NFL DFS game by game breakdown: Week 4
By Joe Metz
NFL DFS: Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals season continues to spiral, but they have a solid chance at picking up their first win of the season on Monday Night in Pittsburgh. Joe Mixon finally broke out last week, posting 94 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown on 18 total touches. The noteworthy part of his game, however, was the fact that he handled 83.3% of the carries out of the backfield and a season-high 57% of the snaps, up 19% from just two weeks prior. The Steelers have surrendered the 4th most fantasy points per game to running backs, making him a strong option in all formats.
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Tyler Boyd and John Ross continue to lead the aerial attack, but it was Auden Tate who recorded 10 targets last week and led the team in receiving yards (88). I don’t expect this to be a trend, as Boyd (25.38%) and Ross (22.31%) are the only two players with a target share north of 10% on the team. Of the two, Boyd draws the better matchup out of the slot against Mike Hilton, who holds a PFF grade below 60 (59.3), giving him the higher floor.
Andy Dalton has had no problem slinging the football this season and while he will always be prone to the interception here and there, he’s the preferred QB in this game on the showdown slate (albeit the 2nd best option behind Dak on the primetime slate).
Cash Plays: Mixon, Boyd
GPP Plays: Ross, Dalton
Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s hard to completely get a gauge on how this offense will operate with Mason Rudolph under center, but the target distribution was extremely interesting:
- 6 targets – Smith-Schuster, Washington, D. Johnson
- 5 targets – Conner
- 2 targets – McDonald, Grimble
If Vance McDonald would have remained healthy, it’s safe to say this would look a bit different given the fact that he was Rudolph’s favorite target when he took over in week 1. With that said, there is growing optimism that he will play on Monday night, making him a viable TE on a short slate with minimal options.
Conner‘s 4 targets is extremely encouraging and his 13 carries for 43 yards was his best mark on the season so far (rough, I know). The Bengals defense allows the 2nd most fantasy points per game to RBs this season, making this a prime breakout spot for Conner assuming he gets the touches.
James Washington has the preseason connection with Rudolph and while that was a popular narrative going into last week, it did prove true throughout the game. This could take some volume away from Juju Smith-Schuster, making him more of a GPP play against a pass defense ranked 24th in pass DVOA on the season. I don’t see Johnson carrying enough reliability to be usable in DFS, but don’t be surprised if he causes some headaches for those of you that wish to attack JuJu in GPPs.
Cash Plays: Conner, McDonald
GPP Plays: Smith-Schuster, Washington
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