It’s easy to let your DraftKings FLEX spot be left up to the amount of salary remaining after you fill out the rest of the squad. That’s the ‘flex-by-default’ strategy. The purpose of this Week 14 DraftKings DFS article is to help you avoid it. You can and should use the FLEX spot to strengthen and diversify your daily league lineups for Week 14 of the NFL season.

A couple of thoughts: 1) You don’t have to spend all the salary cap. A better player in a better situation may force you to leave a few hundred salary cap dollars on the table. Force yourself to roster the best lineup, even if it fails to use the whole cap. 2) As a scientist, I like to use players for which I can build a case based on multiple pieces of evidence. I look at things like opportunities, efficiency, opponent and game flow to start my research. I want as many players that are positive in all categories as I can fit. Having an idea of the players I want before I work with salaries helps me with #1 too.

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Week 14 DraftKings FLEX Options - Daily Fantasy Football Picks

Use this list as your flex cheat sheet; if a player is on here, there’s good reason to roster him in your last spot.

I assume that you have $6,500 or less to work with for this final spot on the roster. I also assume you’ll arrange accordingly so that the player with the latest game start is in the flex in case you should need to swap someone out.

Safe Options - Week 14 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Tyrell Williams $6,100: After three spectacular weeks, the wheels fell somewhat off the bus for Williams and the Chargers vs. Tampa Bay, but even on only two catches, he still managed 12.6 fantasy points thanks to a touchdown grab. The Panthers are our seventh-best receiver matchup for fantasy, and this projects as a close and high scoring game, key components for safe DFS plays. Also consider Dontrelle Inman, $4,800, a perfectly viable play this week if you need to save a bit more. 

Devonta Freeman $6,100: Freeman enjoyed a productive stretch of games without Tevin Coleman (see below) and ate the Chiefs alive even with Coleman back in action last week. He’s clearly the number one rusher here, active in the receiving game for the league’s most prolific offense and facing a Rams defense that has given up huge days to LeGarrette Blount, Mark Ingram, and LeSean McCoy this season.

Cameron Brate $4,100: A staple in DFS lineups everywhere, Brate and the Bucs should be high on everyone’s lists again this week. Facing the Saints in our highest scoring game in Tampa Bay bodes well for Jameis Winston’s number two receiver.

Upside Options - Week 14 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Lamar Miller $5,100: The Texans are a much better team when Miller sees the ball 20+ times per game (broken record blurb from last season too). They get a favorable defensive matchup in Indianapolis this Sunday and should look to establish the run early on the road. Should and will are different things, however, making Miller more of an upside play than a safe one.

Todd Gurley $5,000: Is Gurley going to rush for 100+ yards in a single game this season? That’s a question I certainly didn’t expect to be asking in Week 14 but here we are. And this could be his best chance. The total is high, Atlanta is a top three fantasy matchup for running backs, and although it gets harder to believe every week, he is the Rams most talented offensive player. Now or never, Gurley.

Tyler Boyd $4,900: I’ll keep talking up Boyd, because I believe there’s a huge, A.J. Green-like performance coming. Against the Browns is as good a time as any, and if his target volume (6-9 since Green’s injury) remains the same, I like him to exceed value this weekend. 

Mike Gillislee $4,600: If I could guarantee that the Bills would use Gillislee like they did last week, he’d be a lock for me. Though he had only eight carries, he ran two in for touchdowns. He’s averaging almost six yards per carry again this season, and gets a nice rushing matchup with a Steelers team that gives up the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs, but shuts down the pass game pretty effectively.

Value Options - Week 14 DraftKings Lineup Picks

Freddie Martino $3,000: If Cecil Shorts and Adam Humphries are both out again, lock Martino into your lineups. The Bucs get the Saints this week, and prior to catching all four of his targets last week, Martino caught a touchdown from Winston in Week 13. He’s on Winston’s radar, and now that injuries have opened up an opportunity, he’s on mine.

Rex Burkhead $3,500: I obviously love Jeremy Hill ($5,800) this week too, but he and Burkhead split carries in Week 13, and Burkhead looked good except for the fumble. The Bengals like a two-back approach, and in a game vs. the Browns that they are liable to be up early in, Burkhead could get some extra work. It’s a low price to pay to see if his role increases against the league’s second-worst rush defense. 

Ladarius Green $3,900: Buffalo has a talented defense, but they haven’t been great at playing for all four quarters as we’ve seen vs. Miami and recently, in Oakland. Look for Ben Roethlisberger to beat them through the air, and while Antonio Brown is the top guy, I’m not so sure that Green isn’t already his number two.

Tevin Coleman $4,000: Consider Coleman a contrarian hedge to Freeman lineups. The Falcons were a bit fluky with their rushing touchdown distribution earlier in the season when both backs were healthy and it’s very possible that it’s Coleman that comes away with the score(s) this week in a nice matchup.