FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Afternoon-Slate Helper: Week 10

The Week 10 afternoon NFL DFS slate on FanDuel has four matchups, which kick off between 4:05 and 4:25 p.m. EST. We have mostly competent offenses -- outside of the Miami Dolphins -- against strong defenses, so this should be a fun slate from a roster construction standpoint.

Our NFL DFS Matchup Heat Map will be referenced for all implied totals and spreads throughout this article, so be sure to check it out.

Let’s check out the best plays at various prices on this short slate.

High Priced Studs

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers ($10,500)

CMC has smashed tough defenses in back to back weeks. Now he gets a Green Bay Packers defense that ranks 31st in Adjusted Defensive Rushing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play. He is clearly the safest fantasy option out there, playing nearly every snap and having the offense literally run through him. Even as the highest-priced player by over $2,000, McCaffrey should get the lock button.

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers ($7,600)

Aaron Jones flopping last week confirmed that his floor is a lot lower than we think. His passing upside and touchdown equity are incredibly valuable, but his 62.5 percent opportunity share ranks outside the top-20 running backs. This team loves Jamaal Williams, and that won't end anytime soon.

Luckily, that shouldn't matter this week. Seeing as how the Carolina Panthers rank dead last in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play, there should be plenty of fantasy scoring to go around in this backfield. Playing both Jones and Williams in the same lineup could be a viable contrarian play on this small slate.

Marlon Mack, RB, Indianapolis Colts ($7,400)

If you fast forward to Monday and Google search "establish the run," you'll see the highlights of what Marlon Mack and the Indianapolis Colts are about to do to the Dolphins. With no T.Y. Hilton and a hobbled Jacoby Brissett/aging Brian Hoyer, Mack may receive 40 carries in this contest. And with Miami's 28th-ranked defense in terms of Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play, they may not be able to stop it.

Mack hasn't had the passing-game role many hoped for entering this season, but a possible multi-touchdown game still puts him in the elite tier of running backs this week.

Mid-Priced Upside Plays

Jaylen Samuels, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,200)

At only $5,000 last week, Samuels hit value with his 13 receptions on 13 targets. His efficiency on the ground was brutal -- -0.37 Rushing NEP per carry -- but with that passing game work, it doesn't really matter.

He will likely struggle on the ground again this week, as the Los Angeles Rams rank 13th in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play. But our projections still have him as the best point-per-dollar value with 20 total touches.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,800)

According to PlayerProfiler, JuJu travels to the slot on over half of his snaps while Jalen Ramsey goes there less than 5.0 percent of the time. Unless the Rams want to really shake things up, it's unlikely that there will be any shadow coverage in this game.

That is obviously a boost to Smith-Schuster, as the Rams lack talent at cornerback with the recent departures of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. JuJu hasn't shown a safe floor or a massive ceiling this season, but he's still one of the best plays on this small slate.

Zach Pascal, WR, Indianapolis Colts ($6,400)

With no Hilton and Parris Campbell breaking his hand in Week 9, Zach Pascal is one of the only healthy receivers on the Colts. They might not need to throw it more than 15 times, but Pascal could legitimately see a 50 percent target share. In games in which he's seen more than three targets this season, Pascal has at least 72 receiving yards in each and is averaging 16.9 fantasy points.

Bargain Bin Prospects

Michael Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins ($5,300)

With Preston Williams unfortunately tearing his ACL, the Dolphins will be even more desperate for playmakers. SPARQ-phenom Mike Gesicki is the likely candidate to see a boost in looks after having a quiet breakout game last week. Indianapolis has also allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, so Gesicki should capitalize on his expanded role.

Jack Doyle, TE, Indianapolis Colts ($5,200)

Paying down at tight end is likely going to be popular with McCaffrey so pricey, and Jack Doyle could be the best option. He's seen at least three targets in every game since Week 1. Plus, Indy's depleted weapons on offense should increase his role against weak Miami defense.

Jonathan Taylor Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice Jonathan Taylor Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jtsmittyyy. 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.