Daily Fantasy Football December 26: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

Whether you were recently knocked out of your season-long league and are trying daily fantasy football for the first time or you have been competing all year, everyone can use some help when it comes to selecting the best possible team.

The key for this week is avoiding high-priced players you can't trust to produce at a high level and instead looking for upside in the cheaper options. Here is a look at some of each in the latest stock report for Week 16.

Stock Up

Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,500)

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

He isn't one of the first names you think about when listing top quarterbacks, but Blake Bortles has been one of the best fantasy players at the position this season. He has also been especially consistent lately with multiple touchdowns in nine of the last 10 games.

There is no reason he should slow down in Week 16 with a matchup against the terrible New Orleans Saints defense. The unit has allowed a league-worst 116.5 passer rating this year thanks to 39 passing touchdowns allowed with just six interceptions.

Michael Fabiano of NFL.com believes this will add up to a great fantasy day:

Considering he is significantly cheaper than Cam Newton ($7,500) and a bunch of other higher-profile passers, Bortles represents excellent value this weekend.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Minnesota Vikings ($4,400)

One of this year's biggest surprises had gone quiet over the past month, but Stefon Diggs broke out with two touchdown receptions against the Chicago Bears. The second score was an incredibly impressive finish after a short catch:

Even after a bunch of quiet weeks, Diggs was able to remind people just how productive he can be when given the opportunity.

The rookie receiver has a chance for an even bigger game in Week 16 against a New York Giants defense allowing the most receiving yards in the NFL. The Vikings utilize a run-first attack, but they will likely try to take advantage of the mismatch down the field and get Diggs the ball.

There is definitely a risk, but for a cheap price he could be worth the flier. 

Will Tye, TE, New York Giants ($3,500)

Al Bello/Getty Images

Tight end is an incredibly shallow position with only a handful of players capable of posting big numbers every week. Aside from these stars, all you want to see is someone who gets an opportunity to succeed.

Will Tye has that chance after catching at least five passes in four of the last five games. He is also averaging a respectable 6.4 targets per game in this stretch and has a touchdown in each of the last two weeks.

Eli Manning will also have to rely on his alternative targets this week with Odell Beckham Jr. suspended. Rueben Randle and Dwayne Harris could see an uptick in usage as well, but Tye remains a high-upside play at a minimal price.

Stock Down

Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons ($7,400)

Although Devonta Freeman was able to manufacture a solid fantasy day, the running back continues to struggle running the ball. He had 56 rushing yards on 25 carries for an average of just 2.2 yards per carry.

Freeman is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry over the last three weeks, and he has just two total touchdowns since Week 6. This is not the type of production you would hope for from the highest-priced running back on the board.

An upcoming matchup against the Carolina Panthers won't make things any easier. The defense allows the third-fewest yards per game in the NFL and doesn't allow many scoring chances either. This could lead to another quiet day from the talented running back.

Even though his catching ability helps Freeman keep a high floor, the ceiling is too low for a top running back at this price.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts ($5,800)

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts are pretty much at the point of accepting a lost season. Andrew Luck remains out, and the backup isn't exactly healthy either, as head coach Chuck Pagano explained this week, per Mike Chappell of Fox59:

Matt Hasselbeck is expected to start once again this week, but it's clear the injuries have impacted his performance. He is averaging just 189.3 passing yards over the last three games with just two passing touchdowns in this stretch.

This has affected T.Y. Hilton's ability to contribute at a high level. He finished with just 29 yards on three catches last week while totaling just 10 catches over the last three games. He does always have the ability to break out a long reception for a touchdown, but the Colts passing attack is difficult to trust at this stage of the season.

Even with a favorable matchup, Hilton is too risky of a pick this week.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers ($4,900)

A bad performance from a key player isn't just a waste of money on DraftKings, it is also a waste of a valuable roster spot. At this point, Eddie Lacy is more likely to be a waste on your team than a valued performer.

While there are definitely some strong performances, the past six games show you how volatile a player Lacy has been this year:

Week	Carries	Rush Yds	Fantasy Points*
9	5	10	0.0
11	22	100	14.6
12	17	105	25.9
13	5	4	1.1
14	24	124	24.8
15	11	23	2.3

The odds of a dud are just too great to put him on your roster, especially against a quality Arizona Cardinals defense. Those in season-long leagues are stuck questioning whether to start or play him in their championship, but in daily fantasy, you can just avoid the situation altogether.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

---

Enter the DraftKings $1M Play-Action contest this weekend. Use promo code BLEACHER REPORT when you sign up.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for all your fantasy football and daily fantasy needs.