Week 17 Flex Targets DraftKings 2017

By Armando Marsal
Armando Marsal Using the flex position wisely can allow you to differentiate and create unique lineups. Every week calls for different situations, sometimes pricing favors having a receiver at the flex, while other times it favors having a running back. Then there are weeks where playing two tight ends makes sense. It is really dependent on how you construct your rosters, but as usual, I will talk about players from each position that can be plugged into your flex spot.


Running Back


Alex Collins $5,600 vs. Baltimore Ravens

Collins continues to see plenty of volume and that should not change this week as the Ravens are trying to lock up a playoff spot. He has received at least 17 touches in each of his last six games and has also seen more targets in the last two weeks with 12. This is also a great matchup for Collins who is facing off against the Bengals, a defense that since returning from their bye in Week 7, has allowed 119.9 rushing yards per game to opposing backs. The Ravens are 10.5 point favorites in this contest, so the potential game script should also play in his favor. At this price tag you are receiving both a nice floor and plenty of upside, making Collins a viable option in all formats.

Derrick Henry $5,500 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Henry is likely going to receive a ton of ownership this weekend, but rightfully so. He is expected to receive the start this weekend as DeMarco Murray deals with a knee injury. If Henry does start, he should receive the majority of the workload and faces off against a Jaguars defense that has been generous to opposing running backs this season, allowing 97.9 rushing yards per game. Earlier in the year, Henry ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against the Jags, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. His longest run was for 17 yards, so it is not like the bulk of the yardage came from one big play. Henry has displayed the ability to break a big play a couple times this season and turn some of those into a score, which is another arsenal in his game. He offers a ton of upside at a very reasonable price tag and can be considered in all formats this weekend, so long as Murray is out.


Wide Receiver


T.Y. Hilton $5,900 vs. Houston Texans

Hilton has flourished in the majority of his favorable matchups this year and this week he gets just that. He faces off against a Texans defense that is yielding the fifth most fantasy points per game to wide receivers and rank 10th worst in DVOA against opposing No. 1 wide receivers. In addition, they have surrendered the second most receiving touchdowns and fifth most receiving yards to the position. Hilton played against the Texans in Week 9 and in that game, he caught 5-of-9 targets for 175 yard and two touchdowns. While another game like that is unlikely, there is a track record indicating that a ceiling game is possible in this matchup. If there was a healthy Andrew Luck under center for the Colts this weekend, Hilton would be upwards of $7,500 in this matchup.

Jamison Crowder $5,800 at New York Giants

The Redskins do not have anything to play for this weekend, but Kirk Cousin does as he could be a free agent next season and a big performance in the season finale could be helpful to his potential market. That said, this would benefit his pass catchers and Crowder being his favorite target, gets a nice boost. As it is, Crowder has been very efficient in recent weeks, finding the pay dirt three times in his last five games, including in Week 12 against the Giants. In that contest, he caught 7-of-10 targets for 141 yards and the score, which was good for 30.1 DK points and his best performance of the season. Crowder leads the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards, so I fully expect him to close out the season on a high not. After all, the Giants are allowing 162.8 receiving yards per game in their last eight games and have surrendered 12 receiving touchdowns to receivers during that stretch.


Tight End


Antonio Gates $4,200 vs. Oakland Raiders

Gates exploded last week as he filled in for the injured Hunter Henry with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown. He draws another favorable matchup this week against the Raiders who are giving up the fifth most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. Since Week 9, the Raiders have also allowed 84.7 receiving yards per game to tight ends, giving up fewer than 76 receiving yards in a game just once during that stretch. The Chargers need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and with a dinged up Melvin Gordon, they could rely on Philip Rivers’ arm this week, which would really be beneficial to Gates as we saw last week. When considering the matchup, price, and expected role on this offense without Henry, Gates makes for an enticing option in all formats.


Good luck to all this week. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me on the Twitter machine: @Armando_Marsal