Chalk
The mid-tier group of quarterbacks provides some very interesting options to choose from, and it is likely to see pretty high ownership as a whole.
Given that our three highest-projected scorers at the position are off the main slate (Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton, and Drew Brees), picking through the position could be interesting. Let's start with Tom Brady ($7,900), who blasted the Miami Dolphins for 358 yards and 3 scores. He will follow that up this week with a trip to Heinz Field and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who've recently allowed both Philip Rivers (299 passing yards, 2 touchdowns) and Derek Carr (322 and 2) to torch them.
Despite a pretty poor Week 14, Kirk Cousins at $7,800 could see heavy ownership. He gets to face that struggling Dolphins defense, which ranks 29th against the pass, per our rankings. Additionally, Josh Allen ($7,600) could be a trendy play. He's been showcasing his rushing ability in recent weeks, and couple that with facing the second-worst pass defense in the Detroit Lions, and he makes for an intriguing option.
Pivot
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: $8,100 (at Chicago Bears)
In a pivotal NFC North matchup, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago and will face the league's best defense and second-best passing defense. Add to that a defensive line that ranks tied for fourth with 40 sacks, and it could make for a long afternoon.
Despite those challenges, there's some reasons to be optimistic about Rodgers and crew. With an 8.8 average intended air yards (IAY) mark, which measures the distance traveled on passing attempts, Rodgers is still taking plenty of shots deep. And that's clearly evidence by his Week 14 output, which saw him post seven deep passes, or throws traveling 16-plus yards, which ranked him sixth in the category.
Fire in the Packers' fourth-highest pass-to-run ratio (1.94 passing attempts per run) and an underdog game script that would favor the passing game, and Rodgers could be in line for a big day.
We've projected Rodgers for 20.8 FanDuel points on the day. And his tournament upside is real -- projected at 38.3 FanDuel points, or 4.72 points per $1,000. Rodgers shouldn't be heavily owned given the tough matchup, but he could certainly be ready to pop in this key contest.