It’s Week 17, championship week in many fantasy football leagues, but even if you don’t have a trophy to play for, Daily Fantasy can let you keep playing all the way until the Super Bowl. And the best part? Everyone is available. You just have to fit the players you want under the salary cap. Here’s how our team is approaching Week 17 for the DraftKings Sunday 9-game main slate, as well as our favorite Pick 6 options of the week.
Jump ahead
Lineup Construction | Building blocks | High-upside plays
Solid floor plays | Narrative street | The stacks
Don’t be surprised… | Contingency Plans | Pick 6
Lineup Construction
Tyler Fulghum on the optimal lineup build given slate dynamics to maximize your floor and upside
Because of the holiday season with games on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday the Week 17 main slate on DraftKings is just nine games. Let’s take a look at how the most optimal lineups are going to be built.
At quarterback, most of the investment is going to condense around three options in the $6k range; Drake Maye, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence are all affordable and all three have elite setups to produce. Pick your favorite of this trio to play in your cash game (50-50) lineups OR spend down in the $5k range on Baker Mayfield or Tyler Shough at lower rostership if you want to gain some leverage in tournaments.
At running back, we have two of the best overall plays on the slate and they’re very affordable. Cash game lineups should definitely include Ashton Jeanty and Rhamondre Stevenson played together. Showing up to a cash game without this combo would be an unnecessary risk. Because of this popularity, there is definitely some merit to playing only one or neither in tournaments and paying up for the elite ceiling of some more expensive options like De’Von Achane, James Cook III or Saquon Barkley.
At wide receiver, we don’t have King Puka Nacua, but we do have Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Chase will be the vastly more popular play of the two due to the clean stack with his quarterback. Because WR is so weak on this slate and we have value elsewhere, I do suggest paying up for at least one premium option (Chris Olave included).
At tight end we have a stone cold minimum punt play that might be the most-rostered player on the entire slate in Michael Mayer. Anytime you can justifiably fill the TE position at just $2,500 you have to do it in cash. In tournaments, the Mayer fade is probably the way to go unless you have some serious ownership leverage elsewhere on your team.
At D/ST, I have a feeling the Browns will be popular because of their price tag and the low total matchup with the Steelers. If you have the money to spend up for defenses playing rookie QBs, then the Patriots, Saints, and Bucs all make sense.
Building Blocks
Mike Clay on the safe, chalky players who are likely to be among the most played this week
Ashton Jeanty, Raiders ($6,100): Jeanty’s Week 16 performance was yet another example of why we like to chase volume. The rookie turned 25 touches into 188 yards and two touchdowns against an elite Houston defense. Jeanty now sits eighth among running backs in touches and has 10 touchdowns to his name. He’ll benefit from a terrific Week 17 matchup against a Giants’ defense that has allowed a league-high 5.7 yards per carry and the third-most fantasy points to backs.
Taysom Hill, Saints ($2,700): Assuming Alvin Kamara remains sidelined this week, Hill figures to remain the team’s lead back, as he was in Week 16. In that game, Hill was productive as a passer (38 yard TD on his lone attempt), rusher (42 yards on a team-high 12 carries) and receiver (6-4-36-0 receiving line). In total, Hill had 16 touches (plus the pass attempt), which is a massive number for a tight end. At just $2,700 and facing a Titans’ defense that has allowed the sixth-highest EPA, Hill is an elite, low-risk play.
High Upside Plays
Matt Bowen on some high-risk, high-reward players who are in a position to pop this week
Parker Washington, Jaguars ($4,800): Washington has at least 70 yards receiving and a touchdown in two of his last four games. Competitive after the catch, with the juice to extend plays, Parker gets a solid matchup versus the Colts defense.
Mack Hollins, Patriots ($4,000): Hollins has seen an uptick in volume over the last two games, with at least eight targets in each. And he just caught seven passes versus the Ravens last week. That works here for the Week 17 matchup against a rapidly fading Jets team.
Solid Floor Plays
Eric Moody on the players who are consistently part of the game plan and will produce at a reasonable price
Jaylen Warren, Steelers ($6,600): Warren has handled at least 15 touches in consecutive games and is coming off a season-high 32.1 fantasy points against the Lions in Week 16, running behind a Steelers offensive line that ranks top-10 in run-block win rate. He now faces a Browns defensive front that has struggled in recent weeks and just surrendered 29.4 fantasy points to James Cook in Week 16.
Harold Fannin Jr., Browns ($5,000):Fannin Jr. has averaged an impressive nine targets and 18.0 fantasy points in his last four games. He draws an excellent matchup against a Steelers defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.
Narrative Street
Liz Loza’s got a feeling ….
Joe Burrow, Bengals ($6,500): Burrow figures to be extra salty after having missed a shot at the postseason for the third straight season. He’ll face a Cardinals squad that is similarly playing for pride. Arizona’s defense, which has allowed nine passing scores over that last four weeks, is banged-up and figures to be missing three key players. That bodes well for Burrow, who has averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game (QB6) and tossed 10 TDs (T-QB2) since returning from injury in Week 13.
Trey McBride, Cardinals ($7,500): McBride posted his lowest yardage total of the year in Week 16. He’s in a prime spot to bounce back against a Bengals’ defense that has surrendered the most fantasy points (an average of nearly 22 per game) and 15 TDs to the position since the start of 2025.
The Stacks
Daniel Dopp on teammates who are set up for joint success
Baker Mayfield ($5,600), Mike Evans ($6,500), Buccaneers: If you’re looking to diversify from the more obvious Bengals stacks, Baker and the Bucs have a nice matchup against the Dolphins this week with plenty for Tampa to play for. Tampa needs to continue to pile up the wins as they trail the Panthers in the NFC South. I’m expecting Baker to rely on his main guy in this one as we’ve seen Emeka Egbuka take a back seat down the stretch. Chris Godwin Jr.’s ceiling doesn’t exist like it did last season, which leaves us with Evans, who has seen 9 and 12 targets in his last two games. I’m following the volume with a team that still has a lot play for.
Tyler Shough ($5,200), Chris Olave ($7,200), Saints: Olave has been on fire in recent weeks, topping 14.5 FP in five of his last six while seeing over 20 FP in three of those contests. Last week’s 39.8 FP against a soft Jets secondary highlights Shough’s affinity for his WR1. Olave had 16 targets last week and we’re expecting him to hit at last 10 targets again this week against the Titans. Meanwhile, Shough has reached at least 18 FP in four straight and in five of the last six. Given his uptick in production down the stretch, it’s reasonable to see him continue his 18-point streak against a Titans defense that doesn’t really scare you. While Olave is a little pricey, you get to pay down for your QB and redistribute that money elsewhere.
Don’t Be Surprised…
Eric Karabell on fading the market and expecting the unexpected
Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants ($5,400): The Giants wanted no part of any danger for QB Jaxson Dart in Week 16 (passing or running), and I think that continues against the Raiders. These are bad football teams counting the days until the season ends. Everyone likes Ashton Jeanty, but Tracy boasts 18 touches each of the past two weeks, too. A repeat here and Tracy may have another 20-point game.
Adam Thielen, Steelers ($3,400): With DK Metcalf suspended against the formidable Browns D, QB Aaron Rodgers could just throw to his RBs and TEs. I think Thielen may have another relevant game or two left in him, and any relevance at this low price would be valuable. The Browns are tough to throw against, which is why a double-digit fantasy effort from Thielen would surprise.
Contingency Plans
Tristan H. Cockcroft anticipates the injury-related plays you may want to make if and when players get ruled out
TreVeyon Henderson ($6,400)/Rhamondre Stevenson ($5,900), RB, Patriots: Henderson, who scored 32.3 DraftKings points the last time he faced the Jets in Week 11, has an outside chance at clearing concussion protocol in time for Sunday’s game. If he doesn’t. Stevenson would pick up the rushing slack for this extremely favorable matchup. Including Henderson, the Jets have seen five consecutive starting running backs score at least 17.5 DraftKings points, with three of them exceeding 30.
Harold Fannin Jr. ($5,000), TE, Browns/Michael Mayer ($2,500), TE, Raiders: A rare case of switching teams/roles, Fannin’s Steelers matchup is favorable enough that he’d be one of my top tight end plays for Week 17. In the event that the groin injury that landed him on the injury report on Friday ultimately sidelines him, however, pocketing the $2,500 savings to take Meyer, whose role expanded when Brock Bowers landed on IR, is the direction in which I’d go. That $2,500 could mean upgrading Tre Tucker to Tee Higgins, for example.
Our Favorite Pick 6 Picks
Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals: over 248.5 pass yards. Strangely, he struggled against the Falcons, but the Bengals are much worse defensively. -Karabell
Brock Purdy, 49ers: Over 258.5 passing yards. Purdy has thrown for 295 yards in back-to-back games, and Kyle Shanahan will give him answers versus the Bears zone coverages.-Bowen
Joe Burrow, Bengals: more than 1.5 passing TDs(0.7x). Burrow has topped this three of his last four and that shouldn’t slow down against the Cardinals. Their running game is inefficient which continually puts the scoring opportunities in Burrow’s hands. -Dopp
Saquon Barkley, Eagles: over 0.5 rush+rec TDs. The Bills permit myriad rushing TDs, and Barkley is enjoying a three-game TD streak. -Karabell
Saquon Barkley, Eagles: Over 102.5 rushing+receiving yards. The Bills’ defensive front has allowed the third-most rushing yards per game this season and now has to deal with Barkley, who has cleared this line in two of his last three games. -Moody
Chase Brown, Bengals: over 53.5 rushing yards. He’s on quite a roll, exceeding this number in six of his past nine games and coming close in one other, and the Cardinals are every bit as favorable a matchup for him as any of his past few. I expect Brown to be heavily utilized in this game.–Cockcroft
Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins: over 55.5 receiving yards. Waddle posted 72 receiving yards (his highest total since Week 10) with Quinn Ewers under center in Week 16. He figures to remain an offensive focal point versus a Tampa Bay defense that has invited the eighth-most targets to opposing WRs. As 5.5 home dogs Waddle should get fed, flirting with another 70+ receiving yards in Week 17. -Loza
Dallas Goedert, Eagles: Over 3.5 receptions. Goedert has six or more receptions in two of his last three games. He’ll be the outlet for Jalen Hurts versus the Bills split-safety schemes. -Bowen
Trey McBride, Cardinals: over 0.5 rush/rec TDs. Even though it didn’t play that way last week, the Bengals are as automatic a matchup as they come for a tight end, and McBride is the position’s absolute best. Last week’s result probably did us a favor by keeping this prop as a full multiplier..–Cockcroft