NFL

4 NFL FanDuel Tournament Pivots for Week 14

If you've played daily fantasy sports for a while, you realize by now the importance of being contrarian, especially in large-field tournaments. Being able to recognize which players are going to be owned by the majority of the field -- and to find players who you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership -- can help separate you from your opponents.

The purpose of this article will be to identify some players who will be the chalk at each position and how you can pivot off of them with high-upside options who could go overlooked.

Let's take a look at pivot options for Week 14 of the 2019 NFL season.

Quarterback

Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Price: $7,400

We are back with a full 13-game slate, and it's time to take a look at NFL DFS from a tournament perspective -- specifically, pivots at each position.

Chalk in DFS is fine in certain spots, but at other times, you want to avoid it and go for a lower-owned player. At $7.3K this week, we have Ryan Tannehill, who has looked amazing since becoming the starter for the Tennessee Titans and will likely continue that trend versus a weak Oakland Raiders' secondary. We also see Kyle Allen in this price range against a bad Atlanta Falcons defense in a game with a high over/under. Lastly, we also have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who looks legit good in recent games.

Possibly lost in the mix may be Jacoby Brissett, who is the quarterback you want to pivot to.

There are plenty of factors that could point people away from Brissett this week, so let's take a look. First off, the Indianapolis Colts will be without T.Y. Hilton, who is their best receiver. OK, that's a downgrade to their passing game. Next, Brissett is averaging only 29.54 passing attempts per game this season, which ranks 33rd among quarterbacks. Fewer passing attempts limit a quarterback's potential for scoring, so that's another reason DFS players might shy away. Finally, the Colts announced that Marlon Mack is available to return from a multi-week hand injury. This might lead to some people thinking that Mack will be a large part of the offense, but that shouldn't be the case.

The Colts are up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are allowing the second-fewest FanDuel points per game to running backs this season. They are a pure pass-funnel D as they are giving up the fourth-most FanDuel points per game to quarterbacks. This puts Brissett in a spot to thrive. We have an over/under at 47.5 points -- tied for second-highest on the slate -- setting this game up for plenty of scoring.

Running Back

Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos

FanDuel Price: $6,400

A timeshare at running back is never great, but it also opens up the chance to get guys a lower ownership.

The Denver Broncos have multiple running backs seeing time on the field, namely Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. Over the past three weeks, Freeman has out-snapped Lindsay in two of three games, but Lindsay has a total of 52 touches in that span, compared to Freeman's 22.

Sure, Freeman is on the field more, but he isn't doing anything with those snaps and has been outscored 23.5 FanDuel points to 13.3 by Lindsay. Usually, more snaps equals more opportunity, but does it matter if you don't produce when given the chance? That is what we are operating with for the Broncos' backfield, so let's roll with Lindsay in a great matchup.

The Broncos are on the road to take the Houston Texans in a clash with an over/under sitting at only 43 points -- tied for the second-lowest on the slate. Games with lower totals generally see lower ownership, which is what we should get here.

When it comes to the matchup, it's a great one for Lindsay as the Texans are allowing 24.0 FanDuel points per game to running backs -- the seventh-most in the league. If no one is going to be rostering Broncos players this week, take a shot on Lindsay.

Wide Receiver

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans

FanDuel Price: $5,000

Ugh, here we go. Corey Davis is a good DFS option this week.

I know, I know. Seemingly everyone has been burned by Davis in the past few years, and if you don't want to roster him, that makes sense. But it's also a great spot this week, and taking a shot on any wide receiver this cheap can be a risk, so why not take the path of least resistance?

This path being a favorable one is due to the fact the Tennessee Titans are on the road to take on the Oakland Raiders, which gives the Titans a 25.00 implied team total -- the seventh-highest on the slate. The Raiders are allowing 29.7 FanDuel points per game to opposing wide receivers, the 12th-most in the league.

Davis leads the Titans in targets this season (55), has the second-highest average depth of target (12.1), and is playing on 71.9% of the snaps, highest among the team's wide receivers. His role on the team is very consistent and secure -- it's just a matter of him actually producing fantasy points. He could do it in this spot, and if he does, you could get a nice day at low ownership.

Tight End

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals

FanDuel Price: $4,900

There are a few cheaper tight ends who should be popular this week. But which one is the best pivot?

Among cheaper the cheaper tight ends this week we have Jonnu Smith, Kyle Rudolph, and Michael Gesicki -- all under $5.5K and all should be seeing solid snaps and in matchups. Finding production at tight end is a mess after the top tier, and you can find yourself with a zero real quick.

Sitting at $4.9K this week is C.J. Uzomah, who brought in five receptions for 51 yards last week, which was the first game back for Andy Dalton.

That was Uzomah's most productive game since Week 1, and it may be a sign of things to come. Uzomah has been in on more than 50% of the snaps in five straight weeks. Tyler Eifert has played more than 50% of the snaps only once in that time. This week, Uzomah is taking on the Cleveland Browns, who are allowing 10.1 FanDuel points per game to tight ends -- the 11th-most in the league. Uzomah is a clear pivot away from the chalky, cheap tight ends, and his outlook is boosted with Dalton back under center.