4 Daily Fantasy Football Tournament Dart Throws for Week 16
Every week in DFS, there is a player who comes out of nowhere to be the slate-breaker. These seemingly incognito players can be game-changers if you manage to roster them during the right week.
Tournament-only fliers have plenty of appeal, offering low ownership, below value pricing, cheap stacking options, roster flexibility, and underrated ceilings. The purpose of this article is to identify dart throws to take your shots on during the main slate on FanDuel.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins
FanDuel Salary: $7,400
Once again The Bearded One looks to be in another shootout of the ugly variety. Believe it or not, the tanking Dolphins led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, are actually implied for the 8th highest implied team total of the week. The high total is due to a date with the pathetic Cincinnati Bengals, who continue to be gutted by even the lowliest of NFL offenses. Cincy ranks 25th against the QB position despite recently facing off with a hodgepodge of game managers(at best) to include Tom Brady, Derek Carr, Devlin Hodges, and Baker Mayfield.
Fitzpatrick meanwhile has been on fire, managing a QB1 performance in five out of his last nine starts. Averaging two touchdowns over his last five games, Fitzmagic has surprisingly offered a strong floor via his legs as well. The vet has averaged 36 yards per game rushing over his last four contests.
With plenty of appealing elite options at QB, most fantasy gamers will gravitate towards the more expensive signal callers. Few will venture into the middle tier but Fitz is a strong value as he projects for the 7th most points while only being the 11th most expensive. In what is sure to be an ugly shootout, look for the Dolphins to score early and often.
Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
FanDuel Salary: $5,900
Christian Kirk might as well be on the clearance aisle given his microscopic $5,900 price tag. The second-year wideout is the 3rd highest value for his position, given that he is the 29th most expensive receiver but numberFire projects him for the 10th most points.
As if the value wasn't nice enough, the Arizona Cardinals also finds themselves in the highest over/under (51.0) of the main slate. With the Seattle Seahawks being a 10-point favorite, Arizona will have to pass early and often to keep pace. Speaking of pace, Kliff Kingsbury air raid sits in the top-five in pace of play -- which could lead to a high volume passing attack against a Hawks defense that ranks 29th versus alpha wide receivers. On the main slate, there are few skill position players with Kirk's tantalizing combination of floor/upside and value.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons
FanDuel Salary: $6,200
Devonta Freeman is making his weekly appearance on this article and with good reason, the Falcon's back continues to be undervalued at his price point. Spending $6,200 is near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to featured backs, in fact, numberFire projects him to be the 3rd best value on the main slate for the RB position. Having eclipsed 20 plus touches in three of his last five games, Freeman has a decent floor of volume to go along with the potential for more scoring, given his eight red zone touches over the last four games.
The Atlanta Falcons are in a dream match-up against the Jacksonville Jaguars who rank 31st versus the running back position. To put it mildly, the Jags have no hope of stopping the run, allowing a staggering 22 PPR points per game against leading rushers over their last five games. Featured backs have averaged an RB1 overall finish, with Jacksonville allowing the most rushing yards and yards per carry per game.
Also working in Freeman's favor is a seven-point spread for Atlanta who boasts a strong implied team total of 26.25 (5th). Playing with a lead should provide plenty of positive game-script and scoring opportunities for Freeman to take advantage of. If you like cheap, under-owned, potential bell cow backs, look no further than Devonta Freeman in Week 16.
Jacob Hollister, TE, Seattle Seahawks
FanDuel Salary: $5,700
Being that the tight end position is weekly wasteland void of fantasy production, hunting for any sort of actual floor is a must. It just so happens that Jacob Hollister presents enough fantasy relevance to warrant consideration as a dart throw. With at least two receptions in each game he's played in, the former Patriot offers some semblance of a floor but also has enough upside to take a shot on.
Hollister is certainly a salary saver, discounted at only $5,700, but his value doesn't stop at his price. The Seattle Seahawks boast the highest implied team total of the week (30.5), and Arizona has continually been roasted by tight ends (ranks 32nd versus the position). Tight ends lining up against the Arizona Cardinals over the past five games have averaged five targets, 40 yards, and 1.2 touchdowns per game which is good for the TE8 overall.
Seattle will also be without Josh Gordon due to his suspension. Gordon played limited snaps but his removal should free up a few extra pieces of the target pie. Hollister ranks 9th in target share for the position and that share could improve minus Gordon.
Nathan Coleman is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nathan Coleman also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username nac89. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
