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Week 16 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

Top Plays for DraftKings Head-to-Head and 50/50 Contests

Here are the guys I’m considering for DraftKings Week 16 head-to-heads and 50/50s:

Quarterback

Michael Penix, Falcons ($4,500)

We’ve played much less talented QBs at $4,500.

Of course there’s risk to playing a rookie in his first career start. But this is an eighth overall pick with plenty of arm talent who’s playing with a strong group of pass-catchers. 

Penix is also in a nice spot at home for the Giants, who rank 29th in pass defense DVOA. Atlanta’s 25.25-point implied total is fifth highest on the main slate.

Penix’s passing yards prop is set around 230 at most books – higher than Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels, and Caleb Williams, among others.

Also consider:

• Anthony Richardson, Colts ($5,400)

Running Backs

Chase Brown, Bengals ($7,700)

Brown’s price continues to creep up – but he remains a strong value for his workhorse role.

Brown racked up 28 opportunities (carries + targets) last week, giving him 22+ in five of six games without RB Zack Moss. Brown leads all RBs in expected PPR points per game over that stretch and ranks second in actual PPR points per game.

His Bengals are 8.5-point home favorites with a 27.5-point implied total against the Browns this weekend. Cincinnati is more likely to control this game with QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center. Cleveland ranks 17th in run defense DVOA.

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions ($7,500)

This one of the biggest cash-game locks of the season, which is saying a lot for a $7,500 player.

How valuable will Gibbs’ role be without RB David Montgomery? The Lions backfield has averaged 35.4 PPR points per game this season. If Gibbs captures 60% of that – a conservative projection – he’d be at 21.4 points per game, which would rank second among RBs on this slate. If he gets 70% of it, we’re at 24.8 points, which would lead all RBs.

The cherry on top is the matchup against a Bears squad sitting 31st in run defense DVOA and 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

James Conner, Cardinals ($7,100)

Conner has averaged 17.0 carries and 4.3 targets over his last three games, ranking fifth among RBs in expected PPR points per game. 

He could be even busier this weekend with RB Emari Demercado on IR and RB Trey Benson dealing with an ankle injury. 

And the matchup is pristine against the Panthers' 32nd-ranked RB defense. Carolina has allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of the last four weeks.

Conner’s Cardinals are 4.5-point favorites with a 25.75-point implied total.

Also consider:

• Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($8,100)
• Chuba Hubbard, Panthers ($6,800)

Wide Receivers

Jauan Jennings, 49ers ($5,900)

Jennings has scored single-digit DraftKings points in three of his last four. But those three games were:

1. The Brandon Allen game vs. the Packers
2. The snow game vs. the Bills
3. The rainy, sloppy Thursday nighter against the Rams

Jennings dropped 28 points on the Bears in the other game. And, most importantly, he’s continued to see excellent volume. He’s tallied 7+ targets in five of his last six, with the only exception being that Bills game. Jennings owns a 30.4% target share across those six games.

He gets a challenging matchup vs. Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins this weekend. But that volume should fuel Jennings to a nice fantasy day, especially with the ‘Niners potentially throwing it more with Isaac Guerendo joining Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason on the sidelines.

Jakobi Meyers, Raiders ($5,800)

Even in a total dud from QB Desmond Ridder last week, Meyers managed to catch five balls for 59 yards.

QB Aidan O’Connell is back for Week 16, which is good news for Meyers’ outlook. He missed O’Connell’s first start of the season but scored 15.7 DraftKings points on 11 targets in the other.

Meyers has seen 9+ targets in four straight games and five of his last six. 

Sunday brings a matchup against the Jaguars’ 30th-ranked WR defense.

D.J. Moore, Bears ($5,700)

It’s rarely been pretty, but Moore has scored double-digit DraftKings points in all five games since OC Shane Waldron was canned. He’s averaging 18.6 points per game over that span and, most importantly, 9.2 targets per game.

That stretch includes a 23.7-pointer against the Lions, who Moore gets again this weekend. Detroit’s defense has suffered even more injuries since that first meeting, including losing starting CB Carlton Davis last week.

Also consider:

• Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars ($6,300)
• Malik Nabers, Giants ($6,100)

Tight End

Brenton Strange, Jaguars ($3,500)

Strange did his best Evan Engram impersonation last week, turning 12 targets into 11 catches and 73 yards. 

He benefitted from the Jaguars running 77 plays and throwing 46 times. But Strange ran a route on 84% of pass plays and drew a 26% target share. 

Anything close to that level of usage this week would make him a smash at this price tag – especially against the Raiders’ 29th-ranked TE defense.

Defense/Special Teams

Browns ($2,300)

The Browns let us down with a goose egg as the cash-game play last week, but we’re going back to them.

Cleveland still leads the league in pressure rate and will find tons of sack opportunities against the pass-heavy Bengals this weekend. QB Joe Burrow has dropped back 38+ times in seven straight games.

The last time he failed to hit that mark was in Week 7 against the Browns. But Cleveland still managed three sacks in that one.

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.