DraftKings Cash Game Plays: NFL Week 16 Sunday Slate
This Sunday, on Christmas Day, we have a special three-game NFL slate of games, similar to what we typically see on Thanksgiving. In this piece, we will look at DraftKings cash game plays for 50/50, Double Ups, and Head-to-head contests. The Christmas slate begins at 1 p.m. EST with a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins. The Los Angeles Rams host the Denver Broncos, and the slate will wrap up with a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals.
For a look at the best DraftKings cash game plays for the main slate on Christmas Eve, check out our picks for those 10 games.
Who are the best cash game plays on this short Sunday slate? Let’s dig in to find out.
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Week 16 Sunday Slate Cash Plays
Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa ($7,000) leads a passing attack in Miami that has called pass play at the sixth-highest rate in the league over the last three weeks, despite one of those games being in a blizzard in Buffalo. Maybe you’ve heard of downfield threats like Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill? Green Bay allows 10.2 yards per completion this season and can be beaten downfield by competent quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers ($5,900) faces a Miami Dolphins squad that is allowing the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season (23.6) and finally has all three of his primary receiver weapons healthy. Christian Watson and Aaron Jones are two players the Dolphins have no answer for and will be heavily utilized in this game. Despite featuring the run more heavily in recent weeks, Green Bay throws the ball 57% of the time this year and this will be one game actually not affected by the weather this weekend.
Running Back
Aaron Jones ($7,500) was inches away from an absolutely smash game against the Rams on Monday night, but he fumbled in the fourth quarter and was tackled at the one-foot line to close out the game. His teammate A.J. Dillon has cleared concussion protocol after leaving Monday’s game, but this still feels like another big Aaron Jones spot. The Dolphins are an average team against running backs on the ground, but they are perhaps the worst team in the league defending pass-catching backs. The Dolphins give up the fifth-most receiving yards to running backs (621) and the most receiving touchdowns (six). Jones has 31 targets in his last four games for 136 yards and two scores.
Cam Akers ($5,200) has been the primary back for Los Angeles for three weeks in a row. His snap rate crossed 70% in two of those games and he has 41 carries in those three contests, resulting in over 50 yards per game and three total touchdowns. The Denver defense has been plagued by injuries this year, so they are now allowing over 114 rushing yards per game to opponents, which is middle of the pack this season. At just $5,200 for close to a full-time role, Akers is worth the gamble in this home matchup.
Wide Receiver
Tyreek Hill ($9,000) is the clear spend-up option on this slate at both running back and wide receiver. He is second in receiving yards in the entire league (1,529) and first in target share (34.6%). Miami is first in the league in yards per pass attempt (8.3) and fourth in passing touchdowns per game. In most projection systems, Hill will be five to six points higher than any other wide receiver that plays Sunday.
Mike Evans ($6,200) is certainly getting the looks over the last six games. He has at least nine targets in four of his last six contests and is averaging well over 10 yards per reception. The problem is, Tom Brady has been somewhat inaccurate, so his last six games have produced four with a 55% catch rate or lower and zero touchdowns. In a dome game that is a must-win for Tampa Bay, I predict these two hook up for at least one score and right some of the wrongs of the last month and a half.
Tutu Atwell ($3,600) represents something that is desperately needed on this short slate: a value play. With no Cooper Kupp or Allen Robinson around, Atwell has been targeted 18 times the last three games and played his most snaps of the season last week (84%). At this salary, you’re just hoping for a four-catch, 40-yard game. He has exceeded 40 yards in four of his eight games this season.
Tight End
Greg Dulcich ($3,900) joins Jerry Jeudy as one of the only healthy skill players on the Broncos this week. Courtland Sutton, Kendall Hinton, and Latavius Murray are all Questionable even though the Broncos will get Russell Wilson back this week. Dulcich may have thrown up a dud last week (two targets and one catch), but he had 24 targets in the four games prior to that one and has crossed 50 yards receiving three times already this year. This slate is devoid of tight end talent, so we have to take what we can get.
Cade Otton ($3,000) faces an Arizona squad that is absolutely atrocious against tight ends. They allow one and a half more fantasy points to the position than any other team in the league including giving up the most yards (994) and touchdowns (10) this season.
Defense/Special Teams
Tampa Bay DST ($3,300) is affordably priced and is going to be going up against the third-string Arizona quarterback Trace McSorley. The Bucs can sell out to stop James Conner and the run game because the Cardinals’ passing game shouldn’t be able to do too much through the air.
