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Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 12 Fantasy Football Rankings

This week is such a pivotal week in fantasy football for most owners as season long playoff seeding is usually decided after week 13.  Teams sitting on 6-5 records (like me in the Standard scoring Flex Leagues) need a win to keep pace and not fall back into the dreaded 6-6 pile that end up having to rely on tie-breakers for playoff births.  You may be surprised by some of the players I think you should or could bench this week, starting with Mr. Wonderful himself, Tom Brady.  Others that I’m luke warm to include Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Chris Ivory.  I am also higher on Ben Roethlisberger, TJ Yeldon, and Willie Snead than most.  While I always wish you the best, this week I also want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 12 Draft Kings NFL DFS Podcast with Renee Miller

Week 12 Draft Kings NFL DFS Podcast with Renee Miller

For your listening pleasure I get to welcome back Renee Miller (@ReneeMiller01) of ESPN, Pro Football Focus, and Rotoworld to talk about week 12 Draft Kings NFL DFS.
We talk about the Thanksgiving slate and the Sunday Millionaire Maker Contest.  We talk about our favorite stacks (Ben Roethlisberger with Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, Carson Palmer with Larry Fitzgerald and a few more).
We discuss key cogs in our lineups like Adrian Peterson, Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Doug Martin, Delanie Walker, Jordan Reed and much, much more.  I hope you enjoy, and feel free to rate and leave a review on Itunes or Stitcher.

Renee on DFS as a Game of Skill

Renee's Letter to her Representitive

DraftKings NBA DFS Must Plays, Stay Aways & The Bargain Bin – November 25

Stop watching Steph Curry cross over Jordan Clarkson for a second (If you haven’t seen it yet – it’s nasty) and take a look at some DraftKings NBA DFS picks.

 

Must Plays

Tristan Thompson – PF ($5,800) @ Toronto Raptors

Here’s the thing. Thompson is playing centre but is listed as a power forward on DraftKings. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t slide him at a cheap $5,800 into your lineups. With Timofey Mozgov out, Thompson is getting a lot of minutes and I mean a lot (40 vs ATL, 34 vs ORL). He’s matched up against Bismack Biyombo who cannot make a shot for the life of him. Missed shots = rebounds and that’s the name of Thompsons game. He’s been in double digit rebounds over his last three games. Look for that to continue tonight against the Raptors.

Russell Westbrook – PG ($11,300) vs Brooklyn Nets

I know. Westbrook is really expensive. The most expensive player on DraftKings tonight, but for good reason. The projected point total for the BKN @ OKC game is set at a lofty 210.5. Westbrook consistently flirts with a triple double and has the second most double doubles in the league (10). The Nets can’t guard against point guards at all, giving up an average of 52 DK points per game to the PG position. If you thought Clarkson getting crossed up by Curry was nasty, I can’t wait to see what Westbrook does to Jarret Jack tonight.

 

Stay Away

John Wall – PG ($8,300) @ Charlotte Bobcats

I don’t like back to backs for DFS purposes and I’m assuming NBA players don’t like them either. In Wall’s last game out he matched his season high of eight turnovers and that’s a big no-no in DraftKings. He’s up against a stiff Hornets defence (CHA gives up the 5th least DK points to the PG position) and things just don’t look good for Wall tonight.

Zaza Pachulia – C ($5,800) @ San Antonio Spurs

The price tag is more than appealing but the matchup is revolting. The Spurs know how to defend against bigs and they do it well. They give up a league low 40.3 DK points against opposing centres. Pachulia has been hot as of late, but expect that to come to a screaming halt tonight against Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge.

 

The Bargain Bin

Alonzo Gee – SF ($3,000) @ Phoenix Suns

This is a steal. Literally and figuratively. Gee is known for his defensive play (5 steals in his last three games) but has started to chip in offensively for the Pelicans. That’s great news because the Suns give up the second most DK points to the small forward position (43.7). If you’re putting a guy like Westbrook in your lineup, Gee is perfect salary relief.

Thabo Sefolosha – SF ($4,200) @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Sefolosha has been more than ok starting in place of the injured Kent Bazemore. He was lights out from the field (7-8 FGM-FGA) and was all over the stat sheet (15 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 blk) in his last game out. Sefolosha won’t be owned in many GPP’s across DraftKings which makes him a perfect Wednesday night play.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding DFS strategy or season long leagues across all sports, feel free to tweet at me! (@BESTofMATT)

Week 12 FanDuel NFL DFS Podcast with Nick Mensio

Week 12 FanDuel NFL DFS Podcast with Nick Mensio

Nick Mensio (@NickMensio) of Rotoworld.com and contributor to DFSBootcamp joins me to talk NFL DFS Week 12 FanDuel. We discuss the stacks we like in GPPs and cash games (Brain Hoyer and DeAndre Hopkins, Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., and Marcus Mariota and Delanie Walker), We talk about the running backs we like this week like (Doug Martin, Thomas Rawls, TJ Yeldon), and we also talk about the what defenses and kickers to pick for tournament and cash games.

https://www.fanduel.com/rotoworld-championship

More FanDuel talk with Chris Meaney of the Fantasy Sports Network

FanDuel NFL DFS Quick Picks For Thanksgiving Slate

By Brian Quick

FanDuel NFL DFS Quick Picks For Thanksgiving Slate

Thanksgiving is upon us. My favorite new Thanksgiving tradition is to play FanDuel games on turkey day. Nothing helps you tune out relatives’ stories about gluten free stuffing or Uncle Walter’s gall bladder surgery, better than our warm friend FanDuel. The following is player advice for the three games on Thanksgiving day only. Enjoy the holiday.

Quick Tip #1 -Matthew Stafford – QB – Packers – ($7200) – He’s going up against the defense that just yielded 5 TDs to Jameis Winston last week. That alone is enough to use him this week. Last week, he posted a 22-35-282 and rushed for 31 yards and a TD. I believe the Eagles have quit on Chip Kelly and a thumping from the Lions on Thanksgiving is in order.

Quick Tip #2 – Eddie Lacy – RB – Packers ($6500) – Eddie Lacy was frustrating the first half of last year too before he got hot in the latter part of the season. Last week’s 22 rushes for 100 yards could be a sign that he is beginning a hot streak. His only other respectable game of the season came week two against the Bears 19-85 and 1 TD.

Quick Tip #3 Jonathan Stewart – RB – Panthers ($7100)
Stewart has been consistent all year and the Cowboys run defense has been consistently bad all year. The last four weeks he’s received at least 20 carries including last week’s 21-102. The only knock on him is that he needs to find the endzone more often.

Quick Tip #4 – Randall Cobb – WR – Packers ($7400) Cobb hasn’t been impressive often this year but this could be an opportunity to catch a big week from him. It’s supposed to rain for this game and I reckon it might be hard to cover a speedster on a slick track. I can see him catching short passes in the rain and breaking them for long gains.

Quick Tip #5 – Greg Olsen – TE – Panthers ($6400)
Olsen is solid week in and week out. The Cowboys will make this game interesting and so Olsen will need to play a big role for the Panthers whether they win or lose. Olsen posted a 3-54-1 line last week and has scored in three of the last four weeks. He has a knack for the endzone and is the best TE available on the three game slate.

The Medium Shots

Below are 5 medium shots that have a chance to hit this week along with a small blurb about each one and their Fanduel price. There are no long shots for the Thanksgiving lineups because there are only three games.

James Jones – $5800 – Just when you thought he was off the fantasy map he came back with a bang last week posting a stat line of 6-109-1. Now he gets the Bears defense that he scored two TDs on week 1.

Ameer Abdullah- RB – $5400 – One of these weeks he’s got to break some long runs. The Eagles D seems like a good week to make a name for yourself.

Joique Bell – RB – $5200- If you’ve had it with Abdullah then maybe give Bell a shot this week. He had a memorable spin move to clinch the game last week vs. the Raiders. I could see him popping a few goal line TDs for a favorable price.

Devin Funchess – WR -$5900 – Give a serious look here as Funchess is starting to show signs of life. Last week’s stat line of 4-64-1 was good enough to warrant lineup consideration this week.

Terrance Williams – WR – $5900 – His favorite QB is back and he went for 4-79-1 last week vs. Miami. The Panthers will use their defensive talent to neutralize Dez Bryant forcing Romo to throw to Williams.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read FanDuel Quick Picks for Thanksgiving Day Only NFL DFS. Please follow me on twitter @QuickRotoTips for any last minute advice or start/sit questions.

Fantasy Hockey Transaction Trends – November 24

Tough break, literally, for Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher was well on his way to setting new career highs in virtually every category until he suffered two broken fingers while blocking a shot against the Islanders. What do you do with the winger? Drop him? No. Pick him up? Yes. Stash him on the IR? Yes. Read on for that and more fantasy hockey transaction trends.

 

Pick Ups

Brendan Gallagher – RW – Montreal Canadiens
77% Owned*

This is more of a “if anyone dropped Gallagher, immediately go and pick him up” kind of circumstance. Anyways, Gallagher has been the grittiest player for the Canadiens this season. Second on the team among forwards for blocked shots and that’s exactly the reason why he’s sidelined for at least the next six weeks (Gallagher Out). Up until his injury, Gallagher had 9 goals and 10 assists for a total of 19 points – good for second on the team. Gallagher is an important cog in the Canadiens offence and shouldn’t be dropped. If you have an IR roster spot in your league and number 11 is out there, go ahead and pick him up.

Boone Jenner – C/RW – Columbus Blue Jackets
49% Owned*

In his third season in the NHL, Jenner seems to have found his stride. He’s found a home on the top line with Ryan Johansen and Brandon Saad as well as spending some time on the first power play unit. Jenner is tied for fifth in the NHL in goals (11) and is on track to surpass his career high (16g in 72 games – 2013/14). Jenner has made a lasting impression on John Tortorella and everyone knows it’s important to stay on his good side. (Skip to 14 seconds and enjoy. NSFW (Language): Classic Torts)

Karri Ramo – G – Calgary Flames
23% Owned*

Ramo is clear number one goaltender out in Calgary. He’s won three of his last four outings while sporting a 2.00 GAA. Those matches have been against tough company for the most part (two games against Chicago, one against Washington). Ramo opened the season as the number one option, got sent to the minors, then had a “heart-to-heart” with head coach Bob Hartley. Whatever was said during that heart to heart has been working wonders for the 29 year old Fin. Jump on Ramo while he’s hot.

Drop Offs

Nikolaj Ehlers – LW/RW – Winnipeg Jets
26% Owned*

After picking up 7 points in his first 10 games, Ehlers has been extremely ineffective since. He has no goals since October 27th and has only notched two assists in his last nine matches. He was previously playing on the second line while getting steady powerplay time. He’s been dropped to the third line and has only been on the ice for an average of 12:35. While it may be tempting to hold onto a rookie with so much promise – it’s time to cut ties with Ehlers.

Nail Yakupov – LW/RW – Edmonton Oilers
49% Owned*

Things looked so good for Yakupov earlier this season. So. Good. He was finally looking like he was worthy of the Oilers first overall pick in 2012. When Connor McDavid went down, so did Nail Yakupov (metaphorically speaking). Yakupov has only recorded a single assist in the 8 games since McDavid was injured. His ice time has gone down significantly while also being bumped all the way down to the third line. Yakupov can easily be your next dropped player for someone off the wire.

 

Keep An Eye Open For…

Nazem Kadri – C – Toronto Maple Leafs
24% Owned*

Nazem Kadri has the worst puck luck in the NHL. He’s fifth in shots (87) but he’s just not finding the back of the net. With only two goals and six assists on the year, he doesn’t really warrant an add… yet. The opportunity is there for Kadri. Steady ice time on the first line while playing valuable powerplay minutes usually adds up to a valuable fantasy asset. Kadri has seen his face-off percentage go up as well (2015/16 – 50.7% | 2014/15 – 46.2%). If he can start lighting the lamp, he’ll be well worth the add.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any fantasy questions feel free to reach out to me (@BESTofMATT).

*Percentage owned & position eligibility based off of Yahoo! Fantasy.

 

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire – Thursday November 19th

About a quarter way into the NHL season, injuries are ravaging rosters, players are starting to settle into their roles and chemistry is building among line mates. Now’s the time to jump on the waiver wire and grab these players.

Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire – Thursday November 19th

 

Artem Anisimov – C/LW – Chicago Blackhawks
30% Owned*

Did you have cold feet at your draft and didn’t want to take Patrick Kane? Did you miss out on rookie phenom Artemi Panarin? Well, remove the “i” in Artemi and you can have Artem Anisimov. Anisimov is in a comfortable situation in Chicago. He’s slotted on the second line between Kane and Panarin while anchoring the top power play unit. Anisimov has picked up six points in his last five games while winning 127 draws. If he’s out there, go pick him up.

 

Leon Draisaitl – C/RW – Edmonton Oilers
42% Owned*

There’s probably one person who deep down didn’t mind Connor McDavid going down with an injury. Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers top pick in the 2014 draft has been on fire since McDavid went down. The 20 year old German has been one of the few bright spots for the 6-12-1 Oilers. Draisaitl is only one of six plus players on Edmonton’s roster (7). He’s third in team scoring with 14 points in nine games, tied with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (who has played 9 more games) and seven points back of Taylor Hall who leads the team. Draisaitl is making the most of his shots (31.60 shooting %) and making the most of his opportunity.

Shayne Gostisbehere – D – Philadelphia Flyers
4% Owned*

After you go through the trouble of phonetically saying his name out loud, you can go ahead and snag Gostisbehere off the waiver wire. Nicknamed “Ghost”, he’s been exactly what the Flyers were hoping he would be after being called up from Leigh Valley. Ghost has picked up points in each of his last two games (1G, 1A) while seeing his ice time climb as high as 19:40. Gostisbehere isn’t afraid to put the puck on net, averaging 3 SOG/g. He’s found a home on the top powerplay unit and should find a home on your team.

 

Melker Karlsson – C/RW – San Jose Sharks
2% Owned*

Karlsson has been loving life with Joe squared on the top line (Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton). The 25 year old Swede has tickled the twine twice in his four games played this season while adding an assist. Karlsson is getting his shots (9) and hits (9) making him a valuable asset on your fantasy team.

 

James Reimer – G – Toronto Maple Leafs
42% Owned*

Don’t look now. The Leafs are winning. Leaf fans can go ahead and thank James Reimer now. The 27 year old has established him self as head coach Mike Babcock’s go-to option between the pipes. Can you blame him? Reimer has been unbelievable. Since November 2nd (a span of seven games started), Reimer has only had one game with a GAA above 2.00. He’s faced an average of 39 shots per game (10 above the league average of 29 shots per game). The saves are great for you fantasy-wise & the added bonus of wins on a losing team (4 wins in his last 4 games started) is just the cherry on top.

 

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions regarding season long fantasy or DFS across all leagues – feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@BESTofMATT).

* All ownership and position eligibility based off of Yahoo Fantasy

Week 11 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 11 Fantasy Football Rankings

This week the Fantasy Gods decided to take away all of our whipping boys at once. The Saints, Giants, Browns and Steelers all are on bye. Not only do these teams possess defenses (Besides Steelers Run D) we fantasy footballers like to target they also have some of the best quarter back and receiving options available in the NFL.  With Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning and Drew Brees on a bye you may have to dig deep and trust the rankings of an analyst, like myself, to grab the right QB streaming option.  No streaming option had his estimated points drop more than Kirk Cousins this week as he goes from facing the Saints to facing the Carolina Panthers.  I would suggest looking at other options such as Matthew Stafford, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Alex Smith.  For all of your other ranking needs look below and also check out the Start/Sit Tool located to the right of this post.  Remember to check back as the week goes on as players get ruled out and outlooks change.

Week 11 Draft Kings NFL DFS Podcast with Renee Miller

Week 11 Draft Kings NFL DFS Podcast with Renee Miller

For your listening pleasure I get to welcome back Renee Miller (@ReneeMiller01) of ESPN, Pro Football Focus, and Rotoworld to talk about week 11 Draft Kings NFL DFS.
We talk about our favorite stacks (Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Phillip Rivers, Derek Carr, and maybe even Matthew Stafford).
We discuss key cogs in our lineups like Charcandrick West, Adrian Peterson, Mike Evans, Demaryius Thomas, Rob Gronkowski and much, much more.  I hope you enjoy, and feel free to rate and leave a review on Itunes or Stitcher.

Renee on RotoViz Radio

Renee on DFS as a Game of Skill

Renee's Letter to her Representitive

FanDuel Quick Picks for Week 11 NFL DFS

PLAYER PICKS FOR WEEK 11 Tournament Style

I fear the end is near. Today, I could not access FanDuel from my Verizon 4G network. I can only use FanDuel using WiFi so that they can verify that I’m not in a restricted state. Let’s just enjoy what little time left we have together.

Quick Tip #1 -Derek Carr – QB – Raiders – ($7700) – He’s consistently put up points over the last four weeks including three straight 300 yard performances. Last week vs. a tough Vikings D he hung in there and still posted solid stats to the tune of 29-43-302 with two TDs. The Lions used up all of their magic last week vs. Aaron Rogers. They come back to reality and Carr is a good bet in fantasy.

Quick Tip #2 – Charcandrick West – RB – Chiefs ($7100) – He is red hot, the chiefs are red hot, and the Chargers are terrible against the run. West is a must own for your lineups this week at a very affordable $7100. Last week he did it all vs. a solid Broncos Defense as he rushed for 69 yards and a TD while catching three passes for 92 yards and a TD. The Chiefs gave him the ball early and often and will do the same this week.

Quick Tip #3 Danny Amendola – WR – Patriots ($6100)
You won’t be the only one thinking that he steps in and does what Edelman does. The price is just too good for someone who instantly became Brady’s go to guy last week vs. the Giants. His 10 receptions for 79 yards was just a TD away from a very good week. I think he gets that TD this week for a solid 20 FanDuel points or so. All for $6100.

Quick Tip #4 – Chris Ivory – RB – Jets ($7200)
With Ryan Fitzpatrick returning after surgery to his non-throwing hand expect the Jets to rely even more heavily on Ivory this week. While the Texans D looked improved on Monday night I don’t expect them to put up back to back good weeks especially on a short week. Ivory racked up 99 yards on 18 carries last Thursday night and the extra rest will serve him well this Sunday.

Quick Tip #5 – Julio Jones – WR – Falcons ($9100)
The Falcons offense has been off for awhile now but the targets and reception numbers for Julio have been great the last two weeks. 10-137 last week and 12-162 the week before that. The Falcons offense will look to get back on track this week vs. a vulnerable Colts defense. With many top WRs on a bye this week it’s a good time to take the best WR option. I think his price will scare away a lot of people this week and that only adds to his value for your lineups.

THE LONGSHOTS

Below are 5 long shots that have a chance to hit this week along with a small blurb about each one and their Fanduel price. Adding any one of these guys is like adding a long shot into horse racing exacta or trifecta.

Bears D – $4200 – They have hung in there recently and the Bears actually have a meaningful game this week at home vs. the Broncos. I’m betting on a Broncos team minus Peyton to be out of sync and sloppy. Although they were out of sync and sloppy with Peyton. Either way, this long shot could pay you dividends this week.

Nelson Agholor – WR – $5100 – This guy again. Look, he’s a rookie and it’s been a rocky road. Remember, he did have a great preseason with Mark Sanchez throwing to him. Sanchez could start this week and if he does I’m going to use Nelson in one lineup.

Charles Johnson- WR – Vikings $4900- There is no statistical data to back any suggestion to play this guy this week other than the fact that he got hot at the end of last year. Just a hunch this week if Aaron Rogers finds it and gets hot the Viking will be forced to throw.

Jimmy Graham – TE -$5800 – Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This price is dirt cheap and the Seahawks coordinator will probably make sure he catches a TD this week so he doesn’t go insane.

Case Keenum – QB – $4800 – A $4800 starting QB is unheard of in FanDuel. The Ravens pass defense isn’t great, maybe he throws a screen to Gurley that he breaks for a long TD, and wouldn’t you know it he beat the Ravens as a starter last year for Houston. I’m going to put him in one lineup just so I can say I started a $4800 QB.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read FanDuel Quick Picks for Week 11 NFL DFS.  Remember, this is early week advice, so make sure you read up as the week goes on and make necessary changes to your lineups before game times. Please follow me on twitter @QuickRotoTips for any last minute advice or start/sit questions.

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