Welcome back to FLEX Finder. Thanksgiving is a time of gluttony, and thus I have packed 11 recommendations for FLEX players and underrated starts into your deserving eyes. Week 12’s article gave you successful plays like Greg Dortch and Hunter Henry. It also delivered some touchdowns from Zach Charbonnet (bad process but we got there) and Zonovan Knight (bad results but we got there), as well as seven players who mostly provided reasonable floors. (I obviously would not have recommended Noah Fant if I’d thought that Mike Gesicki would play, the beauty of a Wednesday night deadline.)
Once again, my rules for this weekly article:
1) I will not recommend quarterbacks — you’re on your own there.
2) I will not recommend any running back who costs more than $5,000, wideout who costs more than $4,500, or tight end that costs more than $4,000 in DraftKings’ DFS Slate — I just figured this was an easy cutoff for what a FLEX really is.
3) I consider any player who garners over 50 yards or scores a victory for the column — anything more you get out of that, well, great for you. Let’s set expectations low because we are combing for outliers.
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▶ Running Backs
Isiah Pacheco, KC — $5,000
When we’d last left Pacheco, he’d run off a string of three consecutive games of 10 or more carries, all for 50 or more yards. The Chiefs seemed to take it easy with him on the comeback trail, holding him out last weekend despite him practicing with a brace. While I respect that the Cowboys defense is coming together better with their midseason acquisitions from trade and injury, I don’t think it’s wild to say that they will be more concerned about Patrick Mahomes beating them in this one.
And with backfield mate Kareem Hunt (eyes popping out of head as I read statline) somehow taking 30 carries last week, and the Chiefs only being four days clear from that, I like the volume to head to Pacheco this week. Running back plays can be annoyingly simple when we’re talking about FLEX plays: volume comes first.
Devin Neal, NO — $5,000
Speaking of volume. I am going to be real and up front with you. Devin Neal‘s parents, please close the browser right now. OK, thanks.
I don’t really know that Neal is an answer for the Saints running game. He hasn’t cracked 22 rushing yards all season. Taysom Hill received more carries than Neal last weekend, and the annoying thing where the entire coaching staff wonders where Hill is the second they reach the red zone has persisted despite the Saints moving on from Dennis Allen.
But ... it is volume. And Neal did catch five passes for 43 yards last week, showing that he can be more involved in the passing game than Alvin Kamara was. I don’t know that I necessarily believe in Neal as a player. Something has to give here.
Blake Corum, LAR — $4,600
Corum has played at least 16 snaps in each of the last five games, combining for 53 carries for 185 yards over that span. Was there a touchdown? There was not. Does that mean he’s probably due for one? Yes. It’s not like Kyren Williams comes back the instant they hit the goal line.
The Rams are huge favorites over the Panthers on the road. There will be some amount of game spent grinding between the tackles. The Panthers have taken on a ton of attrition over the middle of the field on defense, to the point where the only non-red names on their Ourlads depth chart at middle linebacker are practice-squad signing Maema Njongmeta and 2025 UDFA Bam Martin-Scott. Tre’von Moehrig is suspended for going after Jauan Jennings’ family jewels.
Samaje Perine, CIN — $4,000
Nobody expects Samaje Perine! You think you’re done thinking about him and all of the sudden it’s Week 8, he somehow puts up a 9/94/1 rushing line, and he’s taken on 40 percent of the snaps at running back.
Fresh off a high-ankle sprain, Perine was cleared to rejoin the team Thursday night, giving Chase Brown a real backup again. The Ravens and Bengals usually combine to create offensive football, and the game’s over/under is 51.5. For a pure punt, I love this play.
▶ Wide receivers
Xavier Worthy, KC — $4,500
Tell me how your fourth-round fantasy pick in re-draft is going without telling me how it’s going. Never did I expect to see Xavier Worthy on the board for this column, but here we are. Rashee Rice has vacuumed up the targets since returning, and Worthy’s last four games have yielded a combined 15/160/0.
But he has generated 27 targets. This is a good offense. While I suspect the Dallas defense is going to be better going forward than they were early in the season, the Eagles aren’t a good pass offense and the Raiders aren’t actually an NFL team. Perhaps this play just leads to four incomplete deep balls, All available visual evidence would suggest that. But the combination of volume and history of opponent lead me to this play reluctantly.
Darius Slayton, NYG — $4,300
Most weeks I feel like we’re renting players for this column, and they’ll either grow beyond what the column can offer or they’ll perform so poorly I’ll want to forget I ever wrote about them. But Darius Slayton? Darius Slayton is forever in FLEX land. A poor week off a bum hamstring has him cheaper than normal. I suspect Jameis Winston is out of the way with Jaxson Dart looking ready to return.
And listen, I think the Isaiah Hodgins story rules. I never gave up hope for him after that cool 2022 season. He clearly has belonged on the roster more than Jalin Hyatt has. But the Giants are paying Slayton $22 million in full guarantees. I think he’s actually the No. 2 receiver when healthy.
Jayden Higgins, HOU — $3,900
It continued on Thursday night. In his last five games, Higgins has put up 18/173/3 despite a one-catch, four-yard dud against the Broncos mixed in. The Colts are a good defense, but Higgins’ was built to win in the red zone and has higher touchdown upside than most NFL wideouts.
And particularly the way the Texans run the ball in goal-to-go situations, I expect some looks. Indy’s cornerbacks are much better than they have been for the majority of the Chris Ballard era, but I suspect Higgins will get his chances to make it four touchdowns in six games.
Luther Burden, CHI, $3,900
This is a “I believe in Ben Johnson‘s ability to generate open targets” bit. Burden’s last three games have produced 13 targets, and he’s caught 9/124/0 over that span while also adding a 15-yard rush last week. If the Eagles are sending anyone to Quinyanamo Bay, it’s probably Rome Odunze. And we saw how the Eagles are vulnerable to secondary receivers last week when “No. 2" George Pickens tore them apart down the field.
Burden hasn’t quite had the game that would lead us to proclaim that “He’s arrived.” But it could come on Black Friday while you’re trying to decide if 30 percent off the glass carafe is worth it or not.
John Metchie, NYJ — $3,800
There’s nothing on paper that’s exciting to me about running a receiver against a Falcons defense that shuts passing down against any team not run by Bryce Young. But Metchie’s scored in each of the last two games and has nine catches for 110 yards while essentially becoming the No. 1 receiver for the Jets. With Tyrod Taylor playing rather than Justin Fields, that actually means something. Not a lot. But something.
So lock in folks, Aaron Glenn is building a culture. Or something. I don’t know, it’s a cheap price for decent volume.
▶ Tight ends
Mark Andrews, BAL — $3,600
See tight end playing the Cincinnati Bengals. Understand that the Bengals have allowed a league-high 89.4 yards per game to tight ends. Accept the fact that Isaiah Likely might score on the Bengals defense instead. Click button and resign yourself to your fate.
Wow, I ran that exact wording back after last week and just changed a few words. It turns out I’m not that much different than Al Golden.
Colby Parkinson, LAR — $2,800
For a time, there was a balance in the Rams tight end room: There were four of them (Davis Allen, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson) and we all agreed that none of them should ever do enough to make the TE1 line. But in the wake of Higbee’s injury sending him to injured reserve, Parkinson has now scored in three straight games, he’s seen a playing time bump — up to 61.9 percent of the snaps from 47.6 percent on the season — and even has chipped in with 10/96 on his 11 targets.
We all understand that Matthew Stafford is going to no-look three touchdown passes in this game. It’s part of coming to terms with how this season is going. And once you decide that Davante Adams isn’t going to catch all three of them, the question is if Parkinson is going to catch one or if it’s Allen’s turn. I’m gonna ride the hot hand.
May the FLEX be forever in your favor.
