- by the NFL DFS team
There are just two weeks left in the NFL regular season. While there are three games scheduled to be played Saturday, we still have plenty of options to choose from for Sunday’s main DFS slate. Let’s highlight a couple of key players at each position to consider as you build your lineup.
Hurts’ salary has seen a significant increase this week, and rightfully so. He had another excellent performance on the ground last week against the Cardinals, rushing 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. He was also lethal through the air, throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys have allowed the second-most points per game (30.9) in the league, so look for Hurts and the Eagles’ offense to score at will.
The Bears didn’t need a big game from Trubisky to defeat the Vikings last week. While he only threw for 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception, it’s mostly because he didn’t attempt many passes. He attempted only 21 of them all game, although he completed 15 of them to mark his third straight game with a completion rate of at least 71%. The Jaguars are right behind the Cowboys in terms of points allowed per game (30.2) and they are tied with the Cowboys for the most passing touchdowns allowed (31), so Trubisky could provide value.
One of the reasons why Trubisky didn’t have to throw a lot of passes last was because Montgomery destroyed the Vikings on the ground. He received a season-high 32 carries, which he turned into 146 yards and two touchdowns. With that performance, he has six touchdowns across his last four games and he posted at least 103 rushing yards in three of those contests. In the game that he didn’t top 100 rushing yards, he had 111 total yards. The Jaguars have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs in PPR scoring, which leaves Montgomery with significant upside.
Week 15 proved to be a costly win for the Chiefs since they lost Clyde Edwards-Helaire to a high-ankle sprain. He could miss the start of the playoffs, but at the very least, he won’t play in this game against the Falcons. That means Bell should get the lions-share of the work out of the backfield in arguably the most potent offense in the league. He cashed in his added opportunities last week, rushing 15 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. If he finishes in the 15-20 carries range, he could be very productive.
Since the Bears’ ground game was rolling, Robinson received just five targets last week. That was his second-lowest total of the season. Still, he finished with four receptions for 83 yards. Considering how poorly the Jaguars have played on the defensive side, Robinson can still be valuable, even if the Bears concentrate the majority of their offensive efforts on the ground again. Given the Jaguars inability to prevent passing touchdowns, it’s worth noting that Robinson has received nine red zone targets across the last three games.
Coutee has shown fumble problems, losing one in both of the last two games. Last weeks was a dagger as it prevented the Texans from potentially tying the Colts in the final seconds. Still, he had a productive game, overall, with five catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. The Texans don’t have any choice but to play him right now with Will Fuller (suspension) and Randall Cobb (toe) out, which has helped Coutee record 16 catches, 218 yards and two touchdowns across the last three games.
Thomas is normally one of the top receiving options for Washington, but last week was crazy. He received a whopping 15 targets, which he turned into 13 catches and 101 yards. Duplicating that number of targets is highly unlikely, but he did enter that game with at least seven targets in back-to-back contests, so he should still be busy this week. This matchup works in his favor with the Panthers tied for the eighth-most points per game allowed to tight ends in PPR formats.
The Eagles are actually the team that is tied with the Panthers in terms of fantasy points allowed to tight ends in PPR formats. Enter Schultz, who had six catches for 53 yards against them in Week 8. The key here is that the Eagles have allowed eight touchdowns to tight ends. Across his last five games, Schultz has posted two touchdowns and seven red zone targets.