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 | SF | $7,400 | - |
Pivot | Tommy DeVito | NYG | PHI | $5,000 | - |
RB | Christian McCaffrey | SF | BAL | $9,500 | - |
RB | Isiah Pacheco | KC | LV | $6,400 | - |
Pivot | Kenneth Gainwell | PIT | CIN | $4,800 | - |
WR | Odell Beckham | MIA | DAL | $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 | NYG | PHI | $4,500 | - |
DST | Kansas City Chiefs | KC | LV | $3,200 | - |
$49,500 |
Player News
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Saints hosted free agent CB Asante Samuel for a visit Monday.
Samuel, fresh off offseason neck surgery, visited with the Saints Monday as he pursues his next playing opportunity. He has clear connection to the franchise after they hired Brandon Staley to fill their defensive coordinator position, for whom Samuel played under with the Chargers. Fowler adds that Samuel has another doctor visit scheduled for early July, during which time he hopes to gain clearance to resume football activities.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Packers met with WR Jayden Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to clarify his status with the team.
The meeting comes after the Packers selected a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002 in this year’s draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that the team emphasized Reed’s status as the top option at wide receiver after the selection of Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. “Green Bay’s top receiver” means far less for fantasy than it does in other places around the league considering Reed led the team with just 62.6% of the team’s offensive snaps played in 2024.
Saints signed QB Hunter Dekkers.
Dekkers spent three seasons with the Cyclones of Iowa State before stepping away from football following an indictment surrounding charges related to sports gambling. He then played his final collegiate season at Iowa Western before being invited to Saints camp. Dekkers spent his redshirt season backing up Brock Purdy at Iowa State.
Seahawks signed No. 18 overall pick OG Grey Zabel to a four-year contract.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Zabel’s deal is worth a guaranteed $18.471 million. The former North Dakota State guard will be tasked with bolstering a Seahawks line that ranked 26th in PFF pass blocking grades and 24th in run blocking grades. The Seahawks didn’t do much to address their offensive line this offseason, with Zabel being the biggest addition to date. The FCS stud showed out at this year’s senior bowl, and brings high expectations into his rookie season after dominating at the college ranks.
Free agent WR Gabe Davis is visiting the 49ers on Monday.
It’s the first known interest we’ve seen of Davis, who was released by the Jaguars last week with a failed physical designation. The 49ers will likely be without Brandon Aiyuk to start the season, and the idea of adding another veteran to the room is appealing. Kyle Shanahan can turn a lot of football players into something fantasy-interesting, but Davis might be a step beyond even his schemes.
Falcons released WR Phillip Dorsett.
What was your favorite moment of Dorsett’s three-month run on a reserve/future contract with the Falcons? Was it when the signing was announced, or was it when the release happened? Dorsett will try to bounce to another team as wideout depth as he enters his age-32 season. He did not play NFL snaps last year and was only targeted three times by the Broncos in 2023.