With just four games in this week’s slate, you can imagine that the top ownership levels are going to be quite a bit higher than usual. This is a fairly tricky slate to navigate also, as the price points are pretty much perfect, whereas there are usually a handful of underpriced players to take advantage of. These projected ownership rates will also serve as a means to see who the general public views as the top values.
Get our complete projected ownership report here
Quarterback
Highest Projected Players
The Patriots return Chris Hogan, James White and Rex Burkhead this week, so while Brady has been struggling, that all may come to an end this weekend against a terrible Titans’ secondary. He will be heavy chalk as a result of over one-third of lineups expected to be on either Matt Ryan or Case Keenum.
With just four games in this week’s slate, you can imagine that the top ownership levels are going to be quite a bit higher than usual. This is a fairly tricky slate to navigate also, as the price points are pretty much perfect, whereas there are usually a handful of underpriced players to take advantage of. These projected ownership rates will also serve as a means to see who the general public views as the top values.
Get our complete projected ownership report here
Quarterback
Highest Projected Players
The Patriots return Chris Hogan, James White and Rex Burkhead this week, so while Brady has been struggling, that all may come to an end this weekend against a terrible Titans’ secondary. He will be heavy chalk as a result of over one-third of lineups expected to be on either Matt Ryan or Case Keenum.
Running Back
Highest Projected Players
The Steelers’ bell-cow spent most of the season playing on the prime-time slate otherwise we would have grown used to seeing his name over 40 and even 50 or 60% owned most weeks. With the small four-game slate, it is no wonder he will be in the majority of lineups. At less than half the projected ownership, the running back on the other side of the field will be used quite a bit because of how he dominated the Steelers in Week 5. Behind them, only Derrick Henry and the two Saints’ running backs, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, are expected to be over 10% owned.
Wide Receiver
Highest Projected Players
With a terrific price ($7,600), the Vikings’ slot receiver, Thielen will be heavily owned in hopes that he will repeat his Week 1 performance versus the Saints. while Michael Thomas and Antonio Brown have two of the toughest cover corners expected to shadow them, there is enough money out there that a quarter of the slate will be on each, which places them third and fourth behind Julio. The rest of ownership will be spread out all over the place with Mohamed Sanu, Nelson Agholor and six others all expected to be in 10% or more lineups.
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Tight End
Highest Projected Player
While not quite as high as Bell this weekend, Gronk is the obvious chalk play. Sure, he had zero targets in Week 17, but the Titans pass defense is lousy and if the Patriots are to capitalize on their weakness, you better believe Gronk will be at the heart of it. Besides him, Zach Ertz, Delanie Walker and Kyle Rudolph will combine to take up 41% of tight end spots.
Defense
Highest Projected Team
Though picking on Blake Bortles will be a common play with the Pittsburgh Steelers (32.0% projected ownership), the Jags are expected to edge them out because their price is $600 lower. Many others will use the Patriots versus Marcus Mariota and the Vikings at home after a week of rest and preperation.
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Thanks for reading. If you haven’t already, please check out the FantasyPros Football Podcast (below) that I co-host with Mike Tagliere. Good luck this season.
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