RADIO
Happy Friday, RotoBallers! We're kicking off the holiday weekend with a Saturday Showdown. We get the Cincinnati Bengals traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. Jake Browning is looking to keep the Bengals' playoff hopes alive as he continues to find success. Mike Tomlin is in danger of having a losing season and missing the playoffs due to the quarterback and offense issues. With Kenny Pickett out, Mitch Trubisky couldn't get the job done and now the Steelers will have to rally behind Mason Rudolph to try to sneak into the playoffs.
We have been pretty successful so far with these showdown slates and hopefully, that trend continues from last year into this year. Most of us started our fantasy journeys with football, so it's always nice when it comes around and it's always a shame for it to come to an end. Thanks to the advanced analytics of today, I'll do my best to provide you with as much in-depth analysis as possible regarding positional matchups and the like to help put some lunch money in your pocket. Let's make some coin this season gang, and let's get right to it.
I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Steelers vs. Bengals NFL DFS showdown slate on Saturday, December 23. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter/X @SEvansDFS and fire away, or sign up for a premium RotoBaller NFL package and chat with me and other NFL DFS analysts at any time you'd like!
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MVP/Captain Plays
Jake Browning - QB, $15,000 (DK), $14,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: 1,248 passing yards, 7 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 17 rushing attempts, 77 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, and one fumble.
- Projection: 32.91 passing attempts, 22.27 passing completions, 236.46 passing yards, 1.28 touchdowns, and 0.74 passing interceptions.
Jake Browning will be looking to secure his fourth-straight win on Saturday and notch another solid performance. In his past three games, he has thrown for five touchdowns and two interceptions. While the Pittsburgh Steelers only give up 20 points per game, they are allowing 346.8 total yards. For the passing game, they are allowing 6.7 yards per pass and a completion rate of 60%. With the matchup fitting Jake Browning, he will be without his top receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who has been ruled out.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) OUT Sunday at Steelers. pic.twitter.com/iA5eeiL5t6
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2023
Joe Mixon - RB, $15,600 (DK), $16,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: 211 rushing attempts, 815 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns, 45 receptions, 341 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.
- Projection: 12.97 carries, 52.87 rushing yards, 3.43 receptions, and 26.01 receiving yards
Joe Mixon has had a huge part in the Bengals' recent wins with Browning under center. Mixon has logged four touchdowns and in two of the three games, he has logged 19 carries or more. He was almost a non-factor in Week 15 versus the Minnesota Vikings, however, but was able to find the end zone at least once. Now, he is in line for a bounce-back matchup on Saturday. The Steelers give up the 22nd-most yards to opposing running backs, allowing 121.6 yards per game with 4.3 yards per carry.
Other Captains/MVPs: Tee Higgins, Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris
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DFS Flex Plays
Diontae Johnson - WR, $7,400 (DK), $12,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: 73 targets, 41 receptions, 537 receiving yards, and four touchdowns
- Projection: 3.89 receptions, 51.02 receiving yards
Diontae Johnson has been as clutch as he can be for this struggling Pittsburgh Steelers team. Johnson has now scored in three straight games while having more than five targets in each game. The receiving yards have not been there with Week 15 being his highest in those three games with 62 receiving yards. He is second to George Pickens on the season in target share but the two have been side by side in recent weeks. Johnson has also been more reliable from a teammate and DFS standpoint. The Bengals do currently rank 18th versus opposing receivers and if Mason Rudolph can find some type of flow on Saturday, Diontae Johnson should be a good play in a catchup match.
Diontae Johnson 2022 TDs:
0Diontae Johnson Last 3 Weeks TDs:
3
pic.twitter.com/IvRYwnPcBX— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) December 16, 2023
Mason Rudolph - QB, $9,000 (DK), $13,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: three attempts. two completions, and three passing yards
- Projection: 30 passing attempts, 18.83 completions, 209.47 passing yards, 0.69 passing touchdowns, and 1.18 interceptions
There is very little hope in the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense, but Mason Rudolph could provide a spark that is needed. We did not see Rudolph in 2022 and saw him start just one game in 2021 where he threw for 242 yards off of 30 completions for one touchdown and one interception. The Bengals' defense is giving up 382.4 total yards per game, which has them ranked 30th. They are also ranked 18th in touchdowns allowed per game with 2.4. With little upside to Rudolph, he gets to start a game where the defensive matchup is softer and the game script may call for the Steelers' offense to play catchup.
Other Flex Options: George Pickens, Tyler Boyd, Jaylen Warren, Bengals D/ST
DFS Value Plays
Chase Brown - RB, $5,600 (DK), $8,000 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: 26 rushing attempts, 115 rushing yards, 9 receptions, 155 receiving yards, and one touchdown.
- Projection: 25.61 rushing yards, 1.56 receptions, and 12.95 receiving yards
Chase Brown has seen a good uptick in play since Week 13, where he had nine carries for 61 rushing yards. Since then, he has had 15 carries for 48 yards with six receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown. Brown makes for a good pairing with Joe Mixon and Jake Browning, featuring double-backs in the lineup. His rush attempt shares have been 30% in Week 13, 27% in Week 14, and 32% in Week 15. On top of that, he has made for a good pass-catcher out of the backfield, where he has hit 60% in targets per route run versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Chase Brown swing screen goes from an alright play to a first down because he stays on his feet through contact. pic.twitter.com/KcUUGK7ItW
— mike (@bengals_sans) December 19, 2023
Tanner Hudson - TE, $4,600 (DK), $8,500 (FD)
Key Stats
- 2023 Stats: 39 targets, 33 receptions, 298 receiving yards, and one touchdown
- Projection: 3.51 receptions and 28.92 receiving yards
Tanner Hudson comes into Saturday's matchup with a solid route share and target for a mixed tight end group. Coming into Week 16, Hudson holds a 47% route share with a 14% target share. He has had six straight games with a 100% catchable target rate. He matched his season high last week in receiving yards with 49 but had five receptions on five targets. Jake Browning continues to find trust in the tight end and the chemistry seems to only be getting better.
Other Value Plays: Chris Boswell, Allen Robinson II, Trenton Irwin
Enjoy your week and good luck, everyone!
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