Week 17 in the NFL is upon us, and playoff battles are everywhere. Here are three matchups that should help your fantasy points flow like beer at a tailgate party.
- Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings:
This NFC North showdown features two red-hot offenses. Vikings QB Sam Darnold and Packers QB Jordan Love are both setting career highs this season. Expect fireworks as both teams vie for playoff seeding. - Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles:
With the Eagles’ starting QB Jalen Hurts sidelined due to injury, rookie Kenny Pickett steps in. The Cowboys’ defense has been formidable, and despite a low over/under, there’s room for standout fantasy performance. The must-watch player in this game is NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley, who should close in on 2,000 yards. - Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints:
Keep an eye on Raiders’ rookie TE Brock Bowers, who is on the verge of breaking Mike Ditka’s rookie receiving yards record for tight ends. His matchup against the Saints’ secondary could make him a sneaky, high-upside play this week.
For more players to target, explore DFS Hub’s DraftKings main slateA slate is a list of games, typically starting around the same time of day. The most popular NFL slate in DFS is the "Main" slate, which usually has 10 or more games in the regular season. This is an example of DraftKing's main slate for NFL Some slates includes as few as one gam... gems below. They include our methodology, which you can replicate in our NFL lineup builder.
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Quarterback (QB)

On top this week: Baker Mayfield – Mayfield has been on fire the last three weeks, with 9 touchdowns and at least 22 fantasy points in each game. For Week 17 the Tampa Bay quarterback faces off with a Carolina D ranked 30th in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to QBs. The Panthers have a DvPL4Defense Versus Position (Last 4 Games) This is the median number of fantasy points the opponent has allowed to players of the same position. The calculation is based on the opponent's last 4 games. of 21.2 fantasy points against quarterbacks, meaning Mayfield should be able to reach that solid floor of 22 FPsFantasy points. On top of all that, Tampla needs this win to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Methodology: We seek QBs on teams expected to score more than average, with above-average pass blocking, facing opponents with a below-average pass rush and below-average coverage, according to PFF grades.
DFS Hub QB Criteria: [Depth] = 1 & [TeamPts] > 21 & [PFFPBLKSd] > -0.5 & [PFFOppPRSHSd] < .5 & [PFFOppCOVSd] < .5 & [Spread] < 3.5, and ranked by overall matchup, player performance (e.g., [ANY/A]) and value (e.g., [Cost/Op]).

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Go to the NFL DFS Lineup Builder
Running Back (RB)

On top this week: James Cook – The Buffalo Bills halfback has rushed for at least 100 yards in three of his last four games. Cook has found the back of the endzone in all but four games this season, making him a great candidate to pick up a TD or two. In the last four weeks alone, Cook has scored seven touchdowns. The Jets are giving up 123 yards per game on the ground under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich which should give any DFS player a ton of confidence in James Cook.
Methodology: We seek RBs on favored teams or slight dogs, with better-than-average TD propA "TD Prop line" (or touchdown proposition line) is the odds of a player scoring at least one rushing or receiving touchdown in a game. The table below shows the approximate implied probability of a player scoring a TD in a game, based on his TD prop line (moneyline). odds and projected fantasy points, above-average run blocking, and facing teams with below-average run defenses. The preference is for RBs with low salaries relative to their odds of scoring.
DFS Hub RB Criteria: [Depth] = 1 & [Spread] < 3 & [PrjFP] > 12 & [Prop1TD] < 110 & [TeamPts] > 22 & [PFFRblkSd] > -.5 & [PFFOppRDEFSd] < .5 & ranked by overall match-up and player performance (e.g., lowest [TDCost]).

Wide Receiver (WR)

On top this week: Mike Evans – The Buccs pass catcher is averaging over 100 yards per game across the last four weeks with a floor of 69 yards. In the last two weeks alone Evans has seen 19 targets while hauling in two touchdowns. This week Evans faces off against the Panthers, who Evans dropped 118 yards against in their first meeting earlier this season. Coupled with Mayfield, this is the Hub’s power stack for week 17.
Methodology: We seek WRs in the top 4 depth chart positions, on favored teams or slight dogs that’ll score more than average, with better-than-average TD prop odds, above-average quarterbacks, and facing teams with below-average coverage. The preference is for WRs with low salaries relative to their odds of scoring.
DFS Hub WR Criteria: [Depth] < 4 & [Spread] < 4 & [Prop1TD] < 300 & [TeamPts] > 22 & [PFFPASSSd] > -.3 & [PFFOppCOVSd] < .5 & ranked by overall match-up and player performance (e.g., lowest [TDCost]).

Tight End (TE)

On top this week: Tucker Kraft – Green Bay’s tight end has seen a Tgt%L4 of 19% to go along with a Snaps%L4 of 89%. Kraft has shown the ability to make the big play when the ball is thrown his way, with seven TDs on the season. Kraft has a DraftKings salary of just $3,900, and with the Vikings sporting a DvPL4 of 12.3 FPs to tight ends, a touchdown could be enough to provide DFS players with some solid value.
Methodology: The TE position is where we aim to save salary — unless the matchup is lip-smacking. We look for TEs in the top 2 depth chart positions with better-than-average TD prop odds and projected opportunities. Being a home favorite and establishing a pattern of red zone looks never hurts, either. The preference is for tight ends with low salaries relative to their odds of scoring.
DFS Hub TE Criteria: [Depth] < 3 & [Spread] < 4 & [PrjOps] > 4 & [Prop1TD] < 300 & ranked by overall match-up and player performance (e.g., lowest [TDCost] and > 0 [RedZnOpsL4]).

Defense and Special Teams (DST)
On top this week: Colts – The Giants are averaging less than 12 points per game across the last five weeks and have turned the ball over plenty. The Colts have picked the ball off seven times in the last three weeks, with back-to-back games of three interceptions. Indy hasn’t just forced turnovers through the air, however, as they also have two fumble recoveries in their last three games. This is a must-win for the Colts’ slim playoff hopes.
Methodology: We want a cost-effective, better-than-average defense (according to PFF grades), facing a below-average offense with below-average expected points. We then look for teams with the highest QB hit rate.
DFS Hub DST Criteria: [PFFDEFSd] >0 & [OppPts] < 23 & [Sal($k)]A DFS Hub field that equals a player's salary divided by $1,000. $4.8 [Sal($k)] equals $4,800, for example. It's a short form of salary to make comparing salaries easier. <4 & [SpreadA DFS Hub field that equals the consensus point spread for the game at hand. It's Vegas's prediction of how much the favorite will win by, and how much the underdog will lose by. A Spread of -7, for example, means the favorite is expected to win by 7 points. For more, see:
... < 2.5] & [PFFOppOFFSd] < .5, and ranked by overall match-up (e.g., [PFFOppPBLKSd]) and team pressuresA “pressure” in NFL parlance is when the quarterback is hurried, hit or sacked. Defenses that pressure the opposing QB more than average allow fewer points and win more games, for obvious reasons. QBs under pressure throw away the ball more and make more mistakes (e.g., throw... (e.g., [QBHits%L4]).
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