FanDuel NFL picks, Week 12: Best DFS fantasy football lineup

FanDuel NFL Week 12 Picks and Advice: Tight End

As always Travis Kelce ($8,000) and Darren Waller ($7,100) are the top plays but, if you spend up at the other positions, there is no chance you can get these guys into your lineup. Thankfully, there are plenty of strong punt options this week.

Evan Engram ($5,600) has been anything but consistent this year, but his matchup with Cincinnati certainly puts him on the TE1 map. My two favorite punt plays of the week are Austin Hooper ($5,100), who has a great matchup against Jacksonville, and Jordan Reed ($5,000) who should see the volume to pay off his salary as one of his team’s only healthy pass catchers.

With Irv Smith Jr. and Adam Thielen doubtful, Kyle Rudolph ($4,600) is certainly an interesting volume-based play as well. Keep an eye out for Gerald Everett ($4,700) as well since Tyler Higbee appears to be highly questionable for Sunday’s matchup.

FanDuel NFL Week 12 Picks and Advice: D/ST

Defense is incredibly tough this week as usually a few cheap plays stand out that allow you some upside while saving plenty of cash avoiding the expensive obvious defenses. However, this week there are really no punt plays that stand out.

That means you have to make the choice early: am I going to pay up for a top defense like Miami ($5,000) or Cleveland ($4,900) or completely punt and be ready to take a 0? Personally, I always choose my defense after all the other positions and this week I find myself short on funds to pay up for a top defense.

As hard as it is to recommend, I find myself playing the Jets defense more often than not when punting, as Tua has yet to show his ability to blow a team out on his own, and with both of Miami’s running backs out, the Jets could give you 5+ points with a turnover and under 20 points allowed, which is a great value at $3,000.

FanDuel NFL Week 12 Lineup

• QB Justin Herbert – $8,400
• RB Dalvin Cook – $11,000
• RB Kalen Ballage – $5,500
• WR Keenan Allen – $8,200
• WR Michael Thomas – $7,700
• WR Cole Beasley – $5,400
• TE Jordan Reed – $5,000
• FLEX Wayne Gallman Jr. – $5,700
• D/ST NY Jets – $3,000

Right away, you can see the impact that Dalvin Cook has on your lineup as, even though you have to play four sub-$6,000 position players and the cheapest defense on the slate, you are still only left with $100. It is also important to note that this is certainly a lineup that lends itself better to tournaments than cash, as it stacks Herbert with Allen and Ballage, bringing it back with Beasley on the Bills side of the ball.

If you want to fade Dalvin Cook and not torture yourself playing the Jets defense, you could easily swap Cook out for Kamara or Chubb and have a defense of your choosing. Regardless of your eventual Week 12 DFS lineup, best of luck this week on your DFS endeavors!