FanDuel Tournament Pivots for Wild Card Weekend

Wide Receiver

Chalk

Chalk at the wide receiver position is not at clear as running back or tight end. Michael Thomas is the most consistent of the top three wide receivers, and he gets a solid matchup against a Carolina Panthers defense that he has scored at least 15.5 FanDuel points against in three of four career matchups. They've also happened to have given up the most FanDuel points to opposing wide receivers over their past five games.

Frankly, the other high ownership will likely be at the high end as well. Julio Jones has name recognition, which should be enough to see decent ownership levels despite inconsistent output. Tyreek Hill finished as the FanDuel WR4, and he's always just one slow-stepped defensive back away from a long score. He could actually be the highest owned of the three, especially because he comes at a discount on a week where people will want to pay up at running back.

There aren't many players at the low end that people will be targeting. If Marqise Lee happens to miss this week (which is looking unlikely), then Keelan Cole's ownership numbers should shoot up. However, the Jags don't play until Sunday, so that makes it less likely people will roster him.

Pivot

Devin Funchess, $7,000 (at New Orleans Saints)

Devin Funchess has been anything but exciting this season. Though his targets should have increased after Kelvin Benjamin was traded to Buffalo, he's only 53 targets in the eight games since the trade as opposed to 58 in the eight games prior. He's been more productive with those fewer targets, though -- he has five touchdowns in the past seven games, and he's scored at least 11 FanDuel points in six games since Benjamin was sent north, something he had done only twice before the trade.

This week, he gets a familiar foe in the New Orleans Saints. His home/road pass splits are similar against the Saints in his career. He has a total of 7 receptions and 101 total yards against them in three away games, and 7 receptions for 104 yards in three home games. Those numbers definitely seem anemic, so why pivot here? In each of those three away games, Funchess has found the end zone. If the Panthers want to win here, then Funchess and the passing game will need to be relied on as the Saints are currently seven-point favorites. The game is also expected to see 48 points, tied for the highest on this week's slate.

The Saints have not been as good against the pass recently as they were earlier in the season. Though they gave up the 13th-most points to opposing wideouts over the regular season, over the past five weeks, they gave up the fourth-most. The 918 yards they gave up in that timeframe was the third-most in the league. In short, they aren't as daunting as they once looked, and there is room for Funchess and Newton to exploit this weakness. His ownership will likely be lower not just because of the bigger names on the slate, but also because he carries a questionable tag going into the last game of the weekend. Temper your expectations in cash games, but take advantage of the weak hands and roster Funchess in some of your tournament lineups.