Welcome to the bar! The Week 12 DFS Cocktail Hour is here to satisfy your thirst for DFS football strategies. We’ll be looking at useful ingredients that you can use as part of your weekly DFS plays. Additionally, we’ll mix up my cocktail from this week’s Operation: Domination program.
A reminder that we’re looking at cash games on the DraftKings Classic mode, using the Sunday through Monday games. Of course, you’re welcome to pour one out in a GPP tournament using this advice as well. All player scores mentioned use DraftKings scoring as displayed by FantasyData.com.
Week 12 DFS Cocktail Hour: Base Spirits
I hate to make you wait to enjoy your cocktail this week, but we’re taking the Monday Night Football matchup as our base spirit this week. Many of you may be aware of my Bryce Young advocacy on Operation: Domination. So it may come as a bit of a curveball (to mix my sports metaphors) that I’m going to bat for Brock Purdy ($5,900) this week. Purdy made his return to the lineup last week and promptly posted a quarterback rating of 133.5, throwing for three scores in a gunfight with Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals. That was good for a QB6 finish in DraftKings scoring.
Carolina isn’t exactly a great matchup for a fantasy quarterback, allowing the fewest points to the position this season. But this game has one of the largest Vegas point totals on the slate and could be another (albeit lesser) shootout. Purdy is the QB11 in DraftKings salary, but QB8 in ECR rankings. The Panthers can be vulnerable to fantasy running backs and tight ends, which matches up well for Purdy’s top targets of Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.
We’re in a Tight (End) Spot!
Speaking of Kittle ($5,200), that sounds like a great pairing with Purdy for this one. Your ECR TE3 is only getting paid (in our virtual world) as the TE5. And that vulnerability I spoke of for the Panthers? Yeah, they give up the 11th-most points to opposing fantasy tight ends. Now, this may feel a bit like point-chasing after last week’s two-touchdown, TE2 finish. But, hear me out. As my friend and colleague (and 49er fan) Dan Mader has pointed out repeatedly, Brock Purdy loves him some George Kittle. But Kittle has performed no matter who’s been under center, as he’s currently the TE6 in points per game. In his last four games, he’s caught 23 of 24 targets for 226 yards and four scores. And he graded out as the best value per dollar at tight end for the Week 12 DFS Cocktail. Let’s go.
Souring Agent
I’ve been sweet on this week’s souring agent all season, and I have a ton of him in redraft and Dynasty. But this will be our first time using Tetairoa McMillan ($5,900) as a component in the DFS cocktail. (I’ve actually used him quite a bit in my lineups, but this is my first endorsement of him in this format.) T-Mac is the WR19 in salary this week, but the WR11 ECR-wise. And he’s somewhat quietly the WR9 overall on the season. Last week was the best game of McMillan’s career, both statistically and in fantasy. So, again, it may feel like point chasing. But the ‘Niners give up the seventh-most points to receivers and the 10th-most to quarterbacks. And I’ve already mentioned the game total.
Carolina will have to pass here. McMillan is by FAR their top target, and it’s a great matchup. The 49ers just allowed Jacoby Brissett to complete an NFL record 47 passes on 57 attempts. Michael Wilson caught 15 of those for 185 yards. Michael Wilson is no Tetairoa McMillan. I don’t expect Bryce Young to go for 400+ for a second week in a row, but there’s room for McMillan to shine even so. Of the wideouts I analyzed for this little exercise, McMillan graded out just behind Amon-Ra St. Brown in terms of value for the dollar. I feel great about using him this week, and not just because it’s a sneaky way to play Young without playing Young in my lineups.
Sweetener
The sweetener took a little time to ripen this week as we awaited word on his availability. But Kenneth Walker III ($5,400) is good-to-go for Sunday’s contest against the hapless Tennessee Titans. Walker popped up with a glute injury mid-week, but is expected to play despite his questionable tag. And that’s good news for Walker’s fantasy managers and for our DFS prospects. Walker is a cheap play this week- just RB26 in DraftKings salary. But he’s been a solid play over the past several weeks, and now faces the Titans. Tennessee is terrible against the run and gives up the seventh-most points to running backs. Seattle is a team that runs the football an inordinate amount of the time, and Walker has been the more effective back. This is a smash spot and a prototypical DFS play.
Garnishes
As always, how you dress up the rest of your Week 12 DFS Cocktail is up to you. We haven’t really spent the big bucks yet with these four plays, so you’ve got some room to splurge for top-shelf ingredients if you like. Still looking for some more affordable options? Check out GOYAADI’s DFS Cheapskate plays.
Week 12 DFS Cocktail: The Divisional Rivalry
There are some fun divisional matchups this week, and those matchups take on added significance late in the season. This week’s drink is a bit of a riff on a “Sibling Ryevalry.”
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 oz. Rye Whiskey
- 1/2 oz. Pear Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
- 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
- Bitters
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon Schnapps
- Ice
- Cinnamon Stick (garnish)
- Lemon Slice (garnish)
Directions:
Rinse a rocks glass with the cinnamon schnapps and discard the excess. Combine bourbon, rye, pear liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice, and bitters in a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into your pre-rinsed rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a lemon slice. Slàinte mhath!
A few notes:
- As always, fresh-squeezed lemon juice is best.
- If you’ve never rinsed a glass before, just add the rinse (in this case, the schnapps) to the empty drinking glass and swirl it all around to coat the inside. Then, any extra liquid that pools quickly at the bottom of the glass can be discarded.
- Amounts of simple syrup and bitters can be adjusted to taste.