Fantasy Football Week 17: DFS building blocks, values and a star to fade
Whether you've played Daily Fantasy on Yahoo before or are giving it a try for the first time, this weekly column will take a look at the DFS landscape, revealing whom I like building lineups around, stars to fade, undervalued plays and bargain bin options to help you construct a better team.
[Play in Yahoo's Week 17 Sunday Baller — guaranteed prize pool of $100K]
Lineup building blocks
Christian McCaffrey ($42) @ Washington Commanders
McCaffrey saw just 14 carries last week but broke 100 rushing yards for the fourth time over his last five games anyway. He’s gotten 6.8 YPC over that span and leads the NFL with 21 touchdowns this season. San Francisco must travel during a short week and is dealing with multiple injuries along its O-line, but the offense will be motivated coming off an embarrassing loss in primetime. The 49ers have the highest implied team total (31+ points) this week, and the Commanders have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs.
Kyren Williams ($36) @ New York Giants
Williams has averaged 137.6 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns over five games since returning from IR. He ranks top-three in red-zone carries and rush attempts inside the 10-yard line despite missing four games this season. The Rams’ offense ranks first in EPA/play, yards per play and points per drive with their stars on the field this year, and Los Angeles has a healthy implied team total (24.5 points). The Giants have yielded the fifth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to running backs over the last five weeks, so Williams is a DFS building block.
Rashee Rice ($26) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Chiefs are coming off a tough offensive performance, but the Raiders’ defense has played extremely well since Antonio Pierce took over as head coach. The Raiders’ best corner Nate Hobbs also plays the slot, where Rice runs more than half his routes. Kansas City gets an easier matchup this week against a Bengals defense allowing an NFL-high 8.0 YPA. Rice has averaged 10.0 targets and 78.2 receiving yards with three touchdowns over his last five games, and he’s a top-10 WR as Patrick Mahomes’ primary receiver.
Star to Fade
Alvin Kamara ($33) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kamara’s salary is high for a back who loses some value in the 0.5 PPR format. Tampa Bay has also defended receiving backs well this season, and Kamara has gotten just 3.2 YPC when playing outdoors this year. Kendre Miller might return Sunday, so there are better ways to spend your DFS salary this week.
Undervalued Options
D’Andre Swift ($23) vs. Arizona Cardinals
Swift has been tackled at the one-yard line and didn’t score on the same drive an NFL-high six times this season. Jalen Hurts remains a given at the goal line, but Swift has clearly been unlucky with touchdowns this year. He’s averaged 20.5 opportunities over the last two games and gets an Arizona defense allowing the second-most YPC (4.7) this season. The Cardinals also rank last in run defense DVOA and have ceded by far the most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to running backs over the last five weeks. This game projects to have a fast pace and for the Eagles to score close to 30 points, so Swift is going to be a popular DFS play this week.
Kenneth Walker III ($22) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Walker’s status needs to be monitored after missing practice Wednesday, but he’s a DFS option if good to go. K9 saw 16-of-19 Seahawks’ RB carries last week, and he’s due for regression in the red zone. Seattle has faced top-12 run defenses each of the past six games but get a Pittsburgh defense allowing the seventh-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to RBs over the last five weeks. The Seahawks are 3.5-point home favorites against the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers, so game script should be favorable. Walker is undervalued with an RB20 DFS salary this week.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($10) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
With Jerick McKinnon on IR and Isiah Pacheco missing practice while in concussion protocol, Edwards-Helaire could lead Kansas City’s backfield Sunday. La’Mical Perine will also get touches, but CEH saw 30 with Pacheco out over the previous two games (and McKinnon was active then). The Chiefs have the fourth-highest implied team point total on the DFS slate and are likely to bounce back after last week’s dud in a more favorable matchup. Edwards-Helaire should be treated as a borderline top-12 RB if Pacheco is out, yet his DFS salary is the minimum.
Bargain Bin
Tyrod Taylor ($20) vs. Los Angeles Rams
Taylor finished as the QB7 during a start earlier this season, and he’s among a few quarterback options (Jacoby Brissett is another) available at the minimum this week. Brissett has produced a touchdown during his last five (full) drives but faces an angry 49ers squad, while Taylor adds a rushing element. Moreover, the Rams have allowed the second-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to quarterbacks over the last five weeks. Derek Carr just scored a season-high in fantasy points by a wide margin against L.A. last week, as the Rams have become one of the best matchups for opposing QBs.
