Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Week 17 WRs

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2024-12-28 22:58:26 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming NFL DFS main slate on DraftKings. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan will do a deep dive into the best ways to attack the wide receiver position to help you climb the leaderboards.

There’s another small slate this Sunday with the Christmas games and a Saturday three-game slate. This will drive up ownership projections for “normal” chalk players. You can see this trend in our NFL DFS optimizer, LineupHQ. This tool helps me visualize ownership levels and identify players I can pivot to.

Currently, only one game has a high total with a close spread, which is the 4:25pm ET island game between the Packers and Vikings. Ownership for these teams is currently not very high due to respect for each defense. However, I believe these offenses can light each other up in a dome setting. This game is a key factor for the slate, and I’m happy to target it.

The other game influencing ownership heavily is the Panthers/Buccaneers game. I can’t believe Chuba Hubbard is so highly owned considering his price and the other running backs on the slate. As a Panthers fan, I know Todd Bowles doesn’t allow teams to run the ball effectively. I will be going a contrarian route for this game.

Now let’s get into my views on the slate!

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Vanek’s Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Week 17 WRs

Stacks

Jordan Love ($6,200, QB, Green Bay Packers)

Jayden Reed ($5,900, WR, Green Bay Packers)

Dontayvion Wicks ($3,900, WR, Green Bay Packers) OR Tucker Kraft ($3,900, TE, Green Bay Packers)

Aaron Jones ($6,200, RB, Minnesota Vikings)

Jordan Addison ($6,300, WR, Minnesota Vikings) OR Justin Jefferson ($8,300, WR, Minnesota Vikings)

These teams faced off in Week 4 in Lambeau Field, combining for 60 points despite 7 combined turnovers. With a pair of the best play callers in football leading their respective offenses, this game is not receiving the attention it deserves. For starters, the Vikings often employ a Cover 4 scheme, similar to the Rams. According to Sports Info Solutions, Jordan Love has averaged an impressive 10.9 yards per attempt against Cover 4 this year. His primary targets in this situation are Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Tucker Kraft, the trio I’m considering stacking. Jayden Reed is my most confident pick due to his slot receiver role. The Vikings are particularly vulnerable in the slot this season, as their strategy often forces quick throws, which favor slot receivers. Reed excels in this area, showcasing exceptional after-the-catch ability. This stack assumes Christian Watson is out. If he plays, I would likely opt for a Reed-Kraft combination.

On the other side of this matchup, Aaron Jones is a strong starting point for several reasons. Quay Walker has missed practice, and I’m curious to see how the Packers’ defense performs without him, especially against a formidable offense. Walker missed or played limited snaps against the Seahawks, Texans, Jaguars, and Saints. The Texans found some break off runs with Joe Mixon and is the most comparable situation to the Vikings.

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