Welcome to the Exclamation Point!, an analysis of stand-out cash and GPP options for consideration on Yahoo Daily Fantasy Sports. Yahoo presents a variety of options to suit the fancy of any DFS player out there, and we are looking to arm you with the information needed to build winning lineups no matter what type of player you are. There is a ton of value out there for this week, so let’s get right to it!
QUARTERBACK
TOM BRADY - $39 (CASH / GPP)
Tom Brady looks to be in great form after his first game back last week. He was very high-owned against the Browns, and will continue to be a high owned quarterback option going forward in what looks to be an offense that will be dominated by the pass. The Patriots only attempted 28.5 passes, but last week that number shot up to 41 total pass attempts in a game in which the Patriots has absolutely no need to pass. Even with Brady’s two primary offensive weapons injured, he still managed to throw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. This week, the matchup is much more stout against the Bengals defense, so Brady actually should have a good reason to throw the ball since it should be a more competitive matchup. The Bengals secondary has shown flaws this season though, allowing 11 passing touchdowns on the year, including four touchdowns and 300+ yards to Trevor Semien in Week 3. Brady should continue to be one of the safest options at the position with a high floor and an always-high ceiling, making him a solid play in all formats.
BRIAN HOYER - $29 (CASH)
Brian Hoyer has been lightyears better than most likely expected in the past three weeks filing in for Jay Cutler. Hoyer has now thrown for 300+ yards and at least two touchdowns in each of his last three games. He has managed to achieve this feat with a gimpy Alshon Jeffrey, banged up Eddie Royal, and minus Kevin White all together for 1.5 of those games. While his matchup takes a dip this week with Jacksonville allowing only around 200 passing yards per game, the Jaguars are allowing the 8th most points per game at 27.8 and have allowed at least two passing touchdowns in three of their four games this season. Hoyer’s salary has barely moved considering his stellar performance in recent weeks. At below $30, Hoyer can be considered as a salary-saving option should you choose not to pay up for the Tom Brady’s of the world at quarterback.
CARSON PALMER - $30 (GPP)
Carson Palmer should be a relatively overlooked option this week playing in the Monday game after missing his last outing with a concussion. It is no secret that Palmer has not looked his best this season with his completion percentage sitting at a near career-low 58.8% and a turnover to touchdown ratio of 1:1. However, the Jets pass defense has looked horrible this season, allowing a league-4th 12 touchdowns and league highs of 9.2 passing yards per attempt and 71.7% completion rate. As we pointed out last week, the Jets are a prototypical pass-funnel defense. The Jets are allowing only three yards per carry, 68.4 rushing yards per game, and a total of one rushing touchdown all season. The success in defending the run (and overall lack of talent in their secondary) has led to 81.6% of the total yards gained against the Jets this season having been through the air this year. Palmer is well rested at home on Monday night—look for him to use his weapons, including David Johnson out of the backfield, to rack up some major yardage here. With his salary quite depressed, Palmer should be a great target for GPP’s and cash games alike due to this matchup upside.
MARCUS MARIOTA - $28 (GPP)
Marcus Mariota has been far from a reliable option this season at the quarterback position. He has struggled with turnovers all year and been limited by a run-first offensive scheme. However, Mariota’s upside lies not in his passing ability but in what he can do for you on the ground. Mariota has had double-digit rushing yards in each game this season, including a monster performance last week in which he rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown in addition to passing for another three touchdowns. The Browns notably have one of the league’s worst defenses that just lacks talent at all positions, particularly at defensive line where they only have seven sacks this season (T-3rd worst). While this game very well could be an exhibition for Demarco Murray, Mariota will have plenty of time to throw and plenty of room to rack up yards himself. The Titans has a ton of success with designed quarterback runs last week, and they should imitate that model going forward if they want to keep winning games. Mariota’s price is near the bottom at quarterback, so take a shot on him stacked with top tight end Delanie Walker in tournament formats.
RUNNING BACK
LESEAN MCCOY - $35 (CASH)
LeSean McCoy has quietly been having a massive season thus far. McCoy is averaging a career-high 5.3 yards per carry with two 100+ yard rushing games and has already matched his 2015 rushing touchdown total with three this year. The Bills are hurting at wide receiver, and leaning heavily on the run as they average the fewest pass attempts per game (28). This game plan to lean on McCoy has worked well for them this season, so why change it now coming into a matchup against the league’s 2nd worst rushing defense allowing 146.8 yards per game on the ground? The 49-ers have allowed at least 22 points to opposing RB1’s in each of the past three weeks, including a massive outing for David Johnson who rushed for 157 yards—the highest of any running back in a single game this season. The 49-ers also play at the fastest pace in the league with Chip Kelly in charge, which automatically boosts the value of any opposing fantasy offense as they should touch the ball much more often while facing a tired 49-ers defense. McCoy has been tragically under-owned to start this season, but expect for that to change this week as he should be top-3 in ownership percentage at the position this week. Build your cash game rosters around McCoy with confidence this week, and feel free to plug him into tournaments as the ceiling is high with 44.8% of the Bills’ offensive yardage coming on the ground.
LAMAR MILLER - $28 (CASH / GPP)
Lamar Miller is the workhorse of the Texans’ offense this season, but notably has little to show for it as he has yet to find the end zone despite being one of only four running backs to have over 100 carries on the year. With the Texans funneling nearly half of their offensive touches through Miller, sheer volume in addition to positive regression says that Miller has to score soon. For perspective on how rare Miller’s lack of touchdowns is, a fellow Footballguys staffer (Phil Alexander) pointed out that only one other running back since 1999 has had over 100 carries and 10+ receptions through the first five games without scoring a single touchdown. Not counting last week’s outing against a top-tier Vikings defense, Miller was averaging over 26 touches and 100+ total yards per game. This week is Miller’s best matchup of the season against a Colts defense allowing the third most fantasy points to running backs. The Colts are particularly bad at defending against the pass out of the backfield as they have allowed running backs at least four receptions and 35 receiving yards in each game. Miller should have a floor of 15 carries in this game, with upside of 25-30 in addition to a few passes thrown his way. If he can find the end zone a couple of times, you have yourself a steal of a GPP play for only $28. Lamar Miller’s workload, matchup, and salary will warrant consideration in all formats.
CHRISTINE MICHAEL - $24 (CASH)
Christine Michael has been heavily involved in the Seahawks offense over their past two games since missing Thomas Rawls. Michael has touched the ball on nearly half of his offensive snaps across those two weeks, carrying 18 and 20 times respectively with seven receptions across that time span. His usage in the passing game has been quite encouraging as Michael has already amassed 12 receptions this season to compliment his average of 72 rushing yards per game. The Falcons defense has played very poorly this season and has had little success against the run, allowing the 5th most fantasy points to running backs. Pass-catching backs have proved to be particularly troublesome to the Falcons, as they have allowed at least seven receptions per game to running backs, including three games of at least 10 receptions and 64 receiving yards to the position. Game script should favor the rushing attack as Seattle is favored by nearly a touchdown at home, so look for them to give Michael a heavy workload yet again to keep the ball out of Matt Ryan’s hands. His price is middle-of-the-pack, which shapes up to be an attractive option at that tier and a solid high-floor value to plug in without punting the position.
BILAL POWELL - $12 (GPP)
Bilal Powell is a guy who will almost certainly be hit or miss as he does not get the majority of snaps nor workload out of the backfield for the Jets. However, his involvement in that offense as the primary third-down back has been very encouraging as Powell has caught six passes with over 40 receiving yards in each of his past three games, garnering an average of eight targets per game across that span. Powell will get limited work on the ground, but with what carries he does receive, he should be in a decent spot against Arizona’s 23rd ranked rush defense allowing 118.2 rushing yards per game. With his near-minimum salary, a good tournament score for Powell could include as little as five receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown to make him worth your while. He is a risky play, but a viable punt option at the position.
WIDE RECEIVER
CAMERON MEREDITH - $14 (CASH)
Cameron Meredith shapes up to be in a very good spot this week with a low salary and solid cornerback matchup as he tops the Footballguys Yahoo Interactive Value Chart at wide receiver H-Value this week. Meredith saw a huge boost in snaps last week and had a massive game with nine receptions from 12 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown. While the Jaguars pass defense has been good, the cornerback slated to cover Meredith here is Davon House. House has had a total of 20 passes thrown in his direction, 17 of which were completed for three touchdowns. He has proven to be one of the worst cornerbacks in the league, and presents a solid mismatch opportunity for Meredith to take advantage of. With Meredith’s price as low as it is, and his production last week as high as it was, he is expected to be very highly owned at the wide receiver position and stacks up to be a guy to rely on for salary relief in your cash game lineups.
JEREMY MACLIN - $28 (CASH)
Jeremy Maclin has been having a solid season in terms of volume, but his overall fantasy numbers have been less than impressive with only one touchdown under his belt and no games over 100 yards. This week presents a massive bounce-back opportunity as the Chiefs square off against the awful Raiders secondary ranked last against the pass and allowing the league’s most fantasy points per week to wide receivers. Most players by now will recognize this, so expect Maclin to be much higher owned than usual this week. His salary is a level down from the top tier guys, and floor should be safe enough to hit value for cash game consideration.
BRANDIN COOKS - $28 (GPP)
Brandin Cooks is a guy to keep your eye on for a pivot from Jeremy Maclin in GPP’s this week. Cooks should be the top receiving option for the Saints, but as we have seen throughout the year, Drew Brees certainly has no favorites as he has spread the ball around quite well. Cooks will be matching up against a Panthers secondary that has been notably gashed throughout this season, and with this game having the highest point total of the week, the potential for multiple touchdowns is ripe. Look to Cooks as another good option at this price point to pivot to in GPP formats.
CHRIS CONLEY - $12 (GPP)
Another receiver in a great spot this week who should be quite low-owned is the Chiefs WR2 Chris Conley. Conley has been targeted seven times in two of four games this season, and actually leads Chiefs wide receivers in red zone looks this season with five total (at least one in every game). The Raiders have allowed the league’s most pass plays of 20+ yards this season (24) and are allowing a total of nearly 220 receiving yards per game to wide receivers. The Chiefs will definitely be feeding both Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce, but Chris Conley is a very sneaky tournament option who could easily find the end zone and rack up enough yardage to present huge value for his bargain salary this week.
JARVIS LANDRY - $26 (CASH / GPP)
Up until a rough outing last week in which Miami’s offensive line was decimated only minutes before kickoff, Jarvis Landry has been in the double-digit target neighborhood for nine straight games. Landry is a much better player than what we saw last week, so expecting a bounce-back outing here is very legitimate. The Steelers defense is allowing over 300 passing yards per game, good for 3rd worst in the league. Cornerback Ross Cockrell was the lowest graded at his position last week according to Pro Football Focus, and his counterparts have not been much better this season. This game has a high total, and game script indicates that Miami most certainly will be playing catchup as they are over 7-point underdogs. While pass protection will continue to be a weak spot, Ryan Tannehill will have to throw to someone to keep them in the game, and Landry is his #1 target by a landslide this season. While Jeremy Maclin is a fine option in this salary range, Landry is a volume play with what should be a high floor this week at a $2 discount, making him a very viable pivot for cash games if your budget is running tight.
SAMMIE COATES - $17 (GPP / CASH)
Sammie Coates Jr has been getting it done with big plays for the Steelers all season, and he absolutely exploded last week finding the end zone twice from a season-high 11 targets and 139 receiving yards. Coates caught yet another pass of 40+ yards, extending his streak to five weeks in a row. He actually dropped four passes in the red zone last week, including one that was a sure-fire touchdown. While multi-touchdown weeks should not be expected all the time, Coates obviously has the downfield usage to make him a high ceiling option. It is surprising to see his salary raise by only $5 coming into this week, and while the Dolphins secondary is a slight upgrade from the Jets, it is still a positive matchup that Coates could dominate again. He does have a cast on his hand from a laceration suffered last week, but Coates is expected to be out there and should be relatively unaffected—but do keep an eye on the news before game time just to be certain. Look to Coates primarily in GPP’s again, and if he looks good in pregame warmups, the argument can be made for some last minute cash game usage as well.
TIGHT END
DELANIE WALKER - $23 (CASH / GPP)
Delanie Walker is the featured receiver in the Titans offense, leading the team in targets over the past two weeks since returning from injury. The Cleveland defense has been very generous to tight ends this season. We all saw what Martellus Bennet did to the Cleveland defense last week, but also keep in mind that Cleveland has given up at least seven receptions and 69 yards to the tight end position in four of their five games this season, with the one outlier coming against a Miami offense that does not often involve the tight end in their passing attack. Dennis Pitta caught nine passes for 102 yards in Week 2, Jordan Reed had nine for 73 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4, and we all saw Martellus Bennet have a career outing last week with six receptions for 67 yards and three touchdowns. While the Titans may not be passing often, Walker is bound to get open looks here, making him a safe yet high upside target and a top option at the position this week.
JIMMY GRAHAM - $22 (CASH / GPP)
Jimmy Graham is another tight end with a solid matchup this week as the Seahawks take on the Falcons in Seattle. The Falcons are also another team that has been shredded by tight ends this season. Through the first four weeks, the Falcons allowed at least five receptions, 64 yards, and one touchdown to tight ends each week. Even including Week 5 in which the Broncos did not use a pass-catching tight end against them, the Falcons still rank 2nd in fantasy points allowed per game to tight ends. Jimmy Graham has dealt with injuries for the past few years, but he is coming off a bye this week and has yet to miss any time this season. Graham is averaging 12.1 yards per target with 100 yards or more in each of his last two outings. The Atlanta defense as a whole has been exploited all season. Factor in their lack of success against the tight end combined with Graham’s positive involvement in the Seahawks offense, and you have another solid option to target at tight end this week at a $1 discount from Delanie Walker.
DEFENSE
BUFFALO BILLS - $16 (CASH / GPP)
The Bills defense has been beyond solid this season, finishing as the top fantasy scoring defense last week, top-3 in each of the past three weeks, and only falling outside of the top-10 in fantasy scoring once this season. The Bills rank top five in basically all defensive statistics and are the only team to have three defensive touchdowns this year. Their matchup this week comes at home against San Francisco with one of the lowest point totals of the week. The 49-ers had a meltdown of a week against another top defense in Arizona last week, giving up seven sacks, a fumble, and two interceptions. The Bills will be a high owned, yet high upside play this week that come at a price discounted from the top tier.
DETROIT LIONS - $12 (GPP)
The Lions square off against the Rams in Detroit this week where the Lions stack up as a 3.5-point favorite in a game with one of the lower point totals of the week at 43.5. The Lions defense has not been particularly good this season, but the Rams offense has definitely been bad. The Rams rank last in the league in scoring (16.4) and total yards (284.2) per game, and they have allowed the 5th most points fantasy points to opposing defenses this season. Surprisingly enough, the Lions are the only team to have not yet allowed a rushing touchdown this year. The ground game is the best part of the Rams offense, so this has the chance to be a significant mismatch if the Rams cannot get something going on offense early. On another note of upside, the Lions punt return game has been strong as they are averaging nearly 20 yards per punt return attempt with 1 touchdown. While the sample size is small, this is certainly a stat to bolster upside of a fantasy defense in consideration for GPP lineups.
