Now, the end is near, and soon we’ll face the final lineup. But it’s not here just yet! Things are heating up in the NFL Playoff race, so let’s take advantage of some of those games with key NFL DFS players.
It’s time to set that slate-winning lineup!
(NFL DFS salaries courtesy of DraftKings)
Week 16 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
Quarterback
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) | $7,500
Spending salry on the quarterback position might be the best option this week, especially if Bills quarterback Josh Allen keeps playing the way he is. If you don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket by dropping $8,700 on Allen, Joe Burrow is a fine substitute. The Bengals quarterback has been on a tear this season and is currently the fantasy football QB3. The former LSU Tiger leads the league with 36 passing touchdowns and 3,977 passing yards. What you don’t get with Burrow is rushing, but at the rate he’s tossing the ball, it doesn’t matter.
The matchup itself is pretty solid, too, but Burrow hasn’t needed great matchups to be an effective fantasy asset. This week, it’s merely a bonus that the Cleveland Browns allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Believe it or not, Burrow and company are still in the mix for a postseason bid. So you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be playing hard to try to get in.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions) | $7,500
Ok, so Jahmyr Gibbs isn’t cheap either, but it would be a mistake not to have him in the lineup this week. Everyone will play him, and if he goes off while you’re not playing him, you’re already behind in the slate. Gibbs takes over full-time duties in the backfield for the Lions with the unfortunate season-ending injury to David Montgomery. It’s sad news for the Lions but great news for fantasy.
Gibbs is currently the Points Per Reception (PPR) RB3 on the season, and that was in a split backfield! Imagine what he can do the rest of the way now that it’s just him back there.
The matchup is a gift from the fantasy gods. The Lions are in a divisional battle against the Chicago Bears, who allow the fifth-most points to fantasy running backs. As of now, that average sits at a whopping 23.3 points per game. It might be safe to assume that number increases this week against Gibbs. The Lions are a high-powered offense. You want pieces of it. Why not start the now-lone high-profile running back on that offense?
Wide Receiver
D.J. Moore (Chicago Bears) | $5,700
Not every player highlighted this week is going to break the bank. Let’s stick with the Lions-Bears game, which has the highest implied point total (48.0) on Sunday’s main slate at 48. If Chicago wants any chance at winning this game, they need to have success throwing the football.
D.J. Moore and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams have been pretty solid together. In the last four games, Williams has targeted Moore 39 times, and 16 of those came in Week 13 against the Lions. Moore turned those into 23.7 NFL DFS points.
As noted, the passing attack must be the focus if the Bears want to win or at least be competitive. For as good as the Lions are as a team, they’re also terrible against wide receivers, allowing 30.2 points per game to the position. Also, more than half of their defense is in the medical ward. Injuries have been an issue, and teams have exploited that through the air. Look for Moore to have another big game Sunday.
Tight End
Hunter Henry (New England Patriots) | $4,100
The story here is similar to the Bears’ situation against the Lions. If the Patriots want to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills, they’ll need to throw the ball. Hunter Henry has been about as reliable as you can get at the tight end position this season. The 30-year-old’s lowest point total came in week 10 against Chicago when he scored 2.4 points. Aside from that, he has consistently been in the range of nine to 13 points per game for most of the season. Those types of numbers aren’t going to help you break the slate. However, they most certainly won’t bury you.
The matchup is solid. The Bills allowed Lions tight end Sam LaPorta to go off with seven catches for 111 yards last week. Henry doesn’t display the same athleticism as LaPorta, but he’s a big-bodied tight end who can get open and snares most of his targets. The Patriots will need quarterback Drake Maye to step up, and he may lean on Henry this week to help his team stay in the game.
Defense/Special Teams
Minnesota Vikings D/ST | $3,500
The Vikings’ defense has the reputation of being aggressive and able to take the ball away at any moment. They lead the league with 20 interceptions, and this week, they’ll head to Seattle, where to face either a banged-up Geno Smith or “Sack Machine” Sam Howell.
Either way, it is a pretty solid setup for the Minnesota D/ST. Smith has played well overall but tends to throw picks now and then. If he doesn’t go, they’ll get Sam Howell who was dropped in the backfield last season the most times since David Carr in 2005 (65). It’s a great DFS play this week and one that should be in your lineup.
Check out all of our Week 16 fantasy football content:
- Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 16 News & Notes (2024)
- Week 16 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
- Week 16 NFL Betting Advice Mailbag (2024)
- Week 16 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 16 In the Scope Targets (2024)
- PropKings: NFL Week 16 (2024)
Thanks for reading my Week 16 NFL DFS picks! Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.
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*Photo Credit: Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports*
