NFL DFS Cash Games – Week 12 Checkdown

Where has the time gone? It’s already Week 12 in the NFL Fantasy season and hopefully, all of you have clinched a playoff birth in your season-long leagues! If not, we’ve been on an absolute roll in our NFL DFS Cash Games and will continue this run again in Week 12.

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My articles will be mainly meant for DraftKings, but you can certainly use this information for other DFS websites. Please check back in on Saturday/Sunday morning for potential NFL DFS Cash Games updates!

If you have any questions and would like some further help when building your lineups, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly on Twitter. I’m always available to help NFL DFS players make the most of their investments.

Some notes on what I believe to be the “optimal” roster build for NFL DFS Cash Games. I’ll include this in all the Checkdown articles moving forward. For Week 12, please see below for my notes on roster construction:

• I don’t like a lot of the “value” plays at the WR position. Lock in your one or two studs and ensure you get a high-floor, mid-tier priced WR2 and WR3.
• It doesn’t look like there will be any crazy chalk “free-square” type of plays this week at first glance.
• My cash build for Week 12 will start with Alvin Kamara being locked in.
• No QB is priced over $7k. There should be no issues playing whoever you want at this position.
• If you cannot afford McCaffrey, don’t fret. I love these mid-tier running backs that have guaranteed volume.

NFL DFS Cash Games Quarterbacks

1. Russell Wilson ($6,800) – If Lockett is healthy, is there a better cash game quarterback than Russel Wilson going up against a pass-funnel defense like Philadelphia? Wilson is as safe as they come.
   
2. Matt Ryan ($6,700) – Matt Ryan at home against arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL. This game opened up with a total of 52 points, which is by far the highest on the slate. Matt Ryan should explode in this spot as we saw they don’t really have a running game without Devonta Freeman.
   
3. Jameis Winston ($6,200) – He’s risky, we know that. But, even when Jameis Winston lays an egg and throws four interceptions, he still finds a way to get to that 300-yard passing bonus on DraftKings. This game will shoot out.
   
4. Derek Carr ($6,100) – There is some value here with Derek Carr going up against a slow Jets’ secondary who ranks 24th in pass DVOA. I don’t love this spot, but the Jets’ rushing defense has been incredible all year long and the Raiders are extremely motivated to win football games right now.
   
   Assuming Gruden attacks the Jets at their weak spot (the secondary), Carr should be able to hit value for us in cash games.
   
5. Baker Mayfield ($5,900) – Keeping this simple – Miami’s defense is awful. I’m assuming the Browns come out and make a statement in this game after last week’s antics. Mayfield should have no issues hitting value in this matchup.

NFL DFS Cash Games Running Backs

1. Christian McCaffrey ($10,500) – Do we need to say anything about Christian McCaffrey?
   
2. Alvin Kamara ($8,200) – Alvin Kamara is by far my number one play at the running back position this week and should be a staple in your cash lineups against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL.
   
3. Nick Chubb ($8,100) – Even with the acquisition of Kareem Hunt, Chubb still saw 27 touches last week. The price is steep, but the matchup is prime. I prefer Kamara at this price point, but Chubb is certainly in play for cash and GPP formats in Week 12.
   
4. Ezekiel Elliott ($7,500) – This is a great price on Elliott. The floor should always be there, and this matchup against the Patriots is nothing to be afraid of. They sit right in the middle of the NFL in run DVOA. With the assumption Elliott gets 20+ touches, he is in play for cash games.
   
5. Jaylen Samuels ($7,200) – James Conner is likely out for this matchup against Cincinatti so it should be an all systems go for Samuels. I don’t love anything he’s done as a ball carrier this year, but his activity in the passing game is hard to ignore against a team that bleeds catches to opposing running backs (and has a poor rush defense in general).
   
   With a banged up wide receiving core (Johnson and Smith-Schuster both are likely to be out), Samuels should have his hands full in Week 12.
   
6. Derrick Henry ($6,900) – Henry is going to be a staple in the cash game article at this price. Tennessee loves to run the ball and there is no one on the Titans who is taking quality snaps away from Derrick Henry. The Jaguars rank 24th in run DVOA and my early projections have Henry with 22 carries for 124 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.
   
7. Le’Veon Bell ($6,400) – Bell has been somewhat a model of consistency in PPR formats this year. We have really seen a blowup game from Bell like we remember from his days in Pittsburgh (and we probably never will), but he’s consistently getting to double digits on DraftKings. On the other side, Oakland has been giving up an average of ~27 points a week over the past month. Bell should be safe for 15+ and is more than cash viable at this price point.
   
8. James White ($5,300) – If you need 10-points at the flex spot in cash this week, James White is your guy. White has ONE game with less than 10 DraftKings points and it was last week when he finished with 9.6… His upside is limited, but the floor will be there.
   
9. Phillip Lindsay ($5,200) – Attacking this Buffalo run defense is something that has paid dividends throughout the 2019 NFL season. Buffalo ranks 27th in run DVOA and at this price, how can you not like Phillip Lindsay? This game is going to be slow-paced and ugly, but at $5,200, I have no problem rostering Lindsay in cash with the assumption he gets 14+ carries and a few catches.

Wide Receivers

1. Julio Jones ($8,000) – I love Matt Ryan this week so I obviously love his pass catchers. I’ll 100% have some exposure to the Falcons’ offense in cash this week.
   
2. Chris Godwin ($7,300) – Clearly, I love getting exposure to this Bucs vs. Falcons game on Sunday. Godwin is reasonably priced and is due for another smash game that we saw earlier in the year. Slot receivers have crushed Atlanta all season long and Godwin may be one of the best they face all year.
   
3. Odell Beckham Jr. ($7,000) – No one in Miami’s secondary can contain Odell Beckham. This is the week he goes off and finally pays off for all of you who drafted him in the first or second round of your fantasy drafts. Beckham is my WR1 on the board this week.
   
4. Calvin Ridley ($6,500) – The price has risen on Ridley and rightfully so. Assuming Austin Hooper misses another game, Ridley should be in a prime spot to continue his recent production in the Atlanta offense. I have no problem if you pay the premium for Calvin Ridley this week.
   
5. D.J. Chark ($6,400) – Chark is becoming a star in the NFL. He is by far the best receiver on this Jacksonville team and will be representing them in the pro bowl this winter. I always love to pick on the Titans’ banged-up secondary, so feel free to roll out Chark in your cash lineup this week. Chris Conley ($4,100) will be my only Jacksonville WR I target in cash games. He’ll see a lot of LeShaun Sims and should have no problem hitting value in that matchup.
   
6. Golden Tate ($5,700) – No idea why he isn’t priced up in the mid $6k range… Bears’ slot corner, Buster Skrine is awful, and Tate has become the most effective weapon on this Giants’ offense lately. This is a nice value for a player who is a lock for 15+ DraftKings points.
   
7. James Washington ($5,000) – I touched earlier on the likelihood that JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson miss this game on Sunday against the Bengals. Who else is there to throw to in Pittsburgh? If you don’t love Jaylen Samuels, go to James Washington or the other Pittsburgh pass-catcher I’ll get to later in this article.
   
8. Tim Patrick ($3,000) – Alright, here is where we have some fun. Tim Patrick made a helluva return last week in Minnesota and made his presence felt for that Denver offense. Patrick draws an exceptional matchup in Buffalo against Levi Wallace and potentially Taron Johnson (if Patrick moves inside). There’s a good chance I have a lot of Tim Patrick this week.

Tight Ends

1. Zach Ertz ($6,000) – Ertz is always in play for cash games. He is the best receiver on the Eagles’ offense and should continue to see 10+ targets like he has the past two games.
   
2. Darren Waller ($5,700) – Always a good idea to get pass catchers against the Jets’ in your lineups. I won’t be on Waller this week, but he is 100% cash viable.
   
3. Vance McDonald ($3,500) – If Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson are out for this game, McDonald gets a massive bump up in my model and will be locked into my main cash lineup.

Defense/Special Teams

1. Pittsburgh Steelers ($4,000)
2. Cleveland Browns ($3,800)
3. Buffalo Bills ($3,400)
4. Detroit Lions ($3,100)
5. Denver Broncos ($2,400)
6. Cincinatti Bengals ($2,100) – Punt play for price, but Pittsburgh has a lot of injuries right now, and this is a divisional game that shouldn’t get out of hand.

NFL DFS Cash Games – Sample Lineup

QB: Matt Ryan
RB: Jaylen Samuels
RB: Alvin Kamara
WR: Odell Beckham Jr.
WR: Golden Tate
WR: Chris Conley
TE: Vance McDonald
FLEX: Phillip Lindsay
DST: Denver Broncos