Full disclosure, my birthday was yesterday. Despite putting in research and studying throughout the week, I will not be doing full write-ups of my favorite players I like at each position as I usually do. Doing a full write-up is as time-consuming as it sounds. Of course, some extracurricular activities took place, which led us here—nonetheless, my sincerest apologies for cutting this article short this week.
Instead, I’ve decided to break down my core plays, which should outline a solid shell of what your cash game lineup should look like. Typically, there is a padlock emoji next to the players I consider locks. Not this week. This week, everyone I wrote blurbs about is a lock. Also, I’ll list some other options to consider filling out the rest of the lineup. With that said, let’s get right into it.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott ($6,900 DK, $8,100 FD)
Prescott will be quarterbacking one of the two games being played in a dome today. The Dallas Cowboys take on the Atlanta Falcons at home. They have the highest implied team total on the slate, along with the highest game Over/Under. Both the Cowboys and Falcons play at a fast pace, which is another boost for points. The Cowboys rank third in neutral game scripts pace of play.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are also a top ten unit, sitting ninth in neutral scripts pace of play. In terms of DVOA, the Falcons rank 28th against the pass. Add in some home cooking and all of the weapons surrounding Dak in that offense. This is an absolute smash spot for Mr. Prescott.
Other Options: Justin Herbert, Matt Ryan
Running Back
D’Ernest Johnson ($4,700 DK, $5,400 FD)
Here’s your free square of the week. Injuries and COVID have ransacked the Cleveland Browns’ running back room. Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and Demetric Felton are all sidelined. Johnson is the only healthy option outside of some practice squad call-ups. Brian Kelly was elevated to the main roster, but he was signed to the practice squad earlier this week. Given that it’s such a short time to get acclimated into the offense, Johnson should get almost every vital touch out of the backfield.
As you might recall, the last time Johnson was the lead back when the Browns played on Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos. He proceeded to run the ball for a career-high 146 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Traveling to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots is never an easy task. The Pats rank fifth in overall defense DVOA. However, they’ve been much better against the pass than the run. Against the pass, they rank sixth in DVOA, while against the run, they are only 17th. It’s not the worst in the league by any stretch, but this is far too cheap for a running back getting as many touches as Johnson should in a run-heavy offense.
Mark Ingram ($4,500 DK, $5,500 FD)
Ingram is another running back getting a boost in volume due to an unfortunate injury. Alvin Kamara will not play for the New Orleans Saints today, so Ingram will assume the lion’s share of the workload. In years past, Ingram was viewed as the rusher-only type and not a pass-catching running back. Of course, he’s not as heavily used in the passing game as Kamara is, but he’s not quite the plodder some people seem to think of him as.
So far, in only two games since rejoining the Saints, he’s caught all seven of the passes thrown his way. Seven targets is a lot in two games, of which he played less than 35 percent of the offensive snaps in each contest. Just like Johnson, Ingram is in too good of a spot, given his new workhorse role, and he is too cheap to leave out of your cash game lineup, especially with the PPR appeal he is flashing lately.
Other Options: Najee Harris, D’Andre Swift, James Conner
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams ($7,900 DK, $8,700 FD)
Well, the drama has been put to bed for now. Aaron Rodgers has been taken off the reserve/COVID-19 list and will start against the Seattle Seahawks at Lambeau Field. Despite receiving 14 targets from Jordan Love in last week’s game, they could only connect on six passes for 42 yards. That’s the lowest catch percentage and fewest yards he’s had all season. The Seahawks struggle mightily against the pass, ranking 24th in pass DVOA. Also, considering Adams is the Packers’ entire receiving game right now, it’s worth noting that the Seahawks allow 37.1 DK points per game to opposing wide receivers. I think Rodgers wants to quiet as much noise as he can right now, so I’m not overthinking it. Lock in Adams.
Other Options: Diontae Johnson, Keenan Allen, Terry McLaurin
Tight End Options
Dan Arnold, Pat Freiermuth, Ricky Seals-Jones
Defense/Special Teams
Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles
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