The Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers went down to the wire on Monday Night Football, with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leading a game-winning drive to close out Week 9 of the NFL season. Now it’s on to NFL Week 10; this article will cover The Professor’s low-cost options for DFS in the upcoming slate of NFL action.
Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan, QB, ATL @ DAL, $7300 FanDuel / $6000 DraftKings
Matt Ryan has thrown for 300 yards in four of eight games this season and has thrown at least two touchdowns in six of eight games. The loss of receiver Calvin Ridley has been offset by the emergence of depth receivers Russell Gage and Olamide Zaccheaus behind Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Pitts, which gives Ryan a deep cast of targets. The Cowboys’ defense has been opportunistic this season but has not consistently slowed opponents down; Ryan should put up big numbers in a high-scoring affair.
Ben Roethlisberger, DET @ PIT, $7100 FanDuel / $5600 DraftKings
Ben Roethlisberger has an ideal opportunity to build on Pittsburgh’s recent momentum. The Steelers have won four straight and play the downtrodden Lions with a chance to get to 6-3. Roethlisberger may not post huge numbers, but Pittsburgh’s offense should score in the twenties; Roethlisberger would be a quality value if he throws for three touchdowns and a solid play if he throws for two.
Carson Wentz, JAX @ IND, $7500 FanDuel / $5900 DraftKings
Carson Wentz and the Colts are coming off a blowout of an overmatched Jets defense. Jacksonville shut down Buffalo this week but is still a defense that has been among the NFL’s worst for most of the season. Running back Jonathan Taylor is the focal point of the Indianapolis offense but his contributions create opportunities for Wentz to throw more touchdowns. There should be plenty of scores to go around this week.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary, BUF @ NYJ, $6000 FanDuel / $4700 DraftKings
This play depends on Zack Moss’s status, but if Moss can’t go, Devin Singletary should get the bulk of the work against one of the league’s worst defenses in the Jets. Buffalo is coming off an exceptionally disappointing offensive performance in which they failed to score a single touchdown against the Jaguars but they get an excellent opportunity to rebound against a Jets defense that turned in a non-competitive performance against the Colts last week. That sets Singletary up for a quality game.
Nyheim Hines, JAX @ IND, $5600 FanDuel / $5000 DraftKings
Nyheim Hines had gone quiet for several weeks as the Colts tried to incorporate Marlon Mack ahead of the trade deadline, but it appears that Indianapolis is back to using Hines as the complement to lead back Jonathan Taylor. This makes sense, as Hines signed a significant contract extension earlier this year. He can turn any touch into an explosive gain and contributes as both a runner and receiver.
AJ Dillon, SEA @ GB, $5300 FanDuel / $5800 DraftKings
AJ Dillon turned in a dud several weeks ago against Washington but has otherwise been a productive part of Green Bay’s offense over the past month and a half. This play depends on quarterback Aaron Rodgers clearing protocol to play on Sunday, but if number 12 is back under center, Dillon is a solid option at his price.
Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Sanders, BUF @ NYJ, $6300 FanDuel / $5700 DraftKings
Cole Beasley has also seen significant target volume over the past two weeks but The Professor prefers another Bills receiver, Emmanuel Sanders, who is the more explosive option of the two. Sanders posted decent production last week after getting shut out two weeks ago but has not maintained his early-season pace; a matchup with the Jets sets Sanders and the rest of the Buffalo offense up to get back on track.
DeVonta Smith, PHI @ DEN, $6200 FanDuel / $5900 DraftKings
Philadelphia’s offense has found its groove with a run-heavy approach that suits quarterback Jalen Hurts. Denver has several standout players in the secondary but DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert have been Hurts’ preferred targets and the Eagles should put up points in a game that The Professor likes them to win outright on the road.
Jerry Jeudy, PHI @ DEN, $6200 FanDuel / $5300 DraftKings
Jerry Jeudy ramped up from four targets to eight in his second game back and turned those opportunities into six receptions for 69 yards. Denver has a deep cast of options but Jeudy brings a different dynamic than the rest of the group and should continue to command targets.
Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth, DET @ PIT, $5100 FanDuel / $3900 DraftKings
Pat Freiermuth has posted three touchdowns in the past two weeks and is an intriguing low-cost mini-stack player with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger; both low-cost plays depend on the idea that Pittsburgh will score multiple red-zone touchdowns, which is where Freiermuth has thrived. Freiermuth’s ability to contribute as a blocker and outstanding catch-point receiver make him a special weapon near the goal line.
Conclusion
This article covered The Professor’s low-cost DFS plays for the upcoming week. For more fantasy content from The Professor check out his weekly appearance on Razor’s RedZone and the rest of his content on BeerLife Sports!
Steven Clinton, better known as "The Professor", is a former D-1 Quality Control Assistant (Northwestern, Toledo) who holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. He maintains an end-to-end NFL game projection model and is a film junkie who breaks down the tape of every NFL game.
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