High-Cost Option: LeSean McCoy ($9,000)
The Buffalo Bills are 3-point home favorites against Miami, and it's shaping up to be another week worth looking at Lesean McCoy. McCoy's price has skyrocketed as of late, but he's been on fire, scoring 34.9, 22.8, 29.1, and 32.4 DK points, respectively, over his last four games. The Dolphins' defense has been struggling against opposing top running backs, allowing three 20-plus fantasy outings in their last four games. Miami 29th against the run, per our models, and they have struggled with versatile backs, allowing the ninth-most receptions to the position. The pricing of running backs this week doesn't necessarily force you to take a top-priced running back, but McCoy looks to be in a great spot.
Mid-Cost Option: Jordan Howard ($6,300)
If you've somehow been missing the emergence of Jordan Howard this season, I implore you to find a way to watch him play this week against Washington. Over his last seven games, he's ran for 80-plus yards in six of them, averaging 19.8 DK points over that span. He has two 30-point outings during that timeframe, and we could see him in line for another monster day this week against Washington's front-seven. The Redskins have allowed the sixth-most rushing yards, fourth-most total touchdowns and fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. As Jim Sannes noted in his 5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 16 column, Howard has seen 40.13 percent of his team's opportunities (touches plus targets) -- the fourth-highest mark in the entire league. That combination of usage and matchup makes Howard someone very much in play this week in both cash and GPPs.
Low-Cost Option: Mark Ingram ($4,400)
Punt plays this week aren't particularly attractive, but when a player of Mark Ingram's ilk gets priced at his lowest salary of the season, we ought to take note. Tim Hightower scored twice last week, but Ingram out-snapped (41 to 27), out-touched (19 to 14) and out-gained (92 to 48) him. Ingram has also seen more touches inside the opposition’s 20-yard line (36 to 28) and 10-yard line (20 to 16) this season, which should line up well against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has allowed 58.54 percent of opponents' red zone trips to end in touchdowns, one of the 20 worst marks in the league. Ingram is averaging just 14.6 touches per game this season, but the Bucs' run defense was gashed by the Dallas Cowboys last week. Given the game's high over/under (52 points), Ingram could be an affordable punt play who pays off handsomely.
Other Options: Le'Veon Bell ($9,400), DeMarco Murray ($7,200), Bilal Powell ($6,000), Ty Montgomery ($5,900), Carlos Hyde ($5,800), Jonathan Stewart ($5,200)