It’s Week 6 already? They weren’t lying when they said ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ were they?
Anyway, I appreciate everyone who's been along for the ‘Bargain Bin’ journey with me thus far, I truly take pleasure in writing this column weekly.
Get those seat belts buckled in and continue to join the ride! Looking to set the ULTIMATE bargain-based lineup in DFS? Like I said last week, (I think I’ll start saying this regularly, but we’ll see) never fear, Steezy A. Smith is here (all salaries courtesy of FanDuel).
QB: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks ($6,800, QB22 at cost)
Game: Seahawks at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Sunday
If it isn’t ‘Mr. I Ain’t Write Back himself’! First and foremost, happy belated 33rd birthday to Geno Smith! Perhaps a statistical masterpiece will suffice as a late birthday gift to himself?
Jokes aside, and weather permitting, Seattle’s showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals is a very intriguing matchup that should feature plenty of fireworks. I’m surprised the over/under for total points is only set at 45.5!
If you watch/listen to our ‘Fantasy Fire and Ice’ shows (if you don’t already, you really should), I always talk about following the highest scoring games and inserting those players into my fantasy lineups. Seattle and Cincinnati is one of those games.
Seemingly healthy after sustaining a knee injury in Week 4 against the New York Giants, Smith and the rest of the Seahawks have had plenty of time to rest up and recover after having a bye in Week 5. The rest of the team around Geno is starting to get healthy as well, and there’s a chance LT Charles Cross (toe) will be active.
Geno, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett vs Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins? Get your popcorn ready folks! This is the rightful ‘Sunday Night Football’ matchup. No one, including Giants fans, wants to see them get whooped on national TV again.
RB: James Cook, Buffalo Bills ($6,600, RB22 at cost)
Game: Giants at Bills, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday
On the heels of an abysmal Week 5 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Cook is primed for a major bounceback.
Here’s a rule of thumb from here on until they start to show more competency: anytime there’s a player going up against the Giants, you start them. Simple as that. Not only is the Giants defense allowing the 6th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs, but they’re also dead last in the NFL in point differential - a hideous -9.
As for the Bills? They’re second in the NFL, with a point differential of 79. Talk about being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Favored to win by two TDs, game flow/script will also favor Cook and the Bills.
With an over/under total set at 52.5 rushing yards, smash the over on that and fire up as many Cook shares as you can in fantasy!
WR: KJ Osborn, Minnesota Vikings ($6,200, WR41 at cost)
Game: Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Sunday
In the wake of Justin Jefferson’s hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve – meaning he’s out four games at least ¬-- this might be the cheapest you can get Osborn. Get him now while you still can.
- WR Ranks: Another Mega Game for DJ? (sportstopia.io)
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- QB Rankings: Can C.J. Prove Them Wrong? (sportstopia.io)
- TE Rankings: Try to Get Kelce Always (sportstopia.io)
- Geno Could Give Himself a B-Day Gift (sportstopia.io)
- Open Your Eyes to Our 'Close Your Eyes Special' (sportstopia.io)
Having played 80 percent or more of Minnesota’s offensive snaps in every game this season, Osborn will now be the WR2, behind TJ Hockenson and Jordan Addison. In an offense as pass heavy as the Vikings, that’s a cheap flex play every time.
Without Jefferson, the Vikings aren’t the same team and might have more games in which they find themselves trailing. A case in point was Week 5 against the Chiefs, where Osborn finished with five receptions for 49 yards on 9 targets.
To top it off, the Bears allow the 13th most fantasy points to opposing WRs and have been on a hot streak themselves, so I expect plenty of points scored on both sides.
WR: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens ($6,000, WR43 at cost)
Game: Ravens at Titans, 9:30 a.m. ET Sunday
Having yet to eclipse 80 yards receiving or score his first TD, what better place to do both of those things than in another country?
Flowers and the Baltimore Ravens will be taking on the Tennessee Titans in London to kick off the Sunday slate, and while the Tennessee front seven is a force to be reckoned with, the secondary has been vulnerable and prone to big plays from opposing pass catchers.
Looking to atone for last week’s drop-fest (Flowers wasn’t the only one), Flowers is due for his biggest game yet against a team allowing the 8th-most fantasy points to wide receivers.
One more nugget: Flowers has an ownership percentage of 29.2%, which at the time of this writing, is the third-highest ownership percentage among all wide receivers in Week 6. It seems others are starting to catch on, so don’t be the one that misses the bus!
TE: Logan Thomas, Washington Commanders ($5,400, TE11 at cost)
Game: Commanders at Falcons, 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Sitting at TE11 in standard PPR scoring leagues, Thomas’ price tag seems in line with other TEs, but this week he’s an absolute bargain given the opponent. Atlanta’s cornerbacks can match up against Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson, but the Falcons have allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs.
Fresh off his best performance of the season to date (11 targets, 9 receptions, 77 receiving yards and a TD), the arrow is pointing up for Thomas.
FLEX: Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs ($5,600, WR52 at cost)
Game: Broncos at Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET Thursday
Sitting at WR50 on the season (in standard PPR scoring formats), Rice’s WR52 cost sounds about right at first glance. However, the Broncos rank 17th (NFL Fantasy) in most points allowed to opposing wide receivers. I’d also be remiss not to mention the presence of one of the very best cornerbacks in the NFL in Pat Surtain, as well as perpetually underrated safety Justin Simmons.
However, as -11-point favorites at home on a short week against a struggling Broncos team that could be looking to tear everything down if the losses keep mounting, the time might be ripe for the Chiefs to have a vintage offensive explosion (they’ve only scored more than 30 once this season).
Having received five or more targets in four of five games, Rice has a consistent role in the Chiefs’ passing attack and will only continue to emerge up the pecking order in his rookie season.
If ‘TNF’ ends up being a blowout, I expect Rice to put up his highest snap share of the season, which also hopefully coincides with his best fantasy performance.
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