We are already into Week 5. How? A quarter of the way through the 2019 season, and it’s time to set those lineups and gear up for a monster weekend of football.
As is the case when playing any Daily Fantasy sport, it’s imperative to hit on the high-priced players in your lineup. They require a big chunk of your salary, and when paying up for a player, you shouldn’t have to worry about him letting down your lineup.
Heading into the opening week of the NFL season, here are four studs who should prove to be worth their high price tag.
HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 24: A Houston Texans helmet on the turf before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans
Price: £8,000
Projected Points: 21.3
Is this the week that Deshaun Watson finally snaps out of things? Let’s hope so.
So far this season, Watson and the Houston Texans haven’t been at their best offensively, but maybe the porous Atlanta Falcons passing defence will provide a lift. They rank sixth-worst against the pass according to advanced stats metrics, masking Watson’s Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) mark of 0.16.
In Vegas, 67% of cash is coming in on the Texans, so shrewd bettors seem to expect that Watson is likely to rebound. If Houston can maintain their strong situation-neutral pace, where they rank 13th, this could be a bounce-back week for our top-projected signal-caller.
After registering 179 scrimmage yards (93 rushing, 86 receiving) and a rushing TD in Sunday’s win, Christian McCaffrey now joins Jim Brown as the only players in NFL history with three games of at least 175 scrimmage yards and one TD in their team’s first four games of a season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 30, 2019
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers
Price: £9,100
Projected Points: 22.1
Four games into the year, stud back Christian McCaffrey is averaging a crisp 24.9 points-per-game. That means this week’s projected score would be below his season-long average. Buckle up.
First, he squares off against a Jacksonville Jaguars defence that clocks in only 18th against the run. Both LeSean McCoy and Phillip Lindsay gashed this run defence pretty heavily.
McCaffrey also leads all running backs in the NFL in Adjusted Opportunities – that’s rushes plus targets, where passes are valued twice as much as running attempts – so regardless of game script, he will be heavily involved.
Take advantage of this brilliant matchup and roster CMC.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 29: Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers makes a catch in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
Price: £7,500
Projected Points: 16.0
Allen’s taking on the Denver Broncos defence, but is this the same one that we have come to know and love?
So far this season it’s falling well short of expectations. They clock in 27th in team defence, including 26th against the pass. They’ve been roasted in the air game by Tyrell Williams (six catches, 105 receiving yards, one touchdown) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6-99-1).
That should mean it’s time to eat for Keenan Allen and Philip Rivers. The clear alpha dog in the passing game, Allen has racked up a 32.2% target market share this year — pair that with an offence that ranks 10th in pass-to-run ratio (1.63), and it could be a monster day.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 15: The New York Giants take the field against the Buffalo Bills during their game at MetLife Stadium on September 15, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants
Price: £6,300
Projected Points: 10.9
Somewhat rejuvenated with the insertion of Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback, this New York Giants seems to have found a little bit of fire, even with mega-back Saquon Barkley out of the mix.
One thing has remained consistent — Evan Engram is still a very integral part of this offence. Regardless of who has been under center, over 160 dropbacks, Engram leads the team with 37 targets and 27 catches.
The matchup this weekend is also an intriguing one. The Minnesota Vikings have allowed the 11th-most points to opposing tight ends on a point-per-game basis (13.4).
Look for Engram to be a big scorer this weekend at the tight end slot.
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