NFL DFS Bargain Bin: Week 17 Sunday Slates
NFL DFS Bargain Bin: Week 17 Sunday Slates Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins, MIN at DET ($6,300-DK/$7,700-FD)
The Vikings have been eliminated from the postseason, but every indication is Cousins and his usual arsenal of available weapons will take the field Sunday. However, that does exclude Dalvin Cook, who’ll be away from the team due to the death of his father. The star back’s absence, coupled with the iffy status of backup Alexander Mattison (concussion), makes it very plausible Cousins has another busy day on his plate. The veteran quarterback has already been producing numbers that outpace his current salaries while putting the ball up a fair amount, having thrown multiple TD passes in seven of his last eight games and also compiling at least 291 passing yards in five contests during that span.
Cousins threw for a modest 220 yards in his first encounter with the Lions back in Week 9, but that number comes with a couple of asterisks. One, it’s certainly worth noting Cousins complemented that figure with three touchdown passes, leading to 20.8 DK/FD points. Additionally, that was a contest in which Cook ran wild to the tune of 206 rushing yards and two TDs, nullifying the need for Cousins to have to put in much work. With his teammate out of the equation in Week 17 — plus the Lions allowing the third-most passing yards per game (278.3) and most passing TDs to QBs (35) — Cousins could be one of the more rewarding value options at quarterback Sunday.
Derek Carr, LV at DEN ($5,700-DK/$7,200-FD)
Like the Vikings, Carr’s Raiders are also going to be heading into the offseason after their Week 17 contest. And like Cousins, Carr could well have an expanded role in a game that has enough explosive skill players and the right set of circumstances to potentially turn into a bit of a shootout. After all, the Broncos are also out of postseason contention and already have a young quarterback in Drew Lock that thrives on remaining aggressive downfield, as well as a head coach in Vic Fangio who’s already confirmed to return in 2021. Consequently, each team could let its hair down a bit in this finale, which could help both quarterbacks (Lock also recommended below) put up fantasy-friendly efforts.
Carr checks into the regular-season finale having thrown for over 300 yards in three straight non-injury-shortened games, a span during which he’s displayed an aggressive downfield approach that’s produced 14 completions of over 20 yards. Sunday, the veteran will have a chance to attack a Broncos secondary that’s much more banged up than when he first saw them Week 10, a game in which top cornerbacks A.J. Bouye (suspension) and Bryce Callahan (IR-foot) were still on the field for Denver. The Broncos have gone on to lose three more corners for the season as well, helping lead to them now surrendering 20.8 DK/20.2 FD points per game to QBs, as well as a figure of 7.3 yards per attempt over their last three games that represents a significant bump up from their 6.5 season figure.