Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Million Dollar Baller Special!

Do you like money? I love when people say that in commercials and whatnot… But seriously, once again, Yahoo Fantasy Sports is giving away free money with their Million Dollar Baller contest for Week 17. With a 10-max limit, there are just 37,500 spots available, and $250K in added overlay. This is as good as it gets for DFS players, and I will be playing plenty of Yahoo NFL DFS once again this weekend!

If you are new to Yahoo NFL DFS, it is a little different and takes some getting used to, but the scoring is obviously similar to other sites. This tournament is truly amazing when it comes to free money, and the fact that it is capped at a 10-max entry limit. While a shark can still win with just 10 lineups, I like my chances of having 10 versus 150 like you see on other sites. If you are curious and want to check it out, here is a link to the Yahoo NFL Daily Fantasy home page.

Before we get to the targets for the big overlay tournaments, let’s break down the scoring and roster construction for those unfamiliar. I have actually been playing DFS on Yahoo since it started, and I don’t mind it at all for NFL. It takes a little getting used to, but tournament selection is usually decent, and has been the maybe the best in the industry the last couple of weeks with these huge overlay events.

I did say tournaments, which would imply there is more than one. That is true, because there is also the $1.00 Mini-Baller with $5,000 added overlay, and just 20,000 available spots. This is also a 10-max, and I will likely max this small one, and make three teams for the big one.

Yahoo NFL DFS: Roster Construction

On Yahoo, we get nine total roster spots, with a QB, two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, a defense, and a flex spot. Salaries are quite a bit different, as we are given a $200 budget to work with, and the most expensive players will cost you around $35-40 of your cap on average. The goat Patrick Mahomes is the most expensive player this week at $41, and with the Chiefs needing a win to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, he might pay off that huge price tag, especially with the abysmal Raiders coming to town.

There are usually a handful of solid running backs in the $20-30 range, with of course the top dogs over that. There is also plenty of value, which we will classify as players at $17 or under. With Todd Gurley already ruled out for this one, and a solid chance that Christian McCaffrey doesn’t play as well, the top running back without question looks like Saquon Barkley at $33 at this point.

With three wide receiver spots to fill, it is always good to try to find a guy or two at close to minimum value. It shouldn’t be too tough this week, as there are five or six guys $17 or under to target here. I also like Antonio Brown and DeAndre Hopkins at the top quite a bit, as the Steelers fight for a playoff berth, and the Texans fight for a home playoff game.

There is some solid value at tight end this week, and Travis Kelce looks to be way too expensive at $31. If I am paying up, give me Zach Ertz at $23 instead and let me use that $8 elsewhere.

NFL Yahoo DFS: Scoring

The scoring on Yahoo is pretty straightforward, and is the same as FanDuel if I am not mistaken. It is .5 PPR, so scores will not be as high as full PPR sites like DraftKings.

For more information on rosters and scoring for NFL Yahoo DFS, here is a link to that as well.

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Quarterback Targets:

Each position will be broken down into tiers. There will be the high tier, which is players over $30 or the superstars we are looking to roster this week. That will be followed by this mid tier, and these will be players in that $18-29 range depending on the position. Finally we will have the value plays at each spot as well, and these will be called low-tier, and will be players $17 and below. There may not be a certain tier at a position or two, if I feel there are no targets in that range. With that said, let’s break this down!

High-Tier:

Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs – $41

No question this is the best play on the board this week, as second-year phenom Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes will try to lock up home field advantage throughout the playoffs on Sunday at home against the Raiders. Mahomes has been the best overall fantasy player of the season, and in the first meeting in Oakland, he threw four touchdowns en route to 33 YP. I am not sure the starters play the whole game here if this one gets out of hand, but Mahomes and company should be able to rack up stats along the way.

Ben Roethlisberger – Pittsburgh Steelers – $39

The Steelers are still hanging on to playoff hopes, but they will need to take care of business at home against the Bengals, who are likely counting the minutes until this season is over. Big Ben is closing in on 5000 passing yards for the season, and he threw for 369 in the first meeting between these teams in Cincinnati. For just $2 more it is hard to not go Mahomes in all honesty, but with the Steelers having the rest of their season on the line, I think Roethlisberger could make a solid pivot.

Low-Tier:

Nick Foles – Philadelphia Eagles – $28

I guess it is still technically BDN SZN. I am not going to clarify what that is again, sorry if you don’t know by now, and Foles is still cheap. The Eagles need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they of course, also need the Bears to beat the Vikings. Foles led the Eagles to a solid comeback last week against the Texans at home to win 32-30, and he will look to keep it going in Washington against the Redskins. I don’t expect another four touchdown game like last week, but I think he should easily pay off this price tag.

Teddy Bridgewater – New Orleans Saints – $26

This one hits home a bit for me personally, as it is fantastic to see Bridgewater healthy, let alone starting another NFL game. Being a Vikings fan, hearing about that awful injury when it happened to him at practice over two years ago is something I will never forget.

The Saints have locked up home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and Bridgewater will get the start as they finish the regular season against the Panthers at home. Teddy has the ability, but this is a huge question mark without a doubt. I am making multiple lineups, and it will be hard for me not to have two-gloves Teddy in one of them.

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Running Back Targets:

High-Tier:

Saquon Barkley – New York Giants – $33

I mentioned it a little in the roster construction portion of this piece, but as far as the top dollar running backs go, Barkley may be the only one that gets a full game of run. That might not happen either with the way week 17 can go in the NFL, but that is neither here nor there. We have to take the best info presented to us, and try to figure it out.

Barkley is closing in on 2000 combined yards for the season, and my guess is the Giants want him to get there too. If anyone takes a seat in this game simply for the fact that it is meaningless, my belief is that should be Eli Manning. Until I hear different, my thought is that most of the guys on the Giants are playing for their jobs, and they will be doing their best to beat the Cowboys this week.

James Conner – Pittsburgh Steelers – $30

Conner looks poised to return from his ankle injury which has kept him out for the last couple of weeks. The Steelers have to be excited about that, as their running game just has not been the same with Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley carrying the load. He does still carry a questionable tag, but practiced in full throughout the week, and the Steelers expect him and his 13 total TD’s back on the field this Sunday. This might be the best overall match-up on the slate as Cincinnati has been horrid defensively, but make sure he is in fact playing.

Mid-Tier:

Damien Williams – Kansas City Chiefs – $19

I love the Chiefs. I love Mahomes. I think Andy Reid is brilliant, and I became an even bigger fan of them with how quickly we have all forgotten about Kareem Hunt. I am strictly talking about football here, and the quick emergence of former Dolphins running back Damien Williams.

Spencer Ware could return for this one and cut into Williams’ workload a bit, but Williams has stepped right in the last two games, and been nothing short of fantastic. In the last three weeks, Williams is averaging 21.9 YP per game, and has found the end zone five times. He is catching every pass thrown his way out of the backfield just like Hunt used to, as he has grabbed 17 passes on 18 targets in that span.

The Chiefs quickly realized that Williams works in this offense, and locked him up with a contract extension through 2020 this week. This man got paid from a smart team after three weeks of work. Williams is easily my early pick for next years breakout running back.

James White – New England Patriots – $18

This is clearly a spot for Sony Michel, as the Patriots ran all over the Jets in the first meeting between these two teams, but if you want a solid pivot from the chalk, it is week 17 and almost playoff time, which means it is in fact James White season.

White has been a playoff beast the last few season, and with Gronk banged up, and Josh Gordon no longer in the fold, I think Brady will be looking for White quite a bit in this one.

Low-Tier:

Jamaal Williams – Green Bay Packers – $16

With the injury to Aaron Jones which landed him on IR for the remainder of the season, Williams has ended up the feature back for the Packers once again, as their disappointing season comes to a close. Now ex-coach Mike McCarthy stuck it out with Williams for a long part of the season, before finally giving way to the more athletic Jones.

Williams posted 24.6 YP’s (Yahoo Points) gaining 95 yards on the ground and 66 through the air, while adding a touchdown. Williams and the Packers will face the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field, where they will be looking to end the season on a high note against a division rival.

C.J. Anderson – Los Angeles Rams – $13

No Gurley no problem for the Rams I guess. I’ll take my “L” publicly on Anderson last week, as I was quick to say he had nothing left in the tank, while talking among my peers, but boy was I wrong. Anderson ran through the Cardinals last week, en route to 167 yards on 20 carries.

If you saw any of it, it was rather impressive. Gurley is already ruled out for Week 17, so fire up the likely chalky Anderson at near the minimum price, as we should see more of the same this week against the 49ers.

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Wide Receiver Targets:

High-Tier:

Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers – $30 / JuJu Smith-Schuster – $28

It is going to be tough at the top this week with the questionable tags, but here is what we know. Brown is a true question mark at this point, as he did not practice at all this week, and was undergoing tests on his knee. Pittsburgh might not necessarily “need” him to suit up to win this week, so keep an eye on this situation. If AB84 sheds the injury tag and is good to go, he is my favorite overall play of the week. If he sits out, JuJu Smith-Schuster becomes a near lock against this Bengals defense in my opinion. James Conner also gets a significant boost in the event Brown cannot go.

Mid-Tier:

DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans – $29

The match-up is tough, but the Texans can still clinch a bye with a win and a Patriots loss, and are still trying to lock up the AFC south and a home playoff game. Hopkins will battle with Jalen Ramsey in this one, who after a rough start to the season, is bringing it together and closing the season as one of the best shutdown corners in the game. I think Hopkins wants it more this week, and the fact he is under $30, albeit by a $1, just feels too cheap.

Low-Tier:

Alshon Jeffery – Philadelphia Eagles – $17

Speaking of too cheap. Jeffery has been below $20 for four straight weeks now, and while he  seem to be the favorite target of Nick Foles, he has put together solid numbers in that stretch. Again, we are targeting teams with something to play for for the most part, and the Eagles need a win here to keep their season alive.

Jeffery had a huge game just two weeks ago against the Rams, catching all eight passes thrown his way for 160 yards. That was good for 20 YP’s, and his best game since week three. There are a ton of targets at this price and below this week, but Jeffery is shaping up to be one of my favorites.

Robby Anderson – New York Jets – $16

I am a Robby Anderson truther. I target him every year in season-long fantasy, and he always lets me down. It would have been a good year to have him down the stretch, as he has finally put together a string of solid games.

Anderson has scored in three consecutive weeks, and has seen a whopping 24 targets in the last two games. He went for 9-140-1 last week against the Packers, and now the Jets will likely be throwing a ton again as they close the season against New England. He has a tough match-up with Stephon Gilmore, but this price is too cheap. Anderson got a hefty price hike on other DFS sites across the industry, but not here on Yahoo, where he only went up $1 from last weeks 24.5 YP performance.

Calvin Ridley – Atlanta Falcons – $15

It sounds like Julio Jones is going to play, and against Tampa Bay, he will likely be a pretty popular pick. I get Jones has bounced back this season and is playing great, but if he is truly battling two separate injuries why play him here against the Bucs? I was originally on Ridley with the thought that Jones would miss this game, but now I may like it more if Jones does in fact play. With the defense having to account for Jones, that should only open things up for Ridley.

***Also Consider***

Reuben Foster – Buffalo Bills – $13

Marquez Valdes-Scantling – $10

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Tight End Targets:

Mid-Tier:

Zach Ertz – Philadelphia Eagles – $23

I do love me some Travis Kelce this week against Oakland, but holy cow $31 is a LOT to spend on a tight end. I have to have a share because it is Kelce against the Raiders, but Ertz just presents much better value at $8 cheaper.

Ertz was Foles’ main go to guy last week as the Eagles fought back to beat the Texans, and he finished the game with 12 catches on 16 targets for 110 yards and two touchdowns. The Redskins have been playing solid defense all year, so I get the slight price decrease, but in all actuality, a guy with 113 catches on the season in a spot where his team needs a win looks pretty safe.

In the first meeting against Washington with Carson Wentz as his QB, Ertz caught nine balls for 83 yards. It was clear he and Foles were on the same page last week, and I think they look to carry that momentum in this final week.

Low-Tier:

Chris Herndon – New York Jets – $14

I like paying up here this week, but if you want a low-owned dart, you could look to Jets TE Chris Herndon, who is coming off of his best game of the season. Herndon was targeted seven times against the Packers last week, and caught six balls for 82 yards, while scoring his fourth touchdown of the season. The Jets will likely be airing it out in this one, and I expect Herndon to get some looks in the red zone, if the Jets make it there.

Cameron Brate – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $10

My gut is telling me Ertz will be chalk at that price, and I also think with all of the value at the running back and wide receiver positions, Kelce will also see some decent ownership. I don’t see it as necessary to go the bottom at this position, but Brate should be a little more expensive than minimum price.

Maybe the route to the huge money will be stacking up three expensive receivers and using Brate at the tight end position? Possibly? It seems like a scenario that could happen. Brate dropped to minimum price after being $14 last week, and doing nothing once again. He has just five catches total in the last three games, as the Bucs have struggled to do anything on offense. If I end up spending down here, Brate is my guy.

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Defense Targets:

High Tier:

New England Patriots – $17

I might have a share or two of the Houston defense with all of the value available, but is pretty rare I spend even more that $14 or so on my defense on Yahoo. However, with the Patriots hosting the Jets to close the regular season, I look for them to stay hot. This defense has scored 41 YP’s over the last five games, and they had two sacks and one interception in the first meeting between these teams.

Mid-Tier:

New Orleans Saints – $15

It is going to be rest city in New Orleans, as the Saints have locked up the goods. It hasn’t been said how much the starters on defense will play, but it sounds like the Panthers are mailing it in. Word is that CMC won’t play the finale, and with Cam Newton out as well, even the defensive back-up’s should feast here. No defense has been better over the last month, and somehow this seems sneaky this week as this game will likely be overlooked.

Low-Tier:

Los Angeles Chargers – $12

Buffalo Bills – $12

Yahoo NFL DFS: Week 17 Million Dollar Baller Special 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.”   

QB – Nick Foles – $28
RB – Damien Williams – $19
RB – CJ Anderson – $13
WR – DeAndre Hopkins – $29
WR – JuJu Smith-Schuster – $28
WR – Calvin Ridley – $15
TE – Zach Ertz – $23
FLEX – James Conner – $30
DEF – New Orleans Saints – $15

I hope you enjoyed some extended site 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 articles for Yahoo DFS! 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 chasing this free money!