Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our readers!!! Week 17, much like Week 1, can be confusing since so many teams choose to rest players for all of, or at least portions of the games. So, the most important thing to look for when setting your lineups is finding players who will be playing the full game and players who (more importantly) have something to play for. Teams with seeding on the line will likely go full-bore this week, which could open themselves up for larger than normal offensive output. While, teams that are “taking a bye” like Baltimore, will not score anywhere near what they would normally put up.
Also, don’t forget that we will be continuing to provide DFS content right up through the Conference Championship weekend, so stay tuned in and fatten your wallet to pay off all your January credit card bills.
The Main Slate:
There are many solid options at QB this week, but only three up top that I really love: Jameis Winston, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees. I guess I could lump Aaron Rodgers in this group too, but I just don’t think he’ll throw much in this game, because he won’t need to. If I were to spend down here, Andy Dalton and his opponent, Baker Mayfield could be in play. Considering where their teams are located in the standings however, they may just go through the motions in this one. The other mid-range options would be Tom Brady facing a subpar Miami defense and Carson Wentz. In Brady’s case, his receiving corps (aka Julian Edelman) is beat up and Edelman finished last week’s game playing through what appeared to be an undiagnosed concussion. For Wentz, he doesn’t even have a receiving corps to be injured. Unfortunately, most of the other QBs with good matchups are playing in games where not much matters (including Ryan and Winston). Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill face off in a game with playoff implications but both have injuries affecting their receiving corps, and now it looks like Watson may be dealing with an injury of his own. Drew Lock and Daniel Jones each get one more game to prove their worth as rookies, so each could be an option against weaker foes. Perhaps the safe play this week is just punt the position with Case Keenum. I could do that, but I’ll probably go with Drew Brees in a game where he needs to win to secure their playoff seeding. At 14% on both sites, he is not a bad price. Just know that his hookup with Michael Thomas is spendy and that will force you to bargain shop elsewhere.
Christian McCaffrey will return his standard 30 points which will be right under 3x, but certainly a worth play anyhow. That said, I will likely save some money by rolling out one of: Aaron Jones or Ezekiel Elliott or even Alvin Kamara at RB1. Marlon Mack should probably be a lock at RB2, but his price is still in that higher range, so you may be forced to roll with him at RB1 (especially if you do the Brees-Thomas stack). I would rather pair him with another higher-priced option though. Some additional cheaper RB2/FLEX options include: both Bears’ backs, both healthy Vikings’ backs, Sony Michel, Ronald Jones, Damien Williams, Kerryon Johnson and Rex Burkhead. Mack paired with one of the three more expensive options will tie up 30% on DK and 27% on FD. If you pair Mack with one of the cheaper guys you will be invested at a rate of no more than 24% on DK and 20% on FD. Either way, make sure your FLEX here is under 10%.
I would not argue against purchasing any of the top three WRs. Michael Thomas is the priciest but he is the hookup with our QB, Brees. Julio Jones and Davante Adams both could be hookups with pivot QBs: Ryan and Rodgers. All that said, I’ve spent a lot at QB/RB, so I will go with no more than one of them (paired with their respective QBs). Other WR1 pivots could include: Breshad Perriman, Tyler Boyd, A.J. Brown and Courtland Sutton. It is comical how cheap Odell Beckham is this week. I’m not sure he has a lot to play for other than pride. That said, at this price, if he suits up, he should be your WR2. Other WR2 options include: Jarvis Landry, Sterling Shepard, Anthony Miller and Michael Gallup. I wouldn’t spend more than $5K on DK or $6K on FD for my WR3, so target guys like: Greg Ward, Allen Lazard, John Ross, Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, the Patriots’ backups and DaeSean Hamilton. Thomas is 20% by himself on DK. If you want to link him and Brees, you will have to spend less at RB1. At least on FD, Thomas is only 15%, making him slightly more palatable. Jones and Adams run at 17% on DK and 14% on FD. Odell Beckham and the similarly priced WR2 talent will run you roughly 11% on either site. I’m going to attempt to keep WR3 around 9% on either site.
Austin Hooper, Tyler Higbee and Dallas Goedert (if Zach Ertz sits) are cheat codes. They are all a little above my spending range, but I’ll finagle to try to fit one into most of my lineups. If I do go cheaper, Jason Witten, Kaden Smith and Noah Fant are nice value options. The top three will all run under 11.5% on either site. The value threesome will all run under 8% on DK and right around 9.3% on FD. I could also see a strategy where you spend down at RB, and use Double-TE this week. This might help you fit your Brees-Thomas stack in better.
The Steelers at $3K on DK and $3.5K on FD are a wonderful play, but watch and see if the Vikings rest Kirk Cousins. If they do, start the Bears on DK at a bargain-basement price against Sean Mann-I-ain’t-any-good-on. Of course, if you have figured out a way to expand the salary cap in this game, play the Patriots versus Miami. If you can make that work you are likely cheating more than Belichick does. The Bears and Steelers each roll in at under 6.5% on either site.
Here are my recommended lineups.
At DK: $7K for Drew Brees. $6.9K for Marlon Mack. Less than $5K for one of: Tarik Cohen, Ronald Jones, Sony Michel, Damien Williams, Kerryon Johnson, Ameer Abdullah or Rex Burkhead. $9.9K for Michael Thomas. $5.7K for Odell Beckham. No more than $4.7K for your WR3 (currently leaning Tajae Sharpe). $4.9K for Dallas Goedert. $3.9K for Jason Witten at FLEX (or another RB such as Abdullah). $2.1K for the Bears’ defense.
At FD: $8.4K for Brees. $8K for Aaron Jones. $7.3K for Mack. $9.2K for Thomas. $6.6K for Beckham. No more than $5.5K for WR3 (leaning Russell Gage). $6K for Austin Hooper. No more than $5.5K for FLEX (currently leaning Tarik Cohen). $3.5K for the Steelers’ defense.
At Fanball (SuperFlex – includes Sun Night): Brees, Carson Wentz at SF, Alvin Kamara, Mack, Thomas, Beckham, Sharpe, Goedert, and Sony Michel at FLEX.
At Fantasy Draft (includes Sun Night): Brees, A. Jones, Mack, Thomas, Sharpe, Noah Fant, Michel, Damien Williams, and the Bears’ defense.
Quarterback
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | $7,200 | $8,600 |
| Drew Brees | $7,000 | $8,400 |
| Aaron Rodgers | $6,900 | $8,300 |
| Ryan Tannehill | $6,800 | $7,900 |
| Deshaun Watson | $6,700 | $8,000 |
| Jameis Winston | $6,600 | $8,100 |
| Matt Ryan | $6,500 | $7,800 |
| Daniel Jones | $6,400 | $7,500 |
| Dak Prescott | $6,300 | $8,000 |
| Jared Goff | $6,200 | $7,900 |
| Carson Wentz | $6,100 | $7,700 |
| Josh Allen | $6,000 | $7,600 |
| Tom Brady | $6,000 | $7,600 |
| Andy Dalton | $5,900 | $6,900 |
| Drew Lock | $5,800 | $7,100 |
| Jacoby Brissett | $5,800 | $7,300 |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | $5,800 | $7,400 |
| Baker Mayfield | $5,700 | $7,400 |
| Kirk Cousins | $5,700 | $7,700 |
| Mitchell Trubisky | $5,700 | $7,400 |
| Derek Carr | $5,500 | $7,300 |
| Kyler Murray | $5,500 | $7,700 |
| Philip Rivers | $5,400 | $7,400 |
| Gardner Minshew II | $5,300 | $6,700 |
| Nick Foles | $5,300 | $6,300 |
| Robert Griffin III | $5,100 | $7,000 |
| Sam Darnold | $5,000 | $7,200 |
| David Blough | $4,700 | $6,600 |
| Devlin Hodges | $4,600 | $6,500 |
| Will Grier | $4,600 | $6,400 |
| Brett Hundley | $4,500 | $7,000 |
| Case Keenum | $4,500 | $6,800 |
Weekly strategy – I feel that the smart play is to just play it safe with Drew Brees. Pairing him with Michael Thomas is expensive but proper. If you don’t feel like spending up for those two consider pairing Matt Ryan or Jameis Winston with their top option. Aaron Rodgers could also be paired with Davante Adams. If you want to be cheaper yet consider Carson Wentz, Tom Brady, or even punt with Drew Lock or Case Keenum.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Drew Brees, Saints @ CAR ($7000 DK, $8400 FD)
Drew Brees popped up on the injury report Christmas day with a knee issue. It turns out that this is a nothing-burger. This game means everything to the Saints as far as playoff seating. So, there is zero chance that New Orleans calls off the horses at any point in this contest. It is true that RB is an easier position to attack Carolina with, but the Panthers’ defense phoned it in over a month ago. Start and stack Brees with Michael Thomas and/or Jared Cook. If you choose to fade this stack, then make sure you get some exposure to Alvin Kamara.
Jameis Winston, Buccaneers vs. ATL ($6600 DK, $8100 FD)
Atlanta has been a hot mess on both sides of the ball. They have been middle-of-the-pack at best this year allowing multiple total TDs to all but four QBs. In their earlier meeting, Jameis Winston threw for 313-3 and added 38 yards on the ground. Those ground yards have been a common trend against Atlanta. Five of the last six opponents to the Falcons have topped 24 rushing yards with their QBs. They have also allowed five QB rushing scores on the year. In addition, Winston has been on fire posting over three hundred yards passing in 11 of his last 13 games, with three games over the 400-yard plateau as well. Yeah, he will throw three INTs in this game too, but I’ll eat those for 350-3.
Matt Ryan, Falcons @ TB ($6500 DK, $7800 FD)
This game means nothing to both teams from a playoff perspective. It does however hold a significant impact on the makeup of the coaching staffs and rosters for each of these teams going into next season. Neither secondary is good, and Tampa’s run defense is elite. Pairing those factors together should open the flood gates for Matt Ryan to throw the ball as many as 60 times in this game. In their earlier meeting, Ryan was held both under 300 passing yards and out of the end zone. This is abnormal since he has thrown for over 300 yards in six of their prior eight meetings. This is the type of game that could end up 12-10 or it could be 55-49. I’m expecting the latter with both teams employing a “Pro-Bowl-style” “defense” and many field-length passes.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers @ DET ($6900 DK, $8300 FD)
On paper this looks like an easy matchup. That said, this may be too easy of a matchup. Aaron Rodgers is always a threat to go off for 300-3, but this year those performances have been few and far between. In fact, over his last seven games, Rodgers has only one game with more than one TD. Meanwhile, six of the last nine teams to face Detroit have watched their QBs throw for three or more TDs. With the Detroit defense struggling to hold opposing RBs in check in the passing game, I expect Rodgers to dump it off a fair amount to Aaron Jones. I also expect a fair number of passes to Davante Adams. The Packers are playing for a first-round bye, so expect them to go whole-hog this week. The main concern I have is that the Packers’ defense puts them up a lot early, and we get a ton of Jones running the ball in the second half.
Sleepers:
Baker Mayfield, Browns @ CIN ($5700 DK, $7400 FD)
Much like the Atlanta/Tampa Bay game, this game could be high-scoring or it could be a snoozer. Cincy has played with some spark on offense since Andy Dalton returned, and even if they win this week, it won’t affect their draft status. Dalton is playing for a contract somewhere else and Baker Mayfield is playing to reinforce to his front office that he is the QB of their future. There is a legit chance that this game could devolve into a shootout, with each QB looking to pad their resume. I like Dalton paired with Tyler Boyd, but I like Mayfield paired with Odell Beckham or Jarvis Landry even more.
Case Keenum, Redskins @ DAL ($4500 DK, $6800 FD)
Case Keenum got the start in their meeting back in Week 2. Now, he is back under center for the team’s final start of the year. Dallas has struggled with weaker passing games recently. The Redskins (with Keenum at QB) actually pose more of a threat than they did with Dwayne Haskins under center. Keenum has nothing to lose this week, and he is essentially auditioning for another potential bridge-role somewhere else next year. We also know that Dallas will be going all-out with the chance of winning their division, so Keenum will be forced to throw to keep up.
Running Back
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | $10,000 | $11,000 |
| Saquon Barkley | $8,700 | $9,300 |
| Aaron Jones | $8,200 | $8,000 |
| Derrick Henry | $8,100 | $8,800 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | $8,000 | $8,700 |
| Dalvin Cook | $7,900 | $8,000 |
| Alvin Kamara | $7,800 | $7,900 |
| Nick Chubb | $7,500 | $7,900 |
| Joe Mixon | $7,200 | $7,300 |
| Kenyan Drake | $7,100 | $7,300 |
| Leonard Fournette | $7,000 | $7,400 |
| Marlon Mack | $6,900 | $7,300 |
| Miles Sanders | $6,800 | $7,400 |
| Todd Gurley II | $6,600 | $7,800 |
| Devonta Freeman | $6,500 | $6,700 |
| Josh Jacobs | $6,300 | $7,600 |
| Austin Ekeler | $6,200 | $6,800 |
| Phillip Lindsay | $6,100 | $6,600 |
| Melvin Gordon III | $6,000 | $7,200 |
| James White | $5,900 | $6,300 |
| Le’Veon Bell | $5,800 | $7,100 |
| James Conner | $5,700 | $6,800 |
| Latavius Murray | $5,600 | $5,400 |
| Alexander Mattison | $5,500 | $5,600 |
| Jamaal Williams | $5,500 | $5,100 |
| Devin Singletary | $5,400 | $6,200 |
| Mike Boone | $5,300 | $6,200 |
| DeAndre Washington | $5,200 | $6,300 |
| Kareem Hunt | $5,200 | $6,100 |
| David Montgomery | $5,100 | $6,300 |
| Carlos Hyde | $5,000 | $6,400 |
| Adrian Peterson | $4,900 | $6,300 |
| Ronald Jones II | $4,900 | $6,200 |
| Sony Michel | $4,900 | $6,500 |
| Tarik Cohen | $4,900 | $5,500 |
| Dion Lewis | $4,800 | $5,400 |
| Gus Edwards | $4,800 | $6,600 |
| Damien Williams | $4,700 | $6,400 |
| Justice Hill | $4,600 | $5,900 |
| Benny Snell Jr. | $4,500 | $5,500 |
| Kerryon Johnson | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| Rex Burkhead | $4,500 | $6,200 |
| Duke Johnson | $4,300 | $5,200 |
| Giovani Bernard | $4,300 | $4,600 |
| Jaylen Samuels | $4,300 | $5,300 |
| Patrick Laird | $4,300 | $5,100 |
| Royce Freeman | $4,300 | $5,400 |
| LeSean McCoy | $4,200 | $5,700 |
| Nyheim Hines | $4,200 | $5,700 |
| Boston Scott | $4,100 | $5,400 |
| Ameer Abdullah | $3,900 | $5,200 |
| Chris Thompson | $3,900 | $5,100 |
| Bo Scarbrough | $3,700 | $5,400 |
| Peyton Barber | $3,600 | $5,100 |
Weekly strategy – Marlon Mack will be my most owned player. Whether he is my RB1 or RB2 depends on whether I choose to stack Drew Brees with Michael Thomas or not. If I stack the Saints, then Mack will be my RB1. Otherwise, Mack will be my RB2 paired with one of: Aaron Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara. When I use Mack at RB1, I will pair him with a second RB under 10% of my total budget. I may also choose to pull my FLEX from this position. Again, if I do that, I will keep it to less than 10% of my budget. Players I will consider in the range of RB2/FLEX include: both Bears, both Vikings, Rex Burkhead, Sony Michel, Kerryon Johnson, Damien Williams, both Ravens, both Redskins and Ronald Jones.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Christian McCaffrey, Panthers vs. NO ($10000 DK, $11000 FD)
Just pencil in Christian McCaffrey for his regular 30 points per week and smile. He was absolutely peppered last week, and with records within reach, expect another double-digit reception game. New Orleans is tough to run against, but they are actually fairly rotten against pass-catching backs. C-Mac scored twice in their earlier meeting. It will happen again.
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys vs. WAS ($8000 DK, $8700 FD)
Dallas wouldn’t be in dire straits for playoff seeding, if they had just fed Ezekiel Elliott last week. With his job on the line, Jason Garrett won’t make that mistake again. Washington is allowing an absurd 172 combo yards per game to opposing backs and they have given up receptions by the plateful. Consider this a holiday feast looming for Zeke.
Aaron Jones, Packers @ DET ($8200 DK, $8000 FD)
As I mentioned above when detailing Aaron Rodgers, Detroit is super-susceptible to pass-catching RBs. Jamaal Williams is questionable at best for this week, so, Aaron Jones may be the only show in town to catch passes. On the other hand, Detroit is actually decent at holding RBs in check on the ground yardage-wise. So, don’t expect a ton of ground yards. Of course, Green Bay’s defense will likely annihilate David Blough. This should mean lots of volume for the Packers’ run offense after they get up huge early.
Alvin Kamara, Saints @ CAR ($7800 DK, $7900 FD)
The Carolina Panthers have allowed a comical nine RB touchdowns over the last four weeks. Plus, in their prior meeting, Alvin Kamara secured nine receptions against them. Over the Saints’ last three games, Kamara has re-established himself as the featured back in New Orleans. He has out-touched Latavius Murray nearly two-to-one. Murray will eat in this one too, but Kamara could be slate-breaking. If you don’t use Drew Brees/Michael Thomas, you absolutely must use Kamara to have exposure to this game.
Sleepers:
Marlon Mack, Colts @ JAX ($6900 DK, $7300 FD)
Speaking of slate-breaking potential. Marlon Mack is facing a defense that I have politely renamed Slacksonville. Over their last seven games, the Jags have allowed only 220 combo yards per game to opposing RBs. Plus, they have given up thirteen total RB touchdowns over that span. Marlon Mack will cede some touches to both Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, but he will still post an absurd line. You can even safely consider Hines and Wilkins as punt plays if you need to save some cash.
Sony Michel, Patriots vs. MIA ($4900 DK, $6500 FD)
Sony Michel gives up red zone touches to Rex Burkhead and passing-down usage to James White. Still, Michel has regularly out-touched both of them. Miami can be run on fairly easily. With Julian Edelman looking like Apollo Creed after facing Drago and a cast of goobers behind him, expect New England to run the ball a lot this week. I’m not going to predict a score here, but he should top 100 rushing yards without much issues. With a high-volume of usage, he may actually break one away before they can pull him for Burkhead.
Wide Receiver
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Thomas | $9,900 | $9,200 |
| Julio Jones | $8,500 | $8,500 |
| Davante Adams | $8,000 | $8,400 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | $7,800 | $8,300 |
| Tyreek Hill | $7,700 | $8,200 |
| Chris Godwin | $7,500 | $7,600 |
| Julian Edelman | $7,300 | $7,500 |
| Allen Robinson II | $7,200 | $7,800 |
| DeVante Parker | $7,100 | $6,900 |
| A.J. Brown | $7,000 | $7,200 |
| Robert Woods | $7,000 | $7,700 |
| Cooper Kupp | $6,800 | $7,400 |
| Breshad Perriman | $6,700 | $7,600 |
| Tyler Boyd | $6,700 | $6,600 |
| DJ Moore | $6,600 | $6,000 |
| Amari Cooper | $6,500 | $7,500 |
| Stefon Diggs | $6,500 | $7,500 |
| Courtland Sutton | $6,400 | $7,100 |
| Kenny Golladay | $6,300 | $7,400 |
| Sterling Shepard | $6,200 | $6,200 |
| Keenan Allen | $6,100 | $6,700 |
| Terry McLaurin | $6,100 | $6,100 |
| Adam Thielen | $6,000 | $6,800 |
| John Brown | $6,000 | $6,400 |
| T.Y. Hilton | $6,000 | $6,500 |
| Jarvis Landry | $5,900 | $6,800 |
| Anthony Miller | $5,800 | $6,700 |
| DJ Chark Jr. | $5,800 | $5,900 |
| Cole Beasley | $5,700 | $6,300 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | $5,700 | $6,600 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | $5,500 | $5,900 |
| Michael Gallup | $5,400 | $6,500 |
| Robby Anderson | $5,300 | $5,800 |
| Golden Tate | $5,100 | $5,900 |
| Jamison Crowder | $5,100 | $5,600 |
| Mike Williams | $5,000 | $6,300 |
| Curtis Samuel | $4,900 | $6,000 |
| Darius Slayton | $4,900 | $5,400 |
| Justin Watson | $4,900 | $6,100 |
| Diontae Johnson | $4,800 | $6,000 |
| Zach Pascal | $4,800 | $5,800 |
| Christian Kirk | $4,700 | $5,700 |
| Greg Ward | $4,700 | $5,600 |
| Marquise Brown | $4,700 | $5,400 |
| Steven Sims Jr. | $4,700 | $6,000 |
| James Washington | $4,600 | $5,600 |
| Kenny Stills | $4,600 | $5,800 |
| Tyrell Williams | $4,600 | $5,700 |
| Chris Conley | $4,500 | $5,800 |
| Danny Amendola | $4,500 | $5,700 |
| Hunter Renfrow | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| John Ross III | $4,500 | $5,200 |
| Larry Fitzgerald | $4,500 | $5,900 |
| Sammy Watkins | $4,500 | $5,600 |
| Brandin Cooks | $4,400 | $5,900 |
| Russell Gage | $4,400 | $5,300 |
| Tajae Sharpe | $4,300 | $5,600 |
| Albert Wilson | $4,200 | $5,600 |
| Dede Westbrook | $4,200 | $5,300 |
| N’Keal Harry | $4,200 | $5,400 |
| Mohamed Sanu | $4,100 | $5,300 |
| Allen Lazard | $4,000 | $5,400 |
| Corey Davis | $4,000 | $5,200 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Randall Cobb | $3,900 | $5,200 |
| DaeSean Hamilton | $3,800 | $5,500 |
| JJ Arcega-Whiteside | $3,700 | $5,300 |
| Jarius Wright | $3,500 | $5,200 |
| Jakobi Meyers | $3,300 | $5,100 |
| Josh Reynolds | $3,200 | $4,900 |
| Vyncint Smith | $3,200 | $4,900 |
| Tavon Austin | $3,100 | $4,800 |
Weekly strategy – Simply put, I am going to pair my WR1 with whoever I choose to start at QB. Michael Thomas is my first choice, but considering his price I will have exposure to Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Breshad Perriman and even Julian Edelman. Try to roster your WR2 for under $6K on DK and under $7K on FD. I especially like both starters for Cleveland, their opponent Tyler Boyd, and second-year guys Michael Gallup and Anthony Miller. Any of the three Giants could also be used in this range. There are several WR3 options that make sense including: Steven Sims, Greg Ward, John Ross, Russell Gage, Tajae Sharpe, Randall Cobb, DaeSean Hamilton, and all the Patriots’ scrubs.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Michael Thomas, Saints @ CAR ($9900 DK, $9200 FD)
Michael Thomas has become the C-Mac of WRs. He might not hit 3X, but he will still approach 27 points without much effort. Michael Thomas has topped 100 yards in eight of his last nine games. He also has double-digit receptions nine times this year. This game means everything to the Saints, and very little to the Panthers. Plus, Thomas can further stretch his receptions record. I smell 12-130-1 as a floor this week, with his numbers only capped because Carolina will give up three rushing TDs as well.
Davante Adams, Packers @ DET ($8000 DK, $8400 FD)
Detroit can be beaten through the air (especially by larger outside WRs). Since his return in Week 9, Davante Adams ranks second behind only Michael Thomas in terms of targets and receptions. In only one of those games, was Adams targeted less than 10 times. In a must-win game, Adams will see more than his usual allotment of targets. This should guarantee 100 yards and at least one score.
Julio Jones, Falcons @ TB ($8500 DK, $8500 FD)
Julio Jones played third-fiddle in the earlier contest between these two teams. One of those ahead of him, Calvin Ridley, is out for the year. The other guy is Russell Gage (who I like this week as well). Tampa has allowed the most WR receptions and receiving yardage per game all season. Plus, only two teams have given up more WR touchdowns. The last game wasn’t his best showing, but it was still pretty good. Even including that lesser line, Julio is averaging 7.1-117-0.7 against Tampa over his career. If you choose to fade the Saints’ stack, this game could be the one to load up on.
DeAndre Hopkins, Texans @ TEN ($7800 DK, $8300 FD)
Two weeks ago, DeAndre Hopkins was held out of the end zone versus the Titans. He still posted a strong 6-119 line as Kenny Stills stole all the TDs. The Titans’ defense then proceeded to fall all over themselves trying to stop Michael Thomas. They failed, badly. Both, Will Fuller and Kenny Stills are questionable for this week’s game, Hopkins could become Option A, B and C. The biggest concern here is if Deshaun Watson is limited or out with his back issues. A.J. McCarron is nowhere near the threat that Watson is.
Sleepers:
Odell Beckham, Browns @ CIN ($5700 DK, $6600 FD)
Odell Beckham has been limited all season by questionable QB play and a myriad of injuries. Still, he has gutted it out and actually posted a reasonable final line. It remains to be seen if Beckham is back with the Browns next season. Still, he will be out there this week against a better-than-you-might-think Cincy pass defense. As I mentioned above, I expect this game to turn into a shootout. If that happens, both Beckham and Jarvis Landry will be solid stacks with Baker Mayfield.
Greg Ward, Eagles @ NYG ($4700 DK, $5600 FD)
The Giants defense is non-existent, six different WRs have scored multiple touchdowns against them. Greg Ward remains one of the few healthy eligible receivers for Philly. Since Week 14, Ward has 23 targets. The rest of the Philadelphia WR corps has ten. There have been a lot of targets funneled to Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, but Ertz is questionable for this week. If he cannot go, Ward may see even more pass attempts. At this price, Ward is one of my favorite WR3 plays.
Tight End
| DraftKings | FanDuel | |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Kelce | $7,000 | $7,500 |
| Mark Andrews | $6,500 | $7,000 |
| Zach Ertz | $6,000 | $6,700 |
| Austin Hooper | $5,800 | $6,000 |
| Tyler Higbee | $5,600 | $6,900 |
| Darren Waller | $5,400 | $6,200 |
| Jared Cook | $5,200 | $6,800 |
| Dallas Goedert | $4,900 | $6,400 |
| Hunter Henry | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| O.J. Howard | $4,300 | $5,500 |
| Jonnu Smith | $4,200 | $5,800 |
| Jack Doyle | $4,100 | $6,000 |
| Mike Gesicki | $4,000 | $5,900 |
| Jason Witten | $3,900 | $5,600 |
| Kyle Rudolph | $3,800 | $4,800 |
| Kaden Smith | $3,700 | $5,300 |
| Noah Fant | $3,600 | $5,600 |
| David Njoku | $3,500 | $4,500 |
| Gerald Everett | $3,500 | $5,200 |
| Greg Olsen | $3,400 | $5,200 |
| Nick Boyle | $3,400 | $4,900 |
| Tyler Eifert | $3,400 | $4,700 |
| Cameron Brate | $3,200 | $4,900 |
| Hayden Hurst | $3,200 | $4,700 |
| Darren Fells | $3,100 | $4,800 |
| Vance McDonald | $2,900 | $4,800 |
| Irv Smith Jr. | $2,800 | $5,200 |
| Dawson Knox | $2,700 | $4,800 |
| Demetrius Harris | $2,700 | $4,500 |
Weekly strategy – This is a great week to consider Double-TE. There are three higher-dollar options that I love in Dallas Goedert, Austin Hooper and Tyler Higbee. If I go Double-TE, I will pair one of them with one of: Jason Witten, Kaden Smith or Noah Fant. I could also just use one of the TEs and grab my FLEX from the RB position. In that case, any of the six make good options.
Your Fantasy Four Pack:
Tyler Higbee, Rams vs. ARI ($5600 DK, $6900 FD)
You get the hottest TE in the league and you put him against arguably the worst TE defense in history. What could possibly go wrong? Let us just hope that Sean McVay doesn’t get cute. If Los Angeles trusts the process here, we could see a 10-150-3 game. Even without trying, Tyler Higbee should post a floor of 6-60-1.
Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ LAC ($7000 DK, $7500 FD)
The Chargers have given up a TE score in three of their last five games. This includes a 7-92-1 line by Travis Kelce. Los Angeles is actually really tough against WRs, so Kelce may be featured once again. I’d be happy with a repeat performance. I just don’t think I need to play him at that price since the other options are elite.
Dallas Goedert, Eagles @ NYG ($4900 DK, $6400 FD)
At this point it is unclear if Zach Ertz will play. When he returned to the game last week, he was basically a decoy anyways. Dallas Goedert showed last week what he could do as the featured target and he may be in for a similar game this week. New York gave up 17-169-2 to the Eagles’ tight ends in Week 14. I’ll take half of that. If you need a sneaky stack, consider Goedert paired with both Carson Wentz and Greg Ward. Philly knows that they are fighting with the Cowboys for the division title, so they will do everything possible to win here.
Austin Hooper, Falcons @ TB ($5800 DK, $6000 FD)
Tampa has fared better against TEs of late. That said, prior to Week 11, they were being eviscerated by the position. In Week 12, Austin Hooper missed the game, but Jaeden Graham caught a 53-yard pass. Hooper is back fully healthy, and I expect this game to be a shootout. He might not have the upside of Goedert or Higbee, but he will be lesser-owned. This could pay off in spades in GPP formats.
Sleepers:
Jason Witten, Cowboys vs. WAS ($3900 DK, $5600 FD)
This very well could be Jason Witten’s last game in Dallas. Fortunately, he is facing a Washington defense that has given up seven TE scores over their last six games. Witten scored in the earlier meeting, and I fully expect that Dak Prescott will make sure that Witten scores here with his career possibly on the line.
Noah Fant, Broncos vs. OAK ($3600 DK, $5600 FD)
Oakland has given up 60 or more TE receiving yards eight times this year. Plus, the nine touchdowns that they have allowed to the position trails only Arizona. Meanwhile, Noah Fant doesn’t get a lot of receptions, but he does post some solid stats with them. Drew Lock is a sneaky stack with Fant and either Courtland Sutton or DaeSean Hamilton. I especially like using the Lock-Hamilton-Fant stack in SuperFlex formats where I can fit them alongside Drew Brees and Michael Thomas and a couple high-priced RBs.