By: Ryan Humphries

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NFL Week 7 Primetime Preview

Welcome back for another DFS look ahead towards this week’s slate of primetime NFL match-ups! Time and time again, so many of these primetime games have produced 3+ hours of close, highly entertaining competitive performances. Even last week in what looked to be (in my own words) an 'underwhelming' primetime slate (TB@PHI, SEA@PIT, BUF@TEN) we still got three solid games which all pretty much came down to the wire and ended in single score margins of victory. I mention this because the primetime games in week seven once again look very mundane on the surface. But, ya just never know what you’re going to get out of an NFL match-up these days so perhaps we’ll continue to be pleasantly surprised by these primetime showdowns (I'm starting to feel like I say this every week, so maybe shame on me for judging these games too early?). Let’s hop into the thick of things and see if we can create a winning formula for the single-game primetime DFS contests this week!

Note: At the time of this writing, showdown salaries are not available for the SNF & MNF games.

Due to how the rosters are constructed for single-game NFL slates, this article is more geared towards a DraftKings-specific GPP approach.

Perfect Lineups from Week 6 Primetime Games

Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns (-3.5) | 42.5 O/U

DEN: 19.5 implied points | CLE: 23.0 implied points

Notable DFS Relevant Injuries: QB Baker Mayfield (shoulder) - Out, QB Teddy Bridgewater (foot/quad) - Questionable, RB Nick Chubb (calf) - Out, RB Kareem Hunt (calf) - Out/IR, WR Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) - Questionable, WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle) - IR-Designated to Return (Chance of suiting up), WR Jarvis Landry (knee) - IR-Designated to Return (Chance of suiting up)

Score Prediction: DEN - 23, CLE - 21

Game Notes & Showdown Lineup Construction: Yikes, that has to be the longest list of DFS relevant injuries I’ve typed up in a while, maybe ever. Obviously, it doesn’t help that these banged-up teams are heading into their week seven game on a short week. Cleveland, in particular, gets the short end of the stick with all of their key injuries… which is the main reason why I could see the Broncos pulling off the slight upset on the road (assuming Bridgewater plays). QB Case Keenum has already been announced as the starter in place of Baker Mayfield, though I believe that isn’t as significant of a downgrade as most teams would experience when resorting to starting their backup QB. There is plenty of additional guesswork involved with this game, especially on the Browns side of things since they’re without both of their dynamic running backs. Things will get a bit more interesting if one, or both, of Jarvis Landry and Jerry Jeudy are able to return to action. As of now, I believe Landry has a better shot to suit up than Jeudy, but that’s just my guess. Either way, don’t expect a ton of offensive fireworks in this one but I do believe we’ll get a close, competitive game environment.

For showdown lineups, I’ll be targeting even 3-3 builds and 4-2 builds (both sides) without much consideration falling onto 5-1 ‘smash’ builds.

Additional note: Weather could be worth monitoring here with winds expected to be near 20 mph along with around a 20% chance of rain throughout this game

Players & Stacks to Consider

Top Captains and Core Flex Plays:

QB Teddy Bridgewater: Yeesh, $11k for Teddy who is dealing with multiple injuries -- that’s a lofty price to swallow, particularly if rolling him out at his captain salary of $16,500. Still, QBs are the most likely candidates to crack 20+ DKFP and Cleveland has ranked 20th in pass DVOA this year while allowing 24.4 DKFP/gm to opposing QBs.

QB Case Keenum: $1,600 cheaper than Teddy and honestly, he probably has a comparable ceiling, though likely a lower floor. We could see Cleveland (50% pass rate, 3rd lowest in the league) air it out more with Chubb/Hunt sidelined. When Kevin Stefanski was the quarterbacks coach for the Vikings in 2017 (where Keenum was the starting QB that year), Keenum excelled while acquiring a 22:7 TD:INT ratio, 98.3 QBR, and an 11-3 record.

WR Courtland Sutton: Possesses a strong 26.4% TGT% (8.8 tgt/gm) and Sutton’s 16.7-yard aDOT is the second-highest in the NFL among receivers averaging at least 6.0 tgt/gm. To no surprise, a high target share and a high aDOT is a great recipe for WR success. Sutton will also draw plenty of coverage from a struggling Denzel Ward.

RB D’Ernest Johnson: Based on potential volume alone, Johnson deserves some captain consideration. He could reasonably see 15-20 touches and, albeit a small sample size (40 NFL carries), he has averaged 5.0 YPC in his brief career. Denver’s run defense also isn’t as stout as some of the numbers may suggest.

Flex Plays and Leverage Captain Options:

WR Tim Patrick: His role could diminish if Jerry Jeudy suits up but, at the time of this writing, I am assuming Jeudy heals up for one more week on the sidelines. Patrick has been Mr. Reliable this season, scoring between 12.7 and 15.9 DKFP in 5-of-6 games. He’s obviously not the focal point of the offense, but he certainly has carved out a very fantasy relevant role.

TE Noah Fant: The injury designation was removed from Fant so he heads into TNF closer to 100%, which many guys in this game obviously can’t say this week. His snap count is slowly creeping up and he is coming off of his best game of the season (9/97/1 on 11 targets).

RB Javonte Williams & Melvin Gordon III: This is about as 50/50 of a backfield split as you can get. The workload split for this season has played out as follows:

Williams: 45% snap%, 65 rushes (4.6 YPC), 14 receptions (6.4 YPR)

Gordon III: 54.2% snap%, 70 rushes (4.7 YPC), 13 receptions (9.2 YPR)

I slightly prefer Williams as the younger, more explosive player (only player in the NFL with three 30+ yard rushes). Either way, you’re hoping at least one finds his way into the endzone. I'm on board with targeting this Denver backfield but I would not play both guys in the same lineup.

WR Odell Beckham Jr.: Health is a concern, but the belief is that he should play. OBJ could benefit from a (potentially) more pass-heavy approach with the uber-talented Browns RB duo sidelined. Also, ever since he's been in Cleveland, OBJ has never really established a great on-field connection with Baker Mayfield. Perhaps something can spark up with Case Keenum holding the keys to the offense this week.

Flex Fillers, Fliers, and Sleepers:

Both D/STs: The Browns and Broncos defenses have both struggled in recent weeks but in what could be a <40 point slog in windy, possibly wet, weather featuring banged up offenses, both defenses deserve some FLEX consideration.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones: Should still see 60-70+% of snaps even if Landry is back. DPJ is still a long way off from being a reliable DFS option, but he’s clearly shown the ability to come up with some big plays. Denver has allowed the 11th most FPPG to perimeter WRs this season (DPJ - 71% routes ran on the perimeter).

RB/WR Demetric Felton: Possesses some PPR appeal and will likely see a season high in snap%.

TE David Njoku: No injury designation heading into TNF. It wouldn’t surprise me if one of the Cleveland tight ends has a fantasy relevant game on Thursday. Austin Hooper will likely play more snaps but Njoku feels like the more appealing upside play (largely based on his massive 7/149/1 explosion game in week five).

Stack Concepts:

Note: [*Player Name] indicates captain selection

*Teddy Bridgewater, Courtland Sutton, D’Ernest Johnson: Basic CPT Bridgewater stack with his most explosive receiving weapon. Running it back with the lead ball carrier on the other side who could bowl his way into the endzone and secure 70-100 rushing yards..

*Case Keenum, Odell Beckham Jr., Demetric Felton: If Keenum comes away as the optimal captain selection, at least two of his pass catchers should, in return, be optimal FLEX plays. The Browns passing game is not easy to figure out this week, so feel free to try several different combinations with CPT Keenum.

*Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Donovan Peoples-Jones: In an ugly-looking offensive game, Sutton feels like the most appealing captain selection this week especially if Jeudy remains sidelined. I like his chances of seeing double-digit targets with plenty of downfield looks. If that happens, he’ll have a good shot at 100+ yards and a score.

*D’Ernest Johnson, Tim Patrick, Cleveland D/ST: Never underestimate a backup getting a big break under the spotlight of a primetime NFL game. If Johnson garners 15+ carries, expect him to run hard and fight for extra yardage every chance he gets. It helps to have a strong Browns O-Line in front of him.

*Javonte Williams, Case Keenum, Odell Beckham Jr.: I’ve been a big fan of Javonte Williams’ talent for a while and he was almost a weekly play for me in CFB DFS last year. If the Broncos coaching staff ever begins to lean more heavily in his direction or if an injury were to occur to MG3, Williams has some immense upside. I believe he has a breakout game soon. Maybe not Thursday night. But soon.

Indianapolis Colts @ San Francisco 49ers (-4) | 44 O/U

IND: 20.0 implied points | SF: 24.0 implied points

Notable DFS Relevant Injuries: QB Trey Lance (knee) - Questionable, QB Jimmy Garoppolo (calf) - Questionable, TE George Kittle (calf) - Out/IR, WR TY Hilton (quad) - Questionable, WR Parris Campbell (foot) - Out/IR

Score Prediction: IND - 23, SF - 19

Game Notes & Showdown Lineup Construction: Before getting into any actual input on the match-up itself, one thing I cannot ignore here is the potential for some soggy and very windy game time conditions. After checking multiple forecasts, every one of them has shown an 80-90+% chance of rain during this game with the potential for 30-40 mph winds! Now, do keep in mind that I am writing this on Wednesday evening, so plenty can change between now and Sunday night. But, for the time being, it would seem that some impactful weather will be present during this SNF match-up.

Getting into the actual game, currently there is no clear indication on who the starting QB will be for the 49ers as they come out of their bye week. Both Lance and Garoppolo are dealing with their own separate ailments. The Niners game plan would almost certainly look drastically different depending on who ultimately gets healthy or practices well enough to earn the starting nod. Both San Fran and Indy are certainly desperate for a win here as they find themselves on the bottom looking up from within their respective divisions. The Colts impressed last week, but they’re now dealing with some additional injuries of their own and, really, how much stake can we put towards a blowout victory over the Houston Texans, which is basically a glorified expansion team at this point. Regardless, I could see either team winning in this game and I do believe the weather is going to have a notable impact on how each team’s game plan plays out. If those 30+ mph winds do come to fruition, any field goal attempt beyond 35-ish yards is going to be very difficult to hit (including PATs). I wouldn’t be surprised to see multiple two-point conversion attempts (hence my weird score prediction) and a bunch of shorter aDOT passes with a heavier emphasis on the run game for both sides. That could play in favor of the Colts, whose defense ranks 1st overall in rush DVOA.

I’ll be staying pretty standard with lineup construction here. Even 3-3 builds and 4-2 builds (both teams) feel like the right way to go. I’d slightly favor 49ers-heavy builds over Colts-heavy builds.

Players & Stacks to Consider

Top Captains and Core Flex Plays:

QB Trey Lance OR Jimmy Garoppolo: I’m personally hoping it is Lance who gets the nod here (pending injury status). Lance has a ways to go as an NFL caliber passer but the 16 rushes for 89 yards (5.6 YPC) in his week five start was encouraging from a fantasy standpoint. The Colts surrender a fair amount of FPs to opposing QBs, including a 71.9% comp% and 23.5 rushing YPG.

QB Carson Wentz: Wentz hasn’t been incredible, but I'd say "serviceable." I don’t love his prospects of having a big day passing in those high winds, and he’s working with a banged up receiving corps, but just about every QB is an auto-captain candidate. Wentz had 80 yards rushing across his first two games of the season… would love to see him mix that back into his repertoire.

RB Jonathan Taylor: Trending up in a major way with 441 yards of total offense over the last three games (147 YPG), including five touchdowns. The 49ers are middle-of-the-pack against RBs (18th most FPPG allowed, 15th in run DVOA) and Taylor will arguably be the most talented back they’ve faced this season.

WR Deebo Samuel: His 109.6 receiving YPG trails only Davante Adams (111.3 YPG) for the NFL lead and he’s accomplished that despite being on the NFL’s 9th most run-centric offense. Deebo is a focal point in the always-crafty Shanahan offense and even in far less-than-ideal passing conditions, he should see plenty of short/medium aDOT passes with higher completion potential and could be somewhat involved in the run game as well (he's usually good for one or two jet sweeps per game).

Flex Plays and Leverage Captain Options:

WR Michael Pittman Jr.: It was a forgettable week six for Pittman, who caught just 2-of-3 targets for 23 yards. But it was also a week where the Colts cruised to a 31-3 victory and Wentz only had to attempt 20 passes and completed just 11 of those attempts. Now Parris Campbell has landed on the IR and TY Hilton (who had not played all year until last week due to a neck injury) sustained a quad injury and is trending on the wrong side of questionable. If Hilton cannot go on SNF, Pittman should easily pace the Colts in targets and receiving yards.

RB Eli Mitchell: I’m sure “Shanahanigans” will cause me to place my foot in my mouth, but I just can’t see how we can trust Trey Sermon after he played a mere two offensive snaps in their last game. Despite being a bit banged up, Mitchell returned to a starter’s role and played 68% of snaps in week five. If Lance is at QB, that will likely eat into Mitchell’s rushing workload, but he stays within FLEX consideration (and leverage captain consideration) regardless of who SF starts under center.

TE Mo Alie-Cox: Should see an uptick in targets with the Campbell/Hilton injuries. He holds a valuable role in the red zone as well and has brought in three TDs in the last three weeks.

Flex Fillers, Fliers, and Sleepers:

WR Brandon Aiyuk: Sureeeely Aiyuk returns to fantasy relevancy soon, right? After an impressive rookie year, Aiyuk has been all but invisible despite playing 65.8% of snaps (2nd most among SF WRs). Hope is fading fast for the Aiyuk believers and this definitely doesn’t stand out as a great game environment for him to finally piece together a strong performance. In spite of his season being essentially a wash up to this point, he's worth some consideration as a single-game GPP target.

RB Nyheim Hines: If the Colts fall behind in this game, Hines may actually see some valuable playing time. You would think that his receiving prowess would come in handy as well considering how banged up the Colts are. The weather may force more short passes and dump-offs as well, which are the sort of looks that are Hines' bread and butter. He does easily get scripted out of games, however.

WR Zach Paschal: Still saw an 85% snap% last week despite drawing only one target. The 49ers secondary is weakest against the slot (7th most FPPG allowed to slot WRs L4Gms) where Paschal has run 84% of his routes. He’s had a major role in the red zone as well with a massive 40.9% Redzone TGT%. It’s a good spot for him to see 5-to-8 targets with a chance at a TD.

WR Mohamed Sanu: Has played between 46% and 64% of snaps in the 49ers last three games and has seen a serviceable 13.3% TGT% in that span. The absence of George Kittle should help Sanu’s target floor.

RB/FB Kyle Juszczyk: Without knowing showdown pricing for this game at the time of this writing, if Juszczyk checks in around $4,000 or under, it’s hard to completely hate him as a lineup filler/flier, especially if Sermon continues to be an afterthought in the run game. He’s seen four targets in three straight games and is always a candidate to vulture a goal line TD.

TE Ross Dwelley: Without Kittle available in week five, Dwelley played 91% of snaps and caught both of his targets for 25 yards. With Kittle still riding the IR, Dwelley should once again rarely leave the field in this game so there’s always some potential to be had as long as he’s out there running routes and not simply being utilized as a run blocker.

Both D/STs: Given the potential for wet and very windy weather, and already low 44 O/U has a strong chance of going under here. It wouldn’t shock me to see a double-digit fantasy point performance from one of these D/STs.

Stack Concepts:

Note: [*Player Name] indicates captain selection.

*Jonathan Taylor, Deebo Samuel, Trey Lance (or Jimmy G, if he starts): Taylor makes the most sense at the CPT slot in what could be a run-heavy game plan due to the weather. It’s possible he sees a few extra targets as well considering downfield completions will be much harder to pull off in 30+ mph wind conditions.

*Trey Lance (or Jimmy G, if he starts), Deebo Samuel, Mohamed Sanu: As mentioned above, the Colts do rank 1st in the NFL in rush DVOA so, try as they may, it could be tough sledding on the ground for San Francisco. Playing the 49ers QB + two of their pass catchers makes sense if the Colts manage to shut the Niners run game down. Lance should still be able to produce decent rushing numbers regardless (*if he starts).

*Deebo Samuel, Jonathan Taylor, Mo Alie-Cox: Due to his proven ceiling and the lack of other reliable receiving options, I wouldn’t be surprised if Samuel comes away as the only 49ers WR or TE in the optimal lineup, so slotting him in at captain makes sense. I like running it back with Taylor and a Colts receiving option like Alie-Cox on the other end, who both have strong TD potential.

*Carson Wentz, Nyheim Hines, Michael Pittman Jr. (fade Jonathan Taylor): If Indy falls behind big, Taylor could be phased out a bit or at least surrender some snaps to Hines which would entail additional Wentz passes. As mentioned ad nauseam, the weather looks like it will force more of a ground game approach, but it’s possible the Colts may be forced into a pass-heavy script whether they like it or not.

*Michael Pittman Jr., Carson Wentz, Eli Mitchell: It’s a decent spot for Pittman to command 10+ targets. He’s seen a strong 27.3% redzone TGT% but has only converted 33% of those into catches. Some positive TD regression will eventually hit.

New Orleans Saints (-5) @ Seattle Seahawks | 43 O/U

NO: 24.0 implied points | SEA: 19.0 implied points

Notable DFS Relevant Injuries: QB Russell Wilson (finger) - Out/IR, QB Taysom Hill (concussion) - Questionable, RB Chris Carson (neck) - Out/IR, RB Alex Collins (hip/glute) - Questionable, WR Deonte Harris (hamstring) - Questionable, RB Rashaad Penny (calf) - IR (but may return this week)

Score Prediction: NO - 27, SEA - 20

Game Notes & Showdown Lineup Construction: I believe what I’m most excited about for this game is the return of the Manning Cast! Otherwise, there isn’t much jumping out here. I do expect a somewhat close game, as you can tell by the score prediction. But let’s face it, who is really getting hyped about Geno Smith versus Jameis Winston in primetime? The Saints are one of the more difficult teams to get a beat on right now but they’ve looked very capable on offense at times this season while also possessing the 3rd best defense in terms of DVOA. I believe a Geno Smith-led Seahawks offense can do enough to hang around and make things interesting, much like they did against Pittsburgh this past Sunday night, but ultimately I don’t see them sustaining enough drives needed to outpace the Saints. The Seahawks defense also isn’t strong enough to put the team on their back and will Seattle to a victory (unless we get the whacky turnover-happy version of Jameis Winston). Ultimately, this feels like one of those games you tune into and by the end of it, you’re in a bit of a daze and left wondering where the last three hours went. But I hope I’m proven wrong! Besides, we’re here to make some money with some showdown DFS contests, so who cares how entertaining the game is if we can bink some GPPs!?

For showdown lineup construction, I would prioritize build preference in the following order: 4-2 Saints, 3-3 balanced, 4-2 Seahawks, 5-1 Saints ‘smash’ builds. This is the one primetime game this week where I feel like a [Saints] blowout is a moderately strong enough outcome to where 5-1 Saints builds become viable from a more aggressively contrarian standpoint.

Players & Stacks to Consider

Top Captains and Core Flex Plays:

QB Jameis Winston: I like Jameis as a captain candidate more if Taysom Hill is sidelined. Hill suffered his concussion in week five and the Saints have since had their bye week. That’s probably enough time for him to clear the concussion protocol, though I have not seen any updates as of Wednesday evening. It isn’t as if Hill is a threat to steal significant passing work from Winston, but he does have a notable role rushing the ball in the red zone and has run in three TDs this season. If Hill isn’t a factor, that only stands to increase Winston’s TD upside. As for the match-up, Seattle’s defense has ranked 24th in pass DVOA and has allowed the 11th most yards per pass attempt (7.5 YPA).

RB Alvin Kamara: In week five, he finally saw a complete Kamara-esque workload in both the run game (16 carries) and pass game (8 targets). Lo and behold, he came through with his best fantasy outing of the season (29.2 DKFP) while scoring a TD both on the ground and through the air while helping New Orleans to a double-digit margin of victory. Seattle has been awful against RBs this season, allowing the 4th most FPPG to the position. Taysom Hill being inactive would also increase Kamara’s TD upside as well.

WR DK Metcalf: The quality of targets will be down with Geno at the helm but Metcalf commands captain consideration based on freakish talent alone. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Metcalf draw shadow treatment from Marshon Lattimore. However, Lattimore hasn’t been all that great this season so that may not be a bad thing. The Saints have also allowed the 3rd most FPPG to perimeter WRs over the last four games (Metcalf: 78% perimeter).

QB Geno Smith: I’m not overly comfortable placing Geno in this section as I think he’s better suited as a standard FLEX play (or a full fade) but QBs are almost auto-locked into at least some level of captain consideration. The Saints have also faced a fairly soft gauntlet of QBs and did give up 402 yards passing to Daniel Jones as well as 304 yards to Sam Darnold. If Geno is priced down enough once showdown salaries are released, a 260-ish yard day with a couple TDs and perhaps 20-40 yards rushing could be enough to push him over the edge as an optimal captain selection, under the right circumstances.

Flex Plays and Leverage Captain Options:

WR Marquez Callaway: After all the preseason hype, we finally got the big game out of Callaway in week five (4/85/2 on eight targets). That was against Washington's putrid secondary, so it’s not saying much, and it included two TDs, which isn’t a reliable thing to count on. But Seattle has given up the 8th most FPPG to WRs and Callaway’s 19.1% TGT%, while not spectacular, ranks 2nd highest on the team behind Kamara (20% TGT%). Callaway gets an extra bump if Deonte Harris can't go (14.5% TGT%, was also out in week five).

RB Alex Collins: It’s a tough match-up (Saints 2nd in run DVOA) and he’s dealing with some injury issues, but if he suits up, Collins is the de facto RB1 for Seattle and could likely see 15-20 carries.

WR Tyler Lockett: Can’t complain too much about the 25.3% TGT% on the season but he’s averaging just 3.8 receptions for 36.8 yards over the last four games with no TDs. Obviously, the QB downgrade doesn’t help his outlook but most people are going to feel the same level of disgust at playing Lockett as you and me. For now, Lockett should be viewed as an ownership leverage play. We know he can produce the big game but it’s a roll of the dice every time you roster him. But, as mentioned with Metcalf, the Saints have been struggling against WRs in their last four games, and that includes facing WR groups belonging to WAS, NYG, NE, & CAR -- there are some good individual WRs mixed in on those teams, but no higher-end WR duos like Metcalf and Lockett.

Saints D/ST: Would anyone be all too surprised if the Saints win this game by a score of, say, 24-10? Probably not. The Steelers sacked Geno five times and forced a fumble last week and I can imagine the Saints, with two weeks to prepare for this game, could come out and put Smith under similar duress.

Flex Fillers, Fliers, and Sleepers:

RB Rashaad Penny: If Collins gets ruled out and Penny is actually “back to full speed” this week, as Pete Carroll has said, then Penny gets an instant bump up to the section above. Penny has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career but he is a guy who has posted a 5.1 YPC average across his 163 NFL carries (along with 9.3 yards per reception). Given his inability to stay healthy, I can’t imagine he sees more than around a dozen touches even if Collins is out but if he looks good in practice this week, he’s worth a flier.

RB Deejay Dallas: Saw a respectable 34% snap% in week six and, more notably, caught 5-of-5 targets, though only for 33 yards. Dallas also gets a bump if Collins is out. For now, it seems as if he may be the preferred receiving back over Travis Homer, who only played five snaps last week.

WR Kenny Stills: Started in week five and played on 71% of snaps and was targeted five times (only amounted to two catches for 17 yards, though). If Stills lines up out of the slot on the majority of his routes on MNF, he’ll see some favorable coverage from Ugo Amadi. Seattle has allowed the 2nd most FPPG to slot WRs.

TE Gerald Everett: Returned from the COVID/reserve list in week six and his 40 yards receiving ranked second on the team. Everett essentially got all of his production on one 41-yard catch but he’ll be an adequate risk/reward flier with some decent TD potential attached.

Stack Concepts:

Note: [*Player Name] indicates captain selection.

*Alvin Kamara, Marquez Callaway, DK Metcalf: This simply feels like a solid core stack with the highest non-QB floor options featured. Kamara likely dominates captain ownership in this game, so we’re not exactly getting all too creative with this stack.

*Jameis Winston, Marquez Callaway, Alex Collins: Do we get gunslinger Jameis this week? Hey, it’s possible but he is only attempting 23.2 passes/gm for 178.4 YPG up to this point. His two big fantasy games this year included five passing TDs (week 1) and four passing TDs (week 5), which isn’t overly likely to happen. Against a bad Seattle defense, maybe he finally pieces together a more well-rounded 300+ yard, 3 TD kinda day. Somewhat wishful thinking, unless Seattle can pressure New Orleans into staying more aggressive through the air.

*DK Metcalf, Alvin Kamara, Gerald Everett: Just telling DK to run go routes and chucking it to him 10-15 times probably wouldn’t be the worst game plan for Seattle’s passing game. If they plan on winning this week, Metcalf is going to more than likely have to have a massive game.

*Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett: If Geno comes away as the optimal captain, he likely supported both Metcalf and Lockett more evenly as opposed to one guy going off far more than the other. Even though this seems like a pretty straightforward “QB + his top two pass catchers” stack, it should be fairly contrarian in showdown contests for this specific game.

Fade Alvin Kamara: If you only play one or two lineups, you probably should not take this “fade Kamara” advice. But if you roll out 20+ lineups, maybe consider keeping him out of 25-30% of those. Without knowing showdown salaries yet, I am almost certain Kamara will be the priciest player by a significant margin and will still probably check in at 80+% ownership (with the highest CPT% as well). Keeping him off of some lineups will instantly set you apart from the field. And, ya never know, this could be one of those games where New Orleans just misuses him, ~or~ Taysom Hill could suit up and vulture a touchdown or two, ~or~ Kamara could simply get banged up (not wishing for this, but it’s just a reality). Fading the top overall player in single-game DFS contests works out more than most people realize.

That will wrap us up for the Week 7 Primetime Preview! Be sure to check out the main slate breakdown linked in the header. Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck this week! Be on the lookout for the newsletter covering the main slate tomorrow!

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