PHERSY:Well Nate Dogg, I returned to the land of cash last week. It's my third of the season, and overall last weekend was my best (financially) for the entire NFL season. It was a welcome surprise after two back-to-back weeks of Monday night heartbreak. ... There were more significant injuries last weekend, so that means there's more value on the board. Mixing in one or even two of those new starters can help create the ideal lineup this week.
MUST-PLAY OF THE WEEK
PHERSY: It's time for DeAndre Hopkins to return to form. He really hasn't looked like himself the past few weeks, and he finished with just three catches (season low) for 52 yards last week. Hopkins also was targeted a season-low six times last weekend. The QB situation in Houston is frightening, and frankly if someone put him in the "Avoid at all Costs" category for the time being, I couldn't even argue against it. But Hopkins gets the Colts this weekend; if he's going to have a breakout game, it's against the Colts 29th-ranked pass defense.
NATE DOGG:Congrats on another cash, Phersy. You're just chugging right along in our contests this season. Heads up to readers, there are Saturday games so make sure you check your lineups and contests to see if it's included in your respective slate. Now, let's get on with it. My must play is a guy who still managed 15 points against the league's best corner in Carolina — Julio Jones ($8,500 on DraftKings). Even with the tough matchup, he got 10 targets and caught seven balls, and now he gets to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. His QB Matt Ryan has looked his way 31 times in the last three weeks, so the attempts are there.
CHEAP PLAY OF THE WEEK
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PHERSY:With T.J. Yeldon likely out this week (check his status prior to game time, because this pick hinges on him not playing), Denard Robinson will get enough touches in Jacksonville to easily justify his $4,600 price tag. Robinson could become the feature back in an offense facing Atlanta, which is one of the worst teams in the NFL against opposing running backs. At such a cheap price, I can't pass up a guy who will likely receive 25 touches against a bad defense.
NATE DOGG:I'll give DraftKings credit, they've priced some of the lower-tier guys a little better of late, making it harder to find value. I'm not going as low as usual, but I still think Kansas City Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin is a bargain this week at $5,500. Maclin has seen just one less target than Julio Jones over the last three weeks (30) and with this week facing Baltimore's shoddy pass defense, I think the targets stay up. The Chiefs don't know how to use Travis Kelce correctly, so Maclin sees the bulk of Alex Smith's looks. Baltimore has allowed 24 touchdowns and the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
NATE DOGG: It's the all-wide receiver show here, Phersy. I had to use Larry Fitzgerald in a seasonal league I ran for my sister and outside of a few weeks early on, he's been a disappointment. He's in an offense that has a ton of weapons and Carson Palmer is no stranger to the YOLO ball to John Brown or Michael Floyd. David Johnson is getting a ton of touches out of the backfield now, too. It's just a fantasy mess for Fitzy. On top of that, DraftKings has him priced at $7,300. How?!? I'm avoiding this like the in-laws around the holidays.
PHERSY:Wow, that's a stunner Nate Dogg, and I could not disagree more. Fitz, aside from last week, had received double-digit targets in five straight games and had an incredible 37 touches over that span. In a full PPR format, that's EXACTLY why he's priced at $7,300. Also, this week he's facing the Eagles, a team he's routinely torched over the last few seasons. Nate Dogg, go ahead and fade Fitz this week and cry when he puts up more than 20 fantasy points. ... I'll fade Antonio Brown this week. He's one of my favorite players, but he's $8,700 and facing the Broncos' top-ranked pass defense. Brown still will put up decent numbers, but he's not worth the price this week.
THE CONTEST
PHERSY:Killabill was last week's winner, with cattledog finishing second and Ilonien20 third. I took fourth and lcforlife was fifth. ... The contest is back again this week. Jump in, take our money ... search for my username on DraftKings (phersy123) or hit me up on Twitter or email and ask for an invite. It's just $10. Good luck, everyone!
