Welcome to the show, NFL DFS renegades! Week 17 brings with it a whole host of football, including pro games in five out of six days. The lineups are spread far and wide, so we’re concentrating today on this Sunday, Dec. 29’s main slate for your DFS lineups! Many popular players will already have taken the field before Sunday; we’ll be without some potential bargains we’re used to. But never fear because there remain a bunch of quality plays for hunkering down with this Sunday.
Below are some of my favorite plays as I aim to build a consistent lineup rather than relying only on heavy hitters. Every player here has the potential to break off a big game. With that said, let’s stack the deck in our favor and get right down to business.
(NFL DFS salaries courtesy of DraftKings)
Week 17 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins) | $5,800
Let’s not break the bank from the jump. At $5,800, Tua Tagovailoa is a bargain with a great matchup. The Cleveland Browns were just put through the woodchipper by the Bengals last week and their anemic offense should continue to put Miami into a favorable field position. The rare times the home team comes up big is when they have a good day stopping the run.
Enter Tagovailoa, who has hurled 13 touchdown passes in his last six starts, the only debacle being the Texans figuring him out and intercepting him thrice in Week 15. He bounced back and beat the 49ers by 12, utilizing De’Von Achane, Jonnu Smith and even Tyreek Hill in the affair.
The Dolphins can not afford a misstep in the wild card race, and the Browns are just what the doctor ordered. Vegas has set a total for this game at 39.5 points, which would normally be a bad sign. This time, though, it will only be Miami filling up the stat sheet.
Running Back
Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) | $7,900
The Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor is worth spending up on with a little of that extra dough you saved at quarterback. Additionally, he’ll be very popular this weekend after his 218-yard, three-touchdown effort last week against division foe Tennessee. In many of these situations, it’s best to zig when others zag, but you don’t want to miss the boat on a potential repeat performance by the backfield bruiser.
In what should be another lopsided affair, Indianapolis gets the New York Giants in New Jersey. They are second only to Carolina in disastrous rush defense, ceding 142.6 yards per game. Expect Taylor to eclipse that number on his own in a game where the Colts might be able to avoid throwing the ball. They are locked in with Miami in the wild-card chase and have no room to drop a game to a lesser team.
Wide Receiver
Jalen McMillan (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | $4,600
Why Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan is this inexpensive in a barren slate is beyond me. Using him in your wide receiver or flex position almost seems like a cheat code. The third-round rookie has significantly benefited from the return of stud WR Mike Evans, who is drawing all the eyeballs in that direction. McMillan’s tallied 16 catches for 191 yards and four trips to the end zone in just his last three games.
Not only is the rookie on an impressive hot streak, but he comes in against a Carolina Panthers team that has figured out how to score. That’s a good thing here, as the total is pushing 50 projected points, and the Buccaneers won’t be content to just run the ball. All it takes is two well-placed throws from Baker Mayfield to push McMillan into paydirt, and suddenly, your cheapest skill player could be a difference-maker.
Tight End
Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders) | $6,700
I understand that the tight end position is often cheaper because it is more volatile. But by now, Brock Bowers – the fantasy TE1 – should be going for high-end wideout prices. That is not yet the case with “Sir Brocks-a-Lot,” so I’ll plug him in for under $7,000 all day long. Bowers has 101 receptions totaling 1,067 yards and a quartet of touchdowns.
I expect him to add to that touchdown total this week against the hapless Saints, who have allowed 819 yards in 15 games against the position. In addition, you can count on Spencer Rattler and the gang to give the ball away on their end of the field, where Bowers becomes the No. 1 option. For this amount, it’s like adding another high-end wide receiver to your lineup.
Defense/Special Teams
Las Vegas Raiders | $2,600
I found this one down at the bottom of the clearance bin! With all the consistency of the lineup between these players (and a few others I’ll include below), we can afford to penny-pinch on defense. I like the Raiders D/ST as a sleeper play in all fantasy formats, but in NFL DFS lineups, they fit especially nicely.
As noted Las Vegas gets the New Orleans Saints this week. That’s the same Saints that became the only NFL team to be shut out in 2024 when they fell 34-0 to Green Bay under the lights of “Monday Night Football.” The Raiders rank No. 12 in total yards allowed on defense and routinely come in with a strong defensive game plan against other subpar opponents under head coach Antonio Pierce. They’ll be good for several sacks of New Orleans’ quarterback(s) and likely a couple of interceptions.
Other Favorite Plays To Fill Out Lineups
- Rachaad White (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | $5,700
- Calvin Ridley (WR, Tennessee Titans) | $5,500
- Romeo Doubs (WR, Green Bay Packers) | $5,100
- Adam Thielen (WR, Carolina Panthers) | $5,700
Check out all of our Week 17 fantasy football content:
- 2025 Dynasty Rookies To Watch This College Football Playoffs
- Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 17 News & Notes (2024)
- Week 17 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
- Week 17 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 17 NFL Advice Mailbag (2024)
- PropKings: NFL Week 17 (2024)
Thanks for checking out my Week 17 NFL Picks! Track me down on Twitter/X @BuyAndSellYou for more redraft and dynasty fantasy football content.
*Photo Credit: Grace Hollars/IndyStar – USA TODAY Sports*
