This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com
Welcome to RotoBaller’s daily fantasy football FanDuel lineup picks for Week 12 of the NFL season. In this article I will be taking you through the best FanDuel DFS plays of the week for this upcoming Sunday.
These FanDuel lineup recommendations are based on matchups, recent performances, overall upside/talent levels, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home field advantage, and more.
Good luck with your FanDuel DFS lineups!
FanDuel Quarterbacks – Week 12 DFS Picks
Russell Wilson (@ SF, $8,600)
Wilson is in a slam dunk matchup this week against the 49ers as he represents the intersection of strong recent play and a great matchup. The 49ers have allowed the fourth most FanDuel points to opposing quarterbacks on the season. Additionally, Wilson has been on absolute fire of late posting a floor of 25 fantasy points in four of his past five games. Wilson will be chalky this week, but this is a spot to eat the chalk.
Blake Bortles (@ ARI, $7,100)
Bortles is one of the better low-end quarterback options this week and the only punt option I’d consider ahead of him is Paxton Lynch, who is a true flier. Bortles provides a floor that isn’t necessarily there for Lynch as he has attempted at least 30 pass attempts in four of the past five weeks. That said, the common narrative that the Jaguars are trying to hide Bortles simply isn’t true. While he hasn’t always been able to take advantage of that volume, this sets up to be a good week for him as the Cardinals have allowed an average of 1.80 passing touchdowns per game and 257 passing yards. With his price tag, that would be enough to reach value.
FanDuel Running Backs- Week 12 DFS Picks
Mark Ingram (@ LAR, $8,200)
It can be a challenge to figure out which Saints running back to roster at this point, and that doesn’t change this week. The Rams’ weakness on defense suggests that Ingram is the choice this week as the Rams have allowed nearly one rushing touchdown and over 100 rushing yards per week. On the other hand, the projected game script according to Vegas favors Alvin Kamara as the Saints enter the week as 2.5 point underdogs. Given that the two are virtually the same price now, I lean Ingram thanks to his more consistent volume and a strong matchup.
Devontae Booker (@OAK, $5,500)
The Broncos have seemingly given up on this season, and now want to see what they have to build on moving forward. This week the big news in that regard was Paxton Lynch being named the starting quarterback. However, Devontae Booker has slowly gotten more work over the past few weeks and has flown a bit under the radar. Since Week 8, Booker’s carries have gone from six to 14 and his snap count jumped from 34% to 59%. That makes him an intriguing option at a low price. He is a tournament only play, but could pay off in a big way in Week 12.
Note: With Devonta Freeman declared out on Sunday, Tevin Coleman is a must-play option in cash games.
FanDuel Wide Receivers – Week 12 DFS Picks
The elite receivers are strong plays this week, including pairing Doug Baldwin with Russell Wilson as well other marquee names such as Julio Jones and Antonio Brown. I’ll try to dig a bit deeper at the position and pick some viable mid to low priced tournament options.
Zay Jones (@ KC, $5,100)
Jones is a difficult name to trust because he was terrible to start his rookie campaign. However, things have started to turn around for him slowly as he now has three consecutive weeks in which he has converted more than half of his targets into catches. He has also become a featured part of the Bills’ offense of late, as he has now seen more than seven targets in three of the past four weeks. With Kelvin Benjamin likely out this week, that volume should be stable or potentially increase. In a positive matchup and a low-price tag to match it, Jones is a nice tournament option for Week 12.
Sammy Watkins (vs. NO, $5,900)
With both Ken Crawley and Marshon Lattimore out, the Saints secondary is not nearly as intimidating as it has been throughout the season. Instead of those matchups, Watkins will instead likely draw P.J. Williams who is ranked as the 76th best cover corner according to Pro-Football Focus. Perhaps equally important is the fact that Robert Woods is out for the Rams so more targets should also open for Watkins in an exploitable matchup.
FanDuel Tight End – Week 12 DFS Pick
Jared Cook (vs. DEN, $5,500)
It’s always difficult to recommend Jared Cook because every time he appears to be in a great spot, he lets fantasy owners down. However, he is worth a look this week as the Broncos haven’t yet fixed their problems covering tight ends. They have allowed 70 yards per game to opposing teams at the position as well .7 touchdowns per game. That puts Cook, who has a target floor of five this season, in a good spot to produce this week.
FanDuel Defense – Week 12 DFS Pick
New England Patriots (vs. MIA, $4,700)
Despite early season struggles, the Patriots defense is on track now having scored double-digit points in three of the past five games. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have given the ball away 17 times this season. With Matt Moore under center in Week 12, that number should continue to go up and makes the Patriots a good option on defense.
