DFS Roundtable: Running with Favorites

Chad Parsons's DFS Roundtable: Running with Favorites Chad Parsons Published 12/19/2019

Which favorites are the best as core lineup builders for Week 16?

  • Falcons (vs. Jaguars)
  • Colts (vs. Panthers)
  • Ravens (at Browns)
  • Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
  • Chargers (vs. Raiders)
  • Broncos (vs. Lions)

JASON WOOD

Falcons (vs. Jaguars)
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones are each near the top of their respective positional rankings, and stacking them makes a ton of sense in GPPs or cash. A premium tandem in a week full of them.

Ravens (at Browns)
How can Lamar Jackson not be your top-ranked main slate quarterback? Price be damned, he's in a zone and executing to near perfection. The Ravens get to play an undisciplined divisional foe this week in the Browns, and they'll remain motivated as they push for the top seed and a first-round bye. Pairing Jackson with Hollywood Brown, Mark Andrews, or Mark Ingram is a viable strategy. Of the three, I prefer Andrews.

Seahawks (vs. Cardinals)
The Cardinals defense is downright terrible, and the Seahawks are still pushing for playoff positioning. Chris Carson is at, or near, the top of this week's running back rankings. Tyler Lockett appears healthy again and back on top of the pecking order. Both are hyper-valuable options this week. DK Metcalf is a GPP option, but too volatile for cash lineups. Russell Wilson isn't my favorite quarterback this week, but he's certainly worth being overexposed versus the field in GPPs.

PHIL ALEXANDER

Listed in order of priority:

  1. Falcons (vs. Jaguars) - A Matt Ryan-Julio Jones-Austin Hooper stack is a great way to start a lineup this week. Jones and Hooper should safely command more than half of Ryan's pass attempts against a Jaguars defense that is struggling at every level.
  2. Ravens (at Browns) - The matchup is ideal for Lamar Jackson-Mark Andrews stacks. Or just run Jackson by himself.
  3. Seahawks (vs. Cardinals) - Good spot for a Seahawks onslaught. Russell Wilson-Chris Carson-Tyler Lockett (or DK Metcalf) could get you access to all of Seattle's touchdowns. And we can't forget Jacob Hollister in a matchup against Arizona's legendary-bad defense against tight ends.
  4. Colts (vs. Panthers) - Marlon Mack-Colts defense is an obvious stack against Carolina's bottom-ranked rush defense. Make sure you also have exposure to Jacoby Brissett and his pass-catchers in tournaments.
  5. Chargers (vs. Raiders) - Between Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry, Austin Ekeler, and Melvin Gordon, it's tough trying to pin down which Chargers player to go heavy on each week. They're all strong plays (and priced well on DraftKings) against Oakland.
  6. Broncos (vs. Lions) - Courtland Sutton will be the next perimeter receiver to destroy the Lions. Phillip Lindsay is in a great spot also, but his lack of targets in the passing game is a bummer.

DAN HINDERY

The Falcons are a team I want to have exposure to this week. The nice thing about this team right now is that injuries have eliminated options and forced the targets and carries to become more concentrated. Last week, Devonta Freeman was the only back who touched the ball more than one time. Unfortunately, one of those touches was a vultured one-yard touchdown but we can still be confident that Freeman is going to rack up most of the yardage from the backfield. Things were even more stark amongst the pass catchers. Julio Jones saw over half of Matt Ryan’s targets (20) and caught 13 passes on his way to a monster game. With Calvin Ridley injured and Mohamed Sanu traded to New England, we should expect another huge workload for Jones against a poor Jacksonville defense.

The Seahawks also look like a great team to find core lineup pieces this week. With Rashaad Penny out last week, Chris Carson had 25 touches on his way to a big game. Penny also missed the Week 4 matchup against this same Cardinals team and Penny had 26 touches for 145 yards. He looks like one of the highest-floor plays on the slate. The suspension of Josh Gordon provides a small boost to Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Jacob Hollister. Lockett finally looked healthy and had a huge game last week. Metcalf has been easily the most consistent of the Seahawks targets. Hollister has the prime matchup against a Cardinals defense that has been murdered by opposing tight ends all season.

JUSTIN HOWE

The Ravens are always in play, and they need a win to clinch the AFC’s top seed. I see smooth sailing ahead against the pitiful Browns, who were simply rolled over last week by the Cardinals’ sluggish offense. Cleveland had no answer for the quickness of Kenyan Drake or Kyler Murray on the ground; maybe the Ravens have a quick-footed quarterback they can mix in Sunday. Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram are consistent, matchup-proof plays, and they project to big-time efficiency and touchdown potential in this one.

You can’t really trust Matt Ryan and this Falcons offense to be efficient, but you can generally trust their volume. Whenever game script allows, Ryan will throw and throw and throw, pushing them into the red zone often. And with Calvin Ridley out and Austin Hooper limited, we know his attention will be concentrated around Julio Jones (20 targets last week). There are even a few dirt-cheap reserves in play here, with decent chances at 3-5 catches and a touchdown in a mini-shootout.


Photos provided by Imagn Images
Share This Article

Featured Articles

 

Battling Uncertainty And Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: The Fantasy Notebook

Bob Harris

Bob Harris brings you a big-picture look at fantasy-specific news and notes from around the NFL with the Fantasy Notebook.

08/30/25 Read More
 
Bloom's Final PPR Top 250
Sigmund Bloom
08/29/25 Read More
 
 
 

More by Chad Parsons

 

Dynasty Trading Post: Most-Traded Players

Chad Parsons

Chad Parsons examines the dynasty trade market, including the most traded early players

08/27/25 Read More
 

Running Back Roulette: The Final Countdown

Chad Parsons

Analyzing NFL Depth Charts for the optimal running back fantasy football roster spots

08/26/25 Read More
 

The New Reality No.234: The Dynasty Roster Spot Squeeze

Chad Parsons

From dynasty team-building and player evaluations to NFL research and forecasting, Chad Parsons covers the landscape of dynasty fantasy football in The New Reality.

08/21/25 Read More
 

Dynasty Trading Post: Rising and Falling Quarterbacks

Chad Parsons

Chad Parsons examines the dynasty trade market, including key early-season injuries

08/13/25 Read More
 

Running Back Roulette: Backup RB Values

Chad Parsons

Analyzing NFL Depth Charts for the optimal running back fantasy football roster spots

08/12/25 Read More
 

The New Reality No.233: Early 2025 NFL Draft Prospects

Chad Parsons

From dynasty team-building and player evaluations to NFL research and forecasting, Chad Parsons covers dynasty fantasy football's landscape in The New Reality.

01/01/25 Read More