DraftKings NFL picks, Week 17: Best bargains in DFS play
By Drew DeLuca
Tight Ends – All In
In a week where George Kittle is absent from the main slate, and Mark Andrews is expected to see little to no playing time, no one needs to be prompted to start Travis Kelce (KC vs. LAC, $7,000). With a first-round bye in the balance, Kelce looks to make it three straight games with 20 or more fantasy points.
Darren Waller (OAK at DEN, $5,400) hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 8, but has seen six or more targets in five of his last six games. Expect his scoreless streak to come to a halt this week, and don’t be surprised when Waller finished as a top-three tight end this week.
Meanwhile, Dallas Goedert (PHI at NYG, $4,900) looks to build on a fantastic Week 16. Goedert has seen six or more targets in six straight games, and caught nine of 12 balls thrown his way against the Cowboys. Goedert offers terrific value on DraftKings for the price, especially given Zach Ertz’s dicey injury situation.
Tight Ends – Raise
Jared Cook (NO at CAR, $5,200) could play a larger role in the passing game with Michael Thomas’ questionable hand. Meanwhile, Hunter Henry (LAC at KC, $4,500) has a nice matchup in DFS against a Chiefs defense that ranks 27th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
Jonnu Smith (TEN at HOU, $4,200) racked up 117 total yards against the Texans two weeks ago, which was symptomatic of Houston’s recent struggles against tight ends. The Texans allowed Denver Broncos tight ends to reel in seven catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns the week before, and an underperforming Buccaneers tight end corps combined for nearly 100 yards last week.
Mike Gesicki (MIA at NE, $4,000) should extend his streak of eight games with five or more targets. The former Nittany Lion has hauled in four touchdowns in his last five games, and has been on my radar for a long time, going all the way back to my Dolphins’ preseason preview:
"Curiously, [Albert] Wilson may not even win the title of “best sleeper on the Miami Dolphins.” That honor goes to Mike Gesicki. As a rookie, the tight end from Penn State posted a catch rate of 68.8%, higher than George Kittle…finishing just ahead of some guy named Travis Kelce in that metric. Gesicki should see an uptick in production across the board…the 6-6, 250-pounder didn’t catch a single touchdown pass last year, but odds are that O’Shea, a former tight ends coach, will properly utilize this athletic beast in the red zone."
Tight Ends – Call
Noah Fant (DEN vs. OAK, $3,600) hasn’t seen consistent target volume, but has made the most of his opportunities, which is a rare feat for a rookie tight end. Fant is the best of the low budget tight ends in this tier, and is quietly closing the year as the tight end prospect we expected T.J. Hockenson to become.
Jimmy Graham (GB at DET, $3,300) is dinged up with wrist and groin injuries, but is a cheap, albeit touchdown-dependent option. Darren Fells (HOU vs. TEN, $3,100) is a much stronger DFS option at this price, given that he currently ranks second in the NFL in touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Ben Watson (NE vs. MIA, $2,700) and Mike LaCosse (NE vs. MIA, $2,600) are a couple of cheap dart throws in DFS contests this week. Miami is weak against tight ends, and Edelman is injured and might not play, so it’s not far-fetched for Brady to dial up one or both of these low-budget tight end options, especially in the red zone.