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
Daniel Jones ($5,600 DraftKings, $7,400 FanDuel) New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings
This feels incredibly gross, but points per dollar wise, Danny Dimes might be the best pure QB play on the slate. He’s got a bunch of things working in his favor, first and maybe most important of which, he will be playing in a dome. There are only two games on the main slate that are being played indoors, and it’s no surprise they are two of the three highest-totaled games on the week.
All of the expensive QB options this week are a bit overpriced, making paying down the optimal way to go this week, especially if you want to jam in the elite running back plays. Jones costs just $5,600 in what could turn into a bit of a back-and-forth affair with the Vikings. Minnesota has allowed the fifth most DraftKings points to opposing QBs on the season, including the 12th most rushing yards to the position as well.
Jones has a good shot at hitting 20 this week, and for his salary, we will gladly take that.
Geno Smith ($5,800 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel) Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs
Smith might go a bit overlooked this week, being on the road at Arrowhead, which notoriously has been one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. However, theres a strong chance he drops back 40+ times this week at just $5,800, making this a way more palatable play. There is also a straight-line stack with Smith and DK Metcalf (more on him below) with Tyler Lockett ruled out this week.
Seattle has just a 19-point implied team total, but the Chiefs are going to score points in this spot, and we’ve seen Pete Carroll have no issue in letting Geno open it up when trailing. He’s a sneaky bet for 300+ passing yards and 2-3 touchdowns here.
NFL DFS Running Back Picks
Christian McCaffrey ($8,800 DraftKings, $9,400 FanDuel) San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Commanders
McCaffrey is back to being the peak Carolina version of himself since he joined the 49ers, and even more so since Deebo Samuel got hurt. Last week he saw 26 carries and eight targets, which he turned 138 total yards and a touchdown, good for 28.8 DraftKings points. This performance marked the third consecutive game CMC has gone over 28 DK points and has established himself as the focal point of this Brock Purdy-led offense.
At $8,800, he is certainly no bargain, but it’s a near certainty that he’s gonna hit 25 points again this week at least and for as long as Deebo is out, making him a must roster in cash games and single-entry GPPs alike.
Derrick Henry ($8,600 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel) Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans
This could be a complete nightmare spot for the Texans this week, coming off back-to-back heartbreaking losses against two of the best teams in the NFL (Chiefs and Cowboys) and now heading on the road to face a desperate Titans team.
Malik Willis will start this week after Ryan Tannehill was ruled out with an ankle injury, meaning we should see an insane workload for Derrick Henry. The last time these two teams met was in Week 8, a game in which Willis also started, and Henry saw a whopping 32 carries and ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
We know this Texans run defense leaves much to be desired, allowing the most DraftKings points in the NFL to opposing running backs, and that the Titans want to hide their rookie quarterback as much as possible. This is the nut matchup for Henry and is arguably the best play on the slate outside of CMC.
NFL DFS Wide Receiver Picks
DK Metcalf ($7,100 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel) Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler Lockett has been ruled out this week after breaking his finger last week against the 49ers, leaving Metcalf as a potential target hog this week against the Chiefs. Kansas City has the highest implied total of the week at just under 30 points, so we know Seattle is going to need to throw and throw quite a bit here.
Metcalf is already 17th in the NFL in target share, sitting at 26%, and when you remove Lockett’s 23.6% share, it obviously leaves quite a few targets available in a spot where Geno Smith might be forced to drop back 40+ times.
Kansas City has allowed the most wide receiver touchdowns on the season at 19 and sit 29th in DraftKings points allowed to the position.
Metcalf could explode in this spot and is priced as if he’s still sharing the field with Lockett.
Sign me up.
D.J. Moore ($5,500 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel) Carolina Panthers vs. Detroit Lions
Moore has quietly been on a nice run since Sam Darnold took over as starting quarterback, posting lines of 5/73/1 and 4/103/1 in two of his past three games. This week he (and Darnold) draw a dream spot at home against the Lions horrendous pass defense. Detroit ranks 31st in DraftKings points allowed to opposing wideouts and dead last in receiving yards allowed
At just $5,500, Moore figures to be pretty chalky, but playing WRs against the Lions this year has been a plus-EV bet, and there’s no reason for that to stop this week.
NFL DFS Tight End Picks
Dalton Schultz ($4,200 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel) Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Schultz was on the field last week for 73 of a possible 75 snaps, which was his largest snap share of the season. He underwhelmed, however, posting just two catches for 15 yards. Not that this is a harbinger of things to come this week, but each of the past two times Schultz has posted five DraftKings points or less, he’s gone for 19.1 and 14.7 in the following game. If you combine that with the fact that he’s gonna be on the field a ton, it’s certainly not nothing.
This Cowboys offense is clicking right now, and they boast a 25.5 implied team total, which is the fourth highest on the week. Schultz should have a pretty decent floor this week.
Daniel Bellinger (3,300 DraftKings, $4,700 FanDuel) New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings
Bellinger is my preferred tight end punt of the week. There is not much to be desired at the position this week, as either you pay $8,000 for Travis Kelce, which dictates your roster construction, or choose between mediocre $4,000 options. Bellinger is playing indoors on a week where there are multiple games with single-degree temperatures and 40-point totals.
He was on the field for 62-of-63 snaps last week, which marked the third time in his last five games he’s played at least 93% of the Giants’ offensive snaps. Obviously, his ceiling is not very high on a run-first offense, but he has posted games this year of 10.4 and 14.8 DK points, which would be enough this week at his salary.
Minnesota ranks middle of the pack against tight ends, and we know the rookie is going to be on the field in what could turn into a back-and-forth affair.
