The good thing about daily fantasy? You don't have to worry about all the injuries and byes this Sunday. So if last week your team was ruined and left with little to no hope, DraftKings is here to be your new best friend.
Now is the time to redeem your early autumn mistakes. Didn't buy into the rookie wide receiver hype? You can still jump on board here. Avoided Derrick Henry after last season's injury? Now you can draft him this week to carry your team like he carries Tennessee. In the final week of having limited options to choose from, let's dive into the best values for Sunday's slate.
NOTE: Below are the best picks for either double-up or tournament lineups. DraftKings salary available: $50,000
QUARTERBACKS
Salary: $8,300
Allen gets the Jets for a second time after recording 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground in Week 9. The Jets are a tough matchup, and Allen is by no means at a low price. However! In five rematch games last season, Allen averaged an absurd 31.9 points per game, with over 29 in four of those five. Play him once, and you might get the better of him. Play him again? Good luck.
Salary: $5,500
The Ravens’ offensive scheme doesn’t shift much when Huntley is thrown in for Lamar Jackson. After replacing Jackson in the first quarter of last week's game, Huntley had 10 carries, five being designed rushes, providing a safe floor and high ceiling. Although he is not an easily stackable quarterback, he’s a great value option in cash games versus the same defense that he ran for 72 yards against in his last start.
RUNNING BACKS
Salary: $7,900
As a Jaguars defender, I would be shaking every time I traveled to Tennessee to play Henry. I am built more like a fantasy analyst than an NFL player, but Henry doesn’t seem to care either way as long as you have a Jaguars logo on your helmet. In his seven-year career, Henry has averaged over 100 rushing yards and 25 fantasy points per game at home versus Jacksonville. Henry has been very predictable this season in production based on his matchup. Last week, it was a mere 11 carries for 30 yards versus the second-ranked total defense in Philly. I fully expect the Titans to double his usage, back to his season average of 22 carries in a big game as they try to avoid their fourth loss in five weeks.
Salary: $6,900
Joe Shiesty continues to show out, but don’t forget about the other Joe in the Cincy backfield. Though he has not cleared concussion protocol yet, Mixon should return to play the Browns this Sunday, a team against which he had multiple rushing touchdowns in the last two battles in Cincinnati, along with nine targets in Cleveland earlier this season. Samaje Perine has been a great replacement in his absence, but Mixon should continue the rare workload of a running back with both a receiving and goal-line role. Add in being a touchdown favorite at home, and sign me up against a defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Salary: $6,700
I am still trying to figure out if Pollard’s price tag is a Christmas gift or an editorial error. Either way, he’s locked in. A $6,700 pricing for a man going berserk since Week 8, placing him first in points per game in that span, now gets a Houston running defense that is dead last in the league. To make matters worse for Houston, the Cowboys are first in the NFL in point differential, while the Texans have fallen to 32nd. A pretty solid game script for a running back if you ask me.
Salary: $5,800
Is Swift… back? 14 carries and 39 snaps in Week 13 would suggest so, as he led the Lions backfield for the first time since Week 1. Need more proof? How about four straight games of increased snaps and his first two games of six or more targets coming in the last two weeks? DFS is all about timely plays. And that time is now, while a supreme talent on a high-flying offense is still at a discounted price.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Salary: $7,800
If you told me last year I’d be putting multiple Lions in this article I’d be very scared for my job security. But for how inconsistent D’Andre Swift has been this year, St. Brown has been everything but. There has not been a week where Amon-Ra finished the game healthy in which he's had fewer than eight targets since Week 12 of last season (that’s 15 straight for those counting at home). A cash game cheat code, with tournament upside being proven with two straight 30-point performances. Don’t expect the Hard Knocks star to slow down versus a Minnesota secondary allowing more receiving yards to wideouts than any team in the league.
Salary: $6,600
I feel like the Jaguars this offseason if I pay up for this hefty price. But when you dig deeper, you can find that Kirk is sneakily in the top 12 among wide receivers in targets, receptions, touchdowns and fantasy points this season. He is the clear number-one option for an improving quarterback in Trevor Lawrence matching up against the Titans on Sunday. Tennessee is at the bottom of the league against wideouts and continued to fight for its hard-earned last-place spot last week by giving up a combined 53 points to the Eagles' A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. This also sets up the perfect “bring-back” stacking opportunity with our earlier-mentioned opposing running back, Derrick Henry.
Salary: $5,900
I love Wilson more than I love myself. For some reason, DraftKings doesn’t feel the same and is still pricing him below $6,000. So let’s go right back to him after he gave us over 27 DraftKings points last week, all without scoring a touchdown. To start, no, this Buffalo defense is not as elite as it used to be. After allowing a decade-low 12 passing touchdowns last season, Buffalo has struggled at times this year, specifically over the last four weeks as the defense has given up the fifth-most passing yards per game. In his last matchup versus the Bills, Wilson had 92 receiving yards, and yes, that came while Zach Wilson was still the starter. Without Zach Wilson starting, the Jets lead the NFL in pass play percentage, most of which going to their rookie star WR. No player getting 15 targets should be priced at $5,900 the following week, especially when they average over 20 points per game as long as their quarterback’s name isn’t Zach Wilson.
TIGHT ENDS
Salary: $5,100
It’s only been a month since he’s been traded and we already get a T.J. Hockenson revenge game. Although I love a good narrative, this is more than just a motivational matchup. Since the trade, Hockenson is tied with Travis Kelce for receptions among tight ends, averaging six per contest. This should bode well against a bottom-five tight end defense in a potential shootout. Lions games have involved the most combined points in the NFL this season and show no sign of slowing down against a division rival where more than 50 points were scored in four of the last five meetings.
DEFENSES
Salary: $3,800
Expensive for a defense? Yes. Still too low? Also yes. I am scared for the emotional well-being of Texans fans this week. After the Browns put up the most fantasy points by a defense in three seasons against them, the Texans have to travel to Jerry World against the team which is better than anyone at getting to the quarterback. That quarterback will be Davis Mills, who has been sacked three or more times in four straight games while throwing six interceptions. This spot is worth the spend up for a defense with an unheard-of six double-digit fantasy point performances over their last nine games.