Daily Fantasy Football 2023 Week 17: Best Plays And Bargains On FanDuel and DraftKings
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Here, you'll find the best plays and top bargains at each position on FanDuel and DraftKings. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here are Fanduel’s and DraftKings’ scoring systems.
For each position I’ll provide the best big name, the best mid range value, and the best low-price bargain. At the end, I’ll also list a big name to avoid at each position.
Quarterback
Best Big Name
Brock Purdy, 49ers ($8,500/$7,000): Purdy may have just had the worst game of his career on Christmas day in primetime, but he’s about to rebound in a massive way vs. the Cardinals, the NFL’s second-worst pass defense. It was certainly a disastrous night vs. Baltimore, but all year long Purdy has been an MVP candidate with awesome consistency. He has thrown 2+ touchdowns eight times in 15 games and hit the 250-yard mark 10 times. He’s also shown ceiling, throwing for 300+ yards five times, and 3+ touchdowns four times. Expect him to get right quickly in this one.
Mid Range Value
Derek Carr, Saints ($7,000/$5,500): It’s been tough to run on Tampa Bay this season, so expect Carr to throw the ball a bunch. And while he isn’t the prettiest watch, Carr’s gotten it done of late with back-to-back three-touchdown games including 319 yards on the road vs. the Rams. New Orleans’ defense has faltered of late, so this could turn into a fairly high-scoring affair. If so, Carr will provide value on this price.
Thrift Store
Ryan Tannehill, Titans ($6,500/$4,900): Tannehill is a very risky proposition at this point, having not thrown more than one touchdown pass in any of his seven games this year, but the Texans are vulnerable to the pass, and have been very strong against the run. They limited Derrick Henry to nine yards on 16 carries just a few weeks ago, so if they want to be a spoiler to their division rivals here, Tannehill will have to revert to his previous, efficient self and find DeAndre Hopkins and Chig Okonkwo in the end zone.
Running Back
Best Big Name
Travis Etienne, Jaguars ($8,600/$7,200): Etienne hasn’t been a very efficient runner this season, and he only has one game over 100 yards, but playing Carolina has a way of getting RBs on track. Etienne is the rare bell cow in the league today, logging double-digit carries in all but two of his games this season. With Trevor Lawrence beat to hell, and possibly unable to play in Week 17 in a must-win scenario, Etienne will probably see close to 20 carries, a mark he’s already hit four times in 2023. If Etienne sees that level of work, he’s going to be over 100 yards and probably will have at least one TD. Love him this week.
Mid Range Value
Joe Mixon, Bengals ($7,300/$6,400): Mixon, like Etienne, has lived off volume rather than efficiency this season. While those aren’t always my favorite DFS plays, Mixon has a great matchup (Kansas City) in his favor, and he does have big play potential. With Ja’Marr Chase still out, the running game is very important to Cincinnati, so big yardage is in play here, as is a multi-TD game.
Thrift Store
Justice Hill, Ravens ($5,500/$4,700): Hill isn’t seeing the highest-value snaps for Baltimore – that’s Gus Edwards – but he’s seeing the most snaps by a lot these days, and he’s the preferred option on passing downs. That’s much more valuable in a matchup against the Miami Dolphins, an offense that can run up the score on any defense. There’s definitely a lot of dud potential from Hill in this one, but he’s not a threat to goose (aside from injury), and if Miami strikes quickly, Hill should see a bit jump in opportunity.
Wide Receivers
Best Big Name
Puka Nacua, Rams ($7,900/$7,900): Stay in the flames with Nacua, who, after a lull in production has gone over 80 yards in three of his last four games and absolutely annihilated New Orleans Thursday for nine receptions, 164 yards and a score. And don’t forget he was all alone for a second long TD and was simply overthrown by Matthew Stafford. Nacua gets a very soft Giants secondary this week, and while Kyren Williams and Cooper Kupp can definitely take a bite out of Puka’s output, he should have himself a day.
Mid Range Value
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($7,500/$7,000): Arizona has the league’s third-worst DVOA vs. WR1s per FTN Fantasy, meaning Aiyuk is probably going to eat this secondary for lunch. Christian McCaffery gets all the publicity, and Deebo Samuel is the most jaw-dropping of San Francisco’s ridiculous skill group, but Aiyuk is very quietly PFF’s No. 2 ranked receiver. He has six games with more than 100 receiving yards and is averaging a career-high 18.5 yards per catch. This man is built to absolutely carve up bad defensive backfields, and that’s precisely what Arizona is.
Thrift Store
Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens ($5,800/$4,500): Beckham’s been unusable the last two games, combining for three receptions and 27 yards. At this point in his career, he’s not someone to be relied upon for volume or consistency. He’s a big play guy, and a threat in the red zone. He’ll be needed vs. Miami though, who can push the tempo of the game, force Baltimore to throw more, and take more chances. When Lamar Jackson needs trusty hands to score, or needs a big play, Beckham’s become that option. He’ll be needed this week, and a TD will instantly make him a value play at this price.
Tight End
Best Big Name
Travis Kelce, Chiefs ($7,800/$7,000): Kelce’s stock hasn’t been this low in some time. There’s whispers of him being close to the end, past his prime, and a disappointment for the investment he required in drafts. Maybe that’s all true, but the negativity is clouding that he’s headed for his eighth straight 1,000-yard season and he is facing a Bengals D that allows 65.9 yards per game to TEs, the third-most in the NFL. Snap him up, because KC needs to get right, and he’s the man who needs to lead the way.
Mid Range Value
Chigoziem Okonkwo, Titans ($5,400/$3,600): Okonkwo has found consistency late in the season, and now he gets a matchup vs. Houston, who allow the most yards per game (67.6) to opposing TEs. At worst, you’re probably getting four receptions for 45 yards, which is more than passable at this position and these prices.
Thrift Store
Gerald Everett, Chargers ($5,300/$3,500): Everett has seen eight targets in three straight games, clearly becoming a focal point with Keenan Allen’s steady route running removed from the picture. Everett ain’t no Keenan Allen, but the remaining receivers are big play guys, and not exactly technicians. Everett can reliably get himself open on shorter routes, and he’s offering Easton Stick, an inexperienced QB, much-needed stability. With this level of target share, against the Denver Broncos, Everett’s probably scoring a TD.
Quarterback to Avoid: Joe Flacco, Browns ($7,100/$6,100)
Running Back to Avoid: Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($7,100/$6,600)
Wide Receiver to Avoid: Garrett Wilson, Jets ($7,000/$5,800)
Tight End to Avoid: David Njoku, Browns ($6,600/$5,700)