This article is part of our FantasyDraft NFL series.
As the NFL season winds down, Saturday games begin this week with the Bears in Detroit and Chargers in Kansas City. I'll supply my usual Sunday slate below, as well as a couple guys I like in the Saturday matchups.
Philip Rivers ($13,200) is the easiest quarterback to trust given his recent success and the favorable matchup against the Chiefs. I've been on him and Keenan Allen ($15,700) for the last few weeks and those two are must-plays in any Saturday DFS. Kareem Hunt ($12,400) finally came around last week, but the Chargers are playing well defensively. Even if you don't need to save money, Theo Riddick ($9,700) could be a useful play. Ameer Abdullah is expected to be active, but the Lions have suggested he may not get the starting job back upon return. And after getting 14 touches last week, Tarik Cohen ($7,800) is on the fantasy radar again versus the sieve-like Lions rush defense.
Outside of Allen at wide receiver, Golden Tate ($12,000) is the safest bet assuming Kyle Fuller gets assigned to Marvin Jones ($12,000) on the outside. Tyreek Hill ($11,600) doesn't have a great matchup, but it's hard to pass him up with only two games on Saturday.
As for Sunday's slate…
QUARTERBACK
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT vs. NE ($13,900): I could take the cheaper route with Jimmy Garoppolo ($11,100), but Roethlisberger is too hard to pass up in this spot. He's been a completely different quarterback since the first half of the season and has reached at least 28 fantasy points in three of his last four. Even if the Pats triple team Antonio Brown, the Steelers still have numerous other options, especially with JuJu Smith-Schuster back from suspension. And after New England's linebackers couldn't handle Kenyan Drake last week, think about what Le'Veon Bell will do against them.
RUNNING BACK
Le'Veon Bell, PIT vs. NE ($17,800): Speaking of Bell, he's too good to pass up even at this price. The Patriots rank last against the rush, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA, and that's not going to work against Bell, who has hit at least 29 fantasy points in his last three games. A big reason for that is his 35 receptions in the last four games and, as said above, the Pats didn't have anyone to stop Drake. Even if Bell only has 20 touches, he'll do enough with them to post another 30 fantasy points against a beatable defense.
Kenyan Drake, MIA at BUF ($10,900): The Bills rank last against running backs at FantasyDraft and are 24th against the rush in DVOA. They just let Frank Gore run through them in a snowstorm and allowed Rex Burkhead and Dion Lewis to combine for 27 carries for 170 yards before that. Even if Damien Williams returns, it'd be a surprise if he stole touches from Drake, who has 48 rushes and eight receptions the last two games. Because of Drake, the Dolphins have been potent on offense and that will be the case against the Bills.
WIDE RECEIVER
Devin Funchess, CAR vs. GB ($11,900): With loads of upside at running back, I'm going with consistency at wide receiver. Funchess has reached at least 13 fantasy points in every game since Kelvin Benjamin was traded. He has a touchdown in three of the last four games and faces a defense that ranks 31st against No. 1 wide receivers, according to DVOA.
Dede Westbrook, JAX vs. HOU ($10,400): There are a lot of cheap wide receivers to go after in this spot, but I'll use one that hopefully not many others are looking at. Westbrook made a name for himself in the preseason and now has 33 targets in his first four NFL games. Even with Blake Bortles at quarterback, he's had solid numbers the last few weeks. Against another beatable secondary in Houston, Westbrook should be headed for five catches and 70 or so yards.
TIGHT END
O.J. Howard, TB vs. ATL ($6,000): I went with Cameron Brate last week and I realize that should've never happened. Brate's snap totals have decreased in the last four games, while Howard is coming off a game in which he played 78.9% of Tampa Bay's offensive plays, a season high. Still listed like a tight end that splits his time, I'll take Howard and hope he can find the end zone again. He also has at least three receptions in three of the last four games, which gives him a decent floor at this price.
FLEX
Devonta Freeman, ATL at TB ($11,300): The last time these teams met, Freeman was inactive with a concussion and Tevin Coleman went for 97 yards and two touchdowns. This time around, Coleman could be inactive with a concussion, which only means Freeman could match last week's 24 carries. That could be enough against a Bucs defense that just let Theo Riddick run for a couple touchdowns against them. Even if Coleman plays, Freeman is headed for at least 80 yards and a touchdown.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT vs. NE ($11,500): I'm picking all of the Steelers, but that doesn't mean I'm picking them to win. I like their pricing better and they don't spread the fantasy wealth as much as the Patriots. In his return from suspension, Smith-Schuster could play a huge role in this game, especially if the Pats go all out to stop Antonio Brown. Because of that, Smith-Schuster's upside is too hard to pass up and it doesn't hurt that he has at least four receptions in his last four games.
DEFENSE
Philadelphia Eagles at NYG ($6,300): Without Carson Wentz, I expect the Eagles to play a more possession-based offense led by their running game. If that's the case, it'll lead to lower scoring games with Nick Foles at quarterback. It also helps that the Giants can't score no matter who is quarterback. The Eagles have at least two sacks in every game with the exception surprisingly being the first Giants matchup. I'll take Philly's defense against an offense that has 43 points in its last four games.
