This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
Week 17 NFL action includes a three-game slate Saturday. Chargers-Patriots kicks off the action at 1 p.m. EST, followed by Broncos-Bengals at 4:30 p.m. and Cardinals-Rams at 8:10 p.m. Yahoo will be running plenty of NFL DFS contests for Saturday's slate, but the biggest is the NFL $40K Saturday Baller, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $40,000 to the top 425 finishers, including $10,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 70 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 2,345 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared towards head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Saturday's suggested lineup options include a QB-WR stack that has developed excellent chemistry after a slow start, a breakout RB and a star TE.
QUARTERBACK
Bo Nix, DEN at CIN ($29): Nix took a while to get going, but the rookie 12th overall pick has the Broncos on the precipice of snapping a playoff drought that dates back to the 2015 season thanks to five multi-TD passing performances in his last six games. Nix has also thrown for at least 263 yards in four of his last five starts, and he supplements his passing production with decent running ability, as Nix is tied for the team lead with four rushing TDs and averages 23.5 rushing yards per game. Denver's ground game often lies dormant, so it will likely be up to Nix's arm to keep the Broncos in the game against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Cincinnati's defense is almost as porous as the Bengals offense is potent, as the Bengals are allowing the fifth-most points per game (26.2).
Honorable Mentions:
Joe Burrow, CIN vs. DEN ($35); Kyler Murray, ARI at LAR ($31); Matthew Stafford, LAR vs. ARI ($24)
RUNNING BACK
Chase Brown, CIN vs. DEN ($34): Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase deservedly get the headlines, but Brown has become a key cog in Cincinnati's potent offense, both on the ground and through the air. Brown has produced at least 94 scrimmage yards in seven consecutive games while scoring six total TDs over that span -- three rushing and three receiving. Whether the Bengals try to protect the lead or need to play catch-up, Brown's three-down role should keep him heavily involved against a Broncos defense that's tied fort he second-most receiving TDs allowed to RBs (six).
Kimani Vidal, LAC at NE ($11): Vidal would be especially appealing if J.K. Dobbins isn't activated from IR, but even if Dobbins plays, Vidal would make for a low-risk, high-reward option against a Patriots defense that has allowed the third-most rushing yards (1,733) to RBs and is tied for the fourth-most total TDs (18) allowed to the position. Gus Edwards (ankle) has already been ruled out, and Hassan Haskins hasn't rushed for more than 11 yards in a game all season. Barring the unlikely scenario that Dobbins jumps right back into a three-down role, Vidal should get a chance to strut his stuff in this favorable matchup, and the rookie sixth-round draft pick has flashed upside as a pass catcher with 12.4 yards per reception.
Honorable Mentions:
James Conner, ARI at LAR ($35); Kyren Williams, LAR vs. ARI ($34); Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN at CIN ($12)
WIDE RECEIVER
Puka Nacua, LAR vs. ARI ($36): Nacua was sidelined by a knee injury for most of the first half of the season and got ejected early in Week 9 against the Seahawks, but since that ejection, he has caught 57 of 75 targets for 709 receiving yards (101.3 yards per game) and three TDs in seven games while adding a rushing TD for good measure. The star WR has been even better in sunny Los Angeles, averaging 125.7 receiving yards per game in three home games during this dominant stretch. Nacua should keep rolling against Arizona's middling pass defense.
Courtland Sutton, DEN at CIN ($31): The Nix-Sutton connection flipped the switch in Week 8, connecting on 50 of 72 targets for 651 yards and four TDs in eight games for an average of 81.4 yards per game. Sutton has 928 receiving yards overall this season, while no teammate has reached 400, so the wideout is the obvious pick to stack with Nix or use as a standalone WR option against Cincinnati's generous defense.
Kendrick Bourne, NE vs. LAC ($14): Bourne's a nice bargain WR option against a banged-up Chargers secondary that has two cornerbacks and two safeties on IR. Prior to catching only two passes for 18 yards in Week 16, Bourne had five consecutive games with at least three catches and 30 yards. He's the most established option in New England's underwhelming WR room, and if the 3-12 Patriots fall behind as expected against a Chargers team that would clinch a playoff spot with a win, Bourne should get plenty of opportunities as the Patriots pass to play catch-up.
Honorable Mentions:
Ja'Marr Chase, CIN vs. DEN ($40); Ladd McConkey, LAC at NE ($29); Marvin Harrison, ARI at LAR ($21)
TIGHT END
Trey McBride, ARI at LAR ($23): McBride stands head and shoulders above the other TEs in action Saturday. He's top-three at the position in both catches (92) and receiving yards (958) despite missing a game. McBride's glaring deficiency has been a lack of TDs, but Saturday's main alternative is Hunter Henry, who has only two TDs himself. The Rams have allowed the 10th-most catches to TEs (82), including six for 67 yards to McBride back in Week 2.
Honorable Mentions:
Hunter Henry, NE vs. LAC ($17); Mike Gesicki, CIN vs. DEN ($10); Stone Smartt, LAC at NE ($10)
DEFENSE
Los Angeles Chargers at NE ($19): The Chargers should be worth paying up for in what is by far the most favorable matchup for a D/ST unit Saturday. The Patriots average the third-fewest points (17.3) and rookie QB Drake Maye has been a turnover machine, with 10 interceptions and five lost fumbles in 10 starts. While injuries have taken their toll on the Chargers recently, they still have the league's second-best scoring defense at 18.3 points allowed per game.
Honorable Mentions:
Los Angeles Rams vs. ARI ($15); Arizona Cardinals at LAR ($14); Cincinnati Bengals vs. DEN ($13)
