The holidays will be full of NFL action this year, and there's no better way to celebrate than with some daily fantasy football. For the purposes of this article, I'll concentrate strictly on Saturday, as the 12-game slate on Christmas Eve is when most of the big contests and tournaments are being hosted by FanDuel. Of those 12 contests, three (Falcons at Panthers, Colts at Raiders, and Buccaneers at Saints) boast an over/under of at least 52 points, while the New England Patriots, who are massive favorites at home against the New York Jets, have the highest projected team total at 30. Throw in the fact that most teams will be on a short week, and it should be a compelling day of football, especially from a fantasy perspective. With that in mind, you can click through the gallery for my ideal Week 16 FanDuel lineup, or you can read here for more DFS analysis, strategy and picks. (Getty)
QB: Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Price: $7,700
The Seahawks are averaging 28.0 points per game at home and still playing for a first-round bye, while the Cardinals have allowed 30.7 points per game in the seven contests since their tie against Seattle and have nothing to play for with the exception of a high draft pick. This is the perfect setup for the Seahawks to pour on a bunch of points, and Wilson should be the biggest beneficiary, especially with the running game struggling to be efficient. (Getty)
RB: DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans
Opponent: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Price: $8,400
Although Derrick Henry is stealing some red-zone work, Murray is nonetheless a rare player who consistently gets 20-plus touches per game, as he has hit that mark in all but three contests this season. Moreover, not only does he have volume on his side, but he gashed the Jaguars for a season-high 123 yards and a touchdown when these teams met in October. Throw in the fact that the truly elite options are either not playing on Saturday (Le'Veon Bell, Ezekiel Elliott) or face difficult matchups (David Johnson at Seattle, LeSean McCoy against Miami, who held him to 11 yards on eight carries in Week 7), and Murray could easily be the day's top producer at the position. (Getty)
RB: Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears
Opponent: vs. Washington Redskins
Price: $7,200
Howard doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he's done in his rookie season. He's averaging a robust 5.0 yards per carry, he continually racks up yards after contact, and in the 10 games he has received double-digit carries, he's averaging 97.0 rushing yards and 122.5 yards from scrimmage per game with seven total touchdowns. Those are elite numbers, and he should continue the momentum this week at home against Washington, who ranks 27th in yards per carry allowed. (Getty)
WR: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Opponent: at New Orleans Saints
Price: $8,900
Evans has been quiet the last three games, including a disappointing 42-yard effort against the Saints two week ago. Nevertheless, that was a surprisingly low-scoring game, and it shouldn't be expected to happen again. The over/under sits at 52.5, and the seven games at the Superdome this year have averaged a total of 61.29 points. No matter what happened two weeks ago, this one still has a very good chance of turning into a shootout, and that obviously gives Evans huge upside. (Getty)
WR: T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Opponent: at Oakland Raiders
Price: $7,600
Hilton is coming off one of his least productive games of the season, but that can be forgiven, as the Vikings tend to shut down opposing wide receivers. This matchup is far more favorable, as the Raiders have a beatable secondary, and the over/under is set at 53. Hilton is far-and-away Andrew Luck's favorite target, so 10-plus targets--with the majority of those being high-value, down-field looks--is a good bet. (Getty)
WR: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
Opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Price: $4,700
We obviously want to stack Wilson with one of his receivers, and Lockett is a nice value option. Clearly healthy after battling injuries earlier in the year, he has received at least six targets in five of the last six games, he has explosive playmaking ability, and there's a good chance he is Wilson's go-to option in this one should Patrick Peterson lock up with Doug Baldwin on the outside. Ultimately, the diminutive slot receiver and returner should have little trouble hitting value at this price. (Getty)
TE: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans
Opponent: at Jacksonville Jaguars
Price: $6,400
With so much volatility at the tight end position, I like going with one of the more consistent options. Walker has been a little quiet as of late, but he is still one of Marcus Mariota's favorite targets in the passing game, while this Jaguars defense has been gashed by Kyle Rudolph (four catches, 60 yards, one touchdown) and Ryan Griffin (eight catches, 85 yards) the last two weeks. (Getty)
K: Kai Forbath, Minnesota Vikings
Opponent: at Green Bay Packers
Price: $4,500
Forbath has connected on multiple field goals in four consecutive games, as the Vikings offense is competent enough to move the ball up the field but lacks the necessary weapons to consistently get the ball into the end-zone. That's good enough for me, especially at the minimum price. (Getty)
DEF: Green Bay Packers
Opponent: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Price: $4,600
The Packers defense has quietly been red-hot as of late, tallying 10 sacks, nine interceptions, three fumble recoveries and 46 FanDuel points over the last four games. At home against Minnesota's shoddy offensive line, they should continue making a number of big plays. (Getty)
NFL FanDuel Week 16: Optimal Lineup Picks & Advice