NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Picks for DraftKings & FanDuel - Week 13
NFL DFS season is in full swing as Week 13 approaches, and our expert analysts are breaking down NFL DFS lineup optimizer picks and projections for FanDuel and DraftKings. Sign up for RotoGrinders Premium for full access to our NFL lineup optimizer and fantasy football projections all season long.
Bye weeks are back, as all of BAL, BUF, CHI, MIN, NYG, and LVR are off the table this week, but we still have a great main slate with ten games. The Dolphins, Lions, Texans, and 49ers all have team totals of 25+ points, so we’re going to want some exposure from those teams in cash games. The Jets and Panthers have projected totals of 16 or fewer points, so the Falcons and Bucs DSTs are a couple of my favorite options in all formats.
The biggest injury news is Jonathan Taylor out with a thumb injury, moving Zack Moss to front and center DFS relevancy, especially since his price was set before we learned Taylor would be out. Joe Flacco will start for the Browns as DTR is in concussion protocol. Although I won’t be looking to use Flacco in cash games, he’s extremely cheap on both sites and definitely worth taking a shot on in some GPP lineups.
Chris Olave has to clear a final step in the concussion protocol to play, Rashid Shaheed is out, Chris Godwin is a big questionable tag, and Dallas Goedert is unlikely to return this week. Devon Achane will play after sitting last week.
Let’s get into some of my favorite plays of the slate!
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Picks for DraftKings
I mentioned Flacco ($4,600) as a decent punt play at QB, but more for GPPs, and Bailey Zappe ($4,800) is another sub-$5k guy I don’t mind sprinkling in some tournament lineups. For cash games, I like spending up on Hurts ($8,200), Stroud ($8,100), or Tua ($7,900), as I think there is plenty of value at every other position to fit one of them very comfortably. If you absolutely need to save some extra salary at QB in your main build, then I would go with Howell ($6,200), Purdy ($6,100), or Minshew ($5,300). The Bucs DST ($3,600) with Rachaad White ($6,300) is my favorite correlation play of the slate, and although they’re $9k+ I would do my best fitting at least one of McCaffrey and/or Hill in cash games.
Zack Moss ($4,600)
Moss is pretty much a “free square” in cash games this week, as he’s about $1,500-$2,000 too cheap given his expected workload with Taylor out. He also just happens to be facing the Titans who he obliterated in week 5 for 195 total yards and 2 TDs. With only Sermon as his competition for backfield touches (8 total carries on the year), Moss is looking at an almost guaranteed 20 touch floor including a few targets, so don’t overthink this one and play him in cash games.
Rhamondre Stevenson ($6,000) and Rachaad White ($6,300) are other top p/$ RBs I will be targeting in cash games.
Courtland Sutton ($5,400)
With 5+ targets and/or 10+ FP in all but one game this year, Sutton has been about as consistent as a WR can get, and with that kind of floor along with an 18+ FP ceiling he’s shown three times, I think he makes a lot of sense for cash games this week against a Houston defense allowing 252.5 pass yards/game. Denver is on a five-game win streak and right in the thick of it for a Wild Card spot, and as 3.5 point underdogs in a 47.5 game total with the Texans, this is a game environment that should favor the passing game, and Sutton could be looking at his best game of the season if he can turn his likely 8-12 targets into a TD or two.
I love Nico Collins ($6,800) on the other side of that game as well, and a few other cheap WRs on my cash game radar are Deebo Samuel ($6,200), Terry McLaurin ($5,500), Curtis Samuel ($4,100), and AT Perry ($3,300).
Juwan Johnson ($3,400)
The Saints could be without Olave and Shaheed this week, which would leave a ton of targets available for everyone else. Johnson saw 7 targets last game and should be looking at a similar target floor if both top WRs are out, and given the pass-funnel nature of the Lions defense that number could even get as high as 10+ targets. It’s rare to get a skill player for under $3.5k with this big of a potential target share and ceiling in his range of outcomes, and if you want to fit in CMC and/or Tyreek, I would definitely go with Johnson at TE.
Other cheap TEs I like include Pat Freiermuth ($4,300), David Njoku ($4,100), Gerald Everett ($3,500), and Hunter Henry ($3,100).
NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Picks for FanDuel
I’m finding myself with a similar build on FanDuel as Zack Moss ($5,600) is still basically a “free square”, and both Stevenson ($7,300) and White ($7,500) are still too cheap for me to fade at RB. The Bucs DST ($4,800) is pricier than DraftKings but are still my favorite cash game defense to correlate with White, while a couple of cheaper options in play include the Rams ($3,700) and Jets ($4,400). Stroud ($8,000) is my favorite QB given his $1k discount to Hurts, and Johnson ($4,900) is easily my top p/$ TE target still.
Josh Downs ($6,100)
Downs is coming off a 13-target game and his price only went up $200, so if you need a WR in this price range, I think he has a higher ceiling than Curtis Samuel ($6,200) and a higher floor than someone like AT Perry ($5,700). With Moss likely getting a ton of ownership the other Colts skill players could see a dip in ownership as most people don’t like playing an RB and WR from the same team in a lineup, but I don’t mind that pairing in this situation since both are so crazy cheap. I think the Minshew/Moss/Downs stack could make some serious noise in GPPs as those three will open up a ton of salary to fit in in CMC and/or Hill.
Jaylen Warren ($6,500) / James Conner ($6,300)
If you need more salary savings at the RB spot, I don’t mind using either Warren or Conner, as wet conditions could force both offenses to run the ball more in this game, and I still prefer the upside of Warren to Harris for PIT. Arizona is already without Wilson and could be without Brown and/or McBride as well, which should help Conner see more targets, and the Steelers are still allowing over 118 rush yards/game on the year. Arizona is allowing 140.1 rush yards/game so there should be plenty of yards for both Warren and Harris to eat up, but with the receiving and “big play” upside Warren brings, along with the price discount, he’s the guy I would be targeting still in all formats over Harris.
Hunter Henry ($5,100)
I still prefer Juwan Johnson in cash games, but if Olave ends up playing or you are a big believer in the “revenge narrative”, then Henry is another excellent value TE to consider. The Chargers are allowing the most pass yards/game in the league at 280 and the Patriots are 5.5 point underdogs which should force them to throw a lot here, and even with Zappe under center I think Henry can find success. Douglas and Boutte are out for New England, which will open up even more targets for Henry, so make sure to have exposure to him in GPPs if he doesn’t make your main build, although I don’t mind going with both he and Johnson at TE/Flex.
Use Our DFS Lineup Optimizer for Week 13
Make sure to check out our in-house NFL DFS lineup optimizer, LineupHQ, to get a great look at even more top projected plays. It is by far the best place to build a large number of lineups quickly using your personalized build rules, ownership preferences, and stacks you want covered. You can also look at projected ownership to help you decide between players if you’d rather get leverage on the field with someone likely to see much lower ownership than similar plays at his position or price point.
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