FanDuel NFL picks, Week 16: Best DFS fantasy football lineup
FanDuel NFL Week 16 Picks and Advice: Running Back
Running back is easily the position hit the hardest by the smaller slate, as top tier options like Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry are all unavailable. This leaves the second tier of running backs as the best options this week.
Players like David Montgomery ($7,800) and Nick Chubb ($9,000) are both fantastic options but you can not have the same confidence in them as you would with Henry. For that reason, I actually do not mind spending up at wide receiver and getting Mahomes in your lineup if it means you have to miss out on one of these top running backs.
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Some of the best values of this slate actually come from the same game, with Austin Ekeler ($7,000) and Melvin Gordon III ($6,400) both extremely cheap for what they can do against each other’s weak defenses. Though I would never recommend playing both running backs in the same game in one lineup, as it severely limits your upside, that does not mean that both running backs can not have a good game.
Injuries have opened up lots of possibilities for savings, with Darell Henderson ($5,600), Tony Pollard ($6,300), and Le’Veon Bell ($6,400) all likely to be popular. Of the three, I would easily trust Pollard the most if Elliot is inactive. If Zeke is active, there is no way you can play Pollard at his price point, even if there is a chance he plays a majority of snaps.
Finally, J.D. McKissic ($5,800) is a fantastic play against a weak Carolina defense. Keep an eye on Washington’s injury report to ensure Antonio Gibson will miss, as you can throw McKissic in your lineup and replace him with Henderson if Gibson is deemed active.
As for running backs I am avoiding, Jonathan Taylor ($7,500) is the most expensive running back I will be fading as I think that this is a get right spot for the Steelers defense. Even though he should receive a heavy workload, at his price point he needs a touchdown and 100+ yards to pay off. Kareem Hunt ($7,200) is also extremely overpriced, as the Jets have actually been a formidable defense against the run. I would much rather save money and play Carson or Ekeler.