My good friend Julian Edlow is out this week, so I’m stepping in to give you some chalk plays for Week 13’s main 11-game slate on DraftKings. Cash games are all about identifying the value plays and who has the highest floor on the slate. I’ll take you through some picks at each position to get your chalk lineups going.
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes ($7,400) vs. OAK — I’m going to lean Mahomes over Lamar Jackson ($7,000) in terms of paying up at QB. The matchup is safer and I’m OK eating the extra salary. Plus, the Chiefs are always a good stacking option.
Jameis Winston ($6,300) at JAX — I know, I’m shocked Winston is being considered as a cash-game play too. Winston has at least 21 DKFP in six straight and the Jaguars’ defense is a shell of its former self.
Andy Dalton ($4,700) vs. NYJ — It’s never a bad idea to pay down at positions and QB is a decent spot. Dalton is back as the starter and probably shouldn’t have been benched in the first place. This game has sneaky shootout potential.
Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey ($10,500) vs. WAS — No price is too steep for CMC on any slate in any matchup. This is one of those spots in which McCaffrey could reach 40-50 FPTS. His ceiling is sky high. I think you need to fit him in somehow in cash.
Leonard Fournette ($7,500) vs. TB — If you’re not into CMC and want to balance things out, Fournette will get around 20-25 touches in a great matchup vs. the Bucs. This game script is appealing with the O/U near 50 points.
Miles Sanders ($5,400) at MIA — A cheaper option, Sanders is another RB in a strong matchup vs. Miami. He’s got double-digit carries in three straight games and that should be enough to reach value with the Dolphins allowing 148 rushing yards per game.
Wide Receivers
Tyreek Hill ($8,900) vs. OAK — If you’re going to play Mahomes, it makes sense to pair him with Hill. Sure, it’s going to cost you a ton in salary cap, but the ceiling is as high as anyone not named Christian McCaffrey.
Mike Evans ($6,900) at JAX — A lot of lineups will be on Chris Godwin ($7,700) but he’s priced up, plus this is an equally good spot for Evans. You can get a little bit of leverage with Evans as well.
Auden Tate ($3,800) vs. NYJ — I mentioned Dalton coming back, so I think we can roll out Auden Tate again. Prior to Dalton’s benching, we saw the two build a solid connection. I think at this price and the matchup, Tate should see a higher volume of targets, which increases his floor.
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce ($7,200) vs. OAK — Since the KC ultra-stack is in play, you can’t roll it out there without Kelce. Mahomes-Hill-Kelce will be very trendy, but I think rightfully so. We’ve since what these three can do given the matchup.
Dallas Goedert ($4,100) at MIA — Zach Ertz popped up on the injury report and now his status for Sunday may be in doubt. If that’s the case, Goedert would become the immediate chalk play of the week. Even so, his floor is decent if Ertz does end up playing.
Jack Doye ($3,300) vs. TEN — This is capitalizing on an injury we already know about. Eric Ebron is sidelined, so Doyle will get all the snaps at TE for the Colts vs. the Titans. He should see an increase in targets and get some looks in the red zone.
Defense/Special Teams
Carolina Panthers ($3,800) vs. WAS — Home teams favored by double-digits is usually a good indicator in DFS. Here we have the Panthers favored by 10 points in a gmae with a low
Philadelphia Eagles ($3,600) at MIA — The Eagles defense may give up some points in this matchup, but their chances of scoring a defensive TD are among the highest on the slate. Given that upside, I’m fine rolling Philly’s D/ST out in cash.
Cleveland Browns ($2,600) at PIT — If you want to go really cheap, the Browns will face Devlin Hodges. The Steelers offense has mustered just 26 points over the past three games, including seven in their loss to the Browns a few weeks ago.