DraftKings.com NFL DFS Week 17 Picks and Plays for Cash Game and GPP Lineups
Week 17 of NFL DFS is here, and everyone is looking to play for the big daily fantasy football money at DraftKings in the final week of the 2017 NFL regular season. Every week, we’ll bring you our top NFL DFS picks at each position, separating them into Cash and GPP plays. To keep up with all things PlayPicks, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
As with any daily fantasy sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, gameflow, and various other factors. This is important to remember when constructing a roster at any of the daily fantasy sports sites.
Weather will play a key factor in NFL games going forward, so make sure to check the forecast for each Sunday. Wind is our real enemy on the fantasy front.
Best Week 17 NFL DFS Quarterback Plays
Kirk Cousins @ NYG ($6.2K DraftKings) – GPP
Kirk Cousins and Washington are out of the playoff hunt, but the former still has plenty of motivation. Hell, this might be the single biggest game of Cousins’ career. The quarterback is heading toward a big offseason, as he and the team that drafted him have failed to come to terms on a contract time and time again. This week, against a New York Giants team with nothing left for which to play, Cousins will have by far the most to gain, or lose. That should be reason enough for you to consider him, especially in GPP formats. Expect a return to mid-season form for Cousins, who should see his first 300 yard game in over a month.
Matthew Stafford vs. GB ($6.3K DraftKings) – Cash
With so many narratives to chase this week, it’s important to find leverage opportunities elsewhere. Enter Matthew Stafford, who gets a Green Bay team he blew up for 366 yards and two scores back in Week 9. He has nothing to play for this week as the Detroit Lions have been eliminated from playoffs, but the Packers rank 26th in passing DVOA. Oh, and I can dig up a narrative. Stafford needs just four touchdowns to hit the 30 TD mark. He’s only hit that mark twice in his entire career. Stick to Cash with Stafford, where I think he has some realistic upside.
Tom Brady vs. NYJ ($6.8K DraftKings) – Cash/GPP
Should the Patriots be worried about Tom Brady? I wouldn’t think so. Though Touchdown Tom hasn’t looked in top form the past few weeks (four touchdowns and five interceptions in his past five games), the Pats are in a must-win game against the New York Jets. OK, it’s only a must-win in the sense that they need to win to lock up homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The Jets rank 22nd in passing DVOA, and I expect Brady to get back in the swing of things just in time to secure a playoff run on home turf.
Philip Rivers vs. OAK ($6.6K DraftKings) – Cash/GPP
The Chargers started the season at 0-4 but have miraculously brought themselves back to life and into playoff contention. This week, they need to win to have a real shot at getting in. They also need Tennessee to lose and, unless Baltimore wins, Buffalo to also lose. The Titans, Bills, and Ravens all play on the 1 p.m. slate, meaning the Chargers will know whether they control their own collective fate by game time. Assuming they do, look for Rivers to dominate an Oakland Raiders team ranking dead last in passing DVOA.
Secondary options: Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo
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Best Week 17 NFL DFS Running Back Plays
Melvin Gordon vs. OAK ($7.4K DraftKings) – GPP
Melvin Gordon is questionable heading into the Chargers’ must-win Week 17 game against the Raiders. He says he’s going to play, and he has an outstanding matchup against a defense ranking 18th in rushing DVOA, but 27th in RB-PA DVOA. With Austin Ekeler reserved for special teams only at this point, Gordon has more volume available if he can handle it. Should he suit up, he’s a strong GPP play in a vital game against Oakland’s exploitable defense.
Derrick Henry vs. JAX ($5.5K DraftKings) – GPP/Cash
DeMarco Murray hopes to play through a torn MCL this week as the Titans face the Jaguars in a must-win contest. That injury is actually as bad as it sounds, so even if he suits up, I just can’t imagine we see a full workload out of Murray. Derrick Henry was already a near-even partner in the backfield, and he should see even more action this week. The last time Tennessee faced Jacksonville, Henry racked up 15.2 DK points. Facing the Jags’ tough secondary, the Titans will rely on Henry to move the chains.
Alex Collins vs. CIN ($5.6K DraftKings) – Cash
The Ravens are near-locks to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card team, but a win would guarantee them a spot. Collins has at least 15 carries in five of his past six games, plus 25 targets in that span. He’s certainly a major part of this Ravens offense, and that shouldn’t change against the Bengals, ranked 20th in rushing DVOA. The Ravens also have an implied total score of 25 points as 10-point favorites. There should be plenty of Collins running down the clock in this one.
Marshawn Lynch @ LAC ($4.4K DraftKings) – GPP
Sure, “Beast Mode” won’t have had an illustrious season by the time Week 17 is over, but he does have a favorable matchup against a Chargers team ranking 29th in rushing DVOA. Lynch saw 25 carries last week and 16 the week prior. He’s clearly a major cog in this offense, and the Chargers’ stout secondary will make a rushing attack necessary if Oakland wants to hand the Chargers the same fate they received last week.
Secondary options: Alvin Kamara, Todd Gurley, Mike Davis, Samaje Perine, Jamaal Williams
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Best Week 17 NFL DFS Wide Receiver Plays
Josh Doctson @ NYG ($4.4K DraftKings) – GPP
After 13 targets last week, Josh Doctson gets a very appealing matchup against a battered Giants secondary in Week 17, plus a quarterback who has one last stand before free agency. The last time Washington played the Giants, Doctson found the end zone. Don’t expect double-digit targets this week, but at $4.4K, he’ll see enough opportunity to crush value against a defense ranking 28th in DVOA.
JuJu Smith-Schuster vs. CLE ($7.3K DraftKings) – Cash
With Antonio Brown sidelined, JuJu Smith-Schuster immediately rises to the top of the wide receiver pool. While Martavis Bryant and Justin Hunter will see the deep routes, Smith-Schuster is a much safer play, as he doesn’t rely on the deep, more difficult passes. Furthermore, this offense is still insanely good, even without Antonio Brown. The Browns rank 28th in passing DVOA, which actually leads me to naked Roethlisberger (as in, just Roethlisberger, no wideouts) in GPPs. But Smith-Schuster is very safe in Cash, with six receptions in each of the past two weeks and a bad Browns team ahead of him.
Keenan Allen vs. OAK ($7.8K DraftKings) – Cash
Keenan Allen doesn’t have a ton of GPP appeal since he so rarely finds the end zone. That said, he saw 10 targets last week with Hunter Henry. This week, the Chargers need a Titans loss and a Bills loss (plus a win of their own) to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. With Melvin Gordon carrying a questionable tag, expect possession receiver Allen to be a source of stability in this offense in a must-win game. He’d be a stable anchor for Cash lineups.
Julio Jones @ CAR ($8.2K DraftKings) – GPP
It’s mind-boggling that Julio Jones has just three touchdowns this season, but here we are: the Falcons against Carolina in a must-win Week 17 matchup. The Falcons control their own fate, and I think that means they absolutely have to get Jones going in this one. The last time Jones faced Carolina, he racked up 20.8 DK points without finding the end zone. And in four of five divisional games this season, Jones garnered double-digit targets. There isn’t a bigger divisional game than this one. A Julio explosion is certainly possible against an overrated Panthers defense.
Secondary options: DeAndre Hopkins, Marvin Jones, Brandin Cooks, Martavis Bryant, Alshon Jeffery, Sammy Watkins
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Best Week 17 NFL DFS Tight End Plays
Vance McDonald vs. CLE ($2.7K DraftKings) – GPP
There is a very real chance Jesse James isn’t that good at football, or at least not in this offense. Vance McDonald, meanwhile, finally seems healthy and moves much better than James. Last week, he saw five targets, converting four of those into catches and 54 yards. Though not the most impressive stat line, with Antonio Brown out with an injury against a Cleveland defense that’s dead last in TE DVOA, expect Mike Tomlin to turn McDonald loose in the passing game.
Charles Clay @ MIA ($3.7K DraftKings) – Cash/GPP
I’ll admit Clay isn’t the most secure option at tight end, but he’s seen 19 targets in the past two weeks. Nineteen! 19! At $3.7K, with Buffalo in a must-win game, with an early start time, against a defense ranking 28th in TE DVOA, Clay is much safer than he appears. Consider him in both Cash and GPP thanks to his high-volume upside.
Secondary options: Tyler Kroft, Jared Cook, Austin Hooper, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Rob Gronkowski
Best Week 17 NFL DFS Defense Plays
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs. DAL ($2.7K DraftKings) – Cash/GPP
Jerry Jones has already said the Cowboys, eliminated from playoff contention, will not give their starters a full go on Sunday, meaning this Philly defense should have an easier time than they probably expected when they first saw the 2017 NFL regular season schedule. While the Eagles are home underdogs, their $2.7K price tag gives them definite appeal. I don’t expect a deflated Dallas team to give them much trouble.
Jacksonville Jaguars D/ST @ TEN ($4.0K DraftKings) – Cash
I’ve mentioned several big playoff-driven narratives this week. But I don’t think a playoff narrative is enough to change the fate of a Titans team in a tailspin. Yes, they have a shot at making the playoffs, but with back-to-back losses to the Cardinals and 49ers, Tennessee won’t have an easy time against a tough Jacksonville defense that, while struggling, is still the backbone of that team. The Jags are probably too expensive for GPP, but fire away in Cash.
Secondary options: LA Rams D/ST, LA Chargers D/ST, Detroit Lions D/ST
