Open Book: McCown, Evans to produce fat stack in FanDuel
Straight cash homie! In his never-ending quest to pay off his kids' college education early, Brad Evans unveils his FanDuel picks for the upcoming week and explains his reasoning behind them. Make that money, #TeamHuevos.
CONTEST RULES AND SCORING
FAKE BUDGET: $60,000
Josh McCown, TB, QB (FanDuel Price: $7,000) – Unless you plan to chase the greatness that is Case Keenum or the adventure that is Johnny Manziel, the Buccaneer offers the most QB bang for the buck. He's far from stellar, but in a game with significant high-volume potential, McCown has measurable upside. Injuries and porous play have confounded the Packers secondary of late. They clamped down Kyle Orton last week, but since Week 11 the unit has allowed nearly 19 FanDuel points per game to gunslingers. McCown has just one multi-TD game in his last four, but given Tampa's projected deep early hole, I like his chances for 300-plus combined yards with two TDs. Achieve that, and he'll turn a healthy profit.
Le'Veon Bell, Pit, RB ($9,700) – An avalanche of points since LeGarrette Blount's dismissal, the No. 1 back in fantasy has buried the competition early and often. Over his past four games, he's splashed six seven times and averaged an absurd 207.5 total yards per game. His unmatched versatility, patience and power will again be on display this time against Kansas City. The Chiefs have been a bend, don't break, defense on the ground this season. But surrendering 5.03 yards per carry to RBs, they are little match for the "Big Rig." Another 150 combined yards with 1-2 touchdowns are practically a foregone conclusion.
[Week 16 rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Receiver | Tight End | Kicker | DST]
Tre Mason, StL, RB ($6,500) – Since spanking the Raiders to the tune of 167 total yards and three scores three weeks ago, the former War Eagle has remained grounded. Over his past two games, he's totaled just 99 yards. His 33 touches during that span, though, were certainly attractive. On what should be another solid workload, he's a terrific bounce-back candidate and strong discount buy. His Week 16 opponent, the New York Giants, have conceded 4.92 yards per carry to rushers since Week 4. Roughly 100 total yards with a touchdown are in my forecast.
Mike Evans, TB, WR ($7,900) – Stacking is a popular and often effective strategy used in daily games. It's the tactic of matching a QB with his top target. Given my McCown fondness this week, it only makes sense to tie him to one of the league's premier downfield weapons. Evans has crossed the chalk at least once in six of his last seven games. During that span, he ranks fifth among fantasy wideouts in per game output netting a mouth-watering 21.3 points per game. Green Bay did a masterful job containing Sammy Watkins last week, but, due to the Packers' recent defensive struggles, it's unlikely Evans will suffer a similar fate.
Jarvis Landry, Mia, WR ($7,000) – The slot machine used and abused Darrelle Revis last week, notching eight receptions for 99 yards. This week hosting a more suspect Minnesota secondary, outside Xavier Rhodes, Landry's final numbers could shine even brighter. Because of Josh Robinson's inept play, slot receivers have burned the Vikes this year. Brandin Cooks, Percy Harvin and even Devin Hester each posted tidy numbers against them. The rookie's three-game TD-less streak should fall by the wayside.
Harry Douglas, Atl, WR ($6,600) – Unquestionably, this is a pick strictly tied to Julio Jones' availability. If the former Pro Bowl receiver is unfit for play, Douglas could easily replicate his juicy numbers from Week 15. Against the Steelers, he hauled in 10 passes for 131 yards. Even with Julio in uniform, he grabbed six passes for 69 yards Week 1 vs. New Orleans. Monitor practice reports closely, but the Falcon could be one steal of a deal if pressed into a primary role.
Dwayne Allen, Ind, TE ($5,400) – The Colt is to tight ends what Odell Beckham is to wide receivers, a TD-scoring fiend. He's hit pay-dirt in seven of his last nine games. Against a Dallas defense that's allowed the second-most fantasy points to TEs, he should again do an end zone jig.
Connor Barth, Den, K ($5,000) – Denver's numerous stalled drives in enemy territory have turned Barth into an elite fantasy kicker. In three games with the Broncos, the ex-Buc is a perfect 11-for-11 on field-goal opportunities. With Denver traveling to Cincinnati to face a rock solid Bengals secondary, another three-plus attempts are very possible.
Carolina Panthers D/ST ($4,900) – Did you see the Manziel (expletive) show? The Panthers have rounded a corner defensively over the past four weeks. With Johnny in town, odds are strong a top-10 performance is in the offing.
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