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DraftKings NFL 2017: Week 13 Lineup

By Joe Romano

29th October 2017, Twickenham, London, England; NFL International Series, game 4, Minnesota Vikings versus Cleveland Browns; Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings is congratulated by Stefon Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings after scoring the Vikings firsts touchdown (Photo by Simon West/Action Plus via Getty Images)
29th October 2017, Twickenham, London, England; NFL International Series, game 4, Minnesota Vikings versus Cleveland Browns; Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings is congratulated by Stefon Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings after scoring the Vikings firsts touchdown (Photo by Simon West/Action Plus via Getty Images) /
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ORCHARD PARK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Tom Brady
ORCHARD PARK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Tom Brady /

High Priced Quarterbacks

Tom Brady – New England Patriots ($7800) – Another week where the future Hall of Famer and G.O.A.T. tops the DraftKings pricing. New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady is coming off another spectacular performance. The Patriots remain atop the AFC once again, and Brady is at the center of it. He’s on a four-week stretch where he has over 800 yards, 10 touchdowns and only a single interception. This week he gets division rivals the Buffalo Bills. The Bills rank 24 in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. The Bills defense shut down Alex Smith a week ago but the week prior Phillip Rivers and the Chargers tore them apart. Brady is matchup proof, thus the price tag.

Phillip Rivers – Los Angeles Chargers ($7000) – There is a drastic price drop from one to two in this list. The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Quarterback Phillip Rivers has the offense humming. Over the last four weeks he is a top-10 fantasy quarterback and like Brady only has a single interception over that span. The Chargers welcome the Browns to Los Angeles in Week 13. The Browns defense actually ranks 20th against opposing quarterbacks the last four weeks. Rivers could still have a big day despite that ranking. Cleveland has faced Andy Dalton, Blake Bortles, Matthew Stafford and Case Keenum during that four week span. Aside from Stafford, there is not an elite fantasy quarterback in that group.

Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers ($6800) – The Carolina Panthers were lucky to walk away in Week 12 with a win. Quarterback Cam Newton did not have a great day, and was salvaged by a rushing touchdown. Like most running quarterbacks, Newton has a low floor given his rushing ability. As the Panthers prepare for a divisional rematch with the New Orleans Saints this week, he will see a much improved defense than he’s used to over the past few years. The Saints may again be down their top two corners, making life a bit easier. New Orleans is 18th in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks but tenth in yards over that span. In their matchup in Week 3 Newton threw three interceptions. Healthier now, this rematch could look different but I’d stay away from Newton given his history with New Orleans this year and the price tag.

Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams ($6700) – A staple of the top five DraftKings quarterbacks is Los Angeles Rams second-year signal-caller Jared Goff. The former number one pick is playing great this season and utilizing the litany of weapons Los Angeles brought in this offseason to perfection. Over the last four weeks only Russell Wilson has more passing yards than Goff and he is second in touchdowns during that time. This week the Rams get a rematch with the Arizona Cardinals, a team that the Rams beat 33-0 in Week 7. The Cardinals are down to their third quarterback since that rematch but are playing improved defense. Goff only had 235 yards and a touchdown in the rout. Arizona ranks 14th in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks. I like Goff this week. He’s been on a great streak and improving weekly. Arizona’s pass defense relies more on their pass rush than their defensive backs. Los Angeles has been excellent protecting Goff all season.

Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints ($6500) – Maybe everyone needs to take a step back from this New Orleans Saints season to realize that quarterback Drew Brees is still an elite quarterback despite the Saints turning into a running team. Brees is fourth in yards this season and a top-10 fantasy quarterback despite having two top-10 running backs on his team. The Saints are a different version of the offense that strikes fear into every defense on their schedule. This week they get a rematch with the Carolina Panthers, a team they dominated in Week 3 to the score of 34-14. Brees had 220 yards passing and three touchdowns during that game. This could be another similiar stat line as Carolina ranks ninth in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks, about where they were during that initial matchup.