Week 13 Sunday Night Football brings a matchup with a veteran Indianapolis Colts crew that looks a little washed up, despite early-season playoff hopes, and a Dallas Cowboys team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Heading into NFL Week 13 Monday Night Football, Stokastic is bringing plenty of NFL DFS tools and information for all of the different slates, game formats and sites.
This column will provide a free analysis of the single-slate action on DraftKings and FanDuel. It includes team capsules, player rankings, comments and NFL DFS picks. There is loads of information and NFL DFS Showdown analysis to get into for both DraftKings and FanDuel on this Week 13 Sunday Night Football slate featuring the Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys.
NFL DFS Picks: Week 12 SNF | Colts-Cowboys
Indianapolis Colts: 16.5 Points
Quarterback
The Stokastic NFL DFS projections are granting veteran Matt Ryan a mildly decent projection that puts him in play in all formats, despite a matchup against a Cowboys defense that ranks sixth in the NFL against opposing signal-callers.
Ryan has started three games under new coach Jeff Saturday and the results have been mixed. After putting up 22.7 DraftKings points in a win against the Las Vegas Raiders, Ryan has totaled just 20.8 DraftKings points in the two games since, both losses. While it’s tough to see Ryan having a ton of success against this Dallas defense, he should at least be throwing a lot in a game Indianapolis presumably will be trailing.
Running Back
The Indianapolis backfield starts and ends with Jonathan Taylor, and he should have the ball in his hands a ton tonight. Projected as the third-highest scorer on the slate, Taylor is an even better play if you think the Colts can stay in this game.
Backup running backs Zack Moss and Deon Jackson are desperation plays at best, but Moss’ $400 price tag on DraftKings makes him an interesting punt play, if nothing else.
Wide Receiver
It should be no surprise that Michael Pittman Jr. leads the Colts in targets with 103, including seven games with at least nine. With only two touchdowns through 11 games, Pittman hasn’t had much success finding the end zone but has still been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL with 74 catches for 739 yards. Pittman is in a tough matchup with Trevon Diggs and the Dallas secondary but projects as the fifth-highest scoring player on the slate.
The rest of the Colts receiving crew leaves a lot to be desired. Parris Campbell has shown flashes, but he remains an inconsistent boom-or-bust option at best. Alec Pierce has yet to make much of an impact in the NFL and it’s hard to see that changing tonight.
Tight End
Jelani Woods is coming off a monster performance Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he had eight receptions for 98 yards. Woods is questionable tonight, but expect him to play after he practiced Friday. Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox loom as red zone threats, if the Colts can get find a way to get there.
Defense/Special Teams
Anything goes in a showdown slate, but it’s hard to have a lot of confidence in the Colts defense in this spot. So far this season, Indianapolis is averaging a lowly 5.8 DraftKings points per game, and the Colts have scored double-digit fantasy points once. Matched up with a lethal Dallas offense, Indy’s defense is only useable in large GPP’s.
Dallas Cowboys: 27.5 Points
Quarterback
Despite no shortage of public criticism, coach Mike McCarthy has Dallas at 8-3 and right there with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers as the top Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. In a fantastic spot at home against the Colts, there’s a lot to like about the Cowboys tonight, and from a daily fantasy sports perspective, Dak Prescott is right at the top of the list.
The top projected scorer on the slate, Prescott is in a great spot matched up with a Colts defense that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL against opposing quarterbacks. With Dallas’ team total hovering around four touchdowns, expect a big game from Prescott in prime time.
Running Back
After missing three weeks with a knee injury, Ezekiel Elliot has 31 total carries in the two games since. With not much work in the receiving game, Elliot looks like a contrarian option to the more popular Tony Pollard.
Pollard projects as the fourth-highest scoring player on the slate, and his receiving upside makes him a risky fade in all formats.
Wide Receiver
Projected right behind Prescott as the second-highest scoring player on the slate, CeeDee Lamb looks like a core play in both cash games and GPP’s. Lamb is averaging 17.1 DraftKings points per game this season, and he’s been especially productive recently with 22 catches for 301 yards and two touchdowns over the past three games.
Michael Gallup is expected to play and is definitely worth a look in all formats at only $6,400 on DraftKings. Gallup is definitely more solid than spectacular, but the Cowboys’ No. 2 wideout should have plenty of opportunities against a weak Colts secondary. Noah Brown is also worth mentioning, and in large field GPP’s he’s in play at $4,800.
Tight End
Dalton Schultz looked like he was going to be a letdown on Thanksgiving, until he scored two second-half touchdowns against the New York Giants. Prescott’s clear second option in the passing game behind Lamb, Schultz is a solid look in all formats.
Jake Ferguson also had a big day against the Giants, catching three balls for a career-best 57 yards. Only $2,200 on DraftKings, Ferguson is a viable punt option if you want to load up elsewhere. Peyton Hendershot also got into the mix and turned his only carry into a 2-yard touchdown run. At basically the same price, Ferguson is the preferred option, but Hendershot is in play.
Defense/Special Teams
Insert defense against Matt Ryan here. All jokes aside, Dallas’ defense is in one of the better spots of any team in Week 13 and there’s a ton to like about them Sunday night. The Cowboys are averaging 10.6 DraftKings points per game and have scored in double-digits five times.
Monday Night Football Single-Game NFL DFS Strategy For Cowboys-Colts
The rankings below are best utilized for building out single-entry and three-max lineups, and for head-to-head and three-man formats. They provide a nice barometer for player value. However, those taking the MME approach should remember that correlation is key. This means matching a receiver or two with a quarterback in the Captain/MVP slot. That also works conversely, pairing a Captain/MVP pass catcher with his quarterback.
Week 12 Monday Night Football NFL DFS Rankings For Cowboys-Colts
Top 10 NFL DFS Showdown Picks For Cowboys-Colts
- Dak Prescott: Clearly the “safest” option.
- CeeDee Lamb: Prescott’s top target.
- Jonathan Taylor: He and Pittman are Indy’s entire offense, and if you think the Colts can stay in this game, it’s probably because of Taylor.
- Tony Pollard: Monster upside, should have the ball in his hands a lot tonight.
- Michael Pittman Jr.: See Taylor, Jonathan.
- Ezekiel Elliot: Good game script, even if he’s not the Elliot of old.
- Dalton Schultz: Big time red zone target, is a cog in the machine in all formats.
- Cowboys DST: Home field advantage against Matt Ryan?! Yes, please.
- Matt Ryan: Sigh.
- Brett Maher: Should have plenty of opportunities kicking field goals and extra points.
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