Every week, the first step of your DFS homework should be to examine the opening Vegas odds on all the NFL games for that week. Through some fairly simple algebra, it is easy to derive a spreadsheet that predicts team totals for every game, thereby allowing you to develop a rudimentary game script to help narrow down your decisions for the week.
Once the appealing (and unappealing) games have been highlighted, it becomes easier to focus on those games to help build your core of players for that week; the caveat, however, is that the NFL is a dynamic league, and anything is subject to change from Tuesday to Sunday...so keep that in mind as the week progresses and always monitor player injuries, weather conditions, and potential roster moves. Let's take a look.
[Blue font indicates games *not* on the DFS main slate.]
UPDATED SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29th @ 10 AM (EST)
BYE WEEK: None
Three Stars
Quarterbacks
- Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers)
Running Backs
- Bucky Irving/Rachaad White (Buccaneers)
- James Cook (Bills)
Receivers
- Mike Evans/Jalen McMillan/Payne Durham (Buccaneers)
Team Defense
- Dolphins
- Eagles
Two Stars
Quarterbacks
- Josh Allen (Bills)
- Jared Goff (Lions)
- Matthew Stafford (Rams)
- Joe Burrow (Bengals)
Running Backs
- Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions)
- Kyren Williams (Rams)
- Chase Brown (Bengals)
Receivers
- Khalil Shakir/Amari Cooper/Keon Coleman/Dalton Kincaid (Bills)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown/Jameson Williams/Sam LaPorta (Lions)
- Puka Nacua/Cooper Kupp/Tyler Higbee (Rams)
- Ja'Marr Chase/Tee Higgins/Mike Gesicki (Bengals)
Team Defense
- Colts
- Bills
- Raiders
One Star
Quarterbacks
- Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
- Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
- Sam Darnold (Vikings)
Running Backs
- Derrick Henry (Ravens)
- Brian Robinson Jr (Commanders)
- Aaron Jones (Vikings)
Receivers
- Zay Flowers/Rashod Bateman/Mark Andrews (Ravens)
- A.J. Brown/DeVonta Smith/Dallas Goedert (Eagles)
- Terry McLaurin/Jamison Crowder/Dyami Brown/Zach Ertz (Commanders)
- Justin Jefferson/Jordan Addison/T.J. Hockenson (Vikings)
Team Defense
- Browns
- Jaguars
- Buccaneers