Daily Fantasy Football: Week Sixteen at Yahoo
By Raju Byfield
Rizzla discusses his week sixteen Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: NFL Yahoo Cup Daily Fantasy Football lineup.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: Week Sixteen NFL DFS Picks
Another week in the books and more heartbreak has consumed fantasy owners around the globe. The Daily Fantasy Football arena is heating up with Yahoo offering one of the best contests we have seen in years, making identifying top values and plays all the more critical.
During a week fifteen rife with fantasy football disappointment I was bound to have a couple of such plays infiltrate my lineup. As always I like to reflect and learn from my previous weeks lineup mistakes and this week is no different.
Saquon Barkley was an utter disappointment in week fifteen as he put up his worst game of season totalling just 56 yards from scrimmage for a mere 7.60 fantasy points. I learned that Barkley is indeed human and that even the greats can have bad days.
Brandin Cooks caught six of his seven targets but went for only 59 yards against an utterly decimated Eagles secondary putting up a weak 8.9 fantasy points. Cooks has disappointed for the second week in a row and the biggest lesson learned here is not to trust Jared Goff when Todd Gurley is playing at less than 100 percent, regardless of matchup.
George Kittle saw eight targets but hauled in only three going for a pedestrian 51 yards and 6.6 total fantasy points. Kittle disappointed at home after a solid week thirteen outing in Seattle as it became evident the Seahawks were intent on letting anyone but Kittle beat them.
For this week’s NFL Yahoo Cup free roll I followed my usual strategy of filling defense, tight end and quarterback first by identifying the best potential values and then doing the same for both running back and receiver.
Daily Fantasy Football – Week 16 at Yahoo
Matt Ryan ($32 Salary; 5th salary rank; 3rd personal rank)
Matt Ryan has what seems like a cake matchup this weekend versus a Carolina Panthers defense giving up the eighth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The Panthers have allowed 260.6 passing yards and 1.9 touchdowns per game to the quarterback position on the season giving Matt Ryan a solid floor in this contest. In terms of Ryan’s fantasy ceiling this week we just need to look at his sparkling week two outburst that consisted of 272 yards and two passing touchdowns with another two touchdowns on the ground. Ryan put up his second highest total of the season with 31.68 fantasy points against the Panthers and should be in line for more fantasy goodness this weekend.
Ezekiel Elliott ($36 Salary; 3rd salary rank; 1st personal rank)
My top overall back for week sixteen, Ezekiel Elliott squares off against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense allowing the fourth most fantasy points to opposing running backs. The Bucs have relinquished 98.1 rushing yards and 1.1 touchdowns with 5.4 receptions, 46.3 receiving yards and 0.4 touchdowns to the running back position on the season giving the Cowboys workhorse a mouth-watering potential floor in this contest. The RB4 since Amari Cooper arrived in Dallas Zeke should run roughshod over the injury ravaged Buccaneers defensive front for over 150 yards from scrimmage and at least one score.
Dalvin Cook ($23 Salary; 14th salary rank; 3rd personal rank)
Dalvin Cook has a tasty matchup on tap this weekend against a Detroit Lions defense relinquishing the twelfth most fantasy points to enemy backs. The Lions have allowed 106.4 rushing yards and 0.6 touchdowns with 5.3 receptions, 39.9 receiving yards and 0.3 touchdowns to the running back position while giving up a resounding 106.5 rushing yards and 4.25 receptions for 49.5 receiving yards to the RB1’s they have faced. Dalvin Cook had a solid outing in week nine against the Lions where he saw 14 touches for 109 yards from scrimmage but has a much higher ceiling this weekend with the Vikings renewed commitment to the ground game. Cook looks like a steal this week at his $23 salary.
Daily Fantasy Football – Week 16 WR Plays on Yahoo
Mike Evans ($20 Salary; 16th salary rank; 7th personal rank)
Mike Evans has what looks like a tough matchup this weekend against a Dallas Cowboys defense surrendering the fourth fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The Cowboys have limited the wide receiver position to just 10.5 receptions, 135.6 yards and 0.7 touchdowns per game but that number balloons to six receptions for 90 yards when they have faced WR1 types on the season (albeit with only one touchdown surrendered). Evans stands out as a value this week at his $20 price tag especially when one considers he will be lining up against Anthony Brown (90.3 passer rating against) and Chidobe Awuzie (106.7 passer rating against) more than he will be against Byron Jones (80.1 passer rating against). Further cementing Evans as what looks to be a stellar value play is the fact that he has been a road warrior this season averaging 4.85 receptions and 100 receiving yards per game on the road.
Amari Cooper ($29 Salary; 8th salary rank; 8th personal rank)
Amari Cooper, the number one overall receiver since week twelve, has a great matchup against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense giving up the seventh most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. The Bucs have allowed 13.1 receptions, 159.2 yards and 1.4 touchdowns to the wide receiver position and a whopping 8.7 receptions, 105.2 receiving yards and 0.57 touchdowns to the WR1s they have faced this season. Cooper has massive upside in this contest as he is averaging 5.71 receptions, 95.4 yards and a touchdown per game at home on the season and 7.75 receptions, 132.75 and 1.5 touchdowns per game at AT&T stadium. Solidifying Cooper’s ceiling in this contest is his plus matchup vs Brent Grimes who has allowed a 72.5 percent catch rate and 102.5 passer rating against on the season. Fire up Cooper where possible.
Dante Pettis ($14 Salary; 37th salary rank; 11th personal rank)
The number five overall receiver since week twelve, Dante Pettis has a plus matchup this week against a Chicago Bears defense allowing the twelfth most fantasy points to enemy wide receivers. The Bears have surrendered 14.1 receptions, 171.6 yards and 0.9 touchdowns per game to the wide receiver position on the season giving Pettis palpable upside in this contest. With an average of 16.5 fantasy points in half ppr over the last four weeks Pettis has been the WR6 in per game numbers; a period in which Pettis has put up 83 yards or a touchdown in each contest. Currently third in NFL with 18.3 yards per reception and 11.2 yards per target Pettis will draw one of his tougher assignments of the season against Prince Amukamara. Though Amukamara has surrendered 55.2 yards per game he has held opposing wide receivers to a 60.8 percent catch rate and an 82,8 passer rating against on the season suggesting that Pettis may have to see volume in order to keep the good times rolling.
Daily Fantasy Football – Top TE, DEF and Flex Plays
Eric Ebron ($20 Salary; 5th salary rank; 4th personal rank)
Eric Ebron has a plus matchup this weekend as he faces off against a New York Giants defense surrendering the seventeenth most fantasy points and a generous five receptions for 56.8 yards per game to the tight end position. The Giants fantasy points against are a little skewed as many teams are at this point in the season as they have faced only four top-tier TE1’s all season; contests in which they allowed an average of seven receptions, 73.75 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game.
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Ebron has been on a roll recently averaging 81 yards or a touchdown in five of his last six contests and could be in line for a massive game against a team that has had trouble stopping some of the better tight ends the league has to offer. Roll with Ebron if you can fit him in your lineup salary wise.
Kalen Ballage ($13 Salary; 41st salary rank; 10th personal rank)
As a Kalen Ballage truther I could not be happier that he is finally getting his shot even if it comes in what looks like an intimidating matchup against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense allowing the sixth fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. While the Jags have held enemy backs to 87.0 yards and 0.6 touchdowns on the ground with 4.5 receptions, 33.1 yards and 0.1 touchdowns through the air on the season, they have been devastated by the run on the road where they allow the second most rushing yards per game with 155.9 yards surrendered per contest.
Ballage is an exciting runner who I predicted would be the Dolphins starter by the end of the season, although I did not see it coming by way of an injury to Frank Gore. Ballage has the talent and physicality to have a big game on the ground against a Jaguars defense that struggles in all facets on the road. Fire up Ballage as a low-cost flex option that will allow you to stud out your other positions.
Jacksonville Jaguars ($12 Salary)
Although the Jacksonville Jaguars defense have been a better defense at home, they have a plus matchup this week against a Miami Dolphins defense giving up the thirteenth most fantasy points to opposing defensive/special teams units at a sweet $12 price tag. The Jags are a solid value based play versus one of the weaker offenses in the NFL in a Dolphins team that gave up nine sacks in their last contest and surrendered an average of 6.5 per game over their last two.
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