Week 17 is one of the most fun slates of the year for many reasons. Whether you’re out of your fantasy league playoffs or looking to hedge against some players, we have plenty of opportunities this weekend. If you’re playing on DraftKings or FanDuel, these are the best high-floor plays for cash games.
Week 17 DFS Cash Game Advice & Picks
Quarterbacks
Anthony Richardson (QB – IND) @ Giants | DraftKings: $5,900/FanDuel: $8,000
It’s often bumpy with Anthony Richardson but it always comes with the potential of fantasy points. Richardson has scored over 20 fantasy points in three of his last five games and now faces a Giants defense ready for the offseason.
Four quarterbacks have rushed for over 44 yards against the Giants this year, including Lamar Jackson (65) in Week 15. The Giants rank 29th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) and have allowed seven top-12 performances. If Richardson is healthy enough to play he’s a solid play for cash games this week.
The Colts would have won the AFC South if they never benched Anthony Richardson. pic.twitter.com/VgjDfOX2x0
— Colts Enjoyer (@AR5Renaissance) December 27, 2024
Sam Darnold (QB – MIN) vs. Packers | DraftKings: $6,400/FanDuel: $7,700
There was a bumpy patch for Sam Darnold in the middle of the season. On the whole, though, he’s had an excellent season and deserves all the plaudits heading his way, along with a big fat contract this offseason. Darnold has been a QB1 in nine of his 15 games and has thrown for multiple touchdowns in 11 games.
The Packers have been a good team against the pass this year, ranking ninth in DVOA and allowing the second-fewest quarterback fantasy points. There is so much to play for in this game that it might be hard for the Packers to slow down the Vikings. The last time these teams met in Week 4, Darnold scored 20.5 points. Another similar performance would be perfectly acceptable here.
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI) vs. Cowboys | DraftKings: $8,600/FanDuel: $9,600
If Jalen Hurts remains in concussion protocol for Week 17, which would be similar to most cases, Kenny Pickett would be the Eagles’ starting quarterback for a matchup with division rivals Dallas. The Cowboys have brought the fifth-highest amount of pressure since Week 11, and Pickett has hardly been a safe pair of hands at any point in his career.
Instead, the Eagles might find greater fortune by running the ball against the Cowboys, who’ve allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs and rank 28th in run defense. Barkley is on an All-Pro trajectory like we haven’t seen in years. It makes too much sense to prioritize him here.
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA) @ Browns | DraftKings: $7,700/FanDuel: $8,200
The Dolphins are running out the season after a lack of consistency and another Tua Tagovailoa-injury-plagued season left them with too few wins. The regression of the running game has been one of the most surprising storylines this season with them graded as the third-worst run game in offensive DVOA.
De’Von Achane regressed from 7.8 yards per carry to 4.2 and averaged 22 fewer rushing yards per game. Thankfully for Achane, his pass-catching role has been excellent with only Alvin Kamara‘s 89 targets bettering Achane’s 85.
Since Tagovailoa’s Week 8 return, Achane has been a top-seven running back in six games. He can continue that against a Browns team struggling with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback.
Bucky Irving (RB – TB) vs. Panthers | DraftKings: $6,700/FanDuel: $8,000
If we remove Week 14, when Bucky Irving got banged up, he is averaging 19.6 touches and 20.8 PPR points per game since Week 10, totaling over 85 yards in every game. Irving is 80 yards away from breaking 1,000 rushing yards in his rookie season. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and added seven rushing touchdowns.
The Panthers are a team we target with running backs, as they have given up the most running back fantasy points and rank 32nd in run defense DVOA. They have allowed eight top-eight performances to running backs, including a season-high 27.5 points to Irving in Week 13.
Bucky Irving legitimately needs rookie of the year consideration. He’s a top 5 running back in the league right now.
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 23, 2024
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE) vs. Dolphins | DraftKings: $5,900/FanDuel: $6,600
Over the last two games since Nick Chubb got injured, Jerome Ford has gone over 100 total yards and has been a top-10 PPR running back in both games.
The Dolphins rank 24th against the run and have allowed six games over 17 PPR points to running backs, including most recently in Week 13 to Josh Jacobs, who finished with 21.7.
Ford saw a 72.7% opportunity share in Week 16, which is likely to continue with the inept Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback.
Alexander Mattison (RB – LV) @ Saints | DraftKings: $5,600/FanDuel: $5,700
Last week, we talked about how if the game script was more positive, it could favor Alexander Mattison over Ameer Abdullah. That’s what played out with Abdullah seeing seven rush attempts to Mattison’s 12.
Ultimately it didn’t matter too much, though, as both found the end zone, something they’ll have a solid chance to repeat in Week 17 with the Saints allowing the fifth-most running back fantasy points and ranking 30th in run defense.
Wide Receivers
Mike Evans (WR – TB) vs. Panthers | DraftKings: $7,500/FanDuel: $8,600
With 182 yards left to go until Mike Evans hits 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season, it’s incredibly hard not to play him, particularly in such a good matchup.
The Bucs have talked about how important Evans’s streak is and it shouldn’t be surprising to see them force high volume to their best player. When the teams met in Week 13, Evans had 118 yards and a touchdown, finishing as the WR3 on the week.
Drake London (WR – ATL) @ Commanders | $7,100 (FanDuel-Only Play)
With Sunday Night Football included on the FanDuel slate, we’d be remiss if we didn’t consider Drake London, who hit the ground running perfectly with Michael Penix Jr. London has averaged 8.4 targets per game this year and saw eight in Week 16, catching five to stay close to his season average.
London’s yards per reception was 11.8, similar to his 12.1 season average. The Commanders rank 24th against the pass in DVOA and have allowed eight receivers to finish inside the top eight against them on a given week.
Falcons fast fact: Wide receiver Drake London has recorded a touchdown reception in five straight prime-time games, the longest active streak in the NFL.
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) December 26, 2024
Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX) vs. Titans | DraftKings: $6,800/FanDuel: $7,500
Perhaps it’s due to Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and Evan Engram injuries or maybe it’s just another classic case of a rookie finding his feet as the season goes on, but Brian Thomas Jr. has truly taken the leap in recent weeks.
Since Week 11, Thomas has no fewer than 86 yards in a game, along with double-digit targets in each game and he has also scored four touchdowns in that spell, averaging 21.9 points per game. The Titans are a well-coached defense but lack talent and are tiring as the season goes on, allowing the fourth-highest completion rate since Week 11 along with the eighth-highest yards per attempt.
Thomas had 12 targets when he faced the Titans in Week 14. He will likely see similar volume again.
Jordan Addison (WR – MIN) vs. Packers | DraftKings: $6,300/FanDuel: $7,000
Since the start of Week 11, Jordan Addison is averaging 8.6 targets per game, the 15th-most among wide receivers. He’s been efficient with those targets, resulting in him being the WR6 in that period with 121.8 PPR points.
The Packers and Vikings last met in Week 4 and Addison had one of his strongest games of the year with 22.9 PPR points, which included two touchdowns. The Packers have allowed five 20+ point performances this year, including two since the start of Week 13 alone, with star cornerback Jaire Alexander struggling for fitness.
Jakobi Meyers (WR – LV) @ Saints | DraftKings: $6,000/FanDuel: $6,600
Week 16 was disappointing for Jakobi Meyers. Despite Aidan O’Connell‘s return to the starting lineup, Meyers saw only five targets against the Jaguars, his lowest total since Week 2.
Thankfully for Meyers, he receives a solid bounce-back spot against the Saints, who are allowing the 12th-most receiving yards per game since Week 11, along with the fourth-highest average depth of target (aDOT). They have also given up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
Adam Thielen (WR – CAR) @ Buccaneers | DraftKings: $5,700/FanDuel: $6,200
Over the last four games, Adam Thielen has been a top-24 wide receiver in three of the four games, only missing out in the Panthers’ miserable collapse against the Cowboys. Thielen has gone over 95 yards or scored a touchdown in each of the three games he finished, including 8/99/1 against the Bucs in Week 13.
The Bucs’ pass defense has been their weakness all year, ranking 22nd in pass defense DVOA and allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to wide receivers. This game has plenty of potential. If the Panthers move the ball well, it likely involves Thielen.
Tight Ends
Brock Bowers (TE – LV) @ Saints | DraftKings: $6,700/FanDuel: $7,600
The return of Aidan O’Connell was a lifeline for Brock Bower,s who was coming off a miserable 3/35 game with Desmond Ridder in Week 15. The lifeline was glorious with Bowers catching 11 passes for 99 yards and finishing as the TE1 overall for the third time since Week 11.
The Saints are stronger against the tight end position than wide receivers but that shouldn’t matter for Bowers, who is on a record-breaking tear right now, becoming the third rookie tight end to surpass 1,000 yards and needing only five more catches to break Puka Nacua‘s rookie receptions record of 105.
The price is a little harder to swallow on FanDuel than DraftKings, but he should not be ruled out on either side.
1000 receiving yards ✅
100 catches ✅Two milestones for the rookie Brock Bowers today ???? pic.twitter.com/TQT4K8xf9L
— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN) vs. Packers | DraftKings: $4,500/FanDuel: $5,700
Since Week 12, T.J. Hockenson has averaged 6.4 targets per game and has two top-12 finishes in PPR formats. If we’re expecting a pass-heavy script between the Vikings and Packers it’s likely Hockenson sees solid volume.
The Packers have allowed the sixth-highest completion rate on passes 10-19 yards deep since Week 11 — where Hockenson likes to operate.
Chigoziem Okonkwo (TE – TEN) @ Jaguars | DraftKings: $3,600/FanDuel: $5,400
After failing to do much of anything for most of the season, Chigoziem Okonkwo has come alive at the most important time of the season for fantasy football with 13.9 points in Week 15 and 19.1 in Week 16.
Over those two games, Okonkwo has seen 21 targets and turned them into 140 yards. He now faces a Jaguars team that’s struggled against tight ends all season long, allowing the seventh-most points to the position on top of ranking 32nd in pass defense DVOA.
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