FanDuel lineup tips and advice, Week 14: You can always start over

In my big FanDuel tournament from last week, there were 34,478 entrants. The dude who finished last didn't try. I've never understood putting up real money for a roster you know will lose, but this person had Joe Webb, Edwin Baker, Ace Sanders, LaRon Byrd, Nathan Palmer and Gerell Robinson among his or her players, and I've only heard of three of those guys.

It put up 29.7 fantasy points, because you can't very well pick an inactive kicker or defense, and this person also stumbled into Brandon Bolden, but in general, this was an example of someone not trying.

That makes no sense. That roster used every penny available. Jimmy Graham is an elite player. Ryan Tannehill had a dream matchup. I'm guessing this was a Patriots fan, based on the presence of LeGarrette Blount, Julian Edelman, Stephen Gostkowski and the New England defense, but there are worse teams to hitch your wagons to.

I had Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, Andre Ellington, Tim Wright and Eric Decker all in that lineup - basically, I was saved by the Indianapolis defense and Jamaal Charles. While that team might not have been an obvious winner, there was no reason to expect that disaster.

That's kind of the beauty of FanDuel. I have to sit on the fact that Andre Ellington got hurt for the entire offseason, just being bitter. Edawg781, though - by Week 16 or 17, he might not even remember that ill-fated week of Pierre Garcon and Steve Smith Sr. I know I have forgotten several of my awful FanDuel entries.

• After a miserable start to the season by his standards, Drew Brees ($9,400) has come alive the last couple weeks with some really strong performances. Meanwhile, Carolina has allowed big games to the likes of Mark Sanchez and Joe Flacco. Brees? Better than those guys.
• Until Week 10, the Jets had allowed at least two touchdown passes a game to opposing quarterbacks in every game all season. They've improved a bit of late, but those were both in home games. Sunday, on the road against Minnesota, we could see a coming-out party for Teddy Bridgewater ($7,100).
• I feel like I've somehow recommended Shaun Hill ($6,700) several weeks in a row. But the Rams came out of their brutal stretch of schedule and into a much friendlier stretch; Sunday, they face a Washington team that has allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks than any other team.

• Look, Andrew Luck ($10,300) is great, and will probably be fine for fantasy. But do you see that salary? To invest in Luck, you have to shell out some huge, budget-crushing dollars. Meanwhile, he'll be playing against a Browns team that allows fewer fantasy points to quarterbacks than all but three teams. This just isn't a good use of more than a sixth of your cap.
• In home games this season, Matt Ryan ($7,900) has averaged 19 fantasy points a game. On the road, it's 13.5. Sunday? He's on the road.

• In a neutral matchup, Arian Foster ($8,700) would be one of the, what, top four running backs? Five? When he's healthy, he's great, and he is healthy now. And this isn't even a neutral matchup - it's a tasty-looking one against a Jacksonville team, a game the Texans could (should?) lead early.
• As of the time I'm writing this, Rashad Jennings hasn't yet been ruled out for Sunday, but it looks possible-to-likely. Andre Williams ($6,500) isn't very good, but as his team's likely bellcow against a poor run defense in Tennessee, and at a nice discount? He's not a bad second running back option.
• Lord help me, I never saw this coming, but I'm actually recommending Jonathan Stewart ($5,200) in fantasy. With DeAngelo Williams out, and against a Saints team that has made Le'Veon Bell and Justin Forsett look like Hall of Famers lately, Stewart could be seeing his best game Sunday.

• Jamaal Charles ($9,200) has scored nine touchdowns in his last seven games, but that disguises the fact that his rushing has fallen off a fair amount of late, with only 115 rushing yards on 29 carries against Oakland and Denver. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have an elite run defense. Steer clear this week.
• Remember the good times for Denard Robinson ($6,700)? Hundred-plus all-purpose yards three straight weeks, four scores in four games? The last two games, he's averaged 63 total yards and no scores, and lost a fumble in that time as well. The bloom's off the rose.

• Someone is going to have a big game for Green Bay. Maybe lots of someones. I expect lots of rosters to use one of the team's elite players. And Randall Cobb ($8,400) is slightly cheaper than Jordy Nelson, so he's the one I like most.
• The Ravens stop all running backs. They stop no receivers. At this point, Mike Wallace and Jarvis Landry ($6,900) are close to equal players, and Landry is slightly cheaper. So there ya go.
• One of the virtues of playing against the Broncos is that, while they're likely to put up a billionty-jillion points on you, your pass-catchers have every opportunity to score as well, just out of sheer quantity of passes. Robert Woods ($5,900) has been the best of those in Buffalo lately.

• The Seahawks allow fewer points to wide receivers than any other team. It's one thing if you want to use Jordan Matthews against them; at $7,500 he's expensive, but not prohibitively so. But if you're using Jeremy Maclin ($8,200), you're basically building around him, and that's not a good recipe.
• Torrey Smith ($6,900) is hurt, though expected to play. Steve Smith Sr. ($6,300) has been awful of late. And they play Miami. I'd avoid the Baltimore passing offense altogether.

• Justin Hunter is done for the year. Kendall Wright might not play Sunday, or if he does it'll be at less than full strength. Delanie Walker ($5,400) is basically the team's last offensive option, and he'll get heavy usage.
• With Colt McCoy at quarterback, Jordan Reed ($5,300) has been the beneficiary. In a season-long league, he's such an injury risk that he's hard to trust. But on a game-by-game basis? You can certainly invest.

• If you have Julius Thomas ($6,600) in your season-long league, and he's on the field, you're using him. That's easy. But in a weekly, with uncertainty around his ankle and no long-term commitment? Just steer clear.

• Y'all saw what St. Louis' defense did to Oakland last week, yeah? This week, San Francisco ($5,600) faces them, and while it won't be that good, there's every reason to think it'll still be good times.
• Teams that have allowed more fantasy points to opposing defenses than Tampa Bay: Jacksonville and St. Louis. But they face, respectively, a mediocre defense and an awful one. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers face Detroit ($5,300), one of the league's best defenses.

• Three of the last four defenses to face the Eagles have scored in the negative. Six teams all season have had zero points or fewer, and only four have gone for more than four. Seattle ($5,400) is an elite defense, sure, but on the road against the Eagles seems like a good time to steer clear.