Washington got a stop on a two-point conversion to pull out a win against Seattle and wrap up Week 12 in the NFL; in this season of parity across the NFL, the 5-6 Football Team would be the last NFC team in the playoffs if the NFL season ended today. Now it’s on to Week 13; this article will cover The Professor’s low-cost options for DFS in the upcoming slate of NFL action.
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow, LAC @ CIN, $7400 FanDuel, $6300 DraftKings
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sat out the fourth quarter in a blowout of the Steelers last week, which limited his numbers, but the Cincinnati offense is back in rhythm and should be pushed by Justin Herbert and the Chargers this week. Rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase has not matched his early-season production of late but the Bengals are arguably more dangerous when Burrow spreads it around and finds the hot hand. Last week running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Tee Higgins were the primary skill players involved but Chase, slot receiver Tyler Boyd, or tight end C.J. Uzomah are always a threat to get in the mix.
Taylor Heinicke, WAS @ LVR, $7100 FanDuel, $5600 DraftKings
Taylor Heinicke and the Football Team are on a three-game win streak as they head on the road to face the Raiders; Las Vegas got their mojo back on offense last week, but their defense got lit up by Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. Heinicke and the Washington offense can’t match the Cowboys’ talent level, but the Terry McLaurin-led receiving group should be able to get loose for some big gains behind the Vegas secondary.
Derek Carr, WAS @ LVR, $7500 FanDuel, $6000 DraftKings
Derek Carr played one of his better games of the NFL season against Dallas, a much-needed rebound given how Carr had played in the three previous games. Carr is likely to be without tight end Darren Waller, his top receiving threat, against the Football Team, but the Raiders are still in a home matchup against a defense that looked very ordinary against Cam Newton and the Panthers two weeks ago. Carr should be able to produce even if Waller is not available.
Running Backs
James Conner, ARI @ CHI, $7300 FanDuel, $5900 DraftKings
Chase Edmonds is on injured reserve, so James Conner will continue to handle lead back duties for the Arizona Cardinals. Conner gets a significant boost from the anticipated return of quarterback Kyler Murray, who should be back to his ultra-athletic, twitched-up self after a month-long absence. Conner contributes as both a runner and receiver; Arizona’s backups will spell him, but Conner should get a lot of work early in a game that the Cardinals should dominate.
Myles Gaskin, NYG @ MIA, $6400 FanDuel, $5800 DraftKings
Myles Gaskin’s role as the Wildcat QB in the red zone is tanking quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s fantasy value. Gaskin and the Miami offense went through a brutal stretch earlier this season, but he is now the lead running back in an offense that is reasonably productive on the back of the Tagovailoa-Jaylen Waddle connection. Gaskin is a threat as a runner and receiver whose value is boosted by the opportunities he gets on direct snaps at the goal line.
Antonio Gibson, WAS @ LVR, $6200 FanDuel, $5700 DraftKings
Antonio Gibson is coming off a 100-yard rushing performance and Washington will likely need to lean more heavily on his background as a college receiver now that pass-catching back J.D. McKissic is unavailable. Backup Jaret Patterson should also have a role but it seems more likely that Patterson will handle some of the carries while Gibson splits his touches between rushes and receptions, which makes Gibson less dependent on game flow to get his touches than he has been with McKissic involved. Gibson should produce in this advantageous opportunity against the Las Vegas defense.
Wide Receivers
Tee Higgins, LAC @ CIN, $6600 FanDuel, $5800 DraftKings
Tee Higgins slotted into a complementary role as rookie Ja’Marr Chase took center stage early this season, but Chase has cooled off and Higgins stepped up in a big way last week, reminding the NFL that he can be a physically dominant presence at the catch point. It is hard to blame the Bengals for becoming over-enamored with Chase after his Hall-of-Fame-type performance in the upset over the Ravens but the Bengals offense seems better served to spread the ball around early in games and go with the hot hand; Higgins paid off as a low-cost target last week and could make it back-to-back against the Chargers.
A.J. Green, ARI @ CHI, $5600 FanDuel, $5000 DraftKings
A.J. Green faces a crowded receiver rotation once again, as DeAndre Hopkins should be ready to return to action this week, but the Cardinals offense is set up for a big performance in quarterback Kyler Murray’s return. Chicago’s once-vaunted defense has fallen by the wayside; the Bears can still slow down the Lions, as NFL fans saw on Thanksgiving, but the Cardinals should be a different matter. Green played a critical role in the win over Seattle before Arizona’s bye and should get opportunities this week.
Odell Beckham Jr., JAX @ LAR, $6000 FanDuel, $5500 DraftKings
Odell Beckham Jr. is expected to play despite being listed with a hip pointer; it would make sense for the Rams to try to get him more incorporated in the offense in a “get-right” game against Jacksonville. The Rams have a lot to resolve in this game ahead of a trip to Arizona; Beckham got behind the Green Bay defense on a double-move last week and will look to expand his repertoire with quarterback Matthew Stafford against Jacksonville.
Tight Ends
Logan Thomas, WAS @ LVR, $5600 FanDuel, $4000 DraftKings
Logan Thomas nearly scored a touchdown in his return from a long-term hamstring injury and should continue to reclaim his role as he gets back into the rhythm of the NFL’s weekly schedule. Thomas has only played in four games to this point in the NFL season but has two touchdowns; Taylor Heinicke has the offense in a better place than it was before Thomas suffered his injury and his production should get a boost as a result.
Conclusion
This article covered The Professor’s low-cost DFS plays for the upcoming week. For more fantasy content from The Professor check out his weekly appearance on Razor’s RedZone and the rest of his content on BeerLife Sports!
Steven Clinton, better known as "The Professor", is a former D-1 Quality Control Assistant (Northwestern, Toledo) who holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. He maintains an end-to-end NFL game projection model and is a film junkie who breaks down the tape of every NFL game.
You must log in to post a comment.