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

Is your season-long fantasy team struggling heading into Week 12? Don't worry, you can always turn to daily fantasy to get back into the winning spirit. The beauty of daily fantasy sports (DFS) is that when your team stinks, you can simply draft a new one and start over.

There's an inherent challenge to winning in DFS, though. Fantasy sleepers don't remain sleepers for long.

Did you land Jacksonville Jaguars rookie running back in the 14th round? That's great, but you're not going to get him at a massive discount on DraftKings or FanDuel this late in the season. Instead, managers must dig into the projected roles and matchups for lower-tier players to find their DFS steals.

We're here to help with some premium value picks for Week 12. We'll examine some of the top value options and dig deeper into some of the best matchup plays of the week.

Adding one or two of these players should help you fit the stars want into your DFS budget.

Week 12 DFS Value Picks

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Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: $5,700 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns: $5,300 DK, $6,900 FD

Kalen Ballage, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: $5,800 DK, $5,500 FD

Wayne Gallman, RB, New York Giants: $5,000 DK, $5,700 FD

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts: $5,000 DK, $5,700 FD

Mike Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: $5,000 DK, $6,100 FD

Nelson Agholor, WR, Las Vegas Raiders: $4,900 DK, $5,200 FD

Jimmy Graham, TE, Chicago Bears: $3,500 DK, $5,600 FD

Richard Rodgers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles: $3,600 DK, $5,200 FD

New York Giants D/ST: $3,200 DK, $4,300 FD

Cleveland Browns D/ST: $3,100 DK, $4,900 FD

Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

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$5,700 DraftKings, $7,100 FanDuel

Quarterback can be a great position to find DFS value because it can be heavily touchdown-dependent, and mid-priced players can end up having huge games. Baker Mayfield had five touchdown passes in Week 7, for example. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had three touchdown passes and 275 yards in Week 11.

Yes, mid-level running backs and receivers can break out too, but those are positions where it's more prudent to spend big on consistent stars.

Carr could be in store for another big week against the Atlanta Falcons, who rank 31st against the pass, 25th in points allowed and have surrendered 22 touchdown passes in 10 games. The Falcons also rank ninth against the run, meaning Las Vegas could be inclined to attack through the air—even in the red zone.

If you're looking to spend on a running back like Dalvin Cook or a receiver such as Davante Adams, Carr could help shave some dollars off your overall budget while still providing a steady stat line.

Kalen Ballage, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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$5,800 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel

Managers will want to watch the status of Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. There's a chance that he'll return to face the Buffalo Bills, but it's not a guarantee.

"Not yet clear if he'll play Sunday against the Bills, but Ekeler will practice for the first time since a significant hamstring injury in Week 4," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted.

If Ekeler doesn't play or isn't close to 100 percent, fellow Chargers back Kalen Ballage could be one of the biggest DFS Bargains of the week. He is dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Week 11, but he returned to that game and finished with seven receptions and 71 scrimmage yards. He could have an even bigger day against Buffalo.

The Bills defense ranks just 28th against the run, 17th against the pass and 20th in points allowed.

Even if Ekeler does return, Ballage could see a half-dozen receptions or more. Running backs who can catch the ball usually provide strong DFS value.

A quick note here. Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards was my original RB choice based on his projected role and last performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Ravens players have been told that they cannot return to team facilities until Monday at the earliest. For now, it may be best to avoid Baltimore and Pittsburgh players altogether.

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

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$5,000 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel

While Edwards is set to be a somewhat unexpected starter for Week 12, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has steadily progressed toward being a No. 1 option. This is precisely the sort of wideout to target in DFS before the pricing starts to catch up.

For now, Pittman can be had at a reasonable price. However, his production in recent weeks has been strong, and he has a favorable matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Over his last three games, Pittman has caught 14 passes for 223 yards and a score. He has been targeted 18 times in that span. He added a 21-yard run in Week 10 and had his first career score in Week 11.

Against the Titans, Pittman will face a defense ranked 27th against the pass and 18th in points allowed. The last time Pittman battled the Titans, he caught seven passes and totaled 122 scrimmage yards.

Assuming Pittman's target share continues, he could have a half-dozen receptions or more with some big-time yardage potential and the possibility of finding the end zone. He's a strong target for the WR2 spot.

Tight End and Defense/Special Teams

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It can often be hard to justify going with deep sleepers at tight end because second-tier options can be substantially cheaper than the very top options. Raiders tight end Darren Waller, for example, costs a full $1,000 less in DraftKings than No. 1 option Travis Kelce.

For managers who insist on splurging at other positions, though, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Richard Rodgers ($3,600 DK, $5,200 FD) could be a sneaky-good sleeper play. While Rodgers shares targets at tight end with Dallas Goedert, he has still been productive. Over his past two weeks, he has caught six passes on seven targets for 108 yards and a touchdown.

In Week 12, Rodgers will face the Seattle Seahawks and their 32nd-ranked pass defense.

Targeting a deep sleeper at defense/special teams can be problematic because it is not traditionally an expensive position in DFS. The Miami Dolphins, for example, top the price list at $4,300 for Week 12. If you're looking to save a few bucks, though, the Cleveland Browns defense/special teams ($3,100 DK, $4,900 FD) could provide aid.

The Browns defense has been far from great and is missing Myles Garrett (COVID-19/reserve) and Denzel Ward (calf). However, Cleveland is facing a Jacksonville Jaguars team that ranks 30th in scoring, produced just three points in Week 11 and is set to start Mike Glennon at quarterback.

Even with Garrett out last week, the Browns had three takeaways, a defensive touchdown and a safety. The Browns might not have that great of an outing, but they should be more than serviceable on a budget.

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.

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