Week 15 wasn’t as killer as Week 14 was, but it was still better than average. If you played Houston’s defense, you did well. Other favorite picks from last week? Tucker Kraft, Kyren Williams, Curtis Samuel, Brock Purdy, and Joe Flacco. Duds? Wow…Sam Howell blew it big time. We’re on to a new week and new picks. Part of the struggle this week was taking into account the quarterbacks we’re dealing with. It’s interesting out there….Anyway, check out my Core Picks for Week 16 and play along with me!
DFS Week 16 QB Picks
Joe Flacco ($5.5K DraftKings / $7.1K FanDuel)
Joe Flacco is back in this article for the second week in a row. He’s absolutely proven that he brings value and I think he’s underpriced for that value. Flacco had 250 or more passing yards and two or more touchdown passes in each of his three starts this season. This week, he faces a mediocre Houston defense who aren’t super great at getting to the QB. Accordingly, he’s projected for 15 FPPG on both platforms.
Justin Fields ($7.1K DraftKings / $8.3K FanDuel)
The Bears take on the Cardinals in Chicago. The Cardinals defense has its moments, but overall they may have a tough time containing the very mobile Justin Fields. He has 2,051 career rushing yards and is one of three quarterbacks ever (Kyler Murray and Cam Newton) with 2,000 or more rushing yards in their first three career seasons. Fields rushed for 50 or more yards in three of his last four games and has thrown 14 touchdown passes this season so far. Both DraftKings and FanDuel project him for 20 fantasy points this week.
Baker Mayfield ($6.0K DraftKings / $7.3K FanDuel)
I don’t think I ever thought I’d list Baker Mayfield as one of my core picks but with his manageable salary, points projection, previous play, and this week’s matchup…it’s hard to stay away.
Mayfield currently ranks No. 5 in the NFC with 24 touchdown passes. This week, he’s up against a struggling Jacksonville defense who rank No. 27 overall. Mayfield is projected for 16 FPPG on both platforms.
DFS Week 16 RB Picks
Derrick Henry ($6.8K DraftKings / $7.9K FanDuel)
King Derrick Henry is the third player ever with 10 or more rushing touchdowns in six straight seasons. This week, he is up against a weak Seattle defense that has a hard time stopping the run. He’s had two rushing touchdowns in three of his last four games. Henry is projected for 14 FPPG on DraftKings and 13 on FanDuel. There’s no shortage of work on the ground for Henry. This could be his fifth game in a row with 16 or more rushing attempts.
James Conner ($5.9K DraftKings / $6.5K FanDuel)
A Cardinals win is attainable this Week 16 against the Bears. Part of the winning formula for Arizona will be James Conner. He’s projected for 12.4 fantasy points on DraftKings and 11.3 on FanDuel. The Bears are a perfectly mediocre defense; however, they rank a bit stronger when it comes to stopping running backs.
Conner isn’t your everyday running back, though. He’s one of the top backs in the league. It’ll be a fun game to watch, in my opinion. Conner aims to make it his third in a row with a rushing touchdown.
DFS Week 16 WR Picks
Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7.3K DraftKings / $8.0K FanDuel)
Amon-Ra St. Brown has 290 career receptions, the fourth-most ever by a player in their first 3 seasons. He is relying on his quarterback, Jared Goff to get him those passes. Goff had a fantastic passing game last week, and you can be sure he’ll be looking to duplicate that this week against Minnesota. DraftKings projects St. Brown for 17.7 FPPG and FanDuel for 14.4. He has four receiving touchdowns in his last six games. Those are good odds!
Zay Jones ($4.2K DraftKings / $5.8K FanDuel)
If you’re looking for a flex play, I like Zay Jones (as long as he’s healthy). This could be his fourth game in a row with five or more catches. He has 55 or more receiving yards in two of his past three games. The Buccaneers defense, who Jones faces, is ranked No. 26 in the league. DraftKings projects him for 6.5 fantasy points and FanDuel for 5.2.
DFS Week 16 TE Picks
Trey McBride ($5.7K DraftKings / $7.0K FanDuel)
Trey McBride has been a standout for the Cardinals ever since he filled the spot of injured (and now released) Zach Ertz. McBride led the team with 10 receptions for 102 yards in Week 15 and became the second NFC tight end (T.J. Hockenson – Week 10) with 10 or more catches and 100 or more receiving yards in a single game this season.
This could be McBride’s sixth game in a row with five or more catches. He’s projected for 13.5 FPPG on DraftKings and 10.6 on FanDuel. I’m not trying to be a homer, but I do think this will be another big game for the second-year tight end.
David Njoku ($5.3K DraftKings / $6.6K FanDuel)
David Njoku is aiming for his third game in a row with six or more catches, 90 or more receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown. He’s had 55 or more receiving yards in five of his past six games. With quarterback Joe Flacco at the helm, it’s more than possible Njoku will continue his streak. He’s projected for 11.5 fantasy points on DraftKings and 9.1 on FanDuel.
DFS Week 16 DEF/DST Picks
New York Jets ($3.1K DraftKings / $5.0K FanDuel)
Seattle Seahawks ($3.2K DraftKings / $3.5K FanDuel)
I find it absolutely wild that the New York Jets are one of the least expensive defenses on DraftKings and the very most expensive defense on FanDuel. The Jets are projected for 8.7 fantasy points. I will be playing the Jets on DraftKings, but I’ll need another pick for my FanDuel lineups. In looking at all the projections and following my (winning) formula, it will be the Seattle Seahawks on FanDuel. The Seahawks are projected for 7.2 fantasy points there, the best in their tier.
DFS Dominator And More
Now that you’ve seen my DFS Week 13 picks, have you checked out the PlayerProfiler DFS Dominator and Fantasy Tools? They have options for every budget and every fantasy football use case, from sports betting to creating and maintaining the most optimized league roster. I’ve been making it a habit to run my favorite lineups through the tools, and it’s paid off every week.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on the app formerly known as Twitter, @KellyInPhoenix. Thanks for reading! See you next week!
