Cracking DraftKings Week 14

Ben Cummins's Cracking DraftKings Week 14 Ben Cummins Published 12/11/2021

Favorite Games

  • Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Over/Under 53.5
  • San Francisco 49ers at Cincinnati Bengals - Over/Under 48.5
  • Dallas Cowboys at Washington Football Team - Over/Under 48

Favorite Additional Spots

  • Chiefs at home vs. the Raiders - Implied Team Total 29
  • Chargers at home vs. the Giants - Implied Team Total 26.25
  • Seahawks on the road against the Texans - Implied Team Total 24.5
  • Saints on the road against the Jets - Implied Team Total 24.25
  • Broncos at home vs. the Lions - Implied Team Total 26.25
  • Panthers at home vs. the Falcons - Implied Team Total 22
  • Titans at home vs. the Jaguars - Implied Team Total 26.25

CASH GAMES

Quarterbacks

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Tom Brady vs. Bills $7,600
2 Patrick Mahomes II vs. Raiders $8,000
3 Taylor Heinicke vs. Cowboys $5,500
4 Joe Burrow vs. 49ers $6,000

Tom Brady leads a Buccaneers offense that ranks first in both overall DVOA and pass DVOA and himself ranks first in both pass yards per game (314.3) pass touchdowns per game (2.8). He gets to play at home in the best fantasy game of the week with the highest Over/Under (53.5).

This season, Patrick Mahomes II hasn't lived up to the extremely high standards he has set for himself. Yet a major bright spot back in Week 10 was against this same Raiders defense that ranks 22nd in overall DVOA and 23rd in pass DVOA. Mahomes threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns that night. Mahomes has the talent and playmakers to produce a similar stat line every time he takes the field, and especially with this matchup. Vegas agrees as they have the Chiefs with the highest Implied Team Total (29) of the entire week.

This Cowboys at Washington game has the fourth-highest Over/Under (48) of the entire week. The home Quarterback, Taylor Heinicke, is priced at only $5,500 despite ranking ninth out of all Quarterbacks on the main slate in DraftKings points per game (17.6).

49ers at Bengals has the third-highest Over/Under (48.5) of the entire week and Joe Burrow gets to play at home against a 49ers defense that ranks 17th in pass DVOA and that will be without Corner Back Emmanuel Moseley and possibly Dontae Johnson as well. Burrow threw for 300 yards in a gutty performance last week and should've had, even more, had JaMarr Chase not dropped a dime in stride down the field.

Running Backs

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Antonio Gibson vs. Cowboys $6,000
2 Austin Ekeler vs. Giants $8,300
3 Leonard Fournette vs. Bills $7,400
4 Javonte Williams vs. Lions $5,900
5 Ezekiel Elliott at Washington $7,300

J.D. McKissic is Questionable heading into Week 14 after missing last week with a concussion. Antonio Gibson looks set for another huge workload after averaging 27.5 opportunities per game over his past four performances. And thankfully, finally, Gibson has seen 13 targets over his past two games. Gibson is a talented dual-threat priced at only $6,000 playing at home in one of the best fantasy games of the week.

No Keenan Allen should increase Austin Ekeler's workload both on the ground and through the air. That's exciting since Ekeler already ranks 14th in the league in opportunities per game (18.3). The Chargers are nine-point home favorites and the Giants rank 31st in run DVOA.

Leonard Fournette ranks 12th in opportunities per game (18.5) and leads all Running Backs in receptions (58). Fournette is a dual-threat playing in a Buccaneers offense that ranks first in overall DVOA and second in run DVOA and in the best fantasy game of the week with the highest Over/Under (53.5).

Melvin Gordon is listed as Questionable and Mike Boone is on the COVID list. Javonte Williams appears in line for another large workload after completely and utterly dominating in his first start on Sunday Night Football in Week 13, turning 31 total opportunities into 178 total yards and a touchdown. This performance likely surprised very few as it seems most realize the tantalizing talent Williams possesses. Prior to the season, I compared Williams to a young LeSean McCoy and that's looking pretty good so far. Even if Gordon plays and Williams shares some time, he's more than talented enough to deliver at only $5,900. The Broncos are 10.5 point favorites at home and will be playing with added passion in honor of Demaryius Thomas, who was taken from us far too soon. R.I.P. DT. And the matchup is terrific against a Lions defense that ranks 28th in overall DVOA and 23rd in run DVOA.

Tony Pollard is Questionable with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot which all of a sudden makes Ezekiel Elliott intriguing again in fantasy if Pollard does not play. Elliott ranks 12th in opportunities per game (18.5) and is playing in one of the best fantasy games of the week against a Washington defense that ranks 30th in overall DVOA.

Wide Receivers

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Stefon Diggs at Buccaneers $8,100
2 Chris Godwin vs. Bills $7,100
3 Mike Evans vs. Bills $6,600
4 Hunter Renfrow at Chiefs $6,100
5 D.J. Moore vs. Falcons $6,200
6 Josh Palmer vs. Giants $3,000

Stefon Diggs ranks tied for ninth in targets per contest (9) and is playing in a great fantasy game with the highest Over/Under (53.5) of the week. The Bills are 3.5 point road underdogs and their offensive identity revolves around the pass. No matter how you look at it, Josh Allen should throw a lot in this one, which should mean Diggs will be funneled targets.

Chris Godwin and Mike Evans are also playing in this great fantasy game with the highest Over/Under (53.5) of the week. They benefit from playing in a Buccaneers offense that ranks first in both overall DVOA and pass DVOA and with Tom Brady who ranks first in both pass yards per game (314.3) pass touchdowns per game (2.8). Antonio Brown remains out once again and Bills star Corner Back, TreDavious White, is out for the season. Godwin is my preferred play as he ranks tied for 11th in targets per game (8.8) but Evans averages a respectable 7.8 targets as well.

Henry Ruggs III is long gone and Darren Waller will miss another week due to injury. Hunter Renfrow has now seen nine or more targets in four of his past five games. The Raiders are ten-point underdogs on the road in Kansas City so Renfrow's volume doesn't project to go anywhere but up in Week 14 against a Chiefs defense that ranks 25th in overall DVOA and 20th in pass DVOA.

D.J. Moore ranks tied for seventh in the league in targets per game (9.3) and has an awesome matchup at home against a Falcons defense that ranks 29th in both overall DVOA and pass DVOA.

Okay, this one is a bit off the wall I will admit but Keenan Allen will miss Week 14 while on the COVID list and Josh Palmer has played on at least 30% of the offensive snaps in five straight games. Palmer profiles as a player more similar to Keenan Allen than Jalen Guyton is and thus, projects for a larger increase in value with Allen out. If rostering Palmer, you should understand scoring a zero is still within your range of outcomes and his ceiling isn't very high. However, priced at only $3,000, Palmer makes sense as a salary saver if needed who should catch a few passes.

Tight Ends

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Rob Gronkowski vs. Bills $6,000
2 George Kittle at Bengals $6,900
3 Donald Parham vs. Giants $2,800

Rob Gronkowski has seen target totals of 8, 9, and 8 over his past three games and has turned in a 100+ yard game and a two-touchdown game over his past two contests. Gronkowski is unstoppable right now and gets to play at home in the best fantasy game of the week.

Deebo Samuel is Questionable so this is important to monitor on Sunday since Kyle Shanahan funneled the offense through George Kittle last week with Samuel on the shelf. Kittle caught nine of 12 targets for 181 yards and two touchdowns in Week 13. Kittle once again offers a solid floor and ceiling combination in a game with the third-highest Over/Under (48.5) of the week.

Donald Parham has been a contributor in this Chargers offense all season and with Keenan Allen out while on the COVID list, his playing time and target volume projects to increase with Brandon Staley likely utilizing his Tight Ends even more than usual on Sunday. Parham is priced at only $2,800, which will free up salary at more important positions.

Team Defenses

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Giants $4,300
2 Seattle Seahawks at Texans $3,100

The Chargers are nine-point home favorites against a Giants offense that will be led by Mike Glennon and that ranks 28th in overall DVOA, 27th in pass DVOA, and 28th in run DVOA. The Giants have the fourth-lowest Implied Team Total (16.75) of the entire week.

The Seahawks are 8.5 point favorites against a Texans offense that will be led by Davis Mills and that ranks dead last in overall DVOA, pass DVOA, and run DVOA. Houston has the third-lowest Implied Team Total (16) of the entire week.

GPPs

Quarterbacks

Rank Play Opponent Salary
1 Taysom Hill at Jets $5,600
2 Dak Prescott at Washington $6,700
3 Russell Wilson at Texans $6,600
4 Cam Newton vs. Falcons $5,400

Taysom Hill is a fantasy football cheat code. He didn't play well, throwing inaccurate passes all over the field and totaling four interceptions, in his first start last week against the Cowboys but for fantasy, it didn't matter. Hill still finished with 27.7 DraftKings points thanks to 101 rush yards and 264 pass yards and 2 pass touchdowns. Hill now gets to attack the worst defense in football. The Jets defense ranks dead last in both overall DVOA and pass DVOA and they rank 30th in run DVOA.

Photos provided by Imagn Images

Tags:
Daily FF DraftKings Jamal Agnew Brandon Aiyuk Josh Allen Keenan Allen Dan Arnold Mike Boone Tom Brady A.J. Brown Antonio Brown Harrison Bryant Joe Burrow Michael Carter Ja'Marr Chase Nick Chubb Keelan Cole Sr. Tevin Coleman Alex Collins Brandin Cooks Jared Cook Amari Cooper Jamison Crowder Corey Davis Stefon Diggs Kenyan Drake Bryan Edwards Clyde Edwards-Helaire Austin Ekeler Ezekiel Elliott Mike Evans Leonard Fournette Russell Gage Michael Gallup Antonio Gibson Mike Glennon Chris Godwin Kenny Golladay Melvin Gordon III Rob Gronkowski Jalen Guyton Taylor Heinicke Taysom Hill Tyreek Hill T.J. Hockenson Travis Homer Austin Hooper Kareem Hunt Godwin Igwebuike Mark Ingram II DeSean Jackson Lamar Jackson Josh Jacobs Jermar Jefferson Dontae Johnson Ty Johnson Daniel Jones Julio Jones Marvin Jones Jr Zay Jones Alvin Kamara Travis Kelce George Kittle CeeDee Lamb Jarvis Landry Tyler Lockett Patrick Mahomes II J.D. McKissic DK Metcalf Davis Mills Denzel Mims Elijah Mitchell Joe Mixon Ty Montgomery II DJ Moore Elijah Moore Foster Moreau Emmanuel Moseley Cam Newton David Njoku James O'Shaughnessy Joshua Palmer Donald Parham Jr Cordarrelle Patterson Rashaad Penny Donovan Peoples-Jones Samaje Perine Adrian Peterson Kyle Pitts Tony Pollard Dak Prescott Hunter Renfrow Josh Reynolds Calvin Ridley Henry Ruggs III Deebo Samuel Dalton Schultz Anthony Schwartz Ricky Seals-Jones Trey Sermon Laviska Shenault Jr Sterling Shepard Amon-Ra St. Brown D'Andre Swift Logan Thomas Kadarius Toney Laquon Treadwell Darren Waller Austin Walter Nick Westbrook-Ikhine Tre'Davious White Jamaal Williams Javonte Williams Mike Williams Jeff Wilson Jr. Russell Wilson Zach Wilson

More by Ben Cummins

 

Cracking DraftKings: Conference Championships

Ben Cummins

A weekly overview of DraftKings' cash and GPP contests.

01/23/25 Read More
 

Cracking DraftKings: Divisional Round

Ben Cummins

A weekly overview of DraftKings' cash and GPP contests.

01/17/25 Read More
 

Cracking DraftKings Wild Card Weekend

Ben Cummins

A weekly overview of DraftKings cash and GPP contests.

01/10/25 Read More
 

Cracking DraftKings: Week 18

Ben Cummins

A weekly overview of DraftKings cash and GPP contests.

01/04/25 Read More
 

Cracking DraftKings: Week 17

Ben Cummins

A weekly overview of DraftKings cash and GPP contests.

12/28/24 Read More
 

DraftKings Monday Showdown: Week 16

Ben Cummins

Monday Showdown Analysis: Saints versus Packers

12/23/24 Read More