NFL

FanDuel Single-Game Fantasy Football Helper: Week 14 Sunday Night

Can Todd Gurley thrive despite a tough road matchup against the Bears? Who else should you target on Sunday night's single-game slate?

This week's edition of Sunday Night Football features the Los Angeles Rams traveling to take on the Chicago Bears.

With the FanDuel main slate ending after the afternoon games, single-game slates allow DFS enthusiasts to stay involved through the evening. For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5-times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

Bookmakers currently peg the Rams as 3-point road favorites with an over/under sitting at 51.5-points. With the Rams 11-1 and the Bears 8-4, this contest has the makings of another exciting Sunday night showdown.

MVP Considerations

Todd Gurley ($17,000): The most expensive player on the board, Todd Gurley will likely draw the most ownership in the MVP spot. Despite playing against the number-two overall defense and the top-rated run defense, according to our metrics, Gurley remains tough to fade. He has averaged 23.25 touches per game and ranks 10th in targets to running back position (60). Absurdly, Gurley has also averaged 5.0 carries per game in the red zone this season, keeping his ceiling sky high. The star running back should pay off this cost again even though the matchup is rough.

Mitchell Trubisky ($15,000): Coming off a multi-week shoulder injury, Mitchell Trubisky is $1,500 cheaper than Jared Goff. Trubisky also runs the ball very well, something Goff does not. Despite the missed games, Trubisky ranks fifth in quarterback rushing yards this season (363), adding three scores with his legs. These rushing stats have caused Trubisky's average FanDuel points per game (22.6) to climb above Goff's (22.1). With the Rams' defense ranking 13th overall by our schedule-adjusted metrics, Trubisky also draws the easier matchup in this spot.

Tarik Cohen ($13,000): Tarik Cohen has handled 13.25 touches in the Bears' last four games. On the season, his 72 targets rank sixth in the NFL among running backs and second on the Bears overall. Last week, Cohen played 51% of the Bears' offensive snaps while Jordan Howard came in for a mere 41%. With the Chicago listed as 3.0-point underdogs, game script should favor Cohen's skill set, creating a path to fantasy success.

Robert Woods ($12,500): While both Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods remain solid plays, Woods draws the edge here from a usage standpoint. Woods has bested Cooks in targets (20 to 18) and air yards (299 to 271), since Cooper Kupp was lost for the year. Woods also has the lead in red-zone targets (six to one), showing a distinct edge in usage over Cooks in this stretch. Per our metrics, the Bears own the sixth-best pass defense, but Rams coach Sean McVay has proved capable of scheming his players open. Both of LA's top wideouts are quality plays, but Woods has a slight edge here at the same price.

Value Plays

Josh Reynolds ($8,500): In two weeks without Kupp, Josh Reynolds has played 98% and 94% of the Rams' offensive snaps. In that span, he has recorded 13 targets, 120 air yards, and 5 red-zone targets. Despite working as the clear number-four option behind Gurley, Cooks, and Woods, Reynolds' high snap rate gives him a shot to produce. Reynolds has already shown his upside this season, posting one multi-touchdown game and another game with 6 catches for 80 yards. He remains a cheap way to get access this explosive Rams' offense.

Taylor Gabriel (8,000): The cheapest of the Bears' usable wide receivers, Taylor Gabriel actually leads the team in targets (74) and air yards (931) this season. With his counting stats all over the map, he has only three games of more than 10 FanDuel points so far. While his reliance on the big play creates a back-breaking floor, this is exactly the upside we want to target in tournaments.

Tyler Higbee ($7,000): A deep dig into the Rams' pass catchers leads to Tyler Higbee. While Gerald Everett has recorded two touchdowns in Kupp's absence, Higbee has seen the most usage. Higbee has played on 74% and 68% of the Rams' snaps, while Everett recorded snap rates of 29% and 35%. Higbee also out-targeted Everett, 10-7, during the last two games. While neither should be considered a bankable fantasy option, Higbee's slight edge in usage makes him the better play of the Rams' two tight ends.

Taquan Mizzell ($6,500): The deepest of dives, Taquan Mizzell has slowly siphoned work from Howard and Cohen in recent weeks. He has played 16% of the Bears' snaps each of the last two weeks and recorded touch counts of 3 and 5. While this may seem insignificant, his four carries and five targets over that span reduce the bottom line for each back individually. If Mizzell could punch one of his touches into the end zone, he could potentially break the slate at this reduced cost.



Matthew Gajewski is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Gajewski also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mgajewski. 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.