Getty Gallery: 3/5
Optimal Lineup
– CAPTAIN: Tim Patrick ($8,700)
– Phillip Lindsay ($11,800)
– Nick Chubb ($11,200)
– DaeSean Hamilton ($6,600)
– David Njoku ($6,000)
– Antonio Callaway ($5,200)
My first thought here was to focus on getting in a well-rounded group but also adding a decent amount of upside to the mix. With the number of players capable of putting up solid stat lines in this game, I think we can go a variety of different ways here. The Tim Patrick play is one that I'm fairly curious about when it comes to figuring out what ownership will look like.
Although Patrick had an impressive game last week, catching 7-of-10 targets for 85 yards, he's largely unknown to many. Pairing that with his price being low, there's a chance he gets looked over during some builds. If that's the case then getting him in this spot is certainly ideal.
Even going beyond just his production, it's worth noting that in the first game with Emmanuel Sanders sidelined, Patrick played more snaps than Courtland Sutton. Many may still opt to flock to Sutton, but with Patrick playing 86 percent of the snaps and DaeSean Hamilton racking up 97 percent (per Football Outsiders), I like both targets.
Speaking of Hamilton, it was expected he would get a boost with Sanders out, and that proved true. The rookie wideout caught 7-of-9 targets for 47 yards and one touchdown. Obviously, the yardage isn't ideal, but if his volume stays high and he can rack up targets and possibly find the end zone, this is a great price for him.
Antonio Callaway & David Njoku
For the most part, I don't go incredibly heavy in building lineups quarterbacks in them for showdowns. I do believe that Saturday's game may be the rare exception where you don't have to force a signal-caller in. There are a variety of strong options and more specifically, players with great matchups.
On the Antonio Callaway front, this is a spot that jumps out. The Broncos are without Chris Harris here, but they've struggled all season against opposing wide receivers regardless. On the year, they've given up 2,170 yards and 14 touchdowns to the position. This bodes well for a variety of players, but for Callaway, he makes for both a solid well-rounded lineup choice and 150-max play.
The reason for this has to do with his unquestionable upside, but also the poor showing he had last game. Many players will see that Callaway had just one fantasy point last week, and even if they dive deeper you'll see that he was only targeted once as well. All of that looks ugly, but there's more than meets the eye.
Cleveland only threw the ball 22 times while running 45 plays in total last week, both stats which will likely be overlooked. Callaway's upside is there, but prior to this week, he had caught 7-of-11 targets in the two weeks prior for 146 yards and one touchdown. It's also worth noting that his snaps didn't fall off the deep end either, as he played 73 percent in last week's game, second-most behind Jarvis Landry (per Football Outsiders).
David Njoku is one other name I need to mention, but I'll dive a bit deeper into him as we go. Although the young tight end has been hit-or-miss this season, we're staring at an elite spot for him here. Njoku's talent isn't the question and with a matchup against a Broncos team who's allowed 65 receptions for 977 yards and six touchdowns to the position, he's in play here.
Denver ranks as one of the worst teams in the NFL against opposing tight ends, making Njoku an intriguing play and one who won't break the bank either. I'm happy to roll him out in a fair amount of lineups, and he's even better if you believe the Browns are playing from behind.
Next up is the 150-max lineup which boasts a mixture of high upside plays and some risk as well.