Week 12 DraftKings Picks: Cash lineup, advice and NFL DFS strategy

Thomas Emerick

Week 12 DraftKings Picks: Cash lineup, advice and NFL DFS strategy image

Our Week 12 NFL DFS strategy for DraftKings cash games is simple: Pay up for a high floor at QB and D/ST, grab some high-volume RBs, and hope our WR picks can build off positive trends.

We did well in pivoting from Sterling Shepard to Brandin Cooks last week, but our advice to pivot from Latavius Murray to the injury-fated Chris Thompson ended up biting us. It was another Sunday that didn't crush you in cash games, though a fall from this column's output the previous Sunday.

WEEK 12 DFS:
Yahoo GPP lineup | Y! cash | DK GPPFD GPP | FD cash | Values | StacksDFS lineup builder

Week 12 DraftKings Picks: NFL DFS cash lineup

For DraftKings' 11-game featured slate.

SUNDAY MORNING PIVOTS:

OUT Tom Brady ($7700)Mark Ingram ($8300)Cooper Kupp ($5000), Kenny Stills ($4800), Isaiah Crowell ($3900), Jaguars ($4100)

IN Jacoby Brissett ($5400), Duke Johnson ($4600), TY Hilton ($6700), Brandin Cooks ($7100), Michael Thomas ($7200), Falcons ($2900)

SUNDAY UPDATED LINEUP: QB Jacoby Brissett ($5400), RB Duke Johnson ($4600) and Tevin Coleman ($6500), WR TY Hilton ($6700), Brandin Cooks ($7100), Michael Thomas ($7200), TE Delanie Walker ($5000), FLEX Corey Coleman ($4300), D/ST Falcons ($2900)

We'll retain Walker and both Colemans while running a massive overhaul on our cash lineup. We like the strategy of hitting 4-5K receivers this week to pay up for Brady and Jags, but Brissett's encouraging early-week clearance and developments in the Browns backfield give us the ability to unlock some more options. 

Giving this new lineup the edge over the one we created Tuesday, as Brissett active means we can hit Hilton, who's pretty much a lock for 20 at home against bad pass defenses.

The Saints losing their elite CB tandem makes game script less favorable for Ingram, and we'll save with Duke Johnson expected to get an uptick in workload. New Orleans' defensive injuries could lead to more target volume for their pass O, where Thomas already seems set for a seven-target floor.

Let's pick up $1200 with a Falcons defense that gets a pass-funnel projected game script, as two-score home favorites against Ryan Fitzpatrick. And now we can pay up for Brandin Cooks to get a major Pats share after collecting cap on the Brady-Brissett move.

TUESDAY LINEUP:

QB Tom Brady, NE vs. MIA ($7,700): Jacoby Brissett at $5,400 and Tyrod Taylor at $5,800 are more this column's typical vibe at quarterback, but ongoing concussion issues for Brissett and coaching chaos for Taylor put me off in cash this week. We'll take a safe floor pay-up week with Brady, against a pass defense allowing the sixth-most yards when measuring teams' past three contests.

RB Mark Ingram, NO @ LAR ($8,300): Ingram's 636 rushing yards since Week 6 — or since the AP trade — distance him by more than 100 yards from Le'Veon Bell for the NFL lead. Yet his price isn't really even approaching Todd Gurley's right now, let alone Bell's. Throw in a top-10 figure in RB catches over the span, and we've got to keep hammering at Tier II price.

RB Tevin Coleman, ATL vs. TB ($6,500): Banking on Devonta Freeman (concussion) sitting another week to grant the full workload, so monitor his status. Bobby Wagner and Co. stifled Coleman for only a couple yards per carry, but Tampa Bay poses nowhere near the opposition that Seattle's still-firing run defense did on Monday night.

WR Cooper Kupp, LAR vs. NO vs. ($5,000): Despite some missed opportunities in key situations, Jared Goff comes right back to his rookie slot receiver. With Robert Woods (shoulder) out, Kupp stands next in line based on passing market share. Slot WR Jamison Crowder hit the Saints for 72 yards on seven catches last week, and Marson Lattimore's ankle injury hurts the whole defense.

WEEK 12 RANKINGS
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

WR Kenny Stills, MIA @ NE ($4,800): Holding out for a Matt Moore start because the splits are gold. In seven games started by Moore, Stills averages two more catches and double the yards compared to his other Dolphins games, per Pro Football Focus' Scott Barrett. The 20 targets since Week 9 alone help make him intriguing at sub-$5K.

WR Corey Coleman, CLE @ CIN ($4,300): We're mining $4-5K value receivers so we can spend up elsewhere. This week's pricing just dictates it in cash. Coleman's return as the Browns' alpha WR1 produced 80 yards on six catches (nine targets), which might as well adjust to a 150 game considering it was against the Jags. DeShone Kizer's post-bye improvement is probably underrated here.

TE Delanie Walker, TEN @ IND ($5,000): Indy was able to limit Walker despite seven targets in the Week 6 meeting. The rash of Colts injuries, particularly safety Malik Hooker, should hamper what the Colts can do to shut down Walker, who ranks second among tight ends in targets over the past two weeks.

FLEX Isaiah Crowell, CLE @ CIN ($3,900): Sub-4$K for a lead back presents great flex value in cash games. Crowell has seen an uptick in recent weeks with speed bumps including the brick wall that is Jacksonville in Week 11 and the bye in Week 9. Isolating Weeks 8 and 10 puts Crowell at seventh in rushing and 12th in RB receiving yards. 

D/ST Jaguars @ Cardinals ($4,100): Sacksonville's topped 2.5X value on DraftKings in six of its last eight outings. We're getting Blaine Gabbert, or the third-string quarterback behind an Arizona starting offensive line that PFF grades as poor at each position. Fire them up.

Thomas Emerick