Welcome to the bar! Hopefully, you’re home and rested from Thanksgiving festivities. The Thanksgiving DFS Cocktail ended up pretty tasty. Now, the Week 13 DFS Cocktail Hour is here to satisfy your thirst for DFS football strategies on the weekend’s main slate. We’ll be looking at useful ingredients that you can use as part of your weekly DFS plays. Additionally, we’ll mix up a bonus post-holiday cocktail.
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. For more insight into the week’s best plays and more, be sure to catch this week’s episodes of Operation: Domination.
Week 13 DFS Cocktail Hour: Base Spirits
A slightly different base spirit this week, as although we’ve used this quarterback before, we’ll be pairing him with a different member of his skill position players. So, who is this quarterback? None other than the New England Patriots’ new fantasy phenom, Drake Maye ($6,800). As the overall QB5 (QB7 in DraftKings points per game), Maye has exceeded fantasy managers’ expectations (he was drafted as the QB16 in redraft formats). His rushing ability helps give him a weekly floor, while his league-leading completion percentage ensures volume-proof efficiency. Sounds like a good combination in a potential DFS play.
This season, Maye has over 203 yards passing in every game and has thrown at least one touchdown in 11 of 12 games. He’s third among all quarterbacks in passing yards and fifth in touchdowns. His average of 20.6 DraftKings points per game is the best for a New England quarterback since Tom Brady in 2016. Now, he gets a New York Giant defense that allows the second-most points to opposing passers. New England is fighting for the AFC’s top playoff seed and can’t afford to take their foot off the gas. I’m willing to go with the straw that stirs their drink in my DFS lineup.
An Interesting Pairing
To go along with Maye in this contest, I’m actually going with his backfield mate, TreVeyon Henderson ($6,100). Though he ranks as just the RB18 overall this season, Henderson has been the RB4 over the past five weeks. He’s scored five total touchdowns in his past three games. Since Rhamondre Stevenson‘s injury, Henderson has put a stranglehold on the New England running back job. Stevenson returned in Week 12, but Henderson maintained his sizable advantage in snap count and offensive opportunities.
The Giants give up the second-most points to running backs. Part of that is a vulnerability to pass-catching backs. Christian McCaffery, D’Andre Swift, Omarion Hampton, Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara, and Javonte Williams have all caught four or more passes against New York this season. And last week, Jahmyr Gibbs had 11 receptions on 12 targets versus the Giants. Henderson and Maye’s production doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive in this one. This game has the highest Vegas point total of the remaining Week 13 games. I think the Patriots can score handily on the Giants, and both Maye and Henderson eat here. Perhaps they can partake of the Week 13 DFS Cocktail to wash it all down.
Souring Agent
The Patriots’ defense has been relatively stingy against opposing fantasy players. However, one position that has been able to find some success against them is tight end. New England gives up the 11th-most points to opposing fantasy tight ends. Brock Bowers, Dalton Kincaid, and Cade Otton all had top-six weekly finishes against New England. Bowers was the TE1, in fact. And twice this season, the Patriots have allowed multiple tight ends from the same team to finish in the top 12 for the week. The Panthers’ Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans were the TE6 and TE12, respectively, in Week 4. Harold Fannin, Jr, and David Njoku were TE4 and TE9 for the Browns in Week 8. This week, it’s Theo Johnson‘s turn ($3,800) to sip (or chug, as it were) from the Patriots’ fountain of fantasy points.
In the absence of Malik Nabers, Johnson has become the Giants’ second-favorite target in the pass game. He’s tied for 11th among tight ends in total targets and averages five per game. But over his past four games, he’s averaging almost a full target per game more. He dominates the tight end opportunities for New York, leading Daniel Bellinger in snaps and routes run by healthy margins. It’s a bit of a lost season for the Giants. I expect them to trail in this one and have to pass to keep pace. New York will be getting Jaxson Dart back at quarterback, which is very good news for Johnson’s fantasy prospects. As just the TE14 in salary, he projects as one of the best values at the position this week.
Sweetener
Well, we’ve covered most of the peripheral positions so far. But you’ll have to play at least three wide receivers, so let’s take a look at a player to sweeten the deal in your Week 13 DFS Cocktail. Jaylen Waddle ($6,800) faces the New Orleans Saints and has seen a bit of a fantasy rebirth this season. Waddle had a phenomenal rookie season. But Tyreek Hill‘s arrival in Miami in 2022 has resulted in diminishing returns for fantasy managers of Waddle every season since.
Hill, however, was lost for the season to an injury in Week 4. Since then, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has seen the biggest boost in his snap count. But Waddle has been the biggest fantasy beneficiary. Waddle has gone from seeing fewer than six targets per game to seeing more than seven on average. And his DraftKings fantasy points this season have jumped from an average of 11.88 per game with Hill in the lineup, to 15.28 without. That’s borderline WR1 production. While this isn’t exactly a marquee matchup with New Orleans, the Dolphins have won two straight games and are fighting for their season. Miami is a pass-heavy team. They rank sixth and eighth in the league in terms of their percentage of first downs and touchdowns coming from the pass game. Waddle is by far the top target, and that should bring plenty of points in this one.
Garnishes
As always, how you dress up the rest of your Week 13 DFS Cocktail is up to you. Henderson and Johnson were some relatively budget-friendly plays. I’ve left you a lot of spending power and a lot of free rein this week. But I can give you a few hints. I like the Denver Broncos against Washington. What positions? Yes! Also, it’s hard to go wrong targeting the Tennessee Titans, so fire up your Jags. You might find the Houston Texans’ pass-catchers to be sneaky-valuable plays this week as well, no matter the name.
Week 13 DFS Cocktail: The Waiver Wire
The trade deadline has likely passed for you, whether in your redraft leagues or in Dynasty. That means you’re left combing over leftovers on the waiver wire. But what better week for leftovers than immediately following Thanksgiving? Our cocktail this week can help you use at least some of your possible leftovers. It’s a festive, creamy, cranberry concoction we’re calling: what else? The Waiver Wire.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. RumChata
- 1 oz. Vodka
- 1 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 oz. Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 oz. Cream of Coconut
- 1 spoonful Cranberry Sauce
- Ice
- Fresh Cranberries (garnish)
- Rosemary Sprig (garnish)
Directions:
Combine RumChata, vodka, whipping cream, cranberry juice, cream of coconut, and cranberry sauce in a shaker with ice. Shake until well-mixed and well-chilled. Strain into a large coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a skewer of fresh cranberries and a sprig of rosemary. Slàinte mhath!
A few notes:
- I recommend using 100% unsweetened cranberry juice, as opposed to the more common cranberry juice cocktail. The cream of coconut and cranberry sauce add enough sweetness. The tartness of the straight cranberry juice plays well with the cinnamon of the RumChata and is mitigated by the creamy texture.
- If you heat the cranberry sauce, it’ll loosen up to an easier-to-mix consistency. If you want to just use it straight from the can-shaped lump, you’ll have to shake quite vigorously to break it up. Otherwise, you’ll have cranberry sludge bits in your drink. Harmless, but maybe off-putting for some.