Once Jalen Hurts was officially ruled out for the Eagles in Week 16, Gardner Minshew immediately became the optimal cash-game quarterback on DraftKings at $4,800. And by using Minshew, the duo of Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey became the ideal spend-up options in cash games.
The trio of Minshew, Henry, and McCaffrey combined for 65.1 points on DraftKings, giving you plenty of wiggle room for the rest of your lineup. After fitting in Henry and McCaffrey, my WRs in cash were D.K. Metcalf, DJ Moore, and Isaiah Hodgins, who all accumulated 58.1 points, allowing me to reach 152.90 total points.
I was able to cash all of the double-ups and 23 of the 25 head-to-head contests I entered in Week 16. Following another successful week of cash, here are my favorite cash-game picks for the Week 17 main slate on DraftKings.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields @ DET ($7,900)
Paying down at quarterback appears to be a viable option again this week, but it’s hard to ignore Fields if you have the leftover salary. Fields leads all QBs with 11.2 non-passing PPG and he’ll have a favorable matchup in Week 17 against the Lions. The Lions are allowing the most points per game and the most rushing yards per game to QBs this season. Not to mention, Fields produced 43.4 points on DraftKings in Week 10 versus the Lions.
Jared Goff vs. CHI ($5,600)
On the other side of the field, Goff could become the go-to cash-game quarterback in Week 17 on DraftKings due to his salary and home splits. In his eight home games thus far, Goff has thrown for 2,217 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only three interceptions compared to 1,742 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions in seven road starts. The Bears are giving up the eighth most points per game to QBs and Goff has scored 24-plus points in three of his last four games while he’s only $5,600 on the green site.
Gardner Minshew vs. NO ($5,500)
Minshew was the best points-per-dollar play at quarterback in Week 16 as he posted 28.7 points at only $4,800 on DraftKings. The Eagles haven’t ruled out Hurts this week, but all signs point toward him missing a second straight game. The charismatic quarterback is surrounded by plenty of weapons and he is still only $5,500 at home against the Saints in Week 17. If Hurts somehow plays or you don’t trust Minshew or Goff, Brock Purdy is another salary-relief option.
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley vs. IND ($8,000)
After being limited by a neck injury in Week 14 versus the Eagles, Barkley has returned to his RB1 status in the last two weeks. In his last two games, Barkley has combined for 50.3 points on DraftKings and 18 targets while he is registering an 81.7% opportunity share (third-highest among RBs). With the Giants looking to earn a playoff spot, it’s clear that they are feeding their superstar back plenty in the final weeks. Besides his elite usage, Barkley will face the Colts, who are allowing the fourth-most points per game to RBs.
Travis Etienne Jr. @ HOU ($6,400)
Playing RBs against the Texans has been a fruitful strategy this season and that shouldn’t change in Week 17. Etienne will be the next running back that is lucky enough to face a Texans that is giving up the most points and most rushing yards per game to RBs this season. The second-year back has garnered 19-plus rushing attempts in back-to-back games, and despite not scoring a touchdown since Week 9, Etienne won’t have a better chance to score a touchdown than in Week 17 versus the Texans.
Tyler Allgeier vs. ARI ($5,300)
There are a few salary-relief options at the running back position, but I wanted to mention Allgeier. The rookie back for the Falcons has received 17-plus carries in back-to-back weeks and he caught a season-high four passes for 43 yards in Week 16 against the Ravens. With rookie Desmond Ridder under center, the Falcons continue to lean on their ground game and the Cardinals are allowing the fifth-most points per game to RBs. Leonard Fournette and Zonovan Knight are other viable salary-relief options.
Wide Receivers
Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. CHI ($7,800)
The upcoming showdown between the Bears and the Lions has the highest projected total at 52 points, so getting exposure to that game is going to be popular. While Goff has been much better at home this season, that should benefit someone like St. Brown in Week 17. The second-year wideout has notched eight-plus targets in nine straight games and he’s caught six-plus passes in seven straight, giving us a nice floor to work with. Keenan Allen is also a viable cash-game option if you aren’t able to afford St. Brown.
Garrett Wilson @ SEA ($5,500)
It appears that Mike White could return for the Jets in Week 17, so Wilson immediately becomes an elite option at his salary on DraftKings. In his three games with White starting this season, the rookie wide receiver combined for 67.4 points on 30 targets. Even though the Seahawks have been strong against WRs this season, the Jets do a nice job moving Wilson around to prevent defenses from having an easy time containing him. Assuming White starts, we can play Wilson with confidence in Week 17.
Drake London vs. ARI ($4,900)
Once again, the Falcons are a team that prefers to run the ball often with their duo of Cordarrelle Patterson and Allgeier. That being said, Ridder has shown a strong rapport with London in his first two starts. The two rookies have connected on 14 passes for 166 yards on 20 targets as the first-year wideout has logged nine-plus targets in three straight games. While the Falcons don’t throw the ball often, it’s tough to ignore London at his current salary.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram @ HOU ($4,400)
Engram has emerged as a league-winning tight end in fantasy football as he’s scored 14-plus points on DraftKings in four straight weeks. Above all, he’s seen consistent usage with seven-plus targets in those four games while he’s found the end zone three times in that span. The aerial attack of the Jaguars has been rolling recently and Trevor Lawrence has grown comfortable targeting Engram. While paying down at tight end is the ideal way to go in cash games, if you have enough to get up to Engram, he appears to be a safe option.
Tyler Conklin @ SEA ($2,900)
If you’re someone that doesn’t have Wilson in your cash-game lineup, then Conklin is a solid salary-relief option at tight end. I wouldn’t recommend using two pass-catching options from the Jets, but it could be somewhat viable in Week 17 versus the Seahawks. Despite Conklin being inconsistent, he had seven-plus targets in two of the three starts by White at quarterback. On top of that, the Seahawks are surrendering the second-most points per game to TEs this season.
D/ST
49ers @ LV ($2,900)
Congratulations, Jarrett Stidham, your first career start in the NFL will come in Week 17 against the No. 1 ranked defense in the 49ers. The Raiders have benched Derek Carr for the rest of the season, so their backup quarterback will be tasked with going up against the best defense in the NFL. The defense of the 49ers is averaging 9.5 points per game on DraftKings and they are only $2,900.
Patriots vs. MIA ($2,600)
Another strong defense set to face a backup quarterback in Week 17 is the Patriots. Tua Tagovailoa is in the NFL’s concussion protocol again and the Dolphins expect Teddy Bridgewater to be the starting quarterback on Sunday. The Patriots lead all defenses with 11.3 points per game and they’ve scored 11-plus points in three straight games.