The NFL season is winding down and if your fantasy team is on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, now is a good time to put a few wagers in on DraftKings. Let's take a look at what some of those attractive wagers look like this week.
GAMES
Cincinnati Bengals +2 vs. San Francisco 49ers - If I'm worried about anything this game, it's that the Bengals' defense has been pretty bad all season. However, San Francisco has some defensive injuries and the Cincinnati offense is capable of putting up big points any given week. The 49ers are down to Jeff Wilson as their starting running back and I'm still not sure Jimmy Garoppolo is an NFL-caliber quarterback. This line has also shifted in a direction I like to take as the 49ers were originally +1.
Chicago Bears +12.5 at Green Bay Packers - I know, I know, Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears. This line just seems like a lot of points for a divisional game and the meeting earlier in the season was only decided by 10 points. I'm going to assume the upgrade from Andy Dalton to Justin Fieldsis a positive note and Allen Robinson will be back in the fold as well.
Washington Football Team +5 vs. Dallas Cowboys - I think this game could be the highest-scoring game of the week and I don't mind parlaying the over (48) with the Football Team. Dallas isn't impressive on defense and I like Taylor Heinicke as a quarterback. Fun fact: offensive coordinator Scott Turner was the only pro scout to show up to Heincke's Pro Day at Old Dominion and I think Washington would be wise to consider him the quarterback of the future.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3.5 (+100) vs. Buffalo Bills
Tampa has been brilliant at home this year, going 5-0 while outscoring their opponents 192-84. In those games, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady has thrown 20 touchdown passes, compared to only 14 on the road (in two extra road starts). That's an average of 4 TD passes per home game. Meanwhile, the Bills seem to underperform just about every week, covering the point spread just twice over their last 7 games. The main thing Bills have going for them in this matchup is their league-leading pass defense, but Tampa's passing game has been so effective at home that it seems unlikely Buffalo will be able to slow them down significantly. The Buccaneers have also shown themselves capable of mixing it up on offense, with RB Leonard Fournette having a huge season (he currently ranks as the RB4 overall). I think the Buccaneers will be able to cover this small number at home vs. the underachieving Bills.
PLAYER PROPS
Mike Williams OVER 65.5 Receiving Yards - I'd grab this number sooner than later as I would anticipate it going up as it gets closer to kickoff. Williams should see an uptick in targets with Keenan Allen officially ruled out and he's had at least five targets in each of his last eight games. Facing the Giants, especially at home, is a plus matchup.
Jeff Wilson OVER 58.5 Rushing Yards - While I know I picked the Bengals with the points, it doesn't mean that Wilson can't hit the over and I get Cincinnati right as well. This number seems low to me considering Kyle Shanahan like a run-heavy offense and if Wilson gets at least 15 carries, this seems like a very achievable over. The Bengals rank dead last at defending the position.
Zach Ertz OVER 3.5 Receptions (-150) - Ertz has gone over this number in two of his last three games and odd as it sounds, I like that he's coming off a one-catch game. The Rams are merely league-average against the tight end spot being the 16th ranked team against opposing teams.
CeeDee Lamb over 73.5 receiving yards (-115)
The Cowboys came into this week with the fourth-most passing yards in the league, and will finally be getting all their passing game weapons back on the field at the same time (aside from Tony Pollard, perhaps). This sets up well versus Washington, who have allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league. I expect to see a ton of Dallas passing in this game, with the emerging Tony Pollard likely out (or limited), while Ezekiel Elliott has been banged up and mostly ineffective. CeeDee Lamb could be the prime beneficiary of that versus a weak Washington pass defense.
Antonio Gibson over 68.5 rushing yards (-115)
The Football Team has gone decidedly run-heavy over the last month, with Gibson averaging 23+ carries per game over his last four starts (notably, all Washington wins). There's little reason for Football Team to go away from that, as the Dallas run defense allows 4.5 yards per carry. Gibson seems likely to cover this total on sheer volume.
Tee Higgins over 68.5 receiving yards (-115)
Higgins has simply exploded over the last two weeks, posting easily his best game of the year (6-114-1 on 8 targets) against the Steelers a couple of weeks ago, then promptly exceeding that (9-138-1 on 14 targets) versus the Chargers last week. Given his recent volume, it's difficult to see Higgins not surpassing this modest total, especially in a game where the Bengals are a home underdog and can be expected to throw a fair amount. Be advised, Higgins is listed as questionable this week with an ankle injury, but he practiced (limited) on Thursday/Friday and should be expected to play.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling over 41.5 receiving yards (-115)
MVS has really come on of late, garnering 19 targets over his last two games. As we know, he tends to be pretty effective with the catches that he pulls down, with long gainers of 28+ yards in four of his last five starts. As long as he continues to get this type of attention from Aaron Rodgers, he can be a very effective fantasy player in this offense, with 41 yards much more representative of his floor than his ceiling. I like his chances versus the Bears this week.
PLAYER TOUCHDOWNS
Ricky Seals-Jones +350 - It almost seems to me that any tight end getting these types of odds is worth taking just given how much they are generally used in the red zone. Logan Thomas is out for the season so RSJ will be the main pass catcher from the tight end spot for Washington. Dallas is 22nd in terms of fantasy points defending the position making this a good matchup.
Travis Kelce -115 - I'm not in love with the odds but Kelce is coming off the worst game of the season fantasy-wise and the Raiders (31st in the league) are horrible against tight ends. This game has a healthy over/under (48, and I like the over) so there should be a good amount of touchdowns scored by the Chiefs.
Jalen Guyton +200, Josh Palmer +290 - This is one of those weekly cases where I like taking both players and if either one of them scores, you're going to profit. There's also the upside that both score and both should be a big part of the passing attack with Keenan Allen out. Weather won't be a concern and the Giants have traveled a lot in the last two weeks.
Cam Newton (+110)
Newton has scored a rushing touchdown in all three games as the Panthers' QB, and this week faces the Falcons as a home favorite in a game where RB Christian McCaffrey is unavailable. Seems likely Cam can find the end zone once again.
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