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NFL Yahoo Cup Fantasy Football Picks | Round 17
NFL DFS Quarterback: Dak Prescott — $32
Prescott’s Cowboys are (tied for) third in implied points on the Week 17 slate. The only quarterbacks ahead of him (Tom Brady and Josh Allen) cost at least $40 on Yahoo. That alone makes Prescott a better play, but there is more. Both Brady and Allen are favored by at least 13 points, meaning their offenses could switch to “run out the clock” mode early. Prescott’s Cowboys are only favored by 6, increasing the chance that they stay aggressive throughout their game with Arizona.
The matchup is solid too, with Arizona struggling defensively over the last month. The Cardinals have allowed an average of 26 points over the past four games despite two of those games coming against the Bears and the Lions. Prescott is a far better quarterback than anyone on either of those teams. He also has a trio of talented receivers, all of whom can post big fantasy games. Picking which one will have the big game in a given week is a challenge, though. Picking who the quarterback will be that throws them the ball is not though. Prescott has a B grade in both score and value in Awesemo’s Rankings for Week 17.
NFL DFS Running Back: Michael Carter — $17
There are six backs with A grades for value in Awesemo’s Rankings this week, but only one of them has a B or better for scoring. Carter had 16 carries and three targets last week in his second gamer back from an injury. Carter was seeing solid usage before his injury as well, particularly in the passing game. In the six full games prior to going down, he had at least 10 carries in every game while averaging over six targets.
That passing-game involvement will be crucial here, with the Jets as big underdogs to Tampa Bay. Besides the natural game script concerns, Tampa also faces the lowest opposing rushing rate in the league. Even in half-point PPR formats (like Yahoo NFL DFS), those extra points can go a long way, especially at a reasonable $17 salary. The matchup is not great, but Carter can get there on volume alone at his current salary.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver: Antonio Brown — $28
With the savings on Carter, gamers can afford to spend a bit more at receiver this week. Enter Brown, the cheapest wideout with an A grade for points in Awesemo’s Rankings for Week 17. Brown has a lot going for him this week, even aside from his standing in the rankings. His Buccaneers have the slate’s highest team total, implied for 29.5 points. While it is expected to be an easy victory for Tampa Bay against the Jets, Tampa throws at the league’s highest rate, even deep into games with a lead.
More importantly, though, is Brown’s target share. He accounted for more than half of the Buccaneers targets last week with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette all missing from the lineup. None of them will be returning in Week 17. Brown is unlikely to have a 50% target share again, but double-digit targets are still highly probable. That is more than enough to post a big score against the Jets’ 32nd-ranked passing defense. Brown is the clear best wide receiver play in Week 17.
