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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz enters his bye week as QB20.
But with the Eagles trading for Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate — WR16 in fantasy this season — earlier this week, Wentz automatically moves into startable territory.
While both Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor have had their moments this season, they’ve both disappeared at times, too. Especially Agholor.
Tate also brings something to the Philadelphia offense that it didn’t previously have: — a deep threat.
Believe it or not, there’s a chance you might still be able to trade for both Tate and Wentz in your league. I’d even send an offer to the owner of Jeffery, too.
Tate hasn’t been putting up sexy numbers of late and his owner might be a little panicky considering he’s on a bye as well. If you need a wide receiver upgrade, Tate could be your guy.
I’m still a big fan of Wentz in both real and fantasy football. The addition of Tate only helps the Eagles offense and gives Wentz another option to throw to.
See what it would take.
But remember, don’t over pay. This is Eagles territory, which means there are probably more than a few Philly fans in your league so they may be tough to pull Tate and Wentz from. Don’t overpay.
QUARTERBACKS
Must have: Alex Smith, Washington Redskins
Full disclaimer here: I don’t love a ton of the quarterback matchups this week, however, Smith does draw the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta ranks second-to-last against quarterbacks this season. He is at the very least a starter in two-QB leagues this week with some reliable fantasy quarterbacks on bye.
Pass: Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
Who would have thought that Trubisky would be QB7 after eight weeks? Well, here we are. Stay away this week in a tough road matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
Worth a shot: Brock Osweiler, Miami Dolphins
I don’t feel great about this call, but Osweiler does get the New York Jets. The Jets rank 20th against quarterbacks. Osweiler is an interesting play in daily fantasy.
RUNNING BACKS
Must have: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
In a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Chubb has a shot to have a big day. He’s an RB2 this week, and quite possibly moving forward. It will be interesting to watch the Cleveland offense without Hue Jackson and Co.
Pass: Dion Lewis, Tennessee Titans
I’m a bit worried about Lewis in a tough matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas is one of the better defenses against running backs. Not to mention, Lewis hasn’t strung together back-to-back big performances yet. His last time out? Week 7 when he racked up 21.5 points.
Worth a shot: Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
You can run on the New England Patriots. After finally seeing a big afternoon from Jones, he has an opportunity to take complete control in the Green Bay backfield.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Must have: DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers
Believe it or not, Moore is coming on pretty strong here in his rookie campaign, which doesn’t happen very often. According to ESPN Fantasy, Moore ranks second on the team in targets-per-route and first among Carolina wideouts in catch percentage. In a matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’s a must start.
Pass: Demaryius Thomas, Houston Texans
Anxious to finally get some return in that early draft pick you spent on Thomas? Not so fast. I imagine he’ll be eased into the lineup this week as he learns the playbook. That Denver Broncos secondary is no slouch, either.
Worth a shot: Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins
Doctson is an interesting option in daily fantasy, especially if you’re trying to save money by using a Smith-Doctson stack.
TIGHT ENDS
Must have: O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Facing the No. 32 fantasy defense against tight ends? Howard is a top-10 tight end this weekend.
Pass: Trey Burton, Chicago Bears
Burton has a tough matchup this week in the Bills. I’m staying away if I can.
Worth a shot: Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Baltimore Ravens aren’t unstoppable against tight ends. If you’re desperate, McDonald should get some consideration.
DJ’S DAILY FANTASY LINEUP
QB: Alex Smith, Redskins – $7,500
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys – $8,400
RB: Nick Chubb, Browns – $6,600
WR: Josh Doctson, Redskins – $4,900
WR: DJ Moore, Panthers – $5,300
WR: Adam Thielen, Vikings – $8,900
TE: Greg Olsen, Panthers – $6,200
FLEX: Alvin Kamara, Saints – $8,000
D/ST: Minnesota Vikings – $4,100
Last week’s lineup: 130.46 points; 993rd of 2,857 entries
By choosing a Smith-Doctson stack, and going cheap on Moore and Chubb, I was able to build a solid lineup around three studs: Elliott, Thielen and Kamara.
— $60,000 salary ($100 remaining)
Prices and roster structure based on FanDuel standards