STLCards' NFL Field Stretcher: Week 14

Justin Van Zuiden, also known as STLCardinals84, has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best tournament players in the DFS industry. Join him each week as he gives you a glimpse into the mind of a GPP maestro.

Week 14

Welcome back to the NFL Field Stretcher for Week #14! This is a really intriguing week where we are going to see a LOT of similar DFS builds out there. Injury situations have created some very popular spots for value, and lineup construction is going to be of primary importance in GPP contests. I’ll touch on this at a more in-depth level below, but let’s first start with our usual look at Vegas odds for the week.

The Week 14 Slate – An Overview

Largest Favorites

LAC -14 vs. CIN
PIT -10 at OAK
NO -9 1/2 at TB
NE -7 at MIA
KC -6 1/2 vs. BAL

Highest Game Totals

NO/TB – 55 1/2
BAL/KC – 51 1/2
PIT/OAK – 51 1/2
ATL/GB – 50
IND/HOU – 49 1/2

Highest Implied Team Totals

NO – 32 1/2
LAC – 31
PIT – 31
KC – 29
GB – 27 1/2
HOU – 27
NE – 27

Lowest Implied Team Totals

CIN – 17
NYJ – 17 1/2
ARI – 19
WAS – 19
MIA – 20

A few notes on the above:

1) The highest implied team totals this week correspond pretty much directly with the largest favorites. This means we aren’t expected to see a lot of close, higher-scoring games; many of them are projected to be decided by a full touchdown or more.

2) It’s rare to see Baltimore on the list of highest game totals given how good their defense is, but such is life when you play the Chiefs.

3) How the mighty have fallen… The Bengals looked like a legitimate playoff team early in the year, but their defense has gone in the tank, and now their offense is dealing with a rash of injuries. Suddenly, the Bengals have the lowest team total on the board and are huge underdogs against the Chargers.

4) Don’t sleep on the GB/ATL and IND/HOU games as strong potential shootouts this week. The Packers might have new life with McCarthy gone, while the Colts and Texans logged 71 total points in their first head-to-head matchup.

Addressing The Chalky Lineup Build

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About the Author

stlcardinals84
Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84)

Justin Van Zuiden (aka stlcardinals84) is a longtime RotoGrinders contributor and show host. He’s appeared in numerous Live Finals, has logged countless 6-figure wins in a host of different sports (including 5 in PGA), and is a former DFS Writer of the Year Nominee by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can find Justin’s ‘Covering The Bases’ series on weekends during the MLB season. He is also a main contributor of sports betting picks at our sister site, ScoresAndOdds, and is a co-host on the RotoGrinders Game Night show on SiriusXM. Follow Justin on Twitter – @stlcardinals84