Steelers vs. Vikings Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy FanDuel, DraftKings

The Week 14 opener between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings could be dominated by running backs. 

Najee Harris and Alexander Mattison are going up against rushing defenses that have been susceptible to high concessions over the last month. Dalvin Cook might also play a role in the game since he is listed as questionable, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Minnesota allowed 308 rushing yards in its last two games, both of which were defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. 

Pittsburgh's unit allowed over 100 ground yards to each of its last five opponents. Only one of the Steelers' 12 opponents produced less than 90 rushing yards.

Harris and the Minnesota running backs should be the focal points of daily fantasy football lineups, but you will need some value plays, like Pat Freiermuth and K.J. Osborn, to fill out your DFS squad around the two No. 1 running backs. 

Sometimes the simplest DFS strategy is the best one. 

The running backs on both rosters should receive a high volume of carries inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Thursday night. 

Harris will likely be a 1,000-yard rusher for the Steelers. He enters Thursday with 779 yards and 3.6 yards per attempt.

Pittsburgh called on Harris for more than 20 carries in six of his last eight trips to the gridiron. He had at least 70 yards in five of the six games in which he had 20-plus carries. 

Harris has been used in the passing game as well. He caught all five of his targets for 36 yards in the Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. 

The rookie's heavy workload combined with Minnesota's lackluster numbers against the run make him an easy start in DFS contests. 

Minnesota's situation is a bit more difficult to figure out because Cook, who missed Sunday's game in Detroit, is listed as questionable. 

Mattison earned over 20 carries in each of the three games in which he replaced Cook as the starter. He had 90 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries on Sunday. 

If Cook is active, he could take away from Mattison's snap count, which in turn hurts the backup's DFS value. 

Cook carried the ball at least 17 times during a five-game stretch from Weeks 6-11, and he was on pace to do that against San Francisco before he got hurt. 

The DFS strategy is simple with Minnesota. If Cook is active, use him. If Cook sits, Mattison should be a lock to be in your lineups. 

Pat Freiermuth is one of two Steelers players with more than two receiving touchdowns. 

The rookie tight end is tied with Diontae Johnson for the team lead with six scoring catches, and he has been a vital red-zone target of Ben Roethlisberger over the last few weeks. 

The Penn State product caught touchdowns in consecutive games in Weeks 8 and 9 as well as Week 11 and 12. 

He did not score in Week 13's low-scoring affair against the Ravens, but he did have three catches on four targets. 

Freiermuth is averaging 6.3 targets per game since Week 6. He has four games with 40 or more receiving yards during that stretch.

The tight end has had a low ceiling when it comes to yardage, which is why his value comes with end zone trips. 

You can deal with a 40-or-50-yard game out of Freiermuth as long as he finds the end zone. His recent history suggests that he will be targeted a good amount by Roethlisberger in the red zone. 

Kirk Cousins has to throw to someone other than Justin Jefferson. 

Cousins can't solely target his No. 1 wide receiver with Adam Thielen out on Thursday night. That leaves K.J. Osborn as the second-best receiver on the active roster. 

Osborn filled in well for Thielen on Sunday, as he caught four passes for 47 yards. He scored his third touchdown of the season in the loss to the Lions. 

Osborn was used at a high volume in September, but his production dropped off in October and November with so much focus on Jefferson and Thielen in the passing game. 

The 76-yard game in Week 1 and the 91-yard performance in Week 2 gave us a glimpse into how effective Osborn can be inside the Minnesota passing game. 

The Vikings need Osborn to step up and fill the void left by Thielen's injury. That will be felt more in the red zone since Thielen leads the team with 10 touchdown catches. 

Osborn's opportunity is there, and if he thrives in it, he could be one of the top DFS stars on Thursday night.