday. Unlike Bo, I will not be getting cute and will be playing Kupp one last time this season.

Evan – McPherson – Cincinnati Bengals – $4,000

Evan McPherson has scored 11 or more points in the last seven games. In the playoffs, he has been money, making all 12 of his field goals and averaging 16 points per game. If the Rams defense stops Burrow, I like having McPhearson raining down 50-yard field goal bombs all night. At only $4,000 he’s one of the best value plays on the board.

Flex – Matthew Stafford – LA Rams – $10,800

Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp Combined this season for 57 touchdowns. The smart money in Cash games and H2H contests is to feature the two players who are most likely to score touchdowns. I’m not surprised Bo has included Stafford in his lineup, but fading Kupp for the second straight week in favor of OBJ is a risky all-or-nothing play brought on by the desperation of being down 30-plus points.

Put Up or Shut Up

I cry a lot. The great Jim Valvano said in his infamous ESPYs speech that you should “have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy” every day. Lately, the waterworks have been from losing in heartbreaking fashion to Nimble. It was the walk-off touchdown from Mahomes to Kelce in overtime that dropped the Bills defense into the red numbers.

Those negative two points left me 0.12 points shy of Scott faster than two shakes of a lamb’s tail. It was over. One of the greatest football games in history to culminate the best weekend of professional football in the history of the game.

The opportunity was there for me and I blew it, just like the Bills did. I bet on a good defense and that unit was crushed under the staggering talent of a guy who prefers his steak well done with ketchup. I need to redeem myself for the medium-rare, salt and pepper crowd. I have a lot of ground to cover, so bear with this hyper-aggressive build.

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,600

I contemplated sending Tanny a spring-loaded box of phallic confetti, but I’m too lazy to ultimately follow through with it. Joe Scheisty is the Bee’s Knees these days and too many have already forgotten what he did to this defense only three weeks ago. I think he does it again.

RB – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Kansas City Chiefs – $5,300

Jerick McKinnon is more popular and affordable this week. So what? Until the Wild Card round, Jet was completely irrelevant. Last week, CEH looked infinitely more explosive in his first game back from a shoulder injury. I follow trends and the 2020 first round pick is trending toward a bigger workload against a getable Bengals front.

RB – Elijah Mitchell – San Francisco 49ers – $5,900

Mitchell was smothered last week by Green Bay. To be fair, it was zero degrees outside and the Packers smartly loaded the box because Jimmy Garoppolo is gourmet refuse. The running game is the key to San Francisco reaching their second Super Bowl in the last three seasons, especially against their bitter rivals.

WR –  Odell Beckham Jr. – LA Rams – $5,100

Davante Adams still got his last week, but I was impressed with how they limited his ability to turn small plays into big ones. This secondary has almost no skill, but their scheme has saved them all season. This leads me to believe they will be hyper-focused on Cooper Kupp and will challenge Matthew Stafford to make plays to his other weapons. OBJ has lived in the end zone since he was “marooned” in southern California. I hope for his sake that he can advance to the Big Game to flip the double birds to Cleveland yet again.

WR – Ja’Marr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,700

I am going full-on air raid attack on this banged-up KC secondary. Burrow will be forced to sling it to keep up with the Ketchup King. Chase is the best rookie receiver in history. Zac Taylor will continue to focus this offense on Number 1. Special players have their best games in big moments.

WR – Tee Higgins – Cincinnati Bengals – $5,700

Independent of what Chase can accomplish, I believe the second-year pro out of Clemson represents a bigger matchup nightmare for the Chiefs. Higgins is 6’4″ and boasts elite hands and body control at the catch point. Steve Spagnuolo loves to blitz and put his corners in isolated coverage. They do have good ball skills out there, but Higgins is going to be a problem when those situations arise.

TE – Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs – $6,500

I would have to be completely insane to not roster a Chiefs’ receiver this week. As much as I love Tyreek Hill this week, I did not have enough salary to squeeze him in. No matter, I will have the same insane upside with the best tight end in the NFL.

FLEX– George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers– $5,000

I think this is wild. $5k is an insulting salary for a tight end with potential to go completely nuclear and break the slate. I couldn’t stand idly by while Scott rostered Kittle for the Clash. I must break him. It’s another Kittle “body bag” game.

DST – San Francisco 49ers – $2,800

I was very close to picking the 49ers DST over the Bills last week. They were cheaper and they scored 21 points to -2 by Buffalo. Oh well. I’ll take the L on that choice and hope the Niners can force some more Stafford turnovers. It was the Rams who nearly blew a 27-3 lead last week, thanks to four fumbles. I just need positive points from San Francisco

Photo Finish

Last week I beat Bo by 0.12 for my fifth straight victory in the Clash of the Beards and Bellies. Every yard matters in the NFL and every fraction of a point matters against Bo. No time for victory laps. I have a H2H Championship to win. I’m still only up 37.42 points and no lead is safe with Bo lurking around. This week we only have three matching players, which means that it’s anyone’s game. I’m rocking double tight ends and a stable of high-upside wide receivers. Bo has the running back horse power. It should be another epic Clash, but I like my lineup and my chances.

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,600

I’m not surprised that Bo and I both rostered Joe Burrow this week agaisnt the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s currently a road underdog who is coming off of a 348-yard passing performance against the Tennessee Titans. Burrow might drop back to pass 50 times in this game and since interceptions only cost you one point, there’s tremendous upside for Burrow this week. I love stacking with this either Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. Bo went for the home run against me and stacked him with both. I love Chase this week, but if you can’t afford the price tag, Higgins is worth a look at only $5,700.

RB – Cam Akers – LA Rams – $5,000

Cam Akers fumbled the ball twice last week agaisnt the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, once when he was a few feet from the end zone no less. This week his $5,000 price tag leaves him begging for redemption in my H2H lineup. Akers 46 touches in two games are second to only Elijah Mitchell’s 50. I’ll take the home favorite discount running back every day of the week. Hell, I even stacked Akers with the Rams defense going away. Bite on that one sauce boss.

RB – Jerick McKinnon – Kansas City Chiefs – $5,100

Until two weeks ago Jerick McKinnon has been a forgotten man in the NFL. Revived by the potent Kansas City Chiefs offense, McKinnon has 22 carries and 13 targets for a total of 35 touches the last two weeks. The Chiefs are 7.5 home favorites so I expect both McKinnon and CEH to be involved in the offense all night long. McKinnon has the PRR upside and has looked dangerous out of the backfield, racking up 135 yards and one score on 11 receptions. I’m hoping he scores 13-15 points.

WR – Tee Higgins – Cincinnati Bengals – $5,700

Tee Higgin is one of the best values this week at only $5,700. I’m stacking him with Joe Burrow as a contrarian stack option to the Ja’Marr Chase stack. Bo has wisely decided to mitigate my stacking leverage and played both Bengals wide receivers. It’s a high upside move that could pay off big or backfire in his face. The good new news for me is that I have two out of the three plays, so if anything I’ve leveraged his leverage.

WR – Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs – $7,000

Tyreek Hill has the legit potential to score every time he touches the football. We saw his game-changing potential last week in the final seconds against the Bills. Sure he’s been more of a traditional GPP play each week, but we are down to the final two weekends of the Clash and at some point, you just do what Min Cash Peter would do and you play the best plays. Tyreek Hill is one of the best plays this week. Bo is missing out.

WR – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $8,800

I’m shocked that Bo didn’t roster Cooper Kupp. Guess he doesn’t like winning or points because that’s all that Kupp has done this year. He has 55.8 DraftKings points in two games on 17 receptions on 20 targets for 240 yards and a touchdown. Kupp hit the 100-yard bonus in both games. I’m expecting more of the same this week from the 49ers secondary and expect Kupp to find the end zone at least once.

TE – C.J. Uzomah – Cincinnati Bengals – $3,400

C.J. Uzomah has 13 receptions on 14 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown through two Cincinnati Bengals playoff wins. He’s averaging 16 DraftKings points per game and in a 54.5 total environment this week. I’m expecting more of the same for the cheaply priced Uzomah. Thankfully Bo still doesn’t believe an. d all these points will be mine.

Flex – George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers – $5,000

This season George Kittle has 14 targets, 10 receptions, 60 yards, and a touchdown against the LA Rams. The San Francisco 49ers will need a big game from Kittle if they are going to stay in the game and pull off their third straight road upset. I expect Kittle to see 8-10 targets and with after the catch ability, has the potential to break one. Of course, Bo rostered him.

DST – LA Rams – $3,200

Jimmy Garappollo is the worst quarterback still playing in the playoffs and the LA Rams are the best defense still playing in the playoffs, it’s that simple. High upside defense in the lowest total game.

Hey Siri, Play Invincible by TOOL

What kind of silver lining can be discerned on the heels of a four-game losing streak? What does one do in this precarious situation? Pray? Meditate? Drink themself into oblivion? For the first time ever, I found myself nodding along with Mike McCarthy. I know how to win at DFS. I know how to build lineups. I am not concerned about my future job security.

Scotty Stacks came ready like the 49ers did and smacked me around with a one-two knockout punch from Sexy Flexy (Deebo) and the Rams DST. I rolled all of the above questions into a tasty burrito of an answer. My rebuttal comes in the form of a truly nasty lineup build for the Divisional round. It is a lineup that will take Scott from the penthouse to the bourbon aisle. Cheers!

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Ryan Tannehill – Tennessee Titans – $5,800

Tanny wasn’t his 2020 fantasy self this season. Far too many times, it was a product of the failing health of his most dangerous weapons. Tennessee will have all of them back this week. I am leveraging the Derrick Henry selection from Scott that I saw coming from 3,000 miles away. I am also predicting a three-touchdown game from Tanny, with one of them coming on the ground.

RB – Cam Akers – LA Rams – $5,500

I was an Akers truther from his last season at Florida State. Cam was ultra-impressive behind one of the worst offensive lines in NCAA history. Now, he’s the centerpiece in Sean McVay’s play-action crucible of an offense. The Bucs are not as immortal against good running backs as their reputation suggests. If a torn Achilles can’t keep Akers from dominating, neither can Vita Vea.

RB – Elijah Mitchell – San Francisco 49ers – $5,800

How can I possibly expect a late-round rookie to lead me to victory this week? If you’ve been following along, I was picking Mitchell ahead of Trey Sermon in rookie drafts in the preseason. He’s legit. Green Bay hasn’t been as porous against the run as in recent years, but the 49ers have zero chance of winning at Lambeau without sticking the ball in the kid’s gut at least 20 times.

WR – A.J. Brown – Tennessee Titans – $6,200

This build is all about the unlimited upside of mega-stud wide receivers. I wish I could roster more than four of them. AJ Brown stacked with Tannehill is going to be a lethal combination against a red-hot Bengals team. At the very least, I’m hoping for the same type of volume he saw against the 49ers a few weeks ago.

WR – Ja’Marr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals – $7,100

I actually do envision this Titans-Bengals game to flow like the Titans-49ers game in primetime a few weeks ago. Instead of Deebo, my correlating runback weapon is the best rookie receiver in NFL history. The game plan last week against Vegas was beautiful, with the lion’s share of targets going to Chase. A repeat of that and I’m golden.

WR – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $8,600

Kupp too? In this economy? Oh yes. The owner of the second-most productive wide receiver season in NFL history also has a nice chance to rebound off his most modest game of the year last week. The Bucs are ultra-generous to opposing receivers, funneling off their elite run defense. Once again, I’m hitting all the upside keys this week to make up ground on dear Scott.

TE – George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers– $5,300

Where last week was an obvious Deebo week, this game at Lambeau is a Kittle “body bag” game. He lit up the Pack in Week 3 and I expect more of the same in a winning or losing effort from San Francisco. He is usually too good of a blocker, but I think Shanahan can see this obvious matchup advantage in coverage.

FLEX – Randall Cobb– Kansas City Chiefs – $3,100

I’m taking a shot on this injury-mitigated price. Cobb has turned in five touchdowns on only 28 receptions this season. If San Francisco sells out to triple-cover Adams, Cobb is practically on the same cycle as Rodgers too.

DST – Buffalo Bills – $2,600

I don’t believe in the Chiefs this week. I might be wrong, but this Bills’ defense is literally built to beat them. Buffalo’s DST scored 17 fantasy points against KC earlier in the season and made Patrick Mahomes look like Daniel Jones. I don’t need that kind of performance, but I’ll gladly take it.

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

If you are not familiar with Formula One or F1 Racing, you are really missing out on some incredible drama. This past season was one of the most exciting to date, after nine-time and defending champion Lewis Hamilton was passed on the last lap of the season by rising star Max Verstappen to claim the 2021 F1 Championship in dramatic fashion. Well, call me Max to Bo’s Lewis because after trailing all season, being down three games twice, and losing nine straight last season, I finally passed Bo last week and am leading the Clash of the Beards and Bellies. We are adding up all the H2H points scored in the playoff rounds to determine who wins their choice of a bottle of expensive Bourbon if BO wins or Scotch if Scott wins. I’m currently leading by 37.3, but no lead is safe against Bo. Onto the Divisional Round!

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,600

Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are the truth! Burrow threw 34 touchdowns this year, 13 of them to Chase. Last week Burrow played well in his playoff debut, throwing two touchdowns and passing for over 240 yards. He peppered Chase with 12 targets, which he converted into nine receptions for 116 yards. This week he faces a Tennessee Titans secondary that finished in the bottom half of the league, giving up 20 touchdowns to wide receivers this season. Burrow’s other target on the outside, Tee Higgins has a 4-6 inch height advantage over Titan cornerbacks. The Bengals are currently three-point road underdogs, indicating that this game projects to be a back and forth contest that should keep Burrow passing throughout. Lock him in for Cash.

RB – Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans – $7,500

Derrick Henry hasn’t played a snap since breaking a bone in his foot in Week 8. This week he is set to officially return to the Titans lineup against the Bengals and DraftKings priced him up at $7,500. Cheap by previous King Henry prices, but still the most expensive running back by $700. We all know Henry’s upside and understand his potential. There are risks embedded in his price, so if any word leaks from Titans camp that he might be limited at all in the game pivot, but I am not worried. Henry is a playoff stud!

RB – Devin Singletary – Buffalo Bills – $5,900

Devin Singletary is the Buffalo Bills RB1. Finally, after three years, it’s “Mission Accomplished!!” Singletary has been on a tear, no pun intended, the last five weeks. He’s touched the ball 94 times, has rushed for 404 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He’s currently priced at only $5,900, yet he’s the RB1 in the highest-scoring offense remaining in the playoffs, and oh, did I mention the touchdowns? Bo has been fading Singletary, while I have been using him to beat him. Once again I am going to the well, instincts don’t fail me now! 

WR –  Odell Beckham Jr. – LA Rams – $5,300

Odell Beckham Jr. has found a role for himself in the LA Rams’ offense. Last week he caught all four of his targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. This week OBJ faces a Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary that Matthew Stafford torched early this season for over 200 yards passing and two touchdowns. Cooper Kupp performed so well earlier this season (nine receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns) that the Buccaneers will be gameplaying to stop him, leaving OBJ with single coverage on the outside and also potentially in the red zone. At only $5,700, I’m Cashing this week and taking my points to the Clash of the Beard and Bellies vault.

WR – JaMarr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals – $7,100

What else can be said about Ja’Marr Chase except that Bo ruined my stack attack this week by rostering Chase in his Clash of the Beards and Bellies Build? No surprise given that Chase is one of the top upside plays for the Divisional Playoff Round, and because Bo loves tormenting me with his roster moves each week. Thankfully Bo only copied one of my picks this week, so we can finally separate the Beards from the Bellies.

WR – Deebo Samuel – San Francisco 49ers – $7,600

Is Deebo Samuel a wide receiver masquerading as a running back or a running back masquerading as a wide receiver? Whether you label him a “Wide Back” or a “Running Receiver” the man averaged over 22 DraftKings points per game in the regular season and scored 20 last week in a defensive struggle against the Dallas Cowboys. There are so many reasons to like Deebo this week. PFF projects San Francisco with a decided run blocking advantage over the Green Bay Packers. Deebo has eight rushing touchdowns in the regular season, and one last week as well. Deebo also had over 1,400 receiving yards. There is no game script that does not include Deebo. He’s a Cash game must this week.

TE – Tyler Higbee – LA Rams – $4,000

I’m not in love with Tyler Higbee this week, but I love the game script, the price, the opportunity, the touchdown upside, Cooper Kupp leverage, who Bo is playing this week. At only $4,000 Higbee is a value play who has a good chance to score double-digit points. He’s averaging 13.25 DraftKings points per game over his last four games. And as mentioned before, his success directly takes away opportunity from his best play, Cooper Kupp.

Flex – Isaiah McKenzie – Buffalo Bills – $3,500

Isaiah McKenzie’s role in the Buffalo Bill offense is expanding. Last week he caught all four of his targets out of the slot. Cole Beasley was targeted one time. This week’s game on the road against the Chiefs will be different, but McKenzie is playing well and will be needed to take down the twice-defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. I love McKenzie in space with the ball in his hands. He is fast and has big-play ability every time he touches the ball. At only 3,500, he’s a perfect addition to my winning lineup.

DST – San Francisco 49ers – $2,500

The 49ers are the cheapest DST this week, hence the inclusion in my lineup. I do like the possibility of a snow game, as of now, there’s a 50/50 chance according to weather reports for Sunday. The ball always has a funny way of bouncing, hopefully, it’s into the arms of a 49ers player taking it back to the house.

Hey Siri, Play Invincible by TOOL

In a 21st century remix of Donny and Marie, I’m a little bit country and a little bit thrash metal. I’m feeling grizzled and battered from the DFS battlefield after this season like the warrior from TOOL’s amazing track, Invincible. With a heavy shield, I am struggling to remain consequential after losing three-consecutive Clashes to end the regular season.

But alas, I don’t really fear Scott’s ability to stack up with my strongest suit: small slates. I tried to convince him that we should break the playoff Clash into smaller daily and Showdown slates, but he was rightly suspicious and insisted on the full six games this weekend. No bother, I’ll dismantle him either way.

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – $6,400

Far too many people are crowning the 49ers as a potential Cinderella story after their comeback against the Rams to barely sneak into the playoffs. Although Dallas doesn’t match up too well with San Francisco on defense, they wield a tremendous advantage at quarterback and wide receiver against the 25th-best secondary in the NFL. Dak will be throwing to wide-open receivers all afternoon behind the league’s best offensive line. Big Dak Energy and huge passing numbers are incoming in a convincing Dallas win.

RB – Leonard Fournette – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5,900

Playoff Lenny is expected to be activated and unleashed at the perfect time. Philadelphia has absolutely no business in the postseason and will need to play perfect football to even cover the spread against Tampa Bay. Philly’s run defense is awful and they are even worse at covering running backs out of the backfield. Fournette will feast, even at 80% health.

RB – Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,800

The attention is deservedly going to Joe Burrow and the Cincy passing attack, but the Raiders are most worried about the guy who thrashed them earlier in the season. Mixon was a workhorse against Vegas, compiling over 120 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. The Raiders defense is better suited to cover Jamarr Chase up, but they don’t have the big boys to keep Mixon from battering them.

WR – Jauan Jennings – San Franciso 49ers – $3,800

Jennings has been a very impressive riser this season for the Niners, beating out Brandon Aiyuk for targets in recent weeks. It might be due to Jimmy Garoppolo’s very poor ability to read defenses, but I like Jennings down under $4k to easily hit 3x value against a Dallas secondary that struggles to prevent yards after the catch.

WR – CeeDee Lamb– Dallas Cowboys – $6,200

The 49ers cannot cover CeeDee Lamb. He will draw coverage from the dried-up shell of Josh Norman and a bunch of second-string Nickel corners. The Cowboys double stack is my way of encapsulating the bulk of points scored in a high-total affair.

WR – Cedrick Wilson – Dallas Cowboys – $4,400

Ced is producing more consistently than Amari Cooper these days (shocker) and more than tight end Dalton Schultz. His chemistry with Dak is obvious. I have Wilson as the best points-per-dollar play at any position on the entire slate. He is also my preferred stacking option with Dak if I go skinny.

TE – Rob Gronkowski – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $6,300

Just as Matthew Berry poignantly tweeted earlier this week: Death, Taxes, and tight ends scoring against the Eagles. Gronk has been a target monster the last month. He has needed to be, with Godwin and Brown floating away in ashes. Brady and Gronk in the playoffs? Against the worst defense in the playoffs? Sign me up.

FLEX – Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs – $7,100

A minor heel injury is shaping up to make Hill a nice little leverage play this weekend in GPPs. I just love that. He didn’t do much against Pittsburgh earlier in the season, but I just have a feeling that the Cheetah is on the verge of a Hiroshima-level explosion on Joe Haden and the Yinzers.

DST – Cincinnati Bengals – $3,000

Derek Carr has zero playoff wins in his career, so why is everyone seemingly predicting the Raiders to upset the hottest team in the NFL? I don’t get it. I believe this defense will force a bunch of Vegas turnovers and correlate perfectly with Mixon. Cincinnati will embarrass the Raiders on Saturday and send them back to Sin City with their mascara and eyeliner running.

Playoff Football!!

Last week I completed my regular season comeback, winning my third straight against Bo, and deadlocking our DraftKings H2h season series at nine wins apiece. I had never beaten Bo three times in a row, as a matter of fact, he beat me eight straight times last season. It was a dark time for the Nimble empire. I know Jeff Fischer isn’t proud of going 8-8, but your boy is thrilled to be .500 against a Cash game monster like Bo McBrayer.

Over the four remaining playoff rounds, we will be total our scores to see who has the most points at the end of Super Bowl Sunday. I’d say let the best man win, but we all know that would be Bo, so instead I will say let fortune favor the bold and may I all my deep balls be caught and all Bo’s dropped. Now excuse me while I spend my whole MLK weekend watching the NFL Super Wild Card games! If this isn’t heaven, I dont know what is.

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – $6,400

According to RunTheSims.com, Dak Prescott has the best point per dollar value for any quarterback on the DraftKings main slate. Dak’s weapons are also extremely reasonably priced, CeeDee Lamb at $6,200, Amari Cooper at $5,900, and my favorite stacking option, Cedric Wilson at only $4,400. Dalton Schultz is also a value at $5,000. Double stacking Dak makes the most sense given the 50.5 game total and Dallas ranking first in the NFL, averaging 31.2 points per game. The 27 points implied team total is tied for the second-most this week with Tom Brady and the Bucs. The San Francisco 49ers defense surrendered 29 total touchdowns to quarterbacks and ended the regular season ranked 23rd agaisnt wide receivers. This game should be the highest-scoring game on the slate and and I want in!

RB – Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,800

In three career games vs. the Raiders franchise, Joe Mixon has rushed 72 times for 338 yards and five touchdowns. In Week 11 this season, Mixon lit the Raiders up for 27.3 DraftKings points, rushing 30 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Mixon averaged 18.6 DraftKings points per game this season and is a great value at only $6,800. The Raiders finished the regular season ranked 30th against running backs, giving up over 2,200 total yards and 23 total touchdowns. The Bengals are currently six-point home favorites against the Raiders with a 26.5 implied team total. Time to establish the run.

RB – Leonard Fournette – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5,900

Leonard Fournette smashed the Philadelphia Eagles back in Week 6, turning 28 touches into two touchdowns and 30.7 DraftKings points. Fournette has been sidelined since the last month, recovering from a hamstring injury in Week 15 against New Orleans. Fournette has been practicing this week and looks to retain his starting running back role on Sunday. There are no indications that Fournette will be on a snap count, but don’t be surprised if folks are hesitant to pull him into their lineups. You know what they say, Fournette favors the bold.

WR – Deebo Samuel – San Francisco 49ers – $8,100

Deebo Samuel is the truth! The man is a just built different. His eight rushing touchdowns tie him with running backs Nick Chubb, Melvin Gordan, and James Robinson on the seaon. His six receiving touchdowns and 1,405 receiving yards help make him an NFL ALL-PRO. Hell, he even throw a touchdown pass this season. The Dallas Cowboys don’t have an answer for the skillset Deebo possesses. The 49ers will look to utilize Deebo in the red-zone as a rusher and as a field strecher to move the ball downfield. I’m all in this week!

WR –  CeeDee Lamb – Dallas Cowboys – $6,200

CeeDee Lamb priced at only $6,200 is a steal this week. After being forgotten the last few weeks, Lamb should see plenty of volume against the San Francisco 49ers. Stacking Dak with CeeDee Lamb is the play this week against a 49ers defense that relies heavily on zone coverage. Dwain McFarland from PFF tweeted that Lamb has a 22% target rate versus man coverage this season, with a staggering 32% target per routs run against single looks. CeeDee’s TD’!!

WR – Cedric Wilson – Dallas Cowboys – $4,400

Cedric Wilson priced at only $4,400 is a glaring DraftKings oversight this week, but then all DraftKing players’ prices are trending low this week. Wilson has filled in nicely for an injured Michael Gallup, catching 11 of 12 passes for 154 yards, and three touchdowns in two games. He’s averaging 25.3 points in those two games and has been Dallas’s highest-scoring wide receiver the last two weeks. Shocker, Bo played him this week as well (eye roll).

TE – Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs – $6,700

Travis Kelce quietly finished second in tight end scoring this season, averaging 17.2 points per game. He caught 92 of 134 targets for 1,125 yards and nine scores, good enough to finish as the WR9 ahead of Keenan Allen, Hunter Renfrow, and Mike Evans. Let Bo fade him this week, it will be his undoing.

Flex – Camerson Brate – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $2,900

Camero Brate is my flex because he’s the best available player with the most upside and also because he is leverage agaisnt a Gronk explosion. Brate has seen steady target volume the last five weeks, averaging 3.6 targets per game. Brady has connected with him four times for touchdowns this year. Here’s to hoping he scores his fifth this week against the Eagles.

DST – LA Rams – $2,700

The LA Rams defense is priced at $2,700. The disrespect. Arron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and company are currently the NFL’s top-rated defense according to PFF. Kyler Murray without his best weapon, DeAndre Hopkins, is still dangerous, making this a bit of a risky GPP like play agaisnt Bo. It’s the playoffs, go big or go home.

Paging Jeff Fisher

I have unwillingly made this series very interesting. No more jokes. It’s incredibly irritating to have one single lineup completely bomb among 13 that were good enough to cash. That one lineup, for two weeks running, has been my Clash build.

It’s like that one episode of Family Guy, where Stewie cloned himself. He purposefully made his clone “Bitch Stewie” less intelligent so he would willingly do all his chores for him without question. Bitch Stewie eventually fell apart into a pile of goop because he was so unstable (and pooped in the bathtub). My Clash lineups have been precisely Bitch Stewie lately.

Week 18 is sure to be a whole hell of a lot of random craziness, but somehow Scott was looking over my shoulder to steal my homework. When we originally shared our Clash lineups (without any collaboration whatsoever), we had five matches. Guess I’ll have to sweep my house for hidden cameras (again). I really don’t want to be tied at nine wins apiece heading into the playoffs, so we’re breaking out the desperation lineup.

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Tyler Huntley – Baltimore Ravens – $5,700

The growth we have seen from Huntley in just a month of starting in place of Lamar Jackson has been staggering. Coming out of Utah, he was the epitome of a project. Now, he’s firmly in place as a clean step down from Lamar in this offense, instead of a cliff. The Steelers aren’t as good on defense as the Browns made them look on Monday. Huntley will have a great fantasy game.

RB – Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints – $8,300

Scott is getting the double-barrel stud running back approach this week. The Saints get the Falcons this week in a win-and-in scenario. I believe the tandem of Kamara with Taysom Hill will obliterate this non-existent front-seven for Atlanta. Kamara is the top running back on my board in PPR ceiling.

RB – Jonathan Talyor – Indianapolis Colts – $9,300

JT wrapped up his rookie season last year with a 253-yard destruction of the Jaguars. He is 266 yards shy of 2,000 on the season and the Colts are playing the Jags again for their playoff lives. The writing is on the wall and JT has the most elegant penmanship.

WR – A.J. Brown – Tennessee Titans – $7,000

I sincerely hope we see a bit of Derrick Henry this week. Regardless, this offense runs through AJB. The Titans can clinch the all-important top seed in the AFC and accompanying first round bye with a win on Sunday. They would be crazy to not feed this monolith from Mississippi.

WR – Deonte Harris – New Orleans Saints – $3,200

Harris wasn’t a factor last week, after missing offensive installation practice with COVID. The short passing game will belong to him and Kamara on Sunday. Harris’ speed and elusiveness is endearing to Sean Payton. He should easily exceed 3x value on Sunday.

WR – Ray-Ray McCloud lll – Miami Dolphins – $3,800

I don’t love many wide receivers under $4k this week, but I do love the bonanza of low-quality targets that McCloud is getting. This is a low-ceiling play unless McCloud somehow breaks one or scores, but for PPR it’s okay I guess.

TE – Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens – $7,500

I decided early on that I was going to try and beat Scott with Stars and Scrubs. Who’s a bigger star on this slate than Mark freaking Andrews? With Huntley at quarterback, Andrews is commanding a workload that has vaulted him into the Travis Kelce tier. With the way he is rolling, I wouldn’t trust any other tight end on this slate to get me where I want to go.

FLEX – Jonnu Smith – New England Patriots – $2,500

Would you believe that Jonnu is on the field more than Hunter Henry? Looking at the receiving stats, you would never guess it. Smith is still a supremely gifted athlete (and a well-compensated one). His curse is his elite blocking skill, where Henry cannot provide as much for the Patriots to win games. I might have been dead wrong about Jonnu’s usage for season long fantasy, but I have a hunch he will score this week, now that the fantasy season is over.

DST – Cleveland Browns – $2,600

Let me take you back to Week 9. The Bengals were hosting the Browns, and the Cleveland defense held the jungle tigers to 16 points. They sacked Joe Burrow five times, intercepted him twice, and recovered a fumble. They even scored a DST touchdown, giving them a very nice 18 fantasy points on the day. Cincinnati is starting Brandon Allen and Samaje Perine this week in a meaningless game for them. I think the Dogs will be barking here at a great value.

Call It a Comeback!!!

We have finally reached the last week of the regular season and agaisnt all mathematical odds, I am only one win behind Bo in our season long DraftKings H2H contest. Bo has nine wins and I have eight wins. It’s officially a comeback, as Bo has been stuck on nine wins since the Biden administration took over. I’ve inched my way back after being down three losses twice this year and with only a few weeks left to decided the official winner of the Clash of the Beards and Bellies, its anyones’ game!! Clutch your pearls Bo, this drama is a coming down to the wire. May the best man win!!

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Tyler Huntley – Baltimore Ravens – $5,700

Tyler Huntley mans the helm this week for the Baltimore Ravens against their hated division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Technically both teams have a microscopic chance of making the NFL post-season, but more than likely this game is just for pride and fun. Huntley played well last week but just wasn’t able to punch the ball into the end-zone against a stout LA Rams defense. The Steelers are not the Rams and Huntley and the Ravens should be able to score touchdowns this week instead of future HOF Justin Tucker field goals. I’m stacking Huntley with Andrews and/or Rashod Batemen.

RB – Devin Singletary – Buffalo Bills – $6,000

Devin Singletary is $6,000 and the New York Jets are dead last in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to running backs. This year they have allowed over 2,700 combined rushing and receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. Devin Singletary rushed 23 times for over 100 yards last week. Another good sign this week that there should be plenty of volume for him in a game that the Bills are favored to win by 16.5 points. Bo’s hatred for Singletary makes this play all the more ironic.

RB – Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts – $9,300

Jonathan Taylor needs 266 yards to reach 2,000 rushing yards and he might actually get it this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Whose fans, btw are planning on dressing up as clowns this week to mock their owner Shahid Khan. I know Taylor is expensive, but he did score 27 points in Week 10 the last time he play the Jags. I knew Bo would have him as well and I could not miss out in case he goes nuclear on Sunday.

WR – Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $7,100

Mike Evans is my lotto ticket against Bo this week. With all of Tom Brady’s wide receivers either hurt or quitting in the middle of games, Evans finds himself the last man standing in the Buccaneers wide receiving corps. Evans also will not be facing cornerback Stephon Gilmore this week because he is on the NFL’s COVID-19 list. Advantage Tom Brady and Evans. And also, huge advantage for me over Bo. Here’s to Evans grabbing two touchdowns to end the season strong and cement my win over Bo.

WR –  D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers – $5,800

D.J. Moore is sixth amongst wide receivers with 153 targets this season. All targets are not created equally though, as Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Cam Newton have taught us. Still, 10 targets a game in a game environment that will force the Panthers to throw the ball, Moore is a great value at only $5,800. Bo thinks that he’s fools gold this week, can’t wait to see who is right.

WR – Deonte Harris – New Orleans Saints – $3,200

Deonte Harris returned from his suspension last week and caught both of his targets for 23 yards. A good sign given his time away from the offense. This week Harris and the Saints face the 27th ranked Atlanta Falcons secondary who have given up 2,555 yards receiving to wide receivers and 19 total touchdowns. Harris has a perfect price to pay off big with just a few touches. I was gutted to see that Bo had him rostered as well.

TE – Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens – $7,500

Andrews is the new TE1 in fantasy football. With four games of 29.5, 31, 38, and 44 points this season, Andrews has the explosive upside to win you a tournament and the value to help you crush your Cash game opponent. I want all the Mark Andrews this week and will be stacking him with Huntley in most of my builds. Apparently great minds think alike because Bo is fielding the same stack against me this week in the Clash. Barf.

Flex – John Bates – Washington Football Team – $3,000

The Washington Football Team has targeted the tight end position 100 times this season, or around six times per game. With Ricky Seals-Jones missing practice all week, John Bates will be stepping into the starting tight end role for the WFT this week against the New York Giants. Bates caught a touchdown in week 16, so there is potential for double-digit points from a 3K tight end.

DST – Miami Dolphins – $2,400

The Miami Dolphins are the cheapest paydown defense that I will play this week. I am not expecting much. Just hoping that they can keep the game close and turn Mac Jones over once.

I Got the Deuce-Deuce (In the Trunk of My Car)

Last week was the first loss I’ve ever taken to Scott in Capricorn SZN. Astrologically, this was a devastating defeat. The margin was as narrow as Tutu Atwell’s tutu. As the Roman calendar flips, so too will my strategy. I have blistered ole Scotty Stacks with a more aggressive approach in the past, but I’m rolling into ’22 firing from both hips with ivory-gripped revolvers. The West was won with good old fashioned whiskey-induced violence. This season’s Clash series will be won with a figurative version of the same. I know it will taste sublime…

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Trey Lance – San Francisco 49ers – $4,800

It is nearly impossible for a mobile quarterback with a cannon arm, copious weaponry, and a sub-$5k salary to bust. It doesn’t take a squinty-eyed genius to see the advantage to lineup building that Lance provides. Oh wow, even Scott saw it!

RB – Ke’Shawn Vaughn – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $5,200

I preach the importance of high-value touches in my Hot Cash article every week, so why wouldn’t I put my ramblings into practice this week to essentially close the book on the season series? Rojo is a fine play this week, but I much prefer the explosive Vaughn’s receiving ability and speed over a player who went to USC and frequently draws the ire of Bruce Arians.

RB – Darrel Williams – Kansas City Chiefs – $5,800

Just like Vaughn, I can spend less salary to get a valuable piece of an explosive offense who is more entrusted with receiving work by his head coach. Darrel Williams isn’t flashy, but he does command those precious receiving touches for the Chiefs over CEH. Scott will bleed out from a thousand PPR cuts.

WR – Bryan Edwards – Las Vegas Raiders – $3,300

You might not have known this about me, but I have had a dart board in my garage for a long time. I can really fling ’em. I have dominated Scott all season, thanks to deadly accuracy on these dart throw receivers. Indy’s secondary is very opportunistic, but they have a tendency to get barbecued down the field. My gut says that it will be the South Carolina product that gets them this week.

WR – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $9,500

Some of my builds this week have both Kupp and JT. Like a cat toying with its prey before the kill, I’ll just ride with Kupp this week and spare Scott the embarrassment. He has JT going, which is oozing with desperation. I don’t need to worry about Kupp’s production against a decimated Ravens defense.

WR – Jaylen Waddle – Miami Dolphins – $6,700

The electric rookie from Alabama is as advertised. The rekindled connection between him and Tua Tagovailoa has been every bit as spectacular as the one in Cincinnati between Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. We haven’t even seen the full scope of Waddle’s downfield capabilities. Wouldn’t it be sweet if we caught a glimpse this Sunday?

TE – George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers – $7,100

This is a big boi skinny stack. Kittle is a fade when the opposing defense has a good front seven. Houston is not one of those teams. I fully expect a gigantic target volume for Kittle from the gifted rookie, Lance. On top of that, Kittle’s reputation as a YAC monster is sure to re-emerge against one of the worst tackling defenses in the NFL.

FLEX – Michael Gallup – Dallas Cowboys – $4,800

Personally, I cannot wait for this game to kick off. It will be a measuring stick game between the Cowboys and Cardinals in the NFC playoff hunt. It will also be interesting to see if Gallup ends up as the best points-per-dollar receiver on this board. Arizona has very poor personnel on the corners, which until recently was buttressed by their pass rush.

DST – Miami Dolphins – $2,800

Next to the Chiefs, the league’s hottest defensive unit has to be Brian Flores’ Miami Dolphins. I haven’t been too enamored by the Titans on offense either. Without the benefit of Derrick Henry or a healthy Taylor Lewan, Tennessee is grinding out games with great coaching. That won’t be enough to light up the scoreboard against a Miami squad firing on all cylinders.

Football is a Game of Inches

I barely scraped out a victory last week against Bo, just by the skin of my late swap teeth. Josh Palmer was the difference. I cannot celebrate too much because I am still down 7 – 9 and in desperate need of a victory. If I have any hope of pulling off a miraculous comeback in our DraftKings season-long H2H Championship, I have to win this week. A $100 bottle of Whisky/Bourbon goes to the winner and offseason bragging rights. I’m rolling with proven performers like Jonathan Taylor and Sony Michel and volatile upside plays like Tyreek Hill and Trey Lance. Bo and I only share one common player (Trey Lance) which means we are in for a hell of a game!!

Happy New Year!! Hopeful 2022 will be better than 2021.

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Trey Lance – San Francisco 49ers – $4,800

Trey Lance is a Week 17 wild card that I want to be injected into my veins. Football is truly a gamble every week, and who doesn’t want in on the biggest gamble this week? Thankfully Bo is of the same gunslinger mindset and chambered him in his H2H clip this week. Smart. You don’t need me to sell you on Lance, his rushing upside combined with receiving weapons like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle speak for themselves. Happy hunting this weekend everyone.

RB – Sony Michel – LA Rams – $5,800

Sony Michel is in the Todd Gurley role, just like we all predicted. Don’t fight it. Just accept it. Sony Michel >>>>>> Todd Gurley. The sooner you can accept it, the sooner you can capitalize on it and start making up for lost money. In his last four games, he’s touched the ball 28, 21, 20, and 31 times. Sony is the goal line back. Sony is the PPR back. Sony is the back. Sony is back. More like, Sony is here. I for one am here for it. This week he has 20 point potential against the Baltimore Ravens.

RB – Jonathan Taylor – Indianapolis Colts – $9,000

I was shocked that one Mr. Bo McBrayer, aka @Bo_McBigTime on Twitter, did not roster Jonathan Taylor this week. I am going to tell Jon Helmkamp on you, Bo. It was your fatal mistake this week. That’s all I need to say. Don’t overthink JT. He’s the best running back on the slate and will deliver today.

WR – Braxton Berrios – New York Jets – $3,700

Do you pour your Braxton Berrios before or after the milk? For me, it’s always before, and with ice. This week dig into your Berrios with a soup spoon (is there any other way to do it?) because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be stomping the New York Jets all day long. Zach Wilson will throw the ball 50 times this week. Berrios should see double-digit targets if Jamison Crowder and Elijah Moore are both OUT again this week. There’s milk dripping from your, never mind.

WR –  Antonio Brown – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $6,100

Antonio Brown was a SMASH play last week, scoring 23.1 DraftKings points in a tough matchup with the Carolina Panthers secondary. This week Brown has a much easier matchup on paper with the New York Jets secondary. According to PFF, Brown has their second-best wide receiver grade for Week 17. Last week his 15 targets were second to only A.J. Brown’s 16. This week Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are both OUT, meaning that it will once again be the Tom and Antonio Show. I’m playing him in 69% of my lineups.

WR – Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs – $8,300

The Kansas City Chiefs are five-point road favorites this week as they roll into Cincinnatti to face Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Vegas opened the betting at 49.5 and the public quickly bet it up to 51 points. This game has all the trappings of an offensive explosion waiting to happen. Tyreek Hill is often times the accelerant that facilitates said explosive games. Travis Kelce’s return should open up the field for Hill to wreak havoc in the Bengals’ secondary. At $8,300, I feel like it’s a no-brainer in Cash games.

TE – C.J. Uzomah – Cincinnati Bengals – $3,300

C.J. Uzomah has been boom or bust this year and in this matchup against the Chiefs, I am banking on a shootout to aid in his boom. The Chiefs have been pretty stout against wide receivers, but have been venerable to tight ends, giving up 849 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Uzomah has 23 targets in the last 4 games, meaning that the volume is there for a big payoff if he scores this week.

Flex – Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks – $6,400

Tyler Lockett is one of the best football players in the NFL. The Detroit Lions’ secondary is the exact opposite. The average PFF grade for the top three starting cornerbacks is 49.1, with Will Harris (44.1) set to lineup across from Lockett. Lockett is more of a GPP play than Cash game, but I need upside against Bo. Lockett delivered for me in Week 14, scoring 30 points and burying Bo in the process. It’s Lockett week ladies and gentlemen and Bo.

DST – Denver Broncos – $2,600

The Denver Broncos DST is the cheapest punt defense I feel comfortable playing this week. It’s that simple.

Dobermans and Razor Wire

Before I wax poetic about my return to form last week, I would like to wish the Simpson family a very merry Christmas. A man is only as good as his supporting cast and Rose and the girls tolerate Scott at a dosage level that inferior beings would quickly succumb to. All kidding aside, Scott is a brother to me. The parallels we share from 3,000 miles apart are remarkable. We each have enough empathy for one another to share stories and experiences without judgment.

Scott’s attempt to defeat me for the third-consecutive week was thwarted when Mark Andrews put on a clinic against the Packers. The rest of my Week 15 lineup was shadier than the business practices of a repo car lot. I put together a tougher pack of guard dogs this week. Our respective Cash and GPP articles were near perfect matches this week, so it’s no wonder that there will be only a few swing players in this week’s Clash. I only need a couple more wins to clinch the season series. Scott doesn’t know yet, but the Clash loser buys the winner a nice bottle of whiskey. Cheers to you, brother!

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia Eagles– $6,400

This is the type of offense that Nick Sirianni gets the very most out of his young quarterback. Hurts has been one of the very best fantasy quarterbacks all season, but we benefit from the Tuesday game pricing blind spot this week. The Giants are a pathetic excuse for a franchise and might give up 300 rushing yards to the Birds, with Hurts doing his best Josh Allen impersonation.

RB – Cordarrelle Patterson – Atlanta Falcons – $6,700

Sexy Flexy isn’t picking up a lot of fanfare this week, after putting up a rare dud in Week 15. Patterson is still a cheat code in PPR, picking up an insane amount of high-value touches each game. He also has tremendous touchdown upside with his specialized role in the Arthur Smith offense. Detroit has failed to slow down any type of running back or wide receiver this season. That’s nice, because Cordarrelle is both.

RB – James Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars – $5,900

The only thing missing from JRob’s solid performance last week was the big play. I suspect they will come in bunches this week against the Jets’ historically bad season against running backs. Darrell Bevell believes in giving Robinson a full workload, early and often. I believe he could go for 30-plus points this week.

WR – Odell Beckham Jr. – LA Rams – $5,300

Cooper Kupp is obviously the alpha dog of this receiving corps, but don’t sleep on OBJ’s ever-increasing role. The Vikings’ secondary is putrid enough to feel very confident in Beckham’s potential at nearly a $4k discount off Kupp. From what we’ve already seen from OBJ in LA, it’s safe to say that the Browns be the Browns.

WR – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $9,100

I know I just talked about leveraging Kupp with Beckham, but there is absolutely zero chance I’m forgoing the league’s most productive receiver against the worst coverage unit in football. Regardless of his cap hit on DK, the 20-point floor is ultra-coveted in cash games like this.

WR – Byron Pringle – Kansas City Chiefs – $3,300

Even with Tyreek Hill getting the green light to come off the COVID list, I’m all about Pringle’s big-play ability against a vulnerable Pittsburgh back end. Mahomes has shown more trust in Pringle than with Hardman or Robinson. Needing only double digits to 3-max value on a player with this much potential is exactly what I’m looking for to put the cherry on top of a DFS build.

TE – Dallas Goedert – Philadelphia Eagles – $5,100

Mark Andrews and Goedert were each smashing successes in Week 15. The former helped me hit one of my best scores of the season and the latter padding my wallet on the Tuesday slate. Goedert, like Jalen Hurts, was priced for Week 16 before his massive Week 15 game on Tuesday. This kind of edge is very helpful in cash games to fortify lineup builds with the most potential value. Plus, the Giants really suck.

FLEX – David Montgomery – Chicago Bears – $5,700

It is Monty season, you guys just might not be aware at this point. He touched the ball 23 times last week against Minnesota, which included five receptions. The Vikings are much tougher on running backs than the Seahawks, who allow the second-most points to opposing running backs in the NFL (only the Jets are worse). A sub-$6k Monty in this situation feels like Santa left it under the tree.

DST – Chicago Bears – $2,500

It is a calculated risk to use a struggling defense, but stacking the Bears with Monty gives a nice correlation to my build. I also don’t fear the Seahawks’ offense one bit. Russell Wilson has been horrible since returning from the dreadful mallet finger injury. He is in typical late-season Mr. Ultra-Limited form and I expect the Bears to get after him.

Down, But Not Out

Last week my comeback was cut short when Dak Prescott shit the bed and Pat Freiermuth was knocked out of the game with an injury. Bo ended my short-lived 2-game winning streak before it ever got going. This week I am down, but not out. I’ve assembled a Week 16 team that I am confident will be able to take Bo down. Our lineups are eerily similar, both rostering Jalen Hurts, David Montgomery, James Robinson, Cooper Kupp, and Byron Pringle. It will come down to matchups like OBJ vs. Keenan Allen and Mark Andrews vs. Dallas Goedert to settle it. I’m confident my team will bring me one step closer to my ultimate goal of winning the 2021 Clash of The Beard and Bellies Championship!

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Jalen Hurts – Philadelphia Eagles – $6,500

Death, Taxes, and Jalen Hurts in Cash. Hurts has been consistent all season long, scoring 19 or more DraftKings points in 10 of 13 games. RunTheSims.com has Hurts as the top point per dollar play this week for quarterbacks. The Giants are a shell of themselves and Hurts should be able to move the ball downfield all game long. I just love that Bo is playing him as well.

RB – David Montgomery – Chicago Bears – $5,700

David Montgomery rolls into Week 16 averaging 16.2 DraftKings points per game over his last four games. This week Montgomery faces a Seattle Seahawks rush defense that ranks 31st in the NFL, giving up 29.4 points per game. Expect Matt Nagy to feed Montgomery all game long. A potential negative games script could also mean more targets as the Bears play catchup. I’m not shocked at all that Montgomery found his way into Bo’s lineup this week as well.

RB – James Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars – $5,900

James Robinson is back!! Last week he saw 24 opportunities, rushing for 75 yards and a score, picking up 17.8 DraftKings points along the way. This week Robinson faces the New York Jets defense that ranks 32nd to running backs this season. Their futility is remarkable. They have surrendered over 2,500 rushing and passing yards combined and 25 total touchdowns. Robinson is currently projected around 10% rostership, making him a great play in all GPP formats this week.

WR – Keenan Allen – LA Chargers – $7,700

Keenan Allen is a sixth amongst NFL wide receivers with 134 targets this season. Allen has a 27% target share and over his last seven games, Allen is averaging 10.9 targets per game. That’s translated into 20.5 DraftKings points per game. With Austin Ekeler OUT this week on the NFL’s COVID-19 list, the offense should be on Herbert’s shoulders, making Allen a top play this week. Bo is going to be kicking himself for not rostering him.

WR –  Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $9,100

Cooper Kupp leads all NFL wide receivers in targets (164), receptions (122), receiving yards (1,625), and touchdowns (14). Kupp has scored over 30 DraftKings points in six games this year. He’s the best wide receiver play each and every week. Don’t overthink this one. Kupp is a Gronk smash into your lineup this week.

WR – Byron Pringle – Kansas City Chiefs – $3,300

The Byron Pringle play has lost s bit of its bloom given that both Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill are not expected to be cleared to play on Sunday. This will ultimately limit Pringle’s upside. Thankfully Bo took the bait on Pringle as well so I won’t be wallowing alone.

TE – Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens – $7,000

Mark Andrews is the TE1 this year in DraftKings scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game. Andrews leads all NFL tight ends with 122 targets, 85 receptions, and eight touchdowns. He’s averaging 10.6 targets per game over his last five games and is the Ravens’ number one receiving threat whether Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley is under center. His 11% rostership is reasonable given his 30 plus point upside this week. Andrews is worth running out naked or pairing with Huntley if he gets the start in place of Lamar.

Flex – Cameron Brate – Tampa Bay Buccaneers– $2,500

It’s no secret that Tom Brady will be down both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans this week against the Carolina Panthers. I’m not expecting too much from Cameron Brate this week, all I need is 8 points. If he scores a touchdown, it’s icing on the cake.

DST – Minnesota Vikings – $2,400

The Minnesota Vikings are the best punt defense that I can afford with my remaining $2,400. I’m not thrilled about it, but there’s nothing I can do about it if I want to play studs like Keenan Allen and Mark Andrews in my lineup. It’s a deal with the devil for sure.

Abominable Snowman

What a terrible performance! Except for Alvin Kamara and Joshua Palmer, I saw six snowflakes on my side of the board. That is by far the most I’ve ever had in a head to head clash with Scott. I literally gift wrapped his second-consecutive win last week, so now I don’t need to get him anything for Christmas. He can build all the fires with composite logs from Costco that he wants, the flames will be back in my column for Week 15.

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Davis Mills – Houston Texans – $5,400

The rookie out of Stanford has played better in three of his NFL games than he ever did in the Pac-12. Last week, Mills passed for over 300 yards and put up his third 20-point performance of the fantasy season. He gets the lowly Jags this week, who took the most vile dump in the history of dumps (and Florida). I like Mills to air it out and get me some serious points-per-dollar.

RB – Myles Gaskin – Miami Dolphins – $5,600

You guessed it! It’s an odd-numbered week and Myles Gaskin is active against the god damn Jets. No, Gaskin isn’t magically a better player this week than he was before, but the Jets are so bad at defending running backs that if you put Rose in the end zone with a beer, Scott could rumble to 20 points on DK against them.

RB – James Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars – $5,400

J-Rob is finally free of Urban Meyer’s venomous, barbed tentacles. Interim coach Bevell will undoubtedly establish the physical running game with Robinson, especially without the corpse of Carlos Hyde shuffling about. Houston is just as terrible as Jacksonville, but this game is ripe for fantasy purposes.

WR – Davante Adams – Green Bay Packers – $8,900

Adams is a target vacuum. Aaron Rodgers isn’t a dummy when it comes to finding open receivers or throwing them open. Since there’s nobody on the Ravens that can dream of covering Davante one on one, they will zone out and die by a million PPR cuts. Adams is a must start player at any price.

WR – Nico Collins – Houston Texans – $3,500

It’s a little bit sad that I’m trying to prevent Scott from a three-peat with a Texans skinny stack, but here we are. The rookie Wolverine inexplicably stayed at a very nice salary this week after a 10/5/69 (nice) performance against Seattle last week. He will be among the most likely Texans to score a touchdown on Sunday, which would be a nice continuance of my spend-down receiver hot streak.

WR – Albert Wilson – Miami Dolphins – $3,400

Tua still seems very content with his historically-low aDOT/high completion percentage approach. Without Jalen Waddle, the slot role will go to Wilson, who has shown flashes of brilliant playmaking ability since returning from injury. I’ll bet that Scott has Gesicki here, but I’ll leverage that with Wilson and save a couple thousand to squeeze more studs into my build.

TE – Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens – $6,400

Until Travis Kelce lit up Los Angeles in primetime, it was actually Mark Andrews who held the TE1 crown. Green Bay is pretty good on defense this season, but a hobbled Lamar Jackson might be even more dangerous as a passer. Andrews is priced perfectly for his immense upside as the most relied upon option in the Ravens attack.

FLEX – Deebo Samuel – San Francisco 49ers – $8,200

Imagine if other dynamic playmakers were given a similar set of plays as Deebo. He has been absolutely outstanding as a receiver and running back this season, scoring touchdowns on what seems like every other time he touches the football. Atlanta is what the kids call “down bad” on defense. I shudder to imagine what Shanny has dialed up for his former team involving his best playmaker.

DST – San Francisco 49ers – $3,100

The Falcons are also what the kids call “trash” on offense. Matt Ryan has yet to find time behind this abysmal offensive line to put up very many decent games. The Niners have a fellow named Nick Bosa that is unblockable for most linemen anyway. This is a pseudo RB-DST stack with Deebo that sounds pretty fun.

Don’t Call It A Comeback, Part 2

Last week I got lucky and Tyler Lockett exploded to help me win my second straight over the illustrious Cash King himself, Bo McBrayer. Bo currently leads our Head-to-Head contest, 8 – 6, so you won’t hear any bragging out of me until I am at least .500. With that being said, I do have the chance for my first three-game winning streak against….oh looks like I just jinxed it….

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – $6,500

Dak Prescott let down DraftKings players in Week 14, scoring a paltry11.9 points. That was last week. This week he faces a Giants defense that he absolutely lit up in Week 5, passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Dak’s floor this week is 20 points and his ceiling is 30. It’s going to feel extra special beating Bo with his own precious Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

RB – Myles Gaskin – Miami Dolphins– $5,600

Myles Gaskin has cleared the NFL COVID-19 protocols and will be active this week for the Dolphins, making him one of the best value plays at running back on the slate. The New York Jets are dead last against running backs, having given up over 2,300 total yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. On average, they give up 35 points per game to running backs. Myles Gaskin should be in every lineup you build this week.

RB – James Robinson – Jacksonville Jaguars – $5,400

James Robinson is FREE!!! Well, not completely. He’s actually $5,400 on DraftKings, but he is free from half-wit Urban Meyer. According to interim head coach Darrell Bevell, Robinson will see an increased workload this week with Carlos Hyde OUT with a concussion. It’s tremendous news for DFS players who are looking to finally cash in on Robinson. His matchup against the Texans is a juicy one as well. They currently rank 28th in the NFL against opposing running backs, giving up 26 points per game. Robinson is my second favorite running back play this week behind Gaskin.

WR – Davante Adams – Green Bay Packers – $8,900

Davante Adams has been averaging 30.7 DraftKings points per game over his last three games. The man is on fire! This week he faces Ravens secondary that hasn’t been good all season. According to PFF, Adams has the best cornerback matchup this week. Ravens cornerback Cliff Westry has a PFF grade of 58.7. The Ravens’ other starting cornerback, Anthony Averett has a PFF grade of 55.8. No matter who tries to cover Adams, he will be open all day long. He’s the best wide receiver play on the board for me this week.

WR –  Brandin Cooks – Houston Texans – $5,800

Brandin Cooks is the 11th most targeted wide receiver in the NFL through 14 weeks with 109. All the other active receivers on the team have a total of 81. Cooks has been feast or famine lately, scoring 21.1 last week after only registering 8.4 points in Week 13. The last time Cooks faced off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 he caught five of seven targets for 132 yards. I am expecting more of the same from Cooks this week. If he can find the end zone, he has the potential to score 25 points.

WR – A.J. Green – Arizona Cardinals – $4,900

DeAndre Hopkins is OUT this week. Both A.J. Green and Christian Kirk stand to benefit, but Green is more likely to run Hopkins’ WR1 route tree than Kirk. At $4,900, he’s a perfect Cash play with GPP upside. His opponent, the Detroit Lions, rank 27 in the NFL, giving up 27.2 points per game. The Arizona Cardinals are -13 road favorites in this matchup and should be able to move the ball down the field at will, creating potential red zone opportunities for Green and company. I’m projecting Green for 16 DraftKings points this week.

TE – Pat Freiermuth – Pittsburgh – $4,500

Pat Freiermuth has six touchdowns in his last seven games. He’s currently tied for 2nd amongst all tight ends with Travis Kelce and Hunter Henry who both have seven touchdowns. Freiermuth’s $4,500 price tag is a value for someone who has a great chance to find the end-zone again this week.

Flex – Michael Carter – New York Jets – $4,700

Michael Carter currently has an IR designation next to his name in DraftKings, but he has been practicing all week and according to Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh, he will have a “significant role” in the offense this week. In the four games before his injury, Carter racked up 31 targets, 7.7 per game, and was averaging 19.4 points per game. I’m just looking for 15 points out of him to beat Bo.

DST – Dallas Cowboys – $3,600

Paying up for defense in Cash makes more sense than in GPP tournaments. This week I had to splurge. The New York Giants will be without Daniel Jones again this week. Their 17.8 points per game rank 27th in the NFL. If the Cowboys don’t score a defensive touchdown I would be disappointed.

Something About a Blind Squirrel

Don’t let his gruff exterior fool you, Scott Simpson is incapable of doing harm. That is, unless you are in the DraftKings lobby, with banks of flickering fluorescent lights and creaky floorboards. In that world, he’s leaning into the bricks in a leather jacket, carving a Fuji apple with a switchblade knife. For some unknown reason, he’s wearing skull rings on every finger and keeps muttering something about ROI under his breath.

Like a wild animal backed into a corner, his pupils contract to pinpoints and he hisses and shrieks before mounting a furious counterattack. I had driven him to that, with a month of deprivation from the sweet, thick nectar of victory. Parched, he championed a trio of wide receivers who rode in on translucent steeds to the tune of 84.40 fantasy points. He coaxed an immortal goat from his patch of thistle to cap off a resounding 27-point triumph over my more-than-adequate band of hired guns.

I liked my lineup. It was quite strong, but Scott’s lineup was the highest score in the Clash so far this season. It was quite remarkable how vividly I picture the squirrel in Ice Age finally capturing the elusive acorn. Scott is the squirrel. Ice Age has multiple sequels. I will have my vengeance in an eruption of pyroclastic flow.

Bo’s Lineup

QB – Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – $6,700

The quarterback for America’s Team is my favorite to roster on DK this week. His letdown performance against the Saints last week drove his salary down by $400, making this value impossible to ignore. Washington isn’t built to beat this Cowboys team, especially coming off a 10-day break.

RB – Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints – $7,900

He’s baaaack. No, not Cam Newton. AK41 is back to take on the very worst defense in the NFL at defending the running back position. To roster a healthy Kamara under $8k is Valhalla. The Saints are in a must-win situation with a mere speed bump in the way. The god damn Jets are going to get steamrolled.

RB – Antonio Gibson – Washington Football Team – $6,000

It seems fitting that Gibson against the Cowboys led to my demise on Thanksgiving 2020. Washington has given the Memphis product all the work he can handle since their bye week. Dallas has good numbers against running backs on paper, but have truly been gashed when teams emphasize the inside zone running game.

WR – Michael Gallup – Dallas Cowboys – $5,500

Gallup has the highest projected points-per-dollar value on this slate for me. He draws one of the friendliest matchups possible with the Washington secondary. All three Cowboys wideouts will feast on Sunday, with Gallup doing so at the lowest DK salary.

WR – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – Tennessee Titans – $4,500

Houston and Jacksonville have had similar struggles in coverage this season. Two weeks ago, NWI was running wide open all game and put up over 20 fantasy points. As stunning as it is to imagine a team “coached” by Urban Meyer struggling with communication, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Westbrook-Ikhine light this defense up at a bargain.

WR – Joshua Palmer – LA Chargers – $3,000

Speaking of bargains, Palmer is a less-polished version of Mike Williams. Williams is unlikely to be activated from the COVID reserve list for Sunday’s game, vaulting the rookie from Tennessee into a prominent role. Keenan Allen is already ruled out. Palmer is a touchdown waiting to happen against the dreadful New York Giants.

TE – Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs – $7,400

The Chiefs are back on the main slate this week, bringing the ultimate stack back into play. I won’t have very many lineups that won’t have Kelce as a pillar. The Raiders stink. Don’t think for one second that I forgot about Week 10, when Kelce went for 10/8/119 in Vegas, for his best performance since Week 3.

FLEX – Chuba Hubbard – Carolina Panthers – $5,900

I think Chuba stinks. He’s simply not that good at football. What does not stink is his gorgeous matchup with the Falcons, nor his sub-$6k salary. In Atlanta in Week 8, the Oklahoma State rookie got a hefty 24 carries and scored a touchdown. Matt Rhule wants to pound the rock, now that Joe Brady was sacked. A little more receiving volume and a tick up in the yards per carry would be nice step toward hating Chuba a bit less.

DST – Carolina Panthers – $2,800

Running backs are fun to stack with their correlating DST, especially when they face really bad teams. Atlanta has allowed the most points to opposing defenses in fantasy, which means they don’t score many points and surrender a ton of sacks and turnovers. The Panthers DST scored 11 DK points in Week 8 in Atlanta with three sacks and two interceptions. That was at a higher salary, to boot.

Don’t Call it A Comeback

Literally don’t call my resounding victory over Bo in the ‘Clash of the Beards and Bellies’ last week “a comeback.” I’m officially 5 – 8 against Bo through 13 weeks of NFL action. It’s pathetic. No celebration from me this week. I’ll start celebrating when I’m over .500. Right, Jeff Fischer?

Scott’s Lineup

QB – Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – $6,700

The smart money is on Dak this weekend at only $6,700. No big shocker that Bo is all over this play as well. The Cowboys’ 26 implied point total means that points should be plentiful come Sunday. With Amari Cooper healthy and an ailing Tony Pollard, look for Dak to get it done through the air, I’m projecting him for over 300 yards passing and three touchdowns, or around 23 DraftKings points.

RB – Josh Jacobs – Las Vegas Raiders – $6,200

I’m really high on Josh Jacobs this week. Last week he saw nine targets and has seen 30 over the last six weeks. All it took for Jacobs to finally become a PPR back was for Gruden to be fired. Who knew? This week the Raiders should lean on Jacobs in the rushing and passing game, as Darren Waller will miss another game with knee and back injuries. Look for Jacobs to see 20 plus touches in this matchup against a Chiefs’ defense that 25 points per game to running backs.

RB – Javonte Williams – Denver Broncos – $5,900

Javonte Williams is a stud. Last week he finally showed off and showed out, scoring over 30 DraftKings points in Melvin Gordon’s absence. This week Gordon should be back this week, but Williams is the healthy and dynamic back you want to start against the hapless Lions. Sure they got their first win last week, but this week they are down two starting running backs, and T.J. Hockenson is doubtful. The Lions are terrible against the run, giving up over 1,700 total yards and 18 touchdowns to backs in 12 games. Don’t overthink this one, roll with Williams.

WR – CeeDee Lamb – Dallas Cowboys – $7,200

CeeDee Lamb ranks 11th for DraftKings wide receivers, averaging 17.4 points per game this season. Over his last six games though, Lamb has averaged 19.3 and over a 25% target share. The Cowboys have lost the last two games vs. the Washington Football Team, giving up 66 points in those two games. The Cowboys are going to need their top-ranked NFL offense to show up if they are going to win this matchup and the NFC East. I expect Dak to target Lamb 7-9 times in this high-scoring game, providing him with plenty of opportunities to bring back value. I’m actually shocked that Bo didn’t roster him.

WR –  Tyler Lockett – Seattle Seahawks – $6,700

Seattle’s rushing attack has been decimated by injuries this season, losing Chris Carson for the season. Bad news for the Seahawks, but good news for Tyler Lockett, who has been averaging eight targets per game the last five weeks. His 88.8 receiving yards per game over that stretch lead the team. Lockett has a safe 10 point floor, but a tremendous ceiling against PFF’s 82nd ranked cornerback Terrance Mitchell. With a career low 58.6 grade this year, Mitchell is exploitable.

WR – Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $6,600

Mike Evans is averaging over seven targets per game over the last six weeks and at $6,600 was just too juicy to pass up. Sure, Chris Godwin has seen his target share increase during Antonio Brown’s absence, Evans quietly has six touchdowns in his last six games. I’m banking on Evans to score a solid ho-hum,18-20 points against the Bills. Nothing special, just keep me in the game.

TE – Ricky Seals-Jones – Washington Football Team – $3,600

Logan Thomas is OUT for the rest of the season. Perfect time for Ricky Seals-Jones to heal up and return to the lineup against Dallas. We’ve already seen Taylor Heinicke consistently target the tight end position in this offense. The Cowboys haven’t been impressive against tight ends, giving up 13.75 points per game this season. When he’s started, Seals-Jones is seeing a 17% target share. Wheels up people.

Flex – Jeff Wilson Jr – San Francisco 49ers – $4,400

My good friend Dave Kluge recently pointed out that in six career starts, Jeff Wilson is averaging around 17 fantasy points per game. That’s good right? Hell, at $4,400, it’s great. The only question is whether or not Wilson will be a true lead back, garnering 60-70% of touches or if its more of a 50/50 split with JaMycal Hasty. I’m leaning towards the former in this matchup against the Bengals. Wilson could be in line for 20 touches against a Bengals teams that

DST – Cleveland Browns – $2,700

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have not looked right all season. Last time these two teams met the Browns picked Jackson off four times. This play will either socre big for me or come back to haunt me. Fingers crossed Lamar struggles in this matchup.