It’s time for the week 12 edition of “Buy or Leave Dry”. As we do every week, we take a look at some players to use and avoid when constructing your daily fantasy (DFS) teams for DraftKings and FanDuel. Let’s take a look at the key players for week 12 in the NFL.
Quarterback
BUY: Marcus Mariota Titans @ Bears
Salary DraftKings $7,200 FanDuel $8,300
Marcus Mariota continues his torrid pace. Over his last three games he has thrown for nearly 900 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Look for his hot streak to continue week 12 against a Chicago Bears defense ranked 20th in the league in points allowed. There has been no sign of a sophomore slump for the young Mariota. His quarterback rating is 100.35 and he has passed for nearly 2800 yards on the season. In his last three road games against San Diego, Miami and Indianapolis, Mariota has thrown for eight touchdowns. Use Mariota week 12 and continue to ride the hot hand.
LEAVE DRY: Carson Palmer Cardinals @ Falcons
Salary DraftKings $5,300 FanDuel $7,100
Despite the Atlanta Falcons having the 32nd ranked defense against opposing quarterbacks, stay away from Carson Palmer this week. Palmer has not been good on the road this season. Palmer has only five touchdowns and seven interceptions in three road games thus far. Because of the weak defensive statistics for the Atlanta Falcons, Palmer will be a popular choice this week in DFS. His risk is not worth the reward. There are more consistent options available to use this week. Stay away.
Other options to use at quarterback include Tyrod Taylor, Colin Kaepernick and Tom Brady.
Running Back
BUY: Melvin Gordon Chargers @ Texans
Salary DraftKings $7,000 FanDuel $8,200
Melvin Gordon takes his 11 touchdowns and his 84 yards per game on the ground into Houston week 12. Gordon has been the mainstay in the offense for the San Diego Chargers thus far this season. He has also been extremely productive on the road. In fact, seven of his 11 touchdowns have come in the five Chargers road games. Houston ranks 25th against opposing fantasy running backs and 21st in rushing yards allowed. Look for Gordon to continue his fantastic 2016 season this week. Use.
LEAVE DRY: Devonta Freeman Falcons VS Cardinals.
Salary DraftKings $6,400 FanDuel $7,300
Devonta Freeman has only two touchdowns in his last five games. The yards are down, the touches are down and all of this has occurred with Tevin Coleman banged up. Atlanta faces the Arizona Cardinals who ranked first against opposing fantasy running backs and 10th in rushing yards against. Freeman is very pricey in DFS despite the lackluster production. Look elsewhere week 12.
Other options at running back include Spencer Ware, Carlos Hyde and Jay Ajayi.
Wide Receiver
BUY: Rishard Matthews Titans @ Bears
Salary DraftKings $5,800 FanDuel $6,200
Back to the STACK! Rishard Matthews has emerged as the #1 wide receiver in Tennessee. Marcus Mariota has targeted Matthews 28 times over the last three games. Matthews has converted those targets into 18 catches, 248 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears rank dead last in the league against opposing wide receivers. With the Colts loss on Thursday to the Steelers and the Texans losing to Oakland this past Monday night, Tennessee is still very much in the race for the AFC South. This is a great “value stack” for week 12. Use it.
LEAVE DRY: Tyreek Hill Chiefs @ Broncos
Salary DraftKings $4,800 FanDuel $6,000
Tyreek Hill was a popular pick last week against Tampa Bay. With Jeremy Maclin out, many DFS players jumped on Hill and his affordable price. Week 12 is a whole different story. Hill and the Chiefs travel to Denver to face the Broncos second ranked pass defense. Don’t allow the cheap price to sway you, stay away from Chiefs skill players in this game.
Better Options include Kelvin Benjamin, DeVante Parker and Sterling Shepard.
Tight End
Buy: Gary Barnidge VS Giants
Salary DraftKings $3,600 FanDuel $4,800
Once Josh McCown entered the game last week against the Steelers, Gary Barnidge saw an uptick in targets and caught one for a touchdown. It’s no secret Barnidge and McCown have shown good chemistry in the past. Barnidge should be a key factor in what the Browns attempt to do on offense Sunday. The New York Giants rank 21st against opposing tight ends.
LEAVE DRY: Coby Fleener Saints VS Rams
Salary DraftKings $3,100 FanDuel $5,700
Coby Fleener has not caught more than four passes or cracked 50 yards in any game since week six against Carolina. The Los Angeles Rams rank sixth against opposing tight ends and first in the league in points allowed (16.9). Look Elsewhere.
Defense
Buy: Ravens VS Bengals
Salary DraftKings $3,100 FanDuel $4,500
Baltimore hosts the Cincinnati Bengals who were decimated with injuries in Week 11. A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard are out, look for the Ravens to be aggressive and go after Andy Dalton early. The Pittsburgh Steelers won Thanksgiving night so Baltimore needs a win to keep pace in the AFC North.
Leave Dry: Dolphins VS 49ers
Salary DraftKings $3,300 FanDuel $5,000
Miami owns the 30th ranked rushing defense in the league. San Francisco was able to move the ball in the rain against the New England Patriots. Colin Kaepernick and Carlos Hyde should be able to move the ball on the ground against Miami. Look Elsewhere
Scott Burke- Lead Fantasy writer, all-around sports junkie. Follow on twitter @scot557
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