NFL DFS picks Week 17: Best sleepers, value players for FanDuel, DraftKings lineups

With the New Year approaching, the majority of fantasy football owners will be shifting their attention from their season-long teams to daily fantasy football for a new start each week. If your resolution this year is to bring in more DFS winnings, you can help yourself a great deal by plugging in some sleepers and value players from DraftKings and FanDuel tournaments.  

All season long, we have targeted under-the-radar values and high-upside dart throws to find you cheap production. By capitalizing on affordable sleepers in certain DFS roster spots, we leave ourselves the budget to greatly improve other roster spots with weekly studs. Let's face it, in order to afford a Christian McCaffrey ($9,000 on DK), sometimes you must invest in the occasional Trey McBride ($3,300).

This column has consistently produced this season, with readers seeing healthy returns on their DraftKings and FanDuel accounts. We have averaged 10-12 big hits per week, with a per-player average of right around 20 DraftKings points. That was no different in Week 16, with a plethora of big hits. Check out last week's highlights:

We are rolling! That's 15 smash hits on a holiday weekend — including 11 positional players averaging a whopping 22 DK points — a stockings-worth of cheap production sure to have helped win you some DFS cash. We also had a handful of other flex players log between 10 and 14 fantasy points. That's the kind of value that affords you proven weekly studs at other roster spots without sacrificing points.

Let's get right back into the spirit of winning! Here are our DFS sleepers and values for Week 17's main slate.

All player values are from DraftKings and FanDuel. All stats are from NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.

WEEK 17 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: QB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Brock Purdy, 49ers at Raiders (DK: $5,500 | FD: $7,000)

Okay, I think I'm starting to become a believer in the Purdy man. The Brock star has been accurate and efficient, completing nearly 70 percent of his attempts and throwing two TDs in all four games since taking over for the injured Jimmy G. Purdy has scored at least 16.5 DK points in all three of his starts, and his average QB rating across those three contests was 121.9. He has clearly become quite comfortable in Kyle Shanahan's offense, answering the bell regardless of the opponent. Last week against a pretty good Commanders' defense, Purdy averaged 10.6 yards per completion. Against a Raiders team that allows the seventh-most fantasy points to QBs, Purdy is a great value at these prices. 

Jared Goff, Lions vs. Bears (DK: $5,600 | FD: $7,400)

Goff has been a frequent visitor to this column, and he has rarely let us down. The veteran has clicked under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who got promoted this year and could end up getting some head coaching offers after Detroit's fantastic offensive season. Multiple skill-position players have enjoyed breakout seasons, but Goff has his fingerprints all over everyone's success. He has 29-plus DK points in two of the past three weeks, and now he faces a Bears D that has surrendered the eighth-most fantasy points to signal-callers. Go off, Goff.

Other solid Week 17 QB values: Teddy Bridgewater, Dolphins at Patriots (DK: $5,000 | FD: $6,100); Daniel Jones, Giants vs. Colts (DK: $5,500 | FD: $7,300); Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. Vikings (DK: $6,000 | FD: $7,100)

WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: RB sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Miles Sanders, Eagles vs. Saints (DK: $5,900 | FD: $6,800)

We understand if you feel ambivalent about firing up Sanders after consecutive dud weeks at Chicago and Dallas, but he's still getting plenty of touches and we see him bouncing back in a major way if Jalen Hurts (right shoulder) is back. Don't forget that Sanders had five TDs and 353 scrimmage yards between Weeks 12 and 14, and he's averaged 104.5 rushing yards and a TD in his two career games against the Saints, who have surrendered the ninth-most ground yards to RBs this season. Start Sanders with confidence. 

D'Andre Swift, Lions vs. Bears (DK: $5,300 | FD: $7,100)

If not now, then when? Swift was easily one of the best backs in the NFL out of the gates this season, leading the league in yards per carry until a combination of injuries forced him to miss a handful of games. Well, he's been back (with mixed results) for weeks, and now running mate Jamaal Williams — the gobbler of an NFL-leading 14 rushing TDs — is dealing with a leg injury of his own. Justin Jackson could annoyingly cut into some of Swift's workload, but the majority of the carries, targets, and goal-line work should land in Swift's lap for some poetic justice for his believers. 

More solid Week 17 RB values: Jerick McKinnon, Chiefs vs. Broncos (DK: $6,000 | FD: $6,800); Zack Moss, Colts at Giants (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,900); Tyler Allgeier, Falcons vs. Cardinals (DK: $5,300 | FD: $6,700); Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders vs. Browns (DK: $5,200 | FD: $6,900)

WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: WR sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Christian Watson (DK: $5,900 | FD: $7,600) and Romeo Doubs (DK: $4,700 | FD: $5,900)

Be sure to check Watson's injury status throughout the week, as Packers coach Matt LaFleur calls Watson "day-to-day" with a hip injury, but if he's cleared to play, he absolutely warrants consideration on your DFS squad(s). The rookie wideout went from a perceived bust in the first half of the season to top five in the Rookie of the Year odds since Week 10. Regardless of Aaron Rodgers' decline, good things happen when you become the four-time MVP's favorite target. Those good things included 26.3 DK points per game in the four contests between Weeks 10 and 13. Watson could easily hit that level again this week against a Vikings squad that has surrendered the most DK points (and second-most FD points) to wide receivers. If Watson is out, Doubs would be an even better option, as he's garnered 11 targets in the past two games and should be heavily involved in the Packers' game plan either way.

Marquise Brown, Cardinals at Falcons (DK: $5,500 | FD: $6,900)

Hollywood has a clear rapport with Trace McSorley, as the two go back to their Ravens days, so the speedy wideout would benefit the most if the backup QB starts in place of Colt McCoy (concussion). But even if McCoy clears the league's protocol, we think Brown has enough upside to make him a value at these prices. The Falcons are one of the 10 most generous defenses to receivers in fantasy this season and will clearly focus most of their secondary bandwidth on DeAndre Hopkins. 

More solid Week 17 WR values: D.J. Moore, Panthers at Buccaneers (DK: $5,700 | FD: $7,000); Allen Lazard, Packers vs. Vikings (DK: $5,400 | FD: $6,200); Courtland Sutton, Broncos vs. Chiefs (DK: $5,100 | FD: $6,800); Jakobi Meyers, Patriots vs. Dolphins (DK: $5,000 | FD: $6,700)

WEEK 17 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: TE sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

Evan Engram, Jaguars at Texans (DK: $4,400 | FD: $5,800)

Engram has solidified himself as a stud tight end, and he's appearing on a ton of fantasy championship rosters this weekend. The Texans have been stout against wide receivers, but they are shaky, at best, at containing tight ends that serve as above-average pass-catchers. These prices are way too enticing to pass up. 

More solid Week 17 TE values: Cole Kmet, Bears at Lions (DK: $4,500 | FD: $5,300); Trey McBride, Cardinals at Falcons (DK: $3,300 | FD: $4,800); Noah Fant, Seahawks vs. Jets (DK: $3,400 | FD: $5,200)

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: D/ST sleepers, values for DraftKings, FanDuel

New England Patriots vs. Dolphins (DK: $2,600 | FD: $4,000)

You normally wouldn't go near the Patriots against a high-flying Dolphins offense, but these Dolphins are dinged up from top to bottom and entering an enemy territory that has been historically unkind to Miami. Tua Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol for the second time this season, a clear sign that he will likely be sidelined. Running backs Raheem Mostert (knee) and Jeff Wilson Jr. (hip) have both dealt with injuries, and we're two weeks removed from a Tyreek Hill ankle scare. Especially if it's super cold at Foxboro this weekend, we forecast an ugly Sunday for the warm-weather 'Phins with Teddy Bridgewater under center.

Other solid Week 17 D/ST values: Commanders vs. Browns (DK: $3,100 | FD: $3,900); Jets at Seahawks (DK: $2,800 | FD: $4,100)