DFS NFL WR Coach: Week 10

A nice slate this week if you’re looking to do a little bargain shopping at the position for both your cash games and GPPs. Well, mostly for GPPs, but even in cash games, a fair amount of the chalk is going to be below the usual elite level. Here’s a look at the data followed by my recommendations for the week.

Elite Plays

Julio Jones, ATL – Over the past two weeks Odell Beckham and Dez Bryant posted a combined eight catches (24 targets) for 159 yards and three touchdowns against this Eagles pass defense. Jones will continue the trend by putting up both solid yardage and score at least one touchdown.

Antonio Brown, PIT – Another guy who transcends match-ups, so while some may believe the Dallas corners to be strong in coverage, there’s a reason the pass defense ranks just 17^th in the league. They might not give up heavy yardage totals, but the Cowboys have given up 12 touchdowns through the air this season.

Mike Evans, TB – Practice in full Wednesday and is expected to receive clearance from the concussion protocol Thursday. He’s a must play as is, but throw in the fact that the Bears rank 20^th against opposing WR1 and he becomes…well, whatever is bigger than must-play.

Pricey but Affordable

Dez Bryant, DAL – Ready to rebound from a Week 9 disappointment, Bryant is looking forward to facing a Steelers team that ranks 29^th in the league against opposing WR1 and allows an average of 89.2 yards per game to the position.

Brandin Cooks, NO – He’s had at least 44 yards and one touchdown in all but one home game this season and while Michael Thomas is garnering all the attention lately, it should be Cooks who benefits most from Aqib Talib being out.

Davante Adams, GB – The Titans have allowed the eighth-most passing yards in the league, have allowed 14 passing touchdowns and rank 22^nd in the league against opposing WR2. They don’t give up a lot of yards to the position, but they’ve given up a fair number of touchdowns to them.

Alshon Jeffery, CHI – He’s recorded 32 targets over his last three games and scored his first touchdown of the year this past week with Jay Cutler under center. The Bucs rank 19^th in the league and allow an average of 77.7 yards per game to the opposition’s No. 1 receiver so look for Jeffery’s upward trajectory to continue.

Terrelle Pryor, CLE – The return of Corey Coleman is stealing targets, but it’s also drawing coverage away from Pryor. That plus the fact that the Ravens rank 27^th in the league against opposing WR1 and allow 84 yards per game to the position make you forgive the fact that Cody Kessler is still throwing him the ball.

Kelvin Benjamin, CAR – He’s likely to see Marcus Peters a lot in this match-up, but there’s a reason the Chiefs rank just 21^st in the league against opposing WR1. They give up an average of 75 yards per game to the position and have allowed a total of 15 touchdowns through the air. Look for Benjamin to turn his disappointing season around this week.

Solid Value

Mike Wallace, BAL – Whether you want to consider Wallace the Ravens’ WR1 or WR 2, the Browns are bad against both. They rank 30^th against WR1, 29^th against WR2 and have given up the eighth-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Some might think you’re chasing last week’s 95-yard touchdown, but really, this is a ridiculously soft match-up.

Emmanuel Sanders, DEN – He’s the most targeted receiver on the Broncos and is tied for the league lead with 17 red zone targets this season. The Saints rank 24^th against the opposing WR2, allow an average of 300 passing yards per game and have given up 11 passing touchdowns on the season.

Doug Baldwin, SEA – The Patriots pass defense ranks 26^th overall and while they rank 16^th against opposing WR1, they’re still giving up an average of 90.7 yards per game to them. This could also be the week Baldwin ends his touchdown drought (five games).

Ty Montgomery, GB – Coach Mike McCarthy told the media Montgomery was a three-down back, so even if James Starks returns, Montgomery should still see a fair number of carries. While he hasn’t found the end zone yet this season, he’s averaged 7.7 catches on 9.3 targets for 67.3 yards with 6.3 carries for 39.7 yards over his last three games. He makes for a nice flex play on Draft Kings and Fantasy Aces.

Bargain Shopping

Jordan Matthews, PHI – I may not love Doug Pederson, Carson Wentz or really, much about the Eagles offense, but I love this match-up for Matthews who now has 17 catches on 25 targets for 153 yards and one touchdown over his last two games. The Falcons rank 22^nd against opposing WR1 and have given up the most passing yards (290 per game) and most passing touchdowns (23) in the league.

Tyrell Williams, SD – The Chargers line him up both on the outside and in the slot, positions the Dolphins are continuously vulnerable against. And while the Fins don’t give up a lot of yards through the air, they have given up 11 passing touchdowns on the season. Williams leads the team in red zone targets and has a nice height advantage over most of the Miami secondary, especially coming out of the slot.

Chris Hogan, NE – The Pats are rested and ready after the bye week and looking to continue the Tom Brady revenge tour. Hogan’s targets have dwindled with the return of Gronk and a healthier Julian Edelman, but he managed to post 91 yards and a touchdown in his last game which was just the second time this season he broke the 90-yard barrier. The Seahawks rank just 25^th in the league against WR2 this season, so when Hogan is lineup up on the outside, look for them to find Hogan in a lot of one-on-one match-ups with DeShawn Shead.

Rishard Matthews, TEN – Chasing stats or sensibly using a red-hot, low-cost receiver for your GPP lineups? He’s got three touchdowns in his last two games (five in his last five) and has seen a nice increase in targets. You definitely want to check out my write-up of him in this week’s Target Stats Analysis.

Steve Smith, BAL – Just like with Wallace, this match-up is tasty no matter where Smith lines up. He’s getting closer and closer to full-health and will start to see a return to his early-season target numbers. With the Browns being so bad, I just might throw down a Ravens mini-stack with both Smith and Wallace and either Joe Flacco or Terrence West.

Digging Real Deep

Marqise Lee, JAC – The Texans are strong along the outside but weak over the middle which should benefit Lee in this match-up. Blake Bortles will likely try to force it to Allen Robinson early on and have minimal success in the first half, but at some point he’ll realize he can attack with Lee and potentially turn this into an actual game late in the second.

Albert Wilson, KC – He is only worth a flyer in GPP contests if Jeremy Maclin is out. If Wilson does get the starting nod, he’ll be facing a defense that ranks 28^th against opposing WR1 and allows an average of 102.1 yards per game to the position. If Maclin plays, don’t bother.

Brian Quick, LA – While the Jets pass defense is one of the worst in the league, they actually match-up better with opposing WR1 which will be Kenny Britt. Against the WR2, where Quick lines up, the Jets rank 32^nd in the league. The yardage isn’t huge but the touchdowns allowed certainly are.