DraftKings NFL picks, Week 13: Best DFS fantasy football values

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Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings Week 13 NFL picks and values: Running Backs

Premium Tier ($7,000 and up): Dalvin Cook (MIN vs. JAX, $6,400) and Derrick Henry (TEN vs. CLE, $9,200) are super-premium options this week, as both are priced north of $9,000. Despite their price tags, we’re not talking anyone out of ponying up for either of these two studs.

That said, we’re fans of the financial flexibility afforded to DraftKings enthusiasts who opt for any of the four following running backs instead. First, the sizzling-hot Nick Chubb (CLE at TEN, $7,700) draws a tame Tennessee Titans run defenses that ranks 26th in fantasy points allowed per game to running backs the season.

Second, James Robinson (JAX at MIN, $7,300) is immune to game scripts, as he plays such a large role in the passing game. He’s seen four or more targets in eight of his last ten games, and his volume on the ground has made him a consistent, pleasant, and surprise source of fantasy points all season for fantasy football managers in all formats.

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Austin Ekeler (LAC vs. NE, $7,100) proved last week that’s he’s still a PPR force, and Alvin Kamara (NO at ATL, $7,000) is priced right and long overdue for a big game. To be fair, though: Kamara has ceded a significant chunk of his workload to Taysom Hill and Latavius Murray in recent weeks.

Mid-Tier Values ($6,000 to $6,900): Miles Sanders (PHI at GB, $6,700), who inexplicably received only eight touches last week, is a riskier proposition here than he should be against a horrific Green Bay Packers run defense. Instead, we prefer Chris Carson (SEA vs. NYG, $6,300); he’ll play a prominent role in a positive game script in a one-sided bout against the New York Giants, who will sorely miss starting quarterback Daniel Jones.

Value Tier ($5,000 to $5,900): The fantasy football community was waiting for a breakout game against Jonathan Taylor (IND at HOU, $5,700) last week against Tennessee Titans, but the pandemic had other plans. Now off the COVID list, he faces a vulnerable Houston Texans run defense, though he does carry some risk given Head Coach Frank Reich’s pattern of running back usage so far this season.

Devontae Booker (LV at NYJ, $5,500) should benefit from the absence of Josh Jacobs this week. The former Utah Ute has been quietly productive in a lesser role as a change of pace back this season, and now gets to show whether or not he can extrapolate his short bursts of production over a 60 minute period.

David Montgomery (CHI vs. DET, $5,500) looks to feast on a Detroit Lions defense that has given up 4.5 more points per game to running backs than any other team in the league since Week 9 began. Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt (CLE at TEN, $5,400) and Nyheim Hines (IND at HOU, $5,300) should leverage their pass-happy roles in their respective offenses to post steady, high-floor point totals in DraftKings’ PPR-friendly format.

Finally, keep an eye on the injury status of Myles Gaskin (MIA vs. CIN, $5,900), who was still on injured reserve at the time of this writing. Reports indicate that he’s trending towards playing, as the statuses of fellow running backs Salvon Ahmed, DeAndre Washington, and Matt Breida are very much in doubt.

Best Buy: Chris Carson gets the nod. Finally healthy, he’ll see little to no competition for carries, as his backfield mates are now as banged up as he once was.

Bargain Bin: As it’s unlikely that Booker will soak up all of Jacobs’ vacated workload, Jalen Richard (LV at NYJ, $4,000) is in line for an expanded role, one in which he should see a solid floor driven by target volume. Those who pay up at wide receiver and quarterback and require a low-priced running back could absolutely do worse.

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