DraftKings NFL 2017: Week 6 lineup
By Joe Romano
High-Priced Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady – New England Patriots ($8300): A common occurrence at the top of these lists is New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady. This week Brady travels to New Jersey to play the New York Jets. The Jets are fresh off of a three game winning streak, but the level of opponents have been nowhere near the Patriots level. Brady is questionable for Sunday game with a non-throwing shoulder injury but all signs point to him playing. The Jets have challenged Brady 30 times in the Hall of Famers’ career. In those games Brady averages 237 yards, 1.5 touchdowns and a 91.9 QBR. Last season Brady threw 5 touchdowns in the two games against the Jets compared to not a single interception. The top priced quarterback hold a $1000 higher price tag than the next player. This is a great matchup, with all expectations pointing to the Jets falling back down to earth. The Patriots defense and its horrible play only helps Brady by forcing him to keep the pressure on the opposing team.
Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers ($7300): Another normal name at the top of quarterback lists is Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers travels to Minnesota to play NFC North rival Vikings on Sunday. This is a tough matchup for the incredible quarterback. Minnesota is the seventh toughest defense versus opposing quarterbacks. Rodgers is dynamic but this team is still struggling to protect him. With the Vikings defense and their seven sacks in the last two games, Rodgers could be scrambling. The Cowboys defense was able to pressure him but their secondary still could not hold up. The Vikings have the secondary players to give Rodgers headaches all game. I’d stay away from him as a high-priced option and go with one of the other on this list or use this slot to find some value.
Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints ($7200): New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees is in a similar situation as Rodgers. This week New Orleans welcomes the Detroit Lions to the Superdome. Brees plays well at home but the Lions are a tough defense. Detroit ranks eighth in least points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, a shade behind Minnesota. Darius Slay is a lock down corner and Glover Quin is having a breakout season. Brees is also experiencing a down year given his lofty standards. He is currently outside of the top 10 for fantasy quarterbacks. This could come back to bite me because it’s Drew Brees but like Aaron Rodgers I’d avoid him and go with a value play or another name on this list.
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Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons ($7000): Last season’s MVP, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, shows up as the number four priced quarterback. Ryan and the Falcons welcome the struggling Miami Dolphins to Atlanta on Sunday. Miami is a middle of the road team in terms of points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Some of that has to do with teams developing early leads and running the ball. Miami’s defense, for how bad the offense looks, is keeping the games reasonably close. This is not an elite defense by any measure but also not a great matchup. Ryan could be a quality play as his floor remains higher than most.
Kirk Cousins – Washington Redskins ($6800): Washington Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins rounds out the list. Washington plays the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The 49ers are the 12th friendliest team to opposing quarterbacks. They’ve allowed the fifth most yards through six weeks. Cousins ranks in the top 15 quarterbacks in fantasy and has only tossed one interception on the season. With the inability to run the ball in Washington, and going up against his former offensive coordinator, Cousins could look to put on a show. This is not a bad play for those looking to make a contrarian pick but there may be better values to be found down the list.