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Monday Night Football has arrived and we get a nice matchup in Week 7 featuring the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams. This game has an under/over of 45 with the Rams being favored by 6 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Monday Night Football slate on October 26th (Week 7). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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DFS Quarterbacks
Both the Rams and Bears have gotten solid play from both of their quarterbacks over the past several weeks and it might come down to the quarterback play again on tonight’s showdown slate. The Bears have turned the reins over to Nick Foles who has done a solid job leading this Bears offense over the past several weeks. Their biggest and most impressive win came against Tampa Bay who is proving to have one of the best overall teams in the league. Foles is completing 62% of his passes and while he isn’t lighting up the scoreboard from a fantasy perspective, he is doing enough to keep the Bears in games and eventually coming out as the victors. The Rams are a top-four defense against the pass as they only allow opposing quarterbacks to throw for 209.5 yards per game and with the lack of upside that the Bears Defense presents, this does not appear to be a great matchup to roll out Foles in the captain spot.
On the other side of this game, Jared Goff has an equally tougher matchup as the Bears defense is proving to be one of the best defenses in the league as well. The Bears are allowing just 19 points per game to opposing teams (ranks 5th in the league) while also limiting opposing quarterbacks to just 224 passing yards per game (8th in the league). Goff has been pretty efficient this season as he has thrown for over 1,500 yards while holding a 67% completion percentage on the season. Part of Goff's play has been due to his offensive line play as they have only allowed seven total sacks on the year. Goff is a traditional pocket passing quarterback and if given time, he can make all of the throws.
Analysis: Goff appears to be the safer choice of the quarterback options on the slate and would be the preferred option for cash games. Rostering both quarterbacks could be a viable strategy in large tournaments but this does carry some risk as both opposing defenses are top tier defenses in the league.
DFS Running Backs
These two teams couldn't be more different when it comes down to their running back situation. The Bears lean heavily on one running back while the Rams have a three-headed rushing attack that they rotate. For the Bears, David Montgomery has really provided some stability at this position and gives fantasy players a very solid floor type player when rostering him. He has three straight double-digit scoring performances (ppr format) while being heavily involved in the passing game during that stretch. While the ground game has not been as successful, Montgomery has seen 19 total targets over the last three games played. He has hauled in 14 of those for catches and has racked up 99 receiving yards on those 14 grabs. The Rams Defense is tough on opposing backs as they rank in the top 10 when it comes to limiting yards on the ground so Montgomery will need to find success in the passing game to be successful from a fantasy perspective.
The Rams have three viable running backs on their roster but it seems that Darrell Henderson Jr. has absorbed the main back duties for the time being. He has seen 29 rushing attempts over his last two weeks which is 19 more attempts than what Malcolm Brown has seen over that same stretch. Malcolm Brown has been the alternate back used and looks to be more involved in the passing game as he is averaging four targets per game over his last three games played and has been limited in his rushing attempts as he only has 19 carries over that three-game span. Cam Akers was injured early on in the season and it doesn't seem like the Rams want to rush him back into the mix too quickly as he did not see any touches in week 6 against the Rams. The Bears are giving up 113 on the ground to opposing backs so this looks to be a decent matchup for the Rams running backs.
Analysis: Montgomery is the safest option of all of the running backs as he is the bell-cow back for the Bears and is involved in facets of the Bears offense. Henderon Jr. looks to be the lead back but Malcolm Brown could vulture some looks which makes both of them viable for tournament lineups.
DFS Wide Receivers
The Rams and Bears are similar as they have several go-to targets at the wide receiver position that you can always rely on. For the Bears, Allen Robinson has been a target monster this season as he commands a 28% target share and sees 11 targets per game. The Bears shift Robinson all around the field which means he will not draw Jalen Ramsey in coverage all night since Ramsey specifically stays on the left side of the field so Robinson should be one to consider in all formats. Outside of Robinson, the other two receiving targets to look at are Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller. Miller mostly operates out of the slot (lines up there 94% of the time) and is tied for receiving touchdowns (2) with Robinson which is the most of the receiving group. Mooney is a deep threat option and leads the group with an average depth of target at 12 yards and is the second-highest targeted receiver on the team with 30 total targets.
The Rams have a strong receiving duo in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp who both have above a 20% target share in the Rams offense. Kupp has been known to be Goff's security blanket running out of the slot while Woods has flashed big-play potential and they are the focal point of the Rams passing game. Both receivers see over 6+ targets per game and they have combined to haul in five receiving touchdowns through the first six games played. Kupp and Woods are extremely reliable and are viable in all formats on this showdown slate. Josh Reynolds operates as the third wide receiver for the Rams offense and while he doesn’t offer a great fantasy floor, he does carry a 13.1 average depth of target which means he is being used as a downfield threat.
Analysis: Robinson has the best floor on the slate due to the volume that he sees while both Kupp and Woods are reliable targets for cash games as well. All three are viable in tournaments but will see heavy ownership so working in Miller, Mooney, and Reynolds into tournament builds would be a great way to differentiate from the field.
DFS Tight Ends
This is another showdown slate where tight ends could be sneakier plays for tournament lineups. The ageless wonder Jimmy Graham has been heavily involved in the Bears offense as he has had three receiving touchdowns over his last four games while also seeing 28 targets over that same four-game span. While Graham doesn't rack up the receiving yards as he did in the past, he does see plenty of targets which makes him viable in all formats and leads the Bears in receiving touchdowns (4). Graham is on the field for 70% of the team's overall offensive snaps and carries a 15% team target share percentage which is second highest on the Bears roster. Sitting behind him on the depth chart is Demetrius Harris and Cole Kmet who don't see the field as much and would be nothing more than long-shot plays in large-field tournaments.
The Rams have a strong tight end duo in Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. Higbee has been a viable fantasy asset to lineups but that might not be the case this week as he heads into this game with a hand injury that has him listed as questionable. With it being a hand injury, you never know how that will truly affect him as a pass-catching option which makes him more of a riskier option. If he is unable to go, Gerald Everett should see a bump in targets and would be on that could be trusted in all formats. Everett has actually been targeted more than Higbee over the last two weeks but Higbee has been the more dominant tight end as he is tied for the team-high in receiving touchdowns (3).
Analysis: Jimmy Graham has really emerged as one of the top receiving targets in this Bears offense and is the most trusted tight end option on the slate. Higbee and Everett could be ways to get different with your lineups and if Higbee is out, Everett also becomes a viable cash game option. Harris and Kmet are nothing more than punt options and would carry extremely low ownership on this showdown slate.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
With the low total of 45, this makes it seem as if both defenses could be viable options on this showdown slate. The Rams Defense looks to be the better overall play as the Bears are 25th in passing (233 passing yards per game), 31st in rushing (90 yards per game), and 27th in the league in points scored per game. The Rams also do a great job generating pressure as they have 20 sacks on the season while the Bears have allowed 11 total sacks on the season so there could be some sack opportunities for the Rams throughout this game.
The Bears Defense has looked sharp, especially over the past two games, as they have limited the Bucs and Panthers to a combined 35 points scored with seven total sacks in that two-game span. The Rams offensive line has kept Goff upright and clean as they have only allowed seven total sacks on the season so this will be a tougher challenge for the Bears defense. The Rams do a great job pounding the ball as they rank 8th in the league in rushing yards per game (135.2) and rank 17th in passing yards per game (254.5) which shows how balanced their offense is.
Both kickers look to be in play on this slate for several reasons. They are playing indoors which always favors kickers and is getting plenty of opportunities at both extra points and regular field goals. Cairo Santos is averaging two field goal opportunities per game and has an 83.3 field goal percentage on the season while Sam Sloman has a 77.8% on nine total attempts.
Analysis: Both defenses are in play with the Rams defense having a little bit better matchup. The LA defense could be more viable in cash games while rostering the Chicago defense in tournaments could be a way to be contrarian on this slate. Both kickers look viable with Santos being the safer option while Sloman could also be trusted in cash games.
Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs!
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