New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
Total: 52.5
Line: MIN by 1.0
QBs
Drew Brees: After setting the NFL record for completion percentage last year (72.0 percent), Brees has now completed 77.3 percent of his passes without throwing a single interception. Seriously, some quarterbacks cannot complete 77 percent of their passes to running backs alone. It’s not fair, Brees. The Vikings defense hasn’t been what it once was, but they may be getting Everson Griffin back this week, as he’s been cleared for football activities. But here’s the thing – if we remove the one game against the Rams, which was on a short week while traveling across the country, the Vikings have allowed an average of just 249.2 yards, 1.0 touchdowns, and 1.2 interceptions per game to opposing quarterbacks. Keep in mind they’ve played Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, and Carson Wentz in that sample size, too. At home, the Vikings have allowed just 15.5 points per game at home since the start of 2017, one of the best marks in the game. In the playoff game between the two teams last year, Brees posted 294 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions on 40 pass attempts. With the way Brees is playing, it’s tough to say he’s not still on the mid-to-low-end QB1 radar. One important note is that we know the Saints like to take shots down the field when available, and the Vikings have allowed 30 passing plays that have gone over 20 yards, which is the third-most in the NFL. They’ve also allowed 8.2 yards per attempt, which ranks as the fifth-most in the league. Update: The Vikings will be without linebacker Anthony Barr, safety Andrew Sendejo, and possibly cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Linval Joseph. They are likely to get edge-rusher Everson Griffen back, but he may not play a full complement of snaps.
Kirk Cousins: Remember before the season when I thought that Cousins couldn’t reach elite-level fantasy numbers because the defense was elite and that he’d lack the attempts needed? That was fun. He’s second in the NFL with 300 pass attempts through seven weeks, averaging a massive 42.9 attempts per game. The Saints are one of the best in the NFL against the run, so it’s very likely that Cousins will be leaned on once again. After allowing 10 passing touchdowns and 11.2 yards per attempt in the first three weeks, the Saints defense has begun to make strides as of late, allowing just three passing scores and 6.8 yards per attempt over the last three games. They also went out and acquired Eli Apple from the Giants this week to help with their struggling secondary, as he’ll now be assigned to cover the No. 2 receiver while Marshon Lattimore takes the No. 1 option. The issue is that neither of them cover the slot, which is where Thielen lives most of the time. Cousins likes to take big shots down the field and has connected for 10 touchdowns on 31 attempts, which is just a stupid success rate. Meanwhile, the Saints have allowed a league-high seven 40-plus yard passing plays, which is something to pay attention to. Cousins is on the QB1 radar, but I don’t believe he’s someone you need to use in cash games, as the Saints have played much better as of late.
RBs
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram: Can all the Kamara worriers calm down just a bit now? Coming into a matchup with the Ravens, they hadn’t allowed a top-24 running back on the season, but Kamara stepped-up and finished as the RB16 against them. Both he and Ingram will be fantasy startable every week, though they do run into another tough matchup this week. The Vikings aren’t quite as good as the Ravens run defense, but they have held all but one running back under 60 yards on the ground, and that running back was Todd Gurley (finished with 83 rushing yards). The area they’ve been somewhat exploited is through the air, as there’ve been four running backs to total at least 44 yards through the air, including two of them to score touchdowns. Looking at pure receiving work for running backs, the Vikings have allowed 1.91 PPR points per target, which ranks as the second-most to only the Bucs, so expect Kamara to be utilized there once again. We saw it in the playoffs last year, too, as Kamara only totaled 11/43/0 on the ground, but added 4/62/1 through the air. He’s should be considered a middling RB1 who doesn’t need to be played in cash lineups, while Ingram might have a tougher time and should be considered a low-end RB2 for this game.
Latavius Murray: It’s official, we’re going to get another two Murray starts for the Vikings, as they’ve come out and said that Dalvin Cook will not play until after their bye week which comes in Week 10. Murray has looked mighty good the last two weeks, but we cannot forget that he’s played against the Cardinals and the Jets, two teams that are in the bottom-half of the league against the run. Meanwhile, the Saints defense has been lights out against the run, allowing just 2.75 yards per carry on the season, which is why there’s been no running back to reach the 70-yard mark on the ground. Because of that, they’ve allowed just one running back to score more than 12.7 PPR points against them. They have allowed three rushing touchdowns, so there’s hope that Murray sneaks in a goal-line plunge, but there’s not a lot of optimism outside of that, leaving him as a low-end RB2 who needs to score in order to satisfy his starting role on your fantasy team.
WRs
Michael Thomas: After three scoreless games, Thomas found his way into the end zone last week in a tough matchup with the Ravens. He’s now scored at least 19.9 PPR points in 4-of-6 games and will now face off against Xavier Rhodes, who’s looked a bit more clunky than usual this year. He hasn’t been bad by any means, but he doesn’t appear to have that shutdown ability he’s had in years past. Even with him playing some really good football last year, Thomas shook him for 7/85/2 in the playoff meeting between the two, so there’s little concern for Thomas producing like the WR1 you expect him to be. Outside of the Rams wide receivers, there hasn’t been any wide receiver who’s been able to post more than 77 yards against the Vikings, but Thomas should change that. Start him as you normally would, and he makes for a solid, potentially lower-owned (than usual) tournament option. Update: It seems like Rhodes may have to miss this game with a foot injury, which would obviously affect his ability to cover Thomas. There’s no concerns in this matchup.
Tre’Quan Smith: Most will wonder what to do with their newly-acquired receiver against the Vikings and it’s a good question, because they’ve been relatively tough on opposing wide receivers. They’ve allowed just six wide receiver touchdowns, and just two of them to non-Rams receivers. There’s reason to like Smith, though, as the Saints are playing him in a full-time role and even moved him into the slot on 48 percent of his routes against the Ravens. That’ll allow for big production down the road, but it’s tough to say if it starts here. He’ll see Trae Waynes most of the day, and he’s been playing really well this year, though he’s not an elite cornerback that must be avoided or anything. He’s fast, but is also very thin (6-foot, 190 pounds), which may allow the much-bigger Smith to box him out. You should be very happy that Smith is on your fantasy team, but this week isn’t one where he’s likely to go-off, making him a WR4-type option. Update: It would help if Xavier Rhodes is ruled out, as the Vikings would then simply play sides.
Cameron Meredith: It’s hard to say what’s going on with Meredith, who played a season-low 18 snaps against the Ravens last week. The Saints even had Austin Carr out there playing 15 snaps, so Meredith is nothing more than a tournament hopeful to catch a touchdown. He belongs on waiver wires.
Adam Thielen: We talked about it last week, but Thielen was essentially a can’t-miss player in DFS last week, as he tallied his seventh-straight game with more than 100 yards receiving and at least six receptions, tying an NFL record. Will he break that record this week? Let’s just say that it’s very likely against the defense that’s allowed the most fantasy points per target (2.24) by quite a bit. They’re allowing an average of 10.4 yards per target to receivers, which is almost a full yard more than the closest team (Lions at 9.6). Even better is that he plays the most of his snaps in the slot, which is where Marshon Lattimore doesn’t travel. That means he’ll get P.J. Williams, the backup to Patrick Robinson, who had to go to injured reserve earlier this season. Don’t overthink this one… start Thielen as an elite WR1 who can safely be played in DFS as well.
Stefon Diggs: This matchup looks really good on paper, but most know that it’ll be Marshon Lattimore in coverage this week. That creates an issue, as Lattimore has stepped-up his game over the last five games. After allowing Mike Evans to tag him for over 100 yards and a touchdown, Lattimore has allowed just 15-of-23 passing for 148 yards and one touchdown in his coverage, which included Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, and Michael Crabtree. The silver lining is that Diggs crushed the Saints for 6/137/1 last year, but it needs to be noted that 61 of those yards and the touchdown were on the final play of the game that everyone has seen a highlight of when safety Marcus Williams tried jumping the route too early. He also played them in Week 1 last year when he went for 7/93/2, though that was before Lattimore started shadowing. It seems that Diggs may just have the Saints number, so it’s tough to say he shouldn’t be started, especially when you consider the Vikings will be lacking a run-game. Diggs is no sure thing, but he should be started as a middling WR2. There’s been 12 different wide receivers who’ve posted at least 11.4 PPR points against them.
TEs
Ben Watson: As we talked about it here last week, there will be times where Watson is simply the forgotten man in the offense, and the Ravens left him unattended for the touchdown last week as he caught all six of his targets for 43 yards. The Vikings have really struggled with tight ends this year, as there’ve been 5-of-7 tight ends to post at least 11.9 PPR points against them, including Chris Herndon last week. To be fair, teams have targeted their tight ends a lot against them, as the 57 targets are the sixth-most in the league. Watson has been targeted five-plus times in 3-of-6 games, so it’s possible he presents another usable fantasy performance in this game. Knowing he’s caught 10-of-10 targets the last two weeks for 73 yards and a touchdown, you can consider him a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 this week who’s a solid streamer.
Kyle Rudolph: If you’ve been reading The Primer since the start of the season, you would’ve traded Rudolph a long time ago. His target share is simply not there in this offense, as he’s now seen just four targets in each of the last two games. He’s failed to total more than 41 yards since Week 4 and hasn’t scored since Week 3. Keep in mind that’s while Cousins has been a top-six fantasy quarterback. The Saints are the third-best team in the league against tight ends, and it’s not due to lack of competition, either, as they’ve played against O.J. Howard, Austin Hooper, Jordan Reed, and David Njoku this year. All of them are top-13 tight ends. Similar to last week, Rudolph is just a high-end TE2 who doesn’t need to be started.
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Total: 44.5
Line: NE by 14.0
QBs
Tom Brady: When looking at Brady this week, it’s somewhat tough to decipher how you should approach him. After completely dominating the Bills for over a decade, he struggled against Sean McDermott’s defense in two games last year, completing 42-of-58 passes for 482 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. While those aren’t the worst numbers, they’re not as good as in years past. We don’t know if Rob Gronkowski will be available for this game, but we do know that Sony Michel won’t be, meaning they’ll use the passing game to move the ball. The Bills have still yet to allow a 300-yard passer this year, though there’s been three games where they’ve allowed three or more touchdowns. They’d be on the right track for four weeks, holding Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson to one or less passing touchdowns from Weeks 3-6, but decided to take the week off against Andrew Luck in Week 7, as he threw four touchdowns on just 23 pass attempts. They’ve still allowed just 6.72 yards per attempt, which is the third-lowest in the NFL, but that 5.6 percent touchdown rate makes it too tempting. Knowing the offense will run through Brady, he’s still on the QB1 radar, though it’s not as good of a matchup as it used to be.
Derek Anderson: Did you watch the Colts game last week? If you did, you wouldn’t be here reading his projection because he’s not startable in any format. Some will say garbage time points still count, but in reality, who’s catching these garbage time yards? Say no to drugs, kids.
RBs
James White and Kenjon Barner: With Sony Michel out for the week, we’re likely to see a whole lot of passing from the Patriots, though White and Barner will both receive work. Michel went down early in the game against the Bears and we essentially saw an even split between the two on the ground, though Barner has absolutely no role in the passing game. It appeared the Bills were on the right track with their run defense before Week 7, as they’d allowed just 284 yards on 76 carries (3.74 yards per carry) and one touchdown over the previous four weeks, but then proceeded to allow Marlon Mack a career-day totaling 159 total yards and two touchdowns. He was the first running back to total more than 77 rushing yards, so Barner should be looked at as a low-end RB3 who would need to score. White should do extremely well against this team, as they’ve allowed the 10th-most receiving points to running backs this year, which has been done on limited targets, too. There’s been four different running backs who’ve totaled at least five receptions against them. White also totaled a career-high 11 carries and 70 percent of snaps against the Bears tough run defense last week, so he’s getting opportunities there, too. White needs to be in lineups as an RB1 this week.
LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory: We don’t know if McCoy will be available for this game, as he suffered a concussion against the Colts last week, though it also looked like he suffered an ankle injury on that play. Because of that, he should be considered highly questionable for this game. The Patriots have allowed a lot of their points to running backs through the air, as the 106.7 PPR points rank third-most in the league. Their opponents only average 24.6 carries per game, so it’s not as if they’ve seen a whole lot of volume, but they’ve allowed just two rushing touchdowns on the year. If there were a comparable running back that the Patriots have played, I’d go with LeGarrette Blount who totaled just 48 yards on 16 carries. If Ivory gets the start, he’s going to get 15-plus touches, which almost automatically puts him in the RB3 conversation, though it’s not sexy for a guy who’s averaging just 3.1 yards per carry on the season. If McCoy is cleared and can play, he’d be a bit more appealing, as he’s one of the better pass-catching backs in the league and should be able to creep into high-end RB3 territory. Update: McCoy got in a limited practice on Friday and is listed as questionable, though the Bills are saying they’re confident he’ll play. It’s a risky proposition for your fantasy team unless you have Ivory to back him up.
WRs
Julian Edelman: He never left the ‘circle of trust’ but if there was ever any concern that he did, he’s clearly back after seeing 16 targets in his first two games which have netted 16/147/2. The Bills best cornerback is Tre’Davious White, but he doesn’t cover the slot which is where Edelman runs most of his routes, so it’s likely that he shadows Gordon around the field. Edelman will see a lot of Taron Johnson, the fourth-round rookie who’s been so-so in coverage to this point, allowing 22-of-34 passing for 145 yards and two touchdowns. His competition the last three weeks includes Chester Rogers, Keke Coutee, and Tajae Sharpe, so Edelman is going to give him a lot more than he’s seen the last few weeks. The last time a top-tier slot talent played against the Bills was Adam Thielen, who racked up a season-high 14 receptions for 105 yards, though he didn’t score. You shouldn’t be afraid to put Edelman into lineups as a middling WR2 this week who just might see double-digit targets.
Josh Gordon: If you were concerned about Gordon being eased into the offense, you should no longer have those concerns, as he’s clearly the No. 2 receiver the last two weeks, playing just 10 fewer snaps than Edelman. He totaled 100 yards against the Bears last week but has an even tougher matchup against the Bills this week, as he’ll see Tre’Davious White in coverage most of the day. He’s allowed just a 57 percent catch rate in his coverage and has allowed just one touchdown on the year, despite covering guys like Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, Corey Davis, and DeAndre Hopkins. Gordon also appeared to finish incredibly slow in his 55-yard catch-and-run against the Bears where he said he got gassed, but he looked a tad gimpy, so we’ll want to pay attention to that. He should be considered a semi-risky WR3 this week, but one who comes with more upside than most in his range.
Chris Hogan: There were many who dropped Hogan recently, but did his six-catch, 63-yard performance against the Bears instill enough confidence to play him for those who held on to him? Here’s the breakdown of snaps over the last two weeks: Edelman 134, Gordon 124, Hogan 89, Patterson 12, Dorsett 11. He’s clearly the No. 3 here and will be going against his former team. He wasn’t available for either game against them last year, so it’s tough to see how they’ll handle him, but he’s likely going to see a whole lot of Phillip Gaines, who has now allowed at least a 104.1 QB Rating in his coverage in each of his last three seasons, including the 107.7 he’s allowed in 2018. Knowing that the run-game will suffer without Michel, we’re likely to see 35-plus Brady pass attempts that have to go somewhere, and considering Gordon’s tough matchup and Gronkowski’s healthy, Hogan could be in for a big week. He should be considered a high-end WR4.
Zay Jones: If there’s one Bills receiver you should contemplate (for DFS purposes only), it’s Jones who plays the majority of his snaps in the slot. The Patriots have Jason McCourty and Stephon Gilmore on the perimeter, so Kelvin Benjamin will be locked-up for the night, so if the Bills pay attention, Jones would match-up with Jonathan Jones, who has been a liability in coverage all year and should’ve allowed a big game to Anthony Miller last week, but Mitch Trubisky was continually off on his targets. We can’t say that Anderson will be ‘on’ with his targets, but it’s the best matchup on the field for those who are wondering who the garbage time yards are going to.
TEs
Rob Gronkowski: It’s going to be very tough for those who own Gronkowski in fantasy, as the Patriots don’t play until Monday night, and they’re likely to call him a game-time decision. As someone who deals with back issues (had a fusion back in 2010) on a constant basis, I can tell you that some days are better than others, but I’m also not 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and don’t take a beating on the football field. The Bills are a team that Gronkowski shredded last year to the tune of 11/147/0 in the first meeting and then 7/67/1 in the second one. They have the same safety duo, but they’ve allowed just 6.12 yards per target to tight ends through seven games, which is the fifth-lowest mark in the NFL. They did only play three tight ends who are notable, and here were their lines: Jimmy Graham 3/21/1, Kyle Rudolph 5/48/1, and Eric Ebron 3/31/0. Unless you have someone like C.J. Uzomah or another top-eight play this week, I’d probably take my chances on Gronkowski. Update: It appears Gronkowski is on track to play against the Bills Monday night after practicing in a limited fashion this week, though he’s still listed as questionable.
Charles Clay: Why does it feel like Clay is as old as Antonio Gates and can’t get anything going? His knees are always going to be a problem, but he’s still yet to crack 40 yards this year. He’s also yet to find the end zone, though the Bills have thrown just three of them all season, so it’s not like they’re a common occurrence. He did see five targets from Anderson last week and this is a good matchup against the Patriots, who have allowed a league-high five touchdowns to tight ends, but you’re not starting Clay if you can help it.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans
Total: 45.0
Line: HOU by 7.5
QBs
Brock Osweiler: He’s outplayed Ryan Tannehill this year, so regardless of what’s going on with Tannehill’s shoulder, it’s going to be Osweiler for the foreseeable future. He’s completed 68 percent of his passes for 8.2 yards per attempt with a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio. The downside is that he’ll now play his ex-team who’s been playing some really good defense as of late. Over the last three weeks, they’ve allowed just three passing touchdowns while intercepting five passes. Their pass-rush has come alive and generated four sacks in three of their last five games. The other issue for Osweiler is that his pass-catching corps is hurting. Not only is Albert Wilson out for the season, but Kenny Stills is dealing with a groin injury that will keep him out this week. Not to mention DeVante Parker may be traded once this game is over. It would be wise for the Dolphins to go back to the quick-hitting passing attack they had against the Bears, though he doesn’t have Wilson to generate over 100 yards after the catch this time. He’s outplayed what anyone has expected him to, but Osweiler isn’t a streaming option in a game where they’re projected to score just under 19 points.
Deshaun Watson: He finally put an end to his eight-game interception streak in Week 7 against the Jaguars, likely lifting a weight off his shoulders. The issue is that there’s some serious problems elsewhere on Watson’s body, as the Texans reportedly had him take a 12-hour bus ride to Jacksonville instead of flying because the air pressure may have hurt his bruised lung and injured ribs. WHAT. You have to give props to Watson for playing through this and he’s going to be doing so on short rest Thursday night against the Dolphins. Their defense has started to show more and more holes, but they haven’t completely ‘lost it’ at any point. Since playing Marcus Mariota in Week 1, they’ve allowed every quarterback throw for at least 7.8 yards per attempt, but the passing numbers aren’t astronomical because they’ve only faced 33.7 pass attempts per game, the 10th-lowest mark in the NFL. Watson himself has totaled just 49 pass attempts in the last two games combined, so you’re likely looking at another low-volume game here. That becomes an issue when he’s not running the ball, as he’s totaled just 15 yards over the last two weeks, after racking up 201 over the first five games. The Dolphins have only allowed 77 rushing yards to quarterbacks this year, so it’s not wise to rely on production from there. All of this adds up to Watson being a mediocre QB2 in fantasy football who’ll have to get it done through the air, as his injuries are limiting his potential.
RBs
Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore: It may not be the role we wanted for Drake, but he’s starting to rack up the targets. He’s now seen 25 targets over the last three weeks, which is precisely the amount of carries he’s had in that time. I supposed we’ll take the 16.7 combined targets/carries per game after the horrid start. They’ll need to use him quite a bit in the passing-game once again this week, as they’re dealing with plenty of injuries at wide receiver. The Texans run defense has been lights out, allowing just 3.35 yards per carry on the year with one touchdown, but they have allowed a bit more through the air. They’ve allowed a league-leading four receiving touchdowns to running backs, and a lot of it is because running backs have been targeted quite frequently against them. The 58 targets running backs have seen against them is the eighth-most in the NFL, so Drake should see a healthy workload there, especially when you consider they’ll have just four receivers active for the game. Consider him an RB3 option in standard leagues, but a low-end RB2 in PPR. Meanwhile, Gore is coming off his worst game of the year and will be playing against that Texans run defense. Gore has seen just six targets on the season, so his upside is not great. He’s just a boring RB4 option who’s likely to wind up with 40-60 total yards.
Lamar Miller: After totaling just 105 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 39 carries (2.69 yards per carry) against the Giants, Colts, and Bills, Miller ran for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars… This is Week 7 in a nutshell. Does it all of a sudden make Miller a weekly option? Do we forget about all the bad after one good week? Well, no, we don’t, but there’s hope for another good game against the Dolphins this week. Their linebackers have been consistently mediocre, allowing 4.56 yards per carry on the year with six touchdowns. There hasn’t been a game this year where they’ve held the opposing team of running backs to less than 22.8 PPR points against them, including 32.8 or more PPR points in four of their last five games. We also can’t forget the revenge narrative, right? I’m kidding. While Miller’s three targets in each of the last two games might not seem like much, Watson threw the ball just 49 times in the two games combined. With Keke Coutee out of the lineup and Ryan Griffin banged-up, he should be in line for some pass-game work. The Dolphins have faced the sixth-most targets to running backs through seven weeks. Miller is back on the RB2 radar for this week, though you may want to sell-high once it’s concluded.
WRs
DeVante Parker: After the Dolphins labeled Parker inactive last week, his agent decided to take it to social media, calling out Adam Gase, saying he’s dragging his client’s value down considering Parker practiced all week and was a healthy scratch. I’m sure Gase would’ve loved nothing more than to bench Parker again, but the issue is that he’s got just four wide receivers on the roster with Wilson and Stills out. Parker will play and will likely be targeted five-plus times. The issue is that the Texans pass-rush is going to find their way back to Osweiler if he tries to hold onto the ball and take shot downfield. Parker hasn’t ever been a yards after the catch guy, so quick-hitters aren’t really his specialty, which has been what’s supported Osweiler the last two weeks. Knowing the tarnished relationship between Parker and the coaching staff, it’s tough to say he’s someone you should trust, as he likely needs a fresh start with another team. He’s still on the WR5 radar due to the lack of options, but he’s too risky to trust. You may want to stash him on your bench, however, as he might be on a different roster next week (Eagles, maybe).
Danny Amendola: Almost the exact opposite of Stills, Amendola has seen an average depth of target of just 7.0 yards, which ranks 10th-lowest in the NFL. He’s the one who’s benefited from Osweiler’s presence, as he’s totaled 18 targets, 14 receptions, 143 yards, and a touchdown over the last two weeks. The Texans slot cornerback position is occupied by Kareem Jackson, who has played fantastic as of late, though it’s a departure from his usual self. He’s a nine-year veteran who’s allowed a 103-plus QB Rating in his coverage in 6-of-8 previous seasons, so it’s always possible he regresses to his career average. Over the last three weeks, here’s what slot-heavy receivers have totaled against the Texans: Dede Westbrook 4/17/0, Zay Jones 3/35/1, and Cole Beasley 1/8/0. Those aren’t promising for Amendola, though Osweiler is targeting him a lot more than those receivers were. Amendola should see a minimum of six targets, making him a WR4/5 option in PPR formats, but just a mediocre WR5/6 in standard formats.
Jakeem Grant/Leonte Carroo: These two are wildcards for the matchup, as Grant has been electric with the ball in his hands this year, while Carroo was just called up from the practice squad. Grant has averaged 7.3 yards after the catch, which ranks as eighth-best in the NFL among wide receivers, and that bodes well for Osweiler’s low average depth of target. He’s just 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds, so he’s not going to be given much outside of gadget-type plays, but that’s what they may need. If you’re playing the showdown DFS slate and are looking for a potentially low-owned option, he’s got a ceiling. Carroo is very interesting because he’s a physical freak who just couldn’t catch on after being selected in the third-round of the 2016 draft by the Dolphins. He’s only seen 20 targets in the NFL, but he’s going to see some in this game, especially when you consider Amendola doesn’t play on the perimeter and you don’t want Grant as a full-time player. He’s another deep dig for the showdown slate.
DeAndre Hopkins: He put on a clinic against Jalen Ramsey last week, even if he only totaled three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Hopkins now has at least 78 yards and/or a touchdown in every game this season, and that’s with Watson struggling at times. He’s scored in three of the last four games, and will now head into a matchup with the hit-or-miss Xavien Howard, who has been shadowing No. 1 wide receivers on the perimeter. Here’s some notable wide receivers game logs against him this year: Corey Davis 6/62/0, Robby Anderson 3/27/0, Amari Cooper 2/17/0, A.J. Green 6/112/0, Allen Robinson 5/64/1, and Kenny Golladay 2/37/0. So, Robinson was the only one who scored, though his touchdown didn’t come in Howard’s coverage. Hopkins is in the Green talent-range, so it’s not a matchup that you should fear, especially when you know that Hopkins is coming off a game against Ramsey. He’s seen a 28.6 percent target share over the last two weeks, and that’s only going to go up with Keke Coutee being ruled out. Hopkins is a must-play WR1 even in a matchup with Howard.
Will Fuller: It was a really good game for Fuller last week, as he caught 6-of-8 targets for 68 yards in a game against one of the best cornerbacks in football. The matchup couldn’t have been worse, but he posted respectable numbers. That helps inspire confidence heading into this game, as he’ll draw Bobby McCain in coverage this week. McCain came off a multi-week absence last week and played respectably, though not particularly great. With Hopkins matched-up with Xavien Howard, and Minkah Fitzpatrick wasting away in the slot against… whoever the Texans put there, you have to assume Fuller will be targeted quite a bit. McCain is much better than Torrey McTyer who was occupying that role with him sidelined, so it’s not as attractive of a matchup, but McCain’s 4.5 speed isn’t enough to hang with Fuller down the field. Fuller isn’t a must-play, but he’s also not someone you need to avoid because of the matchup. Consider him a middling WR3 who could pay off with one play.
TEs
Mike Gesicki: It’s unclear whether it should be Gesicki listed here or Nick O’Leary, who’s run just as many routes as Gesicki has over the last two weeks. Neither of them is guaranteed anything, but knowing the lack of options at wide receiver on the roster, there might be some production to find. The Texans allowed three tight end touchdowns in the first four games but have silenced them over the last three games. It helps that they’ve played Geoff Swaim, Charles Clay, and David Grinnage in that time. While Gesicki and O’Leary aren’t much better names to target on the streaming radar, at least we know Gesicki is an elite athlete who may be an option in the one-game DFS slates. On the year, the Texans have allowed 2.20 PPR points per target to tight ends, which is the third-most in the NFL. If forced to pick one, it’d be Gesicki.
Jordan Thomas: With Ryan Griffin out last week, it was Thomas who ran the majority of routes for the Texans, though it didn’t amount to any production. When looking at the depth chart at wide receiver, you have to search for players who’ll actually get on the field behind Hopkins and Fuller, so there has to be some targets that funnel to tight end, right? The Dolphins haven’t allowed much to tight ends this year, as the 348 yards and three touchdowns don’t jump off the page. They also have Reshad Jones back and healthy, which only increases their ability to defend tight ends. If one of the Texans tight ends produces, it’ll be due to a spotty touchdown that you can’t predict. Feel free to ignore them in this game.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.