In this piece, I highlight quarterbacks who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.
As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.
And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Top NFL DFS Quarterback Picks in the FantasyLabs Models
On DraftKings, there are four quarterbacks near the top of the individual Sean Koerner, Chris Raybon, Cash Game, and Tournament Player Models.
- Josh Allen
- Kirk Cousins
- Daniel Jones
- Gardner Minshew
We’ll discuss why these four are popping in our models, as well as take a look at some other quarterbacks.
Top Model NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
Josh Allen ($8,500 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel): Buffalo Bills (-8.5) at Chicago Bears (39.5 total)
Many expected the weather to be a big factor on Saturday night, but Josh Allen still crushed in a shootout against Miami. Allen completed 62.5% of his passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns while adding another 77 yards on the ground. It was Allen’s best game of the season with 39.86 DraftKings points, giving him seven games of 30+ DraftKings points.
Allen is very talented as a thrower and has a bunch of talented pass catchers, but his ability to fall back on his legs is what makes him such a useful fantasy quarterback. He has 40+ yards on the ground in 10 of 14 games this year, which is essentially adding another touchdown pass to his fantasy score.
There are once again weather concerns this week in Chicago, but Allen’s legs give us a reason for confidence despite whatever weather comes. The Bears defense is nothing to be afraid of, and Allen is talented enough to overcome even difficult matchups.
If the weather appears like it’ll clear up, then this is an absolute smash spot. Regardless of the weather, Allen looks like a great play this week.
He’s the top quarterback in our Tournament Model.
Kirk Cousins ($6,300 DraftKings, $7,700 FanDuel): Minnesota Vikings (-4) vs. New York Giants (48 total)
It appeared that Kirk Cousins was going to lay an absolute dud in a pretty good spot against the Colts last week. Cousins and the Vikings proceeded to climb out of a 33-point deficit and beat the Colts 39-36 in overtime.
Cousins turned in his best game of the season, completing 63% of his passes for 460 yards and four touchdowns. It was his second straight game with 400+ passing yards, as he threw for 425 yards and two touchdowns two weeks ago against the Detroit Lions. Cousins is starting to flash his ceiling, as 28 and 37.4 DraftKings points in the past two weeks have been back-to-back season highs.
The Giants defense loves to blitz, which is not good news for Cousins. He’s been blitzed on a quarter of his dropbacks this year, completing merely 55.6% of his passes for 5.6 yards per attempt. The Giants blitz on 45.2% of passing plays, so hopefully, Cousins can figure out his struggles.
New York also deploys a lot of man coverage, which, once again, is bad news for Cousins. He is completing merely 53.5% of his passes for 6.8 yards per attempt against man coverage.
If the matchup seems to be difficult, then why is Cousins the top quarterback in our Cash Game Model? Well, if you’ve checked any of the weather forecasts, the majority of games on Saturday will be dealing with inclement weather. This game is one of five with a total of over 40 points and is one of two games being played in a dome.
Daniel Jones ($5,600 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel): New York Giants (+4) at Minnesota Vikings (48 total)
Daniel Jones continues to barely be used as a passer, with just three games of multiple touchdown passes and five games of 200+ passing yards. Jones has reached the 300-yard bonus once all year and hasn’t topped 228 yards outside of that performance.
Pretty much all of Jones’ upside comes from his legs, as his best fantasy games have been due to him adding yardage and/or touchdowns on the ground. He has five QB1 scoring weeks this year, and he’s added at least seven fantasy points on the ground in all five.
The matchup is pretty much as good as it gets for Jones, as Minnesota ranks in the bottom six in completion rate allowed, yards allowed per attempt, and passing yards allowed on throws 10 or more yards downfield. Jones only has two touchdown passes of 10 or more yards and is 20th in the league in the percentage of completions to go for 10 or more yards. It’s up in the air whether or not Jones can make this defense pay, but he certainly has a great matchup.
In one of few games in a dome with solid upside due to his legs, it makes a lot of sense for Jones to lead Chris Raybon’s Pro Model.
Gardner Minshew ($4,800 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel): Philadelphia Eagles (+4.5) at Dallas Cowboys (46.5 total)
With Jalen Hurts officially ruled out, it’s going to be the Gardner Minshew show for the Eagles this weekend. Minshew made two starts last season, with one coming in Week 18, while the team rested pretty much all of their starters.
Minshew should have the full set of Eagles’ pass-catchers at his disposal and has shown to be a more than capable quarterback in the NFL. In his one start last year with the Eagles’ starters playing, he completed 80% of his passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets.
Dallas is starting to get a little banged up on defense, with Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown sustaining season-ending injuries. Davis Mills threw for 8.6 yards per attempt two weeks ago and then let Trevor Lawrence throw for 316 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Minshew certainly isn’t the most talented quarterback in the league, but he’s priced as if he’s the worst quarterback in the league, which isn’t the case. He’s also playing in a dome, which is a huge plus this weekend.
He’s the top quarterback in Sean Koerner’s Pro Model.
Other Notable NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
Patrick Mahomes ($8,400 DraftKings, $9,200 FanDuel): Kansas City Chiefs (-10) vs. Seattle Seahawks (49.5 total)
Patrick Mahomes continued his reign of terror over the league last week, completing 87.8% of his passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns while adding 33 yards and a score on the ground against the Texans. It felt like somewhat of a pedestrian game from the Chiefs, and Mahomes still tossed up 35.74 DraftKings points. It marked Mahomes’ seventh game of 30+ DraftKings points on the season.
Mahomes has thrown for 300+ yards in eight of his last nine games and now matches up with a subpar Seattle defense that is riding high after facing a string of quarterbacks named John Wolford, Sam Darnold, and Brock Purdy. Seattle has given up the 11th-highest yards per attempt and touchdown rate in the league. This game has the highest total of the week and looks like a good spot to attack, with a lot of games appearing to be severely impacted by the weather.
Brock Purdy ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel): San Francisco 49ers (-7) vs. Washington Commanders (37.5 total)
Brock Purdy has been more than serviceable in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo, with the 49ers winning all three games with Purdy under center against three teams in the playoff race. Purdy has 15.3, 21.7, and 16.48 DraftKings points in his three games. He’s thrown two touchdowns in each game while adding a rushing touchdown against Tampa Bay.
This will be the toughest defense that Purdy has faced on paper, with Washington allowing merely 6.4 yards per attempt and a 3.4% touchdown rate in the past ten games. Purdy is one of the few quarterbacks not dealing with weather issues, and we’re playing him to gain the upside of his super-talented pass-catchers.
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