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NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 17 – QB & RB

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

The last week of the NFL regular season is here. Every team plays Sunday, so there are a ton of options to choose from in DFS. Here are some quarterbacks and running back who stand out as potential difference makers. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

QUARTERBACKS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 17 - QB & RB

Patrick Mahomes vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $9,500
DraftKings = $7,100

The Chiefs have lost back-to-back games, so they still need to win Sunday to clinch the AFC West and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. That’s great news for DFS purposes since it keeps one of the most potent offenses in the league in play. Despite their recent struggles as a team, Mahomes still has at least two touchdown passes in 10 straight games, boosting his total to 48 for the season. This is a stellar matchup for him against the Raiders, who have allowed the most touchdown passes (34) in the league. The first time these two teams met, Mahomes threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $8,700
DraftKings = $7,000

With four losses across their last five games, the Steelers find themselves needing to win this game against the Bengals and get a little help to make it into the playoffs. Luckily their part at least sets up well for them to succeed, getting to play at home against the injury-riddled Bengals. Roethlisberger’s home and road splits haven’t been as drastic this season, but he has 18 touchdown passes over seven home games compared to 15 scores across eight games on the road. Not only is the Bengals’ offensive limping heading into their contest, but their defense is tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (31) and has allowed the third-most passing yards per game (276).

Josh Allen vs. Miami Dolphins
Stadium – New Era Field
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $6,000

The Patriots did a good job bottling up Allen on the ground in Week 16, holding him to 30 yards on five carries. Allen again provided inconsistent production through the air, completing 20 of 41 passes for 217 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Week 17 brings a much easier matchup for him at home against the Dolphins. When these two teams faced off in Week 13, Allen turned nine carries into 135 yards. He also posted his only multi-passing touchdown performance of the year in that game, so he’s at least someone to consider in tournament play.

Derek Carr vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $5,100

It’s been a lost season for the Raiders, but they’ve actually won two of their last three games down the stretch. Even though they won last week against the Broncos, Carr was held in check, finishing with just 167 passing yards. It should be noted, though, that he only needed to attempt 26 passes with the Raiders jumping out to a big lead early. Prior to that quiet performance, Carr had totaled six touchdown passes and no interceptions across his previous three games. In fact, Carr hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 5. The Chiefs continue to have a swiss-cheese-like secondary, which leaves Carr with significant upside. He certainly had plenty of success against them in Week 13, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

RUNNING BACKS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 17 - QB & RB

Damien Williams vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $6,100

Spencer Ware (hamstring) was unable to take the field again last week, setting up Williams to lead the Chief’s backfield. He logged 73 percent of their offensive snaps, finishing with 103 rushing yards on 13 carries. He also caught all seven of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs do need to win this game as previously discussed, but it shouldn’t exactly be an overwhelming task against the far inferior Raiders. They might not rush Ware back into action, so if he sits, Williams again has significant upside. It’s definitely a favorable matchup with the Raiders allowing the third-most rushing yards per game (143.3).

Chris Carson vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – CenturyLink Field
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $6,500

The Seahawks have already clinched a wildcard spot, so they don’t really have anything left to play for. That makes rolling with their offensive players a bit of a risky proposition, especially considering the potential blowout factor against a horrid Cardinals squad. Carson does come into this game extremely hot, rushing for 325 yards and four touchdowns across his last three games. Despite not being on the field for more than 59 percent of the Seahawks’ offensive snaps during any of those games, Carson still received at least 22 carries in each contest. The Cardinals allow by far the most rushing yards per game (153.1), so adding Carson to your entry might be a risk worth taking.

Elijah McGuire vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $5,300

With Isaiah Crowell (toe) out for the season, McGuire is the main man in the Jets’ backfield. He hasn’t been efficient in his two starts, turning 32 carries into just 77 yards. However, he has scored a rushing touchdown in both contests and even chipped in a receiving score last week against the Packers. The Jets also like to use him in the passing game, giving him nine targets over that two-game stretch. Don’t expect his efficiency to improve drastically against the Patriots, but he should get enough volume to once again be a viable option.

C.J. Anderson vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $5,400

The Rams decided to hold out Todd Gurley (knee) in Week 16, which opened up a starting role for Anderson. He just joined the team a couple of weeks ago, but that didn’t stop him from turning 20 carries into 167 yards and a touchdown. The Rams are still looking to clinch a first-round bye, but this shouldn’t be an overly challenging game playing at home against the 49ers. If Gurley isn’t completely healthy, it makes little sense to play him. If he does play, it also makes little sense to give him a ton of work. Anderson isn’t all that cheap anymore, but he could still provide value Sunday.

Doug Martin vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $4,400

The Raiders have pretty evenly split snaps in their backfield between Martin and Jalen Richard since Marshawn Lynch (groin) was lost for the season. Martin had his best performance last week against the Broncos, carrying the ball 21 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. While his yardage totals haven’t always been great, he has found his way into the end zone in four of his last five games. The Chiefs allow the fifth-most rushing yards per game (132.5), leaving Martin with some appeal in tournament play based on his cheap price.

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 16 – QB & RB

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

Reader-only discount! Use code EBIRD15 at checkout to save 15%.

With a bizarre Week 15 now in our rearview mirror, we only have two weeks left of full slates in the NFL. There is no Thursday game during Week 16, but there are two matchups on Saturday. Let’s dive into the main Sunday slate in DFS and highlight some quarterbacks and runnings backs to consider for your entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

QUARTERBACKS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 16 - QB & RB

Deshaun Watson vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $6,600

The Texans got back in the win column last week against the Jets, boosting their record to 10-4. Watson had another strong performance, throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He also chipped in 26 rushing yards on four carries. Watson is currently on an impressive streak in which he has completed at least 71 percent of his passes and has not thrown an interception in four straight contests. The Eagles secondary has been decimated by injuries to the point where they have now allowed the second-most passing yards per game (281) in the league for the season, overall. With running back Lamar Miller battling an ankle injury, the Texans could rely even more on Watson, giving him tremendous upside for this matchup.

Baker Mayfield vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $6,100

Mayfield didn’t play all that well against the Broncos in Week 15, completing just 58.1 percent of his passes for 188 yards. He did somewhat salvage his line with two touchdowns, although he did also throw an interception. Despite his underwhelming performance, he’s one of the top DFS options at quarterback this week. The Bengals defense is a mess and has allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (271) to go along with 28 touchdown passes. The last time these two teams met in Week 12, Mayfield threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns.

Josh Allen vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
FanDuel = $7,700
DraftKings = $5,800

The Bills don’t have a lot of offensive weapons, but things were really bad last week against the Lions with running backs LeSean McCoy (hamstring) and Chris Ivory (shoulder) inactive. To make matters worse, third-string back Marcus Murphy had to leave the game with an elbow injury. That left the Lions defense to key in on Allen, who completed just 50 percent of his passes for 204 yards. More importantly, they held him to 16 yards on nine carries. Luckily, Allen still finished with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, helping him to have another productive performance. Playing on the road against the Patriots isn’t a great matchup, but Allen has been able to provide enough value with his legs to still be worth considering in tournament play.

Dak Prescott vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – AT&T Stadium
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $5,700

The Cowboys entered Week 15 with five straight wins and had the look of a team who was going to pull away from the rest of their division. However, not only did they lose to the Colts, but they were shut out, 23-0. Prescott couldn’t get much going, completing 24 of 39 passes for 206 yards and an interception. He’s been a bit inconsistent of late, but he showed his upside against the Eagles two weeks ago when he threw for 455 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of wide receiver Amari Cooper has been huge for Prescott’s production, so look for him to bounce back quickly from his debacle against the Colts. This is certainly a prime opportunity for him to do so against the Bucs, who are tied for the second-most touchdown passes allowed (30) in the league.

RUNNING BACKS

NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 16 - QB & RB

Christian McCaffrey vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Bank of America Stadium
FanDuel = $9,300
DraftKings = $8,800

Panther’s quarterback Cam Newton is struggling with a shoulder issue right now and looked terrible on Monday night against the Saints. He clearly couldn’t throw the ball well down the field, averaging just 4.5 yards per passing attempt. His inability to throw deep was a positive for McCaffrey, though, who was targeted 11 times. He finished with eight catches for 67 yards to go along with 15 carries for an additional 53 yards. That marked his seventh straight game with at least 100 total yards and with his touchdown pass Monday, McCaffrey now has at least one score in four straight contests. Newton’s shoulder likely won’t be any better this week, so expect McCaffrey to get all the work that he can handle.

Ezekiel Elliott vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – AT&T Stadium
FanDuel = $8,800
DraftKings = $9,000

Even though the Cowboys couldn’t find their way into the end zone against the Colts, Elliott still finished with 128 total yards. He caught seven of his eight targets and has now received at least six targets in six straight games, giving him a significant boost in his overall production. The Bucs are not only allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game (128.1), but they’ve also allowed a league-high 106 receptions to running backs, leaving Elliott with a tremendously high upside.

Nick Chubb vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
FanDuel = $7,900
DraftKings = $7,300

Chubb failed to catch a pass Sunday for the first time since Week 7, but he was successful on the ground with 20 carries for 100 yards. Yes, 40 of those yards came on one play, but the 20 carries is the key to his value. He now has at least 20 rushing attempts in four of his last six games and could be in for another heavy workload in Week 16. The Bengals are decimated by injuries on offense, so they might have a hard time putting points on the board, which could lead to a lot of carries late for Chubb. The Bengals’ defense is allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game (142.4), so don’t hesitate to add Chubb to your entry.

Marlon Mack vs. New York Giants
Stadium – Lucas Oil Stadium
FanDuel = $7,000
DraftKings = $5,500

Mack had 60 rushing yards across two games, combined, heading into Week 15, but he broke out of that drought with 139 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys. With their defense dominating, Mack received 27 rushing attempts as the Colts nursed their lead to the finish line. Week 16 brings a great opportunity for Mack to thrive considering the Giants just gave up 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns to Derrick Henry on Sunday. The trade of Damon Harrison to the Lions has left a significant hole in their rushing defense, so look for Mack to take advantage.

Elijah McGuire vs. Green Bay Packers
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $4,700

The Jets had to place Isaiah Crowell (toe) on IR last week, which opened up the lead back role for McGuire. He wasn’t very effective in his first start, turning 18 carries into just 42 yards. He did find his way into the end zone, though, and he was on the field for 75 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps. The Jets don’t have any other choice but to give McGuire a lot of snaps, leaving him as a very appealing tournament option based on his cheap price on both sites.