It doesn’t seem like we’re already over half-way through the 2015-2016 NFL season does it? Well, sadly thats the case. But that doesn’t mean that your fantasy betting should take any more of a hit, if anything you should be doing all you can to savour the remaining few weeks and get yourself involved in any way you can. If you’ve been struggling so far then don’t worry, we’re here to give you a few tips to make sure you have a successful back end to the season.
Lets start at quarterback. This week could easily be one of the biggest for the new rookie quarterbacks this year if last weeks results are anything to go by. The Giants vs Saints game last week combined for 13 passing touchdowns, which evidently shows that their passing defences are not up to scratch. The 2015 NFL draft had Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay) go first pick and Marcus Mariota (Tennesse) second pick, but both have up and down performances this year. Saying that, last week Winston managed to beat the previous one loss Falcons with a fantasy performance of 19.48 points (NFL.com standard scoring). This week he plays against a Giants defence that gave up 44.30 points last week so is a fantastic opportunity that would be a cheap buy and a potential bargain. Staying on the Bucs vs Giants game, if you are feeling like sacrificing a bit of your salary cap on a quarterback then go with Eli Manning. He tore up last week on his way to 38.00 points, and this week he plays a Bucs defense that is dishing out an average of just over 20 points to opposing quarterbacks, third most in the NFL. On the other side, be wary of taking Aaron Rodgers this week. He is coming off potentially his worst career outing as a professional quarterback and now faces an exceptionally stingy Carolina defence this week which gives up the third fewest points to opposing quarterbacks.
Running back has been a difficult position to get right this year, with some of the top names either getting injured or going through a spell where they aren’t playing their best. Devonte Freeman is the current leading scorer and that does not look like changing this week when he faces a 49ers defence that gives up an average of 22.63 points to opposing team running backs, 4th most in the NFL. Chris Ivory of the New York Jets has been an explosive player this year when fully healthy, going for over 20 points in three games so far. He now plays against a Jacksonville defence that surrenders 21.56 points to opposing running backs, so could be a steal with his medium level price tag. Todd Gurley has been a rookie sensation this year, going for over 125 yards in all four of his career starts and scoring over 15 points, whilst also going over 20 in the last two weeks. Before you rush out to buy him, be warned that this week he faces a Vikings defence that surrenders the 5th fewest points (14.73) to opposing running backs. Potentially the biggest bargain this week is Chicago’s backup running back Jeremy Langford. Although Matt Forte hasn’t been fully ruled out, it is expected that he will not play. If Langford does start then he is a must buy as he faces a Chargers team that surrenders the most points to opposing running backs in the NFL and should be extremely cheap.
Wide receiver this week seems to be a case of spend big to win big. The best choice (and the most expensive) is Julio Jones, who comes off two consecutive games with touchdown catches and faces a 49ers defence that allows the third most points to opposing wide receivers. The same can be said for Odell Beckham, who is coming off a monstrous 31.00 point outing last week to now face the Bucs defence that allows the fourth most points to opposing wide receivers in the NFL. Demaryius Thomas (Denver) has not experienced the same level of dominance he has in the past few years, but this week he has a great matchup against a week Colts defence. With Peyton Manning’s performance improving, it may be worth investing some of your salary cap in Manning’s number one target. Alternatively in the same game you want to stay away from T.Y Hitlon. He goes up against the Broncos defence that has arguably two pro-bowl cornerbacks and surrenders the second fewest points to wide receivers in the league. Be wary of taking Antonio Brown this week as well. Although now Ben Roethlisberger is back his fantasy value goes up, he still plays an Oakland defence that has actually been more stingy than expected, allowing the 12th fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
Tight end is one of the most crucial positions in fantasy sports and can often be make or break as to whether your betting will win money or if you’ll be on the outside looking in. Investing in the big names (Rob Gronkowski, Greg Olsen) isn’t always a rewarding experience, and coming up with a player that most people may overlook could be your best way to gain an advantage. Looking at the stats, this week Delanie Walker should have a good outing, even though he has struggled so far this year. He faces a Saints defence that allows the 6th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends and should be a cheap option for your restricted salary cap. Alternatively, do not waste your money on Jason Witten. Any Cowboy quarterback not named Romo cannot be trusted, and they face an Eagles defence that only allows 4.51 points to opposing tight ends (second fewest). Before you run to buy Gronkowski be warned that the Redskins defence only allows 5.59 points to opposing tight ends, 7th fewest in the league, so isn’t a dead set lock to be the highest scorer.
Now the NFL season is getting to its crucial span it will be interesting to see which players step up their play to take their teams into the playoffs, and which fade away and become a no-show. Either way this will have a dramatic effect on your fantasy football, so when it comes to fantasy sports betting its crucial you look at the stats to try and win some money! Whichever way you go, good luck!