Welcome back! We went 10 of 11 on picks last week and that’s only because Zay Jones didn’t end up playing. If I were being humble, I’d say we were nine of 11 on picks because Trey McBride’s production wasn’t outstanding in comparison to the David Njoku pick. I cashed this last week using these picks. Did you? Let’s do it again! Here are my favorite Main Slate, Core DFS picks for Week 17.
DFS Week 17 QB Picks
Lamar Jackson ($7.7K DraftKings / $7.9K FanDuel)
Is Lamar Jackson the league MVP? After his performance last week, it’s pretty hard to deny that he’s one of the frontrunners. Jackson currently has 3,357 passing yards and has become the 3rd Ravens QB ever with 3,500 or more passing yards in a season, joining Joe Flacco and Vinny Testaverde. This week’s game could be Jackson’s third game in a row at home with two or more touchdown passes. Put me down for two or more Jackson passing touchdowns in a prop bet! He’s projected for 21 FPPG on both platforms.
Derek Carr ($5.5K DraftKings / $7.0K FanDuel)
Ew. I never thought I’d be here advising you on Derek Carr as a potential Core DFS pick, but here we are. Why? I like the matchup. Carr is up against a weak Tampa Bay defense, ranking near the bottom (No. 24 overall). Also, did you know Carr is one of two quarterbacks (C.J. Stroud) to have six games with 300 or more passing yards? That stat took me by surprise, but I assure you it’s true! This week’s game could be Carr’s third in a row with three or more passing touchdowns. Mind blown. He’s projected for 15 fantasy points.
DFS Week 17 RB Picks
Austin Ekeler ($6.7K DraftKings / $6.9K FanDuel)
Facing a Denver defense that has a very hard time stopping the running game (No. 31), Austin Ekeler is primed to go off this week. He’s projected for 14 FPPG on DraftKings and 12 FPPG on FanDuel, making his salary pretty manageable.
Not only that, but Ekeler has some serious history against the Broncos! This could be his sixth game in a row versus Denver with 70 or more scrimmage yards. He also has had a touchdown in six of his past seven meetups with them.
Derrick Henry ($6.9K DraftKings / $8.0K FanDuel)
I’m bringing Derrick Henry back again this week, because it feels wrong not to. Henry has had a rushing touchdown in four of his last five games. He also has some serious history against Houston. In his last six games versus Houston, Henry has had 125 or more rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each. He’s the third player ever to have 10 or more rushing touchdowns in six straight seasons. That’s impressive. Henry is projected for 13 fantasy points on DraftKings and 12 on FanDuel.
DFS Week 17 WR Picks
Brandon Aiyuk ($7.0K DraftKings / $7.5K FanDuel)
Brandon Aiyuk looks to have a fairly manageable salary this week in comparison to his projected points (15 DK, 13 FD). That’s a bit higher than his average FPPG, but he’s facing a struggling Washington Commanders defense, who rank No. 31 defending the pass.
Last week was Aiyuk’s sixth game of the season with 100 or more receiving yards. I’ll be looking for a prop bet around that particular stat this week.
Rashee Rice ($6.9K DraftKings / $7.4K FanDuel)
Rashee Rice has been one of my favorite picks this season. He’s exciting to watch and brings a certain fire to the game. This week, his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, will be looking to save face after last week’s wild loss against the Raiders. That means he’ll be looking for reliable targets like Rice.
Since Week 12
(min 75 routes per @FantasyPtsData)Rashee Rice LEADS ALL WRS & TES
with a 36.8% designed target rate
That is absolutely ridiculous. I LOVE IT. KC is feeding their budding star rookie WR and he is balling out.
— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) December 20, 2023
With a manageable salary, great matchup, and projected points of 15 on DraftKings and 12 on FanDuel, Rice is an attractive pick for Week 17.
DFS Week 17 TE Picks
Gerald Everett ($3.5K DraftKings / $5.3K FanDuel)
Juwan Johnson ($3.4K DraftKings / $5.2K FanDuel)
If you’re looking for a good matchup and a tight end with an inexpensive salary, this is your week! I really like Gerald Everett against Denver and also take a look at Juwan Johnson against Tampa Bay. Both these very affordable tight ends are up against poor defenses and stand a good chance of bringing in measurable points.
Everett is projected for 8 FPPG on DraftKings and 6 on Fanduel, while Johnson is projected for 7 FPPG and 5 FPPG respectively. This could be Everett’s fourth game in a row with five or more catches. I like that as a prop bet this week, too!
DFS Week 17 DEF/DST Picks
Denver Broncos ($2.9K DraftKings / $3.7K FanDuel)
In the battle of the two worst defenses in the league – the Denver Broncos versus the Los Angeles Chargers – the edge goes to the Broncos. In looking at the teams around them in the same tier and the projections, the Broncos rise to the top. They are projected to have 8 FPPG this week. This method hasn’t let me down yet, so let’s keep it going!
DFS Dominator And More
Now that you’ve seen my DFS Week 17 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!
