Week 14 DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Lineup Tips for Sunday
Some fantasy football managers have already been eliminated from playoff contention heading into Week 14, the final week of the regular season in most leagues. So, this seems like an opportune time for those people to dive into daily fantasy, even if they haven't done so before.
Sunday's slate is a bit smaller than usual, with only 11 games on the schedule. That's because there are six teams out of action this week on byes.
With fewer players to choose from for DraftKings and FanDuel lineups, it's even more crucial to pick the right ones. If you can start the right sleeper or two, it'll give you a big leg-up on the competition.
Here's some DFS lineup advice to consider for Sunday's Week 14 action.
Construct Your Lineup Around a Vikings Stack
Sunday's NFC North matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions should feature plenty of offense on both sides. But the Vikings are the better team (and are likely to win), so they should put up the bigger numbers.
A wise way to begin constructing a daily fantasy lineup this week is to go with a Minnesota stack. Detroit is giving up the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and the fourth-most to wide receivers (per NFL.com), so Kirk Cousins and his top targets are great plays.
Cousins ($6,100 on DraftKings; $7,500 on FanDuel) threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns when the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 3, and he may fare even better this time. The 34-year-old QB has thrived in favorable matchups like this all season.
It should be worth paying big for Justin Jefferson ($9,000 on DraftKings; $9,300 on FanDuel) on Sunday. He may be the most expensive wide receiver to play, but the 23-year-old is likely to live up to that price. The LSU product has scored a touchdown in four of Minnesota's past five games.
DFS lineups with Cousins and Jefferson both in them should be set up for Sunday success.
Wilson Should Provide Great Value at RB
Jeff Wilson Jr. was a non-factor in Week 13, but that wasn't a huge surprise. The Dolphins running back had only one carry for three yards in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, who have the NFL's best run defense. So it was a terrible matchup for Miami's rushing attack.
This week, the Dolphins are taking on the Los Angeles Chargers, who are giving up 151.6 rushing yards per game (fourth-most in the league). That should bode well for Wilson, who had been Miami's top back in his first three games with the team after coming over from San Francisco ahead of the trade deadline.
Wilson ($9,300 on DraftKings; $10,500 on FanDuel) could be the anchor of a lineup for Sunday night contests. The 26-year-old had scored a touchdown in three straight games before last week's down performance, and he has a great chance to get back into the end zone against the Chargers.
So don't be scared to trust Wilson even though he touched the ball only once last week. That will end up being an anomaly in a solid season for him, which will pick back up with a strong performance in Week 14.
Akins Could Be a Sleeper Starter at TE
There likely won't be a ton of DFS lineups featuring Jordan Akins on Sunday. But he's a sleeper tight end who should be considered, given his recent involvement in the Texans' offense and the likely game script for their Week 14 matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Akins ($2,800 on DraftKings; $4,700 on FanDuel) has been targeted 11 times over the past two weeks. The 30-year-old had five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown in Week 12 vs. the Miami Dolphins. He had only three receptions for 21 yards against the Cleveland Browns last week, but he was targeted a season-high six times.
Houston is likely to lose in lopsided fashion against Dallas on Sunday. But that also means the Texans will be passing the ball a lot, as they'll probably fall behind early and have to keep throwing to attempt to mount a comeback.
If Akins can get into the end zone for a second time in three weeks, he'll provide tremendous value considering his low DFS price. And that would be a huge boost for lineups that feature him.
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