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Week 17 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

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

Here are the guys I’m zeroing in on for DraftKings Week 17 cash games:

Quarterback

Derek Carr, Saints ($5,500)

This is a week to make QB one of the last positions you address in your cash lineup. There are solid options at all price levels. 

Brock Purdy ($7,000) is the best pay-up option against Washington’s league-worst pass defense.

Three sub-$5K QBs – Bryce Young ($4,900), Jarrett Stidham ($4,800), and Tyrod Taylor ($4,600) – top the dollars-per-point rankings in the Lineup Generator.

They’re viable. But if you have the salary to spare, I prefer getting up to Carr at $5,500.

He’s coming off two of his better outings of the season, scoring 20.3 and 29.0 DK points. He ranked 10th in Pro Football Focus passing grade in Week 15 and fifth last week.

Next up for Carr is a Bucs defense sitting 24th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. They're up to 13th in pass defense DVOA, but they still rank second in pass rate over expected against. Only three teams have faced more total pass attempts.

Carr should have volume on his side in this one, making him a good bet to return cash-game value.

Running Backs

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers ($9,600)

Kyren Williams, Rams ($8,300)

There was a period six or seven years ago when we were playing Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell in cash every week, even at bloated price tags. They were both virtual locks for 20+ DK points.

We’re nearly at that point with McCaffrey and Williams.

McCaffrey has been doing it all season, averaging 26.7 points per game with at least 19 in all but two.

Williams has averaged 22.8 DK points over his last 10 games, including 25.6 in five games since returning from injury.

Both workhorses find themselves in pristine spots this weekend. McCaffrey gets Washington’s 29th-ranked RB defense. Williams draws the Giants’ 25th-ranked RB defense.

Zamir White, Raiders ($5,100)

White has basically stepped into Jacobs’ role over the past two weeks, racking up 39 carries and five targets on a 75% snap rate. He's scored exactly 17.5 DK points in both games.

White gets a Colts defense on Sunday that ranks 24th in run defense DVOA and 30th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Wide Receivers

Chris Olave, Saints ($6,800)

Olave has been awesome over his last five games, averaging:

• 8.8 targets
• 6.2 catches
• 96 yards

And it hasn’t been a case of one big game inflating those totals. Olave has tallied 94+ yards in four of those five games and topped 100 yards three times.

He’s scored 19.9+ DK points in four of his last five, with 12.8 in the other.

Next up is a Bucs defense that ranks 30th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. Tampa has allowed 87 yards per game to opposing No. 1 WRs – 4th most – and allowed a WR to score 19+ DK points in 10 of 15 games this season.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks ($4,800)

JSN has racked up 29 targets over his last four games. That’s four fewer than WR Tyler Lockett – but four more than WR D.K. Metcalf.

Sunday brings a struggling Steelers pass defense that’s down to 21st in pass defense DVOA over the last five weeks.

Smith-Njigba’s primary slot role will keep him away from emerging stud CB Joey Porter Jr.

Demario Douglas, Patriots ($4,300)

The rookie has been a nice cash-game option lately. He’s hit double-digit DraftKings points in four of his last five and five of his last seven outings. Douglas is averaging 7.3 targets per game over those last seven.

He’s a nice price-relative target bet this weekend with his Patriots 14-point underdogs in Buffalo.

Also consider:

• Michael Pittman, Colts ($7,500)

Tight End

Austin Hooper, Raiders ($2,500)

I love a good min-priced TE.

Hooper caught just two of three targets for 13 yards with TE Michael Mayer out last week. But QB Aidan O’Connell threw only 21 passes in that one.

Hooper ran a route on 75% of pass plays and drew 14% of Vegas’ targets.

Anywhere close to that type of usage in this Sunday’s game vs. the Colts’ 28th-ranked TE defense would make Hooper a good bet to return cash-game value at this price. We’re only looking for seven or eight points.

Also consider:

• Dallas Goedert, Eagles ($4,800)
• Gerald Everett, Chargers ($3,500)

Defense/Special Teams

Broncos ($2,900)

The Broncos are 3.5-point home favorites to an Easton Stick-led Chargers team with a 16.75-point implied total – third-lowest on the main slate.

Denver’s DST scored 14 DK points vs. the Chargers just a few weeks ago, despite QB Justin Herbert playing about half of that game.

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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.