Daily Fantasy Football Week 12: DraftKings, FanDuel Strategies and Value Picks

Week 12 got off to an early start, with three games taking place on Thanksgiving Day. Heading into the weekend, this means fewer top-tier targets for daily fantasy players remaining. Guys like Kenny Golladay, Tarik Cohen, Drew Brees, Ezekiel Elliott, Adrian Peterson, Alvin Kamara and Julio Jones are already off the board.

When you consider the fact the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs are also on bye, this leaves DFF players with a limited supply of top-end options.

Of course, this can be used to your advantage. You can fill your FanDuel or DraftKings lineup with upper-echelon players without being tempted to shell out the big bucks for a Todd Gurley or a Tyreek Hill. Avoiding the big superstar and instead setting a lineup of top-end players and just a couple value picks is a great way to get the most out of your budget.

With this in mind, let's take a look at some of those high-end players remaining for Sunday-Monday Week 12 games. We'll also look at some value selections who can help fill out your lineup.

Week 12 Top-End DFS Suggestions

Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck ($8,400 FD, $6,400 DK)

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady ($8,200 FD, $6,500 DK)

Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield ($7,500 FD, $5,500 DK)

Pittsburgh Steelers RB James Conner ($7,900 FD, $7,800 DK)

Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb ($7,500 FD, $6,300 DK)

Indianapolis Colts RB Marlon Mack ($7,00 FD, $5,500 DK)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans ($7,900 FD, $7,700 DK)

New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman ($7,400 FD, $7,00 DK)

Cincinnati Bengals WR Tyler Boyd ($6,800 FD, $6,00 DK)

San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle ($7,500 FD, $6,200 DK)

Indianapolis Colts TE Jacks Doyle ($5,500 FD, $4,100 DK)

Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku ($5,100 FD, $3,800 DK)

Jacksonville Jaguars DEF ($4,800 FD, $4,00 DK)

Houston Texans DEF ($4,400 FD, ($3,00 DK)

Indianapolis Colts DEF ($4,400 FD, $2,900 DK)

Week 12 Value Picks

Cleveland Browns RB Duke Johnson ($5,600 FD, $5,100 DK)

You'll see Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb on our list of top-end suggestions, and this shouldn't come as a surprise. The rookie racked up more than 200 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in his last game.

However, this isn't the only reason Chubb is listed. He also happens to have a very favorable matchup against a Cincinnati Bengals team allowing an average of 153.8 yards per game on the ground, most in the NFL. Cincinnati allows the most fantasy points to opposing backs, according to FantasyPros.

This is one of the reasons fellow Browns running back Duke Johnson is worth taking as a value back or as a stack alongside Chubb—but it isn't the only one. Johnson can be a PPR machine and has returned to being a centerpiece of the Cleveland offense now that Freddie Kitchens has taken over as coordinator.

In his last two games, Johnson has caught 13 passes, amassed 132 offensive yards and three touchdowns. He has at least one score in each of his last two games. Expect him to at least meet expectations in Week 12.

Philadelphia Eagles RB Josh Adams ($5,700 FD, $3,800 DK)

While Johnson is merely a complementary back—albeit a very good one—in Cleveland's offense, Josh Adams is quickly emerging as the top option in the Philadelphia Eagles committee. He may not be a legitimate star yet, but he's certainly trying to get there.

"The position I'm in is not only trying to get myself better but trying to help this team and whatever role I'm called to help, and I'll continue to do that each and every week," Adams said, per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Last week against the New Orleans Saints, Adams produced 53 yards rushing, 19 yards receiving, three receptions and a touchdown. This came against a Saints team that allows the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs—according to FantasyPros—and while trailing the entire contest.

This week, Adams will battle a New York Giants team that allows the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs, and it's unlikely the Eagles will be trailing big all game long.

Expect Adams to get more carries against New York—perhaps twice as many as last week—while still remaining a part of the passing attack.

Arizona Cardinals WR Christian Kirk ($5,600 FD, $4,500 DK)

Arizona Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk may not be a true fantasy star yet, but he's one of the top rookie wide receivers this season, and he's become rookie quarterback Josh Rosen's favorite target.

Last week against the Oakland Raiders, Kirk caught three passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Of course, the Raiders defense is bad. This week's opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, has a much better unit on that side of the ball. This may make you a little wary of grabbing Kirk as a value play, and that's understandable.

There are two reasons we suggest moving ahead with Kirk. For one, he is going to be the guy Rosen looks to early and often. With the Chargers the better overall team in this matchup, the Cardinals could find themselves trailing early. This would leave Rosen passing frequently and, naturally, creating opportunities for Kirk.

The other reason is that while the Chargers defense is solid, it doesn't regularly shut out opposing receivers. Los Angeles actually allows just the 15th-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Kirk has a lot of upside in this matchup and is a terrific value on the lower end of your DFS roster.