It’s easy to let your DraftKings FLEX spot be left up to the amount of salary remaining after you fill out the rest of the squad. That’s the ‘flex-by-default’ strategy. The purpose of this Week 17 DraftKings DFS article is to help you avoid it. You can and should use the FLEX spot to strengthen and diversify your daily league lineups for Week 17 of the NFL season.

A couple of thoughts: 1) You don’t have to spend all the salary cap. A better player in a better situation may force you to leave a few hundred salary cap dollars on the table. Force yourself to roster the best lineup, even if it fails to use the whole cap. 2) As a scientist, I like to use players for which I can build a case based on multiple pieces of evidence. I look at things like opportunities, efficiency, opponent and game flow to start my research. I want as many players that are positive in all categories as I can fit. Having an idea of the players I want before I work with salaries helps me with #1 too.

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Week 17 DraftKings FLEX Options - Daily Fantasy Football Picks

Use this list as your flex cheat sheet; if a player is on here, there’s good reason to roster him in your last spot.

I assume that you have $6,500 or less to work with for this final spot on the roster. I also assume you’ll arrange accordingly so that the player with the latest game start is in the flex in case you should need to swap someone out.

Safe Options - Week 17 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Jacquizz Rodgers $4,900: Rodgers is both a value and a safe play to round out any lineup this week. The Bucs technically have a shot at the playoffs, so they’ll be playing to win this game vs. Carolina, a defense that no longer scares me for fantasy. With Doug Martin out, Rodgers has exceeded value every time he’s started. When getting at least 10 carries, Rodgers has rushed for over 100 yards twice, and put up nice rushing totals with a touchdown the other two times. The fact that Cameron Brate is also ruled out should mean even more work for Rodgers in Week 17.

DeAngelo Williams $5,500: Keep watching the Steelers team news, but it sounds like they’re committed to resting their starters, including Le’Veon Bell against the Browns. Pittsburgh at home against one of the most fantasy-friendly defenses is a great spot for Williams, who we know is more than a capable backup to Bell. The only concerns are whether his knee will be good to go and whether the team plans to mix in Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Mark Ingram $5,600: There aren’t many better positions for a running back to be in than facing the Falcons in the week’s highest projected scoring game. Ingram has taken back the lead back role over the past couple of weeks, totaling 35 carries for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games. Atlanta is top-10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and while the Saints are eliminated from the playoffs, I expect them to play hard against their division rival.

Upside Options - Week 17 DraftKings Lineup Picks

DeAndre Hopkins $6,500: Tennessee is such a soft passing matchup that I like Tom Savage a bunch this weekend. Hopkins price is horrible, after failing to have a 100-yard receiving day since Week 2, but the volume is high and my feeling is that this could be the time for his big day. If you haven’t been burned by Hopkins yet this season, you haven’t been playing enough DFS…which is to say, there’s definitely risk involved with him. It’s a pure upside play.

Alex Collins $4,600: It’s too early to say how the Seahawks will handle the running back situation this week. There’s a lot on the line for them, but Thomas Rawls is clearly less than 100% and I think they can easily win in San Francisco without him. That would open the door for the rookie Collins to take on lead back duties against the league’s worst rushing defense. Collins was adequate against the Cardinals last week and will have a much easier time if he starts Week 17.

J.J. Nelson $4,600: Nelson is one of the “but do you believe in him?” kind of players this season. He’s dynamic, fast and has scored seven touchdowns on extremely low volume (a la Taylor Gabriel, Donte Moncrief or Seth Roberts). The departure of Michael Floyd may have helped, as well as the illness of John Brown and the wear and tear on Larry Fitzgerald, who hasn’t reached value in forever. I say all this because it’s important for me to understand where the production comes from in order to answer that question. In Nelson’s case, I do believe he’ll continue to make big plays for the Cardinals in a great matchup with the Rams this week.

Value Options - Week 17 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Jermaine Kearse $4,000: Tyler Lockett’s broken leg opens the door for Kearse to step up this week. Despite a not-so-good catch rate, Kearse is a very capable receiver, often doing his best work on the sideline on must-score drives. I think Seattle will have it pretty easy this week at the 49ers, but 7-9 targets for Kearse is a reasonable expectation and breaking one for a score is not unlikely.

Eli Rogers $4,000: Rogers has been increasing his role in the offense opposite Antonio Brown this season, but doesn’t rate resting status. I expect he’ll be the lead receiver for the Steelers at home vs. Cleveland in Week 17. Even though it’ll be Landry Jones throwing him the ball instead of Ben Roethlisberger, Rogers should easily reach value in this meaningless game.

Vernon Davis $3,300: I will be trying to stack my lineups with guys that do have something to play for and no one is in a more do or die situation than the Redskins. If Jordan Reed is out, I like Davis a ton this week. Travis Kelce is the obvious TE play this week, but Davis is so cheap that he opens up a lot of other options for you and should be fine against what could very well be a backup Giants defense on Sunday.