Andrew Erickson Are you ready for NFL Week 17 DFS? I cannot believe it has gone by this quickly. The regular season is just about over. But here we are back at it to win some money on DraftKings! I will give my best buys via DraftKings prices. With it being Week 17, this is the week that the players with the information take home the gold. Stay focused all the way up to lock. See full article here.
Sign up NOW for Premium Gold right here! Projections, wagering info, 24/7 expert chats and more!
This week is heavily focused on teams playing to get into a playoff spot. Team with nothing to play for are 21-13 against the spread since 2013. The Eagles, Cowboys, Steelers, Titans, and Raiders all need to win to get in and some need additional help. But that does not mean their opponents will just roll over.
Week 17 DFS
Russell Gage ($4,400) actually saw the most usage in that Week 12 matchup with ten targets, eight receptions, and 76 receiving yards. Since the Calvin Ridley injury, Gage has operated as the clear no.2 wide receiver with the second-most routes run, and six targets in each game. He is getting some coach love too. He has three rushing attempts in the last two weeks, the coaches are trying to find ways to get him the ball. The Buccaneers still rank bottom-ten in fantasy points allowed to the wide receiver position over the past four weeks.
The best play for the Buccaneers in Week 17 DFS could actually end up being O.J. Howard ($4,300). He saw seven targets last week and despite the resurging Falcons’ defense, they have been vulnerable versus tight ends. Factoring out last week versus Jacksonville where they do not use a tight end, the prior three weeks tight ends averaged 92 receiving yards. Also over the past four weeks, the Falcons have allowed the second-most yards to tight ends, fourth-most targets, fifth-most receptions, and second-most red-zone targets.
The Bengals have already locked up the number one seed so at this point Zac Taylor has to be coaching for his job, so I expect a full effort from this Bengals squad. John Ross ($4,500) looks to be back to full playing time and I think this is a week to surely go back to him. He saw 13 targets total last week, led all players with 283 air yards in Week 16 and his average depth of target was 21.8. For his price with the upside he offers, he is someone you want to have heavy exposure to this week. Every game he has played this season he has either gone above 15 fantasy points or scored less than seven. Boom/bust at it’s finest.
Christian McCaffrey ($10,000) has been the best player in fantasy football all season, and that should not change for Week 17 DFS. He is approaching a number of statistical NFL records, but especially the 1,000 receiving yards record which he needs just 67 yards to achieve. Look for the Panthers to feed him early and often to get him into the record books. D.J. Moore ($6,600) is dealing with a concussion, so that would elevate several other Panthers’ receivers to relevance. The Saints over the past four weeks have allowed the third-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Chris Hogan ($3,300) actually filled in the role left by Moore and ran the second-most routes (40) behind CMC.
This could be a potential bounce-back spot for Christian Kirk ($4,700), who put up a goose egg last week. The Rams have also allowed the sixth-most rushing yards over the past six weeks, so go back to Kenyan Drake ($7,100) has he continues his amazing resurgence with the Arizona Cardinals. Drake is second to only Saquon Barkley in fantasy sports scored over the past two weeks. He has averaged 25 touches in the last two weeks. The Cardinals DST ($2,400) has the potential of going up versus a possible combination of Blake Bortles this week. Giddy up for Week 17 DFS!
