FanDuel Tournament Pivots for Conference Championship Weekend
Tight End
Chalk
If Rob Gronkowski isn't on half of DFS teams or more (probably way more) this weekend, then color me shocked. If Carson Wentz were still healthy, then Zach Ertz might stop him from hitting such a mark, but as it stands, Gronk is going to be one of the chalkiest plays we have seen this season. Coming off a solid 17.1 FanDuel-point outing, Gronk faces a Jaguars defense which just allowed Vance McDonald to torch them for 10 catches and 112 yards. Of course, the Patriots will likely not be down 21-0 early on like the Pittsburgh Steelers were, so Gronk may not be needed that much. Still, he is undeniably the best play at the position and, arguably, any position this week. Pivoting away from him is a scary proposition.
Pivot
Kyle Rudolph, $6,100 (at Philadelphia Eagles)
I reiterate here that pivoting from Gronk is a very dangerous proposition this week. He is not only the best tight end remaining by a wide margin, but his pricing is not exorbitant, and his matchup is the best on the slate. Tread very carefully if looking elsewhere. If you do have the guts to move away from him, then look first to Kyle Rudolph.
The Minnesota Vikings tight end had a mediocre finish to the season, seeing only six targets total in his final three games. That had more to do with his not being needed than Case Keenum not looking his way, though. The Vikings defense gave up a combined 17 points in wins against Chicago, Green Bay, and Cincinnati, and Rudolph just didn't need to be targeted to win. He was needed last week, and though he had a poor 5.3 fantasy points on the day, he saw a healthy eight targets.
The Eagles have been OK against the position this year, but have struggled when teams have actually targeted their tight ends. In the five games where tight ends were targeted at least eight times in a game against Philly, the players averaged 6.6 catches, 65.2 receiving yards, and 13.65 FanDuel points per game. That may not be the upside that Gronk brings, but if you are looking for differential, it shows that there is at least an opportunity for Rudolph to provide a decent return.
Ian Goldsmith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ian Goldsmith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zoidbergs_revenge. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
