Daily Fantasy Football: Week Seventeen at Yahoo

Rizzla discusses his week seventeen Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: NFL Yahoo Cup Daily Fantasy Football lineup.

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: Week Seventeen NFL DFS Picks

With all competitive season long leagues now at an end, many fantasy owners will be looking to get their fix from the DFS arena. In that vein Yahoo! is offering yet another guaranteed overlay daily fantasy football contest this weekend that is among the best in the business, especially in recent memory.

With that said the increased interest in a contest like this makes identifying and plugging in the correct plays more critical than ever in order for one to finish ‘in the money’.

As always I like to start the week my reflecting on my week sixteen lineup blunders and learning from the mistakes. Last week my most uninspiring lineup selections included Kalen Ballage, Amari Cooper as well as Dante Pettis and Eric Ebron.

Kalen Ballage was a surprise disappointment against a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that had given up the second most rushing yards per game when they were on the road. Ballage received only six touches and finished with an embarrassing 5.90 fantasy points. Ballage’s outing proved once again how hard it is to trust non workhorses on bad teams, especially when volume can often be a difference maker in our virtual game.

Amari Cooper was another surprise disappointment in his matchup against Brent Grimes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cooper hauled in four of his five targets for an eighty percent catch rate but was only able to turn his opportunity into 20 yards receiving. Cooper’s four point fantasy outing was his lowest output since being acquired by the Cowboys and taught me that Dak will be a game manager if game script allows for it, capping Cooper’s perceived upside based on matchup.

In the cases of Dante Pettis and Eric Ebron they both left their respective games in the second quarter due to injuries. Pettis’ MCL injury proved bad enough to warrant him being placed on injured reserve while Eric Ebron is going through concussion protocols. The lesson learned here is that injuries can strike and affect our virtual fantasy lineups; an important reminder for those of us who like to have multiple entries with one or two players in all of 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.

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: Week Seventeen NFL DFS Picks

Aaron Rodgers ($33 Salary; 6th salary rank; 2nd personal rank)

Aaron Rodgers has a plus matchup on tap this weekend against a Detroit Lions defense allowing the twelfth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. The Lions have relinquished 248.7 receiving yards and 1.9 touchdowns to the quarterback position on the season giving the week sixteen hero a solid floor in what could turn into a scoring barrage for the Packers offense. Rodgers carved up the Lions D in their previous meeting this season, an outing in which Rodgers had his best regular season fantasy performance with an alluring 28.60 points off of 442 yards and three touchdowns and ten yards rushing

Jamaal Williams ($16 Salary; 28th salary rank; 8th personal rank)

Jamaal Williams looks like a tremendous value this week versus a Detroit Lions defense surrendering the eleventh most fantasy points to opposing running backs. As the only healthy running back on the roster with a full grasp on the offense and fresh off of a titillating 156 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown performance, Jamaal Williams should see another high volume, high production day against a team allowing 105.7 rushing yards and 0.6 touchdowns with 5.3 receptions, 39.9 yards and 0.3 touchdowns through the air per contest. At a cool $16 price tag Williams looks like a steal this week with the Packers expected to play this one to the final whistle. Roll with with Williams as a low cost play to help you stud out your other positions.

Derrick Henry ($32 Salary; 5th salary rank; 7th personal rank)

Despite what looks like a tough matchup on paper Henry remains an upside play this weekend against an Indianapolis Colts defense giving up the thirteenth fewest fantasy points to enemy backs. Though the Colts rank good against running backs in terms of limiting fantasy points they have surrendered 137.1 yards and 0.7 touchdowns from scrimmage per contest to the running back position suggesting that they are susceptible to big days. This play is more about riding the hot hand in a week we know the Titans will be playing to win. The number one non quarterback over the past three weeks Derrick Henry is averaging 164 rushing yards and 2.3 touchdowns per game over that timeframe. With a 5.1 yards per carry average during the Titans and Colts  previous meeting this season Henry has a chance to explode given the workhorse level 23.6 carries he has seen over his past three contests.

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: Week Seventeen NFL DFS Picks

Robert Foster ($17 Salary; 42nd salary rank; 29th personal rank)

Surging rookie receiver Robert Foster squares off against a Miami Dolphins defense surrendering the seventeenth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The Dolphins have allowed 11.6 receptions, 162.3 yards and 1.1 touchdown per game to the wide receiver position on the season giving the leagues leader in yards per reception solid upside this weekend. The WR23 since week twelve, Foster is fourteenth in the NFL with 343 receiving yards and tenth on the NFL with 554 air yards in that timeframe giving Foster solid value based upside at his $17 price tag. In terms of his cornerback showdown Foster could not ask for a better matchup as he faces of against Torry McTyer who has allowed a 71.8 catch rate and a 131.1 passer rating against on the season.

Davante Adams ($33 Salary; 1st salary rank; 1st personal rank)

2018’s number one fantasy receiver Davante Adams has what looks like an winnable matchup against a Detroit Lions defense allowing the twelfth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The Lions have been susceptible through the air this season allowing 10.9 receptions, 160.9 yards and 1.2 touchdowns per game to the wide receiver position (eighth most touchdowns in the league with 18) giving Adams a solid floor this weekend. Functioning as the Packers 1a and 1b receiver for much of the year Adams dismantled Darius Slay and the Lions secondary in their previous meeting this year to the humming tune of nine receptions, 140 receiving yards and a touchdown. Adams much like his two teammates who made this list is a high upside play that should be given serious consideration this weekend.

Robby Anderson ($16 Salary; 25th salary rank; 25th personal rank)

Robby Anderson seems to have a plus matchup this weekend against a New England Patriots defense allowing the eighteenth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The Pats have relinquished 13.1 receptions, 161.1 yards and 1.1 touchdowns per game to the wide receiver position this season giving the red hot Anderson mouth watering upside this weekend. Anderson has a really tough matchup on paper against Stephen Gilmore but if last weeks outing aginst Rbert Foster was any indication Anderson should be able to burn Gilmore at least a few times this week. The number five overall fantasy producer over the last three weeks of the season, Anderson is also number two in the NFL with 424 air yards, third with 312 receiving yards, tied for first with three touchdowns, number three with a 0.80 weighted opportunity rating and fourth in the NFL with a massive 32 percent target share. In other words, leave him out of your entry at your own peril.

Yahoo Daily Fantasy Football: Week Seventeen NFL DFS Picks

Kyle Rudolph ($15 Salary; 9th salary rank; 6th personal rank)

Coming off a monster performance Kyle Rudolph will do battle with a Chicago Bears defense surrendering the tenth fewest fantasy points to enemy tight ends. While the 4.3 receptions for 41.5 yards the Bears have allowed on the season are appealing they have surrendered only five touchdowns to the position all season in turn limiting their fantasy points against. Riding the wave of his breakthrough nine reception, 122 yard, two touchdown outing perhaps Kirk Cousins finally appreciates that he has a pro bowl caliber tight end at his disposal. What is for certain is that Cousins’ rapport with his star tight end is finally developing, putting Rudolph in line for another potential big game with Adam Thielen continuing to struggle (49.25 yards over his past three). Start Rudolph where needed a solid upside value play that will allow you to field the names you want at other spots in your daily lineup.

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Antonio Brown ($30 Salary; 5th salary rank; 2nd personal rank)

Antonio Brown has a cupcake matchup this weekend as he squares off against Cincinnati Bengals defense relinquishing the second most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Though he has missed practices this week Brown will find a way to play in what amounts to a must win contest for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals have been vulnerable through the air all season giving up 12.7 receptions, 170 yards and a touchdown per game to the wide receiver position and 6.7 receptions, 112 yards per game and 0.85 touchdowns to the WR1s they have encountered. Brown has a solid floor in this contest and will look to top his week six output of five receptions, 105 and a touchdown at Paul Brown stadium. Fire Brown up despite the questionable tag.

Los Angeles Chargers ($12 Salary)

Despite squaring off against a Denver Broncos offense surrendering the eighth fewest fantasy points to opposing defensive/special teams units the Los Angeles Chargers look to be a solid play this weekend. Case Keenum has been on yet another downward trend over the past three weeks as he has allowed four picks, five sacks and three fumbles in his last three contests giving the Chargers the type of fantasy ceiling needed from your defensive unit. The Chargers look like a solid play this weekend with 2.6 sacks over their last three games and 8.75 fantasy points in their last four road outings. The Chargers look like a solid play this week against a Broncos offense that somehow found a way to gift the Oakland Raiders their best fantasy outing of the season with 12 points.

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