Dallas

Week 8 of the NFL season continues with a bang as the Cowboys take on the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. In this article, I’ll share my top DFS showdown picks and strategies for DraftKings and FanDuel, helping you build winning lineups.

For a deeper dive into general showdown rules, make sure to check out David Jones’s “Daily Fantasy Football Showdown: Strategy for Building Winning Lineups” article. It’s essential reading for anyone crafting MME lineups, as player salary and team dynamics can impact each game’s approach.

Link: https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-football-showdown-strategy/

Note on Quarterbacks:

I will not write up the quarterbacks because the wide receiver and tight end section tend to cover the matchups. The QB rankings are at the bottom of the article. 

Dallas Cowboys

Running Back

• 49ers have given up 583 rushing yards (11th fewest in NFL)
• They have given up 290 receiving yards to running backs (6th most)
• Giving up 23.3 DK to running backs (16th fewest)

***Update*** Dowdle has been ruled out due to illness. Cook and Elliott are the two running backs that will lead the Dallas backfield. I will lean Elliott due to knowledge of the playbook but I think Cook is still usable. Although with how good the Niners have been stopping the run, I would prioritize having a Cowboy TE or WR over either of the running backs.

With the Cowboys elevating Calvin Cook from the practice squad, the Dallas running back room becomes a bit more cloudy and congested. The star of the backfield will still be Rico Dowdle who is the team leader in carries and leads all running backs on the squad with 177 snaps played. The 49ers have been on the best teams stopping backs from rushing but they have struggled stopping receiving backs. They are allowing just under 42 receiving yards allowed to running backs and Dowdle is averaging 22 receiving yards per game. That is where I think Dowdle should do the most damage against the 49ers.

I mentioned that the Cowboy’s running back room might be more congested with Cook being elevated and that is because with Cook now on the squad Dowdle has three backups; Zeke Elliott, Deuce Vaughn, and Calvin Cook. Between Elliot and Vaughn who have both been active this season, Elliot has been by far the better of the two. He has 38 carries compared to Vaughn’s seven. I will not have any of the three in SE or 3max, but if you are running 150max or close to it then I would prioritize Elliott over any of the other two.

Tier 1: Rico Dowdle

Tier 2: Zeke Elliott

Fade/Deep Punt: Dalvin Cook, Deuce Vaughn

Wide Receiver

• The 49ers have allowed 948 yards to opposing wide receivers (16th most).
• They are giving up 30.2 DK (11th fewest).

You don’t need me to tell you to play CeeDee Lamb. He is a lock in every format and site.

The second choice for Dallas wide receivers is also pretty clear. Jalen Tolbert has taken over the WR2 spot for Dallas and has accumulated a 23.7% target share. Tolbert is seeing a target on 15.9% of his routes, and is averaging .33 fantasy points per route ran. Ward will be a tough matchup for him but the veteran is giving up .31 fantasy points per route defended which is great for Tolbert. The battle for the WR3 spot for Dallas is where it gets interesting. Jalen Brooks leads KaVontae Turpin in snaps played (148 to 104) but Turpin has a 20 to 14 lead in targets. I am going to take a shot with Brooks over Turpin as Brooks has had more snaps in five of the six games so hopefully he will have more opportunities when he’s on the field. 

Tier 1: CeeDee Lamb

Tier 2: Jalen Tolbert

Punts/Fades: Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin

Tight End

• The 49ers have given 283 receiving yards to tight ends (13th fewest).
• They are giving up 10.5 DK (14th fewest).

Similarly to Lamb at wide receiver, there isn’t much to say about Dallas’s starting tight end. Jake Ferguson is the Cowboy’s second-best pass catcher only being Lamb. He is tied with Tolbert with 34 targets this season and has one more reception than him. The only issue that Ferguson has had this season is scoring a touchdown. He has failed to reach the end zone so far this season. Because of how the 49ers have played against tight ends and how good Tolbert has been I would rank Ferguson as my third favorite pass catcher behind Lamb and Tolbert.

Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford are purely deep punt plays for me if you aren’t maxing out the 150s steer clear of both of these guys. Combined they have 14 targets which would put them sixth on the team which isn’t great.

Tier 1: Jake Ferguson

Deep Punts: Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford

San Francisco 49ers

Running Back

• Dallas is giving up 28.6 DK per game (4th most).
• They have allowed 653 rushing yards (16th fewest).
• They have allowed 250 receiving yards (12th most).

Jordan Mason is the clear leader of the 49er backfield as he is second in rushing with 667 rushing yards only behind Henry (873) with Dallas being average at stopping the run and allowing the fourth most rushing touchdowns (8) and locking Mason into all my lineups. With a healthy wide receiver room Mason was getting a lot of work but with Aiyuk being out for the season and Deebo’s status up in the air at the time of me typing this, Mason should be in line to see an uptick in his workload. 

Not including the Seattle game where Mason missed the second half due to injury, his backups are only averaging 2.8 carries per game. So while I like Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. neither is a priority for me in SE and 3max. Unless the 49ers change their style of play for this game or Mason gets hurt once again, I don’t expect either of them to have any work

Quick note, Kyle Juszczyk has had touches in all but one game this season, I am not telling you to play him but if you want a punt that can payoff Juszczyk might be that guy more than Guerendo and Taylor.

Tier 1: Jordan Mason

Tier 2: Kyle Juszczyk

Deep Punts: Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr.

Wide Receiver

• The Cowboys have given up 897 receiving yards to wide receivers (11th fewest).
• They are giving up 32.9 DK to receivers (15th most).

The injury bug has hit the 49ers, they will be without Aiyuk and Jennings who are the top two targets for the Niners. Deebo Samuel is expected to play but it’s still not official that he will play. Chris Conley who has the fourth most snaps for a Niner wide receiver this season has been nursing an ankle injury this week which kept him from full practice on Wednesday and Thursday. That leaves three fully healthy wide receivers, Jacob Cowing, Ricky Pearsall, and Ronnie Bell. 

If Deebo plays he is the best option for Niner wide receiver, he is used in so many ways that he should see a lot of touches with all the uncertainty at the position. He should draw the attention of Booth if he does play and that is a great matchup for Deebo. Even if Deebo does play, I still like the Niners 1st round draft pick, Ricky Pearsall. Pearsall finally made his debut last week after missing time after getting shot during an attempted robbery. Pearsall played 48 snaps and had five targets. I think he will act as the Aiyuk to Deebo with the former being out for the season. 

Of the remaining three Niner wideouts, I think it comes down to Cowing and Conley for the WR3 spot. Conley saw only two targets on 44 snaps last week meanwhile Cowing had three targets on only 12 snaps. So I would lean Cowing over Conley but I think they are similar punts.

Tier 1: Deebo Samuel, Ricky Pearsall

Tier 2: Chris Conley, Jacob Cowing

Punt: Ronnie Bell

Tight End

• Jets have given up 214 receiving yards to tight ends (6th fewest).
• They are allowing 9.7 DK per game (11th fewest).

George Kittle is my favorite TE for the Niners. The big-body tight end should be an intriguing part of the offense tonight due to the lack of pass-catching options for the Niners. He is the main lineup-worthy. Kittle is second on the Niners in targets (42), 5 behind leader Aiyuk, but he is the leader in receptions with 34. I trust Kittle a lot more than Cowing and Conley as my number three Niners pass catcher.

As of writing this, Kittle is projected to play, but if he doesn’t then Eric Saubert gets a huge bump at the tight end position. He only has four receptions but has played 169 snaps this year. If Kittle does play then Saubert is just a punt play at best.

Tier 1: George Kittle

Punt/Fade: Eric Saubert

FanDuel MVP and DraftKings CPT Picks—SNF Showdown 

I want a high-usage player at MVP on FanDuel like a quarterback or a workhorse running back. You need the highest-scoring player, not the best value. The salaries do not change from flex to MVP on FanDuel, so the value at the MVP is not a priority. Take the points up top. 

On DraftKings, you look for the best “value” in the mid to high price range. 

FanDuel

DraftKings

Flex Tier 1:

• CeeDee Lamb
• Jordan Mason
• Brock Purdy
• Dak Prescott
• Jake Ferguson
• Deebo Samuel
• Ricky Pearsall
• Jalen Tolbert
• Brandon Aubrey
• Anders Carlson
• George Kittle

Flex Tier 2/Punts:

• 49ers D/ST
• Cowboys D/ST
• Chris Conley
• Jacob Cowing
• KaVontae Turpin
• Zeke Elliott
• Kyle Juszczyk
• Eric Saubert
• Jalen Brooks
• Ronnie Bell
• Luke Schoonmaker

Favorite prop for the game: CeeDee Lamb Over 76.5 Receiving Yards (-115)

Week 7 of the NFL season continues with a bang as the Jets take on the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. In this article, I’ll share my top DFS showdown picks and strategies for DraftKings and FanDuel, helping you build winning lineups.

For a deeper dive into general showdown rules, make sure to check out David Jones’s “Daily Fantasy Football Showdown: Strategy for Building Winning Lineups” article. It’s essential reading for anyone crafting MME lineups, as player salary and team dynamics can impact each game’s approach.

Link: https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-football-showdown-strategy/

Note on Quarterbacks:

I will not write up the quarterbacks because the wide receiver and tight end section tend to cover the matchups. The QB rankings are at the bottom of the article. 

New York Jets

Running Back

• Steelers have given up 444 rushing yards (7th fewest in NFL)
• They have given up 215 receiving yards to running backs (11th most)
• Giving up 18.5 DK to running backs (8th fewest)

Breece Hall had been having a bad spell of games prior to last week (10.5 DK previous two weeks combined). On Monday night, he once again became one of the better running backs in the league. Hall is a priority for me if you are fading the Jets wide receivers. Pittsburgh has given up the 11th most receiving yards to running backs, and Hall is second in receiving yards for running backs with 204.

Hall’s backup, Braelon Allen, isn’t a priority for me on this slate. Every week he is playing about a third of the snaps Hall plays, and outside of his breakout game Week 2, he has not done much. At his price, I would take a shot at him in a multi-entry contest, but in SE, I would not use him.

Tier 1: Breece Hall

Tier 2: Braelon Allen

Wide Receiver

• Pittsburgh has allowed 865 yards to opposing wide receivers (16th most).
• They are giving up 29.5 DK (9th fewest).

Picking a Jets wide receiver for the slate could not be easier this week. I love Garrett Wilson (really want to see him paired with Jefferson in Minnesota), but he has been downgraded to WR2 in New York. The star of the show will be newly acquired Davante Adams, who has miraculously recovered from his injury. He is Aaron Rodgers best friend; they had a great connection in Green Bay and will probably continue that in New York. Adams knows how Rodgers plays, which will benefit him this week while he gets adjusted to the Jets.

Wilson and Lazard are both also in play for me, but they are behind Adams in my list of wants for showdown.

Tier 1: Davante Adams

Tier 2: Garrett Wilson/Allen Lazard

Punts/Fades: Xavier Gipson

Tight End

• Pittsburgh has given 288 receiving yards to tight ends (11th most).
• They are giving up 12.5 DK (9th most).

Tyler Conklin is the main tight end for the Jets, having almost two and a half times more snaps played than backup Jeremy Ruckert. Conklin seems to have found a connection with Rodgers, as he has seen 20 targets over the past three weeks. I like Conklin this week, as he should continue to get the bulk of the workload of all Jet tight ends. Unlike Lazard and Wilson, Adams shouldn’t eat up too many of the targets that Conklin has been seeing.

Tier 1: Tyler Conklin

Tier 2: Jeremy Ruckert

Pittsburgh Steelers

Running Back

• Jets are giving up 20.1 DK per game (11th fewest).
• They have allowed 611 rushing yards (14th most).
• They have allowed 205 receiving yards (14th most).

Najee Harris is going to get the majority of carries on Sunday. He is the only Pittsburgh running back that I will probably roster for this game. Warren came back from injury last week, and while he did get the second-most snaps of the Steelers running backs, he only had six carries for seven yards. In SE, he is not in play for me and will only be in my player pool if I am running a lot of lineups. Harris should be the workhorse for this team on Sunday, and with the success he had last week, I think he can do damage to this Jets defense.

Tier 1: Najee Harris

Tier 2: Jaylen Warren

Wide Receiver

• The Jets have given up 625 receiving yards to wide receivers (4th fewest).
• They are giving up 24.8 DK to receivers (4th fewest).

George Pickens was by far the number one target for Justin Fields the first six weeks of the season. With Russell Wilson slated to start on Sunday, the wide receiver room gets a bit murky as we don’t know who he has a connection with as this will be his first game as a Steeler quarterback. Because of the bit of uncertainty and with how good the Jets have been against wide receivers, I am not really prioritizing Pittsburgh wideouts for this slate.

Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Calvin Austin are the top three receivers for the Steelers. If I am targeting any of them, then it would probably be Pickens, who has 44 targets this season compared to Jefferson’s 13 and Austin’s 17. For a second pass catcher on the Steelers, I would rather focus on their tight end instead of Jefferson or Austin.

Tier 1: George Pickens

Punt: Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin

Tight End

• Jets have given up 191 receiving yards to tight ends (6th fewest).
• They are allowing 7.9 DK per game (7th fewest).

Pat Freiermuth is my favorite TE for the Steelers. The big-body tight end should be an intriguing part of the offense tonight due to how tough it is to throw on the Jets corners and the lack of pass-catching options for the Steelers. He is the main lineup-worthy. Freiermuth is second on the Steelers in targets (26), 18 behind leader Pickens, and he is only four behind him in receptions. I trust Freiermuth a lot more than Jefferson and Austin as my number two Steelers pass catcher.

The Steelers have used three other tight ends, but none of them are in my player pool. Heyward and Washington have not done much outside of their one touchdowns.

Tier 1: Pat Freiermuth

Punt/Fade: Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward

FanDuel MVP and DraftKings CPT Picks—SNF Showdown 

I want a high-usage player at MVP on FanDuel like a quarterback or a workhorse running back. You need the highest-scoring player, not the best value. The salaries do not change from flex to MVP on FanDuel, so the value at the MVP is not a priority. Take the points up top. 

On DraftKings, you look for the best “value” in the mid to high price range. 

FanDuel

DraftKings

Flex Tier 1:

• Davante Adams
• Najee Harris
• Aaron Rodgers
• Breece Hall
• Russell Wilson
• Garrett Wilson
• George Pickens
• Pat Freiermuth
• Braelon Allen
• Allen Lazard

Flex Tier 2/Punts:

• Jets D/ST
• Steelers D/ST
• Chris Boswell
• Greg Zuerlein
• Tyler Conklin
• Jaylen Warren
• Van Jefferson
• Calvin Austin
• Jeremy Ruckert
• Darnell Washington

Best Rules for the slate:

• Play Davante Adams if using Jets passing game
• Don’t play more than 1 defense.
• Don’t play more than 2 skill positions against your defense.
• Don’t play a kicker against your defense
• Don’t play your MVP QB against the opposing defense
• Stack your kicker with at least one skill player, someone has to move the ball down the field

Favorite prop for the game: Breece Hall Over 24.5 Receiving Yards (-120)

Week 6 of the NFL season continues with a bang as the Bengals take on the Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford In this article, I’ll share my top DFS showdown picks and strategies for DraftKings and FanDuel, helping you build winning lineups.

For a deeper dive into general showdown rules, make sure to check out David Jones’s “Daily Fantasy Football Showdown: Strategy for Building Winning Lineups” article. It’s essential reading for anyone crafting MME lineups, as player salary and team dynamics can impact each game’s approach.

Link: https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-football-showdown-strategy/

Note on Quarterbacks:

I will not write up the quarterbacks because the wide receiver and tight end section tend to cover the matchups. The QB rankings are at the bottom of the article. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Running Back

The Giants have been a good team against the run this season, allowing only 424 rushing yards in the first five games, the seventh-fewest. The Giants have also allowed the 13th fewest fantasy points to running backs, at 21.8 DK. The Bengals’ backfield has been a bit of a mess through five weeks. Both Chase Brown and Zack Moss have seen 40+ carries and have double-digit receptions.

Last week was the first week where Brown saw more touches than Moss. Brown had 12 carries, three receptions, and scored a touchdown. Meanwhile, Moss saw three fewer touches with nine carries and three receptions but failed to find the end zone. Both running backs are dealing with injuries, but neither should miss Sunday’s game. Of the two, I am going to prioritize Moss as he is priced $600 cheaper on DK, and he should see an identical workload as Brown.

Tier 1: Zack Moss/Chase Brown

Wide Receiver

New York has been alright against wide receivers this season. They allow the fourteenth fewest DK points to opposing wide receivers at 32.8. The Giants are also tied for the fourth most receiving touchdowns allowed to opposing wide receivers. The Giants have the challenge of stopping Ja’Marr Chase and a Bengals team hungry for a win.

The top guy for the Bengals is Chase. He is top 10 in the NFL in receiving yards (493), receptions (29), touchdowns (5), and YAC (233). Chase is a must-play on name alone, but this week is a lock because of his matchup. He sees a target on 20.8% of his routes and is now going up against Cor’Dale Flott, who allows the second most points per route to opposing wide receivers of all of NY’s corners. Chase is averaging 2.66 yards per route run. Meanwhile, Flott allows 1.25 yards, the second most of the Giant’s defensive backs.

The other player who has a favorable matchup is Tee Higgins. Higgins has been solid since returning in Week 3; he has 30 targets for 18 receptions, 182 yards, and two touchdowns. This week, Higgins is going to see a lot of Deonte Banks, who is allowing .4 fantasy points per route, which is the most points given up by any Giant player. I will still prioritize using Chase over Higgins, but if you are fading Chase in any lineup, then Higgins is a must.

Andrei Iosivas will be the Bengal’s third receiver, but he is more of a deeper punt play for me this week. He has only had two receptions for 68 yards on three targets in the past two weeks. Higgins being fully back has ended the momentum Iosivas had to start the year.

Tier 1: Ja’Marr Chase

Tier 2: Tee Higgins

Punts/Fades: Andrei Iosivas

Tight End

The Giants have been okay against tight ends this season. They have given up the 18th most DK to opposing tight ends at 9.6. They have allowed 25 receptions for 231 yards but have not given up a touchdown. Similarly to their running game, the Bengals tight end situation is a bit of a mess. Over the past three weeks, both Erick All Jr. and Mike Gesicki have seen at least eight targets, with All leading the two with 10. For that reason, both tight ends are in play for me. Of the two, I will have more of Gesicki, while I like All Jr. I think Gesicki should find the end zone this week.

Tier 1: Mike Gesicki

Tier 2: Erick All Jr. 

New York Giants

Running Back

The Bengals have been decent against running backs this season. They have allowed 556 rushing yards and five touchdowns. They are also allowing the thirteenth most fantasy points to opposing running backs at 24.5. The Bengals will catch a bit of a break as starting running back Devin Singletary will be out.

With Singletary out, the backfield is going to be split between two guys, Eric Gray and Tyrone Tracy. Without Singletary last week, Tracy led all running backs with 45 snaps, and Gray got 26. Gray’s fumble at the goal line gave Tracy the starting role. So, while I think Gray will see some work, mainly in the passing game, this is going to be a big workload game for Tracy.

Tier 1: Tyrone Tracy

Tier 2: Eric Gray

Wide Receiver

The Bengals have been decent against wide receivers this season. They are ranked 16th in DK points allowed per game at 34.4. They have allowed 59 receptions for 746 yards and five touchdowns. Just like the running back situation, the Bengals are catching a break as rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers will be out.

With no Nabers last week, only two wide receivers that saw targets were Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton. Slayton led the two with 11 targets, while Robinson finished two behind with nine. With Nabers out, Slayton should get Cam Taylor-Britt for large portions of the game. Britt is allowing 1.79 yards and .38 fantasy points per route. Robinson also gets a favorable matchup in the slot. He is averaging the most fantasy points for an active Giants wide receiver.

Jalin Hyatt is also in play, last week he played 67% of the Giants snaps but didn’t see any targets. He is not reliable but with another week under his belt with more first team snaps, he can see a slight increase in his workload. At $2000 he doesn’t need much to have a solid game.

Tier 1: Wan’Dale Robinson/Darius Slayton

Punt: Jalin Hyatt

Tight End

The Bengals have not been great going up against tight ends. They give up the ninth most points to opposing tight ends at 13.2 DK. Tight ends have 23 receptions, and 247 yards, and have three touchdowns.

Theo Johnson is the Giant’s top tight end. He has 13 targets in the first five weeks, which is the most for a Giants tight end. His $4200 price makes it slightly more of a priority for me. He saw a season-high five targets last week without Nabers in the lineup. Nabers was averaging 13 targets per game, so while Robinson and Slayton will see a lot more targets, there will still be targets available that Johnson should take advantage of. 

I want no Daniel Bellinger who is the Giants second tight end. He has played 73 snaps but has only been targeted twice. Unless you are maxing out the 150 contests, he shouldn’t be in your lineups. Unless Johnson gets hurt, he will not see any work.

Tier 1: Theo Johnson

Punt/Fade: Daniel Bellinger

FanDuel MVP and DraftKings CPT Picks—SNF Showdown 

I want a high-usage player at MVP on FanDuel like a quarterback or a workhorse running back. You need the highest-scoring player, not the best value. The salaries do not change from flex to MVP on FanDuel, so the value at the MVP is not a priority. Take the points up top. 

On DraftKings, you look for the best “value” in the mid to high price range. 

FanDuel

DraftKings

Flex Tier 1:

• Ja’Marr Chase
• Wan’Dale Robinson
• Tyrone Tracy
• Joe Burrow
• Tee Higgins
• Daniel Jones
• Darius Slayton
• Zack Moss
• Chase Brown
• Theo Johnson

Flex Tier 2/Punts:

• Bengals D/ST
• Giants D/ST
• Evan McPherson
• Greg Joseph
• Andrei Iosivas
• Mike Gesicki
• Erick All Jr
• Eric Gray
• Jalin Hyatt
• Isaiah Hodgins

Best Rules for the slate:

• Play at least 1
  • Wan’Dale Robinson and/or Darius Slayton
  • Ja’Marr Chase and/or Tee Higgins
• Don’t play more than 1 defense.
• Don’t play more than 2 skill positions against your defense.
• Don’t play a kicker against your defense
• Don’t play your MVP QB against the opposing defense
• Stack your kicker with at least one skill player, someone has to move the ball down the field

Favorite prop for the game: Wan’Dale Robinson Over 51.5 Receiving Yards (-110 FD) and 60+ (+138)

Week 5 of the NFL season continues with a bang as the Cowboys take on the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh In this article, I’ll share my top DFS showdown picks and strategies for DraftKings and FanDuel, helping you build winning lineups.

For a deeper dive into general showdown rules, make sure to check out David Jones’s “Daily Fantasy Football Showdown: Strategy for Building Winning Lineups” article. It’s essential reading for anyone crafting MME lineups, as player salary and team dynamics can impact each game’s approach.

Link: https://windailysports.com/daily-fantasy-football-showdown-strategy/

Note on Quarterbacks:

I will not write up the quarterbacks because the wide receiver and tight end section tend to cover the matchups. The QB rankings are at the bottom of the article. 

Dallas Cowboys

Running Back

The Steelers have been the best team against the run this season, only allowing 228 rushing yards in the first four games. Pittsburgh has also allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs at 16 DK. The Dallas backfield is a bit of a mess through four weeks. Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott have seen touches at running back and have had some work coming out of the backfield as receivers.

Last week Dowdle slowly began to pull away as the main running back for the Cowboys as he had 15 more snaps and saw six more carries. Dowdle also caught his first touchdown pass on his only catch. Heading into Sunday Night, my lean would be Dowdle since he is starting to see more work and is the much younger running back. But that being said I am not jamming either into my lineups as Pittsburgh is great against running backs. If you are running multiple lineups then you can fit Dowdle and Elliott into some, but in SE neither is a priority as I would rather focus on the passing game. 

Hunter Luepke and Deuce Vaughn have both seen snaps over the first two weeks, but they are both fades for me unless you are trying to max out one of the 150.

Tier 1: Rico Dowdle

Tier 2: Ezekiel Elliott

Punts/Fades: Hunter Luepke. Deuce Vaughn

Wide Receiver

Pittsburgh has been good against wide receivers this season. They are allowing the ninth fewest DK points to opposing wide receivers at 28. A big reason why Pittsburgh has been great against wide receivers is their ability to keep them out of the end zone. They are tied for sixth in touchdowns allowed with only 2. The secondary will face their toughest test so far this week as CeeDee Lamb has been great this season.

The top guy for the Cowboys is Lamb. Lamb is top 20 in the NFL in receiving yards (316), receptions (20), touchdowns (2), and YAC (154). Lamb is a must-play on name alone, but this week is a lock because of his matchup as well. He sees a target on 29.9% of his routes and is now going up against Beanie Bishop who is allowing the most points per route to opposing wide receivers of all of Pittsburgh’s corners. Lamb’s targets should see a slight uptick as well and Cooks has been placed on IR so Dallas will be down a good receiver.

The other player who will see an uptick in work is Jalen Tolbert. Through the first four weeks, he was seeing a target on 12% of his routes and getting .27 fantasy points per route. He was tied with Cooks with 19 targets in the first four weeks, but should now benefit from the 4.8 targets that are free now that Cooks isn’t playing. 

Jalen Brooks might be worth a punt this week. Brooks has played 23% of the Cowboys snaps and has seen seven targets. While he only moves up to WR4 with Cooks gone, the $600 savings from Turpin make him a slightly better punt for me.

Tier 1: CeeDee Lam

Tier 2: Jalen Tolbert

Punts/Fades: Jalen Brooks/KaVontae Turpin

Tight End

The Steelers have been okay against tight ends this season. They have given up the 18th most DK to opposing tight ends at 8.6. They have allowed 13 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson leads the tight end room in every statistical category. Over the past two weeks, he has more targets than CeeDee Lamb who has 15, meanwhileFerguson has 18. Unfortunately, he is priced higher this week than he was last week. My priority will still be Lamb, but Ferguson is my second favorite pass catcher for Dallas.

You can also take a chance with Luke Schoonmaker if you need a salry. He is priced at $1600 on DK and has played at least 30% of Dallas’s snaps every game. He didn’t see a target last week so he is more of a punt play if making more than one lineup.

Tier 1: Jake Ferguson

Tier 2: Luke Schoonmaker

Pittsburgh Steelers

Running Back

The Cowboys have not been good against running backs this season. They have allowed 419 rushing yards and six touchdowns. They are also allowing the third most fantasy points to opposing running backs at 30.9. The Cowboys are also struggling to stop running backs catching out of the backfield. They are allowing the sixth most receiving yards to running backs at 187 and a touchdown.

Najee Harris is a priority for me this week. One reason is because of how bad the Cowboys have been against the run. But the other reason is because he is the last man standing right now. Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson have both been ruled out. So Pittsburgh is left with Harris and Aaron Shampklin. Harris should see the majority of the workload alongside Justin Fields, who can run, and Shampklin might only see the field to give Harris a breather. Jonathan Ward has also been added to the active roster but his role on this team is unknown so he is an easy fade unless you are maxing out the 150 where a handful of lineups with him isn’t terrible.

Tier 1: Najee Harris

Punts/Fades: Aaron Shampklin/Jonathan Ward

Wide Receiver

The Cowboys have been okay against wide receivers this season. They are ranked 19th in DK points allowed per game at 32.6. They have allowed 50 receptions for 576 yards and three touchdowns. 

The leading wide receiver for Pittsburgh is George Pickens. Pickens is leading the Steelers with 207 snaps played, 29 targets, 20 receptions, 284 yards. But he has yet to score a touchdown this season. Pickens will draw the attention of the Cowboy’s best cornerback, Trevon Diggs. Diggs has been good at limiting opposing wide receivers to only .18 fantasy points per route. While that will normally make me hesitant to use a wide receiver against him, Pickens seems to found a connection with Fields. 

There is a large difference in price between Pickens and the Steelers number two wide receiver, Van Jefferson. Jefferson has struggled in the early part of the season, only averaging .43 yards and .1 fantasy points per route run. But he should see better numbers as he should lineup across Caelen Carson who has been the Cowboy’s weakest link in the secondary. Carson is allowing .4 fantasy points and 1.91 yards per route to opponents. At $3200 on DK Van Jefferson is one of my favorite value plays.

The Steelers also have Calvin Austin but he is a fade for me against the Cowboys. Austin will be going up against Jourdan Lewis who has similar numbers to Diggs this season. It would take a huge play for Austin to hit value at his price.

Tier 1: George Pickens

Tier 2: Van Jefferson

Fade: Calvin Austin

Tight End

Dallas has been great going up against tight ends. They give up the seventh fewest points to opposing tight ends, 6 DK. Tight ends have 11 receptions, and 112 yards, and have failed to score a touchdown against the Cowboys in the first four weeks.

Pat Freiermuth is the Steeler’s top tight end. He has 20 targets in the first week which is the second most only behind Pickens. His $6600 price makes him slightly less of a priority for me as the Cowboys have been so good against tight ends. I will be avoiding the other two Pittsburgh tight ends, Washington and Pruitt, as neither should see much action unless Freiermuth gets hurt.

Tier 1: Pat Freiermuth

Punt/Fade: Darnell Washington, MyCole Pruitt

FanDuel MVP and DraftKings CPT Picks—SNF Showdown 

I want a high-usage player at MVP on FanDuel like a quarterback or a workhorse running back. You need the highest-scoring player, not the best value. The salaries do not change from flex to MVP on FanDuel, so the value at the MVP is not a priority. Take the points up top. 

On DraftKings, you look for the best “value” in the mid to high price range. 

FanDuel

DraftKings

Flex Tier 1:

• CeeDee Lamb
• Najee Harris
• Justin Fields
• Dak Prescott
• George Pickens
• Jake Ferguson
• Rico Dowdle
• Jalen Tolbert
• Pat Freiermuth
• Van Jefferson
• Ezekiel Elliott

Flex Tier 2/Punts:

• Steelers D/ST
• Cowboys D/ST
• Calvin Austin III
• Brandon Aubrey
• Chris Boswell
• Luke Schoonmaker
• Jalen Brooks
• KaVontae Turpin
• Aaron Shampklin
• Hunter Luepke

Best Rules for the slate:

• Play at least 1
  • CeeDee Lamb and/or Najee Harris
  • Dak Prescott and/or Justin Fields
• Don’t play more than 1 defense.
• Don’t play more than 2 skill positions against your defense.
• Don’t play a kicker against your defense
• Don’t play your MVP QB against the opposing defense
• Stack your kicker with at least one skill player, someone has to move the ball down the field

Favorite prop for the game: Justin Fields 50+ Rushing Yards (+100)