Week 12 is in the books so it is on to the next one. Fantasy football makes following the NFL even more fun and one of the best aspects of fantasy football has become playing on DraftKings. Every week is like a new puzzle to figure out. Both cash games and tournaments present a unique challenge. Here are the best NFL Week 13 DraftKings plays.
Best DraftKings Plays For NFL Week 13
Week 12 Recap
It is always good to be completely transparent and demonstrate accountability and that goes for fantasy football as well.
🚨RECAP THREAD🚨
For full transparency each week I'll recap my suggested #DraftKings plays to see if they hit the 2.5x we generally shoot for each week in cash builds!#FantasyFootball#NFL#NFLTwitter#DFS@BlazedRTs@MyFantasyLeague@LastWordOnNFL
https://t.co/CSbTLC47Xs— ✴️Rob Norton✴️ (@norton0723) November 30, 2021
Looking back at Week 12, it was the worst of the year so far. That week 36% of the recommendations hit the 2.5x value we look for in cash game lineups. This time the quarterback and tight end groups led the way with a 40% success rate. Meanwhile, the running back group brought up the rear this week with a 28.6% success rate. It was not a profitable week. But this week provides a chance to do better with the picks and get back to making a profit in the NFL Week 13 DraftKings plays.
- Week 12 – $444 → $106 ($338 LOSS)
- Year Total – $4,046 → $4,366 ($320 PROFIT)
Week 13 DraftKings Plays
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady (TB) – $7,200 @ ATL
Tom Brady has now had a few subpar weeks in a row. Do not expect that to continue for much longer. In a great spot last week, it was Leonard Fournette doing all the damage. “Lombardi Lenny” went absolutely off against the Indianapolis Colts to the tune of four touchdowns and more than 40 DraftKings points. This week against the Atlanta Falcons Brady has a really good opportunity to get back on track. This game has the highest combined total on the slate at 50.5 points. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also 10.5-point favorites in this one which gives them the highest implied total as well. This one also will be played in a dome to help out the passing games on both sides. It would not be surprising at all to see Brady as the highest-scoring quarterback this week and a Brady stack taking down a big tournament.
Highest passing grade past the 1st read:
🎯 Tom Brady – 88.8
🎯 Joe Burrow – 87.1 pic.twitter.com/FHyCdg3X9P— PFF (@PFF) December 3, 2021
Taylor Heinicke (WFT) – $5,600 @ LV
Taylor Heinicke may not be the future for the Washington Football Team but he sure is fun to watch and root for. He is also a much better fantasy quarterback than he is a real-life quarterback because he is a bit of a gunslinger isn’t scared to force passes and push the ball down the field and he can also run a bit. Heinicke is a sneaky runner who provides a nice floor of points with his legs on most weeks. He is always a threat to take off any given play. Heinicke is currently averaging 17.7 DraftKings points per game so if he just hits his average at this salary, that is a good value. The matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders is nice as well. It has a 49.5-point combined total and will be played in a dome. All of these factors make Heinicke a great spend-down option at quarterback this week.
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Others to Consider: Jalen Hurts (PHI) – $7,000 @ NYJ, Derek Carr (LV) – $6,000 v WFT, Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) – $5,500 v NYG
Running Backs
Alexander Mattison (MIN) – $7,600 @ DET
This is the week of the backup running backs. Dalvin Cook went down again last week with a painful injury and will be out for this game. Enter Alexander Mattison, workhorse running back. Cook has missed two games this year and Mattison went crazy in both. In those two games, he saw a combined 51 carries and 13 receptions on 15 targets. He turned those into 225 rushing yards and 99 receiving yards and a score on his way to 56.4 DraftKings points. One of those games happened to be against the Detroit Lions which is the same team he gets the pleasure of facing in this one. This game has a 46.5-point combined total and the Minnesota Vikings are 7.5-point road favorites. The Lions are one of the worst defenses in the league. They have allowed the third-most DraftKings points to running backs this year. Expect Mattison to have another big game this week.
Alexander Mattison has seen 20+ touches in two games this season. In each of those games, he had over 150 total yards. He scored 20+ PPR points in both those games. One of those games was also against the Lions which is who he plays this week. He is an RB1 this week no doubt. pic.twitter.com/gxpwLsa2j9
— Hutchinson Brown (@hutchinsonb_ff) December 4, 2021
Elijah Mitchell (SF) – $6,000 @ SEA
The most popular waiver addition after the opening week of the season has been paying off big time lately. Elijah Mitchell has been treated like a workhorse running back when healthy. He has seen at least 18 carries and produced at least 91 rushing yards in four of the last five games, including over 100 rushing yards in three of those. On the year he is averaging 16.3 DraftKings points per game. The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best running schemes in the NFL and it has been Mitchell who has been taking advantage. This week’s matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is a great one. Seattle has played terribly lately and is allowing the second-most DraftKings points to running backs this year. The 49ers are 3.5-point favorites in a game with a 45.5-point combined total which should help Mitchell stay heavily involved all game.
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Jamaal Williams (DET) – $5,400 v MIN
Unlike Mattison, DraftKings did not price up Jamaal Williams. This is going to make Williams possibly the most popular player on the slate, especially in cash builds. It is for good reasons too as D’Andre Swift will miss this game with a shoulder injury, which means Williams will handle the load in this one. Williams is in line to see 20+ touches in this game, including likely a minimum of five targets. Even in a game where the Lions are 7.5-point home underdogs, it is just simply too much volume at this cheap of a price. Williams has mostly been solid over the years when he has had a full workload and he should be one of the best point-per-dollar plays this week.
Others to Consider: Jonathan Taylor (IND) – $9,200 @ HOU, James Conner (ARI) – 5,900 @ CHI, Darrell Henderson (LAR) – $6,100 v JAX, Antonio Gibson (WFT) – $5,700 @ LV
Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp (LAR) – $9,000 v JAX
With so many cheap running back plays this week, it is likely that Cooper Kupp will be fairly popular. He was a little disappointing last week by his standards with “only” 18.6 DraftKings points. When 18.6 is a disappointment, that is when you know it has been an incredible season. Kupp already has 92 receptions for 1,237 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year. He is averaging 26.8 DraftKings points per game as well. This week’s matchup is a juicy one as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. They have allowed the 10th-most DraftKings points to wide receivers this year. The Rams are the largest favorites on the slate at 13 points and have the second-highest implied total. Kupp should have no issue tearing up this Jaguars secondary.
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.@CooperKupp's numbers speak for themselves.
1 Retweet = 1 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/PE75L7pjAB
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 4, 2021
Hunter Renfrow (LV) – $5,800 v WFT
Hunter Renfrow has turned into such a reliable option on a weekly basis and he is averaging 14.3 DraftKings points per game this season. Renfrow has scored double-digits in nine of eleven games as well. Renfrow has seen at least six targets in nine games, including at least eight targets in four of his last five. As previously mentioned, the game environment should be good. This game is in a dome, has a nice combined total, and a close spread. It hits the trifecta for a possible shootout. The matchup against Washington is great as well since Washington has allowed the fourth-most DraftKings points to wide receivers this year. Renfrow looks like he could be a great option again this week at a solid salary, especially with Darren Waller likely to sit this one out.
Michael Pittman Jr. (IND) – $5,700 @ HOU
Michael Pittman Jr. has had three straight down weeks. The silver lining to this is that his salary has stayed cheaper than it should be. He only had 9.3 DraftKings points last week but what was encouraging was that he saw 10 targets in that game; they just didn’t turn into production. If he sees another 10 targets against the Houston Texans this week, the results will likely be much better. The Texans are one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The only concern here is that Jonathan Taylor could run wild in this one and that would suppress the need for the passing game. Even still, the spot is still great. The Indianapolis Colts are 10-point road favorites in this one and the game will be played in a dome so that helps as well. Assuming the Texans are able to stay at least somewhat competitive, Pittman Jr. should be able to put up a good game in this one.
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Others to Consider: Diontae Johnson (PIT) – $6,800 v BAL, Chris Godwin (TB) – $6,600 @ ATL, DeVante Parker (MIA) – $3,900 v NYG, Tee Higgins (CIN) – $5,800 v LAC, Brandon Aiyuk (SF) – $5,600 @ SEA
Tight Ends
George Kittle (SF) – $5,900 @ SEA
It has been another injury-riddled season for George Kittle. He has played pretty well over the last four games though. Aside from last week, Kittle has scored a touchdown and at least 13.4 DraftKings points in every game. Last week’s game was a dud so that dropped his salary by $500. This week the 49ers will be missing Deebo Samuel which should push some extra targets Kittle’s way. Plus, the Seahawks defense has been so bad. They have been worse against running backs but they have allowed the 10th-most DraftKings points to tight ends this year as well. When paying up at tight end this week, Kittle looks like he might end up being the best choice.
Foster Moreau (LV) – $2,700 v WFT
Tight end “handcuffs” are few and far between but if anyone could be labeled as one it would be Foster Moreau. In the one game that Darren Waller missed earlier this year, Moreau produced six receptions for 60 yards and a score. That was good for 18 DraftKings points. Moreau only has six receptions the rest of the season combined so that shows his involvement with Waller in the lineup and when Waller misses time. Waller is very likely to miss this game which should have Moreau seeing a big boost in both snap and target share. Also, Washington has been terrible at stopping opposing passing games. At such a cheap price, Moreau is going to be the best point-per-dollar play at tight end and the most popular play at tight end, especially in cash builds.
really seems like my wife and kids don’t care that foster moreau would easily be a top five fantasy tight end if he were a full time starter
— Denny Carter (@CDCarter13) December 2, 2021
Others to Consider: Dallas Goedert (PHI) – $4,500 @ NYJ, Tyler Higbee (LAR) – $3,800 v JAX, James O’Shaughnessy (JAX) – $2,600 @ LAR
Defense/Special Teams
In terms of choosing a defense/special teams, it is the last spot that should be filled every week. It is pretty random but there are a few areas where it is possible to gain an advantage. It can be advantageous to target the heavily favored teams as they usually are playing with a lead. This forces their opponent to throw it more often which can help lead to extra sacks and turnovers and hopefully a touchdown. Another aspect to target is turnover and sack-prone quarterbacks. The best philosophy is to fill out the rest of your lineup first and then pick the best D/ST out of your remaining money.
Tentative Cash Game Lineup
- QB – Tom Brady
- RB – Alexander Mattison
- RB – James Conner
- WR – Cooper Kupp
- WR – Hunter Renfrow
- WR – DeVante Parker
- TE – Foster Moreau
- Flex – Jamaal Williams
- DST – Washington Football Team
Make sure to tune in next week to see the results of these Week 13 DraftKings plays and to see the best picks for Week 14.
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