It’s easy to let your DraftKings FLEX spot be left up to the amount of salary remaining after you fill out the rest of the squad. That’s the ‘flex-by-default’ strategy. The purpose of this Week 16 DraftKings DFS article is to help you avoid it. You can and should use the FLEX spot to strengthen and diversify your daily league lineups for Week 16 of the NFL season.

A couple of thoughts: 1) You don’t have to spend all the salary cap. A better player in a better situation may force you to leave a few hundred salary cap dollars on the table. Force yourself to roster the best lineup, even if it fails to use the whole cap. 2) As a scientist, I like to use players for which I can build a case based on multiple pieces of evidence. I look at things like opportunities, efficiency, opponent and game flow to start my research. I want as many players that are positive in all categories as I can fit. Having an idea of the players I want before I work with salaries helps me with #1 too.

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Week 16 DraftKings FLEX Options - Daily Fantasy Football Picks

Use this list as your flex cheat sheet; if a player is on here, there’s good reason to roster him in your last spot.

I assume that you have $6,500 or less to work with for this final spot on the roster. I also assume you’ll arrange accordingly so that the player with the latest game start is in the flex in case you should need to swap someone out.

Safe Options - Week 16 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Jordan Howard $6,300: We’ve seen a Bears game plan that selectively targets opponent’s weaknesses this season, with Howard dominating against the weak run defense of the 49ers, and Barkley passing 40-50 times against softer pass defenses. Washington is fantasy-friendly in both phases of the game, but I think it’s a safe bet that Howard is heavily involved once again this weekend.

Doug Baldwin $6,000: The Seahawks are sneaky heavy favorites in a home game vs. a Cardinals team that is eliminated from the playoffs and just got destroyed by the Saints. I like a lot of the Seattle pass game this weekend, but Baldwin is the safest. Both he and Tyler Lockett have been much better at home than on the road this season, but Baldwin hasn’t scored under 10 fantasy points in his last seven games. He’s a perfect mid-range play to balance any lineup this week.

Desean Jackson $5,500: Watch me get burned for putting the most not-safe player of all time in the safe section, but I really believe in Jackson, Pierre Garcon (target leader) and Jamison Crowder (most TDs) this week. Of the Redskins pass-catchers, I think Jackson is the best combination of safe volume and big game upside. He has three games with over 20 fantasy points in his last four (the fourth was in Arizona), and should reach value again in the fifth-best fantasy matchup for wide receivers with the Bears.

Upside Options - Week 16 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Doug Martin $5,400: Although the first time these teams met, just three weeks ago, fantasy ugliness was the theme, Martin came out okay. Since returning in Week 10, Martin’s yards per carry have been awful (just under 3.0 ypc), but he has three rushing touchdowns and has been effective in the passing game when targeted. Martin has some competition from Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers, which is why he’s not in the safe category, but should be able to run on the weak Saints defense.

Marqise Lee $4,300: I think Blake Bortles and the Jaguars bounce back this week after three straight terrible matchups. Bortles had his best game of the season against Tennessee earlier in the year, and should be back to passing at a high volume with 2-3 TDs. Lee made a splash as a returner last week, but failed to do anything in the receiving game for the first time in a while. He’s a big play guy, as fast as they come, and I think he could be a major value this week in a big game for the Jags.

Chris Hogan $4,200: The way I see it, the Patriots are going to score enough points for everyone to have two touchdowns this weekend, so why not get ‘em cheap? That’s a little facetious, but the Pats do have the highest implied team total, face the Jets bottom 10 pass defense, are at home, and will be playing for home field advantage in the playoffs. Hogan’s role in the offense is variable, making him a risk/reward option in a great situation this week.

Value Options - Week 16 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Cameron Brate $3,900: I can’t understand why Brate’s price doesn’t rise when all he does is score touchdowns. He’s tied for the league lead with seven. He doesn’t have much in the way of yardage typically, but in a game where Vegas expects the Bucs to score a bunch, I expect Brate to be on the receiving end.

Dion Sims $2,600: If you really want to save at TE or flex, consider Sims, who has really emerged as a reliable target for the Dolphins. Sims has caught 16 of his 18 targets over the last five games, including four for touchdowns. The Miami-Buffalo game doesn’t have a high total on it, but Matt Moore looked very comfortable with Sims last week and I think they build on that as Miami looks to wrap up a wild-card spot.

Jeremy Kerley $3,500: This should be a fairly gross game, a rematch of the season opener in fact, with as low a point total as there is this week. I like Kerley because I think the 49ers defense gets a couple turnovers, providing the offense with decent field position and more opportunities. I’d rather pass on than run on the Rams, as their defense has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Frankly, Kerley should be doing more with his 6-7 targets per game but we have seen his upside a couple times this season. He’s a low risk play with potential to exceed value this week.