NFL Game Previews: Redskins-Eagles Matchup

Washington (+6.5) at Philadelphia, 44.0 o/u – Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST

The Story: If you told me Bruce Allen leaked the Kareem Hunt video to take pressure off the Washington front office for their inexcusable decision to claim Reuben Foster off waivers, I'd believe it. Foster won't be in the lineup, but having that roster move follow on the heels of new comments from Adrian Peterson about his use of corporal punishment made for a lot of PR headaches that got mostly washed away by the Hunt news. On the field, though, things still look pretty bleak. Alex Smith is hardly the only player hit by the injury bug, only the one who got it the worst, and a team that not so long ago was on top of the NFC East is slowly sliding into irrelevance. Of course, the Eagles' season basically ended two weeks ago when they got annihilated by the Saints, but technically they haven't been eliminated from the playoffs yet. Maybe getting a chance to play spoiler against a division rival will wake up the champs. Philly's secondary remains a triage unit, but Washington's similar lack of healthy receivers makes it less of a liability for the home side, and Carson Wentz has to figure things out eventually. Doesn't he?

The Skinny:
•WAS injuries: RB Peterson (questionable, shoulder); WR Jamison Crowder (questionable, ankle); TE Jordan Reed (questionable, back); WR Trey Quinn (questionable, ankle); LB Zach Brown (questionable, knee)
•PHI injuries: RB Darren Sproles (questionable, hamstring)
•WAS DFS chalk: none
•PHI DFS chalk: none
•WAS DFS tournament plays: Peterson (PHI 27th in YPC allowed), Maurice Harris (PHI 28th in DVOA vs. WR2)
•PHI DFS tournament plays: none
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 5-5, average score 27-26 PHI, average margin of victory seven points. Only three of the last 10 meetings have been decided by more than one score, and none by more than 14 points.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 40s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Peterson bangs out 60 yards and a touchdown, but Chris Thompson leads the WAS backfield with 80 combined yards and a receiving TD. Colt McCoy throws for 230 yards and a second score to Harris while running for 40 more. Josh Adams plows out 100 yards and a touchdown. Wentz throws for 280 yards and TDs to Alshon Jeffery and Golden Tate. Eagles, 27-21

Baltimore (+1) at Atlanta, 48.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The Ravens remain in a tricky spot. The Steelers' tie earlier in the season effectively means Baltimore needs to win two more games down the stretch than Pittsburgh to claim the AFC North crown, and while at the moment they hold the tiebreaker edge on the Colts for the second wild-card spot, Indy has an easier remaining schedule, both overall and within the conference. That puts an awful lot of pressure on the shoulders (and legs) of Lamar Jackson, if the Ravens do decide to stick with him at QB. And why wouldn't they? Joe Flacco wasn't doing anything to warrant getting his job back once he's healthy, and the team's won both of Jackson's starts, with the rookie racking up 190 yards and a TD on the ground in addition to his modest passing totals. The Falcons have had trouble slowing down running QBs this year, but to be fair, they've had trouble slowing down anybody – they're 29th in the league in scoring defense, one of only four clubs that's already coughed up 300-plus points on the year. Deion Jones' return will help, but he's not a superstar and can only do so much. Atlanta's lost three straight games to sink their playoff chances, and the lack of a consistent running game with Devonta Freeman on IR has just made it too tough for Matt Ryan, Julio Jones et al to climb their way out of the holes the defense digs.

The Skinny:
•BAL injuries: QB Flacco (doubtful, hip); RB Gus Edwards (questionable, ankle); RB Alex Collins (questionable, foot)
•ATL injuries: WR Calvin Ridley (questionable, ankle)
•BAL DFS chalk: Edwards (ATL 30th in YPC allowed, tied for 27th in rushing TDs allowed)
•ATL DFS chalk: none
•BAL DFS tournament plays: Willie Snead (ATL 31st in DVOA vs. WR3), Jackson (ATL 25th in rushing yards allowed to QB)
•ATL DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Edwards plays and piles up 80 yards and a TD, while Ty Montgomery adds 50 combined yards and a receiving score. Jackson does another solid Michaek Vick impression, throwing for less than 200 yards but finding Michael Crabtree for a second touchdown while running for 50 yards and a score of his own. Tevin Coleman leads the Falcons backfield with 50 combined yards. Ryan throws for 270 yards and three TDs, finding Julio, Austin Hooper and Mohamed Sanu, but he also gets picked off twice. Ravens, 28-24

Carolina at Tampa Bay (+3.5), 55.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: Last week's loss to the Seahawks puts the Panthers' losing streak at three, and given that their remaining schedule includes both their meetings with the Saints, it's getting harder and harder to see them as a credible payoff team. Christian McCaffrey continues his rampage – he's topped 100 scrimmage yards in four straight games, and scored multiple TDs in four of the last five – and D.J. Moore is emerging as a viable No. 1 receiver for Cam Newton, but on offense or defense they can't seem to come up with a big play when they really need it. Technically speaking, the Bucs are the hottest team in the NFC South with their huge one-game winning streak, so Jameis Winston's latest attempt at redemption is off on the right foot. The Carolina defense is a tougher test than San Francisco's, but they did contribute to the last burst of Fitzmagic in Week 9, as the former (and future?) Tampa starting QB tossed four TDs in a 42-28 win for Carolina. Winston's certainly capable of duplicating those numbers, and while Tampa does have some injury issues with O.J. Howard done for the year and DeSean Jackson set to miss this one with a thumb injury, neither of those guys had great chemistry with Winston anyway. The attrition really just helps focus the target tree, pushing more looks towards Mike Evans and Cameron Brate.

The Skinny:
•CAR injuries: WR Devin Funchess (questionable, back)
•TB injuries: WR Jackson (out, thumb); LB Lavonte David (questionable, knee)
•CAR DFS chalk: Newton (TB 32nd in QB rating against), Moore (TB 30th in DVOA vs. WR1), Greg Olsen (TB 28th in DVOA vs. TE), McCaffrey (TB tied for 29th in rushing TDs allowed)
•TB DFS chalk: Brate (CAR 30th in DVOA vs. TE)
•CAR DFS tournament plays: none
•TB DFS tournament plays: Chris Godwin (CAR 27th in DVOA vs. WR2)
•Head-to-head record, last five-plus years: 9-2 CAR, average score 26-15 CAR, average margin of victory 11 points
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 80s, 10-11 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: McCaffrey gallops for 130 combined yards but only one rushing TD. Newton throws for 290 yards and two touchdowns, finding Moore and Olsen, while running for 40 and a score as well. Peyton Barber manages only 40 yards, while Ronald Jones II leads the Bucs backfield with 70 combined yards and a TD. Winston throws for 320 yards and three touchdown, hitting Brate twice and Godwin once while Evans tops 100 yards, but he also gets picked off twice. Panthers, 34-31

Chicago at N.Y. Giants (+4.5), 45.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: With Mitchell Trubisky set to miss another game due to his shoulder injury, the Bears will just have to rely on their defense in this one. Shucks. Chicago has allowed more than 20 points only once during their five-game winning streak, averaging 15.4 PPG against, and Khalil Mack wasn't even on the field for two of them. That level of consistent stinginess makes Chase Daniel's job in relief of Trubisky a lot easier, although he was solid enough in his first start. The Giants, meanwhile, let one slip through their fingers against the Eagles last week, and it's probably not a coincidence that their offense ground to a halt in the second half when they stopped feeding the ball to Saquon Barkley and put it in Eli Manning's hands instead. Barkley's totaled more than 90 scrimmage yards in every game so far (and at least 100 in all but one), and while the Bears defense ranks at or near the top of the league in basically every rushing category, a look at their schedule shows that they haven't really faced any RBs of Barkley's talent level, other than David Johnson back in Week 3. It's not quite "irresistable force vs. immovable object" territory, but this could be as big a test for the Chicago front seven as it is for the Giants' rookie.

The Skinny:
•CHI injuries: QB Trubisy (doubtful, shoulder); DE Akiem Hicks (questionable, Achilles)
•NYG injuries: TE Evan Engram (out, hamstring)
•CHI DFS chalk: Bears DST (third in points per game allowed, first in QB rating against, second in YPC allowed, first in takeaways)
•NYG DFS chalk: none
•CHI DFS tournament plays: Allen Robinson (NYG 32nd in DVOA vs. WR1), Taylor Gabriel (29th in DVOA vs. WR3)
•NYG DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 10-15 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Tarik Cohen leads the Bears backfield with 60 combined yards, but Jordan Howward adds a rushing TD. Daniel throws for 250 yards and a touchdown to Robinson. Barkley thunders for 110 combined yards and two scores, one rushing and one receiving. Manning throws for 240 yards but gets picked off three times and sacked four times, with Danny Trevathan returning a fumble for a score on one of the sacks. Bears, 24-14

Buffalo (+5) at Miami, 40.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: So, this is weird. If the Bills win this one, not only will it be their third straight victory, they'll be in second place in the AFC East. They're still pretty terrible, mind you, with an erratic rookie QB at the helm of an offense all but bereft of talent that has a habit of leaving the team's solid defense on the field for too long, but that hasn't stopped them from nearly slipping out of the top 10 in the 2019 draft. They even stink at tanking, I guess. Robert Foster's emergence (5-199-1 on only seven targets over the last two games) as a poor man's DeSean Jackson is a bit of a bright spot, though. Miami's just trying to get back to .500 after falling short in Indianapolis last week. Ryan Tannehill's return from a five-game absence was solid, and it's not a coincidence that Kenyon Drake also returned to usefulness, at least as a receiver, the moment Tannehill was under center again. The Dolphins' receiving corps has no one healthy or reliable outside of Kenny Stills, so another high-volume day for Drake is on the table while Frank Gore, who's posting his best YPC since he was a 29-year-old pup in San Francisco in 2012, handles much of the early-down work.

The Skinny:
•BUF injuries: TE Charles Clay (questionable, hamstring)
•MIA injuries: WR Danny Amendola (doubtful, knee); WR DeVante Parker (questionable, shoulder)
•BUF DFS chalk: none
•MIA DFS chalk: none
•BUF DFS tournament plays: LeSean McCoy (MIA 29th in rushing yards allowed per game)
•MIA DFS tournament plays: none
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 7-3 BUF, average score 26-18 BUF, average margin of victory 12 points. The last four games in the series have all been decided by a single score.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 80s, 9-10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: McCoy picks up 80 combined yards and a score. Josh Allen throws for less than 200 yards and runs for 40, but he gets picked off twice and can't get into the end zone. Drake leads the Dolphins backfield with 70 combined yards and a receiving TD while Gore adds 50 yards. Tannehill throws for 220 yards and a second touchdown to Parker. Dolphins, 23-10

Indianapolis at Jacksonville (+4), 47.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The Colts' five-game winning streak may have come against teams with a combined .345 winning percentage (19-36), but they all still count, and it's pushed the Colts firmly into the wild-card picture in the AFC. Andrew Luck continues to rip apart opposing secondaries, throwing three or more TDs in eight straight games – including his Week 10 performance against the Jags. Jack Doyle's injury simplifies his target tree nicely, and the Colts' passing game suddenly look like a knockoff version of the Chiefs' offense, with a field-stretching No. 1 wideout in T.Y. Hilton, a strong tight end in Eric Ebron, and a running back who can contribute in Marlon Mack. Jacksonville will once again be without Leonard Fournette, this time due to suspension, which isn't going to make life easier for Cody Kessler as he tries to replace Derek ... sorry, I mean Blake Bortles (yes, I did just binge the first two seasons of The Good Place on Netflix, why do you ask?) while working with brand-new offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich, whose coaching resume prior to becoming the Jags' QB coach last year was entirely made up of stints in the CFL and NFL Europe. That doesn't exactly seem like a formula for ending a seven-game losing streak, but head coach Doug Marrone seems to have some inexplicable job security, so the last five games of a failed season seem like as good a time as any to experiment.

The Skinny:
•IND injuries: RB Mack (questionable, concussion); LB Darius Leonard (questionable, shoulder)
•JAC injuries: RB Leonard Fournette (out, suspension); CB Jalen Ramsey (questionable, knee)
•IND DFS chalk: none
•JAC DFS chalk: none
•IND DFS tournament plays: none
•JAC DFS tournament plays: T.J. Yeldon (IND 30th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
•Head-to-head record, last five-plus years: 7-4 IND, average score 23-21 IND, average margin of victory 18 (!) points. Seven of the games have been decided by 20 points or more, the other four by four points or less.
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the high 70s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Mack starts and picks up 60 combined yards. Luck sees his three-plus TD streak come to an end, throwing for 260 yards and touchdowns to Hilton and Ebron. Carlos Hyde leads the Jags backfield with 70 yards, but Yeldon adds 50 combined yards and a TD pass. Kessler throws for less than 200 yards but finds Donte Moncrief for a second score. Colts, 20-17

Cleveland (+6) at Houston, 48.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The last time the Browns won two games in a row, LBJ was contemplating getting the country out of Vietnam and... OK, maybe it hasn't been that long, but it feels like it. The hasty exit of Hue Jackson definitely seems to have lifted a weight off Cleveland's talented young roster, and Baker Mayfield's 7:0 TD:INT in those wins is arguably a clearer sign he's happy to see Jackson gone than his social media posts. In fact, the only guy likely not thrilled Jackson's now in Cincinnati is Jarvis Landry, who's gone from being nearly the only target in town for Mayfield to a player with reduced snap and target counts since Freddie Kitchens took over as offensive coordinator. Beating up on Bengals and Falcons teams in disarray is one thing, however. Upsetting a Texans team that's won eight straight games is quite another. Houston's emotional Monday night win over Tennessee kept them two games up on Indy in the AFC South, and there's no one player you can point to as carrying the load for them. Deshaun Watson's yardage totals have been down, but he's posted a YPA of 8.7 or better in four straight games with a 10:2 TD:INT. Lamar Miller's hit for 100 rushing yards or more plus a TD in three of his last five games. It's a surprise these days when DeAndre Hopkinsdoesn't get into the end zone, and J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney have combined for 15.5 sacks during the winning streak.

The Skinny:
•CLE injuries: none
•HOU injuries: DE Watt (questionable, knee); WR Keke Coutee (questionable, hamstring)
•CLE DFS chalk: none
•HOU DFS chalk: Miller (CLE 28th in rushing yards allowed per game, 31st in rushing TDs allowed)
•CLE DFS tournament plays: David Njoku (HOU 31st in DVOA vs. TE), Antonio Callaway (HOU 29th in DVOA vs. WR2)
•HOU DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 60s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-5 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Nick Chubb totes up 80 combined yards and a TD. Mayfield throws for 250 yards and two touchdowns, finding Njoku and Landry. Miller scampers for 110 combined yards and a receiving score. Watson throws for 240 yards and a second TD to Hopkins, but he can't engineer the late comeback. Browns, 27-23

Denver at Cincinnati (+5), 44.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The Broncos seem to be finding their groove. After losing six of seven they've won two straight, both of them upsets over playoff-caliber teams – a turnaround that isn't all that shocking when you consider their last three losses were all by a single score, and against teams with a combined .818 winning percentage (27-6). Phillip Lindsay's been balling (216 scrimmage yards and three TDs in the wins over the Steelers and Chargers) and Case Keenum's been avoiding turnovers, and that's been good enough to get them over the hump. The Bengals remain headed in the opposite direction. Losers of three straight and five of six, they'll now be without Andy Dalton under center due to a broken thumb, forcing 2016 sixth-round pick Jeff Driskel into action. The kid didn't embarrass himself last week against the Browns – the game was well out of reach before he took his first snap – and he will get A.J. Green back to help ease him into the starting role. Denver's secondary is far from impregnable, too. Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers each threw for over 400 yards against the Broncos, although they also each got picked off twice, so Driskel could be able to move the ball if he doesn't turn it over too much.

The Skinny:
•DEN injuries: LB Brandon Marshall (questionable, knee)
•CIN injuries: QB Dalton (IR, thumb)
•DEN DFS chalk: Lindsay (CIN 31st in rushing yards allowed per game, tied for 29th in rushing TDs allowed, 32nd in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
•CIN DFS chalk:
•DEN DFS tournament plays: Courtland Sutton (CIN 26th in DVOA vs. WR2)
•CIN DFS tournament plays: Joe Mixon (DEN 24th in rushing yards allowed per game)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 50s, 8-12 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Lindsay erupts for 140 combined yards and two TDs. Keenum throws for 230 yards and touchdowns to Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders. Mixon answers back with 120 combined yards and a score, while Giovani Bernard adds 50 combined yards and a receiving TD. Driskel holds his own, throwing for 270 yards and a second touchdown to Green. Broncos, 31-27

L.A. Rams at Detroit (+10), 55.0 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The Rams got an early Christmas present Thursday when the Saints faltered in Dallas. A win here puts L.A. back in control of their own destiny when it comes to home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, and given the response they got in the Coliseum in Week 11's thriller against the Chiefs, that could be key as the city seems ready to embrace the franchise again, perhaps for the first time since Eric Dickerson's heyday. Jared Goff has posted a YPA of 8.2 or better in five straight games, firing up a 14:1 TD:INT over that stretch, while Todd Gurley failed to score for the first time all year against the Chiefs and will probably be looking to make up for lost time against one of the weaker run defenses in the league. The Lions' main problem these days is keeping Matthew Stafford upright. They've lost four of their last five games (and by all rights should have lost the fifth, has Cam Newton not blown that two-point attempt) and Stafford's been brought down 22 times in those games, although 10 of those sacks came against the Vikings. Even in Jim Bob Cooter's quick-strike passing game, the QB hasn't been getting enough time to let routes develop, incresing the target share for Theo Riddick and Bruce Ellington at Kenny Golladay's expense – and while Ellington is an able hand on underneath routes and out of the slot, he's no Golden Tate. With Kerryon Johnson unavailable to balance out the offense, Stafford is too often a sitting duck in the pocket, and that's not a good thing to be with Aaron Donald coming to town.

The Skinny:
•LAR injuries: none
•DET injuries: RB Johnson (out, knee); WR Ellington (questionable, back); TE Michael Roberts (doubtful, shoulder)
•LAR DFS chalk: Goff (DET 31st in QB rating against), Brandin Cooks (DET 29th in DVOA vs. WR1), Robert Woods (DET 30th in DVOA vs. WR2)
•DET DFS chalk: none
•LAR DFS tournament plays: Josh Reynolds (DET 32nd in DVOA vs. WR3), Gerald Everett (DET 26th in DVOA vs. TE)
•DET DFS tournament plays: LeGarrette Blount (LAR 31st in YPC allowed), Ellington (LAR 26th in DVOA vs. WR3)
•Weather forecast: dome

The Scoop: Gurley glides for 150 combined yards and two touchdowns. Goff throws for 330 yards and three TDs, hitting Cooks, Woods (who tops 100 yards) and Everett. Blount grinds out 50 yards, while Riddick adds 50 combined yards. Stafford throws for 240 yards and a touchdown to Golladay while getting sacked four times and picked off twice. Rams, 38-13

Arizona (+14) at Green Bay, 44.5 o/u – Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

The Story: The Cards remain unable to beat anybody but the 49ers, losing three straight including a fairly embarrassing home loss to the Raiders. Josh Rosen remains mistake-prone, posting an 8:10 TD:INT over the last six games, and he hasn't produced a YPA over 6.8 in his last five. While there are decent weapons around him – David Johnson's been productive, while Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk provide both chain-moving and field-stretching options – Rosen's growing pains severely limit what this offense can accomplish. They've scored an NFL-low 14.1 point a game, only topping 18 points twice, and it seems unlikely a desert dome team will do any better in the first game of the year in which the tundra might actually be frozen at Lambeau Field. Green Bay's had some struggles of their own, struggles which increasingly get laid at the feet of Mike McCarthy and an offensive scheme that's a decade out of date, but Aaron Jones' emergence has helped take some pressure off Aaron Rodgers to win every game single-handedly. Last week's loss to the Vikings probably ended any realistic hope of a playoff spot for the Packers, but "Unrealistic Late-season Comebacks" is Rodgers' middle name. Just kidding. We all know his middle name is Hail Mary.

The Skinny:
•ARI injuries: S Budda Baker (questionable, knee)
•GB injuries: WR Randall Cobb (questionable, hamstring)
•ARI DFS chalk: Johnson (GB 31st in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
•GB DFS chalk: Jones (ARI 32nd in rushing TDs allowed)
•ARI DFS tournament plays: none
•GB DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-30s, 10-12 mph wind, zero percent chance of snow

The Scoop: DJ pumps out 90 combined yards and a receiving score. Rosen throws for less than 200 yards. Jones piles up 130 combined yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers throws for 230 yards and a TD to Equanimeous St. Brown. Packers, 24-7

Kansas City at Oakland (+15), 55.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST

The Story: That sound you just heard was me scrapping everything I had written on this game before Friday night. The Chiefs' decision to immediately cut ties with Kareem Hunt in the wake of a disturbing video from February coming to light perhaps says more about how Hunt tried to cover up and minimize the incident with the front office than it does any larger trend towards the NFL getting its house in order when it comes to domestic violence, but whatever message you choose to take from it, Spencer Ware is now once again the team's starting RB. He did OK in a larger role in 2016 before Hunt's arrival, but don't be surprised if Andy Reid uses this as an opportunity to see what undrafted rookie Darrel Williams can do, at least as a pass-catching complement to Ware. K.C. still has one of the best offenses in the NFL, and putting more responsibility on Patrick Mahomes' shoulders to score points doesn't seem like a terrible idea at all, but the sudden nature of Hunt's dismissal and the timing of it could have chemistry implications for a team that, despite all their fireworks this year, is still only a game up on the Chargers in the AFC West. The Raiders, on the other hand, have the worst point differential in the entire league at minus-140 (in other words, on average they lose by almost 13 points a game) and have little going for them coming into this matchup other than a slightly heathier but still underpowered receiving corps. The Chiefs have dominated this rivalry in recent years, and despite the headlines, it's hard to believe they won't continue to do so.

The Skinny:
•KC injuries: RB Hunt (waived); WR Sammy Watkins (out, foot); S Eric Berry (questionable, heel)
•OAK injuries: WR Martavis Bryant (questionable, knee)
•KC DFS chalk: Mahomes (OAK 30th in QB rating against), Ware (OAK 32nd in rushing yards allowed per game), Travis Kelce (OAK 32nd in DVOA vs. TE)
•OAK DFS chalk: none
•KC DFS tournament plays: Demarcus Robinson (OAK 27th in DVOA vs. WR3)
•OAK DFS tournament plays: Doug Martin (29th in YPC allowed, tied for 27th in rushing TDs allowed), Jared Cook (KC 25th in DVOA vs. TE), Marcell Ateman (KC 28th in DVOA vs. WR3)
•Head-to-head record, last five years: 8-2 KC, average score 29-18 KC, average margin of victory 12 points
•Weather forecast: clear, temperature in the low 50s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Ware steps in with 90 yards and a TD in his first start, while Darrel Williams catches a receiving touchdown. Mahomes throws for 340 yards and three more scores, hitting Robinson once and Kelce (who tops 100 yards) twice, and he also runs in a TD of his own. Martin manages 70 yards and a score. Derek Carr throws for 260 yards, his best total since Week 5, and a touchdown to Cook. Chiefs, 45-20

N.Y. Jets (+7.5) at Tennessee, 40.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EST

The Story: Forget what the standings say. Are the Jets in fact the worst team in the NFL right now? They've lost five straight games by an average score of about 28-11. The offense has been a soggy mess most weeks, with or without Sam Darnold under center, and the rare bright spots seem like aberrations with each subsequent blowout – sure, Isaiah Crowell set a franchise record in Week 5 with 219 rushing yards, but in the six games since he's only scraped together a total of 192 yards. Head coach Todd Bowles seems certain to be canned the moment Week 17 is mercifully in the books, and they can't even seem to rise to the occasion for bitter divisional rivalry games. The Titans may be maddeningly inconsistent, but Marcus Mariota looked healthy (and spectacular) last week, and their only loss in Nashville this season came at the hands of the Ravens when Mariota was decidedly not 100 percent. (Their other "home" loss came in London.)

The Skinny:
•NYJ injuries: QB Darnold (questionable, foot); WR Robby Anderson (questionable, ankle); S Marcus Maye (out, shoulder)
•TEN injuries: none
•NYJ DFS chalk: none
•TEN DFS chalk: none
•NYJ DFS tournament plays: Quincy Enunwa (TEN 31st in DVOA vs. WR1)
•TEN DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-60s, less than 10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Crowell leads the Jets backfield with 40 yards. Josh McCown gets one more start, throwing for less than 200 yards and a TD to Enunwa. Derrick Henry leads the Titans backfield with 60 yards and a touchdown, while Dion Lewis adds 50 combined yards. Mariota throws for 260 yards and TDs to Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith. Derrick Morgan also returns a McCown fumble for another score. Titans, 31-10

San Francisco (+10) at Seattle, 46.0 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

The Story: So, maybe Nick Mullens isn't the next Tony Romo after all. Mullens was awful last week against a Bucs defense that no remotely competent NFL quarterback should look awful against (why yes, I did grab Mullens as an emergency fill-in since I couldn't trust Marcus Mariota to be ready for his Monday nighter in a must-win game for me and yes, that switch did cost me the win. But I'm not bitter), and it seems only a matter of time before C.J. Beathard regains the starting job for the Niners. Not that Beathard would likely be a big upgrade, as George Kittle is still the only the reliable target on the roster. Matt Breida continues to put up big numbers out of the backfield, but that hasn't been enough, and it's not likely to be enough against a Seahawks team that's basically owned the Niners' souls in recent years. Chris Carson has put the ball on the carpet in consecutive games but still seems to be hanging onto the No, 1 RB spot for Seattle, although Pette Carroll could just as easily switch to Rashaad Penny or even Mike Davis on a whim again. If Russell Wilson ever gets unleashed (he's on pace for fewer than 450 pass attempts for the first time since 2013) he's got plenty of targets at his disposal, as Doug Baldwin continues to inch closer to being his usual self, Tyler Lockett's finally developed into a dependable receiver and not just a return ace, and David Moore continues to show good chemistry with his QB, but Carroll and the coaching staff seem content to play close games rather than trying to bury the opposition.

The Skinny:
•SF injuries: WR Marquise Goodwin (out, personal); WR Pierre Garcon (out, knee)
•SEA injuries: LB K.J. Wright (out, knee)
•SF DFS chalk: Matt Breida (SEA 32nd in YPC allowed)
•SEA DFS chalk: none
•SF DFS tournament plays: none
•SEA DFS tournament plays: David Moore (SF 30th in DVOA vs. WR3)
•Head-to-head record, last five years, including postseason: 10-1 SEA, average score 23-12 SEA, average margin of victory 12 points. SEA has won nine straight, and SF has scored 20 or more points only once during that five-year stretch.
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-40s, less than 10 mph wind, 0-10 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Breida collects 120 combined yards and a TD. Mullens throws two first-half picks and gets replaced by Beathard at the half, with the latter tossing a touchdown to Kittle. Penny ends up leading the Seahawks backfield with 80 yards and a score, while Carson gains 50 yards. Wilson throws for 230 yards and three TDs to Baldwin, Moore and Nick Vannett. Seahawks, 34-17

Minnesota (+5) at New England, 48.5 o/u – Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

The Story: The Vikings remain a half-game up on the pack in the NFC wild-card race, but their remaining schedule does them no favors, starting with this tilt. It's also worth noting that none of the six teams Minnesota's gotten past have a winning record right now, with only the Eagles having a chance to even reach .500 this week. Adam Thielen is coming off his ninth 100-yard performance of the season, and he's closing in on the NFL record of 11 held by Michael Irvin and Calvin Johnson. With Dalvin Cook unable to spark any life into the running game since his return, and Stefon Diggs limping, Thielen figures to be in line for heavy volume from Kirk Cousins once again. That also gives the Pats' defense an easy player to home in on, of course. New England's won seven of eight and has yet to lose in Foxboro, and Tom Brady and company are getting healthier and looked like their usual selves last week in crushing the Jets. Rob Gronkowski even scored for the first time since Week 1. There are still kinks to be worked out, but with the AFC East locked up and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs suddenly looking more plausible due to the turmoil in Kansas City, expect the Pats to be focused and ready.

The Skinny:
•MIN injuries: WR Diggs (questionable, knee); CB Xavier Rhodes (questionable, hamstring)
•NE injuries: none
•MIN DFS chalk: none
•NE DFS chalk: none
•MIN DFS tournament plays: none
•NE DFS tournament plays: Rob Gronkowski (MIN 27th in DVOA vs. TE), James White (MIN 29th in passing game DVOA vs. RB)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the high 50s, less than 10 mph wind, 15-20 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Cook gains 70 yards and a TD. Cousins throws for 310 yards and three touchdowns, finding Thielen (who yet again tops 100 yards) twice and C.J. Ham once. James White leads the Patriots backfield with 110 combined yards and two receiving scores, while Sony Michel adds 60 yards. Brady throws for 280 yards and two more TDs, finding Julian Edelman and Gronk. Patriots, 34-31

L.A. Chargers (+3.5) at Pittsburgh, 51.5 o/u – Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST

The Story: Melvin Gordon's knee injury didn't cost the Chargers last week against the Cardinals, but that was the Cardinals. Facing the Steelers without their No. 1 RB available is a tall task, especially when the AFC West title suddenly seems like an attainable goal. In the one game Gordon missed earlier this season (Week 7's London contest against the Titans), Philip Rivers was his usual surgical self, throwing for over 300 yards and two TDs, but neither Austin Ekeler not Justin Jackson provided much on the ground. One of them will probably need to step up, as Pittsburgh's been averaging over 35 points a game at home this year. Coming off a jarring loss to the Broncos, the Steelers will be looking to take their frustrations out on the Bolts, but it would help if James Conner wasn't playing like he was showing solidarity with Le'Veon Bell. The second-year back only has 217 scrimmage yards and one touchdown over the last three games, and while the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster is more than capable of carrying the offense, getting something going on the ground again would be a big help.

The Skinny:
•LAC injuries: RB Gordon (out, knee); WR Tyrell Williams (questionable, quad)
•PIT injuries: none
•LAC DFS chalk: none
•PIT DFS chalk: none
•LAC DFS tournament plays: Antonio Gates (PIT 29th in DVOA vs. TE)
•PIT DFS tournament plays: none
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the low 40s, 9-10 mph wind, 15-25 percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Ekeler leads the Chargers' backfield with 80 combined yards. Rivers throws for 240 yards and TDs to Gates and Mike Williams. Conner rebounds with 110 combined yards and a touchdown. Roethlisberger throws for 350 yards and three TDs, one to Brown and two to JuJu, with both topping 100 yards. Steelers, 31-20

New Orleans at Dallas (+7.5), 52.5 o/u – Thursday, 8:20 p.m. EST

The Story: Hey, I might be going out on a limb here, but I think the Saints are pretty good, you guys. To clarify, I'm talking about their defense. They held Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan to a combined 24 points the last two games, and the next back to run for even 70 yards against them will be the first. In fact, the best rushing total against them all year came in Week 1 when Peyton Barber cranked out 69 yards on 19 carries, and since then they've held Todd Gurley, Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon and a host of lesser lights to even weaker performances. In other words, if the Cowboys are counting on Ezekiel Elliott leading the team to victory in this one, they might want to have a Plan B ready. Of course, Amari Cooper's huge Thanksgiving would seem to signal that their passing game has woken up, but Dak Prescott likely will need more options than that if he's going to keep pace with Drew Brees – especially given Brees' Thanksgiving troll job, when all four of his TDs went to guys a million miles from most fantasy rosters. If he can give Keith Kirkwood and "No, I'm Not Roseanne's Ex-Husband" Dan Arnold even brief moments of relevance, I'm not sure why we've bothering to wait until the end of the season for an MVP vote.

The Skinny:
•NO injuries: WR Tre'Quan Smith (questionable, foot)
•DAL injuries: LB Sean Lee (out, hamstring); DT David Irving (questionable, ankle)
•NO DFS chalk: none
•DAL DFS chalk: none
•NO DFS tournament plays: none
•DAL DFS tournament plays: Prescott (NO 28th in QB rating against, tied for worst in league with four rushing TDs allowed to QBs), Michael Gallup (NO 32nd in DVOA vs. WR2)
•Weather forecast: cloudy, temperature in the mid-60s, 9-10 mph wind, zero percent chance of rain

The Scoop: Alvin Kamara leads the Saints backfield with 90 combined yards and a receiving score, while Mark Ingram adds 50 combined yards and a rushing TD. Brees throws for 270 yards and two more touchdowns, finding Michael Thomas and Josh Hill. Elliott picks up 80 combined yards. Prescott throws for 240 yards and a score to Cooper while also running in a touchdown of his own. Saints, 31-20

Last week's record: 11-4, 10-5 ATS, 5-9-1 o/u
2018 regular-season record: 109-65-2, 77-90-9 ATS, 75-98-3 o/u
2017 regular-season record: 164-92, 111-131-14 ATS, 114-138-4 o/u
2016 regular-season record: 155-99-2, 110-136-10 ATS, 139-112-5 o/u
2015 regular-season record: 157-99, 137-111-8 ATS