Mike ClayDec 31, 2025, 01:54 PM ET
CloseMike Clay is a senior writer for fantasy football and the NFL at ESPN. Mike is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. His projections power the ESPN Fantasy Football game, and he also appears on “Fantasy Football Now” and the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.
Set a winning lineup for DraftKings’ NFL Week 18 Sunday main slate by combining value picks in each roster slot and exploiting the best matchups, all within the confines of the salary cap. Every week, we evaluate all of your DraftKings options to identify the best values among the lower-priced options, as well as the matchups to play or avoid, so you can select the players who are worth their high price tags.
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Value is determined by the number of DraftKings points you can expect for every dollar invested in putting that player in your lineup. A player may be an “Average” or even a “Good” value while also projected to outscore a player identified as a “Great” value, but when you consider the cap hit and the salary you can put toward other players, you may decide that the “Great” value outweighs that projection.
Players considered to be a “Great” value are those in the 90th percentile of projected value picks for the week. “Good” plays are in the 75th percentile or better. “Average” plays span the 25th to 74th percentiles, while “Shaky” plays are in the 10th-24th percentiles. “Poor” picks encompass single-digit percentiles. Only players projected to score 4 points or more are displayed.
Player salaries are drawn from DraftKings’ main slate and are based on the ESPN player projections at the time of publication.
Best Plays for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerTeamOppPosProj.$Jahmyr GibbsDET@CHIRB23.0$8,000Bijan RobinsonATLNORB24.6$8,700Jaxson DartNYGDALQB24.0$5,700James CookBUFNYJRB22.0$7,900Amon-Ra St. BrownDET@CHIWR23.4$7,700Tyrone Tracy Jr.NYGDALRB15.3$5,500De’Von AchaneMIA@NERB21.6$8,200D’Andre SwiftCHIDETRB15.6$5,900Ashton JeantyLVKCRB16.8$6,400Drake MayeNEMIAQB25.3$7,100Trevor LawrenceJACTENQB23.4$6,400Wan’Dale RobinsonNYGDALWR17.3$6,100Michael MayerLVKCTE10.7$3,500Puka NacuaLARARIWR23.7$9,000CeeDee LambDAL@NYGWR19.6$7,300Josh AllenBUFNYJQB23.9$7,000Justin JeffersonMINGBWR15.6$5,800Davante AdamsLARARIWR17.2$6,500Jakobi MeyersJACTENWR14.5$5,600Chigoziem OkonkwoTEN@JACTE9.2$3,400Harold Fannin Jr.CLE@CINTE13.1$5,000Theo JohnsonNYGDALTE9.2$3,400Adonai MitchellNYJ@BUFWR11.1$4,200Hunter HenryNEMIATE11.8$4,500Tre TuckerLVKCWR10.5$4,000Raiders D/STLVKCDST7.0$2,400Colts D/STIND@HOUDST5.2$2,000Falcons D/STATLNODST7.0$2,800Giants D/STNYGDALDST5.7$2,300Quarterbacks for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerRatingTeamOppPosProj.$Drake Maye
Great
NEMIAQB25.3$7,100Josh Allen
Great
BUFNYJQB23.9$7,000Matthew Stafford
Average
LARARIQB22.3$6,900Dak Prescott
Good
DAL@NYGQB22.1$6,800Joe Burrow
Poor
CINCLEQB17.5$6,700Trevor Lawrence
Great
JACTENQB23.4$6,400Bo Nix
Average
DENLACQB19.4$6,200Jared Goff
Average
DET@CHIQB20.3$6,100Caleb Williams
Good
CHIDETQB20.5$5,900Jaxson Dart
Great
NYGDALQB24.0$5,700Jacoby Brissett
Average
ARI@LARQB18.5$5,600C.J. Stroud
Average
HOUINDQB17.9$5,400Tyler Shough
Good
NO@ATLQB18.6$5,300J.J. McCarthy
Average
MINGBQB16.6$5,200Kirk Cousins
Poor
ATLNOQB13.9$5,100Malik Willis
Average
GB@MINQB16.1$5,000Shedeur Sanders
Average
CLE@CINQB16.1$4,900Cameron Ward
Shaky
TEN@JACQB13.4$4,800Riley Leonard
Poor
IND@HOUQB11.9$4,700Quinn Ewers
Average
MIA@NEQB13.8$4,600Chris Oladokun
Shaky
KC@LVQB13.0$4,500Tanner McKee
Good
PHIWASQB17.4$4,500Trey Lance
Shaky
LAC@DENQB13.2$4,500Josh Johnson
Poor
WAS@PHIQB12.1$4,400Brady Cook
Shaky
NYJ@BUFQB12.4$4,300Kenny Pickett
Average
LVKCQB14.4$4,200Running Backs for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerRatingTeamOppPosProj.$Bijan Robinson
Great
ATLNORB24.6$8,700De’Von Achane
Great
MIA@NERB21.6$8,200Jahmyr Gibbs
Great
DET@CHIRB23.0$8,000James Cook
Great
BUFNYJRB22.0$7,900Jonathan Taylor
Average
IND@HOURB17.0$7,800Chase Brown
Good
CINCLERB17.5$7,600Travis Etienne Jr.
Good
JACTENRB18.0$7,100RJ Harvey
Average
DENLACRB14.9$6,800Kyren Williams
Good
LARARIRB17.3$6,700Omarion Hampton
Shaky
LAC@DENRB10.8$6,600Ashton Jeanty
Great
LVKCRB16.8$6,400Javonte Williams
Good
DAL@NYGRB15.6$6,300Breece Hall
Good
NYJ@BUFRB16.1$6,200TreVeyon Henderson
Good
NEMIARB15.4$6,100Aaron Jones
Average
MINGBRB13.6$6,000D’Andre Swift
Great
CHIDETRB15.6$5,900Woody Marks
Average
HOUINDRB12.4$5,800Blake Corum
Average
LARARIRB9.6$5,700Rhamondre Stevenson
Average
NEMIARB12.1$5,600Emanuel Wilson
Shaky
GB@MINRB8.3$5,500Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Great
NYGDALRB15.3$5,500Kyle Monangai
Average
CHIDETRB11.7$5,400Tank Bigsby
Average
PHIWASRB10.5$5,400Tony Pollard
Average
TEN@JACRB10.4$5,400Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Average
WAS@PHIRB11.0$5,300Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Shaky
WAS@PHIRB5.1$5,300Malik Davis
Shaky
DAL@NYGRB5.4$5,300Jordan Mason
Shaky
MINGBRB7.0$5,200Isiah Pacheco
Average
KC@LVRB11.0$5,200Dylan Sampson
Good
CLE@CINRB12.7$5,200Kimani Vidal
Poor
LAC@DENRB1.6$5,100Michael Carter
Average
ARI@LARRB10.8$5,100Audric Estime
Good
NO@ATLRB12.8$5,000Devin Singletary
Average
NYGDALRB11.1$5,000David Montgomery
Average
DET@CHIRB10.1$5,000Tyjae Spears
Average
TEN@JACRB8.6$4,900Ray Davis
Poor
BUFNYJRB2.7$4,900Ty Johnson
Shaky
BUFNYJRB7.4$4,900Ameer Abdullah
Poor
IND@HOURB2.3$4,800Nick Chubb
Poor
HOUINDRB2.1$4,800Isaiah Davis
Shaky
NYJ@BUFRB5.6$4,700Tyler Allgeier
Average
ATLNORB7.4$4,700Kareem Hunt
Average
KC@LVRB8.4$4,700Raheim Sanders
Average
CLE@CINRB7.5$4,700Emari Demercado
Average
ARI@LARRB8.9$4,600Hassan Haskins
Poor
LAC@DENRB1.6$4,600LeQuint Allen
Shaky
JACTENRB3.1$4,600Samaje Perine
Shaky
CINCLERB6.2$4,500Ty Chandler
Poor
MINGBRB1.3$4,500Evan Hull
Poor
NO@ATLRB2.8$4,500Chris Brooks
Average
GB@MINRB8.2$4,500Will Shipley
Good
PHIWASRB9.9$4,400AJ Dillon
Average
PHIWASRB6.4$4,000Wide Receivers for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerRatingTeamOppPosProj.$Puka Nacua
Great
LARARIWR23.7$9,000Ja’Marr Chase
Average
CINCLEWR18.7$8,500Amon-Ra St. Brown
Great
DET@CHIWR23.4$7,700Chris Olave
Good
NO@ATLWR18.1$7,400CeeDee Lamb
Great
DAL@NYGWR19.6$7,300George Pickens
Good
DAL@NYGWR17.3$7,200Nico Collins
Average
HOUINDWR15.7$7,000Drake London
Shaky
ATLNOWR13.7$6,900Jameson Williams
Average
DET@CHIWR14.3$6,700Michael Wilson
Good
ARI@LARWR16.1$6,600Davante Adams
Great
LARARIWR17.2$6,500Stefon Diggs
Good
NEMIAWR15.3$6,300Wan’Dale Robinson
Great
NYGDALWR17.3$6,100Tee Higgins
Shaky
CINCLEWR11.9$6,000Ladd McConkey
Poor
LAC@DENWR7.2$5,900Courtland Sutton
Good
DENLACWR14.6$5,900Justin Jefferson
Great
MINGBWR15.6$5,800Jaylen Waddle
Good
MIA@NEWR14.1$5,700Terry McLaurin
Average
WAS@PHIWR11.5$5,700Rome Odunze
Shaky
CHIDETWR10.3$5,600Jakobi Meyers
Great
JACTENWR14.5$5,600DJ Moore
Poor
CHIDETWR8.6$5,500Quentin Johnston
Poor
LAC@DENWR6.1$5,400Luther Burden III
Average
CHIDETWR11.0$5,300Brian Thomas Jr.
Average
JACTENWR11.9$5,300Christian Watson
Poor
GB@MINWR3.8$5,200Parker Washington
Good
JACTENWR12.8$5,100Khalil Shakir
Average
BUFNYJWR10.2$5,000Deebo Samuel Sr.
Average
WAS@PHIWR11.3$5,000Troy Franklin
Poor
DENLACWR6.4$4,900Jordan Addison
Average
MINGBWR9.4$4,800Kayshon Boutte
Shaky
NEMIAWR8.2$4,800Romeo Doubs
Poor
GB@MINWR3.5$4,700Michael Pittman Jr.
Average
IND@HOUWR9.2$4,700Xavier Worthy
Average
KC@LVWR8.9$4,600Keenan Allen
Poor
LAC@DENWR4.9$4,600Jayden Higgins
Poor
HOUINDWR7.0$4,500Alec Pierce
Poor
IND@HOUWR6.9$4,500Chimere Dike
Good
TEN@JACWR10.3$4,400Kyle Williams
Shaky
NEMIAWR7.4$4,300Josh Downs
Shaky
IND@HOUWR6.7$4,200Adonai Mitchell
Great
NYJ@BUFWR11.1$4,200Darius Slayton
Average
NYGDALWR9.1$4,100Jerry Jeudy
Average
CLE@CINWR9.1$4,100Hollywood Brown
Average
KC@LVWR7.4$4,000Tre Tucker
Great
LVKCWR10.5$4,000Jack Bech
Average
LVKCWR7.9$3,900Darnell Mooney
Shaky
ATLNOWR5.9$3,900Elic Ayomanor
Average
TEN@JACWR7.7$3,900Jahan Dotson
Shaky
PHIWASWR6.8$3,800Ryan Flournoy
Average
DAL@NYGWR7.8$3,800DeMario Douglas
Shaky
NEMIAWR5.8$3,800Pat Bryant
Average
DENLACWR7.4$3,800Malik Washington
Shaky
MIA@NEWR6.5$3,700Isaac TeSlaa
Shaky
DET@CHIWR6.2$3,700John Metchie III
Average
NYJ@BUFWR7.5$3,700JuJu Smith-Schuster
Average
KC@LVWR7.6$3,500Treylon Burks
Shaky
WAS@PHIWR5.7$3,500Kevin Austin Jr.
Average
NO@ATLWR6.9$3,400Darius Cooper
Good
PHIWASWR7.7$3,300Jalen Nailor
Average
MINGBWR6.7$3,300Christian Kirk
Average
HOUINDWR6.7$3,200Isaiah Williams
Average
NYJ@BUFWR6.1$3,200Mason Tipton
Average
NO@ATLWR6.1$3,200Xavier Weaver
Average
ARI@LARWR6.0$3,100Britain Covey
Good
PHIWASWR7.8$3,000Danny Gray
Good
PHIWASWR7.7$3,000Isaiah Bond
Average
CLE@CINWR5.5$3,000Savion Williams
Good
GB@MINWR6.6$3,000Tight Ends for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerRatingTeamOppPosProj.$Trey McBride
Good
ARI@LARTE18.8$7,500Kyle Pitts
Poor
ATLNOTE10.7$5,500Harold Fannin Jr.
Great
CLE@CINTE13.1$5,000Travis Kelce
Average
KC@LVTE11.2$4,700Hunter Henry
Great
NEMIATE11.8$4,500Tyler Warren
Average
IND@HOUTE9.7$4,400Jake Ferguson
Average
DAL@NYGTE9.7$4,300Juwan Johnson
Average
NO@ATLTE10.3$4,200Dalton Kincaid
Poor
BUFNYJTE7.3$4,100Colston Loveland
Good
CHIDETTE10.1$3,900Brenton Strange
Good
JACTENTE9.5$3,800Dalton Schultz
Good
HOUINDTE9.5$3,800Oronde Gadsden II
Poor
LAC@DENTE5.5$3,700Colby Parkinson
Good
LARARITE9.5$3,700Darren Waller
Average
MIA@NETE8.2$3,600Dawson Knox
Shaky
BUFNYJTE6.5$3,600Michael Mayer
Great
LVKCTE10.7$3,500Chigoziem Okonkwo
Great
TEN@JACTE9.2$3,400Theo Johnson
Great
NYGDALTE9.2$3,400Mike Gesicki
Shaky
CINCLETE6.4$3,300Evan Engram
Shaky
DENLACTE5.5$3,200T.J. Hockenson
Average
MINGBTE7.4$3,100David Njoku
Poor
CLE@CINTE5.0$3,000Mason Taylor
Average
NYJ@BUFTE6.6$3,000Cole Kmet
Poor
CHIDETTE4.3$2,900Ben Sinnott
Shaky
WAS@PHITE5.1$2,900Terrance Ferguson
Average
LARARITE5.3$2,700Taysom Hill
Average
NO@ATLTE6.3$2,700Greg Dulcich
Average
MIA@NETE5.3$2,600Elijah Higgins
Average
ARI@LARTE5.0$2,500Josh Whyle
Shaky
GB@MINTE4.7$2,500Gunnar Helm
Good
TEN@JACTE6.3$2,500Cameron Latu
Average
PHIWASTE5.0$2,500Kylen Granson
Average
PHIWASTE5.2$2,500Austin Hooper
Shaky
NEMIATE4.3$2,500DSTs for DraftKings DFS contestsPlayerRatingTeamOppPosProj.$Jaguars D/ST
Poor
JACTENDST6.8$4,000Patriots D/ST
Poor
NEMIADST6.9$3,900Broncos D/ST
Shaky
DENLACDST7.1$3,800Texans D/ST
Shaky
HOUINDDST7.6$3,700Rams D/ST
Shaky
LARARIDST7.4$3,600Bills D/ST
Average
BUFNYJDST7.2$3,500Bengals D/ST
Average
CINCLEDST7.1$3,400Cowboys D/ST
Poor
DAL@NYGDST4.5$3,300Chiefs D/ST
Average
KC@LVDST6.6$3,200Eagles D/ST
Average
PHIWASDST6.9$3,100Vikings D/ST
Average
MINGBDST6.7$3,000Packers D/ST
Good
GB@MINDST6.7$2,900Falcons D/ST
Great
ATLNODST7.0$2,800Lions D/ST
Poor
DET@CHIDST4.1$2,700Bears D/ST
Average
CHIDETDST5.5$2,600Saints D/ST
Average
NO@ATLDST4.9$2,500Browns D/ST
Good
CLE@CINDST5.8$2,400Raiders D/ST
Great
LVKCDST7.0$2,400Commanders D/ST
Average
WAS@PHIDST4.7$2,300Giants D/ST
Great
NYGDALDST5.7$2,300Dolphins D/ST
Good
MIA@NEDST5.0$2,200Cardinals D/ST
Shaky
ARI@LARDST3.8$2,200Chargers D/ST
Good
LAC@DENDST5.0$2,100Titans D/ST
Average
TEN@JACDST4.7$2,100Colts D/ST
Great
IND@HOUDST5.2$2,000Jets D/ST
Average
NYJ@BUFDST4.0$2,000