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DraftKings has officially entered the season-long fantasy football space. The daily fantasy site launched best ball contests on Aug. 3 with two types. Sit & Go’s: These contests run the duration of the traditional fantasy football season — Weeks 1 through 16 — and feature between three and 12 teams. DraftKings NFL GPP Showdown Lineup Advice: Super Bowl LV (2021) By Josh Shepardson on February 2nd. The Chiefs and Buccaneers played a close regular-season game in Week 12. The changing DFS and fantasy football landscape is shifting toward single-game contests. At DraftKings, the biggest is their Showdown Captain Mode format. The format blends the ease of focusing on a single game with the ability to differentiate yourself from the competition by choosing a total of six players.

[toc]To date, 2016 for the daily fantasy sports has been about legal opinions and new laws.

Heading into the 2016 NFL season, the top operators in the DFS space are trying to make their products more like their seasonlong fantasy forerunners.

First, DraftKings introduced “Leagues.” This week, Yahoo and FanDuel are introducing similar products meant to make DFS a more social game that runs all season.

The Yahoo Cup

Yahoo was first to introduce its hybrid product, even though FanDuel had indicated its season-long variant would be coming when it rebranded and rolled out other changes.

Yahoo, of course, is already one of the market leaders when it comes to traditional season-long fantasy sports. But the new idea — the Yahoo Cup — tries to blend the idea of DFS and season-long.

Here’s how the Yahoo Cup, which is free to enter, works:

• $100,000 is up for grabs over the course of the NFL season, with a $50,000 grand prize winner.
• It’s a multi-round, single-entry contest, with 16 rounds.
• Scoring is cumulative across all rounds.
• Players can join the contest at any point in the season, and be in the running for weekly prizes.
• Players draft a new team each week.

Daniel Haight, product director for Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy, introduced the new Yahoo offering here.

FanDuel ‘Friends Mode’: Competing with season-long

While DraftKings and Yahoo are creating a differentiated product, FanDuel is making no bones about the idea that it is aiming at the season-long fantasy market.

“Friends” mode is now live on FanDuel’s website. The idea isn’t radically different from the DraftKings product on its face — or even its own DFS product, other than there is continuity from week to week. It is a far simpler idea and has far fewer options for customization than the DraftKings iteration.

FanDuel users can create a league with friends — or anyone they want to invite — that lasts all NFL season. Each week players can enter a contest, and draft a new team. There is a leaderboard that tracks how league users fare over the course of the season.

DraftKings was clearly more diplomatic in its marketing of Leagues, emphasizing it as complementary to the DK platform without saying it was eyeing marketshare in season-long fantasy.

FanDuel took a different tack; from Yahoo Finance:

And CEO Nigel Eccles takes it one step further, calling out competitors.

“Our business is growing, we’re expanding into new areas,” he tells Yahoo Finance. “And we’re going to be competing directly against ESPN, Yahoo, and other fantasy providers. Friends Mode is going to transform fantasy sports.”

Is the future of DFS in season-long?

Seasonlong fantasy, of course, has been around for decades. DFS has been around for less than 10 years. While it has grown leaps and bounds in that time, DFS has only crossed over to a small percentage of the seasonlong universe in a meaningful way.

But clearly DraftKings, FanDuel and the rest of the DFS space want to garner a bigger share of the more than 50 million fantasy players in North America. While there will be advertising this NFL season, it will pale in comparison to efforts in 2015, when the “Big Two” spent hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads and marketing.

That leaves customer acquisition in the DFS space this fall to attempt to occur more organically than it did in recent years.

The idea that you can draft new teams every week was the initial appeal behind DFS, along with the fact that that you didn’t have to wait until the end of the season to win money. The simple concept of what amounts to seasonlong DFS leagues is certainly not revolutionary, but it’s one that hasn’t been pushed by the major players, until now.

Can the DFS industry — repackaged in a more social and seasonlong format — make the pivot? The upcoming daily fantasy football season will be the first chance to find out.

The final week of the 2020 NFL season is upon us, and the majority of season-long fantasy leagues have already crowned their champions. But DFS sites like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo allow you to extend the fantasy fun, and assemble brand-new lineups with healthy players from teams still actively competing for playoff positioning. Before every week of this season, I have provided a list of my favorite DFS sleepers and under-the-radar value plays. I do so with the help of RotoQL, which features up-to-date rankings of every NFL players’ DFS prices, values, stat projections, floors, and ceilings.

If you read this column last week, you would have benefited greatly from our advice to make the following DFS roster picks (all Week 16 prices and fantasy points via DraftKings):

• QB Andy Dalton ($5,500): 30.6 fantasy points
• QB Mitchell Trubisky ($5,700): 24.6
• QB Jalen Hurts ($7,000): 20.6
• RB David Johnson ($6,100): 31.9
• RB JK Dobbins ($6,200): 13.7
• WR Mike Evans ($6,100): 43.1
• WR Brandin Cooks ($6,200): 30.1
• WR Tee Higgins ($4,700): 21.9
• TE Austin Hooper ($3,500): 14.1
• TE Mark Andrews ($5,700): 13.6
• TE Logan Thomas ($4,900): 13.3
• Tampa Bay D/ST ($3,800): 12
• San Fran D/ST ($2,700): 11
• Washington D/ST ($3,000): 9

These players (and defenses) all vastly outperformed their price tiers, with some even leading their positions for the week. By finding such great values at modest costs, DFS managers afforded themselves studs like Deshaun Watson, Travis Kelce, and Jonathan Taylor in other roster spots.

MORE WEEK 17 DFS: Best stacks Lineup Builder

You can read Week 17 previews and fantasy prediction articles 24/7 on BetQL, find out which side the pros are betting on their NFL expert picks dashboard, follow all the NFL public betting data, and build DraftKings lineups on RotoQL.

Let's break down our top Week 17 DFS value plays, and you can get an idea of why 100,000 DFS players trust RotoQL to build lineups. We constantly monitor pricing and provide the most up-to-date insight and analysis to maximize your lineup success. Optimize, find value plays, and increase your chances of cashing today!

WEEK 17 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings FanDuel

NFL DFS Picks Week 17: QB sleepers, values

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (DK: $6,300 FD: $7,700)

Cousins has enjoyed a fantastic home stretch of the regular season, averaging 23.6 fantasy points since Week 11. Now he faces a Lions defense surrendering the third-most fantasy points in the league. In Detroit’s past five games, QBs have averaged 299.2 passing yards while throwing a combined total of 15 touchdowns. RotoQL has Cousins projected to score 21 fantasy points, easily the highest-projected score for any signal-caller under $7,000 on DraftKings.

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (DK: $6,000 FD: $7,300)

I’m shocked at how many times I have recommended Rivers in this column this season considering he almost perennially makes my personal ‘Do Not Draft’ list, but the veteran QB’s listed prices have been values more often than not this season and he almost always delivers against poor defenses. Enter the Jaguars, who yield the second-most fantasy points to QBs and tank better than the Jets. RotoQL projects Rivers at 18.4 with a ceiling of 28.7 points.

Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (DK: $5,700 FD: $7,200)

Aww, we’re getting nostalgic in the last week of the regular season! Carr has also made this list a handful of times this year and for good reason. Like Rivers, the Raiders QB is unspectacular but solid. He doesn’t make too many mistakes, which limits his fantasy floor, and he has play-making receivers who boost his ceiling. Denver ranks 21st in fantasy points allowed to QBs, so he’s a great investment at $5,700.

New Year’s Bonus: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers (DK: $5,900 FD: $7,400)

You had me at Carolina. The Panthers have served as many QBs’ 'get-right games’ this season, which should be no different this week for the future Hall-of-Famer -- especially with New Orlerans down its top three RBs because of COVID. Brees averages 24.4 fantasy points in his past three games against the Panthers. If he can’t hit Black Jack against them this week, he might not be physically ready for the playoffs.

Draftkings Fantasy Football Lineup Optimizer

WEEK 17 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings FanDuel

Week 17 DraftKings, FanDuel Picks: RB sleepers, values

D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings (DK: $6,300 FD: $7,500)

The rookie has faced quite a few tough run defenses in the second half of the season, but Swift has still averaged17.4 fantasy points over his past five games. He turned 16 touches into 97 yards the first time these teams met in Week 9, and he has exceeded that touch count in three of the past four weeks since. With 4.6 average yards per carry and nine total touchdowns, it will be difficult to stay away from Swift at $6,300 against the Vikings, who rank 27th against RBs in fantasy land.

Video: Week 17 Preview: Chargers vs. Chiefs (NBC Sports)

Draftkings Fantasy Football Picks

Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders (DK: $5,700 FD: $6,800)

The veteran Gordon kicked the turbo boosters on for the home stretch of 2020, accumulating 500 yards on the ground in 93 carries since Week 10 (5.4 yards per carry). Look for him to find paydirt for the 10th time this season, and with 107 yards, he can reach the 1,000-yard mark for just the second time in his career. The Raiders have ceded the fourth-most fantasy points to RBs this season and 6.1 yards per carry to bell-cow backs since these teams last met in mid-November. We’re down with MG3 in Week 17.

Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (DK: $4,900 FD: $6,100)

While the Ravens have underwhelmed this season, the ‘Gus Bus’ has been rolling like it’s got Sandra Bullock at the wheel. Since Week 13, Edwards has carried the ball 38 times for 277 yards (7.3 yards per carry), and he’s found the end zone twice. He also has 73 receiving yards over Baltimore’s past two games. David Johnson just rushed for 128 yards and a score against Cincinnati, one week after Benny Snell carved the Bengals up for 107 total yards and a score. Ride the Bus to DFS glory at a discount deal this week.

Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (DK: $4,900 FD: $6,000)

Another deal at under $5,000, Hines has very quietly put up 60 fantasy points since Week 12. He serves as one of Rivers’ security blankets, equally capable of doing damage on the ground and through the air. The Jaguars are the gift that keeps on giving, as they rank 30th in fantasy against RBs. RotoQL lists Hines’ ceiling at 28.5 PPR points, a mark he hit in Week 10 against the Titans.

WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:

Quarterback Running back Wide receiver Tight end D/ST Kicker

FanDuel, DraftKings Picks Week 17: WR sleepers, values

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (DK: $5,800 FD: $6,300)

Maybe Hilton traded for himself on his own fantasy team late in the season because he’s averaged 18.4 PPR points since Week 12. Now he gets to inflict some pain on a Jacksonville secondary that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to receivers this season. I know, I’m hammering the Jaguars this week, but Hilton will hammer them, too, whether you insert him into your lineups or not.

Keke Coutee, Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans (DK: $5,600 FD: $5,700)

At least somebody benefited from the Will Fuller suspension. Coutee has scored 61.2 fantasy points since Week 13 (15.3 per game), clearly earning the trust of Texans QB Deshaun Watson. Coutee has seen the field for 73 percent of Houston’s offensive snaps since the Fuller suspension, and he’s caught 21-of-24 targets in that span. Tennessee has allowed the third-most points to wideouts this season. RotoQL projects the third-year speedster at 13 PPR points with a 25-point ceiling.

Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DK: $5,100 FD: $5,700)

Another wideout who has benefited from the absence of a teammate, Gage has stepped up since Julio Jones suffered a hamstring injury in Week 13. Since then, Gage has 18 grabs for 224 yards and two scores. He will look to close out the season well against the Bucs, who have been surprisingly generous to receivers in fantasy this year (23rd). The over/under for this game is set at 50 points, and Tampa Bay has scored 78 points total in the past two weeks. Expect Falcons QB Matt Ryan to throw early and often, with Gage once again profiting from the volume.

Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings (DK: $5,100 FD: $6,100)

Jones has been a boom-or-bust play this season, with nearly 60 combined PPR points in Weeks 13 and 15 but just 13.7 combined in Weeks 14 and 16. We at RotoQL expect him to boom again in Week 17, not just because he’s an odd-number type of guy but also because the Lions face a vulnerable Vikings secondary ranked 24th in fantasy points allowed to receivers. We have Jones projected at 14.2 fantasy points, with a much higher ceiling if QB Matthew Stafford (ankle) can suit up.

New Year’s Bonus: Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (DK: $5,000 FD: $6,200)

I’ve forgiven Gallup for helping my opponent eliminate me from my fantasy league’s playoffs a few weeks back (I started him in my FLEX spot over Miles Sanders the week Sanders went off against the Saints…gulp). Gallup seems to have forgiven himself, as well, as he scored 11.6 points last week against San Francisco and a whopping 33.1 points last week against the Eagles. Expect double-digits in a huge NFC East battle with the G-Men this weekend.

WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:

Draftkings Fantasy Basketball Picks

Quarterback Running back Wide receiver Tight end D/ST Kicker

Week 17 NFL DFS Picks: TE sleepers, values

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (DK: $5,800 FD: $7,200)

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has recently looked a lot more like he did during his 2019 MVP campaign than he did earlier in the season. Part of the reason is because he has reestablished his healthy connection with Andrews. The 6-5, 256-pound tight end has 77.7 points over the course of Baltimore’s past five games (15.5 per game), and now he travels to Cincinnati to face a Bengals D ranked 28th in fantasy against his position.

Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (DK: $3,900 FD: $5,600)

Smith reached 15 or more PPR points for the third time in five weeks when he scored 23.3 against a good Saints defense in New Orleans on Christmas. RotoQL sees that 23-point mark as his ceiling against the floundering Lions, who rank 24th against tight ends in fantasy. As a red-zone favorite of the aforementioned Cousins, Smith may very well find paydirt for the third time in two weeks.

New Year’s Bonus: Noah Fant, Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders (DK: $4,400 FD: $5,700)

It’s good to let go of grudges and grievances around the New Year, so I’m willing to forgive and forget about the fact that Fant did next-to-nothing for me in the four fantasy leagues I drafted him this year. Fant has scored 33.3 combined PPR points in Denver’s past two games, and he gets to finish the season off strong against a miserable Raiders defense.

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Week 17 NFL DFS values: D/ST sleepers

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (DK: $3,000 FD: $3,900)

The Seahawks D, which was historically bad in the first half of the season, has been surprisingly good in the second half. The biggest difference-maker has been Carlos Dunlap, who has provided Seattle with an actual pass-rush since coming over via trade. The Seahawks have scored at least nine fantasy points in every game since Week 11, and the 49ers often make mistakes with Nick Mullens under center.

I wish all of our readers a happy and healthy New Year, and hope you all start 2021 with some big-time DFS winnings!