NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 Saturday Only Special!
Welcome to the ever-expanding small-slate NFL FanDuel DFS coverage from FantasyCPR. It’s almost Christmas, and the NFL regular season is already close to coming to an end. This means it is time for some Saturday NFL football games, now that the college regular season has ended. FanDuel is offering a 2-game slate for just the Saturday games, and this article will offer up some players to target.
Now this will cover just the NFL FanDuel DFS two-game slate for Saturday, so I want to stress that this article is taking a GPP approach. If you are used to my Early Only Cash Plays article I have done all year here at FantasyCPR, this will be structured the same, but is intended for tournament play only. I do not play cash games for NFL even on three-game slates, as the popular opinion in DFS is that you need larger slates for more variance for cash games, and I agree 100%
Before we get to the targets for the slate, I will give a little quick breakdown for both games, and what to expect out of each game. This way, I can keep the individual blurbs shorter and bring you a quick five-minute read article. Following the targets, I will of course have the sample lineup on the last slide. Click the slide below to proceed to the breakdown!
Washington Redskins @ Tennessee Titans (-11.5) – (37)
The Titans will host the Redskins in the first game of the day, which starts at 4:30 ET, so make sure you have your lineups all set before then. Washington cannot keep a quarterback upright, and it seems Josh Johnson is in line for another start. He will have a very tough time, as this Tennessee defense is one of the best in the league right now.
It’s a two game slate, so we have to attack this game somewhere. It’s not going to be an offensive show in the minds of Vegas with a game total of just 37, but those 37 have to come from somewhere. I don’t think Washington will be able to move the ball much, and my guess is Johnson will look to the check-downs and tight ends often in this game. The only play I would consider here is Vernon Davis, as Jordan Reed is banged up, and I think he gets a few extra looks this week.
On the other side of the ball, a Titans stack of some sort could certainly be a viable approach. Of course the best overall play on this team might be the defense, but $5,500 is a little steep. You need a defensive touchdown or two at that price. One player that will be a lock of course is the emerging Derrick Henry. Henry has been on fire, and Washington has been struggling to stop the run. With 408 rushing yards in his last two games with six touchdowns, Henry should be 100% owned.
Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Chargers (-4.5) – (45)
The night game should have much more excitement to offer, but this very well could be a low-scoring, defensive battle as well. The Ravens come into StubHub Center at 8-6 and pretty much needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, the Chargers are still very much in the hunt for a first round bye and a home playoff game, as they sit at 11-3.
The majority of my targets for this slate are in this game, as the Chargers are my primary focus. All signs are pointing to Melvin Gordon III returning to action, and he will be another player I lock in my lineups. Gordon and Derrick Henry both should be where you start on this slate, as the wide receiver position as a whole is just awful.
There are literally zero wide receivers I want to target in that first game, and the Ravens don’t really have much to choose from in that department either. So it will all come down to the status of Keenan Allen for me. He is currently questionable, and could be a game-time decision. Allen will be in the sample lineup, and I have the pivots all figured out should he sit this one out. I will post that information on the final slide as well.
This won’t be pretty. Winning GPP’s could have under 100 FDP on this slate. But we all love football right? Ignore that terrible two-game slate nonsense and let’s move ahead to the targets!
NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 (Sat Only!)
QB – Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens – $8,500
While my top build does feature Rivers, I will also have a little exposure to Jackson, and possibly Marcus Mariota as well. Rivers makes the most sense, as he is clearly having the best season of the three options, but there is a $1000 difference from top to bottom.
In all honesty, Mariota has the best match-up, but he really hasn’t done much for me lately to get at all excited about him. On top of that, there is really no need to go there. With the top options on the slate being just in the mid-$8K range as far as skill positions go, paying up for Jackson or Rivers just makes more sense.
Jackson and Rivers will likely be fairly close in FDP when this is all said and done, but I give Rivers the nod for the higher ceiling. Jackson may be able to run a little, and could add a TD on the ground, but I don’t see him having very much success in the passing game. I do think Jackson has the safer floor just because of what is on the line here, and I think he will do his best to get something going on the ground. If he pops one long touchdown run it could be the difference, so I lean Jackson by a hair.
***Also Consider: Philip Rivers $9,000 – Marcus Mariota – $8,000***
NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 (Sat Only!)
RB – Melvin Gordon III – Los Angeles Chargers – $8,600
It appears as though Gordon is set to return from a two-week absence, as he practiced at full speed on Tuesday with no setbacks, and officially shed his injury tag. The Chargers will need him this week, as they face the top overall defense in the league.
Gordon was having a fantastic season before the injury, running effectively and becoming a huge asset catching passes. He only has 802 yards rushing thus far on the season, but has added 453 more in the air on 44 receptions. He has totaled 13 touchdowns, and this offense will be much better this week with him in the fold. Gordon is easily a lock on this two-gamer, along with this next target.
RB – Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans – $8,500
My only question here is what took so long? When the Titans brought in Dion Lewis, it just seemed like Henry would never get a shot at being a full-time back. Lewis struggled all season, as he was clearly a product of that former Patriots offense head coach Mike Vrabel learned back when the former linebacker was catching TD passes from Tom Brady. Well Marcus Mariota is not Brady, and for whatever reason, Lewis has been nowhere near as effective as he was last season with New England.
Henry did get a couple of chances to carry the load early in the season, and wasn’t able to do much. He received 36 carries combined in weeks two and three against the Texans and Jaguars, both tough defenses. He only totaled 113 yards in those two and failed to find the end zone. Henry never received more than 12 carries in a game after that, until two weeks ago in the rematch with Jacksonville.
We all know what happened next, as I went over what Henry has done the last two weeks as the lead dog in the game preview. After receiving 33 carries last week against the Giants, you just need to lock this one is as well as Gordon, then figure out where to go with your FLEX.
***Also Consider or FLEX: Kenneth Dixon $5,500 – Chris Thompson $5,100***
NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 (Sat Only!)
WR – Keenan Allen – Los Angeles Chargers – $8,400
When I started writing this early in the week, I had serious doubts about Allen suiting up this week, but after missing practice Tuesday, he returned in limited fashion on Wednesday, and is now expected to play on Saturday night. The injury is a hip pointer, and while it may slow him down a little, my guess is nobody will be targeted more in this game, regardless of the match-up.
After a slow start to the season, Allen has been one of the best receivers in the league over the last two months. He has scored a touchdown in five straight games, and seen 55 targets in that span as well. Allen has turned those targets into 41 catches and an average of 19.4 FDP per week. With this low pricing on this slate because of the defensive match-ups, it’s only right to roster as much top talent as possible. If Allen sheds his injury tag I am locking him in as well, if not the pivot is to this next target.
WR – Mike Williams – Los Angeles Chargers – $7,700
I can’t quite make a lineup with Williams and Allen that I like, so it is one or the other for me, and again that depends on the status of Allen. Williams hasn’t been targeted a whole lot on this offense this season, but he is coming off his best game of the season. He caught seven passes for 76 yards in that one, and added two touchdowns, to bring his season total to nine.
The good thing about Williams. is that he gets a lot of looks in the red zone, and my guess is he will get at least one opportunity to score in this one. While Allen is the guy Rivers hits on the move to get him in space, Williams is the big body possession type receiver, but is extremely athletic as well. The breaking out of Williams this season has made both him and Allen better, as opposing defenses have to account for both now, instead of focusing on Allen.
WR – Taywan Taylor – Tennessee Titans – $5,100
With the limited amount of wide receiver talent to choose from, and the quality of these opposing defenses everywhere on the slate, I am going to lean towards this Titans passing attack. Corey Davis has been the lead guy since the injury to tight end Delanie Walker, but Taylor has quietly been producing while Tajae Sharpe nurses an ankle injury and remains ineffective.
It was a tough go last week in the rain in New York against the Giants, but with Derrick Henry running wild there was really no reason to pass. Taylor received five targets in that one, but finished with just two catches for 17 yards. It was a disappointing follow-up to the previous two weeks, but the conditions just were not favorable for passing, nor was it necessary.
In those previous two games against the Jaguars and Jets, Taylor was very much involved, turning 12 targets into nine catches and 163 yards. The good thing about the poor week last week, is that it kept his price down here where maybe others will actually consider rostering Redskins receivers… Let’s hope so.
***Also Consider or FLEX: Corey Davis $6,500 – Michael Crabtree $5,000***
NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 (Sat Only!)
TE – Vernon Davis – Washington Redskins – $5,300
Once again, awful two-game slate, but we have to pick one of these guys. With Jordan Reed still banged up and talk of him being shut down for the season any day now, the only solid option to maybe even get five targets here is Vernon Davis. Tight end has been my nemesis all year, and I will likely just fade this play and punt. Davis has done nothing to warrant this price tag, but it is affordable, and he will likely be chalk. It all comes down to whether or not this is the position to punt at, and it very well could be.
***Also Consider: Maxx Williams – $4,000 (punt option)***
DEF – Tennessee Titans – $5,500
It is a relatively easy little slate to pay up this high for your defense, and I will be firing them up in a lineup because of it. The Redskins are on like their 5th quarterback in the last three weeks, and this Titans defense as a whole only allowed 47 rushing yards last week when they shut out the New York Giants. Tennessee has had back-to-back solid weeks defensively, and I look for that to continue on Saturday.
Although it can be easy to build with this Titans defense, pivoting all the way down to the Chargers makes a ton of sense. This is a defense thriving since Joey Bosa returned from injury, and the Baltimore offense could struggle to move the ball as well. For $1,200 less I don’t mind rolling with the Los Angeles defense here, even if it is with a couple of members of the Ravens offense in my lineup as well. On a two-game slate, you can’t be too concerned with overlap like that.
***Also Consider: Los Angeles Chargers – $4,300***
NFL FanDuel DFS: Week 16 (Sat Only!) – Sample Lineup!
The line-up below is meant to be illustrative only to further back-up the logic laid out in previous slides. It is not an optimal line-up. It is in fact, just a “Sample Lineup.”
More from FanSided
- Cardinals Rumors: Surprise extension, Dylan Carlson-Yankees link, Rays trade idea
- USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
- NFL rumors: 49ers trending toward contract drama with defensive star
- Steelers avoid any camp drama with latest roster move
- MLB Rumors: Potential Braves reunion, Lance Lynn no-trade clause and Orioles deadline intentions
QB – Philip Rivers – $9,000
RB – Melvin Gordon III – $8,600
RB – Derrick Henry – $8,500
WR – Keenan Allen – $8,400
WR – Corey Davis – $6,500
WR – Taywan Taylor – $5,100
TE – Maxx Williams – $4,000
FLEX – Kenneth Dixon – $5,500
DEF – Los Angeles Chargers – $4,300
If Keenan Allen misses this game or we have no official word of his status before lock, here is an alternative:
QB – Lamar Jackson – $8,500
RB – Melvin Gordon III – $8,600
RB – Derrick Henry – $8,500
WR – Mike Williams – $7,700
WR – Corey Davis – $6,500
WR – Taywan Taylor – $5,100
TE – Maxx Williams – $4,000
FLEX – Kenneth Dixon – $5,500
DEF – Tennessee Titans – $5,500
Next. Week 16 NFL DFS Game by Game Breakdown. dark
I hope you enjoyed some slate specific coverage today. You can find me on Twitter with the link at the top of the page. Reach out to me if you would like to see more of this! We have TONS of FREE content here from many incredibly talented writers at FantasyCPR, and new stuff to check out constantly.
As we try to cover more and more angles of fantasy sports, you will see more articles focusing on the smaller slates among the different NFL DFS sites. Good luck on the Saturday slate!