We are covering the Saturday-Monday Slate in this article. You’ll see my opinion further in this article about this slate (it’s gross) and believe that playing a 2 or 3-game slate on Saturday or Sunday main is largely just gambling. These are some of the best-run defenses in the NFL, with narrow passing target share which creates very little value. So you’re essentially trying to pick out which #3 or #4 option is going to have a career day.
Saturday/Sunday Morning Update
Check back here throughout the weekend as news breaks or any updates to the cash lineups. You can always follow me on Twitter to get immediate notification on when the article is updated. https://twitter.com/devinknottsfbg
Saturday 1PM EST: No Saturday updates to the primary cash lineup at this time.
Saturday 4PM EST: Still no update to the lineup, there has been some updates regarding the change in time to Buffalo and Pittsburgh, which should help both offenses in they keep it on the main slate, which as of now seems to be the case. If you're on a Sunday only slate, the move should only help the Buffalo and Pittsburgh offensive performers.
A.J Brown has been ruled out. While both Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert should see an increase in workload, because of Hurts' injured finger, this is a tough situation when guys like Cooper Kupp is just $300 more than Smith, and Jake Ferguson is just $100 more than Dallas Goedert.
Sunday Morning Update: 7:00AM EST
Yesterday's games did not go to plan. First, I'm flying a bit blind here as none of my Saturday-Monday 50/50's filled. The lineup is likely facing an uphill battle to cash this week especially if Houston's defense became popular. Amari Cooper only had 7.9 points, while Travis Kelce was not bad, but was outscored slightly by David Njoku.
Saturday-Monday Cash Late Swap Lineup Update: We need upside since we are behind some of the other rosters this week. Chris Godwin is not someone who typically has multi-touchdown upside. I'm shifting to a Detroit passing game stack with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jared Goff. Note, if you are not facing a lot of Texans (less than 25%), then ignore this late swap, but given how highly rostered they are in H2H I would imagine they are 30-40% rostered in most places.
- QB Jared Goff, DET, $7,700
- RB Devin Singletary, HOU, $6,300
- RB James Cook, BUF, $7,100
- WR Amari Cooper, CLE, $7,500
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET, $9,000
- WR Jameson Williams, DET, $5,200
- TE Travis Kelce, KC, $7,200
- Flex RB Aaron Jones, GB, $7,000
- TD Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,000
Sunday-Monday Cash Lineup:
Here is a lineup that I put together for the Sunday-Monday slate:
- QB Matthew Stafford, LAR, $7,400
- RB James Cook, BUF, $7,100
- RB Rachaad White, TB, $7,700
- WR Cooper Kupp, LAR, $7,500
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET, $9,000
- WR Jameson Williams, DET, $5,200
- TE Dallas Goedert, PHI, $6,100
- Flex RB Aaron Jones, GB, $7,000
- TD Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,000
Sunday Lineup:
SITUATIONS THAT STAND OUT TO THIS WEEK ON THE MAIN SLATE.
- Dallas (vs GB) – 29.0 points
- Detroit (vs LAR) – 27.25 points
Week 18 Recap
Another strong performance to close out the regular season. After two lineup edits due to the D’Andre Swift being ruled out which was a pretty big surprise to most. The lineup finished in the top 10-15% of all lineups thanks largely to Josh Allen, CeeDee Lamb, and Justin Jefferson who put up 74.06 of the team’s 133.96.
Total points scored-
- QB Josh Allen, BUF, $9,500- 25.06
- RB Zamir White, LV, $6,500- 12.6
- RB Pierre Strong Jr/a>, CLE, $4,600- 6.5
- WR Davante Adams, LV, $7,700- 13.1
- WR Justin Jefferson, MIN, $9,000- 30.0
- WR CeeDee Lamb, DAL, $10,000- 29.0
- TE Davis Allen, LAR, $4,400- 4.5
- Flex RB Kenneth Gainwell, PHI, $4,900- 6.2
- TD Los Angeles Chargers, $3,300- 7.0
Injuries Create Opportunity:
- Denzel Ward left practice with a knee injury on Thursday and is questionable to play this week. This is massively significant for Cleveland as they’re a completely different team without him. The Browns' secondary has been amongst the league’s best pass defenses, but both Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford torched this defense when Ward was out.
- Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are both questionable for the Dolphins. If Mostert were to miss, De’Von Achane would become someone to potentially target despite the difficult matchup.
- The Eagles are dealing with several injuries this week. At wide receiver, both A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith are questionable, and while Devonta has said he is playing, the game is still several days away so anything can happen. Complicating matters is Jalen Hurts is dealing with a finger injury to his throwing hand. While he is expected to play, how effective the quarterback will be remains a big question this week.
- Sam LaPorta could return this week for the Lions after suffering what looked to be a gruesome injury at the time. Keep an eye on this one, as he hasn’t practiced on Wednesday or Thursday, so it would seem unlikely that he can go and could be playing some gamesmanship here.
- The Packers will be without Jaire Alexander which is a big blow to their secondary in their attempt to stop CeeDee Lamb. On the offensive side of the ball, they’ll likely be without A.J. Dillon which will make Aaron Jones one of the top running back plays on this slate. At wide receiver, it does look like they’ll get Christian Watson back, which would be a significant increase for the outlook of this offense. They’re likely a GPP target more than a cash game play but could be a nice stack that is going under-the-radar.
- The Bills will be without Gabe Davis this week. This should give Stefon Diggs some more upside after having a disappointing season, but it may also give James Cook a few extra carries. With the Bills being heavy favorites, how many times do they need to throw the ball to win this week?
- The Steelers will be without T.J. Watt this week as he suffered a Week 18 knee injury. This is a massive injury for this defense as Watt is irreplaceable, but the Steelers do have other veterans who can fill in as veteran Markus Golden should see most of the snaps and looked fine replacing Watt.
Week 19 This Slate is Awful
Maybe it is fatigue, maybe it is excitement that my Cleveland Browns are in the playoffs, but this slate just does not have me excited at all for DFS this week. This is a weird week as all of the teams that are in the playoffs this year are an average or better run defense. I put together Footballguys Rushing Matchups each week, and no team graded out as a Good or Great run defense, making this week incredibly difficult. Complicating matters is that there is very little value at either the running back or wide receiver position this week.
Be careful with a 6-game slate, and don’t play cash for a 2 or 3-game slate. The amount of overlap will be insane. If you want to play a GPP for the 2 or 3-game slate, convince yourself of a narrative on how the games are going to go and stack something you believe in. Don’t go crazy. This week is supposed to be enjoyable football, and you don’t have to have action if there is not a significant advantage.
There are some critical decision points that you’ll need to make heading into this week:
- Do you have to play CeeDee Lamb? If so, you’re likely looking at potentially both Jaylen Warren and Jameson Williams.
- What are your thoughts on the elite tight ends? I think playing either Kelce or Njoku is critical this week, but Jake Ferguson is more than acceptable as a cheaper option. I would not go any cheaper than Ferguson as you’re just hoping and praying at that point that your guy falls into the end-zone.
- Do you want to go with a stars and scrubs approach or more of a balanced lineup? I’m going balanced except for Jaylen Warren. I believe enough people will punt to him, that he will be essentially a free square this week. I’m trying to avoid Jameson Williams where possible just given the lack of consistent touches. He’s more of a GPP play this week for me.
Player Rankings
ROADBLOCk
| Quarterback | ||||
| Rank | Player | FBG Projection | Salary | Comment |
| 1 | Matthew Stafford | 16.7 | 7400 | Detroit's secondary has been abysmal over the last three games as they've allowed 384 passing yards per game over the last three weeks. At $7,400, the price is too low for Stafford who has thrown for 250 yards or more in five straight games, while throwing for multiple touchdowns in four of those five games. He may not have the upside of a Josh Allen or even Dak Prescott, but his median result is just as high due to having a higher floor than some of the other quarterbacks on this slate. |
| 2 | Baker Mayfield | 16.1 | 7200 | The reality of this week is that I don't believe you can realistically get up to the $9k quarterbacks and feel great about your lineup unless you're punting on a player like Jaylen Warren. Mayfield is the type of player who can take advantage of weak matchups, while struggling in difficult matchups. Thankfully for him and the Buccaneers this week, Philadelphia is amongst the league's worst pass defenses this season as they're allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. |
| 3 | C.J. Stroud | 16.5 | 7600 | This is all dependent on Denzel Ward who looks like he is going to play this week. If Ward is out, Stroud would jump Mayfield for the number two spot this week and make it very close between him and Stafford with Stafford getting a slight nod due to price and matchup. Stroud has been great in his two games back from injury, completing 75% of his passes, but it's clear that the Texans are still missing a playmaker that was lost in Tank Dell. Noah Brown has shown flashes for this offense, but has not been consistent enough, so most of the work is going to need to come from Nico Collins once again this week. Collins and the entire Texans passing offense was shut down in Week 15 against Cleveland, but that was with Case Keenum and Davis Mills at quarterback, so with Stroud there should be much more upside this week even though the matchup is difficult. |
| Running Back | ||||
| Rank | Player | FBG Projection | Salary | Comment |
| 1 | Aaron Jones | 13.2 | 7000 | The Packers offense has turned into Aaron Jones' rushing attack over the last three weeks and no longer the split that it had been for most of the past two seasons. Whether A.J. Dillon is playing or not, Aaron Jones has 20 or more carries in each of his last three games topping 100 yards in all three contests. It doesn't look like Dillon will play as of Thursday Night, but it really should not factor into your decision this week, Jones is as good of a play as it comes based on his price and volume. |
| 2 | Devin Singletary | 11.9 | 6300 | Picking running backs this week is difficult. None of them are in great, or even good matchups and while Singletary's is difficult going up Cleveland, it is not prohibitive where you can't start a running back against Cleveland. As a Browns fan, I've said it all year, that this team is a little bit fake. They've been propped up by some scheduling luck as well as some injury luck against teams such as the 49ers when both Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey got hurt in the game. The Browns in Week 17 allowed Breece Hall to have 126 yards and a touchdown. While Singletary was not bad against Cleveland in Week 15, the game script got out of hand based on Cleveland's big lead early. Singletary still had 44 yards on just 9 carries, and expect a much closer game this week with C.J. Stroud at quarterback. |
| 3 | James Cook | 12.6 | 7100 | James Cook has struggled down the stretch, but there are some signs that are encouraging for a breakout this week. Cook has largely consolidated the role as for the first time all season, Latavius Murray did not see a snap last week in a must-win game against the Dolphins. Cook has also been seeing an increase in usage in the red zone as he has 16 red zone opportunities over the last four games. With no T.J. Watt and the Bills massive favorites at home, this could be a game where we see Cook get into the end-zone and the Bills grind out a win after getting out to an early lead. |
| 4 | Kyren Williams | 17 | 9000 | In terms of production and role in the offense, Williams is clearly in a tier of his own this week. However, at $9,000 he's facing arguably the league's best run defense in Detroit as the Lions have allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. However, the Lions have been boosted by a weak schedule, and the matchup against the best running back they faced they were exposed. In Week 13, Alvin Kamara had 25.9 FanDuel points as he had 109 total yards while scoring two touchdowns and adding 6 receptions. While the skillsets are different between Kamara and Williams, they are not all that different, and Williams should be able to have the opportunity for a big game this week. |
| 5 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 13.9 | 7400 | Getting as many players in this Lions vs Rams game into your lineup is likely a good idea this week. Gibbs is third in the NFL only behind Jaylen Warren and Christian McCaffrey in longest rides per carry. While Gibbs theoretically should be in a great spot, and will likely be popular, this could very easily be a trap this week as we just are not seeing the volume from the running back to justify a $4.700 price point. Gibbs has just averaged just 14 total touches over the last 8 games, and surprisingly has taken a step back in the passing attack as he is averaging just 2.6 receptions per game during that 8 week span. He could have a breakout game this week, but the matchup is difficult, and it is likely just best to save the $300 with James Cook. |
| Wide Receiver | ||||
| Rank | Player | FBG Projection | Salary | Comment |
| 1 | Amari Cooper | 14 | 7500 | While Cooper is clearly not 100%, this is a matchup that he simply dominated the first time these two teams faced off. Cooper had 11 receptions for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. While it's easy to say that Houston will have an extra emphasis on Cooper, it would seem that they would have tried to also do that during the game before he had the massive output. They'll be able to slow him down compared to the matchup three weeks ago, but this is a pass defense that lacks the talent to stop a player of Cooper's talent level and with Joe Flacco at quarterback should have the opportunity to have 100 yards and potentially find the end zone. |
| 2 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | 16.9 | 9000 | The choice between Amon-Ra St. Brown and CeeDee Lamb is likely going to be one that a lot of people have to choose from. As it stands right now, St. Brown is clearly ahead of Lamb simply because of the price differential. Lamb likely has more upside, but St. Brown has been incredible. Over his last four games he has 90 yards or more in all four contests, and has scored a touchdown in each game. Facing off against one of the league's worst pass defenses in the Rams, St. Brown should be in a big spot this week and is an excellent cash and GPP play. |
| 3 | Chris Godwin | 11 | 6900 | The Eagles have been abysmal stopping slot receivers all season. The team is allowing the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The Eagles have allowed 10 or more FanDuel points to 20 wide receivers over their last 9 games. With Darius Slay likely matching up against Mike Evans, Chris Godwin should get his pick against either James Bradberry on the outside or the rotation that the Eagles have at cornerback in the slot with guys like Eli Ricks, Avonte Maddox, and Bradley Roby as they desperately search for answers. |
| 4 | Cooper Kupp | 11.6 | 7500 | This is a week where I'm just trusting the veterans. The matchup is a great one, and while he has been inconsistent this season, I believe an extra week of rest last week could be what he needs to come out and have a big performance this week. |
| 5 | Jameson Williams | 6.4 | 5200 | Jameson Williams is a complete dart throw, but will be popular so we need to address this. At $5,200 he's a guy who has 40 yards or more in each of his last three games and has the downfield playmaking ability to pay off his salary. For those people trying to go with Lamb, or even possibly St. Brown, they may need to resort to Williams this week. |
| Tight End | ||||
| Rank | Player | FBG Projection | Salary | Comment |
| 1 | Travis Kelce | 11.4 | 7200 | This is likely a terrible play, but something in my head tells me that come playoff time to trust the elite quarterbacks as they have a history of figuring it out. Kelce should have the highest upside by a wide margin of tight ends to score a touchdown this week. Rashee Rice is likely to be locked down against Jalen Ramsey this week, which should leave Kelce in a favorable position this week. |
| 2 | Jake Ferguson | 9.5 | 6200 | With the Dallas and Green Bay game projected to be a high scoring contest, look for the Packers to try to do everything they can to shut down CeeDee Lamb and force someone else to beat them this week. This could be Jake Ferguson's time as the tight end to emerge as the second threat in this offense. Ferguson has six or more targets in each of his last six games, and continues to be a red zone threat as he is second on the team in red zone targets trailing only CeeDee Lamb. |
| 3 | David Njoku | 11.1 | 7000 | David Njoku has been outstanding for Cleveland since Joe Flacco has taken over. Njoku has 90 yards or more in three of his last four games, while scoring four touchdowns over that four game stretch. If you can afford him, at $7,000 he's likely the top tight end on this slate, but with little value this week, you may have to go cheaper especially if you want one of the top wide receivers. |
| Team Defense | ||||
| Rank | Player | FBG Projection | Salary | Comment |
| 1 | Houston | 8.8 | 3500 | Joe Flacco has had a turnover problem since becoming the starting quarterback for Cleveland. While the yardage has been there, he has thrown eight interceptions in five games. |
| 2 | Pittsburgh | 7.8 | 3000 | With very little value on this slate, taking a team like Pittsburgh at the minimum price could pay off. As great as Josh Allen has been this year, he has thrown 18 interceptions, 4 of which have come in the last 3 games. |
Lineups
Overview
One thing to call out here as some people have been asking about what the lineups mean. This article is a cash game article, and we evaluate the article’s success or failure each week based on the Primary Cash Lineup. The other lineups are more just fun lineups to give an idea of lineup construction and my current thinking but have a significantly less amount of time put into them than the Primary Cash Lineup does, as that has in most cases 10-15 hours of tinkering, research, and thought put into just building that one lineup.
ROSTER 1 ($60K) – PRIMARY CASH Lineup- (FBG PROJECTED POINTS = 111.7)
- QB Matthew Stafford, LAR, $7,400
- RB Devin Singletary, HOU, $6,300
- RB Jaylen Warren, PIT, $5,600
- WR Amari Cooper, CLE, $7,500
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET, $9,000
- WR Chris Godwin, TB, $6,900
- TE Travis Kelce, KC, $7,200
- Flex RB Aaron Jones, GB, $7,000
- TD Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,000
ROSTER 2 ($60K) –Cash Plus - (FBG PROJECTED POINTS = 110.6)
- QB Matthew Stafford, LAR, $7,400
- RB Devin Singletary, HOU, $6,300
- RB James Cook, BUF, $7,100
- WR Amari Cooper, CLE, $7,500
- WR Cooper Kupp, LAR, $7,500
- WR Chris Godwin, TB, $6,900
- TE Travis Kelce, KC, $7,200
- Flex RB Aaron Jones, GB, $7,000
- TD Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,000
A cash-plus lineup is designed to be used in something like a 100-player or less contest where 20-30% of the prize pool cashes. These can also be used for 3-person or 5-person contests where the top person wins. Often these will have a heavier emphasis on stacking built into them, but not factoring in roster percentages compared to a true GPP lineup which may avoid some of the higher projected rostered players.
No cash plush this week. Honestly, I couldn’t find a lineup that I liked more than the primary cash lineup.
ROSTER 3 ($60K) – GPP Lineup (FBG PROJECTED POINTS = 110.1)
A GPP lineup is often going to avoid some of the higher-rostered players and try to create stacks or game stacks that could pay off. This often is a riskier approach and is more designed to help you understand the philosophy rather than a direct copy of the lineup. We have a GPP article written by Dan Hindery that I highly recommend if you’re looking for GPP guidance.
- QB C.J. Stroud, HOU, $7,600
- RB Aaron Jones, GB, $7,000
- RB Devin Singletary, HOU, $6,300
- WR Nico Collins, HOU, $8,300
- WR Amari Cooper, CLE, $7,500
- WR Chris Godwin, TB, $6,900
- TE Jake Ferguson, DAL, $6,200
- Flex RB James Cook, BUF, $7,100
- TD Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,000
