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It was a solid Week 12 as Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was the perfect cash game option and the Ravens defense came through in a big way as well. San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle didn’t crush us in cash games, but I was hoping for more. The bye weeks are over so we have plenty of options to choose from in Week 13.
Quarterbacks
Cash Game Option:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jameis Winston ($11,300) – It makes me nervous to recommend a quarterback on the Bucs in cash games as we never know if the starter will finish the game, but it appears Winston won’t have a short leash. Winston is the 11th highest priced quarterback this week with a price tag that is extremely appealing. The Buccaneers take on a Panthers defense that ranks 27th in pass defensive DVOA according to Football Outsiders and allowed Russell Wilson of the Seahawks to throw for 339 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs are only 3.5 point underdogs so the game should stay close and they have an implied team total of 25.75. There are a lot of high priced quarterbacks this week that will make roster construction difficult which makes Winston even more appealing.
Tournament Option:
Minnesota Vikings Kirk Cousins ($10,800) – Cousins has thrown at least two touchdown passes in four of the last five games yet has the same exact price as rookie quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. That is mind blowing to me and we need to take advantage. The Vikings have elite wide receivers in Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs so there is always a threat to put up a lot of points. Cousins and company take on a Patriots pass defense that is ranked 19th in DVOA so this isn’t a difficult match-up. The good thing about the Vikings is it’s an easy stack as we know Cousins will throw to Thielen and Diggs the majority of the time. Cousins will have less than five percent ownership and I think he can easily throw for 300 yards with multiple touchdowns which makes him an attractive tournament option.
Tight Ends
Cash Game Option:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cameron Brate ($7,300) – The price tag hasn’t caught up to the new role for Brate as he is the only tight end for the Bucs after O.J. Howard was placed on injured reserve. In Brate’s first game without Howard, the tight end played 70 percent of the snaps and caught three passes along with a touchdown. The Panthers rank 30th against the tight end position which is another check mark for Brate. The combination of the match-up, price and the volume of snaps makes Brate a safe option in all formats.
Tournament Option:
Denver Broncos Matt LaCosse ($5,000) – At stone cold minimum price, LaCosse makes for an intriguing tournament option against the Bengals. Cincinnati’s defense can’t stop anyone in recent weeks so I really like the entire Broncos offense this week and they are surprisingly not as popular as I thought they would. Tight end Jeff Heuerman is out for the season with broken ribs and a bruised lung which makes LaCosse the number one replacement. After Heuerman was sidelined in Week 12 against the Steelers, LaCosse caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. This is a strong salary relief option that will help roster the studs.
Defenses
Chicago Bears ($6,400) – There aren’t many defenses that have the high floor along with enormous ceiling as the Bears and they aren’t priced too high that will restrict from using quality players at the other positions. The Bears have scored double digit FantasyDraft points in four consecutive games and will look to continue that against the Giants. Not only will the Bears force turnovers, but they rank sixth in sacks per game while the Giants have allowed the third most sacks in the league. The Bears are always a strong option and this week will be no different.