Daily Fantasy Football Week 16: DraftKings, FanDuel Strategies and Value Picks

We're down to just two weeks left in the 2018 NFL regular season. For fantasy-football enthusiasts, this means you're either in the playoffs (congrats!) or playing daily fantasy. We're focusing on DFS in this article, specifically, FanDuel and DraftKings cash games.

The good news about this year's playoff race—for fantasy players, anyway—is that no team has clinched a No. 1 seed or is completely locked into its playoff spot. That means for playoff-bound stars like Todd Gurley, Alvin Kamara, Patrick Mahomes and Tarik Cohen, resting isn't a realistic option.

In a week like this, sticking with such standout players is a smart strategy. Playoff-bound teams or teams with playoff potential have much more to play for than teams like the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders. This means one of the aforementioned players is a much safer play than, say, Julio Jones, who missed practice on Thursday and who has no reason to play through nagging late-season injuries.

You should be able to start your DFS stars with full confidence, and we're going to run down our top stars for Week 16—based on factors like matchup, player health and projected role. We'll also pick some value players who can help maximize your overall roster.

Week 16 DFS Stars

QB Drew Brees vs. Pittsburgh Steelers ($8,400 FD, $6,500 DK)

QB Andrew Luck vs. New York Giants ($8,200 FD, $6,200 DK)

QB Deshaun Watson at Philadelphia Eagles ($8,000 FD, $6,600 DK)

RB Ezekiel Elliott vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($8,800 FD, $9,000 DK)

RB Nick Chubb vs. Cincinnati Bengals ($7,900 FD, $7,300 DK)

RB  Marlon Mack vs. New York Giants ($7,000 FD, $5,500 DK)

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster at New Orleans Saints ($8,000 FD, $8,000 DK)

WR Julian Edelman vs. Buffalo Bills ($7,000 FD, $7,200 DK)

WR Tyler Lockett vs. Kansas City Chiefs ($6,600 FD, $5,700 DK)

TE Eric Ebron vs. New York Giants ($6,100 FD, $5,700 DK)

TE Evan Engram at Indianapolis Colts ($5,700 FD, $4,600 DK)

TE David Njoku vs. Cincinnati Bengals ($5,300 FD, $3,800 DK)

Week 16 Value Picks

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

RB Jamaal Williams at New York Jets ($5,800 FanDuel, $5,400 DraftKings)

For our value picks, we're going to steer away from the playoff-bound teams. Instead, we're going to look at players who have inherited large offensive roles. This is a great strategy because volume quite often will trump player ability in DFS.

For the Green Bay Packers, our top option is running back Jamaal Williams. He inherits the starting running back job now that Aaron Jones is on injured reserve. Williams is dealing with a toe injury of his own but appears good to go for Sunday.

"I thought he had a good day of practice yesterday," coach Joe Philbin said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. "He's going to be a big part of the game plan on Sunday."

Last week, Williams' large role led him to 97 total yards, four receptions and a touchdown. He could have similar numbers against the New York Jets.

WR Chris Hogan vs. Buffalo Bills ($5,300 FanDuel, $3,300 DraftKings)

Wideout Chris Hogan hasn't been a major piece of the New England Patriots offense this season, but he has had bright moments as the team's downfield threat. Last week, he caught two passes for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Hogan will be New England's only deep-threat receiver this week, as former standout Josh Gordon has been indefinitely suspended by the league for violation of the substance-abuse policy again.

With Gordon out, expect Hogan to become Tom Brady's primary downfield option. Gordon had four receptions and 81 yards the last time the Patriots played the Buffalo Bills. This should be seen as Hogan's floor with the rematch coming in Foxborough.

WR Jordy Nelson vs. Denver Broncos ($5,300 FanDuel, $4,600 DraftKings)

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jordy Nelson didn't just inherit the No. 1 receiver role, but he's grabbed it over the last couple weeks. Whether it's because he's just not adjusting to his role or is just now adjusting to Jon Gruden's offense. Nelson is Oakland's top option at receiver now.

Over his last three games, Nelson has caught 22 passes for 233 yards.

The Denver Broncos defense has had some strong games this season, but it hasn't been especially hard on opposing receivers. It actually ranks 25th in pass defense, allowing 257.9 yards passing per game. The defense is also missing star cornerback Chris Harris.

At home, in a divisional battle, Nelson should shine.