FanDuel: Matchups look; more horoscope than crystal ball

In this space last week, running through the good and bad matchups for the weekend to come, I listed a lot of names, and my defenses for each.

Among that group were Dez Bryant with a bad matchup, and Montee Ball with a good one. Bryant faced a Tennessee defense that typically did well against wide receivers, but he put up 16 fantasy points in his game. Ball, against a struggling Chiefs team, figured to get a lot of run-out-the-clock rushes, but it didn't happen, and he scored only 8 points.

You're looking for smart investments. If I thought for a second that I could predict the week's top 50 in perfect order, I'd be quitting SB Nation today, because I could just roll FanDuel for all the money in the system and make the dudes in those commercials look like my buddy who drafted a coach in our fantasy draft. The advice offered here isn't an absolute "this guy will be good," "this guy will be bad," because that's impossible.

All we can do is plan as best we can. A running back might go for 200 yards against the Jets, but choosing that running back in FanDuel still would have been a bad decision.

• I've probably mentioned this more than a dozen times, but Drew Brees ($9,100) averaged 15.3 fantasy points a game on the road a year ago against 28.3 at home. Sunday, he plays his first home game of the year. Get down, get down.
• I don't really care about Nick Foles ($8,400) as an NFL quarterback. He's nothing special. But he ought to be good against a Washington defense that is nothing special.
• Similar to my point about Foles, but to the extreme: I, frankly, think Kirk Cousins ($6,800) is pretty bad. He isn't in my top 25 this week. But I will also concede that I have the capacity to be wrong (just ask that commenter from last week), and if I am, that's a cheap price for a starting quarterback.

• It's tough to find bad weeks to use Peyton Manning ($9,900), but on the road against Seattle is definitely one.
• It looks like A.J. Green is going to play Sunday, but odds are against him being at full strength. That's not great news for Andy Dalton ($7,900).

• Chris Johnson ($6,800) gets to face a porous Chicago run defense this week, making him a really nice start.
• Joique Bell ($6,800) against Green Bay is pretty tasty, especially with him having easily surpassed Reggie Bush. He's a strong use.
• If last week is any indication, the Patriots are planning to use Stevan Ridley ($6,200) with leads, and against Oakland, they're almost certainly going to get a nice lead.

• Honestly, I think Matt Forte ($8,400) will do well Monday night, even against a stout Jets' run defense. But, just as I said above, that in no way means he'd be a smart FanDuel play. He wouldn't.
• Even if Jamaal Charles misses Sunday, Knile Davis ($7,000) is no Jamaal Charles. He's interesting, sure, but there are enough flaws in Davis' game that I wouldn't want my week riding on him for seven grand.

• I rarely like to predict players to have huge games in back-to-back weeks, even if there's no real logic behind that opinion, but in what should be a high-scoring Green Bay-Detroit game, I have reason to like Jordy Nelson ($8,600).
• Jacksonville's rough defense means that the Colts are in good shape for the week, and that means good things for Reggie Wayne ($6,800).
• Brian Quick ($5,200) has been the Rams' top offensive weapon so far, and gets to face a rough Dallas defense this week. Nice bargain.

• Just like the Forte point, I think Antonio Brown ($8,200) will ultimately be fine this week, but against Carolina, that still doesn't make him a smart investment.
• Adrian Peterson's absence hurts all the Vikings, making it harder for the team to get into scoring territory, which makes Cordarrelle Patterson ($6,900) much less exciting.

• Kelvin Benjamin looks promising, if far from a sure thing, and the Carolina running backs are awful. That means Greg Olsen ($6,100) is a nice play at tight end this week.
• With Joe Haden patrolling the field, the Ravens might struggle to get the ball to Steve Smith Sr., and I still believe in Dennis Pitta ($5,800). This could be his week.

• You have to think last Sunday was the best week Antonio Gates ($6,000) will have all season; flying across the country for a 1 p.m. game seems like a good time to avoid him.

• The San Francisco defense ($5,800) gets to face Drew Stanton and the Cardinals, which ought to have them drooling.
• A good Houston defense ($5,200) against a Giants' offense that is pretty generous in turning the ball over? Yep, I'll buy that.

• We always downgrade good offenses for facing the Seattle defense ($5,200), so you really have to also downgrade the Seattle defense for facing a great offense. Seems like there's every chance the Seattle defense and the Denver offense mute each other's production to a point (yes, despite that Super Bowl).