The Broncos host the Chiefs and the Eagles host the Cowboys in Saturday’s Week 18 appetizer. Each team except Denver is represented in our lineup, as the Chiefs are still one of the hottest defenses in the league in spite of last week’s shootout loss, and we don’t expect the Drew Lock-led Broncos to produce any high-quality individual DFS performances. If one or more Broncos has a field day, we won't do well here, but we're more than willing to take that gamble. Our Saturday main slate DraftKings picks include some low-profile, high-upside RBs that will hopefully help us avoid a chalky lineup for GPP tournaments.
Before we break down our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 18 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo
Saturday Full-Slate DraftKings Picks: Cowboys vs. Eagles; Chiefs vs. Broncos
$50,000 budget
QB Jalen Hurts, Eagles vs. Cowboys ($6,300)
The Eagles officially clinched a postseason berth with last week’s win over the Football Team in spite of a modest final tally from Hurts. He does have recent outbursts of 29.6 and 30.8 DraftKings points, though. Even in the Eagles’ first matchup with the Cowboys in which they were thoroughly trounced, Hurts tallied a 25.5 DK-point line. For now, we're assuming he's going to start and play most of the game, but we'll be ready to pivot if it's being reported that Hurts won't play much, if at all.
WEEK 18 DFS: Best Stacks | Lineup Builder
RB Darrel Williams, Chiefs @ Broncos ($5,900)
Williams has three 20-plus-point performances, including a 32.4-point outburst against the Raiders in Week 10. Chiefs starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) missed practice Tuesday, but head coach Andy Reid suggests he still has a "chance" to play. It’s well worth keeping tabs on Edwards-Helaire’s status throughout the week, but Williams is in a good spot if receives another full workload.
RB Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles vs. Cowboys ($4,100)
Gainwell has just 85 touches on the season, though that total ranks fifth on the team. The Eagles have a lot of their top players on the COVID list. In the event some or all of them -- including Boston Scott, Jordan Howard, and Dallas Goedert -- are forced to sit on Saturday, Gainwell will have an opportunity to put together another solid performance. He’s scored double-figure DK points four times this season.
SATURDAY SINGLE-GAME DFS:
KC-DEN FD | KC-DEN DK | DAL-PHI FD | DAL-PHI DK
WR Tyreek Hill, Chiefs @ Broncos ($8,000)
With the Chiefs still battling for the conference’s top seed and a first-round bye, Hill and others are much less likely to be placed under bubble wrap halfway through the contest. Hill has erupted for 35-plus DK points three times this season, and he’s always a threat to deliver a gaudy number.
WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys @ Eagles ($6,800)
Lamb leads the Cowboys in targets and receptions, trends that project to continue in their remaining contests (including postseason). Michael Gallup’s torn ACL opens up a portion of the team’s passing game, and while others will need to step up to fill the void, Lamb will likely pick up some of that slack, as well.
SATURDAY FULL-SLATE DFS: FanDuel
WR Devonta Smith, Eagles vs. Cowboys ($6,100)
Smith’s 100 targets lead the Eagles, and the No. 2 in that department, Dallas Goedert, may be out of commission due to COVID. Smith has had a solid rookie season, eclipsing 15 FD points five times. If the Eagles are without some of their key offensive players, Smith’s volume can be expected to see an uptick -- assuming he plays close to a full complement of snaps.
TE Dalton Schultz, Cowboys @ Eagles ($5,300)
Schultz is coming off a season-high 10 targets, and he’s second on the team with 101 looks overall. He’s taken advantage of that volume all season, but particularly of late as he’s eclipsed the 20-point checkpoint twice in the past three games.
MORE WEEK 18 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup builder
FLEX (WR) Cedrick Wilson, Cowboys @ Eagles ($4,200)
Wilson is one of the players who will need to step up in the wake of Gallup’s late-season ACL injury. He scored 18.7 DK points on Sunday and has four 10-plus point finishes on the season, and he should be in line for another day of solid work.
DEF Chiefs @ Broncos ($3,100)
The Chiefs have been generous defensively in recent weeks, allowing 34 points against the Bengals on Sunday and 28 against the Chargers in Week 15. They’ve still scored at least 12 DK points in three of their past five, including 17 the last time they faced the Broncos.