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Week 17 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

QB

Jared Goff, Lions ($5,600)

Goff rolls into Week 17 playing some really good football. He’s completed 65.5% of his passes, averaged 7.7 yards per attempt and tossed 11 TDs vs. 0 INTs over his last 5 games. He’s averaged 23.0 DK points per game during that stretch.

Next up for Goff is a bad Bears pass defense that ranks 29th in Football Outsiders DVOA and 24th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. Just as importantly, Goff is back at home, where he’s averaged 23.1 DK points per game this season (vs. 13.3 on the road).

The Lions are implied for a slate-high 29.25 points.

RBs

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers ($9,000)

McCaffrey underwhelmed last week against a tough Washington defense. There’s nothing tough about Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders, who rank 20th in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA and 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. Vegas will be without EDGE Chandler Jones and LB Denzel Perryman on Sunday, which won’t help their chances of slowing down CMC.

McCaffrey had topped 28 DK points in each of his previous 3 games prior to last week and should get back to that territory on Sunday.

Travis Etienne, Jaguars ($6,400)

Etienne has played 71%+ of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps in 8 straight healthy games. He’s tallied 17, 19 and 22 carries in his last 3 outings.

Houston’s run defense has been better lately but still ranks a middling 15th in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA over the last 5 weeks, allowing 4.7 yards per carry to RBs.

The Jaguars have just about a 6% chance of a Wild Card spot, so their season will very likely come down to next weekend’s game vs. the Titans for the AFC South title. But HC Doug Pederson said early in the week that he’ll play to win on Sunday, so I’m expecting Etienne to get a full workload.

Leonard Fournette, Bucs ($5,600)

Fournette has taken control of Tampa’s backfield over the past 2 weeks, playing 59% of the offensive snaps, carrying 30 times and drawing 14 targets. Only 4 RBs have tallied more expected PPR points over that time.

If that type of usage continues, Fournette is a smash play at this salary. Even if it doesn’t, Fournette should deliver cash-game value. He’d seen 7 targets in 3 straight healthy games prior to the past 2 and is averaging 5.9 targets across 13 healthy games this season.

Also consider: James Conner ($7,200), Brian Robinson ($5,200)

WRs

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chiefs ($5,600)

JuJu disappointed against a tough Seattle WR defense last week. He gets another tough on-paper matchup on Sunday against the Broncos, who rank 2nd in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.

But this defense looked like it was ready for golf season in last week’s blowout loss to the Rams. Plus, Smith-Schuster just tallied a 9-74-1 line against Denver in Week 14.

He’s been a steady volume bet most of the season, garnering 8+ targets in 8 of 12 healthy games.

Garrett Wilson, Jets ($5,500)

Wilson gets that aforementioned Seahawks matchup this weekend. But, with his price down $500 from last week, he’s simply too cheap for his talent level and usage to avoid.

QB Mike White’s return should make this a functional Jets passing game again. In White’s 3 games earlier this season, Wilson averaged 10.0 targets and scored 26.4, 27.2 and 13.8 DK points.

Zay Jones, Jaguars ($5,000)

Don’t hold Jones’ Week 16 dud against him. He drew a stingy Jets secondary in crappy weather.

Over his previous 5 games, Jones averaged 10.2 targets, 7.0 catches, 83 yards and .8 TDs. He scored at least 14.8 DK points in 4 of those 5 games, with 21+ in 3 of them.

Jones gets a Texans defense on Sunday that ranks 4th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. But Houston has been especially tough on slot receivers, while ranking as a neutral matchup for outside receivers. Jones has played 69% of his snaps on the outside this season.

Also consider: Amon-Ra St. Brown ($7,800), Drake London ($4,900)

TE

Evan Engram, Jaguars ($4,400)

Over the past 4 weeks, Engram leads all TEs with 40 targets, 31 catches and 367 yards. His 3 TDs rank 2nd to only George Kittle.

Engram finds another good spot this weekend against the Texans, who sit 22nd in Football Outsiders’ TE coverage rankings and 19th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. Engram posted a 6-69 line on 10 targets vs. Houston back in Week 5.

Also consider: Tyler Conklin ($2,900)

DST

49ers ($2,900)

It’s not often that a $2,900 DST is a must in cash. But the 49ers are a must in cash.

This is the best defense in the NFL for my money – and the 2nd best DST on the main slate in terms of DK points per game.

Sunday looks like a total mismatch against a crumbling Raiders offense that’ll be led by QB Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 4th-rounder making his first NFL start.

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.