Week 12 was the second straight week Derrick Henry ($9,200) finished in the top 2 at the running back position; he should be a weekly cash play for the rest of the season. Dalvin Cook ($9,500) suffered an ankle injury during the game and couldn’t cash in on a good matchup last week against the Carolina Panthers, but gets the best matchup on the slate this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. We saw another top 5 performance from James Robinson ($7,300) against the Cleveland Browns, a game that also saw Nick Chubb finish with 29.6 DKFP, giving him the fourth-highest performance at the position. The Washington Football Team, Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are not on the main slate. Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers are on their bye week.
Here are the running backs we should be targeting on DraftKings along with their opportunity projections this week.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football Millionaire lineups here: NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
STUDS
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns, $9,200
Everyone should be rostering Henry in all formats until further notice. Last week was his ninth multi-touchdown game dating back to Week 15 last season and his second three-touchdown game in twelve contests. The Browns should be getting Myles Garrett back on defense but will be without a couple of key starters in their secondary with Ronnie Harrison going on IR, and Denzel Ward still banged up. This Browns defense ranks 28th in yards before contact allowed per rush according to PFF.com and just gave up 159 total yards to James Robinson last week. Fading Henry is a viable contrarian play, but if you do, roster and stack the Tennessee passing game against a Browns secondary that has given up the most fantasy points to home receivers this season.
Projections
Rushing: 26 attempts
Receiving: 2 Targets; 2 Receptions
Total: 28 Touches
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings, $7,300
Last week marked the fourth time Robinson finished inside the top 5 in fantasy scoring at the running back position and the sixth time inside the top 10. Translation: Roster him. Robinson recorded 97 percent of the snaps last week and is averaging close to 21 opportunities a game, which is elite usage other backs like Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook and Josh Jacobs ($7,400) are seeing this season. The Jaguars are double-digit underdogs this week on DraftKings Sportsbook, so expect Robinson to see another productive day in the passing game.
Projections
Rushing: 19 Attempts
Receiving: 5 Targets; 4 Receptions
Total: 23 Touches
VALUES
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, $5,500
Montgomery has totaled over 80 percent of the snaps in six weeks since Tarik Cohen went down and is one of the few backs in this price range with that type of usage. His 57-yard run last week helped propel him inside the top 6 in DKFP at the RB position; we could see another productive week going up against the Detroit Lions, who are in a downward spiral. The Lions’ defense is giving up a league-high 33.8 DKFP on average to opposing backfields.
Projections
Rushing: 17 Attempts
Receiving: 4 Targets; 3 Receptions
Total: 20 Touches
James White, New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers, $5,000
White didn’t get a ton of usage last week with Rex Burkhead (knee) out, but he did score two touchdowns, vaulting him inside the top 15 in DKFP at the position. The Patriots ‘seem’ content using just two running backs, and White is back to his natural role of catching passes out of the backfield. White averages five more PPR points per game and about three more targets with Burkhead out. The Chargers’ defense has allowed four top 15 running back performances over the last five weeks.
Projections
Rushing: 10 Attempts
Receiving: 6 Targets; 5 Receptions
Total: 15 Touches
Set your DraftKings fantasy football Millionaire lineups here: NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is reidtfowler) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA) or TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789. 21+ (18+ NH). NJ/PA/WV/NH/IN/NH/IA/CO/IL/TN only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.