Week 12 of the NFL season has already arrived, and the playoffs are rapidly approaching. The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders are each on their bye week. But there still is plenty of action set to take place with 11 games on the Sunday afternoon slate.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and DFS contests. As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge across the Sunday slate. This article presents my top DFS lineup and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback
Drake Maye ($6,900)
It has been an extremely impressive second season for Drake Maye, who has shattered any sort of realistic expectations and cemented his place as the clear franchise quarterback in New England. Maye has completed an NFL-best 71.9% of his pass attempts for 2,836 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and just five picks. He has already thrown for more yards and touchdowns than he did as a rookie, while also adding 285 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Maye is averaging 20.9 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks fourth among quarterbacks.
He enters the week as the most expensive quarterback, but for good reason. The Patriots will be facing off with the Cincinnati Bengals, who have seen their season sink due to defensive struggles again. Cincinnati ranks dead last in total points and yards allowed, as well as 31st in passing yards conceded, 31st in net yards per pass attempt, and last in passing touchdowns allowed. Maye has put together a legitimate MVP campaign and this is a prime chance to add to his resume. He has had plenty of success carving up much stronger defenses all season, so expect him to lead the team on plenty of scoring trips this week.
Other Considerations: Lamar Jackson ($6,700), Jared Goff ($6,000), Jordan Love ($5,800), Sam Darnold ($5,400)
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs ($8,300)
The Detroit Lions will face off with the New York Giants, and are in a prime position for their high-powered offense to do some damage. Detroit ranks fourth in the league in scoring and will be facing a Giants defense that ranks 29th in total points and yards allowed. New York also ranks 31st in rushing yards allowed, 32nd in net yards per rush attempt, and 30th in rushing touchdowns conceded.
Jahmyr Gibbs has rushed for 732 yards this season and eight rushing scores, while adding 334 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Gibbs’ 21.3 fantasy points per game ranks fifth among running backs and 10th among all players overall. While David Montgomery still plays a role, it has become increasingly clear that Gibbs is the top back and offensive weapon for the Lions. He is coming off a season-high 72.9% of offensive snaps last week.
Quinshon Judkins ($6,000)
The entire Cleveland Browns’ offense is receiving a spark this week with Shedeur Sanders getting his first career NFL start. While it is fair to still have your doubts or concerns, perhaps the more motivating factor is the matchup with the Raiders. Las Vegas ranks 24th in opponents’ points allowed, 17th in yards allowed, and 26th in rushing touchdowns allowed. Expect Cleveland to lean on Quinshon Judkins to ease Sanders in his first start.
The rookie running back has showcased what he can do already, with 690 yards from scrimmage and five scores across his first nine games. Judkins is averaging 12.9 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 22nd among running backs. However, he has exploded for as many as 26.4 fantasy points in a game already and has received 22+ carries in three of his past six games.
Other Considerations: Bijan Robinson ($8,500), Derrick Henry ($7,600), TreVeyon Henderson ($6,700), Kenneth Gainwell ($5,500)
Wide Receivers
Rashee Rice ($7,700)
The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense was desperately missing reliable wide receiver production at the start of the season. Since returning, Rashee Rice has made a major impact, pulling in 26 receptions for 253 yards and three touchdowns. While the sample size is small, he is averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring. This ranks seventh among wide receivers.
The Chiefs will be facing the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts and need to play with some desperation as they have slipped to 5-5 on the year. While you cannot dispute the entirety of the Colts’ success, they have lost some momentum from the start of the year and rank 25th in passing yards allowed and 15th in receiving touchdowns conceded. Their secondary got healthier, but Andy Reid can still scheme an offense open as well as anyone in the league. Rice will be the primary target in the offense and has been targeted at least seven times in every game he’s played. Expect more of the same this week and for Rice to be in line for a WR1-type workload.
Kayshon Boutte ($5,000)
Another pleasant surprise in New England this year has been the emergence of Kayshon Boutte. The LSU product has suited up for nine games this year and pulled in 23 receptions for 431 yards and five touchdowns.
Cincinnati’s porous defense will be an easy matchup for Boutte after missing last week’s game with an injury. Before the injury, he had tallied 223 receiving yards and four touchdowns in Weeks 6-8. Pairing Boutte with Maye in your lineup allows for a chance to double-dip in production. His 11 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring currently ranks 43rd among wide receivers, but Boutte had eclipsed this average in three straight weeks before his injury.
Jerry Jeudy ($4,100)
Last year looked to be the breakout season for Jerry Jeudy, in which he tallied a career-high 90 receptions for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns. But inconsistent quarterback play has forced a step back this year. Through the opening 10 games, Jeudy has 31 receptions for 356 yards and one score. His outlook could change this week with Sanders getting his first start. Unlike Dillon Gabriel, Sanders will not be shy to take some chances down the field and allow his wide receivers to make some big plays.
Expect this to especially come into play with the Raiders ranking 17th in passing yards allowed and 21st in net yards per pass attempt conceded. Jeudy is a great talent that could benefit from the QB change. Sanders will be hungry to make a statement, and Jeudy is the right guy to capitalize with. His 7.3 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring ranks 71st, but he had 19.8 just two games ago. At $4,100, Jeudy is worth taking as a value play. Don’t be shocked if he sees more pass volume this week.
Other Considerations: Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,000), Tee Higgins ($7,100), Stefon Diggs ($6,500), Christian Watson ($4,600)
Tight End
Dallas Goedert ($4,200)
The Eagles’ offensive struggles have been vocalized publicly, but these complaints have not come from Dallas Goedert. The 30-year-old is quietly in the midst of a career season as he has 36 receptions, 356 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns despite missing a game. Goedert is averaging 13 fantasy points, which ranks ninth among tight ends and is the most of his career.
He’s primed for another good game as the Eagles face the Cowboys this week. Dallas’ defense has been its biggest problem all season. The Cowboys rank 31st in points allowed, 30th in total yards allowed, 30th in passing yards allowed, 29th in net yards per pass attempt, and 31st in passing touchdowns conceded. Tight ends are averaging 6.5 receptions for 60.5 receiving yards per game this year against Dallas. Count on the tight end being targeted throughout against a poor defensive unit.
Other Considerations: Trey McBride ($6,800), Tyler Warren ($5,500), Hunter Henry ($3,900)
Flex
Andrei Iosivas ($4,100)
Another low-priced wide receiver with value is Andrei Iosivas. The third-year pass-catcher will see his role scaled up on the Bengals this week with Ja’Marr Chase suspended. So far this season, the Princeton product has 19 receptions, 256 yards and one score. Despite one touchdown this year, Iosivas has established himself as a legitimate red zone weapon with 10 receiving scores across the past two seasons.
The Bengals are likely to play from behind this week as they face the Patriots. This game script will lead the Bengals to air the ball out plenty, and Iosivas will be a major beneficiary. He has five receptions in two games this season and has registered at least one catch in seven of the 10 games. Tee Higgins is sure to see plenty of attention, so he’s expected to make an impact, too.
Defense & Special Teams
Detroit Lions ($3,700)
The Detroit Lions’ path to the playoffs isn’t as clear as last season. They are 6-4, which has dropped them to third place in the NFC North. Detroit enters the week ranked 10th in points allowed and fifth in yards given up, and will face the Giants. This is a clear pathway to a strong defensive showing.
New York showed some signs of life with Jaxson Dart under center, but the rookie remains sidelined with his concussion. Jameis Winston will get the start under center and is always good for a few plays with turnover potential. In his first game, Winston was sacked twice and threw away the potentially game-tying touchdown for an interception. New York is a bit starved for playmakers, and the Lions will be intent on taking control of this game in the early minutes.
Other Considerations: Seahawks ($4,000), Falcons ($3,400), Steelers ($2,800)
