Mark Sanchez: $5400 – Philadelphia vs. Carolina
I do not like recommending Sanchez. It makes me cringe. That being said, he has an excellent opportunity to put up decent numbers in an Eagles’ offense that hums. The offensive line is getting healthier, which should give Sanchez enough time to avoid mistakes and throw a couple of TDs. Tournament play only.
Matt Ryan: $6300 – Atlanta at Tampa Bay
Ryan had every opportunity to dismantle Tampa Bay the last time these two teams played. Unfortunately for his owners, Atlanta’s defense and special teams decided to get in on the fun and score on an INT and a punt return (Hester’s record setter). Ryan still ended up with 286 yards passing and 3 TDs, but it could have been so much more. Those numbers from last time should act as a floor for a QB that wants to get his team on track after their bye week.
Bobby Rainey: $4400 – Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta
I had high hopes for Rainey in their last meeting against the Falcons. Fortunately for his owners, he was able to salvage an otherwise forgettable night with 7 receptions. Tampa Bay will not get behind as quickly as they did last time against Atlanta, which means Rainey should be more involved. Charles Sims will likely be playing in his first game, but Rainey should still get the bulk of the work.
LeSean McCoy: $5600 – Philadelphia vs. Carolina
It’s amazing what a runner can do when his All Pro Center is starting. With Jason Kelce back and solidifying the Eagles’ offensive line, McCoy gets more room to operate in the backfield and find holes. He gets an excellent matchup against a Panthers’ team whose defense is a shadow of what it was last season. With the game in Prime Time, McCoy will want to put on a show. I think that this is the week that he finally has a huge game, even with the hindrance of Sanchez starting at QB.
Jerricho Cotchery: $3000 – Carolina at Philadelphia
Cotchery will go fairly unnoticed, but he shouldn’t in this choice matchup. The Eagles are poor defenders of the pass and WR #2’s have taken them to town repeatedly during the 2014 season. With attention being paid to Kelvin Benjamin, Cotchery should see more room to operate. He actually led the Panthers in receiving yards last week. He should get quite a few looks in a fairly high scoring affair.
Torrey Smith: $3500 – Baltimore vs. Tennessee
Torrey Smith can go off any given game. His price is very attractive for tournaments as his upside is huge. A word of warning, however; Baltimore is favored by 10. You need to hope Smith gets involved early, because it could easily be the Justin Forsett show once the second half starts.
Mychal Rivera: $3800 – Oakland vs. Denver
With 15 receptions in the past two games, Rivera has proven himself to be a worthy TE pickup. Is he reliable? Two games certainly does not make a trend, but I’m inclined to believe that Oakland will continue to use him often to make it easier on rookie David Carr. They are up against an impossible task against Denver and their only way to hold the tide back is to command a big lead in time of possession. To do that, they will have to run the ball and throw short passes to Rivera and company. He’s a worthy tournament option.
Larry Donnell: $4400 – NY Giants at Seattle
Tight end is the one position that Seattle struggles to defend the most. If Coughlin is smart, Donnell will be a large part of the game plan. Like Oakland, NY will be best served trying to control time of possession, which would mean a lot of Andre Williams and short passes to Donnell. He’s also a tournament play only.
New Orleans: $2800
New Orleans may seem like a bit of a risky pick, but they have finally gelled and are excelling in Rob Ryan’s system. San Francisco is beatable, and good defenses can make them look downright foolish. St. Louis had no business winning last week, but they played smart, effective defense and kept Kaepernick in their control. The Saints’ pass rush has been much more effective and Keenan Lewis has been absolutely dominant against opposing WRs.
Baltimore: $3200
At home against a rookie QB whose team lacks a solid running game?…..The Ravens should feast.