FanDuel Picks Week 16: Best NFL DFS lineup advice for daily fantasy football tournaments

Nick Brinkerhoff

FanDuel Picks Week 16: Best NFL DFS lineup advice for daily fantasy football tournaments image

Ebenezer Scrooge, the Grinch, and Mr. Potter have done a number on some of our lineups this year, joining forces to form a formidable big three of people who love to cause pain, misery, and sadness. On the bright side, we're feeling good heading into the Christmas Eve DFS slate that's going to grace our screens in Week 16. We're in the spirit and ready to spread some cheer, meaning it's only fitting that our FanDuel lineup will go from red to green. 

Before we break down our picks and strategy, here are the most notable scoring rules for FanDuel contests: four-point passing TDs and half-point PPR.

WEEK 16 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit

FanDuel Picks Week 16: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments

Sunday main slate, $60,000 budget

QB Gardner Minshew, Colts @ Falcons ($6,800). Even with the uncertainty surrounding Michael Pittman Jr. (concussion), Minshew remains firmly on the streaming radar even on the road against the Falcons. The QB has continued to post respectable numbers, maintaining a solid floor for DFS purposes of at least 15 points in four straight games. It also helps that once in a while, he can score a TD himself. Coming off a convincing win over the Steelers, mostly without Pittman and his best healthy RB Zack Moss (arm), we should keep the faith in HC Shane Steichen, who is making a great case for Coach of the Year honors. 

RB Breece Hall, Jets vs. Commanders ($7,400). Hall, just like the Jets offense, hit a wall in Week 15. The RB was held to just 13 total yards on seven touches, but the biggest cause for concern came in the passing game, an area that's helped Hall maintain fantasy relevance behind an offensive line that is offensive to anyone who watches. Luckily for the RB, the Jets' folding chairs might actually stand a chance against this Swiss cheese unit that the Commanders are trotting out there every week. The game log is ugly, but the matchup is great, so hold your nose and take the plunge while many are running for cover. 

WEEK 16 DFS:
DK lineup | Best values | Best stacks

RB Ty Chandler, Vikings vs. Lions ($6,900). Chandler finally got his opportunity last week, and he certainly made the most of it, racking up 26 touches for 157 total yards and a touchdown. Although the matchup this week is definitely more difficult, the Vikings' strategy is clear. With Nick Mullens under center, Minnesota wants to establish the run to open up the pass. Chandler proved to be much more efficient than Alexander Mattison (ankle) ever was this year, meaning that it should be his backfield going forward.  

WR DJ Moore, Bears vs. Cardinals ($8,200). The 49ers had receivers running open all afternoon against the Cardinals last week, and while the Bears aren't even close to that level of offense, it shows that the secondary concerns continue to be a problem for Arizona. Moore has a consistent target share, and more importantly, he has the undivided attention of QB Justin Fields. As long as the former Ohio State star is starting, Moore remains a must-start thanks to the connection they've formed. The WR possesses not only a solid floor but also a sky-high ceiling. Better yet, we get him at a little more of discount after a down game against the stout Browns' defense. 

WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

WR DK Metcalf, Seahawks @ Titans ($7,600). As long as Metcalf can keep his cool, he's a great fantasy option in Week 16. He's clearly WR1 while the battle continues behind him between Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the second option. Tennessee's secondary had a tough time containing Noah Brown and the banged-up Texans on Sunday, so Metcalf figures to see plenty of action as a matchup-proof receiver. 

WR Josh Downs, Colts @ Falcons ($6,000). While the evidence wasn't there on Saturday, Pittman's injury could present an opportunity for Downs to carve out a big role. The rookie has been an afterthought for the most part since his run in October and only saw one target after Pittman departed. Depending on what his status ends up being, D.J. Montgomery could become a hot commodity, but the reality is that Montgomery slid into the game plan seamlessly, and having a week to prepare for life without the WR1 reopens the door for Downs. Expect the Colts to get their young playmaker much more than three targets on Sunday. 

WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

TE Trey McBride, Cardinals @ Bears ($7,000). There's a lot that needs to be fixed when it comes to the Cardinals going forward, but one thing is for certain -- they have a good building block in McBride at TE. It's clear that he's a favorite target for Kyler Murray, and he turned in his first 100-yard game on Sunday. As the top option in this passing game, McBride warrants a lineup spot without much debate. 

FLEX WR Parker Washington, Jaguars @ Buccaneers ($5,300). Injuries are starting to mount for the Jaguars. They've lost Christian Kirk (core) for the season, and Zay Jones just exited on Sunday with a hamstring injury. Whether Jones can play or not remains to be seen, and there's a chance that he's limited regardless. That's where Washington comes in. The rookie has emerged since Kirk's injury, seeing 15 targets over the past three weeks, catching 12 of them for 100 yards and two touchdowns. The yardage totals aren't the most impressive thing you'll see, but he has as good an opportunity as ever to make a big impact against a Buccaneers' secondary that can't defend WRs. 

DEF Indianapolis Colts @ Falcons ($4,500). The Falcons are yet another offense that should come with a content warning. They don't know who is going to play QB and it wouldn't matter if Arthur Smith decided to start himself. This Atlanta offense is horrific and couldn't even score enough to beat the lowly Panthers. The Colts should take care of business with ease after dominating a bad Steelers attack last week.

Best SuperDraft NFL DFS Picks for Week 16

This year, we're also listing our favorite DFS plays on SuperDraft

For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.

MORE: Win BIG with SuperDraft! Get a free $10 deposit when you use promo code "TSN"!

Here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPRfour-point passing TDstwo-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards100 receiving yardsand 300 passing yards.

MORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft

  • QB: Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1.3x) 
  • RB: Rachaad White, Buccaneers (Multiplier 1x)
  • RB: Breece Hall, Jets (Multiplier 1.2x)
  • WR: DJ Moore, Bears (Multiplier 1.25x)
  • WR: DK Metcalf, Seahawks (Multiplier 1.3x)
  • WR: Calvin Ridley, Jaguars (Multiplier 1.35x)
  • TE: Trey McBride, Cardinals (Multiplier 1.1x)
  • FLEX: TE David Njoku, Browns (Multiplier 1.15x)

Our SuperDraft lineup aims to get plenty of exposure on a Buccaneers' game that should feature plenty of points, while adding in the big potential for guys in great matchups, such as Hall, Moore, and Njoku. This lineup should be finding the end zone often on Sunday, delivering quite the early gift to us. 

Nick Brinkerhoff

Nick Brinkerhoff Photo

Nick Brinkerhoff is a content producer at The Sporting News covering the NFL, NBA and other sports. A proud New Jerseyan, Nick is also a graduate of Rutgers University. He is always in the mood for a good joke, the day’s best bets, or a debate about the mediocrity of the New York sports scene.