New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 p.m. EST
The Jets still haven’t named a starter at quarterback, but I have a feeling it’s going to be Tyrod Taylor over Justin Fields. If Taylor plays, I am interested in him and TE Mason Taylor. In fact, Mason Taylor becomes a huge play and would dominate my lineups. If Fields plays, I may play Fields in a few lineups without his receiving weapons. I think the Bengals‘ defense is bad enough that we have to find at least one Jet player. Maybe that player is RB Breece Hall. Hall has underperformed, but the matchup is juicy, and he could easily have over 100 yards and a touchdown. WR Garrett Wilson will see bracket coverage if he plays, so I will avoid him. Cincinnati has been good at limiting the opposing number-one receiver.
*** Mason Taylor missed Thursday’s practice, and there is a chance he will miss this week. If he is out, the Bengals’ defense becomes very interesting at their cheap price.***
RB Chase Brown got it going last week, and I think it continues this week against the Jets. He’s priced under $5,500 and could be a solid contributor, especially if he scores a touchdown. Jets CB Sauce Gardner is in concussion protocol, and if he’s out, WR Ja’Marr Chase becomes a huge play because we know that QB Joe Flacco will target him over and over again. WR Tee Higgins is also a solid player, but I don’t think his upside is going to be huge enough to win a tournament. TE Noah Fant could be solid, but I don’t know if he can do enough to get in the winning lineups either.
Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers 1:00 p.m. EST
I am avoiding the Bills, and that scares me. QB Josh Allen can light up a scoreboard versus anybody, but playing him is tough against the Panthers, who play solid defense. Is this the game in which the Panthers’ defense collapses? I’m passing on RB James Cook, but I do have some interest in WR Khalil Shakir and TE Dalton Kincaid. Either player could have several catches and will be unowned. They would have a solid chance to make the winning lineups if they score at their price and ownership.
QB Bryce Young is out, and in comes Andy Dalton. I’m going to pass on the passing game, but we have to look at the running game. The Bills are a sieve against the run, and I actually prefer RB Rico Dowdle over RB Chuba Hubbard. I could see them both doing well, but Dowdle looks like the better runner now. If you decide to play them, you should look at FanDuel over DraftKings, as they are much better bargains on that platform.
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. EST
QB Mac Jones is expected to be the starter, with Brock Purdy missing another week. I don’t trust any of the 49ers‘ receivers, but I do like RB Christian McCaffrey. He is a lock for 20-plus points because of his catching ability, but I won’t have him in many of my lineups. I like Taylor and Robinson better. TE George Kittle is a wild card. The Texans are good against the tight end, but Kittle is a fantastic talent who can break slates no matter the opponent.
The Houston Texans offense is a mess right now. The offensive line is horrible, which is crushing QB CJ Stroud’s confidence. Their best weapon, WR Nico Collins, is not practicing due to a concussion, and I doubt he plays. Maybe his absence can lead to another game of solid production from TE Dalton Schultz.
