Every week, the first step of your DFS homework should be to examine the opening Vegas odds on all the NFL games for that week. Through some fairly simple algebra, it is easy to derive a spreadsheet that predicts team totals for every game, thereby allowing you to develop a rudimentary gamescript to help narrow down your decisions for the week. Once the appealing (and unappealing) games have been highlighted, it becomes easier to focus upon those games to help build your core of players for that week; the caveat, however, is that the NFL is a dynamic league and anything is subject to change from Tuesday to Sunday...so keep that in mind as the week progresses and always monitor player injuries, weather conditions, and potential roster moves. Let's take a look.
Last Updated: Sunday, 12/10 @ 8 AM (EST)
| Team | Opponent | Away | Game Total | Team Total | Running | Pass | Team Defense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England | Miami | -11 | 47.5 | 29.25 | +++ | +++ | + |
| Atlanta | New Orleans | -2.5 | 51.5 | 27 | ++ | ++ | |
| Kansas City | Oakland | -4 | 48.5 | 26.25 | ++ | ++ | |
| LA Chargers | Washington | -6 | 46.5 | 26.25 | ++ | ++ | |
| New Orleans | Atlanta | 2.5 | 51.5 | 24.5 | + | ++ | |
| LA Rams | Philadelphia | 0 | 48 | 24 | + | + | |
| Pittsburgh | Baltimore | -4.5 | 43.5 | 24 | + | + | + |
| Philadelphia | LA Rams | 0 | 48 | 24 | + | + | |
| Detroit | Tampa Bay | -3 | 45 | 24 | + | + | |
| Houston | San Francisco | -2.5 | 45 | 23.75 | |||
| Tennessee | Arizona | -2.5 | 43 | 22.75 | |||
| Cincinnati | Chicago | -6.5 | 39 | 22.75 | ++ | ||
| Dallas | NY Giants | -3.5 | 41.5 | 22.5 | + | ||
| Oakland | Kansas City | 4 | 48.5 | 22.25 | |||
| Minnesota | Carolina | -3 | 40 | 21.5 | + | ||
| Green Bay | Cleveland | -3 | 39.5 | 21.25 | + | ||
| Buffalo | Indianapolis | -3 | 39.5 | 21.25 | + | ||
| NY Jets | Denver | -1 | 41.5 | 21.25 | |||
| Jacksonville | Seattle | -2.5 | 40 | 21.25 | + | ||
| San Francisco | Houston | 2.5 | 45 | 21.25 | |||
| Tampa Bay | Detroit | 3 | 45 | 21 | |||
| Arizona | Tennessee | 2.5 | 43 | 20.25 | |||
| Denver | NY Jets | 1 | 41.5 | 20.25 | |||
| Washington | LA Chargers | 6 | 46.5 | 20.25 | |||
| Baltimore | Pittsburgh | 4.5 | 43.5 | 19.5 | |||
| NY Giants | Dallas | 3.5 | 41.5 | 19 | |||
| Seattle | Jacksonville | 2.5 | 40 | 18.75 | |||
| Carolina | Minnesota | 3 | 40 | 18.5 | |||
| Indianapolis | Buffalo | 3 | 39.5 | 18.25 | |||
| Cleveland | Green Bay | 3 | 39.5 | 18.25 | |||
| Miami | New England | 11 | 47.5 | 18.25 | |||
| Chicago | Cincinnati | 6.5 | 39 | 16.25 |
SUMMARY
3-STARS
- Quarterback: Tom Brady (Patriots)
- Running Back: Dion Lewis/Rex Burkhead (Patriots)
- Receivers: Chris Hogan/Brandin Cooks/Danny Amendola/Dwayne Allen (Patriots)
- Defense: None
2-STARS
- Quarterback: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Philip Rivers (Chargers), Drew Brees (Saints)
- Running Back: Devonta Freeman/Tevin Coleman (Falcons), Kareem Hunt (Chiefs), Melvin Gordon (Chargers)
- Receivers: Julio Jones/Mohamed Sanu/Austin Hooper (Falcons), Tyreek Hill/Albert Wilson/Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Tyrell Williams/Travis Benjamin/Keenan Allen/Hunter Henry (Chargers), Michael Thomas/Ted Ginn Jr/Josh Hill (Saints)
- Defense: Bengals
1-STAR
- Quarterback: Jared Goff (Rams), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Carson Wentz (Eagles), Matthew Stafford (Lions)
- Running Back: Mark Ingram/Alvin Kamara (Saints), Todd Gurley (Rams), LeVeon Bell (Steelers), Jay Ajayi/LeGarrette Blount (Eagles), Tion Green (Lions)
- Receivers: Sammy Watkins/Robert Woods/Cooper Kupp/Tyler Higbee (Rams), Antonio Brown/Martavis Bryant/Eli Rogers (Steelers), Alshon Jeffery/Nelson Agholor/Trey Burton (Eagles), Marvin Jones/Golden Tate/Eric Ebron (Lions)
- Defense: Patriots, Packers, Bills, Vikings, Jaguars, Cowboys, Steelers