NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 12 – Quarterbacks and Running Backs

The Chiefs, Vikings and Chargers are among the four teams who are on a bye in Week 12, leaving us without the services of Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Dalvin Cook and Melvin Gordon in DFS. As we wade through who is still available, here are some quarterbacks and running backs who could be in line for productive afternoons. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NFL Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

QUARTERBACK CASH TARGETS

Russell Wilson, SEA at PHI
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $6,800

The Seahawks normally like to run the ball a ton, which can limit Wilson’s pass attempts. However, they might be forced to throw the ball more against the Eagles, who have allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league. Across the four games this season that Wilson has attempted at least 35 passes, he’s averaged 331.3 yards and 2.8 touchdowns. In a week where a lot of the top quarterbacks have tough matchups, Wilson might be one of the safer options.

Matt Ryan, ATL vs. TB
FanDuel = $7,900
DraftKings = $6,700

As good as Wilson has been, Ryan figures to be the chalk quarterback for this slate. The Buccaneers have been simply awfully in pass defense, allowing the second-most passing yards per game. They’ve also allowed the second-most passing touchdowns while recording just six interceptions. He’ll eat up a significant portion of your budget, but Ryan’s upside is through the roof.

QUARTERBACK GPP TARGETS

Carson Wentz, PHI vs. SEA
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $5,600

Wentz had another poor performance last week against the Patriots, completing 20 of 40 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots are a tough matchup, but Wentz has now gone four straight games without throwing multiple touchdown passes. His yardage totals have also been terrible for much of the season, leaving him to average 227.4 passing yards per game. However, the Seahawks have allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game, so Wentz might not struggle as much in that department. His price on FanDuel isn’t that great, but it’s low enough on DraftKings to at least make him someone to consider.

Nick Foles, JAC at TEN
FanDuel = $7,200
DraftKings = $5,400

With how well Gardner Minshew played immediately after Foles was hurt, there was some discussion as to whether or not Foles would get his starting job back. Minshew did show some cracks in his armor eventually, which ultimately resulted in the team naming Foles the starter for Week 11. He threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts and will now take on a Titans team that has allowed an average of 327 passing yards and has given up nine total passing touchdowns across their last four contests.

RUNNING BACK CASH TARGETS

Christian McCaffrey, CAR at NO
FanDuel = $10,500
DraftKings = $10,500

The Panthers only scored three points against the Falcons last week, so McCaffrey couldn’t have done much, right? Wrong! While he did fail to record a touchdown for just the second game all season, he turned his 14 carries into 70 yards. He was also a monster in the passing game, catching 11 of 14 targets for 121 yards. He’s finished with at least 100 total yards in all but two games so far, making him one of the safest choices at running back, who also happens to provides incredible upside.

Alvin Kamara, NO vs. CAR
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $8,200

If you do want to take a chance and fade McCaffrey, Kamara has the potential to be one of the most productive running backs on this slate. He posted 75 yards on 13 carries against the Bucs last week, which is noteworthy since they have one of the best rushing defenses in the league. He was also heavily involved through the air, catching all 10 of his targets for 47 yards. That makes back-to-back weeks with at least 10 targets, which is huge when you consider his 86.4 percent catch rate. The Panthers have allowed the third-most FanDuel points per game and the fifth-most DraftKings points per game to opposing running backs, so don’t hesitate to add Kamara to your entry.

RUNNING BACK GPP TARGETS

Joe Mixon, CIN vs. PIT
FamDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $5,900

With Ryan Finley stepping in at quarterback for the Bengals, they’ve made a concerted effort to run the ball more. Across the two games that he has started, Mixon has compiled 200 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries. Over his four prior games, he had a total of 54 carries for 171 yards. This matchup doesn’t stand out with the Steelers in the middle-of-the-pack in terms of rushing yards per game allowed, so Mixon might not be included in a lot of entries. However, if his expanded work load continues, he could provide value.

Bo Scarbrough, DET at WAS
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $4,200

The Lions have certainly been difficult to predict at running back since Kerryon Johnson (knee) went down. It looked like Ty Johnson was going to receive an increased workload, but he only has 16 carries over their last three games. J.D. McKissic hasn’t been much more active with 17 carries over that same stretch. Meanwhile, Scarbrough was elevated from the practice squad last week to rush for 55 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against the Cowboys. That performance probably has him in line to lead their backfield this week, although that’s not set in stone. His price on FanDuel is a bit scary, but he’s cheap enough on DraftKings to potentially make a big impact against a Redskins team that has allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game.

Derrius Guice, WAS vs. DET
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $4,700

Among the many disappointing story lines to the Redskins’ season was Guice going down with another knee injury at the start of the year. He worked his way back onto the field last week, rushing seven times for 24 yards and catching a 45-yard touchdown pass. His workload should increase as the season moves along, especially since they have nothing left to play for. With the Lions allowing the ninth-most rushing yards per game, Guice isn’t someone to overlook this week.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.