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Joe Nicely's DraftKings NFL DFS picks and lineup sleepers for the Week 17 (December 2024) Main Slate. His top daily fantasy football lineups to target for DraftKings DFS contests.
Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our Week 17 article for the DraftKings Main Slate! With multiple games taking place on Christmas Day and Saturday this week, we get just eight games to choose from on the Sunday Main Slate. It makes for some interesting decisions as we near the end of the NFL's regular season.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected DK points and ownership, overall upside/talent levels, and opportunity, as well as factors such as Vegas odds, home-field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available on DK for Week 17, and this article includes a couple of my favorite options for each position.
Also, be sure to check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win MORE in 2024! Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups -- let's dominate this Week 17 slate together!
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DraftKings Quarterbacks - Week 17 DFS Picks
Jordan Love - GB at MIN ($6,200)
Content feeding the ball to Josh Jacobs in recent weeks, Green Bay's run-heavy philosophy has done no favors for Jordan Love's DFS production. However, I don't know that it will have that luxury this week against a Minnesota defense that's been the NFL's most prominent pass-funnel unit in 2024.
The Vikings have relinquished the league's third-fewest rushing yards, but have been torched for the NFL's third-most passing yards this season. Sooner or later, the Packers will have to put this game in Love's hands.
He logged season-highs in DraftKings points (34.2), passing yards (389), and TDs (four) against Brian Flores' unit in Week 4. Though his DFS output has been muted over the past month, this matchup holds spike potential for Love and he deserves serious GPP consideration.
Mason Rudolph - TEN at JAX ($5,000)
The absence of multiple games from the Main Slate can perhaps be felt most at the QB position. Outside of Josh Allen -- who comes in with a whopping $8,500 price tag -- there isn't a true "slam dunk" superstar available for us. As a result, I'm willing to dumpster dive a bit and consider a player like Mason Rudolph, who comes in with a backup-like price tag of just $5,000.
Mason Rudolph doing what Mason Rudolph does… making the deep ball look easy! LFG pic.twitter.com/MwRkBO7g1F
— Zach (@ZPSteelers2) December 22, 2024
In his five games of meaningful action this season, Rudolph has averaged a solid, if unspectacular, 17.6 DraftKings points. Despite his talent level and paltry price tag, that sort of feels like his floor this week, thanks in large part to a juicy matchup against Jacksonville's dumpster-fire defense.
The Jags have allowed the NFL's most DK points to the QB position this season and are the only team in the league allowing more than eight yards per attempt to opposing QBs in 2024.
DraftKings Running Backs - Week 17 DFS Picks
Jonathan Taylor - IND at NYG ($7,900)
Fresh off amassing the second-most total yards of his career last week against the Titans, Taylor will look to follow up his bravura 218-yard, three-TD performance against the lowly New York Giants. Taylor's usage and production have been ramping up in recent weeks, as he's logged 22+ carries and 96+ rushing yards in three straight.
Jonathan Taylor making sure people forget about his fumble last week. pic.twitter.com/Y3B5Hl4m92
— Joshua Cho (@jbchoknows) December 22, 2024
It's tough to envision JT failing if he draws a similar workload in Week 17. Playing out the string on what's been an abysmal season, the Giants defense has been consistently gashed by enemy running backs. New York has relinquished the league's fourth-most rushing yards (1,720) and DraftKings points (398.20) to the RB position this year.
Bucky Irving - CAR at TB ($6,700)
Fully recovered from a back injury that left him severely limited in Week 14, Irving's blossoming role as the Bucs lead back has solidified over the last two weeks. The dynamic rookie has handled touch counts of 17 and 18 across Tampa's last two, producing 205 total yards and a score on that strong volume.
We have every reason to believe Irving can break the Week 17 Main Slate, as he draws a dream matchup against a Carolina squad that he torched for 30.5 DraftKings points in Week 13. The Panthers have been the NFL's worst team against the run this season by nearly every metric. They rank dead last in the league in DraftKings points (462.60), rushing yards (2,116), and yards per carry (5.10) allowed to the RB position in 2024.
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DraftKings Wide Receivers - Week 17 DFS Picks
Brian Thomas Jr. - TEN at JAX ($6,800)
In what was a loaded wide receiver 2024 draft class, Jacksonville's Brian Thomas Jr. has arguably been the best of the bunch. The combination of season-ending injuries to Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, as well as the Jaguars' horrendous defense, has led to WR1 volume -- and production -- from Thomas.
Brian Thomas Jr = Phenom. ️🔥 #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/LXAfZtiz1G
— Nash Henry (@NashJagsNats22) December 22, 2024
With Mac Jones under center, Thomas has target counts of 10, 12, 14, and 13 in Jacksonville's last four games. The rookie has capitalized on the opportunity by averaging 25.5 DraftKings points across those outings.
While the Week 17 matchup against the Titans won't look too pretty on paper, I'm willing to bet that Thomas stays hot against a Tennessee secondary that's collapsed a bit down the stretch and is allowing the NFL's highest catch rate (77.1%) to the WR position over the past month.
Adam Thielen - CAR at TB ($5,700)
This Bucs vs. Panthers matchup is one of the most desirable DFS environments on this slate and I'll look to pair pieces from both sides in multiple lineups. My top target from the Carolina offense is veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. The 34-year-old has been extremely productive for this rejuvenated Panthers offense down the stretch.
Since returning from an extended stay on injured reserve in Week 12, Thielen has been Bryce Young's top target. He's averaged six catches and just over 70 yards per game while also logging a pair of TDs on 8.5 targets per game. In the Bucs, the veteran slot man draws a terrific matchup. Tampa Bay has been torched for 2,377 yards and 15 TDs by opposing WRs this year.
DraftKings Tight Ends - Week 17 DFS Picks
T.J. Hockenson - GB at MIN ($4,500)
Though third in the Vikings' passing attack pecking order, Hockenson's 18.5% target share is nothing to sneeze at. His aDOT of 7.9 ranks 10th at the tight-end position this season and his average of 11.1 yards per reception is rock solid.
If the otherwise solid Packers defense has an Achilles' heel, it is defending the tight-end position. Green Bay is one of just nine NFL teams allowing over eight yards per target to opposing TEs this season while ranking bottom-10 in the league in receptions (85) and yards (892) allowed to the position. Hockenson is an affordable tight-end play with very real upside.
Chig Okonkwo - TEN at JAX ($3,600)
Free from the confines of the Will Levis experience, Chig Okonkwo has done some real work with Mason Rudolph as the Titans triggerman. Second on the team in targets in Rudolph passes with 33, Chiggy has earned 21 looks in Tennessee's last two with Rudolph at the helm of the offense. He's made the most of it, tallying 140 yards on 17 catches since Week 15.
Chig Okonkwo gets in open space for a 70-yard TD!
📺: #TENvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/98scOwfisp— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
Saying the Jaguars defense is a good matchup is a blanket statement across all positions, and that's also true of the TE spot. The Jags have been blistered for seven TDs while relinquishing the eighth-most DraftKings points in the NFL to opposing tight ends.
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