It's been nine years since a running back was named MVP, but Jonathan Taylor's performance this year has put him into the conversation. Taylor leads the league in rushing yards, scrimmage yards, touchdowns and Fantasy points. However, he'll get his biggest test of the season in Week 12 against the Buccaneers' top-ranked run defense, which has held down everyone from Ezekiel Elliott to Alvin Kamara. With Taylor being one of the most expensive options in the NFL DFS player pool on FanDuel and DraftKings, you may be better served looking elsewhere when making your Week 12 NFL DFS picks.
NFL DFS matchups matter when it comes to making your NFL DFS lineups and perhaps you could turn to an unlikely backfield for finding hidden gems. The Texans take on the Jets, who have the league's worst run defense, and the Texans also just released running back Phillip Lindsay. With Mark Ingram already shipped out of town, the Texans' backfield is a little clearer, with David Johnson and Rex Burkhead splitting carries. Before locking in your NFL DFS picks for Week 12, be sure to check out the NFL DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with almost $2 million in career winnings. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings. He took down two high-stakes tournaments on FanDuel in 2020 and recorded a pair top-10 finishes in tournaments with over 130,000 entrants on DraftKings. His lineups also finished inside the top 1 percent in more than a dozen other tournaments last season.
He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best DFS values that he shares only with members at SportsLine.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to the Week 12 NFL schedule and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for Week 12One of McClure's top NFL DFS picks for Week 12 is Eagles running back Miles Sanders ($5,100 on DraftKings and $6,100 on FanDuel). Sanders returned to the field last week after missing three games and had his best game of the season. He carried the ball 16 times for 94 yards, both of which were season-highs.
Sanders is in line for even more touches in Week 12 due to Jordan Howard (knee) likely being sidelined. He also gets a matchup conducive to a slate-breaking game since the Giants have allowed the seventh-most Fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. New York has allowed opposing backs to average over 150 scrimmage yards over the last three games. With Sanders getting the bulk of touches in Philly's backfield, he's in line to reward daily Fantasy football players who roster him.
Another part of McClure's optimal NFL DFS strategy includes rostering Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase at $7,300 on DraftKings and $7,700 on FanDuel. The No. 5 overall pick is one of the favorites to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and ranks fourth among all receivers in Fantasy points. Chase has been essentially fail-proof this season, as he's either scored a touchdown or had 75 receiving yards in all but one game.
His only two-touchdown game came in Week 3 against the Steelers, and that's who Chase will see again on Sunday. Chase posted a 4-65-2 stat line in that contest, and that was when Pittsburgh's defense was playing well. Last week, the Steelers gave up 374 passing yards to the Chargers, the most over their last 56 games. This will also be the rookie's first time seeing a defense for the second time, so Chase will have that added experience under his belt.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Week 12McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Sunday. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can
