This should be an exciting week. While we don’t have anyone on BYE, we have five games that aren’t part of the main slate. There are three Thanksgiving games and then the standard primetime matchups. That leaves us with 10 games to discuss, but there are still plenty of options between those 20 teams. With that in mind, let’s look at the cash game picks we love for Week 12!
The players below are ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for Week 12
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI): $8,300 vs. BUF
Hurts had just 150 passing yards and no passing touchdowns against the Chiefs on Monday Night and still had a good fantasy showing. That’s what makes Hurts so good because he’s a near guarantee for a rushing touchdown in every game behind the “Tush Push.” That cheat code of a play has led to Hurts scoring at least 20 DraftKings points in every game since the opener, and you know these offenses will be firing in what is expected to be one of the highest-scoring matchups of the week.
Josh Allen (QB – NYJ): $8,100 at PHI
We just discussed how this Philly-Buffalo matchup is expected to be a shootout, but Allen has a better matchup than Hurts. Philly posts a 29th OPRK against opposing quarterbacks this season, and Allen is second to Hurts with 25 DraftKings points per game. He’s also scored at least 24 DK points in four of his last five outings and should be leaned on heavily in a game with a 48-point total.
FanDuel
Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC): $8,700 at LVR
Mahomes wasn’t great on Monday Night, but we can blame his receivers for dropping most of his perfect passes. That has been an issue all season, but Patty still averages 20 FanDuel points per game. Everyone knows this is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and a matchup with the Raiders could get him back on track. Mahomes has at least 31 FanDuel points in five of his 10 matchups with Vegas!
CJ Stroud (QB – HOU): $7,700 vs. JAX
It’s hard to believe that Stroud is below $8,000 on FanDuel. This has been one of the best quarterbacks in DFS, averaging 27 FanDuel points per game across his last three outings. That’s a genuinely absurd stretch from a rookie, and it’s shocking that Stroud is outside the Top 5 in salary with a handful of teams missing from the main card. Facing Jacksonville is the icing on the cake, surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing signal-callers.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Travis Etienne (RB – JAC): $7,100 at HOU
The last two weeks have been a struggle for Etienne, but he should never be this cheap. This guy is still one of the league leaders with over 18 DraftKings points per game. A matchup with Houston is a great way to get him on track, allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing rushers since the start of last season. In his two most recent matchups with the Texans, Etienne averages 19 DK points per game!
Derrick Henry (RB – TEN): $6,400 vs. CAR
Henry is going to be rostered by everyone, and rightfully so. The big back has struggled mightily in the last two games, but he’s still one of the leading rushers in the NFL. What’s made him so poor recently are poor game scripts, but that shouldn’t be an issue here. Tennessee is a home favorite against a Carolina team, allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing backs this season. In their three wins this year, Henry is averaging nearly 25 fantasy points per game!
FanDuel
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO): $8,700 at ATL
Kamara is the most expensive position player on this slate, and he’s earned it. He’s second among all running backs with 17 FanDuel points per game, re-establishing himself as the best pass-catching back in the NFL. That dual-threat gives him one of the highest floors in fantasy, and we love that he’s a favorite against an average Atlanta defense. That means 20 touches are a near guarantee, and you can’t say that about many running backs on this slate.
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE): $6,700 at DEN
We’ve been using backs against Denver all season. The Broncos are surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing rushers and continue to struggle in that facet. That’s awesome for Ford because he’s scored double-digit fantasy points in all but two games since taking over for Nick Chubb in Week 1. He’s also averaging 12 FD points per game and should get plenty of opportunities against a historically bad run defense.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF): $8,800 at PHI
Diggs just had one of the worst games of his career in Week 11, but you know Buffalo needs to get him involved here. In what could be the shootout of the week, Diggs faces an Eagles team surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. That alone makes Diggs challenging to avoid because he always finishes Top 5 among wideouts year after year. He’s second on this slate with over 20 DK points per game, and that should be his floor in this sensational spot.
Michael Pittman (WR – IND): $6,800 vs. TB
Pittman hasn’t had many upside games, but he’s one of the safest options behind his usage. The Colts’ top wideout is one of the league leaders with a team target share above 30 percent. He’s also recorded at least eight receptions in four of his last five outings and should have success against a Tampa team, allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.
FanDuel
AJ Brown (WR – PHI): $8,800 vs. BUF
Brown had just one catch on Monday Night, but Philly will get him more involved here. AJ had at least 16 FanDuel points in six consecutive outings before that rare dud, leading the league with 22 FD points per game in that stretch. He’s simply one of the best receivers in the NFL and should be utilized heavily in this potential shootout.
Nico Collins (WR – HOU): $6,900 vs. JAX
All the talk in Houston surrounds Tank Dell, but Collins has been just as good. Nico has reached double-digit FanDuel points in six of eight games this season, averaging 12 FD points per game. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$7K player, especially since Noah Brown is expected to miss this game. The matchup with Jacksonville isn’t too shabby either, posting a 22nd OPRK against opposing wideouts.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Trey McBride (TE – ARI): $4,700 vs. LAR
Why is McBride still below $5,000? This guy has been one of the most targeted tight ends in the NFL over the last month, posting 35 targets over his last four fixtures. That’s usually what you see from a top-tier receiver, and it might get higher now that Kyler Murray is fully healthy. The matchup against LA only adds to his intrigue, posting a 24th OPRK against tight ends this season.
FanDuel
Travis Kelce (TE – KC): $8,300 at LVR
Kelce could be a cash game option on every slate. He’s led the tight end position in fantasy points nearly every year since he was drafted, averaging 14 FanDuel points per game this season. Mark Andrews was the only guy in his stratosphere, but he’s also out for the year. We can’t overlook that Kelce collected four touchdowns in one of his matchups with Vegas last season, either!
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Kansas City Chiefs D/ST: $3,100 at LV
This might be the most egregious pricing on this slate. The Chiefs’ defense is Top 5 in nearly every category, and they’re being priced outside the Top 10 at the D/ST position. When seeing that, you’d think they have a tough matchup, but they’re facing a Raiders team with Aidan O’Connell behind center. That’s why they’re a 9.5-point favorite in a game with a 44-point total!
FanDuel
New England Patriots D/ST: $4,500 vs. DEN
We had New England in our smash starts piece and want some exposure to them in DFS. New York is surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing D/ST’s, displaying a passing game that features Tommy DeVito and Wan’Dale Robinson. That’s a horrifying experience for Giants fans, and they’ll likely struggle against a Patriots team coming off a BYE. Bill Belichick’s teams are allowing just 16 points per game coming off a BYE, entering this matchup as a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a 34-point total.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Beyond our daily fantasy football content, check out our Daily Fantasy Football Tools. From our Value Plays – which allows you to identify players who are projected to outperform their salaries – to our DFS Cheat Sheets -which help you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
