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Sunday Night Football has arrived and we get treated to a big-time AFC battle as the Pittsburgh Steelers head to Buffalo to take on the Buffalo Bills. This is a big-time game for both squads as the Steelers look to keep a lead on the top overall playoff spot in the AFC while the Bills are still fighting for the AFC East divisional title. This game features an over/under of 48 with the Bills being favored by 1.5 points.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for the Sunday Night Football slate on December 13th (Week 14). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
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DFS Quarterbacks
This should be an exciting game as both Josh Allen and Ben Roethlisberger have been in great form all season long and it is a big game for both teams. The Bills are coming off of a big win against San Francisco and Josh Allen was on fire in that game as he threw for 375 passing yards and four passing touchdowns against a very good 49ers Defense. Allen has been a primary reason for the Bill's success this season as he has been very efficient at throwing the football and has done a great job limiting turnovers compared to previous years. Allen is averaging 26 DK points per game and he has eclipsed that average in three out of his last four games played. The Steelers Defense has been very stingy all season long but failed to contain Alex Smith and The Washington Football Team as they allowed 23 points in a losing effort last Monday so it is safe to assume that Josh Allen and the Bills coaching staff went back and reviewed what worked in the win for Washington.
The Bills passing defense has suffered all season long and they have been a group that has gotten picked on in the passing game. They are allowing opponents to throw for 263 passing yards per game which ranks 20th in the league. Ben Roethlisberger has been doing a great job commanding this offense and has done a really good job of limiting turnovers. He has thrown for over 3,100 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns while only throwing seven interceptions so far this season. Big Ben has scored double-digit DK points in every game this season and has thrown at least two passing touchdowns in 10 out of 12 games this season. With a soft matchup and competitive game, we could see Roethlisberger have a ceiling type of game which makes him viable in all formats.
Analysis: Both quarterbacks are in play with Roethlisberger having the slight edge based on matchup. Playing them together in a line would be tough to do but it could also lead to squeezing in the highest overall point scorers on this slate.
DFS Running Backs
The Steelers get a big piece of their offense back as James Conner looks good to go. Conner has missed the past two games as he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list but he was officially activated this week. Conner would be a big boost to the ground game as the Steelers have not been able to do much with the running game during his abscence. Over the last two games, the Steelers have averaged 44 rushing yards per game so, with Conner back, it should provide a boost. Conner has also been involved in the passing game as he averages three targets per game. The Bills have struggled all season long to contain the run as they are allowing opposing teams to average 126 yards per game on the ground so this could be a very good matchup for the Steelers ground game.
On the other side of this game sits the rushing tandem of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss. Singletary has taken a good chunk of the rushing attempts but Moss has been used in the red-zone as he leads the running back group with three rushing touchdowns. The pricing over on DK for the Bills running backs makes them both viable in all formats but the Josh Allen rushing TD vulture is always lurking which hinders the upside of both backs. Singletary would be the one to prioritize over Moss since he has seen more snaps and more rushing attempts and offers a safer floor. The Steelers rank sixth in the league against the run as they allow 100 rushing yards per game but that defense will also be missing one of their key pieces in Bud Dupree who is out for the remainder of the season.
Analysis: Conner is the best running back on this slate but the pricing on the Bills running backs is too tough to ignore. All of the backs carry some sort of risk (The Steelers running game has been slumping and they have so many offensive weapons while the Bill's backs could easily be vultured by an Allen touchdown) so it would be best not to load up on backs for this showdown slate.
DFS Wide Receivers
The wide receiver position on this showdown slate is loaded so this seems to be a great place to fill out some of your rosters. The Steelers have a strong trio in Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster and big Ben is at his best when he is rotating targets to all three of them. Claypool offers the big body presence especially in the end-zone while Juju is often used as the safety blanket on shorter crossing routes or is looked at when the Steelers need to convert on crucial downs. Diontae Johnson has the big-play written all over him which is what they will need against Buffalo. Johnson has produced five straight games of double-digit DK points so he is the safest of the three followed by Juju and then Claypool. If you are wanting to go for a lower owned tournament type of play, James Washington flashed some upside against Washington as he recorded 80 yards on four catches and a 50-yard bomb for a touchdown. This is a softer matchup for the Steelers as the Bills Defense has struggled all season long to defend the pass so deploying two to three of them in tournament lineups could be a viable move.
The Bills receivers are a little easier to figure out than Pittsburgh receiving corps. Stefon Diggs has been on fire this year and has produced like a top-five receiver in the league. Diggs holds the second-most targets and the highest target team percentage in the league and his connection with Allen has been amazing so far. He has seen at least eight targets in eight straight games and makes for a great cash game play because of his high floor. With John Brown out, Cole Beasley has really filed a prominent void as the true complement to Diggs in the passing game. Beasley has seen double-digit targets and had 100+ receiving yards in two of his last four games played. If you're looking for a value play from the Bills, Gabriel Davis could be one worth considering. While he doesn't have the high volume of targets, Davis has recorded a receiving touchdown in three out of the last four weeks as he plays a key role in the red-zone seeing that he is one of the bigger-bodied receivers in the Bills offense.
Analysis: There are a lot of pieces to really like from the receivers in this showdown slate. Johnson and Smith-Schuster offer the best floor from Pittsburgh while Diggs and Beasley are reliable for the Bills as well. Claypool has touchdown upside but the inconsistency in snaps and targets might be a little tough to trust in your cash builds. Davis and Washington are worth consideration for tournament builds as they do have some upside but they do fall into the riskier category.
DFS Tight Ends
The tight end position is really straight forward on this slate. Eric Ebron offers the best overall value at this position and is viable in all formats. Ebron's rapport with Roethlisberger as improved throughout the season and it is certainly showing as Ebron now has the fourth-highest target number in the league at his position (78 targets). Over his last four games, Ebron has seen 35 targets and has gotten double-digit DK points in three out of four of those games. The Bills have several options at the tight end position but they don't really play a big-time role in their passing offense. Dawson Knox leads the tight end group with 20 targets on the season while Tyler Kroft is behind him with 16 total targets. Kroft leads the BIlls tight ends with three receiving touchdowns while Knox has only recorded two so far this season.
Analysis: Ebron is great for all formats while Knox and Kroft are nothing more than salary-saving tournament punts in Bills stacks.
DFS Defense/Special Teams
Even though the game total is under 50 points, both of these offenses can light up the scoreboard which has me leaning towards fading both defenses. The Bills come into this game averaging 27 points per game which is seventh-best in the league. The Steelers are averaging 26 points per game which puts them at 11th best in the league when it comes to point per game average. The Steelers Defense is banged up, especially with the loss of Bud Dupree so the Bills will need to take advantage of this. With this potentially being a back and forth game, both Chris Boswell and Tyler Bass are in play for this game. Both kickers carry high DK averages and see plenty of field-goal opportunities.
Analysis: Both defenses have tough matchups which could lead to more of a back and forth type of game with lots of points being scored. With the chances that should be created, both kickers are in play, more in tournament builds.
Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs!
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