NFL

FanDuel Single-Game Fantasy Football Helper: Week 10 Sunday Night

In a key divisional contest between the Cowboys and Eagles, which players should you build around on FanDuel's single-game slate?

This week's edition of Sunday Night Football features a divisional showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. With the FanDuel main slate ending after the afternoon games, this allows fantasy enthusiasts to stay involved through the evening and showcase their knowledge on smaller slates.

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.

This is the first of two meetings between these opponents this season. Bookmakers currently project this to be a low scoring affair, with a 43-point over/under. However, with a heated rivalry between these two teams, an exciting game should ensue. Here are a few of tonight's top plays, starting with MVP considerations.

MVP Considerations

Carson Wentz ($17,000): When examining the MVP slot, quarterbacks always warrant consideration due to their elevated scoring. Wentz hasn't shown any linger effects from his knee injury, passing for at least 275 yards in each of his last six games. Wentz also showed the ability to run prior to the Philadelphia Eagles' bye, with a season-high 6 rushing attempts for 28 yards. Also positive for the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys enter Sunday night on a short week, having played on Monday night in Week 9. The Cowboys have played solid defense to this point but lost Sean Lee last week. According to our metrics, Dallas is most vulnerable against the pass, where they rank 20th. Wentz should be able to attack this weakness and incorporate his new weapon, Golden Tate. While Wentz comes with a hefty price tag, he offers both safety and upside in the MVP slot.

Ezekiel Elliott ($15,500): Coming off his fourth 100-yard performance, Elliott offers a direct pivot from the quarterback play. Elliott has at least 17 touches in every game this season, including five games with more than 20 touches. The Eagles have played stout defense against the run, allowing a league-low 405 rushing yards to enemy backs. However, they have showed cracks through the air, allowing 454 receiving yards to backs. The Cowboys have given Zeke decent receiving work as he's logged 11 targets in their past two games. Even in a less-than-ideal matchup, Zeke's volume makes him a high-upside option for the MVP slot

Amari Cooper ($11,500): The other Cowboy worth considering for the MVP spot is Cooper. While Cooper continues to learn the offense, the Cowboys showed a commitment to their new investment by feeding him a team-high eight targets coming off their bye, including four looks in the red zone. Cooper turned the workload into 51 receiving yards and a score. It's also a pretty nice matchup for the Cowboys' wideouts. Philly has allowed the seventh-most yards to receivers (1,563) and will be without corners Sidney Jones and Jalen Mills, sweetening the matchup for Cooper. He offers quite a bit of cash savings and would likely be a contrarian MVP selection.

Zach Ertz ($14,500): Forget Ertz plays tight end for a moment, because he might as well be a receiver. Among all players, he comes into the week ranking ninth in targets (84), including a team-high 14 red-zone targets. The Cowboys have played decent defense against tight ends, allowing the third-fewest yards to the position (285), but they have yet to face a tight end of Ertz's caliber. He should carry low ownership in the MVP slot, providing leverage on the field.

Value Plays

Josh Adams ($6,000): Providing the ultimate salary relief at a mere $6,000, Adams actually led the Eagles with 10 touches in Week 8 prior to their bye. On 9 carries, Adams impressed with 61 yards and may have earned more playing time with Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood struggling and Darren Sproles re-injuring his hamstring. The Cowboys have played stellar run defense, ranking fourth per our metrics. However, Adams projects to play with positive game script as the Eagles are 7.5-point favorites. Adams' snap rate increased to a season-high 29% in Week 8, and he could see more work again this week.

Michael Gallup ($7,500): Expected to be hurt by Cooper's arrival, Gallup played the second-most snaps among Cowboys wideouts. He also saw the second-most targets (6) on the team, parlaying this usage into 51 receiving yards. Helping Gallup's fortunes, Cole Beasley (75%) and Allen Hurns (32%) saw their snap rates drop. As noted above, the Eagles present a friendly matchup for opposing receivers, and Gallup could fly under the radar with Cooper attracting the attention of opposing defenses.

Golden Tate ($10,500): Philadelphia's shiny new toy, Tate has had almost two weeks to acclimate to the Eagles' offense after a Week 9 bye. Prior to the trade, Tate had 69 targets, 44 receptions, 508 receiving yards, and 450 air yards. In Week 4 with the Detroit Lions, Tate took a flamethrower to the Cowboys' secondary with 8 catches, 132 yards, and a pair of scores. The Cowboys play stout perimeter coverage with Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie on the outside, funneling targets to the middle of the field. This should help Tate pay off his reduced salary in a new offense.

Jake Elliott ($9,000): On short slates, kickers always need to be considered. While this game doesn't have the highest over/under, Elliott has played remarkably well this season, making 100% of his extra points and 86% of field goals, giving him the edge over Brett Maher. The Eagles are implied for 25.25 points, which dwarfs the Cowboys' 17.75 team total. Generally carrying low ownership, kickers can provide leverage on the field, and this is a decent spot for Elliott.



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