X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL DFS Value Plays: Week 12 Bargain Bin for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Including Tom Brady, Tyler Lockett, George Kittle, More

tom brady fantasy football rankings news NFL DFS lineup picks

Juan's top NFL DFS value plays for the Week 12 of the 2022 season. These sleepers are cheap on FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo daily fantasy football contests.

Welcome to the Week 12 Sunday main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry that find themselves in favorable match-ups and/or suddenly expanded roles.

Each week I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit on the Sunday main slate and I hunt for value that might be site-specific on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

We have an interesting Week 12 slate on tap, as there are a total of 10 teams off the main slate due to the three-game Thanksgiving slate. The caliber of some of those offenses also robs us of  bit of upside in the player pool as a whole, but fortunately, we still have multiple viable value candidates to consider at each spot, including a few site-specific selections in addition to the standard suggestions.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code WIN! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

NFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro

Before we go NFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, a few particulars about format and content.

The nature of the beast with value plays is at least a modest amount (and sometimes substantially more) of risk. Therefore, the Bargain Bin may prove to be a bit more of a roller-coaster ride on some slates than your typical “tout” article! Naturally, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside to be had. All of these selections are therefore suitable for GPPs and can also often serve as solid cash game plays, while often helping you accommodate multiple higher-priced studs into your lineup.

Typically, I’ll suggest players that are value-priced across three major DFS sites (DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo). However, there are certainly occasions where one or more sites price a player significantly lower than others. Whenever possible, I’ll typically at least note those players as an “XYZ site special.”

This article is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive list of all value options for the week. Rather, it’s meant to take a deeper dive into those I feel offer some of the best combinations of savings and upside.

The goal is to recommend truly affordable players, as opposed to, say, a player priced just $300-$400 away from the highest-priced option at his position. I don’t have set-in-stone price limits in mind for each site, but I do consider legitimate affordability a very important criterion.

 

Quarterback DFS Value Plays              

Tom Brady, TB at CLE | DK: $5,800, FD: $7,400, Yahoo: $26

It's certainly an eye-opener to see Brady at his current salaries, especially his DK figure. While on the surface, the reduced investment required seems justified given the overall perception of the Buccaneers as a highly underwhelming offense, the reality is Brady's numbers aren't really far off his career norms. The future Hall of Famer is averaging a robust 280.5 passing yards per contest and has generated a 12:2 TD:INT, while his 66.0 percent completion rate is actually his second highest since 2017. Now, Brady and his offensive teammates come into this Week 12 battle fresh off a bye and with two straight victories in tow, giving them some notable momentum.

The Browns check in tied for second-most points per game allowed (26.9), and they're also surrendering the fourth-most yards per completion (11.1). Cleveland's secondary has also picked off just three passes all year while surrendering 14 touchdown tosses, and the Browns have a modest 21 sacks through 10 games. Brady has been highly reliable from a yardage standpoint game to game and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all but the outlier loss to the Panthers on the road. With a strong return on his current salaries very much within his reach, he's certainly in play as a value option that can open up plenty for you elsewhere.

Taylor Heinicke, WAS vs. ATL | DK: $5,300, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $23

Heinicke admittedly isn't the most scintillating option at quarterback on any week, but on a main slate like Week 12 that sees the likes of several big names out of the player pool due to having played on Thanksgiving or because they'll be taking the field Sunday night (Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts), he's certainly in play when also factoring in his matchup. Heinicke also brings some solid upside as a rusher when he needs to exit the pocket, and he'll be facing a Falcons secondary that can certainly give up big plays through the air and is one of the most inept teams in the league at applying pressure.

The Falcons have surrendered a league-high 298.2 passing yards per road game, along with 10.8 yards per completion and 16 touchdown passes overall. Atlanta is also tied for the NFL's second-lowest adjusted sack rate (4.6%), which should set Heinicke up with plenty of time to scan the field and target the talented members of what is now a healthy receiving corps loaded with speed in the form of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Cam Sims and Dyami Brown, along with a do-it-all asset in Curtis Samuel.

ALSO CONSIDER:
Jimmy Garoppolo, SF vs. NO | DK: $5,600, FD: $6,800, Yahoo: $24

DK/FD-only Special:                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Geno Smith, SEA vs. LVR | DK: $6,000, FD: $7,600

Running Back DFS Value Plays   

Jeff Wilson Jr., MIA vs. HOU | DK: $5,900, FD: $7,700, Yahoo: $21

Wilson is undoubtedly going to sport a sky-high roster rate, and even more so if Raheem Mostert (knee) sits out as expected. Wilson's DK and Yahoo salaries are especially eye-opening, and the combination of the versatile back's body of work thus far with the Dolphins and the Texans' league-worst rush defense make him a leading candidate for the top fantasy-point-per-dollar running back on the slate. The fact Miami also has the slate's highest implied team total at 30.5 is the icing on the cake for Wilson's case.

The Texans are surrendering an NFL-high 184.2 rushing yards per road game, along with 5.4 yards per rush attempt in that split. Houston is giving up 5.3 RB yards per carry for the season as well, and the Texans rank 32nd and 28th in second-level and open-field yards allowed per Football Outsiders. Wilson counters with two rushes of greater than 20 yards across his first 26 carries in Miami, and he's also a good candidate to exploit his opponent's vulnerabilities to the run in the red zone as well -- while the Texans are tied for third-most red-zone rushing touchdowns allowed, Wilson already has 25 red-zone touches in 10 total games this season, including eight in his first two games with the Dolphins.

Cam Akers, LAR at KC | DK: $4,900, FD: $5,900, Yahoo: $15

Darrell Henderson was somewhat surprisingly jettisoned from the Rams on Tuesday, making Akers one of the more intriguing value plays to roll with in tournaments at any position in Week 12. The Rams are fully expected to be trampled by the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium with Matthew Stafford (head) and Cooper Kupp (IR-ankle) unavailable, which does set up a very real possibility of a game script negative to the run fairly early into this contest. However, if the Rams defense is somehow able to keep things close against a banged-up Chiefs offense, Akers, who rushed 14 times for 61 yards with Henderson seeing minimal usage in Week 11 against the Saints, could see a nice workload as Sean McVay endeavors to keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes' hands.

The Chiefs are giving up 120.4 rushing yards per home game, along with 4.9 yards per carry in that split. KC has also surrendered the second-most receptions (71) and fourth-most receiving yards (501) to running backs, and while Kyren Williams and not Akers is expected to take on the majority of the receiving work out of the backfield with Henderson gone, it's worth noting Akers, despite being used very sparingly in that capacity thus far with the Rams, is far from devoid of pass-catching ability. The third-year back recorded 69 receptions in 36 career college games, and if he's operating as a clear-cut top early-down option, he could be in for a few targets as well while operating with a backup quarterback that could be looking for some safe completions to keep the ball moving and the Chiefs offense off the field.

ALSO CONSIDER:
Rachaad White, TB at CLE | DK: $5,100, FD: $6,400, Yahoo: $19; Elijah Mitchell, SF vs. NO | DK: $4,900, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $17

 

Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays      

Tyler Lockett, SEA vs. LVR | DK: $6,200, FD: $7,400, Yahoo: $22 

Lockett has gotten a much-needed week off and should therefore come into this favorable matchup refreshed. The veteran speedster comes into Week 12 with a string of "just ok" games in tow, but he has scored a touchdown in each of the last three contests. Nevertheless, Locket figures to be rostered an appreciably lighter rate than position mate DK Metcalf, yet he has plenty of home-run quality in his game and can therefore pay off his modest salaries with a couple of plays.

The Raiders have given up 248 passing yards per road game, along with 10.2 yards per completion and an NFL-high 74.1 percent completion rate when traveling. Las Vegas has also surrendered a 71.2 percent catch rate to wideouts specifically, along with an average of 33.2 DK/26.8 FD/Yahoo points per game to the position. And, Vegas is tied with several teams for fourth-most red-zone passing TDs allowed (13), which certainly makes Metcalf attractive as well but doesn't discount Lockett by any means given his career body of work inside the 20, including in the aforementioned most recent trio of games.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, KC vs. LAR | DK: $5,700, FD: $6,600, Yahoo: $21    

Kadarius Toney's hamstring has acted up again to the point where he's been ruled out for Sunday's game, while Mecole Hardman (IR-abdomen) is also unavailable for at least three more contests. Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster will return from his one-game absence due to a concussion for this matchup, and he could play an especially prominent role since Travis Kelce could also have a difficult time approximating his usual level of production against a defense that's been one of the best at defending the tight end position all season.

Additionally, the Rams defense has quietly been one of the most generous in the league on the road, making this a potentially sneaky-good matchup. Los Angeles is giving up 260.3 passing yards per road game (187.7 per game at  home), but they've made opponents work for those yards -- the Rams yield only 9.4 yards per completion per away contest, the seventh-lowest figure in that split. That sets up better for Smith-Schuster's typical route tree than that of position mate Marquez Valdes-Scantling's, and the former's solid red-zone role (10 targets in nine games) adds to his appeal in a game the Chiefs have a projected total of just under 29 points in.

Courtland Sutton, DEN at CAR | DK: $5,600, FD: $7,100, Yahoo: $16 

Sutton put together another solid effort as a Week 11 value recommendation, posting a 5-80 line on seven targets. Jerry Jeudy (ankle) and KJ Hamler (hamstring) will remain out in Week 12, which will set Sutton up for what should be another solid workload at minimum. The fifth-year pro has unsurprisingly underwhelmed to an extent this season with Russell Wilson also performing under his career norms, but a matchup against a Carolina defense that's allowed more passing production and big plays through the air at home makes him an interesting option again Sunday at lower salaries than a week prior.

The Panthers have been more notorious for their porous defense on the ground, but in that regard, Sutton makes for very viable leverage off what is expected to be a very highly-rostered Latavius Murray. Carolina isn't exactly impenetrable through the air either, as the Panthers have allowed 10 red-zone passing touchdowns, are surrendering a full yard per completion more at home (10.1) than on the road (9.1) and have given up a 72.3 percent completion rate over the last three. Sutton's targets have a very safe floor at the moment as well, which gives him a nice combination of dependability and upside at salaries.

ALSO CONSIDER:
Chris Godwin, TB at CLE | DK: $6,000, FD: $7,000, Yahoo: $19; Justin Watson, KC vs. LAR | DK: $3,000, FD: $5,000, Yahoo: $15

DK/Yahoo-only Special:
Terry McLaurin, WAS vs. ATL | DK: $5,800, Yahoo: $23

 

Tight End DFS Value Plays  

George Kittle, SF vs. NO | DK: $5,300, FD: $6,200, Yahoo: $16

Getting Kittle at these salaries certainly isn't a common occurrence, so it's worth rolling out the talented tight end for tournaments despite his place on what is an ultra-talented, mostly healthy and diversified offense. Additionally, it bears mentioning Kittle still generated a 4-84-2 line on six targets in Week 11 against the Cardinals on Monday night with all of his skill-position mates available, and over the last five games, he's produced a solid 22-325-4 line on 32 targets that's led to averages of 15.7 DK/13.5 FD/Yahoo points per contest in that span.

It's also worth noting Deebo Samuel heads into the weekend carrying a questionable tag due to the hamstring injury that kept him out back in Week 8. If he were to sit out, Kittle would have an even larger role than usual, and with at least five targets in five of the last six games along with seven catches of at least 20 yards across just 33 receptions, he's a play worth rolling out in tournaments at what could be fairly low roster rates.

David Njoku, CLE vs. TB | DK: $3,600, FD: $5,600, Yahoo: $18

Njoku was healthy enough to jump back into action in Week 11 after a two-game absence due to ankle and knee issues, logging 25 snaps against the Bills and producing a modest 2-17 line on three targets. The athletic tight end is now off the injury report altogether heading into this highly favorable positional matchup against the Buccaneers, and he could very well carry lower rostering rates than he otherwise would with fellow tight end Harrison Bryant having made a solid impression over the last two games.

The Buccaneers have been vulnerable to tight ends despite their impressive group of linebackers and safeties, allowing a 52-555-4 line to the position, as well as a 73.2 percent catch rate. Njoku is one of the best chunk-play threats at the position -- he's already recorded seven grabs of at least 20 yards across 36 receptions -- and he also boasts a career-high 80% catch rate and 9.7 yards per target. While there's some risk associated with him due to Bryant's recent surge, Njoku is certainly play for tournaments at his salaries.

ALSO CONSIDER:
Gerald Everett, LAC at ARI | DK: $4,400, FD: $5,200, Yahoo: $20; Noah Fant, SEA vs. LVR | DK: $3,200, FD: $5,100, Yahoo: $13



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly DFS Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings