Every week, we comb through the schedule and give thoughts on each team in-play. For the first few weeks, narratives have been in the spotlight. We are now three full games into the season for everyone, however, and there are actually some statistics and trends to help support a team’s current style.
Sporfolio’s NFL Daily Fantasy Sports game-by-game analysis columns are driven by expected game flow. Based on a combination of our Week 4 NFL picks against the spread and our expectations for a given game, we project the actions necessary to make these picks come to fruition. We aim to pinpoint players integral to our predicted game flow for each game of the week. We also include high-scoring and low-scoring matchups that can be used for either DFS plays or over-under picks in our DFS Overview column.
Please Note: Our ‘Must-Owns’ are either players around which we are building our entire roster or the top target we want, not considering salary restraints. Which means that some ‘must-owns’ will not make it into our final lineups.
Luke May is our resident NFL DFS expert, and Mario Mergola operates Sporfolio as our expert for NFL Picks Against the Spread.
Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The Falcons have been one of favorite picks of the year based on the extremely low standards that most of the world had placed on them. They may be 1-2 on the year, but their offense as a whole has performed well for us every week. It would be easy to look at a 2-1 Browns team and say that their defense is going to dominate Atlanta, so this should be an easy win. Despite that seeming like the truth, the reality is that the Browns have been carried by their offense to this point. The Browns offense ranks 5th in yards and 6th in points while their defense is 14th in yards and 23rd in points. Add in the injuries to the Browns defense (including a possible absence of Myles Garrett) and there isn’t much of a reason to bail on the Falcons at this point. Every Atlanta game this season has gone over 50 total points, and I am happy to look for that happening again this week.
Targets: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Marcus Mariota, Cordarrelle Patterson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts
Fades: Browns Defense
Must-Owns: None
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: There is no guessing or speculation when it comes to how the Cleveland Browns want to win games. They will run the ball relentlessly and try to limit turnovers. So far, it’s worked — and it’s fair to argue that Cleveland should be 3-0 at this point. Oddly enough, the numbers show that the Atlanta Falcons also want to run the ball. The difference is that quarterback Marcus Mariota is extremely active in the run game. Between the Falcons’ desire to let Mariota run and the steady production of at least 26 points in all three games this year, Atlanta remains a sneaky option for offense.
Targets: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Amari Cooper, Marcus Mariota, Cordarrelle Patterson — if healthy — Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts
Fades: Both defenses
Must-Owns: None
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: You have to commend Cooper Rush for stepping into the void left by Dak Prescott’s injury and winning back-to-back games. He has played well enough to deserve victories against their opponents, and that will likely be the case again this week. While that is all good and well, he hasn’t exactly been playing well enough to produce big fantasy numbers for anyone on this offense. Outside of CeeDee Lamb there is really nobody on this offense that you can trust at the moment to bring reliable usage, and in a low-scoring offense, volume is just about the only saving grace. Washington was ripped back to life last week, and it is becoming clear that their offensive line is a bit of a problem, having allowed 9 sacks last week. This Dallas defense is going to be able to create enough pressure to keep the Commanders from producing much offensively.
Targets: Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin, CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys Defense
Fades: Carson Wentz and Cooper Rush
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The first reaction that I assume most people will have when looking at the divisional matchup between the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys is that Dallas’ defense is going to feast on Washington’s offense. Maybe. The Cowboys are outstanding at pressuring the quarterback and that, alone, makes their defense a solid play this week. I wouldn’t be too aggressive, though. The Commanders were thoroughly embarrassed by the Eagles last week, and it’s likely that we see a better offensive showing on Sunday. The other possible outcome for the game is simply that both defenses take charge and limit the opponents’ fireworks.
Targets: Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Terry McLaurin, and both defenses
Fades: Mostly everyone else
Must-Owns: None
Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: Coming into this matchup, The Lions are a rare favorite. I can understand why when looking at the gaudy offensive numbers the Lions have put up over the first three weeks of the season, but as last week reminded us, this is still a Lions team that has to learn to win games. I’m having a hard time believing in them too much when they repeatedly find ways to lose games despite seemingly always being competitive. My confidence is further diminished when looking at the extensive injury list their offense is carrying at the moment. They could be without many of their top weapons, and even if those guys play, it will likely be below 100%. Seattle may not be a great football team, but in 2 of their 3 games, the offense has played at least decent football, and considering the Lions defense ranks 29th in yards and 32nd in points, I like the Seahawks offense to quietly lead them to another “surprising” victory as they move to 2-2.
Targets: Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jamaal Williams
Fades: Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift
Must-Owns: Rashaad Penny
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions are two of the more erratic teams in the league, and I can see many people targeting their head-to-head game for fantasy purposes because of how quickly it can get out-of-hand. Indeed, the pass-catchers from both sides have big play ability, but the game’s over-under point total is only moderately high — and Amon-Ra St. Brown will be inactive. I would be careful to not walk into a DFS trap, even though both defenses rank in the bottom-eight for yards allowed.
Targets: Jamaal Williams — a ‘must-play’ if you think Detroit wins — Geno Smith, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett
Fades: Mostly everyone else from Detroit
Must-Owns: None
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: It was a very rough start to the season for these two AFC South teams, but last week saw both of them get into the win column against tough AFC West opponents. It is fair to wonder if those wins were flukes, or if it was the beginning of these two teams finding their stride. The good news for us fantasy football players is that it almost does not matter whether these teams are playing well or playing poorly because their offenses are almost always going to be running through the same people no matter what. Both teams are going to use their star running backs as much as physically possible and then sprinkle in usage to a handful of playable wide receivers. These are not teams to overthink when it comes to identifying fantasy relevant players at the moment because the list is quite small.
Targets: Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, and Michael Pittman Jr. (Robert Woods and Treylon Burks are worth minor consideration as well given the lack of target competition)
Fades: None
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: Both the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts are coming off their first winning efforts of the season, and one of the two is immediately going to erase said gain. Neither can afford it. The reality is that both have been a disappointment relative to their expectations, and it likely results in each team leaning on their strengths — the running game — to take over on Sunday. The problem for Tennessee is that, despite sweeping the season series against Indianapolis last year, running back Derrick Henry was held to under three yards-per-carry in the latter matchup. Tennessee is probably going to need to take to the air if it wants to win. The Colts’ Jonathan Taylor didn’t truly hit his stride until his two games against the Titans were complete, so it’s possible that neither superstar running back leads the way this weekend.
Targets: Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Matt Ryan, and Jonathan Taylor
Fades: Both defenses
Must-Owns: Michael Pittman, Jr.
Chicago Bears at New York Giants
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that this may be the worst matchup of 2-1 teams in Week 4 history. Both of these teams are littered with issues at the moment, but nothing is more troubling than the Bears complete inability to throw the ball. Through 3 games, Justin Fields has gone 23 for 45 (51.11% completion rate) for 297 yards while throwing 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Those numbers would concern me if it was in 1 game, but the fact that those are combined numbers for 3 games is beyond frightening. The Bears cannot continue winning games like that, and I think their luck is going to run out this week against a Giants team that feels a bit more like a truly competitive team despite their own offensive struggles.
Targets: Khalil Herbert, Daniel Jones, and Giants Defense
Fades: Bears Passing Game
Must-Owns: Saquon Barkley
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: I want to find offense in the game between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears, but there is simply nothing to see outside of a few big-play possibilities. The obvious route is to pick a defense from this game, but I can justify taking a chance with one of the two quarterbacks if you’re making multiple lineups. Their running ability gives them sneaky upside if the game starts to deviate from the obvious script.
Targets: Both quarterbacks, Saquon Barkley, Darnell Mooney, and both defenses — even though I prefer to stay on the offensive side of the ball for this game
Fades: Giants pass-catchers
Must-Owns: Khalil Herbert, although he will be extremely popular with David Montgomery already ruled out
Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: It may not be a popular outcome, but as we have been preaching all season long so far, this Jaguars team is better than people want to admit. Their blowout victory over the Chargers last week was likely aided by Justin Herbert’s injury to some degree, but they went across the country and stomped all over one of the best teams in the league on paper. The Eagles are also coming off a dominant performance of their own in what has been a very impressive start to the season. I can see this game going in many different ways, but until they give me reason to back off, I am going to continue to roll with a Jaguars team that is not getting the respect they deserve as their offense and defense both currently rank in the top 7 in yards and points.
Targets: Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne Jr., Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith
Fades: Eagles Defense
Must-Owns: James Robinson
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The Jacksonville Jaguars have a tall task ahead of them after dismantling the Chargers as they now travel to play arguably the hottest team in the league in the Philadelphia Eagles. The good news for Jacksonville is that the Eagles are vulnerable on the ground, where running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne, Jr. can both thrive. The Eagles’ offense appears to be surging, but I feel obligated to point out that Philadelphia has scored more than 24 points only once this year. I would tread lightly with offensive players from the Eagles, and I will definitely avoid them completely in some lineups.
Targets: Trevor Lawrence, James Robinson, Travis Etienne, Jr., Jalen Hurts, Miles Sanders, A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and I would even consider a defense from this game to be ‘contrarian’
Fades: None, but I am approaching this game with caution
Must-Owns: None
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: Zach Wilson is expected to make his season debut this week, but I am not really sure what that means for the Jets offense. They certainly have not looked great, but the passing volume has allowed a few players to be relevant in the early stages of the season. Joe Flacco had thrown 155 passes through 3 weeks which is an incredible amount of targets to go around. The Jets are likely to take a different approach as they ease Wilson back into game action and also look to protect him from their struggling offensive line. The Steelers offense has had some serious struggles of their own, but it seemed like they were starting to open up the playbook a bit in their last game and wanted to start trying to push the ball downfield. With Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and George Pickens, they have too much big play ability to keep playing hyper-conservative football. Look for the positive matchup and the extra prep time following a Thursday game to help the Steelers get their offense going.
Targets: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Garrett Wilson, Mitch Trubisky, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth
Fades: Zach Wilson
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The report for the New York Jets is that quarterback Zach Wilson will play against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I’m not so sure what that means. The Jets would be in trouble if Wilson were not an upgrade over Joe Flacco, but how big of an upgrade is yet to be seen. The Steelers want to win games on defense, anyway, and this matchup gives them the perfect chance to do so. There’s certainly an opportunity that Pittsburgh finds offensive success thanks to an increased number of possessions, but it’s just-as-easy to see the route where neither team provides a valuable fantasy output.
Targets: Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Garrett Wilson, Mitch Trubisky, Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, and Steelers defense
Fades: Zach Wilson
Must-Owns: Diontae Johnson
Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: Through 3 weeks, the Ravens offense is 4th in total yards and 1st in points scored while the Bills offense is 2nd in yards and 3rd in points. Last week, I wasn’t buying into the Bills/Dolphins showdown, but this game feels different. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have been all but unstoppable this season. Even if there is not a play to be made through the air, both are entirely capable of turning nothing into something with their legs. This game should see plenty of offense, and it is a near certainty that it will funnel through both of these quarterbacks. There is always a chance for a position player to have a big game — especially Stefon Diggs or Mark Andrews — but the focus is always on Allen and Jackson.
Targets: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Lamar Jackson, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews
Fades: Bills Defense
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: As always, when I see a game that gives an immediate reaction of “high-scoring,” I want to carefully inspect it. Of course, both the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens can absolutely explode — either individually or simultaneously — but the over-under point total has actually crept down since its open. I agree with the move, as both teams are probably overextended offensively at this point. It’s difficult to ignore everyone from this matchup — so I won’t — but I won’t go all-out with it either.
Targets: Both quarterbacks, Devin Singletary — it’s probably a necessity to take a chance with a running back from this game — Stefon Diggs, and Mark Andrews
Fades: None, but I am not going overboard with this game
Must-Owns: None
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: It seems like no matter how much talent the Chargers assemble, they will always have the means to throw together a complete dud like the game we saw last week. Many people may still look at the Jaguars and Texans as equal level opponents, that could not be further from the truth. This Texans team is miles short of where Jacksonville is, and I am fully expecting a big bounce back game from the Chargers. Justin Herbert is another week removed from his rib injury, and I am all in on him shredding the Texans apart considering their defense ranks 30th in yards allowed.
Targets: Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, DeAndre Carter, Gerald Everett, Chargers Defense and Brandin Cooks
Fades: Davis Mills
Must-Owns: Justin Herbert
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: We should learn a lot about both the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans on Sunday. For the Chargers, it’s all about rebounding from a pitiful performance against the Jaguars at home. For The Texans, it’s about continuing to fight, even if the wins aren’t there. Thankfully for our fantasy purposes, both teams lean on a reasonably defined group of pass-catchers — even if it is running back Austin Ekeler — so we know where to focus our attention.
Targets: Both quarterbacks, Austin Ekeler — he is borderline ‘must-play’ — Mike Williams, and Brandin Cooks
Fades: Both defenses
Must-Owns: None, but either Ekeler or Williams is probably a necessity
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: It feels wrong to think that a game with two of the most dynamic players in the NFL in Kyler Murray and Christian MCCaffrey wouldn’t make for an appealing game, but that is the world we are living in. For all of the talk about the Cardinals and their fast paced, airmail style offense, they rank 30th in the league in net yards per pass attempt. Their total yardage isn’t as grim, but I am having a hard time buying into an offense that has been one of the most inefficient groups in the league. The Cardinals have had their struggles, but the Panthers haven’t been much better. They haven’t scored more than 24 points in a game, nor have they surpassed 300 total yards of offense in a single game. Those offensive struggles leave them as the 30th ranked offense in the league in terms of yards. It is always possible these teams breakout for a big game, but I’m not going to be banking on it this week.
Targets: Kyler Murray and Christian McCaffrey
Fades: James Conner and Baker Mayfield
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: I keep insisting that no one paid attention the Carolina Panthers last week, and the team is getting no credit for a nearly 2-1 start to the year. Granted, they haven’t played well in all aspects of the game, but the defense is shining once again. That’s the key pivot point for a game against the Arizona Cardinals, where Arizona clearly wants to win via a high-octane scoring effort. It’s as straightforward as that, but it makes this game a critical one for DFS purposes. If Arizona explodes, there is enough firepower to carry a lineup to victory. Otherwise, they probably took up too much of a fantasy budget to have been worth the investment. I’m leaning on the latter, but would obviously use some players from the Cardinals if I have multiple lineups.
Targets: Baker Mayfield, Christian McCaffrey — if healthy — DJ Moore, Panthers defense, Kyler Murray, and Greg Dortch
Fades: Everyone else from Arizona
Must-Owns: None, but I can see myself forcing McCaffrey into most lineups if he plays because he probably has lower popularity this week
New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The Patriots are clearly not a great football team at this stage of their rebuilding process, but they have also been unlucky this season. They currently rank 10th in the league in yards on offense and defense. Despite that impressive stat, they rank 25th in points for and 22nd in points against. Normally, that would make me want to buy into a team, but with Mac Jones out, and Brian Hoyer taking over, and them traveling to Green Bay to face a tough Packers defense, my expectations are pretty low for this offense. With that said, I don’t think they get blown out because their defense is better than it is getting credit for, and the Packers offense hasn’t exactly been amazing either. The Packers offense is 27th in points for in the early stages of the season, but they also rank 11th in net yards per pass attempt and yards per rush. This game feels a lot like the Green Bay game last week where there was no doubt in my mind they will win the game, but it isn’t going to be very pretty, and they aren’t likely to run away with victory.
Targets: DeVante Parker, Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Romeo Doubs, and Packers Defense
Fades: Brian Hoyer
Must-Owns: None
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: I’m still not ready to overload my lineups with players from the Green Bay Packers, and it’s largely because the numbers are supporting their current pattern. They rank 13th in the league in yards-per-game, but sixth-worst in scoring. Normally, that disconnect is also supported by a high turnover rate, but that’s where the Packers thrive — they protect the football extremely well. Green Bay should have a similar performance on Sunday to what we have seen in the past, where players who thrive on yardage most likely outperform the Redzone threats. For the New England Patriots, there is almost nothing to target offensively except for a pass-catcher in a game in which they expect to trail. That, or New England’s defense for the aforementioned reasons.
Targets: Aaron Rodgers, AJ Dillon, Allen Lazard, Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, and DeVante Parker
Fades: Both quarterbacks
Must-Owns: None
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: I officially don’t know what to make of the Broncos anymore. For three weeks I have sat here and expected greatness from Russell Wilson, and for three weeks I have sat here and been disappointed and left feeling like there is a real problem with this offense. Despite all of the disappointment, they are 2-1 and fresh off an inspiring game-winning touchdown drive against a tough 49ers team. As if Denver isn’t already confusing enough, they are facing off with a Raiders team that entered the year with sky-high expectations but now sit at 0-3 with their next two games against the Broncos and Chiefs. They have a real chance to go into their Week 6 bye week at 0-5, and if that happens, their season is beyond a lost cause. Given everything, these are two teams desperate to show they are better than what they have displayed thus far, and given the other games in the late afternoon window, I am forcing myself to buy into this being the one exciting game we see late on Sunday. There is a good chance I’ll be kicking myself come Sunday night, but I am giving both of these offenses another go this week.
Targets: Russell Wilson, Cortland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Mack Hollins, and Darren Waller
Fades: None
Must-Owns: Javante Williams
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The Denver Broncos’ offense is downright pathetic, but we saw the slimmest wisp of hope that it has a chance to breakout when quarterback Russell Wilson led his team to a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter last week. The good news is that Denver will not be a popular play on Sunday. Of course, there’s validity in expecting another dud, but the Las Vegas Raiders have allowed at least 350 total yards of offense to every opponent this year. That’s because the Raiders’ focus is on the offensive side of the ball. There is some concern there, however, as Las Vegas has yet to score 24 points in a game, while Denver has allowed just 36 points total through three games.
Targets: Russell Wilson, Javonte Williams, Melvin Gordon III, Courtland Sutton , Denver defense, Derek Carr, Davante Adams, and Darren Waller
Fades: None
Must-Owns: None, but Davante Adams will be in any one of my lineups that can afford his salary
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: Last week was about as ugly as you’ll ever see from the Chiefs and Buccaneers. You have to give the Buccaneers somewhat of a pass considering the mass absence from their top skill position players, but the Chiefs simply made every possible mistake to throw away a game they largely dominated. With that said, it is not often you’ll see Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady struggle heavily in consecutive weeks, so I am looking for a bounce back performance from both of these offenses. The Chiefs offense is going to continue to run through Mahomes and Travis Kelce both in terms of real football and fantasy football. There will always be hope that someone else in the offense has a big game, but it will be nearly impossible to predict any given week. My easiest pick for this game is to be all in on Mike Evans coming off his one game suspension. He is the only receiver on the Buccaneers not dealing with an injury, has had an extra week of rest to make him ready for this game, and Tom Brady is going to pepper him with targets all game long. This game should feature plenty of offense, and my expectations are for Evans to lead the way.
Targets: Patrick Mahomes, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Travis Kelce, Tom Brady, and Leonard Fournette
Fades: None, but if Chris Godwin and/or Julion Jones are active they will be hard to trust given their injury statuses
Must-Owns: Mike Evans
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The obvious and main storyline for Sunday Night Football’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the potential venue change due to Hurricane Ian. It isn’t happening, and the reports state that the game will remain in Tampa Bay as expected. That leads to the next obvious and main storyline: the Greatest Quarterback of All-Time in Tom Brady against the young, potentially All-Time Great of Patrick Mahomes. Of course, these two met in Super Bowl LV a few years ago when Brady’s Buccaneers completely shut down Mahomes’ offense to the tune of a 30-9 victory, and that plan-of-attack — limit opponents from scoring — has remained in-place since then. That’s also out of necessity. The Buccaneers have not been been particularly good on offense — they have accounted for only three touchdowns on the season — and yet the team is 2-1. There’s a chance that the Primetime stage brings out the best of Brady and his weapons — which will now include Mike Evans — but the overall expectations for both offenses are subdued.
Targets: Both quarterbacks, Leonard Fournette, Cole Beasley, Cameron Brate, Jerick McKinnon, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Travis Kelce, and both defenses
Fades: None, but it’s hard to trust a Chiefs wide receiver, even though landing on the right one would likely prove to be beneficial
Must-Owns: Mike Evans
Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
Luke’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: With the Rams playing pretty well over the last two weeks, and the 49ers looking inept on national television last week, the easy pick is to say that the Rams dominate this game. While I am tempted to believe that, history tells us that the easy and obvious pick is almost never correct when it comes to the NFC West and Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers specifically. I’m not sure they will win the game, but I expect to see a far superior 49ers team to what we watched last week. I am going to go against what I would normally be inclined to do and buy into Jimmy Garappolo having a good game to relift the hopes of all 49ers fans. What I am even more inclined to buy into is that, no matter how this game shakes out, Cooper Kupp is going to have more than the 4 catches for 44 yards on 6 targets that we saw last week after seeing 29 targets in the first two games.
Targets: Matthew Stafford, Allen Robinson II, Tyler Higbee, JImmy Garappolo, Jeff Wilson Jr., Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk
Fades: None
Must-Owns: Cooper Kupp and George Kittle
Mario’s DFS Take
Storyline/Notes/Thoughts: The San Francisco 49ers did not look good in their last outing, which conveniently featured the return of Jimmy Garoppolo as the team’s starting quarterback. As an added bonus, the game was nationally-televised and highly-criticized. The spotlight will, again, land on San Francisco, but I would expect a far better offensive showing against a divisional opponent in the Los Angeles Rams than the 49ers had in Denver when facing an elite defense. Los Angeles’ offense is still trying to find its identity, as the Rams aren’t running the ball nearly as well as they would like. That might be the only path to success, however, as the 49ers have been dominant against the aerial attack — allowing only two passing touchdowns all year. Granted, the Bears and Seahawks were two of the opposing offenses stymied by San Francisco, but the gameplan might need to be funneled through the Rams’ rushing attack.
Targets: Jimmy Garoppolo, Jeff Wilson, Jr., George Kittle, Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Jr., Cooper Kupp, and both defenses
Fades: Matthew Stafford
Must-Owns: Deebo Samuel