4 FanDuel NFL Values to Target in Week 16

Finding value is a key part of daily fantasy football on FanDuel. We need to identify the low-salary players who have the potential to pay huge dividends, which allows you to play studs elsewhere in your lineup.

As always, we're looking at players on the main slate, which kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Nick Mullens, QB, Minnesota Vikings

FanDuel Salary: ($7,000)

I didn't think I would be writing about Nick Mullens for DFS this season, but things have been crazy this year -- especially at the quarterback position for the Minnesota Vikings. Mullens is their fourth different starting QB of the season. His first start went surprisingly well as he finished with 19.12 FanDuel points.

Mullens doesn't have to be too good with the weapons he can utilize on offense. Justin Jefferson is now healthy again and saw 30% of the targets in Week 15. T.J. Hockenson has been one of the best tight ends in football no matter who the QB has been. Rookie receiver Jordan Addison had the biggest fantasy day a week ago, pulling in all six of his targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

We should see Mullens have success again this week. The Vikings will face the Detroit Lions at home. Detroit has struggled in pass defense this season. They rank 28th in pass D, per numberFire's schedule-adjusted metrics, and have allowed the fifth-most adjusted fantasy points per drop back.

At this time of year, weather is always a consideration across the NFL. This game will be played in a dome, so that won't be a concern this week. That makes Mullens' risk of flopping a bit lower than it could be if this game had any potential weather issues.

Mullens is projected for the fourth-most points at QB on the main slate, according to numberFire's model, so getting him at just $7,000 is a nice deal.

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

FanDuel Salary: ($6,700)

The Green Bay Packers need to win and get some help to get back in the hunt for the playoffs. They have a lot of injuries and will need to rely on some of the healthy players they do have.

One of them will be Aaron Jones, especially if A.J. Dillon remains out. Jones saw 21 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) in Week 15. The passing-game volume has been there all season, as Jones has seen a target on a whopping 27% of his routes.

The matchup for Jones is a good one, as the Packers will be on the road against the Carolina Panthers. Carolina's rush defense ranks 30th by numberFire's metrics. They also allow the most adjusted fantasy points per carry in the NFL.

With a few pass catchers injured -- including Christian Watson -- Green Bay could decide to go with a run-heavy game plan. That would mean a lot of opportunities for Jones, who has a chance to deliver a huge day at a modest salary.

Drake London, WR, Falcons

FanDuel Salary: ($6,200)

It's not been too fun to roster Atlanta Falcons players in fantasy this year. Their top weapons are clearly talented, but they are volatile on a week-to-week basis due to coaching and/or quarterback play.

That's demonstrated itself over the past three weeks when looking at Drake London's outputs. In Week 13, London had just one catch for eight yards. Week 14 was his best game of the season, as he hauled in 10 passes for 172 yards. That high quickly evaporated after a two-catch, 24-yard performance in Week 15.

There will be two significant differences for London and the Falcons in Week 16. First of all, they will be playing in a dome. Weather was certainly a factor in their pass-game struggles in Week 15. It will also be a different quarterback throwing him the ball, with Taylor Heinicke now replacing Desmond Ridder.

Heinicke hasn't played a ton this season, but he has 0.06 Passing Net Expected Points per drop back in a small sample, compared to -0.01 for Ridder. London missed the one game that Heinicke started and completed, so the level of boost Heinicke gives him is hard to quantify, but it's probably an upgrade for the receiver.

Atlanta will face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. The Colts' pass D has played reasonably well, but the matchup is still enticing because of their pace of play. Indy leads the NFL in pace heading into this week of games.

London has seen 23% of the targets this season for Atlanta, and it's hard to find players with his level of talent and workload for just $6,200.

Cade Otton, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

FanDuel Salary: ($5,200)

The players we want to play at tight end are few and far between on a smaller slate like we have in Week 16 -- especially when we look for a TE with a salary below $6,000. With that said, Cade Otton is not a bad option this week if you want to save salary.

Otton has a decent role for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's seen 13% of the targets on the season, a respectable number for a tight end. Surprisingly, he leads the team in both red zone catches and red zone receiving touchdowns. To have the lead over Mike Evans in those stats is no small feat.

The Bucs will play the Jacksonville Jaguars at home this week. The Jaguars have not defended well against TEs this year. They're 26th in adjusted fantasy points per game against the position and have surrendered the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Tampa Bay's implied team total is 22.5 points this week, so there's a reasonable chance the Otton can score a touchdown in this game. That alone makes him worth considering as one of the better values at tight end this week.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.