NFL Game Previews: Cowboys-Ravens Matchup

Dallas (+7) at Baltimore, o/u 45.0 – Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. EST

The Cowboys are the worst of the worst, sitting in the NFC East basement at 3-8 and carrying the worst point differential in the conference at minus-108, but they're also only one win back of the division lead. It would be the most 2020 thing if this club, without its starting QB and without a defense that can slow anyone down, somehow hosted a playoff game, but you can't rule it out, even after they got blown out at home by Washington on Thanksgiving. Andy Dalton hasn't done much to turn around the offense though — who could, given the state of the offensive line? — and Dallas has only scored more than 19 points once in its last six contests, which isn't going to cut it even in this woeful division. The Ravens (mostly) got through their COVID-19 situation only to come up short against the Steelers once again on (checks notes) Wednesday afternoon? What's the acronym for that, WAF? Losing three straight and four of their last five has dropped them out of a wild-card spot, but none of those losses were by more than a single score, and their remaining schedule features only one dangerous opponent in the Browns. If Lamar Jackson can't clear the COVID protocols, though, they may have to try to run the table with Trace McSorley under center. McSorley was a sixth-round pick in 2019 and only attempted his first NFL pass last week in relief of Robert Griffin, but on the other hand, the kid arguably did a better job finding Marquise Brown than Jackson's done all season, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Whichever of them gets the call only has to deal with the Cowboys secondary anyway, so it's not like it's a tough assignment.

The Skinny

DAL injuries: LT Cameron Erving (doubtful, knee), RT Zack Martin (out, calf), OLB Aldon Smith (questionable, illness), CB Anthony Brown (questionable, ribs), S Donovan Wilson (questionable, groin) 

BAL injuries: QB Jackson (questionable, COVID), QB Griffin (IR, thigh), WR Willie Snead (questionable, COVID), TE Mark Andrews (doubtful, COVID), CB Jimmy Smith (questionable, groin), S Chuck Clark (questionable, knee)

DAL DFS targets: Michael Gallup $3,400 DK (BAL 22nd in DVOA vs. WR2)

BAL DFS targets: Lamar Jackson $6,700 DK (DAL 30th in QB rating against, 32nd in TD% allowed), J.K. Dobbins $5,600 DK (DAL 29th in rushing DVOA, 32nd in rushing yards per game allowed, 31st in YPC allowed), Marquise Brown $5,000 DK (DAL 29th in DVOA vs. deep throws), Devin Duvernay $3,000 DK (DAL 32nd in DVOA vs. WR2)

DAL DFS fades: Andy Dalton $5,400 DK (BAL second in YPA allowed), Ezekiel Elliott $6,500 DK (BAL fourth in rushing DVOA), CeeDee Lamb $4,700 DK (BAL third in DVOA vs. WR3)

BAL DFS fades: none

Key stat: DAL is 22nd in third-down conversions at 40.3 percent; BAL is third in third-down defense at 35.3 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-30s, 9-10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of snow

The Scoop: Ezekiel Elliott picks up 60 yards. Dalton throws for 230 yards and a TD to Gallup but gets sacked five times. Dobbins leads the BAL backfield with 90 yards and a touchdown. Jackson plays and throws for 240 yards and a TD to Duvernay while also running for 50 yards and a score of his own. Ravens, 27-10

Washington (+7) at Pittsburgh, o/u 42.0 – Monday, 5 p.m. EST

Speaking of all that COVID-related schedule juggling, Goodell is doing everything he can to give the Steelers blackboard fodder and foster an "us against the world, nobody wants us to win" mentality in their locker room. Just so we're clear – Baltimore gets absolutely hammered by a breakout, last week's meeting between them gets pushed back three times to accommodate it... and it's Pittsburgh that ends up getting a day less rest the following week, playing Monday after a Wednesday afternoon game instead of Tuesday? This after the Steelers' bye week got jerked around earlier in the season because of the Titans' outbreak? Washington's playing for a division title (LOL), so they'd be bringing their A-game even if the Steelers weren't undefeated, and they do have the weapons in Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin to pull an upset if Pittsburgh lets them hang around. This doesn't feel like a spot in which they'll get that chance, though. Unblemished record or not, there are some frustrations building up that need to get taken out on the field. The Ravens were able to keep things close against Ben Roethlisberger and company, but the Bengals and Jaguars couldn't, and Washington seems a lot closer in quality to the latter duo.

The Skinny

WAS injuries: WR McLaurin (questionable, ankle), RT Morgan Moses (questionable, knee)

PIT injuries: QB Roesthlisberger (questionable, knee), RB James Conner (questionable, COVID), C Maurkice Pouncey (questionable, COVID), K Chris Boswell (questionable, hip), CB Steven Nelson (doubtful, knee)

WAS DFS targets: Terry McLaurin $6,800 DK / $7,300 FD (PIT 26th in DVOA vs. WR1)

PIT DFS targets: Diontae Johnson $6,500 DK / $6,800 FD (WAS 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1), Eric Ebron $4,400 DK / $5,600 FD (WAS 29th in DVOA vs. TE), Steelers DST $4,300 DK / $5,000 FD (first in sack rate, first in INT%, first in takeaways, WAS 30th in sack rate allowed)

WAS DFS fades: Alex Smith $5,100 DK / $6,600 FD (PIT first in passing DVOA, first in QB rating against, first in passing yards per game allowed), Antonio Gibson $6,800 DK / $6,700 FD (PIT third in rushing DVOA, t-second in rushing TDs allowed), Logan Thomas $3,400 DK / $5,300 FD (PIT first in DVOA vs. TE)

PIT DFS fades: Ben Roethlisberger $6,500 DK / $7,600 FD (WAS third in passing DVOA, second in passing yards per game allowed), JuJu Smith-Schuster $5,800 DK / $6,200 FD (WAS fourth in DVOA vs. WR2), Chase Claypool $6,300 DK / $6,700 FD (WAS first in DVOA vs. WR3)

Key stat: WAS 24th in third-down conversions at 39.7 percent; PIT is eighth in third-down defense at 37.5 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-30s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of snow

The Scoop: Gibson manages 50 yards. Smith throws for under 200 yards. Benny Snell leads the PIT backfield with 70 yards and a TD. Roethlisberger throws for 260 yards and two touchdowns, finding Johnson and Ebron. Steelers, 27-9

Buffalo "at" San Francisco (PK), o/u 47.5 – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST

The Bills continue to stay ahead of the Dolphins in the AFC East, having won four of their last five. The offensive lull they suffered through in October, when they failed to score more than 18 points in three straight games, has been long forgotten – Buffalo's averaged better than 31 points a game over their last four contests, even though Josh Allen isn't quite matching his early-season pace. Getting some consistent production out of the backfield would be nice too, and Devin Singletary is coming off one of his best performances of the year, but Stefon Diggs and the passing game will remain the focal point. The 49ers upset the Rams again last week to climb to 5-6, keeping them on the fringes of the wild-card picture in the NFC, but their path to the playoffs got tougher even though their roster is getting healthier. Public health restrictions back in Santa Clara County prevent them from practicing or playing games at home, so for now, they'll share the Cardinals' digs in Glendale. Nick Mullens continues to start, but his 4:4 TD:INT over the last four games isn't exactly inspiring, and it's come as his receiving corps has gotten back to just about full strength. Of course, George Kittle remains on IR, so there won't be more reinforcements coming right away. The defensive line also remains a patchwork affair, and while guys like Kerry Hyder have done way more than anyone could have expected filling in, a pass rush missing Nick Bosa, Dee Ford and others just isn't going to be consistent, no matter how many adjustments defensive coordinator Robert Saleh makes.

The Skinny

BUF injuries: none

SF injuries: CB Emmanuel Moseley (questionable, hamstring), CB K'Waun Williams (out, ankle)

BUF DFS targets: Gabriel Davis $4,300 DK / $4,800 FD (SF 30th in DVOA vs. WR3)

SF DFS targets: Raheem Mostert $6,200 DK / $7,000 FD (BUF 25th in rushing yards per game allowed, 27th in YPC allowed, t-29th in rushing TDs allowed)

BUF DFS fades: Stefon Diggs $7,500 DK / $7,900 FD (SF fourth in DVOA vs. WR1), Dawson Knox $2,900 DK / $4,400 FD (SF fifth in DVOA vs. TE)

SF DFS fades: none

Key stat: BUF is second in third-down conversions at 49.6 percent; SF is ninth in third-down defense at 37.6 percent

Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Singletary leads the BUF backfield with 80 scrimmage yards and a score. Allen throws for 270 yards and two TDs, hitting Diggs and Davis, while also running in a touchdown of his own. Mostert leads the SF backfield with 100 yards and a TD. Mullens throws for 250 yards and touchdowns to Deebo Samuel and Jordan Reed. Bills, 31-27 

Cleveland (+5.5) at Tennessee, o/u 53.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

It's beginning to look a lot like playoffs for Cleveland. While it would take a massive collapse by the Steelers to get them a division title, the Browns are sitting pretty in the top AFC wild-card spot heading into Week 13, and last week's losses by the Ravens and Raiders thinned the herd trying to catch up to them considerably. There's still a chance the franchise with the longest active postseason drought in the league will blow it, of course, but a closing schedule that includes the Giants and Jets should be enough to get them to double-digit wins for the first time since 2007. Baker Mayfield's production remains disappointing as a result of Kevin Stefanski's focus on the running game, but he's doing his job driving the bus and hasn't thrown a pick since Week 7. That's also given Nick Chubb an opportunity to make up for lost time, and he's piled up 384 rushing yards and two TDs the last three games. Had he not gotten hurt he'd be right there with Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook battling for the rushing crown. Speaking of Henry, his massive performance last week made a strong MVP case for DeForest Buckner, but it also launched the Titans into the lead in the AFC South. Tennessee's final stretch includes games against the Jags, Lions and Texans too, with only a road game against the Packers in Week 16 looking daunting, but if any team is equipped to win at Lambeau in late December it's the one with Henry plowing through whatever you put in front of him, whether it's snow or would-be tacklers.

The Skinny

CLE injuries: WR KhaDarel Hodge (out, hamstring), CB Denzel Ward (out, calf)

TEN injuries: TE Jonnu Smith (out, knee), LT Isaiah Wilson (out, illness), LG Rodger Saffold (questionable, ankle), CB Adoree' Jackson (out, knee)

CLE DFS targets: Baker Mayfield $5,300 DK / $7,100 FD (TEN 27th in passing DVOA, 28th in passing yards per game allowed), Austin Hooper $3,800 DK / $5,300 FD (TEN 31st in DVOA vs. TE)

TEN DFS targets: Anthony Firkser $2,500 DK / $4,600 FD (CLE 27th in DVOA vs. TE)

CLE DFS fades: none

TEN DFS fades: A.J. Brown $7,600 DK / $8,200 FD (CLE third in DVOA vs. WR1)

Key stat: TEN is eighth in third-down conversions at 44.3 percent; CLE is t-23rd in third-down defense at 44.9 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-40s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Chubb bangs out 110 yards and a touchdown, while Kareem Hunt also catches a TD pass. Mayfield throws for 250 yards and a second score to Hooper. Henry hammers out 140 yards and two TDs. Ryan Tannehill throws for 270 yards and two touchdowns, finding Firkser and Brown. Titans, 34-24

Las Vegas at N.Y. Jets (+8.5), o/u 47.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Apparently, the Raiders took that "stays in Vegas" tourism slogan literally. Their embarrassing no-show in Atlanta last week dealt a potentially crushing blow to their postseason hopes — they were never going to catch Kansas City, but at 6-5 they're now on the outside of the wild-card picture as well, and their final month includes two games against other playoff hopefuls (the Colts and Dolphins) and two against AFC West rivals, albeit the lesser ones. There might be a nagging feeling of deja vu here for Raiders fans, as the team was sitting at 6-4 last year and gaming out paths to the playoffs before a Week 12 blowout loss brought reality crashing home. That 34-3 loss, incidentally, was to the Jets, but if they're going to avenge it the Raiders will have to do it without Josh Jacobs, who injured his ankle against the Falcons. Whether that means they lean more heavily on Devontae Booker or Derek Carr remains to be seen, but the numbers suggest the latter approach is the better one. The Jets, of course, absolutely do not want a repeat of that 2019 victory. The Jags remain only one win ahead of them and are trotting out Mike Glennon to play quarterback for pity's sake, so any sudden display of competency here could put that No. 1 draft pick in serious peril. Sam Darnold did look pretty terrible last week in his return, but that was against Miami. The Vegas secondary doesn't pose the same sort of challenge, and Gang Green does sneakily have one of the best WR groups in the league thanks to a second-half surge by Denzel Mims. No, really — after the Buccaneers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown) and the Cowboys (Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup), the Jets' trio of Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman and Mims is as good as it gets. If only any other position group on the roster had half as much talent.

The Skinny

LV injuries: RB Jacobs (out, ankle), CB Trayvon Mullen (questionable, illness), S Johnathan Abram (out, knee)

NYJ injuries: LG Pat Elflein (questionable, shoulder), RT George Fant (questionable, ankle)

LV DFS targets: Derek Carr $5,800 DK / $7,200 FD (NYJ 32nd in passing DVOA, 29th in QB rating against, 30th in passing yards per game allowed), Nelson Agholor $5,200 DK / $5,400 FD (NYJ 30th in DVOA vs. WR1, 32nd in DVOA vs. deep throws), Hunter Renfrow $4,300 DK / $5,400 FD (NYJ 31st in DVOA vs. WR2)

NYJ DFS targets: Frank Gore $4,400 DK / $5,300 FD (LV 30th in rushing DVOA, t-31st in rushing TDs allowed)

LV DFS fades: none

NYJ DFS fades: Chris Herndon $2,500 DK / $4,500 FD (LV second in DVOA vs. TE)

Key stat: LV is third in third-down conversions at 49.3 percent; NYJ are 26th in third-down defense at 46.0 percent

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 30s, 13 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Booker runs for 80 yards and a TD. Carr throws for 290 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Agholor, Henry Ruggs and Darren Waller. Gore grinds out 70 yards and a score. Darnold throws for 230 yards and a TD to Crowder. Raiders, 31-17

Jacksonville (+10) at Minnesota, o/u 51.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

You're not fooling anyone, Doug Marrone. Mike Glennon is a 30-year-old journeyman who didn't complete 60 percent of his passes in last week's start, and he might still show up as the football equivalent of Slenderman in the nightmares of some Tampa fans, but yeah, give him another look, just to be sure. The Jags are clearly trying to make sure they get one of the top two picks in next year's draft, and Gardner Minshew has just enough moxie to maybe steal a win down the stretch, so on the bench he stays. To be honest, Marrone probably doesn't have to worry. Jacksonville's final four games are all against teams currently hunting for playoff spots, although the Bears could be out of the NFC race by the time Week 16 rolls around. (Imagine that titanic QB clash: Glennon vs. Mitchell Trubisky. The mind reels.) At 5-6, the Vikings are only one game back of the Cards for the final wild-card spot in the NFC, and having won four of their last five they're not out of it yet. Kirk Cousins has been on fire lately, posting an 11:1 TD:INT, 71.8 percent completion rate and 8.6 YPA over the last four games, but his outburst has come at Dalvin Cook's expense, and the RB has failed to run for 100 yards or score a TD in two of the last three contests. The Jags' secondary might be the worst in the league (not the the Vikings' group is much better), and Adam Thielen will be back in action, so that trend might continue for at least one more week.

The Skinny

JAC injuries: RT Jawaan Taylor (questionable, knee), CB Sidney Jones (out, Achilles), S Jarrod Wilson (questionable, shoulder)

MIN injuries: TE Irv Smith (out, back)

JAC DFS targets: DJ Chark $5,400 DK / $6,300 FD (MIN 31st in DVOA vs. WR1) 

MIN DFS targets: Kirk Cousins $6,400 DK / $7,300 FD (JAC 31st in passing DVOA, 32nd in QB rating against, 29th in passing yards per game allowed, 32nd in YPA allowed, 31st in TD% allowed)

JAC DFS fades: James Robinson $7,300 DK / $7,800 FD (MIN t-second in rushing TDs allowed, second in passing DVOA vs. RB)

MIN DFS fades: none

Key stat: MIN is first in red-zone conversions at 77.8 percent; JAC is 12th in red-zone defense at 61.0 percent

Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Robinson picks up 80 scrimmage yards. Glennon throws for 240 yards and two TDs to Chark, who tops 100 yards, but he also gets picked off twice. Cook fires up 130 combined yards and two scores. Cousins throws for 320 yards and three touchdowns, two to Thielen (who also tops 100 yards) and one to Kyle Rudolph. Vikings, 35-17 

Cincinnati (+11.5) at Miami, o/u 42.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Bengals' first game without Joe Burrow went about as well as expected, with Brandon Allen managing a 4.7 YPA in a loss to the Giants. Cincy's actually well-positioned for the 2021 draft at the moment — at 2-8-1 they'd be picking third, and presuming the Jets and Jags grab Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields in some order, that would give the Bengals their pick of the non-QB talent (ahem, might want to look for some o-line help there guys). Joe Mixon will also be sidelined at least one more week, and Giovani Bernard hasn't done anything to suggest Mixon won't immediately get a huge workload as soon as he's ready to handle it. The Dolphins are in a wild-card spot, but they have their sights set higher as they're also only a game back of the Bills in the AFC East, with a game in Buffalo looming in Week 17. Brian Flores has done a great job putting this team back together after it got Gased, and he's done so despite basically having a turnstile in the backfield. Myles Gaskin might be healthy enough to come off IR and resume a starting role, but if not Patrick Laird and rookie gadget player Lynn Bowden are the only backs on the depth chart not on the injury report. Tua Tagovailoa is also a game-time call as he works his way back from a thumb injury, but arguably Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't a downgrade if the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft isn't ready.

The Skinny

CIN injuries: RG Alex Redmond (out, concussion)

MIA injuries: QB Tagovailoa (questionable, thumb), RB Salvon Ahmed (doubtful, shoulder), RB DeAndre Washington (doubtful, hamstring), RB Matt Breida (out, COVID), WR Malcolm Perry (questionable, chest)

CIN DFS targets: Giovani Bernard $5,200 DK / $5,800 FD (MIA 29th in YPC allowed, 26th in passing DVOA vs. RB)

MIA DFS targets: Ryan Fitzpatrick $6,000 DK / $7,400 FD (CIN 26th in passing DVOA), Patrick Laird $4,000 DK / $4,800 FD (CIN 30th in rushing yards per game allowed, 28th in YPC allowed), Mack Hollins $3,000 DK / $4,600 FD (CIN 31st in DVOA vs. WR3)

CIN DFS fades: Tee Higgins $4,600 DK / $6,400 FD (MIA first in DVOA vs. WR2)

MIA DFS fades: none

Key stat: CIN is 29th in third-down conversions at 36.2 percent; MIA is first in third-down defense at 32.8 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Bernard stitches together 70 combined yards and a receiving TD. Allen throws for 210 yards and gets picked off twice, one of which Eric Rowe returns to the house. Gaskin dashes for 90 yards and a touchdown in his return, while Laird adds 50 yards and a score. Fitzgerald gets the start and throws for 240 yards and a TD to Mike Gesicki. Dolphins, 31-10 

Indianapolis at Houston (+3.5), o/u 50.5 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Colts got bulldozed by Derrick Henry last week, and as a result they're now staring up at the Titans in the AFC South. It's hard to overstate how big an impact DeForest Bucker has had in the middle of the Colts' defensive line and how much they missed him in Week 12; Henry is the only RB to have a 100-yard game against them this season, and with Buckner in the lineup the Tennessee stud barely reached that mark and wasn't able to score in the first meeting between the division rivals. Without Buckner, he erupts for 178 yards and three TDs. Fortunately for Indy, he's back after a brief stay on the COVID list. So is Jonathan Taylor, who looked poised to finally seize the starting job in the backfield after he racked up more than 100 scrimmage yards for the third time in Week 11. Neither Jordan Wilkins nor Nyheim Hines did much on the ground in the rookie's absence, so hope can continue to spring eternal for that breakout, especially against a Texans defense that's been awful against the run. At least Houston has that deep group of wide receivers for Deshaun Watson to throw to ... hey, where'd they all go? It's amazing how quickly this went from a strength to a weakness for the club. A few weeks ago, Kenny Stills couldn't even get on the field. Now, Stills is a free agent looking for a better opportunity, Randall Cobb is on IR, and Will Fuller is suspended for the rest of the year. The Texans should get David Johnson off IR to head the backfield again at least, but, well, see the stuff about Buckner above.

The Skinny

IND injuries: LT Anthony Castonzo (out, knee), S Khari Willis (out, back)

HOU injuries: WR Fuller (out, suspension)

IND DFS targets: Philip Rivers $5,900 DK / $7,000 FD (HOU 31st in QB rating against, 27th in YPA allowed), Jonathan Taylor $5,700 DK / $6,400 FD (HOU 31st in rushing yards per game allowed, 32nd in YPC allowed), T.Y. Hilton $4,300 DK / $5,600 FD (HOU 28th in DVOA vs. WR2), Trey Burton $3,500 DK / $5,500 FD (HOU 28th in DVOA vs. TE)

HOU DFS targets: Brandin Cooks $5,600 DK / $6,500 FD (IND 20th in DVOA vs. WR1)

IND DFS fades: none

HOU DFS fades: Keke Coutee $3,500 DK / $4,800 FD (IND second in DVOA vs. WR2), Texans DST $2,800 DK / $3,700 FD (32nd in INT%, 32nd in takeaways, IND second in sack rate allowed)

Key stat: HOU is 19th in red-zone conversions at 59.4 percent; IND is 27th in red-zone defense at 67.6 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years including playoffs: 6-5 IND, average score 22-20 IND, average margin of victory six points. Eleven of the last 12 regular-season matchups have been decided by a single score, with the lone exception being a 22-13 IND victory in Week 17 of 2017

Weather forecast: retractable roof

The Scoop: Taylor runs for 100 yards and a touchdown, while Hines adds 60 combined yards. Rivers throws for 240 yards and two scores, hitting Michael Pittman and Mo Alie-Cox. David J manages 80 scrimmage yards, while Duke Johnson catches a TD. Watson throws for 280 yards and two more touchdowns, hitting Cooks (who tops 100 yards) and Isaiah Coulter. Texans, 24-21

Detroit (+3) at Chicago, o/u 45.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Technically, the Lions could still make a push for a playoff spot. They'd finish with nine wins if they run the table, and with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell replacing Matt Patricia in a long-overdue coaching switch, that might provide the spark they need to go on a run. Then again, every team on their remaining schedule has a better record than them, so if they somehow pull it off they'll have more than earned it. Kenny Golladay is also still sidelined for at least another week, making it that much tougher for Matthew Stafford (himself still not 100 percent) to rally the troops. Bevell's history as an OC says he'll lean heavily on the running game anyway, so even if D'Andre Swift is back in action, Adrian Peterson should still see work. The Bears are only a win ahead of their NFC North rivals, having lost five consecutive games after their fast start, but their closing slate is a lot friendlier and includes the Texans and Jags. Mitchell Trubisky led the offense to 25 points last week, its highest output since Week 3 (which, perhaps not coincidentally, was Trubisky's last start before getting benched in favor of Nick Foles), but the defense got torched by Aaron Rodgers and could be wearing down after carrying the load all season. David Montgomery also put together his best performance of the year, giving him plenty of momentum heading into a clash with Detroit's less-than stellar front seven. For better or worse though, Chicago will probably only go as far as Trubisky can take them.

The Skinny

DET injuries:n QB Stafford (questionable, thumb), RB Swift (questionable, illness), WR Golladay (out, hip), CB Jeff Okudah (out, shoulder), S Tracy Walker (questionable, personal)

CHI injuries: QB Foles (questionable, hip), WR Allen Robinson (questionable, knee), WR Darnell Mooney (questionable, knee), LT Charles Leno (questionable, toe), RT Germain Ifedi (questionable, calf), DE Akiem Hicks (questionable, hamstring), OLB Khalil Mack (questionable, back)

DET DFS targets: Mohamed Sanu $3,000 DK / $4,900 FD (CHI 29th in DVOA vs. WR3)

CHI DFS targets: Mitchell Trubisky $5,400 DK / $6,900 FD (DET 28th in passing DVOA, 27th in QB rating against), David Montgomery $5,500 DK / $6,200 FD (DET t-31st in rushing TDs allowed, 32nd in passing DVOA vs. RB), Darnell Mooney $3,400 DK / $5,100 FD (DET 30th in DVOA vs. deep throws)

DET DFS fades: D'Andre Swift $6,500 DK / $6,800 FD (CHI fifth in rushing DVOA, first in passing DVOA vs. RB), Marvin Jones $5,700 DK / $6,000 FD (CHI first in DVOA vs. WR1)

CHI DFS fades: none

Key stat: DET is 25th in third-down conversions at 39.6 percent; CHI is second in third-down defense at 34.8 percent

Head-to-head record, last five-plus years: 6-5 CHI, average score 23-21 CHI, average margin of victory five points. CHI has won five straight meetings by an average score of 26-19, including a 27-23 victory in Week 1

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-30s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Peterson leads the DET backfield with 60 yards. Stafford throws for 250 yards and two TDs, finding T.J. Hockenson and Sanu. Montgomery pops for 110 scrimmage yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Trubisky throws for 240 yards and a second touchdown to Robinson. Bears, 24-20 

New Orleans at Atlanta (+3), o/u 45.0 – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Saints' winning streak now stands at eight games, and while the Taysom Hill Show is morbidly entertaining (four rushing TDs, zero passing TDs in two starts) unless you have Alvin Kamara shares, it's the defense that's been marching the club toward the top seed in the NFC. New Orleans has allowed a total of 28 points in its last four games, and while holding a QB-less Broncos squad to a field goal might not be that impressive, they also kept Tom Brady and Matt Ryan out of the end zone during that stretch. That gives Sean Payton plenty of leeway to continue experimenting with Hill as his "quarterback." Ryan gets another crack at solving the Saints, but the results aren't likely to be much better. He failed to throw for 200 yards for the first time all season last week against the Raiders, though that was mainly because he didn't have to in a blowout win, but his second-lowest yardage total came the week before in the first meeting with the Saints. Julio Jones could also be back in action after straining his hamstring in that Week 11 clash — he managed only two targets on 22 snaps before exiting that contest.

The Skinny

NO injuries: CB Janoris Jenkins (out, knee)

ATL injuries: RB Todd Gurley (questionable, knee), WR Jones (questionable, hamstring), LG James Carpenter (out, groin), DE Dante Fowler (questionable, hamstring) 

NO DFS targets: Taysom Hill $6,300 DK / $7,700 FD (ATL 28th in QB rating against, 31st in passing yards per game allowed, 30th in YPA allowed, t-31st in rushing TDs allowed to QB), Jared Cook $3,700 DK / $5,500 FD (ATL 30th in DVOA vs. TE)

ATL DFS targets: Christian Blake $3,000 DK / $4,600 FD (NO 21st in DVOA vs. WR3)

NO DFS fades: Alvin Kamara $7,000 DK / $7,500 FD (ATL sixth in rushing DVOA, sixth in rushing yards per game allowed)

ATL DFS fades: Matt Ryan $5,600 DK / $7,400 FD (NO second in passing DVOA), Todd Gurley $5,300 DK / $6,600 FD (NO second in rushing DVOA, second in rushing yards per game allowed, second in YPC allowed, first in rushing TDs allowed), Hayden Hurst $4,000 DK / $5,600 FD (NO third in DVOA vs. TE)

Key stat: NO is eighth in red-zone conversions at 68.1 percent; ATL is 29th in red-zone defense at 71.4 percent

Head-to-head record, last five-plus years: 7-4 NO, average score 26-24 NO, average margin of victory 10 points. NO has won five of the last six meetings, including a 24-9 victory in Week 11

Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Kamara picks up 70 scrimmage yards, while Latavius Murray adds 50 yards and a touchdown. Hill throws for 220 yards and his first career passing TD to Michael Thomas, while also running in another score. Gurley plays but gets held to 50 yards. Ryan throws for 260 yards and touchdowns to Julio and Blake. Saints, 27-23

N.Y. Giants (+10.5) at Seattle, o/u 47.0 – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST

All hail the mighty Giants, sitting in first place in the NFC East with, err, four whole wins. (They've got the same record as Washington, but New York holds the tiebreaker, having swept the season series). Given how little separates the four teams, it's still anybody's division to win, but it's still better to be on top than on the bottom with five weeks to go. The Giants have gotten this far without Saquon Barkley, thanks to an occasionally stout defense, but now they might have to figure out how to win without Daniel Jones, who strained a hamstring last week. Colt McCoy isn't much of a backup, but he fits right in with Andy Dalton and Alex Smith. The Seahawks are leading their division as well, but pacing the NFC West is just a bit more impressive. They've won two straight, and surprisingly it's been the defense stepping up for Seattle — the unit hasn't given up more than 23 points in three consecutive games, which most weeks is going to be more than enough cushion for Russell Wilson.

The Skinny

NYG injuries: QB Jones (doubtful, hamstring)

SEA injuries: RB Carlos Hyde (questionable, toe), RG Damien Lewis (questionable, groin), RT Brandon Shell (doubtful, ankle), DE Carlos Dunlap (questionable, foot), CB Tre Flowers (doubtful, hamstring)

NYG DFS targets: Colt McCoy $4,800 DK / $6,500 FD (SEA 29th in passing DVOA, 32nd in passing yards per game allowed), Wayne Gallman $5,600 DK / $6,100 FD (SEA t-26th in rushing TDs allowed, 30th in passing DVOA vs. RB), Darius Slayton $4,600 DK / $5,700 FD (SEA 28th in DVOA vs. deep throws)

SEA DFS targets: David Moore $3,400 DK / $5,000 FD (NYG 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3)

NYG DFS fades: none

SEA DFS fades: none

Key stat: NYG are 31st in red-zone conversions at 46.7 percent; SEA is 25th in red-zone defense at 67.4 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 50s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Gallman gains 70 yards and a TD. McCoy throws for 250 yards and a touchdown to Sterling Shepard. Chris Carson bangs out a season-high 120 scrimmage yards and two scores. Wilson throws for 290 yards and three TDs, hitting Tyler Lockett (who tops 100 yards), Jacob Hollister and Moore. Seahawks, 38-20

L.A. Rams at Arizona (+3), o/u 48.0 – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST

Both teams are sitting in wild-card spots, but their positions got more precarious after last week. The Rams flopped yet again against the 49ers — they're 7-0 against the rest of the NFC — and Jared Goff is having a rough go of things, tossing multiple picks in three of the last four games. Aaron Donald and the defense remain tough and haven't given up 30 points in a game since Week 3, but if Goff keeps giving away possessions, there's only so much that can be done on the other side of the ball. As for the Cards, Kyler Murray's sudden reluctance to run has thrown a monkey wrench into the offense, and after scoring 30-plus in five straight games Arizona's only managed a total of 38 in its last two, both losses. Kliff Kingsbury isn't listing his QB on the injury report, but if he is less than 100 percent healthy, the Cards could be headed for a slow fade out of the playoff picture.

The Skinny

LAR injuries: none

ARI injuries: WR Larry Fitzgerald (questionable, COVID)

LAR DFS targets: Cooper Kupp $6,100 DK / $6,600 FD (ARI 24th in DVOA vs. WR2)

ARI DFS targets: none

LAR DFS fades: Josh Reynolds $4,200 DK / $5,500 FD (ARI second in DVOA vs. WR3, second in DVOA vs. deep throws)

ARI DFS fades: Kyler Murray $7,600 DK / $8,700 FD (LAR second in QB rating against, first in YPA allowed, first in TD% allowed), Kenyan Drake $5,700 DK / $6,600 FD (LAR seventh in rushing DVOA, fourth in rushing yards per game allowed), Christian Kirk $5,200 DK / $5,800 FD (LAR third in DVOA vs. WR2, first in DVOA vs. deep throws)

Key stat: LAR are seventh in third-down conversions at 45.4 percent; ARI is 15th in third-down defense at 40.6 percent

Head-to-head record, last five years: 8-2 LAR, average score 25-16 LAR, average margin of victory 21 points. LAR has won six straight meetings by an average score of 33-9

Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Cam Akers leads the LAR backfield with 80 yards and a TD. Goff throws for 260 yards and two touchdowns, finding Robert Woods and Kupp. Drake picks up 60 yards. Murray throws for 250 yards and two scores, hitting DeAndre Hopkins and KeeSean Johnson, but once again doesn't contribute much on the ground. Rams, 24-23

New England at L.A. Chargers (PK), o/u 47.5
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

The Patriots have pulled themselves up off the mat, but they needed to use the ropes to do it. They've won three of their last four and are two games out of the final AFC wild-card spot, with two other 6-5 teams between them and the 7-4 Colts. Basically, they can't afford another loss, and especially not one here with the Rams, Dolphins and Bills coming up over the next three weeks. Cam Newton's one rushing touchdown short of his third career season in double digits, and his completion percentage and YPA are among the best of his career, but his 4:9 TD:INT remains laughably bad. Right now, it's Damien Harris and a defense that's regained some of its swagger that are carrying the load, but the Pats' margin for error is incredibly thin. At 3-8, the Chargers are going nowhere, but last week's 27-17 loss to the Bills was the first time all season they'd dropped a decision by more than a single score. If you're an optimist, it means they're close to competing – if you're a cynic, it means Anthony Lynn should have been canned a while ago. The Bolts did get Austin Ekeler back last week, and just in time too as Justin Herbert was actually beginning to look like a rookie. In fact, with most of their key personnel healthy, they could be poised to play spoiler down the stretch, as other than a Week 14 meeting with the Falcons, all their remaining games are against teams still harboring playoff aspirations, or in the case of Kansas City in Week 17, that might need a win for seeding purposes.

The Skinny

NE injuries: QB Newton (questionable, abdomen), RG Shaq Mason (questionable, calf), LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (questionable, groin), CB J.C. Jackson (questionable, hip)

LAC injuries: RB Kalen Ballage (questionable, ankle), DE Melvin Ingram (IR, knee), CB Casey Hayward (questionable, groin)

NE DFS targets: Damien Harris $5,200 DK / $5,900 FD (LAC 31st in rushing DVOA, 30th in YPC allowed), Damiere Byrd $3,900 DK / $5,300 FD (LAC 29th in DVOA vs. WR2)

LAC DFS targets: Justin Herbert $6,900 DK / $7,900 FD (NE 30th in passing DVOA, 31st in YPA allowed)

NE DFS fades: none

LAC DFS fades: Hunter Henry $4,800 DK / $6,000 FD (NE fourth in DVOA vs. TE)

Key stat: LAC are t-ninth in third-down conversions at 43.8 percent; NE are 20th in third-down defense at 42.5 percent

Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Harris racks up 110 yards and a score. Newton throws for 200 yards and runs in a TD. Ekeler hits for 120 combined yards and a touchdown. Herbert throws for 250 yards and two TDs, finding Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Chargers 27-20

Philadelphia (+8.5) at Green Bay, o/u 48.5 – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

You have to admire the Eagles' consistency. They've lost three straight games, all by scores of 20-something to 17, and Carson Wentz has been remarkably ineffective in all of them, posting a 57.3 percent completion rate, 5.6 YPA and 4:3 TD:INT over that stretch. Doug Pederson has made it clear he's going to sink or swim with Wentz, and even with Zach Ertz back this week, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the fifth-year QB suddenly turns things around. That leaves a very winnable NFC East title suddenly looking very far away. Could Jalen Hurts be any worse? We might never know. The Packers stomped the Bears last week, and only Kansas City has a bigger stranglehold on its division. Aaron Rodgers also reached 50,000 career passing yards last week, and the next milestone in his sights is 400 career passing TDs. He'll reach that mark with three more scores, making him only the seventh QB in history to reach that plateau. Philly's secondary hasn't been the problem lately — the last quarterback to reach 300 yards against the Eagles was Joe Burrow in Week 3, and only two QBs since have thrown multiple TDs against them — but given the zone Rodgers is in right now, there might nothing they can do to delay history.

The Skinny

PHI injuries: CB Darius Slay (questionable, calf)

GB injuries: C Corey Linsley (out, knee), OLB Za'Darius Smith (questionable, ankle)

PHI DFS targets: Travis Fulgham $5,200 DK / $6,300 FD (GB 27th in DVOA vs. WR2)

GB DFS targets: Aaron Jones $7,200 DK / $8,400 FD (PHI 23rd in rushing yards per game allowed, t-29th in rushing TDs allowed, 29th in passing DVOA vs. RB), Marquez Valdes-Scantling $4,400 DK / $5,700 FD (PHI 30th in DVOA vs. WR2, 31st in DVOA vs. deep throws), Packers DST $3,800 DK / $4,100 FD (PHI 32nd in sack rate allowed, 30th in giveaways)

PHI DFS fades: none

GB DFS fades: none

Key stat: GB is third in red-zone conversions at 74.4 percent; PHI is 21st in red-zone defense at 63.9 percent

Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 30s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of snow

The Scoop: Miles Sanders runs for 80 yards and a score. Wentz throws for 230 yards and a TD to Jalen Reagor but gets picked off twice. Jones piles up 120 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers throws for 230 yards and TDs to MVS, Davante Adams, and No. 400 to Robert Tonyan. Packers 41-17

Denver (+14) at Kansas City, o/u 51.0 – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST

The league's decision to force the Broncos to play without a real QB last week was inexcusable. I actually do get the "punish the team dumb enough to let all their quarterbacks risk exposure at the same time" appeal, but when you're already jerking other games around the schedule, it becomes an awful lot harder to justify not moving that one too, especially when their opponents are battling for a division crown. Forget about Denver for a minute — how do you think Tampa Bay feels about New Orleans being gift-wrapped a win? It's basically a given at this point that Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner in pro sports (although, bless his wee heart, Gary Bettman did his best to break Goodell's iron grip on the crown by openly referring to NHL owners as "us" and the players as "them" this week in reference to a possible lockout. Nice job saying the quiet part out loud, Gary), but this one's above and beyond, even for him. Anyway, Drew Lock will be back under center for the Broncos just in time to face a surging Patrick Mahomes. Gulp. Last time these two teams met, KC cruised to an easy win, part of a six-game winning streak for the defending champs that's seen them down the opposition by an average score of 33-21. There's really nothing here to indicate the Broncos will be able to keep it even that close, especially with Kansas City trying to track down the Steelers for the top seed in the AFC.

The Skinny

DEN injuries: RB Phillip Lindsay (questionable, knee), WR Jerry Jeudy (questionable, ankle), OLB Malik Reed (questionable, shin)

KC injuries: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (questionable, illness)

DEN DFS targets: Melvin Gordon $5,100 DK / $6,800 FD (KC 32nd in rushing DVOA, 31st in passing DVOA vs. RB)

KC DFS targets: Kansas City DST $3,700 DK / $4,400 FD (DEN 32nd in INT% allowed, 32nd in giveaways)

DEN DFS fades: Jerry Jeudy $4,600 DK / $5,700 FD (KC second in DVOA vs. WR1, third in DVOA vs. deep throws), Broncos DST $1,900 DK / $3,800 FD (KC first in INT% allowed, second in giveaways)

KC DFS fades: Tyreek Hill $9,100 DK / $8,600 FD (DEN fifth in DVOA vs. WR1)

Key stat: KC is first in third-down conversions at 50.4 percent; DEN is t-12th in third-down defense at 39.5 percent

Head-to-head record, last five-plus years: 10-1 KC, average score 30-18 KC, average margin of victory 13 points. KC has won 10 straight meetings

Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the mid-30s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of snow

The Scoop: Gordon gains 70 yards and a touchdown. Lock throws for 210 yards and gets picked off twice, while Anthony Hitchens returns a Noah Fant fumble for a score. CEH picks up 80 combined yards and a TD. Mahomes throws for 320 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Travis Kelce. Chiefs, 41-13

Last week's record: 11-5, 10-6 ATS, 9-7 o/u
2020 regular-season record: 110-66-1, 91-82-4 ATS, 81-93-3 o/u
2019 regular-season record: 157-98-1, 123-125-8 ATS, 127-122-7 o/u
Lifetime record: 903-548-6, 684-719-54 ATS, 574-604-23 o/u (o/u not tracked in 2015)