NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Early Only Cash Plays

Got your Week 13 NFL FanDuel DFS lineups all set and looking for a good reason to avoid tinkering with them? Make some more lineups on some smaller slates!! This article will focus on the top cash game plays for the 1PM only slate on Fanduel.

For the newbies, NFL FanDuel DFS cash games are simply the games in the Fanduel lobby that are 50/50 or close to that to win. These are basically all of the games other than the tournaments, and guaranteed prize pool tournaments (GPP’s). Head-to-Head’s (H2H), 50/50, and double-ups would best summarize cash games.

Let’s continue by saying this, if you don’t like chalk, these slates are not for you. This article highlights who the top options are in my opinion, and whether they are popular plays or not is not any of my concern. I am just trying to give you a good starting point and a few plays to build around for this nine-game slate.

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 13 Recap

I am a big fan of transparency, and I will be the first to admit I do not always get them right. But I think if you appreciate the conclusions I come to by you doing further research yourself, then I know you will be back for another read. Again, I am always here to help so reach out to me on Twitter, and that sample lineup is just a SAMPLE cash lineup. Regardless, I will play it every week, and we will track it right here!

QB – Cam Newton – $8,700 – (19.3)
RB – Todd Gurley – $9,800 – (30)
RB – Christian McCaffrey – $8,800 – (26.6)
WR – Michael Crabtree – $5,400 – (5.1)
WR – Josh Reynolds – $5,800 – (2.9)
WR – Courtland Sutton – $5,400 – (16.5)
TE – Cameron Brate – $4,900 – (5.1)
FLEX – Phillip Lindsay – $7,000 – (28.4)
DEF – Los Angeles Rams – $4,100 – (9)

                                                                       (142.9)

It was certainly a solid week, and I will take the results, but a few chalk misses that I pivoted to on the same team on really cost me some serious money. I knew I needed these three backs. Well I decided it was Lindsay and not Aaron Jones at about 5 min to lock, but I still stuck with the sample lineup. Where I missed the chalk and went wrong though, was on my value pass catchers.

Instead of chalk Buccaneers receivers Chris Godwin and Adam Humphries, both of which scored touchdowns and easily hit value, I pivoted my tight end from an also chalky Eric Ebron to Cameron Brate to get my Bucs receiver exposure. Robert Woods was also very highly owned, and the pivot to Josh Reynolds obviously did not work this time. Mistakes were made, but this lineup was good enough to easily hit my 50/50’s, and finish 1,563rd out of 35,714 in the 20-max Snap. That’s a top 5% finish which is plenty good for a W in my book.

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Cash Plays (1PM Only)

QB – Tom Brady – New England Patriots – $7,600

It is very, very hard to overlook Drew Brees in this spot. In fact, he was the cover boy of this article until I was browsing the lower price options to find some other players to consider. I realize that I target the Buccaneers defense every week, and now we get the Saints explosive offense in a fantastic spot. I think they will be the chalk, and Brees will too, but I have a different route.

This might be the lowest I have ever seen Brady priced. I didn’t have to dig too far on the history against Miami, it’s just etched in my mind that Brady absolutely owns the Dolphins. Miami is sitting at 6-6 in a must win spot, and I don’t like their chances. The Patriots are finally healthy, and have a legit running back in Sony Michel to balance things out.

Of course this is the Patriots, and those that played them last week got the James Develin treatment, but that is unlikely to happen again. New England could not do whatever they wanted against the Vikings defense last week, and they had to mix it up. Therefore, not one but two fullback dives on the goal-line led to two Develin touchdowns and plenty of fantasy disappointment everywhere.

Brady’s game log in general doesn’t look too hot as of late, as he hasn’t had a 3 or more TD game since October 21st. That was also the last time he eclipsed 20 FDP. Well it is December, and it’s time for Patriots football. And again, this offense if finally healthy with Gronk back, and you only have to go back to when these teams met at Foxboro in week four to justify a Pats stack.

Brady threw three TD’s in that game, and the rookie running back Michel added 100+ yards and a TD as well in a 38-7 route. I may be over thinking this one from a cash game perspective, so I will post an alternate “safer” sample lineup this week. We will consider the alternate to be what I believe will be the chalk in the full Saints stack.

***Also Consider: Drew Brees $8,500 – Jameis Winston $7,700***

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Cash Plays (1PM Only)

RB – Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers – $9,100

This beast right here is why I am pivoting off of Brees and Alvin Kamara, as I just can’t fade him with the current tear he is on. McCaffrey has become a staple in this article, as the Panthers always seem to be on the early schedule.

CMC was at it again last week, as he was able to rack-up 106 yards on the ground on just 10 carries, and add another 55 thru the air with nine receptions, one of which went for a TD. That was good for 26.6 FDP, and as long as he keeps finding the end zone, he is really hard not to play, no matter what the price.

He has one dud in the last five, and that was at Detroit. McCaffrey only scored 14 FDP in that one, as he only rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries. However, when you look at this five game sample, the domination is evident. CMC has three 30+ FDP games in that span, including the 41.2 FDP outburst two weeks ago at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

Any way you break it down, CMC is averaging almost 30 FDP over the last five games, and a fade here against the Browns may be the difference of whether or not you cash. It’s a tough call, but it feels like playing him over the Brees and Kamara is the right one.

RB – Sony Michel – New England Patriots – $6,900

Alright enough of that non-Patriots stuff for a minute. Our second running back and second New England target is the emerging rookie Sony Michel. The Dolphins have been atrocious against the run as of late, and are now the 30th ranked run defense. With Michel running hard and defenses having to account for him, everything opens up for the veteran Brady, with a fully stocked set of targets in Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, and of course, a healthy Gronk.

There is definitely a trend in Michel’s game log that really sticks out, and I am sure that the brilliant Patriots coaching staff is all over it this week. In every game in which he has received 20+ carries, he has rushed for over 100 yards, and found the end zone as well. One of those of course was the first time these teams met, and I expect no different here. There is always that Devlin vulture, but my gut and odds say this team goes back to Michel at the goal line this week. I think this price is too cheap for a 100-yard, 2 TD potential game.

***Also Consider od FLEX: Alvin Kamara $8,300 – Aaron Jones $7,500 – LeSean McCoy $5,700***

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Cash Plays (1PM Only)

WR – Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints – $8,300

My favorite Saint this week and a must start for me is Thomas. In the first meeting with Tampa, they had simply no answer for him, as he caught 16 passes on 17 targets for 180 yards and a TD. With back-to-back poor weeks of not going over 40 yards receiving, his priced has dipped down here to $8,300, making him just the fourth most expensive wideout on the slate.

Thomas did show up on the injury report on Thursday morning, but at this point I am not too worried. We will have to keep an eye on this one still, because if he doesn’t practice on Thursday then we have to consider an alternative. If he should miss this game, Tre’Quan Smith becomes a lock, and the obvious pivot in my opinion, is my next target.

WR – Odell Beckham – New York Giants – $8,000

Normally a full fade for me most of the time, after four straight weeks of failing to reach 100 yards, Beckham finds himself at a reasonable price of $8K. Even though the big catch games haven’t been there, OBJ has still found the end zone in three of the last four. In a good spot to break a rough stretch, the Giants will travel to Washington, for a division battle with the Redskins.

Last time these teams met, OBJ was on the seventh of an eight game streak of double-digit targets. He saw 11 in that one, hauling in eight for 136 yards, good for 17.6 FDP. If he can do that again and find the end zone once or twice like he has been doing anyways, it should equal good things. This is a solid run defense, so Saquon Barkley will have his hands full, and Beckham could be heavily relied on here.

WR – Josh Gordon – New England Patriots – $6,700

Well Edelman was targeted more last week of course, and now that he is back and Gronk is healthy, Gordon is looking like he is becoming an afterthought. After seeing 22 targets in two games against Green Bay and Tennessee, the last two weeks he has only seen eight. He has caught all eight for128 yards and a touchdown, and I think there will be plenty of fantasy goodness to go around this week in Miami on this side of the ball.

The one Patriot I am actually going to fade is Edelman , so fire him up by all means with my luck. All kidding aside, I just don’t think the Patriots offense is going to need that part of their game this week. Michel will be running wild, and Brady will be looking deep for Gordon on the outside,and in the middle for Gronk. The play-action the run wiill be able to set up should be glorius. If Brady and company have anything left in the tank, it’s December, let’s see it.

***Also Consider or FLEX: Davante Adams $8,700 – Julian Edelman $6,900 – Tre’Quan Smith $5,700***

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Cash Plays (1PM Only)

TE – Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots – $6,200

Travis Kelce is looking like a tough fade every week, but Baltimore should be able to hold him in check to an average game. In that sense, it is looking real nice to match Brady up with a healthy Grokowski for $1,800 cheaper. We know Gronk has been injured for the better part of his career for the most part, but when he is fully healthy he is an unstoppable force. He has talked retirement after the season while playing through injury, and my gut says the Pats are gearing up for one last run.

With nothing to show for the season as far as stats go, he has played in nine games, and if he has anything left in the tank, it is time for him step up the game. In 12 career games against the Dolphins, Gronk has been a consistent nightmare, accumulating 732 yards with eight touchdowns in 12 games. It won’t be long before Gronk’s price is back up there with Kelce’s, so I am hopping on this one early.

***Also Consider: Travis Kelce $8,000 – Austin Hooper $5,700***

DEF – New Orleans Saints – $3,800

The last spot here is a lock for me, and it was all made possible by pivoting off of Brees and Kamara for Brady and CMC. I want to play both Thomas and Smith at my WR spots, along with Josh Gordon. Therefore, I was at my four Saint limit, and stuck with the Chiefs defense. I don’t think that is terrible against the Ravens this week, but the Saints defense is on a serious roll and I think they will make it four straight weeks with double-digit FDP.

That’s correct. The Saints Defense has created nine turnovers over the last three games, and this week, they will face turnover prone Jameis Winston in Tampa. First it was nine FDP against the Bengals, then it went 13, 15, and 15 over the next three weeks. That works out to an average of 13 FDP over the last four weeks, so for $400 less than the Patriots, sign me up.

***Also Consider: New England Patriots $4,200 – Kansas City Chiefs $3,700***

NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 14 Sample Cash Lineup (1PM Only)

The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.”  

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QB – Tom Brady – $7,600
RB – Christian McCaffrey – $9,100
RB – LeSean McCoy – $5,700
WR – Michael Thomas – $8,300
WR – Josh Gordon – $6,700
WR – Tre’Quan Smith – $5,700
TE – Rob Gronkowski – $6,200
FLEX – Sony Michel – $6,900
DEF – New Orleans Saints – $3,800

NFL FanDuel DFS: Alternate Sample Lineup:

QB – Drew Brees – $8,500
RB – Alvin Kamara – $8,300
RB – LeSean McCoy – $5,700
WR – Michael Thomas – $8,300
WR – Josh Gordon – $6,700
WR – Tre’Quan Smith – $5,700
TE – Rob Gronkowski – $6,200
FLEX – Sony Michel – $6,900
DEF – Kansas City Chiefs – $3,700

The only question is whether Brees and Kamara = CMC, and whether or not Brady can score enough points. It’s going to be close, but either of these lineups are great points of reference, which is the sole purpose of these Sample Lineups.

I hope you enjoyed some slate specific coverage today. You can find me on Twitter with the link at the top of the page. Reach out to me if you would like to see more of this! We have TONS of FREE content here from many incredibly talented writers at FantasyCPR, and new stuff to check out constantly. As we try to cover more and more angles of fantasy sports, you will see more articles focusing on the smaller slates among the different NFL DFS sites. Good luck on the early slate!