Herein is another edition of “Fantasy Draft Dominator” where we will examine the salaries of players at each position on FantasyDraft and make recommendations for both your cash games and tournaments. Below you will find a list of recommended players for both formats. Cash game players are the top overall values of the week and can be used without regard to expected ownership percentage. GPP players generally have high-upside, but are too risky for cash games. Expected ownership levels is also a major consideration in determining the top GPP options. In some instances, the value for a player is so strong, he will fall into both categories.
FantasyDraft Dominator will be posted each Thursday morning, but will also be updated throughout the week as new information becomes available. Should you have any questions or players you want to discuss, hit me up on twitter (@hindery).
Quarterback
Cash Game Considerations
With the possible exception of Trevor Siemian ($10,600), it is tough to find any obvious cash game candidates in the bargain tier. With a pair of top options at under $14,000, it probably makes sense to try to find the cap space necessary to pay up slightly at the position in Week 4.
Top Cash-Game Options
Philip Rivers (Cash and GPP; $13,000) The Chargers have a massive team total of 28.5 points playing at home against the horrendous Saints defense. The Saints have given up 299 passing yards per game and 8.2 yards per attempt. It’s also a tough spot for the Saints as they travel to the West Coast on a short week, having played the Monday night game. Rivers is an obviously strong GPP play in a game that could easily turn into a shootout. The Saints have thrown for 342 yards per game while the Chargers have allowed 322 passing yards per game, so we should see plenty of points on both sides. From a cash game perspective, there is some risk that the Chargers go run-heavy against a Saints defense that is equals awful against the run. But with a team-total of 28.5 points, it seems a safe bet to project a couple of the touchdowns probably come through the air. He can be paired with Gordon for extra safety in cash games.
Matthew Stafford (Cash and GPP; $13,700) In two meetings last season against Chicago, Stafford threw for 7 touchdowns and over 700 yards. Stafford and the Lions have won six straight against the Bears and are road favorites this week. Stafford has started the season on fire, completing 68% of his passes and averaging 7.8 yards per attempt. The Lions are a pass-heavy offense, averaging 40 passing attempts per game. The Bears defense had been decimated by injuries . Top corner Kyle Fuller was recently put on injured reserve (where he joins Lamarr Houston and Brandon Boykin). Top pass rusher Pernell McPhee remains on the PUP list. Other key defenders, including Danny Trevathan and Eddie Goldman, are also injured. Stafford should have favorable matchups when targeting Marvin Jones, Golden Tate and Eric Ebron. With Theo Riddick expected to take the majority of the snaps at running back, the game plan could be even more pass-heavy than normal.
Trevor Siemian (Cash and GPP; $10,600) After allowing 27+ FantasyDraft points to Matt Ryan and Carson Palmer the first two weeks, the Bucs defense let Case Keenum throw for 190 yards and a pair of scores in Week 3. Tampa’s defense has been stout against the run, allowing just 3.5 yards per carry. The tough run defense combined with a poor pass defense (allowing 8.2 yards per attempt), leads teams to a more pass-heavy offensive approach. Siemian played a similar defense in Week 3, as the Bengals stuffed the run game and tried to force the Broncos to beat them throwing the ball. Siemian answered the challenge, throwing for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns. At a salary just $600 over minimum, Siemian provides a low cost option at quarterback that allows you to stack your lineup at running back and wide receiver.
Top GPP Options
Cam Newton (GPP; $14,600) While Newton will get consideration as a cash game option for many, his history in Atlanta should provide some concern in terms of his floor. In five games at Atlanta, Newton has averaged only 171 passing yards and has just 5 passing touchdowns total (and 4 interceptions). Last season, he threw for only 142 yards and no scores and he hasn’t topped 150 passing yards in Atlanta since 2012. Newton remains a strong GPP option however. He has killed the Falcons with his legs. In the five previous meetings in Atlanta, he’s averaged 60 rushing yards per game and scored 4 rushing touchdowns (10.8 fantasy PPG just as a runner). If Newton can continue to put up big numbers as a rusher and solve his passing issues playing in Atlanta, he could have a big day. The Falcons have already allowed 10 passing touchdowns and are giving up over 300 passing yards per game.
Running Back
Cash Game Considerations
The three elite options (David Johnson, Le’Veon Bell and Melvin Gordon) near the top of the price list are all strong cash-game options. On the whole, the $10k-$14.5k range looks stronger at running back than receiver, so this may be the week to go RB-heavy in the flex spots. Jordan Howard ($7,300) is a strong option given his opportunity and extreme bargain pricing.
Top Cash-Game Options
Melvin Gordon (Cash and GPP; $12,000) The matchup couldn’t be much better for Gordon. The Chargers are home favorites with a team total of 28.5 points. The Saints travel west on a short week after giving up 217 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground to the Falcons Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman (plus another 102 yards and a score to the duo through the air) Monday night. Since Danny Woodhead went down with an injury early in Week 2, Gordon has dominated the backfield touches for the Chargers. He has averaged 20 rushing attempts and has also caught 3.5 passes per game in his last two. Gordon is close to a must-play in cash games. In GPPs, it may make some sense to fade him due to high expected ownership, but his upside is so massive that the proposition of completely fading him is scary.
David Johnson (Cash and GPP; $14,700) The Rams have been relatively stout against the run, allowing just 3.4 yards per carry and 100 rushing yards per game. However, they are 12th in fantasy points allowed to opposing rushers, in large part due to their vulnerability to backs in the passing game.. Going back to the 2015 season, they are averaging 6.3 receptions allowed per game. The Rams have already allowed 17 receptions in three games, with Charles Sims grabbing 6 catches for 69 yards last week. David Johnson is one of the best receiving backs in the league and has averaged 6 targets per game in his last 7 regular season games. Johnson has been the most consistent fantasy running back in 2016, with over 110 total yards in each of his three games. The Cardinals are 8-point favorites at home in a get-well spot after a tough East Coast trip and Johnson is one of the safest plays on the slate.
Le’Veon Bell (Cash and GPP; $14,100) Bell was suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season, with DeAngelo Williams starring in his place. Bell made his debut in Week 3 and was instantly the center-piece of the offense, with 26 touches (19 rushes and 7 receptions) against the Rams. Expect the same type of usage as Bell makes his 2016 debut on Sunday against the Chiefs. Mike Tomlin expressed no concerns about Bell’s conditioning and doesn’t appear to be considering easing Bell back into the mix. "We have seen him every day, he has been a part of us, and he has been in the building," Tomlin said. "He is up to speed on what we are doing from a schematic standpoint and really in tune there." Kansas City has been below-average against the run early in the 2015 season. The Chiefs are allowing 123 rushing yards per game (9th worst) and have allowed over 25 FantasyDraft points per game to opposing running backs.
Top GPP Options
Jordan Howard (Cash and GPP; $7,300) If looking to save some money, Howard is the best low-cost option at running back on the slate. There are some strong low-priced options at receiver though (Terrelle Pryor, Cole Beasley, etc.) so the cash game call may come down to a cross-position calculation. With Jeremy Langford out, Howard is expected to take over the role of lead back. His involvement as a pass-catcher is especially intriguing, as he saw 6 targets in less than a full game in Week 3. The matchup looks fairly neutral on paper. The Lions are allowing 4.0 yards per carry. It is worth noting that the line has moved in favor of the Bears, despite the public being heavily on the side of the Lions. We saw a similar line movement in favor of the Bills as home underdogs in Week 3, so this could be a sneaky-good spot for Howard and the Bears.
Wide Receiver
Cash-Game Considerations
The biggest roster construction decision in Week 4 is whether or not to try to stretch to fit Antonio Brown and his $18,300 salary in. There are enough bargain options available to pull it off successfully and Brown’s floor/ceiling combo are unmatched. But it’s certainly more comfortable to target the mid-tier at receiver with Marvin Jones ($13,700) and Jarvis Landry ($13,000 on the Thursday slate) providing a significant cost savings that perhaps allows you to pay up for a top quarterback and multiple elite running backs. Terrelle Pryor ($8,400), Cole Beasley ($7,700) and Tyrell Williams ($8,700) are the most interesting bargain options at the position.
Top Cash-Game Options
Jarvis Landry (Cash; $13,000) Landry is about as consistent as they come for cash games. He has seen at least 10 targets and caught at least 7 passes in each game. Since a tough Week 1 matchup at Seattle, Landry has exploded for 17 catches and 255 yards over the past two weeks. He is clearly the go-to guy for Ryan Tannehill. The Bengals bend but don’t break defensive coverage scheme usually funnels targets to underneath receivers. Cincinnati rarely blitzes and keeps the safeties deeper than most teams. The Dolphins are underdogs by more than a touchdown on the road, so the game script sets up well for the Dolphins to again have to lean on the passing game (Miami has managed just 83 rushing yards per game).
Julian Edelman (Cash; $10,900) Edelman is in play as a cash option only if Jimmy Garoppolo is announced as the starter prior to the game. Garoppolo may end up a starter in a new city next year, with New England taking advantage of some QB-needy team to extract premium draft picks in a trade. To that end, it makes sense for the Patriots to try to showcase their young quarterback in what is likely to be his final appearance of the season. He has shown a nice rapport with Edelman, who pulled in seven catches in Week 1 and appeared on his way towards a monster game in Week 2 (six catches in the first 17 minutes), before Garoppolo exited with a shoulder injury. The Bills defense is vulnerable against slot receivers, with Eric Decker notching 126 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.
Marvin Jones (Cash and GPP; $13,700) Through three weeks, Jones leads the NFL with 408 receiving yards. He is clearly the top option in Detroit and is on pace for 155 receiving targets (more than Calvin Johnson last season). Jones is the only real deep threat on the team and while his 22.7 YPR is probably unsustainably high, he is a big-play threat and should maintain a high yard per catch average all season. Chicago’s defense is beat up and has managed just 4 sacks on the season. If Stafford has time, he is deadly and Jones should be the primary beneficiary as his average depth of target is the highest on the team.
Antonio Brown (Cash and GPP; $18,300) Brown is pretty much matchup proof. He has received at least 11 targets in each game and notched a whopping 18 targets last week. The Chiefs defense destroyed the Jets last week, but the gambling style employed by Kansas City (including top corner Marcus Peters) leaves them vulnerable to big plays in the passing game. Both DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller topped 100 yards against KC in Week 2. Keenan Allen was well on his way to a big game in Week 1 (6 catches for 63 yards) before going down with an injury late in the first half. Going back to the midway point of the 2015 season, Brown has topped 100 receiving yards in 7 of his last 11 games. He has 125+ receiving yards in 6 of his last 11.
Top GPP Options
Terrelle Pryor (Cash and GPP; $8,400) Through three weeks, Pryor has seen a whopping 31 targets. Perhaps more importantly, his targets saw a spike after top rookie Corey Coleman went down with an injury, as Pryor was targeted 14 times in Week 3. He also saw some snaps as a wildcat quarterback in the goal line package and scored a short rushing touchdown. The Washington defense has give up over 300 net passing yards per game and will be without two starting defensive backs (DeAngelo Hall and Bashaud Breland). While any player at this bargain basement pricing projected to see 10+ targets is certainly in play for cash games, Pryor probably fits slightly better as a GPP option in Week 4. He is the clear #1 option for the Browns offense and could see a heavy dose of lockdown cornerback Josh Norman.
Steve Smith (GPP; $8,800) It is difficult to trust a 37-year old coming off of a brutal injury in cash games, but Smith makes for an intriguing GPP option. The Ravens played the Raiders last September and Smith went off for 150 yards and ten catches. His involvement in the offense has been slowly increasing and he is coming off of an 8 catch, 87 yard performance in Week 3. The Raiders have given up the most fantasy points to wide receivers of any team in the league through three weeks. David Amerson and Sean Smith are both 6’3. While that is a huge asset against big, physical wide receivers, it is a negative against the smaller guys like Smith who are able to get separation with their superior change of direction skills.
Tight End
Cash-Game Considerations
With a lack of clear value options at quarterback and defense, it is imperative to try to find value at tight end in Week 4. We are in luck as Hunter Henry ($5,300) and Zach Miller ($5,200) are very strong options given their near-minimum pricing. If not comfortable going quite that low, Kyle Rudolph and Dennis Pitta are also priced attractively at $6,700 and $7,700, respectively.
Top Cash-Game Options
Zach Miller (Cash and GPP; $5,200) After a slow start to the season, Miller exploded with 8-78-2 in Week 3 after Brian Hoyer replaced Jay Cutler at quarterback. With Kevin White clearly a work in progress and Alshon Jeffery operating at less than 100%, Miller could again be in for a heavy workload. The matchup couldn’t be any better. The Lions have already given up 5 touchdowns to opposing tight ends through 3 games. The damage done by tight ends shouldn’t be considered a fluke either, as the Lions gave up double-digit touchdowns to tight ends in 2015.
Kyle Rudolph (Cash and GPP; $6,700) Rudolph has a reputation of being a touchdown-dependent player, used primarily as a blocker and red zone threat. However, through three weeks, Rudolph has somewhat quietly averaged 9 targets per game. Perhaps more impressively, he hasn’t seen less than 8 targets in any game. The Giants have been decent against the tight end early in the 2016 season (though Jason Witten caught 9 passes in Week 1), but were one of the league’s worst against the position in 2015. Rudolph probably has the most attractive matchup of all of the Vikings passing game options this week, so he again makes for a strong cash and GPP play.
Hunter Henry (Cash and GPP; $5,300) With Antonio Gates expected to miss another week with a hamstring injury, Henry should again play nearly every snap for the Chargers. With a team total of 28.5, there should be plenty of fantasy goodness to go around for Philip Rivers’ top weapons. Henry should be one of the go-to weapons in the passing game. The rookie caught all five of his targets in Week 3 for 76 yards. Henry may fit best as a GPP option given his lack of track record and relatively uncertain market share of targets. But if you need the cap space, the floor ceiling combination is strong enough given his near-minimum pricing to justify using Henry as for cash.
Top GPP Options
Greg Olsen (GPP; $11,300) Despite a horrendous game for Cam Newton and the Panthers offense, Olsen still managed 6 catches for 64 yards. The talented veteran has averaged 9 targets per game through three weeks and is a key cog in the offense. With Desmond Trufant likely to shadow Kelvin Benjamin, Olsen could again be the top target for Newton in Week 4. With most likely to chase the value options at tight end, Olsen makes for a nice differentiation option in GPPs (especially stacked with Newton).
Defense
Cash Game Considerations
Most weeks it is wise to search for bargain options at defense, but there are no obvious cap-saving options at the position in Week 4. Indianapolis ($4,200) deserves some consideration considering Blake Bortles’ poor decision-making, but it is tough to trust that Colts unit not to get torched through the air. With a pair of elite options in the $7,000-$7,300 range, the best bet looks to be paying up for defense this week.
Top Cash-Game Options
Broncos (Cash and GPP; $7,300) The Broncos defense has remained a dominant unit in 2016 despite some personnel losses. Denver is averaging 4.0 sacks per game and allowing just 19 PPG, despite facing three of the league’s most talented offenses. Tampa Bay has shown some explosiveness on offense, but the young unit is mistake-prone. Jameis Winston has already turned the ball over 8 times (6 INTs and 2 lost fumbles) this season.
Vikings (Cash and GPP; $7,000) The Vikings defense has 13 sacks in the last two weeks and have generated three turnovers per game. The defense has been equally stout against the run and pass, allowing just 3.5 yards per rush and 5.6 yards per passing attempt. Eli Manning has historically struggled against defenses that can rush the passer. Last season, the Vikings sacked Manning four times and picked him off three times (one of which was returned for a touchdown) en route to a 49-17 blowout.
Top GPP Options
Texans (GPP; $6,300) Tennessee has run a slow-paced run-heavy offense that is not generally conducive to producing big fantasy games for opposing defenses. Despite that, the Titans have turned the ball over 7 times and allowed 6 sacks. Houston will be without superstar J.J. Watt in this matchup but still has some pass-rushing fire power, with Whitney Mercilus, Johnny Simon and Jadeveon Clowney coming off the edge.
