1. With another limited pool of quarterbacks this week, are you paying up for a Tom Brady or Cam Newton or rolling the dice with an Alex Smith or banged up Ben Roethlisberger?
Mark Wimer: Paying for Cam Newton.
Andrew Garda: I’m paying up in most cases. I don’t mind Alex Smith, but with no Antonio Brown and a torn shoulder, Roethlisberger is a non-starter for me at any price. Newton and Carson Palmer are guys I love even against solid defenses. I trust them and their weapons/abilities.
With Brady, having his weapons back makes a difference, though I like Newton/Palmer better.
Alex Miglio: I am definitely not rolling with Big Ben with Antonio Brown out. Outside perhaps Peyton Manning, it's tough to find good value at quarterback. I don't expect Alex Smith to score a ton of points, though he might be a decent cash game option given he may rush for 50 yards.
Chad Parsons: With the crowded salary range, I will stick with the top names this week. I am avoiding Ben Roethlisberger and would mix in Alex Smith and Carson Palmer to my four or five quarterback lineup rotation.
Maurile Tremblay: In cash games, Brady and Newton look like the right plays to me. I don't trust Roethlisberger to make it through the game. In GPPs, I could make an argument for pretty much every quarterback except Roethlisberger. He's just not healthy enough to be worth the risk.
2. Who is your favorite value play at running back this week?
Wimer: If I take a value running back it will be West, but this week I think rolling with the obvious, high-priced choices (Johnson, Stewart) may be the better play.
Garda: David Johnson. I’ll pay up for him everywhere as he has a lot going in his favor. No split in carries, facing a defense which cannot stack the box because of the passing offense Johnson is attached to and is also not great against the run.
Miglio: I'm with Andrew, David Johnson is the only value this week. He's going to get all the volume, he has a pretty good matchup, and the Cardinals are a heavy favorite.
Parsons: It is David Johnson's world and we are just living in it. Despite the top price, I view Johnson as the best value in terms of floor and upside - in his own tier.
Tremblay: It's David Johnson by a mile. He'll be in every one of my FantasyScore lineups this week. After that, there are about six backs that may be worth taking a chance on, but Johnson is the only must-start.
3. With Peyton Manning back, do we feel good about Demaryius Thomas at $8500 or Emmanuel Sanders at $7900?
Wimer: No. I am avoiding both Manning and Roethlisberger like the plague - weather conditions, injured (Roethlisberger)/dead (Manning) arms for both, no Antonio Brown for Roethlisberger - no thanks! This looks like another 9-10 or 10-12 type game to me.
Garda: I’d lean towards Sanders if I choose either of them. Thomas’ mom is likely to be in the stands for the first time since he was a kid, and that might make him an attractive play but he’s struggled so much to hold onto the ball that I don’t feel good about starting him.
Sanders meanwhile has had touchdowns two of the last three games and been at or above 99 yards in two of the games over that span as well. He’s a reliable option for Manning and I trust him in general.
Miglio: I love those two guys this week. The Steelers aren't good against the pass, and they could both feast before the game gets out of hand. Sanders is obviously a better value given the cost disparity, but I would expect both to post big numbers.
Parsons: I have moderate expectations for Manning's main targets in the second tier of value plays at receiver this week. I like much cheaper options like James Jones, Markus Wheaton, and Albert Wilson to have more exposure in my weekend lineups with Thomas and Sanders in the 20-30% roster usage rate.
Tremblay: I'll echo Chad's sentiments. Thomas and Sanders always have the potential to score points, but their salaries are pretty steep. James Jones, Markus Wheaton, and Albert Wilson all present better value, so I expect to pay up at other positions (like quarterback) with most of my lineups. But if I'm looking in the more expensive range of wide receivers, the Denver duo does have decent upside potential.
4. As with quarterback, it feels like a very limited pool at tight end. Are you paying up for Gronkowski and Greg Olsen or rolling the dice with Richard Rodgers and Heath Miller?
Wimer: Going with Olsen given the history there against Seattle (11 targets for 7/131/1 receiving). I am avoiding Gronkowski (over the final four weeks of regular season, the Chiefs averaged just 16.5 fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks per game (fourth-least in the NFL); 14.6 fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers (least in the NFL); and 6.4 fantasy points allowed per game to opposing tight ends (13th-least in the NFL). - We all saw how well the Texans did against K.C. last week. New England's offense is at a higher level than Houston's, but the K.C. D is playing outstanding football right now.
Garda: I am mostly paying up for Gronk/Olsen (and frankly I seem to have the worst sort of man-crush on Olsen this year, so it’s a given he’s in my lineups) but Miller is intriguing with no Antonio Brown and an injured Ben Roethlisberger. Still, Miller looks old, and I’m not sure I can trust him even if the attention of Denver’s secondary is mostly on Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton.
I’ll likely still pay up at tight end.
Miglio: I might actually roll with Heath Miller despite the projected impotence of that Steelers offense. The big tight end might wind up with a dozen targets with Antonio Brown. If he cashes in on half of those he could wind up with a good line at a deep discount. But relying on him in anything besides a GPP lineup or two would be too risky -- Olsen is the only safe bet here with Gronk ailing in a bad matchup.
Parsons: I am paying up for Gronkowski this week as my primary tight end play. Miller and Owen Daniels are intriguing at half the cost, but the appealing options to fade Gronkowski are limited to tournament variance in the 10% range each.
Tremblay: I'll be looking for value mostly at RB and WR this week, and paying up for the big names at QB and TE. Gronkowski and Olsen are the best values at tight end in my opinion.
