There are an abundance of tools at FantasyLabs to use for your NFL DFS lineups each week. Our most popular tools are our NFL Player Models, which house our NFL DFS projections from Sean Koerner.
You can use these projections in our models with our Lineup Builder to hand-build your lineups or use our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups for your NFL DFS tournaments.
In this article, we will go position by position, highlighting my favorite plays for both cash games and single-entry/three-max GPP contests. These plays are also viable in large field tournaments but do not focus on ownership percentages.
NFL DFS Cash Game + Single-Entry GPP Locks
NFL DFS Quarterback Picks
Patrick Mahomes ($8,100 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel) Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans
Let’s hope people see that big red “1st” next to Mahomes’ name on DraftKings, which indicates that the Texans have allowed the fewest DraftKings points in the NFL to opposing quarterbacks this season. Make no mistake, Houston is not good against defending the pass; they rank 30th in the NFL in yards per attempt. They are just so bad against the run that teams usually take the path of least resistance against them.
However, we know the Chiefs love to throw and rank No. 1 in the NFL in pass rate over expectation. They also have the highest implied team total of the week at 31.75. If Mahomes goes for 350 yards and four touchdowns against this USFL defense, you’re going to be extremely upset you missed out on it.
Mac Jones ($5,000 DraftKings, $6,700 FanDuel) New England Patriots @ Las Vegas Raiders
Jones gets one of the softest pass defenses around this week against this Raiders team. The Patriots have faced a slew of tough defenses this year already, having faced the Jets and Bills twice while also playing the Steelers, Dolphins, Ravens and Colts. In the best spot of the year for Jones, which was on Thanksgiving night against the Vikings, he posted 382 yards and two touchdowns. Bill Belichick let Jones drop back 39 times that week, which was his highest output of the season.
The Raiders, like the Vikings, have been shredded vs. the pass this season, ranking dead last in pass defense DVOA and 27th in DraftKings points allowed to the position. With DeVante Parker ruled out and Jakobi Meyers questionable, it gives you a straight line to double-stack Jones with Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.
For just $5,000, you can do a lot worse here.
NFL DFS Running Back Picks
Derrick Henry ($8,000 DraftKings, $8,900 FanDuel) Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers
Henry did all of his damage in the first half last week and would have gone completely nuclear if the Titans did not get completely eviscerated in the second half. He carried 17 times for 121 yards and a touchdown while adding an additional three catches for 34 yards through the air. I highly doubt the Titans are going to get embarrassed three weeks in a row, which is great news because Henry draws arguably the best matchup you can find in this Chargers run defense.
They’re allowing the highest yards per carry in the NFL at 5.5 and have allowed the second most rushing yards in the league, trailing only the Texans. DFS pros are usually hesitant to play the Big Dog in cash games due to his usual lack of pass-game usage. That is no longer an issue, however, because he’s been way more involved in that department this season.
Henry can be run out with confidence in this dream matchup, as he’s the surest bet on the slate for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Miles Sanders (6,500 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel) Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Sanders is not projecting that well this week because he’s largely a yardage and touchdown back that splits work with both his quarterback and RB teammates. However, he has huge ceilings in weeks where he hits and is on a heater right now.
He went off on the Giants last week for 144 yards and two touchdowns, needing only 17 carries to get there. Two weeks prior, he also went off on the Packers to the tune of 143 yards and two touchdowns. Overall he’s found paydirt five times across his past three games and has now gone over 30 DK points three different times this year, which is more than Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Nick Chubb, just to name a few.
The Bears sit 29th in rush defense DVOA and rank sixth worst in yards per carry allowed to RBs. The Eagles are going to score points (28.75 implied team total), as we know, and if the touchdowns flow through Sanders as they have been, he’s going to smash yet again.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
Ja’Marr Chase ($8,300 DraftKings, $9,000 FanDuel) Cincinnati Bengals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chase is an alpha in every sense of the word. He missed a month due to a hip injury and then came back in his first game and caught seven passes on eight targets for 97 yards two weeks ago. He then followed that up last week with a masterclass against the Browns, catching 10-of-15 targets for 119 yards and a touchdown. He’s back like he never left.
It also helped a bit that Tee Higgins got hurt in warmups last week and ended up not playing. Higgins is questionable again this week, and we know the Bengals will play it as cautiously as possible with him, so we should expect Chase to dominate the target share again this week against a Bucs defense that invites you to throw against them.
Chris Moore ($4,200 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel) Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Moore had himself a game last week against the Cowboys, catching 10-of-11 targets for a career-high 124 yards. He should have scored as well but got stopped at the one, but who is going to complain about 25.4 DraftKings points for $3,400? His price was raised $800, but remains 100% in play as both Nico Collins and Brandin Cooks have been ruled out against the Chiefs this week.
The first time this happened was in Week 9 vs. the Eagles, where Moore also had a good game, going 4/45/1. He then showed out again in the same spot last week sans Cooks and Collins, showing this is not some blip and rather that he can certainly play a bit. The Texans are 14-point home dogs this week to the Chiefs, and are certainly going to need to throw some. It should shock no one to see Moore challenge 10 targets yet again in this spot.
NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Greg Dulcich ($3,600 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel) Denver Broncos vs. Arizona Cardinals
At this point in the season, we know what teams are good at and what they are not good at. The Cardinals are absolutely not good at defending tight ends. As a matter of fact, they rank dead last in the league in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and DraftKings points allowed to the position. Brett Rypien will start for the concussed Russell Wilson this week, and the last time he played, which was Week 7 against the Jets, Dulcic got nine targets and caught six passes for 51 yards.
With both Courtland Sutton and Kendall Hinton out, Denver is stretched thin at pass catcher, so Dulcic should get as much playing time as he can handle. For just $3,600, we can go right back to the well here in this pristine matchup.
Chig Okonkwo (3,100 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel) Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers
Oknkwo was a popular punt last week, and I see zero reasons not to go back here again, as DraftKings only raised his price $400. He caught all six of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown last week against the Jaguars and continues to split time with Austin Hooper. The Chargers have also been quite bad against tight ends this year, allowing the highest yards per reception to the position in the NFL. Okonkwo has already posted three 40+ yard receptions this season and looks like a solid punt option yet again in this spot.
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