Daily fantasy football continues to climb in popularity as jackpots have risen consistently and more fans are joining sites every week. Our weekly article showcases players to target at three general levels of value: The big dollar talent (Heavy Hitters), the average-priced contributors (Average Athletes), and the guys very questionable players at the bottom of the cost charts (Sneaky Sleepers). Our selected players are based on DraftKings values as that is our daily fantasy site of choice, but the values should translate fairly well to any other sites you may use. We don’t share specific lineups or optimized computer rankings, but we will give you some great candidates for you to consider. We set this breakdown up that way because while winning is great, a big part of the fun draw of daily fantasy is mixing and matching your lineups to see how you can maximize your team. That and the fact that we are trying to win the same way that you are, and quite frankly, we don’t want our readers to all have the same exact lineups.
NFL Week 16 Recap
Christmas Eve is already an exciting day on the calendar, and it’s even more exciting when you’re cashing in some DFS contests. The Saturday contests were fruitful and provided some early presents for the BetCrushers, as our rosters were stuffed full of big performers. Our Star of the Week got off to a fast start as Jerick McKinnon scored on a early second quarter touchdown pass, although he was unable to generate a whole lot of production after that. Where we really dialed things in was with the high priced talent as our quarterbacks and Derrick Henry, as well as Justin Jefferson proved worth the price. Getting points with some sleeper picks made for one of the most complete performances we’ve had all season. In a year where we seem to either hit on the sleepers and miss on the big dollar guys, or vice-versa, it was nice to finally combine and make some nice profit on the holiday weekend.
These Players Made Us Look Good:
Joe Burrow – 375 Yards Passing, 5 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
Patrick Mahomes – 224 Yards Passing, 8 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
Travis Kelce – 113 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
Derrick Henry – 126 Yards Rushing, 0 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
Justin Jefferson – 133 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
T.J. Hockenson – 109 Yards Receiving, 2 Total TDs
Devonta Smith – 113 Yards Receiving, 2 Total TDs
Gardner Minshew – 335 Yards Passing, 5 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
Philadelphia Eagles DST – 40 Pts Allowed, 6 Sacks, 1 Int., 1 Total TD
These Players Made Us Look Foolish:
Marquise Goodwin – 0 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
Chig Okonkwo – 10 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
Kareem Hunt – 8 Yards Rushing, 9 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
NFL Week 17 Preview
The weather outside has been pretty frightful, and if week 16 taught us anything, it’s that players are going to produce a lot better indoors, or in friendly conditions. At this time of year it can be better to play a slightly lesser option playing in a dome, as opposed to a star playing in tough conditions. It’s also worth looking at players that have something to play for, whether that’s a trip to the postseason, or possibly some contract incentives. If you are starting guys playing in the elements, make sure your flex is a running back and not a volatile wide receiver. There’s plenty of great mid to low cost options this week at all positions, so figure out where you want to spend your loot. Travis Kelce, perhaps?
Before we highlight our three levels of talent, let’s look at our projected star of the week:
STAR OF THE WEEK:
Most of America is aware of the preseason shooting incident that delayed the rookie season of Brian Robinson, Jr. for the Washington Commanders. What you may not know however, is that Robinson has really come on strong over the last few weeks as he works his way into NFL shape and learns the landscape of the league. Last week was an exception as the 49ers ridiculously good front seven slowed him down, which makes him a perfect buy-low candidate for this weekend against the Cleveland Browns. Robinson can be had for just $5,200 as a great RB2 or flex option0 in your lineup this Sunday. The Browns are officially eliminated from the playoffs after a bad loss to the Saints a week ago, and you’ll have to wonder how motivated they’ll be playing in Washington for basically nothing? More importantly, the Browns have not been able to stop the run even when it mattered, which makes any running back they’re facing an appealing start. Whether Taylor Heinicke gets the starting nod, or Carson Wentz, the constant should be Robinson getting a lot of work in this contest. Anything less than 100 yards and a touchdown would be considered a big disappointment.
Quarterbacks:
Justin Fields – $7,900 vs. Lions
Trevor Lawrence – $6,200 vs. Texans
Running Backs:
Saquon Barkley – $8,000 vs. Colts
Dalvin Cook – $7,000 vs. Packers
Wide Receivers:
Amon-Ra St. Brown – $7,800 vs. Bears
DeAndre Hopkins – $7,700 vs. Falcons
Tight Ends:
Travis Kelce – $8,100 vs. Broncos
George Kittle – $5,900 vs. Raiders
Defense / Special Teams:
New York Giants – $3,900 vs. Colts
Quarterbacks:
Aaron Rodgers – $6,000 vs. Vikings
Jared Goff – $5,600 vs. Bears
Running Backs:
Travis Etienne, Jr. – $6,400 vs. Texans
J.K. Dobbins – $5,800 vs. Falcons
Wide Receivers:
Jerry Jeudy – $6,400 vs. Chiefs
Christian Watson – $5,900 vs. Vikings
Tight Ends:
Evan Engram – $4,400 vs. Texans
Noah Fant – $3,400 vs. Jets
Defense / Special Teams:
New England Patriots – $2,600 vs. Dolphins
Quarterbacks:
Mike White – $5,400 vs. Seahawks
Colt McCoy – $5,200 – vs. Falcons
Running Backs:
D’Andre Swift – $5,300 vs. Bears
Brian Robinson – $5,200 vs. Browns
Wide Receivers:
Jakobi Meyers – $5,000 vs. Dolphins
Curtis Samuel – $4,400 vs. Browns
Tight Ends:
Tyler Conklin – $2,900 vs. Seahawks
Jelani Woods – $2,800 vs. Giants
Defense / Special Teams:
Carolina Panthers – $2,400 vs. Buccaneers
If you play Daily Fantasy Football, we’d love to hear your take and who you like each week. Find us on Twitter @TheBetCrushers and let us know. Good luck and enjoy the weekend! 
