NFL DFS Value Plays: Week 17 Bargain Bin for DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo Includes Tua Tagovailoa, Jerome Ford, Jordan Addison, more

Welcome to the Week 17 main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin for the 2024 NFL season, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry who find themselves in favorable matchups and/or suddenly expanded roles.

Each week, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit. On this 17th main slate of the 2024 campaign, I'm glad to report that value-salary players are abundant on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

In addition to offering multiple candidates at each position, I'll list at least one more player to consider, along with some site-specific value plays when applicable.

NFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro

Before we go NFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, here are 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 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 who 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

Tua Tagovailoa, MIA at CLE | DK: $5,800, FD: $7,500, Yahoo: $27     

INJURY UPDATE: Tua Tagovailoa was downgraded to DOUBTFUL for Week 17 early Saturday afternoon.

Tua and the Dolphins bounced back to a degree in Week 16 against the 49ers, recording an all-important 29-17 win that kept them in the AFC wild-card picture, albeit as longshots. Miami therefore faces another must-win scenario in this spot, and if they hope to still be playing for something in Week 18, Tagovailoa will have to conquer Cleveland's ugly cold-weather climate.

The good news is the Browns' defense has certainly shown vulnerability in the second half of the season and Tagovailoa actually performed well in his most recent cold-weather matchup on Thanksgiving against the Packers, throwing for 365 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80.4 percent of his passes. Meanwhile, Cleveland has given up an NFL-high 11.5 yards per completion, supporting the notion Tagovailoa could hit on some chunk plays provided the explosive assets the Dolphins have at the skill positions.

Tua Tagovailoa tosses his 100th career pass TD 🙌

And of course it was @cheetah 👏 @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/MiSeXVPKg9

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 22, 2024

Mason Rudolph, TEN at JAX | DK: $5,000, FD: $6,700, Yahoo: $25

Rudolph earned a Week 16 start against the Colts after performing well in fill-in duty during the second half of a Week 15 loss to the Bengals. While some of the veteran signal-caller's warts did emerge over the course of the game -- Rudolph threw three picks -- he still threw for 252 yards and a pair of touchdowns on his way to accumulating 17.4 DK/FD points and 12.4 Yahoo points.

Rudolph will get another run with the first-team offense in this favorable matchup, making him a solid candidate to potentially outpace his still reasonable salaries, particularly on DK. The Jaguars have allowed an NFL-high 263 passing yards per contest while also tying for the second-highest yards per completion surrendered (11.4).

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Bryce Young, CAR at TB | DK: $5,600, FD: $7,100, Yahoo: $26

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Running Back DFS Value Plays

Jerome Ford, CLE vs. MIA | DK: $5,900, FD: $6,600, Yahoo: $25          

Ford came through handsomely as a value suggestion in Week 16, breaking out for 24.1 DK/21.6 FD and Yahoo points on just 16 touches. As expected, Ford filled the lead-back role in the wake of Nick Chubb's season-ending foot injury, and nothing should change on that front in Week 17. Ford also has a key pass-catching role, especially with second-year signal-caller Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center and needing the occasional outlet option on occasion.

Ford should once again be set for a robust workload against the Dolphins, who've been more vulnerable against the run on the road while allowing 108.7 rushing yards per game at 4.7 yards per carry. Weather conditions should also favor the ground game, and with Thompson-Robinson at the controls, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is likely to try and execute a run-centric game plan for as long as game script will allow. Moreover, given Ford's pass-catching ability, he could certainly remain involved even if the game gets away from Cleveland.

Jerome Ford about to shake up everyone’s fantasy football playoff.

pic.twitter.com/xwOV8H9YDE

— McNeil (@Reflog_18) December 22, 2024

Alexander Mattison, LVR at NO | DK: $5,600, FD: $5,700, Yahoo: $20

Mattison is one of the last men standing in the Raiders' backfield, and essentially the only early-down grinder at Las Vegas' disposal. That should lock in some solid volume for the veteran, who saw 16 touches in that role against the Jaguars in Week 16. While there wasn't any success to be had on the ground (12 carries, 27 yards), Mattison did score a rush TD and added a 4-29 receiving line on his way to 15.6 DK/13.6 FD and Yahoo points.

Mattison now finds himself in a favorable matchup and environment, considering the Saints' season-long struggles stopping the run and their homefield dome setting. New Orleans has allowed 159 rushing yards per home game, along with 4.9 yards per carry to running backs and 17 rushing TDs to the position. The Saints have also yielded an average of 4.0 receptions per game to RBs, furthering Mattison's upside at his very affordable salaries.

DraftKings-Yahoo Special:

• Bucky Irving, TB vs. CAR | DK: $6,700, Yahoo: $31

Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays  

Jordan Addison, MIN vs. GB | DK: $6,300, FD: $7,000, Yahoo: $29            

The Packers-Vikings showdown could well be one of the most competitive of the week, and Addison could certainly be a key part of whatever offensive success Minnesota enjoys. The second-year wideout already comes in on a nice run of production, having recorded a 32-447-5 line on 44 targets over his last five games. Addison has been targeted on an impressive 31.4 percent of his routes and averaged 3.19 yards per route run in the sample as well, underscoring how efficient he's been.

Addison posted a 3-72-1 line on four targets against the Green Bay back in Week 4, a performance that netted 22.9 DK/21.4 FD and Yahoo points. Addison is also averaging 22.5 DK/19.3 FD/18.1 Yahoo points per contest in the aforementioned five-game sample, and the Packers are conceding 232.1 passing yards per road game, 42.1 yards per contest more than at Lambeau Field.

Oh my... this angle of the Jordan Addison TD 🎥🔥 pic.twitter.com/0optsZlV8R

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

Calvin Ridley, JAX vs. TEN | DK: $5,500, FD: $6,300, Yahoo: $24

Ridley got it done for us as a Bargain Bin inclusion in Week 16 despite modest target volume, tallying three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown on five targets. Those numbers netted 16.8 DK/15.3 FD and Yahoo points, and if Ridley garners even a bit more of Rudolph's attention in Week 17, we could be looking at even better returns.

Ridley posted a 7-59 line on 12 targets versus the Jaguars in Week 14 with Levis at quarterback, prompting optimism that he can be kept busy throughout the afternoon again with an even more accurate quarterback at the controls. In addition to the numbers cited in Rudolph's entry that corroborate the Jaguars' struggles against the pass, it's also worth noting Jacksonville has also given up the fourth-most receiving yards (2,614), fifth-most DK (38.4) and fourth-most FD (30.5) points per contest to the position, along with 14.1 yards per catch.

Jalen McMillan, TB vs. CAR | DK: $4,600, FD: $5,900, Yahoo: $24

McMillan's late-season surge has been quite timely for both the Buccaneers and fantasy players, as the speedster has delivered a 14-191-4 line across the last three games. McMillan has been targeted on a robust 39.2 percent of his routes in that span, and the amount of attention he gets from Baker Mayfield could rise even about that figure in this divisional clash. Tampa Bay will be down Sterling Shepard (hamstring) and Cade Otton (knee) in Week 17, which sets McMillan up nicely for another strong performance at his salaries.

The Panthers' defense has been most infamous for how easy they've been to run on, but Carolina has had its share of troubles versus the pass as well. The Panthers are allowing 10.1 yards per completion, 15 TDs and 32.3 DK/25.5 FD points per game to WRs and a 65.4 percent catch rate to the position, all numbers that certainly support the notion of McMillan operating as a very viable cost-savings option.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Romeo Doubs, GB at MIN | DK: $5,100, FD: $5,600, Yahoo: $19

Tight End DFS Value Plays   

T.J. Hockenson, MIN vs. GB | DK: $4,500, FD: $5,700, Yahoo: $15     

Hockenson has been solid but not spectacular since his delayed season debut, and it's certainly possible he might still be working back to full explosiveness and quickness now just over a year removed from multiple ligament tears in his knee. However, Hockenson remains a key component of the Vikings' air attack and does have at least four receptions in half of his eight games thus far.

Hockenson didn't play in the first game against the Packers this season, but in the two games he's faced Green Bay while operating in Kevin O'Connell's offense, the talented tight end has posted a 13-147-1 line on 22 targets. Green Bay also profiles as beatable by tight ends, having surrendered an 85-892-4 line and averages of 13.4 DK/10.4 FD points per game to the position.

Is the Chig Okonkwo breakout finally happening ⁉️

1️⃣0️⃣ Targets last week

Elite athleticism and opportunity.

The colts allow 1️⃣7️⃣‼️ PPG to TEs in weeks 13-15. pic.twitter.com/9IFb1xzAD6

— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) December 20, 2024

Chig Okonkwo, TEN at JAX | DK: $3,600, FD: $5,400, Yahoo: $14

Okonkwo delivered handsomely as a Week 16 value suggestion, as he continued to display excellent chemistry with Rudolph. The third-year tight end posted a season-best 9-81 line on 11 targets, and that came after recording six of his 10 catches in Week 15 during the second half against the Bengals in Week 15 once Rudolph replaced an ineffective Will Levis in that game.

That's more than enough of a sample to have confidence in Okonkwo's ability to overdeliver on his salaries again Sunday, considering the investment required to roster him is extremely reasonable across all three platforms. The Jaguars have conceded an elevated 79-855-7 line to tight ends as well, leading to an average of 13.8 DK/11.1 FD points allowed to the position.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Brenton Strange, JAX vs. TEN | DK: $4,000, FD: $5,100, Yahoo: $12

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