It’s the regular season finale! The Buffalo Bills march down to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins tonight on Sunday Night Football. With a chance at fantasy glory and a hefty $300,000 on the line, it’s now more crucial than ever to assemble a winning DraftKings lineup that can dominate the competition. This article offers NFL DFS picks and insights on who should take the coveted captain slot, which core player should anchor your player pool, a value gem that can boost your salary cap flexibility, a sleeper pick with breakout potential, and one player to steer clear of – the dreaded bust. Get ready for a wild NFL DFS SNF showdown.
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SNF DraftKings NFL DFS Picks
*Disclaimer: These picks have been constructed with the mindset of building a single lineup. When building large field/multi-entry tournaments, if the player sees the field you’ll want to have a piece of him somewhere, my “busts” included.
Captain
Josh Allen
DraftKings Captain Salary- $16,500
There is just way too much on the line for the Buffalo Bills not to have Josh Allen in your captain slot. A strange scenario, the Bills have not yet secured a playoff spot, yet with a SNF win they would clinch a playoff berth as well as secure the AFC East title. However, a loss would drop them down to just a 68% chance of making the playoffs. Josh Allen has been carrying the Bills offense for quite some time now, doing whatever it takes to put points on the scoreboard.
Josh Allen has not been slinging the ball down the field the way we’re used to seeing. None of his last four games saw him throw for 300+ yards. This isn’t alarming because Allen has made up for it in other areas. In that same time span Allen has compiled 6 rushing touchdowns, scoring at least once each game. It would be nice to get the extra 3 fantasy points that DK awards for a 300+ passing day, but the 6 points he’s been getting for the rushing scores near the goal line beats a 4 point passing TD any day of the week.
Core Play
Tyreek Hill
DraftKings Salary- $11,200
I’m not sure if you’ve heard but Tyreek Hill only needs 248 receiving yards tonight to beat Calvin Johnson’s single-season league record. Normally, with a playoff spot already locked up, a team might pump the brakes and pull their starters for rest. That is not the case tonight as the Miami Dolphins still have something to play for on SNF. A win tonight would not only lock up the AFC East crown, but it would also give them the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
With so much on the line, I expect Hill to receive his usual workload. A workload that could get even heavier if fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (questionable) is unable to suit up, or is even limited. Last week with Waddle out, Hill was targeted 12 times. He caught six of those for 76 scoreless yards. Hill would of had a bigger day, but he committed an uncharacteristically horrendous drop while wide-open in the end zone. After being held out of the painted area for three straight contests now, Tyreek Hill is due for a touchdown.
Value
Raheem Mostert
DraftKings Salary- $7,600
Raheem Mostert (knee) is questionable for tonight’s SNF/AFC East championship matchup. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing Mostert’s name pop up on the injury report, however, the knee bothered him enough to sideline him last week. After watching his team fall to the Ravens, Mostert did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. Friday was a different story, as the veteran was able to take part in what can only assume was a walkthrough at this point in the season. Mostert has had plenty of time to recover, yet due to his questionable tag we are receiving a discount.
Raheem Mostert has scored a touchdown in five straight contests, including three games with 2 scores. I understand that De’Von Achane is still a thing, and they will likely split the workload. That has been the way this team has operated for the majority of the season, so there is no reason to shy away now. If you’re having trouble choosing between the two of them, you may not have to. Keeping in mind that Achane has not played in 7 games this season, it might please you to know that the duo has scored double-digit fantasy points in the same game four times this season.
Sleeper
Ty Johnson
DraftKings Salary- $1,400
Keep an eye on Leonard Fournette’s game-day status. If he’s active, his $200 price begins to open up a TON. With Johnson out, Fournette picked up 5 carries for 20 rushing yards. It doesn’t seem like much but these carries to place in the red zone, so they could have more meaning in the near future. However, with Ty Johnson back from injury last week, Fournette did not record a single snap. The same can be said for Latavius Murray. In addition to being blanked on the stat sheet in Week 16, Murray recorded just 1 carry for 0 yards last week. It wouldn’t shock me to see him inactive in Fournette’s stead tonight.
Ty Johnson, however, seems to be slightly ahead of both of the veterans in the pecking order. His prowess as a receiver gives him the edge because it allows the play-calling to stay the same as when James Cook is in the game. Johnson has shown that he can make explosive plays. This season he has posted three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown against his former team, the Jets in Week 11.
SNF Bust
Jaylen Waddle
DraftKings Salary- $8,400
Maybe it’s me. Maybe “high-ankle” sprain doesn’t mean the same thing it meant when I was a kid. But when I was growing up, a high-ankle sprain meant that it was an absolute chore to walk. Let alone sprint and make cuts. But hey, after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday, Jaylen Waddle was a limited participant on Friday. He obviously got another day of rest in yesterday. But still, coming back from a high-ankle sprain in that short amount of time is not something that we see too often in sports.
Jaylen Waddle is questionable for SNF, so there’s a chance that he’s out of the lineup altogether. But if active, I can’t imagine him being at full health. Waddle is a talented receiver, and this game means a lot for both teams. Realistically this game means more for the Bills than it does for the Dolphins, there’s even the likelihood that Waddle will see his reps limited tonight. His $8,400 salary is best allocated elsewhere.
Week 18 Positional Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End