Week 16 DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Lineup Tips for Sunday
Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season should be fun with some intriguing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day matchups on tap, and Sunday's slate, in particular, brings with it some solid potential from a fantasy perspective.
Some of the biggest matchups of the day include the Dallas Cowboys traveling to Hard Rock Stadium to face the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium in an NFC North tilt.
There's plenty of value on the slate, so let's take a look at the matchups and select some players who should perform well at each position on Sunday.
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Quarterbacks
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Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields ($7,100) vs. Arizona Cardinals
Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears are going up against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and everything is lining up for the franchise to come out with a win.
The Cardinals have struggled mightily on defense this year, allowing 219.3 passing yards, 139.6 rushing yards and 26.9 points per game.
Fields is a strong dual-threat quarterback, and he should be able to attack the Arizona defense with ease on Sunday. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes this season for 1,976 yards and 14 touchdowns against eight interceptions and has also rushed for 488 yards and two scores.
Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love ($6,500) at Carolina Panthers
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers also face a highly favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers this weekend.
While the Panthers are coming off a win over the Atlanta Falcons, they have consistently been the worst team in the NFL this season and are allowing the fourth-most points in the league (24.9).
Love has also been much better over the last five games as he appears to be molding into a franchise quarterback, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 1,359 yards and 11 touchdowns against one interception, in addition to rushing for 52 yards.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield ($6,000) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is trending up over the last few weeks, and he'll face a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that has struggled to defend the pass this year.
The Jaguars are allowing the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL (256.6), which bodes well for Mayfield and Tampa Bay's pass-heavy offense.
The Bucs have won each of their last three games, and Mayfield has thrown for 727 yards and seven touchdowns against one interception in that span. That said, it's fair to suggest he'll keep the momentum going against the Jags.
Running Backs
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Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert ($7,300) vs. Dallas Cowboys
Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert has been arguably the most dominant player at the position this season, and backing him against the Cowboys this weekend in what is considered a must-win for Miami due to the building narrative surrounding the franchise feels like a solid bet.
Mostert, who has rushed for 966 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, has recorded at least one touchdown in each of his last four games. Additionally, he has rushed for two touchdowns per game in three of his last four games.
The Cowboys are allowing 117.4 rushing yards per game this season, so it feels like a solid matchup for Mostert, especially with De'Von Achane questionable with a toe injury.
Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson ($6,300) vs. Indianapolis Colts
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson figures to see a pretty large workload this weekend against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts are allowing 127.4 rushing yards per game and Robinson is due for a big game after recording just 181 yards and one touchdown from scrimmage over the last three games.
Robinson is in the midst of a solid rookie season, rushing for 801 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games, in addition to catching 41 passes for 323 yards and three scores.
The Falcons are 6-8 on the season but are still in contention for the NFC South title and a playoff spot. That said, Robinson and Co. should be going all-out this weekend against the Colts.
Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard ($5,700) vs. Green Bay Packers
The Panthers aren't projected to beat the Packers this weekend, but Chuba Hubbard has been a consistent performer for Carolina out of the backfield all season, and that should be no different against Green Bay.
The Packers are allowing the third-most rushing yards per game this season (138.8) and that bodes well for Hubbard and the Panthers.
Hubbard, who has rushed for 731 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games, has recorded 20-plus rushing attempts and has rushed for at least 87 yards in each of his last three games, so he should continue to be heavily utilized on Sunday.
Wide Receivers
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Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill ($9,600) vs. Dallas Cowboys
With Tyreek Hill expected to be back in the lineup to face the Cowboys after recovering from an ankle injury, he's expected to have a big game as he aims to become the first receiver in NFL history to reach the 2,000-yard mark.
Considering Hill has set that goal for himself and he already missed a game last week, he figures to excel on Sunday against an impressive Dallas defense that has been strong against the pass all season.
If Hill for some reason does not suit up, picking Jaylen Waddle at $7,800 would also be a great option.
The Cowboys have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but the Dolphins are going to need a big game from Waddle if they hope to grab their first win against a team with a winning record.
The 25-year-old was brilliant against the New York Jets last week with Hill out of the lineup, catching eight passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. What's to say he can't have another big-time performance?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans ($7,600) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Buccaneers star Mike Evans has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this season, and with Mayfield seemingly hitting his stride, he may be one of the strongest selections for Sunday's slate.
The Jaguars are allowing 256.6 passing yards per game this season, which is the fourth-most in the NFL, and Evans figures to thrive against a Jacksonville defense that has struggled to defend the pass.
Evans has caught 66 passes for 1,077 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games this season, and he has been particularly effective at home, catching 34 passes for 667 yards and five touchdowns in six games at Raymond James Stadium.
Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf ($6,700) vs. Tennessee Titans
The return of Geno Smith under center this weekend against the Tennessee Titans should highly benefit DK Metcalf.
Metcalf has caught 56 passes for 942 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games this season, but he was limited to seven catches for 130 yards and one touchdown over the last two weeks without Smith.
Additionally, the Titans are allowing 226.4 passing yards per game this season, which means Smith and Metcalf should be able to get some momentum going as they aim to jump into the playoff picture instead of floating around on the outside.
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Tight Ends
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Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta ($6,400) at Minnesota Vikings
As long as Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is playing, he should be included in your lineup.
The rookie has exceeded expectations this season, catching 71 passes for 758 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. He's also coming off a three touchdown performance last week and is emerging as a big target for Jared Goff.
In a rivalry matchup against the Vikings, LaPorta will aim to give the Lions an edge and he should see plenty of targets as defenders shift their focus to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Josh Reynolds.
Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride ($5,700) at Chicago Bears
The Bears figure to have the edge on the Cardinals this weekend, but Arizona tight end Trey McBride could have a big impact in Sunday's game for the Cards.
Wide receiver Marquise Brown has been ruled out for the matchup with a foot injury, which should open the door for McBride to receive some more targets.
McBride is having a career year in his second NFL season, having caught 66 passes for 712 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. He has been particularly effective since Kyler Murray returned from a torn ACL in Week 10, catching 38 passes for 425 yards and one score in five games.
Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku ($5,300) at Houston Texans
Browns tight end David Njoku is heating up at the right time for Cleveland, and he has become a top target for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Since Flacco took over as Cleveland's starter in Week 13, Njoku has caught 18 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns in three games. Seeing as how he has become very reliable for the veteran, he figures to have another big game against Houston on Sunday.
Defense/Special Teams
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Green Bay Packers D/ST ($3,900) at Carolina Panthers
The Packers are facing one of the NFL's most inefficient offenses in the NFL led by rookie quarterback Bryce Young, and the defense should feast as Carolina averages just 164.9 passing yards, 106.1 rushing yards and 14.7 points per game.
Young has thrown nine interceptions and has taken 51 sacks this season, so Green Bay's pass rushers could have a field day.
Cleveland Browns D/ST at Houston Texans
Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has been ruled out for a second straight week while in concussion protocol, so the franchise will turn to Case Keenum, who tossed one interception and was sacked three times in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans.
Browns star Myles Garrett could have a field day against Keenum and a Houston offense that isn't nearly as effective given the losses of Stroud and wide receiver Tank Dell to injuries.
Seattle Seahawks D/ST ($3,200) at Tennessee Titans
Much like the Panthers, the Titans also don't have an efficient offense. They're averaging 189.7 passing yards, 104 rushing yards and 18.4 points per game amid rookie quarterback Will Levis' struggles.
Levis is dealing with an ankle injury, and if he suits up, his mobility will almost certainly be impacted, which doesn't bode well for someone who has tossed four interceptions and has been sacked 27 times in eight games.
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