When it comes to the sports world, Christmas is a day typically reserved for basketball, but football is crashing the party in 2016. For the first time in a decade, the NFL is hosting two games on December 25th, with Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Baltimore Ravens at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Denver Broncos taking on the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:30 p.m. ET. For those brave enough, DraftKings is holding Sunday-only contests, though two-game slates can be extremely tricky for DFS purposes, especially when both of those games are divisional battles that feature good defenses and are expected to be highly physical. Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh has an over/under of 44, while Denver vs. Kansas City's projected total sits at a miserable 37. Still, there are a bunch of good options, and you can click through the gallery for my ideal DraftKings Christmas lineup. You can also read here for more DFS analysis and picks. (Getty)
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Price: $6,700
With such a small slate, the instinct is probably to save money at quarterback, but I'm fine going with the most expensive option. Big Ben was mostly brutal against the Ravens in Week 9 before somewhat saving his day late in the fourth quarter, but he's back at home, where he is completing 70.47 percent of his throws for 1,636 yards (327.2 per game) and a sparkling 17:3 TD:INT ratio this season. The last time he played vs. Baltimore at home during the regular season, he hung 340 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, and while it would be foolish to expect the same kind of numbers, I'm confident in him at Heinz Field, no matter the matchup. (Getty)
RB: Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Price: $9,400
Though people sometimes think otherwise, going with a QB and RB from the same team is a perfectly fine strategy--and that's especially the case when the running back is also basically a wide receiver. In addition to his monstrous running numbers, Bell is averaging an absurd 8.18 targets, 6.55 receptions and 54.64 receiving yards per game, and against a Ravens defense that ranks first in Football Outsiders' run defense efficiency, I expect him to be even more busy in the passing game. Ultimately, with basically four running backs to choose from (five or six if you want to get involved in the Denver mess), fading Bell is extremely dangerous. (Getty)
RB: Spencer Ware, Kansas City Chiefs
Opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
Price: $5,300
Though Ware has been underwhelming with his efficiency, he has still received 20-plus touches in two straight games and is averaging 19.4 touches over the last five. There is value in that kind of volume, plus it wouldn't be surprising if the Chiefs leaned on the ground game on Christmas, as the Broncos rank first against the pass but just 24th against the run, per Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings. (Getty)
WR: Eli Rogers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Price: $3,800
A slot receiver who already carries good value due to the PPR format, Rogers figures to see extra work this week with Ladarius Green--who had recently become the team's No. 3 option in the passing game--expected to be sidelined with a concussion. In the seven games he has received at least five targets this season, Rogers is averaging 4.43 catches and 52.29 receiving yards with three touchdowns, and that includes a big 10-target, six-catch, 103-yard effort against the Ravens back in Week 9. At $3,800, he's one of my favorite value picks of the week, let alone Christmas day. (Getty)
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
Price: $6,400
Fading Antonio Brown is a little dangerous, but it's difficult to get both him and Bell in the same lineup. Thomas is the next best thing in terms of consistency, as he has tallied 10-plus targets in eight of the last nine games and hit double-digit DraftKings points in all but two contests this season. With the run game failing to produce much of anything, Treovr Siemian has been forced to throw 40 times per game since CJ Anderson went done, and against a beatable Chiefs secondary, the pass volume should once again be there, and Thomas should once again benefit. (Getty)
WR: Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
Opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
Price: $6,000
Pretty much all the things I just wrote for Thomas apply for Sanders, as the pair of wide receivers have put up remarkably similar numbers this season: 130 targets, 83 receptions, 1016 yards and five touchdowns for Thomas; 134 targets, 78 receptions, 1006 yards and five touchdowns for Sanders. With the high passing volume, there's room for both to produce in a single week, plus Sanders turned 10 targets into seven catches, 162 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 12. (Getty)
TE: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Opponent: $5,000
Price: vs. Denver Broncos
Kelce might be 90 percent owned, but you shouldn't overthink this one. He has put up 100-plus yards in four of the last five games, and with Ladarius Green doubtful and A.J. Derby out, the other starting tight ends on Christmas are Dennis Pitta, Jessie James and Jeff Heuerman. Kelce is a must-play. (Getty)
FLEX: Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens
Opponent: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Price: $4,200
This is part of the Pittsburgh stack I have going. If the Steelers offense puts up points like I'm anticipating with this lineup, then Dixon--the Ravens' pass-catching back--will ultimately end up being more involved than Terrance West. Dixon got just one target last week, but he had received 16 in the previous three weeks, and I expect him to get back to that kind of receiving volume in addition to the typical 30-to-60 rushing yards he has been putting up on a weekly basis. Ultimately, he should at least hit value at $4,200. (Getty)
DEF: Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Price: $3,000
The Steelers have tallied at least one interception in five straight games, while Joe Flacco can be mistake prone, especially if he's playing from behind and is forced to air it out consistently. A couple sacks--the Ravens have allowed five in the last two weeks--and a turnover or two is all we're looking for here. (Getty)
DraftKings NFL Christmas Lineup: Optimal Picks for Sunday’s Games