By Cole Ratliff

Week 17 is upon us, the last week for a full slate of games and another week for redemption.   I’ve done my research once again using SIS fantasy projections and other sources to come up with an optimal lineup for DraftKings.  This lineup is used for all the games on Sunday, excluding the Sunday night game between San Francisco and Seattle:

DFS (DraftKings) Lineup: Sunday Games Excluding the Sunday night game

  • QB: Matt Ryan ATL – $6,500
    • The Falcons QB is due for a top fantasy performance this week.  He has averaged over 20 fantasy points the past four weeks and faces a Tampa Bay defense near the bottom of the league in passing defense.  Look for a lot of yards and TDs in this game as he could be the Top QB in Fantasy this week.
  • RB: Melvin Gordon LAC – $6,000
    • Last week I took Austin Ekeler, this week I take Gordon in the Chargers backfield.  Gordon gets his share of targets and with two one-yard TDs last week, he is the goal line option as well.  Look for those factors to add up the points this week against the division rival Chiefs.
  • RB: Miles Sanders PHI – $6,800
    • With a low salary relative to his production the past two weeks, Sanders was a must have.  He has scored 64.8 points the past two games and see no sign of slowing down. Being the lead back going against a weak New York Giants defense, Sanders will get plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers.
  • WR: Kenny Golladay DET – $6,300
    • Golladay seems to be a favorite of Rookie QB David Blough as has averaged nine targets the past three weeks.  Projected as a Top-5 Fantasy WR, he was a great pick given his relatively low salary compared to his production.
  • WR: Christian Kirk ARI – $4,700
    • To fit within the DraftKings budget, I took Kirk.  He will continue to get his good share of targets which afford him more playmaking opportunities.  Look for a bounce back week after an off week in Week 16.
  • WR: Golden Tate NYG – $5,100
    • With Daniel Jones back at QB, Tate saw 11 targets last week.  This week should be no different as he will be an integral part of the offense.  When given big target shares, Tate performs and puts up big points.
  • TE: Jack Doyle IND – $4,100
    • With our projections having Doyle as a Top-10 fantasy TE, I had to pick him.  The fact that he has a low salary and facing a middle of the pack defense in Jacksonville helped in the decision.
  • FLEX: Nick Chubb CLE – $7,500
    • Chubb has been the Browns best player and while he may have been slowed down by a Baltimore defense keying on him, don’t look for that this week.  Cincinnati has the worst ranked run defense in the league, so Chubb will get plenty of carries as the Browns try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
  • DEF: Green Bay Packers – $3,000
    • I went Packers defense simply because the Packers are Top-3 in INT rate and 12th in Sacks per pass attempt. Given that they are going up against a rookie QB with four games experience, their could be turnovers galore.

It’s always tough to form a lineup given the salary restrictions.  My strategy this week was to hopefully pinpoint players that will get a lot of opportunities to score points and have proven when given those opportunities, they perform well and score lots of points. Good luck everyone playing this week.