Each week of the season I will look at matchups, usage, pace of play and the injury report to highlight my favorite "higher" and "lower" picks on Chalkboard.
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Higher
Rashee Rice 
vs. LV - higher than 61.5 receiving yards; higher than 0.5 TDs
Rice will make his long-awaited return after missing last season through injury and sitting out the first six games this year due to suspension. The Chiefs have a favorable home matchup against the Raiders and Patrick Mahomes has been desperate for a No. 1 WR. Reports suggest Rice is 100 percent healthy and set for a big role. I'm expecting Mahomes will look to get him involved early.
Caleb Williams 
vs. NO - higher than 1.5 pass TDs; higher than 232.5 pass yards
Rome Odunze vs. NO - higher than 67.5 receiving yards
An up-tempo matchup against a bad team is the perfect spot for Chicago's passing game. New Orleans is still operating at the fastest neutral pace in the league and its games rank top-5 in combined plays. The Bears' defense isn't very good, so we could be in for a back-and-forth affair. I always like Williams and a Ben Johnson led offense in these spots. WR DJ Moore is dealing with multiple injuries, and Odunze is primed to bounce back after Williams narrowly missed him on a few deep shots Monday night against the Washington Commanders.
Matthew Golden 
at ARI - higher than 46.5 receiving yards
Golden is coming off a season-high 86 yards, and it was the rookie's third consecutive game with at least 52 yards. It's helped that he's had a 30+ yard catch in each game, but expect the big plays to continue. Also, expect the usage to continue to trend upward as he gets more comfortable with Jordan Love and the offense.
Justin Fields 
vs. CAR - higher than 39.5 rush yards
A few factors points to Fields running more on Sunday against Carolina. He's really struggled passing, and he's been taking a lot of sacks. Now, WR Garrett Wilson is out, so the onus will be on RB Breece Hall and the running game. The problem with that is the Panthers will be expecting it, and they've completely shut down the run at home in recent weeks, holding Dallas Cowboys RB Javonte Williams to just 29 yards last week, and Miami Dolphins RB De'Von Achane to 16 yards in the home game prior to that. We could see more designed runs from Fields, seeing him leaving the pocket earlier to combat the sacks.
Kimani Vidal 
vs. IND - higher than 73.5 rush + receiving yards
Despite pregame reports that RB Hassan Haskins would operate as the lead back, it was Vidal who took 18 carries for 124 yards against the Dolphins last week. He also added three catches, so he should stay involved the passing-game so long as rookie RB Omarion Hampton remains out. Vidal is clearly more talented as a runner and pass-catcher than Haskins, and I think we'll see him get 75 percent of the backfield touches in what should be a competitive, high-scoring game against the Colts.
A.J. Brown 
at MIN - higher than 62.5 receiving yards
Brown's numbers are depressed based on the well-documented struggles of the Eagles' passing game. On the bright side, he's drawn at least eight targets in five consecutive games, and he's too good not to do more with that type of volume. We just saw Pittsburgh Steelers WR DK Metcalf have his best of the season against the Vikings defense in a game in Dublin, Ireland, when he took five catches for 126 yards prior to the team's bye.
Quinshon Judkins 
vs. MIA - higher than 91.5 rush yards; higher than 0.5 TDs
The Dolphins' defense has been destroyed on the ground in recently. Denver's Vidal went for 124 yards last week, after Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle exploded for 206 the week before. Judkins looks be a serious talent, already impressive against the best of the NFC North. He rushed for 110 yards against the Vikings, 94 against the Packers and 82 against the Lions in successive weeks. Sunday's matchup against Miami is considerably better.
