NFL DFS Example Lineups: Week 17

Welcome to the DFS Example Lineups for NFL Week 17!

And away we go, once again! Are you ready to get back at it, #FANation? 

We've got a big ol' 14-game slate to play around with today with numerous options all over the place. I expect a lot of people to try and get Jonathan Taylor into their lineups, given his tasty match-up with the Raiders and that Carson Wentz is just coming back from the reserve/COVID list. How much will the Colts lean on him? I expect a lot of people to try and get Cooper Kupp into their lineups with a depleted Ravens secondary being heavily targeted by all of us the past few weeks. I expect a lot of people to try and fit both of them. Is it possible? Absolutely. It's difficult and you have to throw a number of darts to get it done, but people will try it. For us, we have to look to see if we can afford to fade either guy. Is there enough value at RB that we can bypass Taylor and maybe fit Kupp? Is there enough value at WR to do the opposite? Is there enough to fade both?

I'm sure these are the questions running through your minds this morning and they are certainly running through mine. The beauty of a deep slate is that there are going to be a number of possibilities for us and we'll try to play around with some lineups until we figure it all out. For your cash games, let me remind you that we are looking for high-floor players so taking shots on dart-throws or inconsistent players is a no-no. I mean, you can, but you're taking an awfully big risk. Nothing sinks a good cash lineup like a big, fat zero, even if you're using some min-priced guy, because there's no guarantee all of your players hit and if the chalk misses, yes, you're all going down together, but those who didn't throw darts and take a zero are going to pass you by. Save your darts for the GPP tournaments. That's where you do it. 

Just a few notes here about the lineups below...

The cash lineups were built solely off the players I put in the Playbook. These are the guys who, unless I have indicated otherwise, offer up the higher floor and will help you cash in your Double-Ups and 50/50s. For GPP tournaments, particularly the large-field ones, you need to find alternative routes to the cash line. I will utilize players from the Playbook and the DFS Dart Board to fill in the gaps, but what I am looking for are some lower-owned stacks that make sense based on expected game flow and other news. You may also see in the GPP lineups, there may be some names I haven't discussed this week on the site, but have talked about during the week on the Fantasy Alarm Show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. You will also notice, though, that others on the site have mentioned some of these players in places such as the position coaches, so it's not like we're trying to hide anything from you. The only time, and I mean the only time you will see a player in a GPP lineup who hasn't been discussed is if we are using a stack and need a player from the other team coming back. But it's rare when that happens.

Again, these lineups are meant to serve as examples for you. A sounding board if you will. They are not meant for you to plug in as your own. That's the lazy way and we don't condone it. We are trying to teach you how to be a better DFS player; we aren't lineup-sellers. You should be creating your own lineups using all the information we provide you throughout the week and then coming here to see if there is anything you may have missed or simply for an alternative perspective.

Best of luck to you this week and let's make some money!

SUNDAY MORNING NOTES:

Most Recent Updates:

According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter:

49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a torn UCL in his right thumb, is not expected to Play vs Texans

49ers’ RB Elijah Mitchell, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a knee injury, is expected to play vs. the Texans, per source.

Broncos’ running backs Melvin Gordon (thumb) and Javonte Williams (knee), both listed as questionable for Sunday, are expected to play vs. the Chargers, per source.

Eagles’ running back Jordan Howard, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a stinger, is expected to play vs. the WFT, per source.

Buccaneers’ wide receiver Mike Evans, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a hamstring injury, is expected to play in a limited capacity vs. the Jets, per sources.

Buccaneers’ wide receiver Antonio Brown, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an ankle injury, is expected to play vs. the Jets, per sources. Bucs initially had their doubts Brown would play, but he practiced Saturday and barring a setback Sunday, is expected to go.

Vikings’ TE Tyler Conklin, listed as questionable for Sunday night due to a hamstring injury, is expected to play vs. the Packers, per source.

Chiefs ruled out RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire for Sunday’s game vs. Cincinnati and added RB Jerick McKinnon to the 53-man roster from IR.

Rams’ RB Cam Akers, listed as questionable for Sunday due to an Achilles injury he suffered in July, will not play Sunday vs. the Ravens, per source.

Players out Sunday include Kirk Cousins, Miles Sanders, Antonio Gibson, William Jackson, Shaq Barrett, James O’Shaughnessy, Nelson Agholor, John Ross, Kadarius Toney, Stephon Gilmore, Tre’Quan Smith, Teddy Bridgewater, Jerry Jeudy and Bradley Chubb.

Other News:

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports Courtland Sutton (illness) is expected to play in Week 17 against the Chargers.

LATE ADDS:

Bills running back Devin Singletary was added to the Playbook in the early evening Saturday

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was added to the Playbook Sunday morning.

Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson was added to the Playbook Sunday morning.

Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown was added to the Playbook

Jets WR Braxton Berrios was added to the Dart Board

49ers quarterback Trey Lance has been moved from the Dart Board to the Playbook while Russell Wilson was removed.

Both Tyler Lockett and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been downgraded to GPP-only status. With so many options, it makes no sense to fight the weather in cash games.

Be on the lookout for an Impemba Special with Raiders TE Foster Moreau

WEATHER:

BUF/ATL – we're looking at snow showers throughout the game and temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s.

DET/SEA – looks like rain throughout the game with winds blowing in the 12-15mph range

MIA/TEN – rain with possible snow throughout the game with winds blowing in the 12-15mph range

GPP STACKS:

As a reminder, when you're stacking in GPP, you usually want to run someone back from the opposing team. One-sided games often turn to a running back seeing higher-than-usual volume or the back-ups start to play. For a stack to really pop, the other team needs to keep things competitive. 

Chalk Stacks (Expect High Ownership):

**Buccaneers: Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Ronald Jones or Antonio Brown (Berrios coming back)

**Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce or Darrel Williams (Higgins, Chase or Mixon coming back)

Bengals: Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon or Ja'Marr Chase (Williams, Hill or Kelce coming back)

Bills: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Devin Singletary or Gabriel Davis or Cole Beasley (Pitts, Patterson or Gage coming back)

**Rams: Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Sony Michel or Van Jefferson or Odell Beckham (Andrews or Brown coming back)

49ers: Trey Lance, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle (Cooks coming back)

**Cowboys: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott or Amari Cooper or Dalton Schultz (Kirk or Ertz coming back)

**Cardinals: Kyler Murray, Christian Kirk, Zach Ertz or Antoine Wesley (Lamb, Zeke or Cooper coming back)

Possible Lower-Owned Stacks:

Seahawks: Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf or Gerald Everett (Swift or St. Brown coming back)

Eagles: Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert, DeVonta Smith or Boston Scott (Patterson or McLaurin coming back)

**Chargers: Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen or Mike Williams (Javonte Williams or Sutton coming back)

**Saints: Taysom Hill, Alvin Kamara, Marquez Callaway or Adam Trautman (Moore coming back)

Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki or DeVante Parker (Brown coming back)

Raiders: Derek Carr, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs or Foster Moreau (Taylor or Pittman coming back)

Falcons: Matt Ryan, Kyle Pitts, Cordarrelle Patterson or Russell Gage (Diggs or Singletary coming back)

Ravens: Tyler Huntley, Mark Andrews, Marquise Brown (Michel, Kupp, Jefferson or OBJ coming back)

Lions: Tim Boyle, D'Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown (Metcalf or Lockett coming back)

Dart Throw Stacks:

Washington: Taylor Heinicke, Jarret Patterson, Terry McLaurin (D Smith or Goedert coming back)

Bears: Andy Dalton, David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney or Cole Kmet (Barkley or Toney coming back)

Broncos: Drew Lock, Javonte Williams, Courtland Sutton or Noah Fant (Ekeler, or Allen coming back)

**denotes favorite**