4 NFL FanDuel Tournament Pivots for Week 16

Running Back

Chalk

With Cam Newton out for the rest of the season, it's likely to be a heavy Christian McCaffrey week, who's certainly priced up to reflect that at $9,300. With McCaffrey posting 20-plus FanDuel points in each of the last 4 weeks and facing a porous Atlanta Falcons defense that's allowed the most running back receptions, he's likely to be a chalky option at the position.

Despite an offensive line that saw two players leave last week's game, Ezekiel Elliott ($8,800) is sure to be heavily owned against a terrible Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushing defense, which we rank 27th. Elliott leads the NFL in carries (286), and his 89 targets show that he's a major weapon in all facets of the attack. Saquon Barkley ($9,000) should also draw his usual share of ownership versus Indianapolis despite coming off a down week.

With the consistency of Joe Mixon in recent weeks, who's carried the rock 25-plus times in each of the last 2 contests, he should also be heavily owned, especially at the depressed price point of only $8,200. One of the few elite, heavy workload backs, Mixon slammed his way to 155 all-purpose yards on 21 touches against the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago, who were rinsed by McCaffrey two weeks ago for 2 scores and allowed 103 rushing yards to Lamar Miller three weeks ago.

Pivot

Sony Michel, New England Patriots: $6,800 (vs Buffalo Bills)

For an intriguing pivot off of the elite tier of running backs, there are a lot of positives for Sony Michel that you should consider when filling out your roster.

The return of Rex Burkhead has certainly left a cloudy picture in deciphering the New England backfield, but the majority of the running work still belongs to Michel. Last week, in a 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Michel led the way with 13 carries to Burkhead's 4, and James White has turned into an all-but-forgotten commodity with only 2 carries.

Despite this tough situation, ignoring Michel is a mistake. As heavy 13.5-point home favorites this week, New England's 29.00 implied team total is third-best on the main slate, and that positive game script should equate to a solid workload for the running back. With the 10th-heaviest run-to-pass ratio, Michel could see plenty of red zone rushing looks, and he ranks fourth in rushes inside the 10-yard line.

Michel is projected for 13.4 FanDuel points, but with a few breaks his way, he's got tournament upside of 26.26 points, and he's cleared the 20-point barrier twice already this season. Peep Michel as a solid running back option in Week 16.