NFL Week 16 DFS Christmas Day Example Lineups: Top DraftKings Picks & Top FanDuel Picks
Published: Dec 25, 2023
Is there anything better than mixing Christmas Day with NFL football? How about serving up a side of NFL DFS to go with it? We know your seasonal fantasy football playoffs and Week 16 match-ups are important as well, but at the end of the day – at the end of the Christmas Day games – wouldn't you prefer to have some extra cash in your pocket since you just spent so much on presents for your friends and family? I know I would and that's why I'm here in the early morning on the west coast, ready to build some NFL DFS Example Lineups to help you put the final bow on your holiday season.
An important thing to keep in mind for today is that, because it is a three-game slate throughout the day, I stick to GPP tournaments only. There is far too much overlap of players in cash games which raises the pay-lines and makes it tougher to cash. Today should be about having a little skin in the game and having some fun. These short-slate contests can get weird as many people who build lineups try to find that random dart that no one else has and if that player does hit, well, then there's a distinct advantage to the lower ownership. But as with any dart throw, there is tremendous risk that he could also be a bust. This is why I don't recommend playing too heavily with your bankroll and try to have some fun.
Two things to mention before we get to the examples…
- Read the Playbook – I've made updates throughout the night. I've taken players out and I've added some too. This is going to be important as I try to whittle down the player pool for you and offer you the better side of usable lineups parts.
- Read all the content – All the coaching articles are also free. All the match-up reports, game previews, etc. are all free today so be sure to take a tour and check out who everyone from the team is on today.
As I've always said before, there is more than one way to skin a cat and more than one way to build a winning DFS lineup. I've got some hand-built ones for GPP tournaments tournaments, but, if you have the time, I recommend using the NFL DFS Lineup Generator just to see what the computer has to say. I usually stick with what I've built by hand, but always like to run things by the computer and see if maybe I am overlooking a particular build. Sometimes it will put a player from the Playbook on your radar that you may not have been eyeballing. Sometimes it will show you that you were on the right track the whole time. Again, this is all a guideline and a helpful tool. Not the gospel.
Go through all of that, keep up with all the latest news and then start building your lineups. We put you on the right path, but ultimately these decisions are yours. These lineups below are meant to serve as examples for you. A sounding board if you will. They are not meant for you to plug in as your own. That's the lazy way and we don't condone it. We are trying to teach you how to be a better DFS player; we aren't lineup-sellers. You should be creating your own lineups using all the information we provide you throughout the week and then coming here to see if there is anything you may have missed or simply for an alternative perspective.
Best of luck to you, have some fun, enjoy the games and hopefully we win some money!
| Pos | Player | Team | Opponent | Salary | Proj. Draft% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Lamar Jackson | BAL | $7,400 | - | |
| Pivot | Tommy DeVito | NYG | PHI | $5,000 | - |
| RB | Christian McCaffrey | SF | $9,500 | - | |
| RB | Isiah Pacheco | KC | LV | $6,400 | - |
| Pivot | Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | CIN | $4,800 | - |
| WR | Odell Beckham | $4,300 | - | ||
| Pivot | A.J. Brown | PHI | NYG | $8,500 | - |
| WR | Darius Slayton | NYG | PHI | $3,400 | - |
| WR | Rashod Bateman | BAL | SF | $3,300 | - |
| TE | Travis Kelce | KC | LV | $7,500 | - |
| FLEX | Darren Waller | MIA | DAL | $4,500 | - |
| DST | Kansas City Chiefs | KC | LV | $3,200 | - |
| $49,500 |
Player News
Free agent WR Chase Claypool revealed the severity of the toe injury he suffered in July 2024.
In a social media post, the 26-year-old receiver explains that he “tore a ligament and tendon” in his second toe on his left foot and has “been rehabbing, working out, and recovering everyday for the past year.” This explains his extended absence. Following the injury, Claypool was briefly placed on injured reserve in August 2024 before being released with an injury settlement. He is “back to being the strongest and fastest” he’s ever been and is “excited to step back out on the field.”
Free agent LB Jason Pierre-Paul hopes to sign with an NFL team, ideally the Giants, in “a full-circle moment.”
Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “Pierre-Paul still believes he can help a team, that he can be a veteran closer.” The 36-year-old has continued training to remain NFL-ready despite failing to find a suitor for the 2024 season. He logged 22 defensive snaps, playing for both the Saints and Dolphins in 2023. His last sack occurred as a Raven, in a Wild Card Weekend loss to the Bengals in the prior season. Sitting at 94.5 career sacks, Pierre-Paul hopes to reach 100 as a part-time player in 2025.
The CFL’s Toronto Argonauts claimed Shedeur Sanders’ negotiating rights in case Sanders one day chooses to leave the NFL for the CFL.
There is no indication that Sanders is in contact with the Argonauts and we do not expect Sanders to leave the NFL for the CFL at this time. Every year in early July, just before NFL training camps begin, the CFL allows its teams to claim NFL players’ negotiating rights, on the off chance that the player is released or waived by his team and decides to pursue a career in Canada. Per the CFL’s Marshall Ferguson, “the CFL began releasing a few names here and there periodically, but now the full list is available for all to see from each of the nine teams.” Fans can rest assured that their high-profile, fifth-round rookie remains a Cleveland Brown.
Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore wants to play football in “the right situation” this season.
The 34-year-old veteran visited the Cowboys pre-draft but left without a contract. Gilmore is no longer an above-average starter, but he did force eight incompletions and record one interception last year. A playoff contender could benefit from signing Gilmore as an experienced option, but teams tend to not have high valuations on older cornerbacks.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports that Titans QB Cam Ward is adjusting to the NFL’s speed and field width while learning how to adjust protection against the blitz.
Ward is learning through trial and error, as many rookies do. The young quarterback is now aware that an open receiver in the NFL looks far different than it did in college, even when targeting a linebacker’s coverage. The NFL’s condensed field spacing has also reportedly required Ward to improve his awareness against the blitz. Per Davenport, Ward successfully showcased a lightbulb moment in this regard, which occurred “during team period when Ward recognized where the pressure was coming from and checked to a different protection to block it up.” Ward also notably signaled an audible to Calvin Ridley and connected with the veteran receiver for a touchdown. These are positive steps for a quarterback who currently profiles as a QB2 in re-draft formats.
Speaking to Rich Eisen about the Steelers’ contract talks with EDGE T.J. Watt, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said the “most likely” outcome is that the two sides agree to an extension that resets the market before the season opener.
Pelissero recently reported that the Steelers do not plan to trade Watt, and Watt’s record-setting goals are well known, so the most recent report makes sense. The team will do its best to ensure team-friendly outs exist later in the deal, but for now, Watt appears to be on track for a hefty payday sometime before September 7th. Pelissero states succinctly, Watt’s expected extension “is going to be north of Myles Garrett—it is going to be upwards of $40 million per year.”