This is our Sunday Night Football DFS breakdown, running through all the relevant player salaries on DraftKings and FanDuel while forecasting the potential game outcomes as the Denver Broncos face the Washington Commanders in Denver.
Week 13's Sunday night matchup between the home-team Broncos (9-2) and visiting Commanders (3-8) might not hold major repercussions for the playoff situation in either conference, but at the very least the Broncos are in a position to put some heat on the Patriots for the top seed in the AFC. With Marcus Mariota still subbing at quarterback and the Commanders managing a variety of struggles, the circumstances seem to suit the Broncos. Indeed, Denver is favored by 6.5 points with the over/under at 43.0.
QUARTERBACK
Bo Nix ($11000 DK, $13000 FD) could use a good game given his struggles this year, and a matchup with Washington should be at least somewhat accommodating. Nix posted big numbers against other weaker defenses like the Cowboys, Giants and Bengals, so Washington's disappointing defense could be another low-stress matchup for Nix. He's the most expensive player on the board, but Denver is a heavy favorite in what's projected as a somewhat low-scoring game.
Marcus Mariota ($10200 DK, $11800 FD) has subbed admirably for Jayden Daniels, and his ability to run gives him the chance to be useful in fantasy even if the Washington offense struggles. The return of Terry McLaurin is somewhat thwarted by the return of Patrick Surtain on the Denver defense, arguably making the sum a negative from Washington's position. If Mariota produces here it will be gutsy on his part.
RUNNING BACK
R.J. Harvey ($8400 DK, $11400 FD) disappointed in his first week as starter, but for reasons outside of his control. As much as Sean Payton might continue to needlessly take opportunities from Harvey and give them to Jaleel McLaughlin ($4400 DK, $2600 FD), Harvey can catch fire quickly and multiple big plays could be within his reach against a suffering Washington defense. Harvey proably is not an advised fade. Tyler Badie is a justifiable enough punt play but gets reps to block more often than he gets opportunities from scrimmage, because his from-scrimmage abilities are clearly limited.
Chris Rodriguez ($6400 DK, $8400 FD) gives Washington a new power element on the ground and he might be a better pure runner in general than Jacory Croskey-Merritt ($6800 DK, $7400 FD), but Rodriguez' pass-catching projection is close to zero and the Broncos defense is tough on the ground. If Rodriguez and Croskey-Merritt split the rushing workload it might be tough for either to stand out, especially if Jeremy McNichols ($4000 DK, $5600 FD) claims most of the pass-catching opportunities. McNichols is easily the best receiver of the three, so if Washington abandons the run at some point then McNichols would be the one most likely to benefit.
WIDE RECEIVER + TIGHT END
Courtland Sutton ($9800 DK, $10800 FD) has lost a lot of opportunity lately to Troy Franklin ($8800 DK, $8800 FD), but Sutton won't stay quiet forever and this is a clearly favorable matchup for the Denver passing game. This might be a game where Sutton and Franklin are more likely to both produce than just one of the two, but in general the better reason to consider Franklin over Sutton would be the savings. Pat Bryant ($3200 DK, $5000 FD) has emerged as Denver's primary slot receiver lately and he's a tough fade at those low prices. Marvin Mims ($3800 DK, $4200 FD) tends to produce when given the opportunity but tends to be denied such opportunities, while Evan Engram ($4600 DK, $3400 FD) arguably has a low enough price to justify consideration, but as a slot-specialist tight end his interests appear to be at odds with Bryant's.
Deebo Samuel ($10000 DK, $12400 FD) probably can avoid Patrick Surtain more easily than Terry McLaurin ($8000 DK, $9600 FD), so while McLaurin can never be dismissed he also might not be as much of a bargain as he otherwise would seem at thousands cheaper than Samuel. Samuel will get a tough matchup in the slot against Ja'Quan McMillian all the same, so the yardage and points for Washington might be hard-fought wherever it might occur. Samuel's usage seems locked in, so he might be worth the expense even in a script where Washington's offense struggles in general. If McLaurin and Samuel both struggle it could create more slack for Zach Ertz ($7000 DK, $6600 FD), who is otherwise worth consideration on his own part. It's not obvious how secondary Washington receivers like Chris Moore, Robbie Chosen or Jaylin Lane might fit in to the game plan, but each one should probably be thought of as a punt play, as should blocking-specialist tight end John Bates.
KICKERS
Will Lutz ($5000 DK, $6800 FD) sometimes comes through on single-game slates and this could be the next such instance. Though unremarkable, his range from beyond 50 is no worse than average and his accuracy otherwise is very good. Lutz has only one double-digit fantasy output in 2025, but in 2024 he did it seven times.
Jake Moody ($4800 DK, $6400 FD) is a tougher sell. If Washington gets into Denver territory more than expected then the opportunity could exist, but Moody is a worse kicker than Lutz and on a worse offense.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Denver ($5400 DK, $7000 FD) pass rush is bonkers and with Surtain back at corner a defense that was already ruthless gets even tougher. That Washington tends to limit their pass-attempt volume might also limit Denver's sack and turnover upside, but the pass rush is always hot with Denver and there's no hiding the quarterback when they drop back.
Washington ($3400 DK, $6200 FD) likely needs a rebuild on defense and in the meantime they're dealing with injuries at corner. Bo Nix has had his low points and perhaps the Commanders can coax another bad game out of Nix here, but generally Denver looks like the predator here.
