Despite four teams being on a bye, Week 6 still brings a loaded group of high-end wide receiver options. Not only that, but there are several cheaper players who could provide significant value.
Read MoreNFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 – Wide Receivers
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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Through the first two weeks of the season, there have been 25 instances where a wide receiver has finished with at least 100 yards in a game. Not only have they been racking up yardage, but 13 wideouts have at least two touchdowns so far. There should be plenty of productive performances this week, as well, so let’s dive into the schedule and examine some players to target, and some to possibly avoid, as you create your DFS entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Michael Thomas vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FanDuel = $9,000
DraftKings = $8,900
Thomas has been dominant through the first two weeks, hauling in 28 of 30 targets for 269 yards and three touchdowns. While his 93.3% catch rate is certainly not sustainable, the amount of passes he is getting thrown his way is going to remain high. He received 121 targets in his rookie season and followed that up with 149 targets last year, which was tied for sixth-most in the NFL.
The Falcons haven’t allowed much production from wide receivers so far, but they haven’t exactly faced a ton of talent. Week 1 brought a matchup against an Eagles team missing their top wideout in Alshon Jeffery due to injury. Last week they faced the Panthers, who have some promising young talent in Devin Funchess and D.J. Moore, but they are still trying to establish themselves as reliable options. Expect Thomas to have a high floor considering his massive role in the Saints offense, especially since his seven red zone targets are the second most in the league this year.
Stefon Diggs vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – U.S. Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $7,700
Diggs had a fairly quiet performance in Week 1 with only 43 receiving yards, but he still received six targets and scored a touchdown. He had a massive game Sunday against the Packers, catching nine of 13 targets for two touchdowns. He’s quickly developed a strong relationship with Kirk Cousins, who has already thrown for 669 yards through two games. Case Keenum did a nice job for the Vikings last year, but Cousins presents a higher-upside quarterback for Diggs and the rest of the Vikings receivers.
This stands out as a great matchup against the Bills, who are one of the worst teams in the league and have problems keeping their offense on the field. They also don’t have the strongest secondary and even went through the debacle of Vontae Davis retiring at halftime last week. There is some concern that the Vikings will be running the ball a lot during the second if this game gets out of hand, but Diggs should still get enough opportunities to provide significant value.
Tyreek Hill vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $8,500
The Chiefs offense looks like a video game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been amazing out of the gate, throwing 10 touchdown passes without an interception. He also has a 69.1% completion rate. He has plenty of weapons around him, but Hill might be the most dangerous. Hill has shown his big-play ability often through the first two weeks, totaling 259 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. He’s averaging 21.6 yards per reception.
The 49ers will have their hands full with the Chiefs offense. They are coming off a poor showing against the Lions where they allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Both Golden Tate and Kenny Golladay finished with at least 89 receiving yards in that contest. This should be another high-scoring game when you consider how poorly the Chiefs defense has played, as well, so don’t hesitate to add Hill to your lineup.
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
Will Fuller vs. New York Giants
Stadium – NRG Stadium
FanDuel = $7,200
DraftKings = $5,900
Fuller missed Week 1 due to a hamstring injury, which was a big blow to the Texans offense. He returned in style for Week 2, catching eight of nine targets for 113 yards and one touchdown. His presence has made a huge difference for Deshaun Watson who has averaged 35.4 fantasy points per game in his career in games that Fuller has played compared to just 17.4 fantasy points per game without him.
The Giants have done a nice job limiting receiving yards this year, but they haven’t exactly faced two offensive juggernauts in the Jaguars and Cowboys. They have a strong cornerback duo of Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple, but they don’t have much depth past those two players. Apple is currently dealing with a groin injury and it looks like a real possibility that he won’t be able to play this week. If he can’t, the Giants are going to be hard-pressed to slow down Fuller. He’s a lock for me if Apple sits, but Fuller can still provide value even if Apple is ultimately able to play.
Nelson Agholor vs. Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
FanDuel = $6,600
DraftKings = $6,100
Agholor only had 33 receiving yards in Week 1, but his role in the Eagles offense was clear as he hauled in eight of 10 targets. He received another 12 targets last week and was able to cash that in for eight receptions, 88 yards, and a touchdown. The Eagles were dealt another injury at receiver during that game as Mike Wallace suffered a leg injury that has since landed him on IR.
Jeffery’s status for Week 3 is still uncertain, but if he doesn’t play, Agholor is again going to get all the targets he can handle. He’ll also be catching passes from Carson Wentz for the first time this season. Although Wentz will be playing for the first time in nine months after suffering a torn ACL, the Eagles have been very calculated with his recovery and held him out until they felt comfortable that he was completely healthy. Wentz might be a little rusty, but Agholor still has plenty of upside at this price.
Marquise Goodwin vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
FanDuel = $5,800
DraftKings = $5,500
The 49ers offense was expected to take a significant step forward with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm for an entire season. One of his most talented weapons is Goodwin, who unfortunately suffered a quad injury Week 1. Although he did return to that game, the injury forced him to miss Sunday’s contest against the Lions. While it’s still unclear if he will play in Week 3, it’s encouraging that he was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.
Goodwin has a tremendously high ceiling. His full-season pace based on the five games that Garoppolo started last year would have put him at 138 targets, 93 receptions, and 1,229 yards. If he can return for Sunday, the sky is the limit against the horrid Chiefs secondary that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers through two games.
Dede Westbrook vs. Tennesee Titans
Stadium – TIAA Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $5,500
DraftKings = $4,600
The Jaguars lost Marquise Lee to injury before the season began, dealing a tough blow to their wide receiver group. Westbrook and Keelan Cole have emerged as their top-two options so far with Westbrook receiving at least five targets in both games this year. He’s averaging 14.9 yards per reception and has already scored a touchdown after reaching the end zone only one time all last year.
In an impressive win against the Patriots last week, the Jaguars threw the ball 45 times. Some of that had to do with the fact that running back Leonard Fournette sat with an injury. With Fournette likely back this week, don’t be surprised to see them run the ball more. Even if that’s the case, Westbrook is still a cheap option worth considering for your entry because the Titans have allowed the second-most yards (469) to opposing wide receivers.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Keenan Allen vs. Los Angeles Rams
Stadium – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $7,300
There is no question that Allen is one of the focal points of the Chargers offense. Over the first two games of the season, he’s recorded 14 catches on 19 targets for 175 yards and a touchdown. When healthy, he’s one of the best receivers in the league. However, this is a very tough matchup against the Rams and their stingy secondary that is led by Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. No wide receiver has posted more than 28 receiving yards against them this year. Considering the cost required to add Allen to your entry, it might be best to spend your money elsewhere.
Sterling Shepard vs. Houston Texans
Stadium – NRG Stadium
FanDuel = $6,000
DraftKings = $4,500
The Giants have a lot of talented skill players on offense, which was going to limit Shepard’s involvement, to an extent. To make matters even worse, their porous offensive line has left Eli Manning with very little time to work in the pocket. They aren’t moving the ball well or scoring many points, which has led Shepard to only eight catches and 72 yards through the first two weeks. Until they show more signs of life on offense, taking a chance on one of their secondary pass-catching options like Shepard seems like an unnecessary risk to take.
NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 2 – Wide Receivers
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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The first week of the NFL season brought some prolific performances from a few of the top wide receivers around the league. There are plenty of great matchups to take advantage of for Week 2, as well. Let’s dive into the schedule and examine some players to target or avoid as you create your DFS entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Antonio Brown vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium – Heinz Field
FanDuel = $8,900
DraftKings = $8,800
The weather conditions were less than ideal for the Steelers passing game in Week 1, but Brown still had an excellent performance. He caught nine of 16 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. The game did include an entire overtime period, but Brown received at least 10 targets in 11 of the 14 games he played last year, as well.
There are few matchups that don’t lean in Brown’s favor, but this is one that certainly sticks out as an opportunity for him to dominate. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has historically performed better at home, which has given Brown a boost when they play there. In seven games at Heinz Field last year, Brown averaged 119.1 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns. He averaged 99.9 yards and scored three touchdowns across seven games on the road. The Chiefs secondary allowed Philip Rivers to throw for 424 yards last week, leaving Brown with tremendous upside.
Julio Jones vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $8,400
Jones put on a show against the defending Super Bowl champs in Week 1, catching 10 of 19 targets for 169 yards. He received three targets inside the red zone, but as has been the case in his career, Jones finished yet another game without a score. He scored nine touchdowns over the last two seasons, combined, and has only scored double-digit touchdowns in a year one time in his career.
There is no questioning that Jones is one of the best wide receivers in the league. The only problem has been his inability to reach the end zone. With that being said, he’s a target monster and has no problem racking up yardage. He has received at least 129 targets and recorded at least 1,409 receiving yards in four straight seasons. Even if he doesn’t reach the end zone again Sunday, his role in the offense gives him a high floor that is valuable in cash contests.
Keenan Allen vs. Buffalo Bills
Stadium – New Era Field
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $7,800
Allen was one of the main beneficiaries of the Chargers having to play catch up with the Chiefs, catching eight of 11 targets for 108 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers have quality depth at wide receiver and brought back Antonio Gates to fill their hole at tight end, but Allen is clearly the focal point of their passing attack. Allen received at least 10 targets in a game nine times last year and finished the season recording at least 100 yards in five of his final seven contests.
The Bills were awful in their blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 1 and while they struggled across the board, they allowed Joe Flacco to throw three touchdown passes after he failed to toss more than two in any game last year. There is a chance the Chargers could storm out to an early lead and run the ball more in the second half, but Allen should still see plenty of passes thrown his way.
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
Emmanuel Sanders vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Broncos Stadium at Mile High
FanDuel = $6,800
DraftKings = $6,200
Sanders entered 2017 having received at least 136 targets and posting at least 1,032 yards in three straight seasons. However, he dealt with injuries and poor quarterback play last year, which resulted in him finishing with 555 yards over 12 games. His 51.1% catch rate and 11.8 yards per reception were both his lowest marks since he was still with the Steelers in 2013.
The addition of Case Keenum immediately paid dividends for Sanders in Week 1 as he hauled in 10 of 11 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. It did come against a Seahawks defense that is a shell of its former self, but he’ll get another favorable matchup Sunday against a Raiders defense that suffered a tough blow when Khalil Mack was traded to the Bears. He might not be able to replicate his performance from last week, but Sanders doesn’t have to in order to still be able to provide value at this price.
Josh Gordon vs. New Orleans Saints
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $5,800
Gordon didn’t start Week 1 after missing part of training camp and was supposed to be on a limited snap count. The latter didn’t come to fruition as he was on the field for 69 of the Browns 89 offensive plays. He only caught one of three targets, but it resulted in a 17-yard touchdown.
Gordon is listed as a starter for Week 2 and should be on the field plenty in this game. He has tremendous talent, but off-the-field issues have certainly put a damper on his career. The Browns may be forced to throw a lot to keep up with the Saints high-powered offense, which could lead to a big performance from Gordon.
Nelson Agholor vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $6,100
DraftKings = $6,100
Agholor had a weird first game of the season. He entered Week 1 as the Eagles top wide receiver with Alshon Jeffery out due to injury and certainly saw plenty of passes thrown his way, grabbing eight of 10 targets. However, he finished with just 33 yards.
Jeffery will be sidelined again in Week 2, leaving Agholor to likely get the lion’s share of the targets out of the Eagles wide receiver group. Tight end Zach Ertz will likely be heavily involved, as well, but Agholor still stands out as a great option against a Buccaneers defense that allowed Drew Brees to throw for 429 yards in Week 1.
Kenny Golladay vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Levi’s Stadium
FanDuel = $5,700
DraftKings = $4,800
The Lions suffered one of the uglier losses of Week 1 on Monday against the Jets. Matthew Stafford had a particularly poor performance, throwing four interceptions compared to just one touchdown. The good news was they were forced to throw a lot because of the lopsided score, which helped Golladay amass seven receptions and 114 yards on 12 targets.
The Lions have an impressive wide receiver trio of Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., and Golden Tate. While that might limit their production for some teams, it’s not a big concern for the Lions because they use a lot of three-receiver sets and don’t run the ball a ton. They also don’t really have any quality pass-catching options at tight end after Eric Ebron departed for the Colts. Don’t be surprised if the Lions defense forces their offense to try and play from behind in this game, too, which makes Golladay an intriguing option in tournament play.
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Amari Cooper vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Broncos Stadium at Mile High
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $6,600
Cooper is one of the more frustrating receivers in fantasy. He has a lot of talent, but drops have limited his production. New head coach Jon Gruden said he wanted Cooper to be heavily involved in their offense this year, but he received just three targets in Week 1. While it did come against a very tough Rams secondary, it wasn’t the type of performance that instills a ton of confidence that this season will be any different for him. The Broncos secondary is formidable as well as they entered the season ranked 10th in the league by Pro Football Focus. There are a lot of great options at wide receiver with bye weeks having yet to start, so Cooper seems like an unnecessary risk to take.
Randall Cobb vs. Minnesota Vikings
Stadium – Lambeau Field
FanDuel = $6,200
DraftKings = $4,600
The injury to Aaron Rodgers last year really hurt Cobb’s numbers. He averaged a career-low 9.9 yards per catch and scored just four touchdowns despite playing in 15 games. He put up a vintage performance with Rodgers back at the helm for Week 1, catching nine of 12 targets for a whopping 142 yards and a touchdown. It was certainly encouraging for Cobb’s outlook for the season, but he’s not someone you want to consider this week with Rodgers battling a knee injury and also having to face the stingy Vikings defense.
Draftkings NFL Championship Round: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Draftkings NFL Championship Round: Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles
Vegas.
Vikings (20.75) at Eagles (17.75) | MIN [-3] | Over/Under 38.5
Unlike the AFC game, the NFC game isn’t your traditional top offense meets a top defense. These two teams were the top seeds in the NFC, but the Eagles aren’t the team that earned them the number 1 seed. This game features two unlikely quarterbacks and two teams that rank in the bottom 10 in pace of play and the rank as the top 2 defenses DVOA per Football Outsiders.With two relatively unproven quarterbacks and two very good defenses, it explains why the game total sits at 38.5. Both teams are expected to play really conservative and focus on protecting the ball long enough for their defense to make a play to win the game.
Philadelphia Eagles (17.5)
* News *
D. Ellerbe (LB) – returned to practice on Thursday (hamstring) – questionable
For the second consecutive week, the Eagles come in as home underdogs. They did just enough to win the game last week but have their hands full with the number 1 defense in the league. The Vikings’ defense ranks 1st overall, 4th against the pass, and 5th against the run. Going up against such a dominant defense, it’s no secret why they have the lowest implied total on the slate. So how will the Eagles attack this dominant Vikings defense?
There’s no double they will miss Carson Wentz. Nick Foles ($4,800) is the lowest priced quarterback on the slate. He’s had four starts as the Eagles starting quarterback but has really only played three full games. If we remove week 17 where he was rested, Foles is completing 62% of his passes and has thrown for a combined 626 yards (215 YPG), while throwing 4 touchdowns to 1 interceptions. At first glance, those numbers don’t seem half bad when considering his price tag. But those numbers are inflated from his start against the Giants. If we remove the Giants game, Foles numbers drop to a 61% completion percentage with 409 yards (204 YPG) and 1 touchdown and 1 interception. In 4 starts, Foles has yet to surpass 250 yards in any game. Even last week when he did a good job managing the game, Foles did not find the end zone. In all but one start this year Foles has yet to top 10 DK points and now going up against this stingy Minnesota defense that held Drew Brees to 62% completion percentage and picked him off twice. It’s not a good spot at all for Foles.
As you’d expect the matchup is just as bad for the Eagles receivers. Last week Alshon Jeffery ($4,600) led the receivers in targets with 5, followed by Torrey Smith ($3,000) with 4, and Nelson Agholor ($4,800) with 3. The three receivers combined for 10 catches and 124 yards (12.4 YPC) on 12 targets. If those were numbers from one receiver, we might be able to justify playing this combo receiver, but it’s not. This week they go up against Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Terrence Newman, all of which have a PFF grade higher than 78. Like Nick Foles, I’m not touching these Eagles wide receivers. If there is any receiver I have a slight interest in, it’s Torrey Smith. Smith offers some value because he is $3,000, plays more than 60% of the snaps, and doesn’t have to face Rhodes. On top of that, Smith still has the potential to catch a deep ball for a 60-yard touchdown. Agholor could become an essential part of the passing game with Jeffery presumably being locked up by Rhodes, but at $4,600 I rather take a shot at one of the Jags receivers given that their role is a little more stable.
I always love me some Zach Ertz ($5,300), but he disappointed last week with only 3 catches on 5 targets, and the Vikings rank 2nd in DVOA against tight ends. This season the Vikings have only allowed two tight ends to pass 50 yards and score more than 9 DK points. If I’m playing the Vegas narrative that the Eagles will be trailing in this game, Ertz is the only pass catcher that I would trust from Philadelphia’s offense.
Perhaps the most trusted Eagle this week is Jay Ajayi ($5,200). It’s only a matter of time before Doug Pederson realizes that Ajayi is the most talented back on their roster. Last week Ajayi led the team in touches with 15 carries and 3 receptions for 99 yards. Unfortunately, like the Patriots situation, Ajayi is splitting time with two other running backs. LeGarrette Blount ($3,700) is their goal-line back, and Corey Clement ($3,000) is their third-down back that gets work out of the passing game. Ajayi got 54% of the running back touches last week and is also explosive enough to break one, but after watching the Vikings front seven slow down Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram to 3.2 YPC last week, you can’t help but be hesitant about the entire Eagles offense. Kamara was able to get behind the secondary and score a 14-yard touchdown, so maybe Clement can get some of that same luck. It’s not a matchup-proof situation for these running backs, but it’s a two-game slate, you need to get risky sometime.
EAGLES PLAYS:
J. Ajayi, Eagles Defense, Z. Ertz
Minnesota Vikings (20.75)
* News *
A. Sendejo (FS) – limited practice on Thursday (concussion) – expected to play
A. Thielen – missed practice on Thursday (back) – Probable
The Vikings have the second highest implied total on the slate at 20.75. It’s not pretty, but that’s what you get when you have 3 top 5 defenses in the league in the final 4. The Eagles also have good defensive metrics DVOA (2nd total, 7th pass, 3rd rush). The biggest concern is how the Vikings will stop the Eagles defensive line. The Eagles relentless defensive line has 5 of PFF top 30 pass rushers with Brandon Graham (91.6), Fletcher Cox (90.7), Vinny Curry, (84.7) Tim Jernigan (82.7)and Chris Long (91.8). Their defensive line is among the best in the league and matches up well against the offensive line of the Vikings (offensive line average grade via PFF is 57.28). The Eagles are also allowing 10 fewer points per game at home opposed to on the road this season. Despite this line and home-field advantage for Philadelphia, I still like some Vikings again this week.
Case Keenum ($6,600) was able to salvage a poor fantasy day with a miracle catch by Stefon Diggs. Fortunately for Keenum, he has the best wide receiving corps left in the playoffs with Adam Thielen ($7,400) and Stefon Diggs ($6,900). Fortunately for Minnesota, the most exploitable hole in the Eagles defense is their secondary as they ranked 21st in aFPA to wide receivers, per 4for4. So the recipe for success for Keenum is to get the ball into their playmaking receivers quickly. Keenum is not a safe bet by any means because of the Eagles defensive line tendency to put pressure on the quarterback, but he has some upside with the talent he has surrounding him. I just can’t justify not spending the extra $1,100 to get Brady.
The Vikings receivers are where I would like to get exposure to this game. The Eagles secondary gave up 100 yards to Julio last week and also allowed for Sanu to go for 50 yards on 3 catches. According to PFF, the cornerback worth exploiting is Jalen Mills who has given up a league-high 9 touchdowns. Mills is not a pushover by any means, but he ranks the lowest (75) of their other two cornerbacks Patrick Robinson (89.7) and Ronald Darby (83.2). It’s difficult to say who will see Mills the most either Thielen or Diggs, especially after last week when Thielen spent the most time outside of the slot than he had all season. Part of that was due to a season-high in snap count by Jarius Wright ($3,000) who played a season-high in snaps and caught 3 of his 6 targets. I’m growing more and more confident about each of these receivers matchup this week, especially Diggs who I think should see the majority of Mills. My rankings for the Vikings receivers are Diggs, Thielen, Wright.
The Vikings running backs have done better at home than on the road, averaging 13.21 DK points at home opposed to 9.51 DK points on the road. Jerick McKinnon ($5,100) was slightly better on the road averaging 10.71 points while Latavius Murray ($5,700) averaged 8.47. In the 4 road game where the Vikings were favored, McKinnon also outscored Murray 11.65 to 8.3. In a backfield that is an actual 50-50 split, I’m torn 50-50. I feel like the game script should favor McKinnon with the Vikings moving the ball with dump-offs and screens to the running backs in hopes of slowing down the pass rush. But I’m hesitant in going all-in McKinnon over Murray because Murray has a higher floor and higher touchdown equity. Over the past two games, Murray has out-touched McKinnon 42 to 23 and has outscored McKinnon 3 to 1. Murray is the goal-line back and gets almost all of the work in the early downs. In a game that should be slow paced and slugged out, Murray could touch the ball 25 times.
VIKINGS PLAYS:
S. Diggs, J. McKinnon, A. Thielen, L. Murray, Vikings Defense
NFL Divisional Round DFS Strategy: Advice, Picks, Sleepers for Draftkings, Fanduel Playoff Tournaments
*Chris Tierney – cstcst*
NFL Divisional Round DFS Strategy: Advice, Picks, Sleepers for Draftkings, Fanduel Playoff Tournaments
If you’re playing DFS this weekend don’t get fancy. Who is going to win the game and how? Answer these questions for yourself prior to constructing anything from a lineup perspective. Making more than one lineup? Alter who will win and how a bit and construct again, all while keeping a similar core lineup.
As Demarcus Robinson and Josh Hill demonstrated last weekend, roughly one obscure player POPS in each playoff game. It will likely take having one of these guys on your squad to take down a large GPP. Rostering players such as these are a true dart throw and the risk often outweighs the reward. My dart throws this week are Vance McDonald and Corey Davis. Both guys can make the big play and both have decent matchups. The Jags have a great defensive backfield and are also adept at rushing the passer. Quick hitting plays to the TE and RB are two ways to attach a defense like the Jaguars. Vance McDonald made some big plays for the 49ers last season and has seen his role expand down the stretch after being injured for much of the season. Corey Davis’s role continues to expand in the Titans passing game. He had a serviceable game last weekend and faces another spotty secondary this week in a game where his offense will likely have to throw the football.
Put your favorite recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.
Atlanta (-3.5, 41) at Philadelphia
On paper, this sure looks like a 26-13 or thereabouts Falcons win. They are a veteran-led group with an improving defense who is accustomed to the pressures of the playoffs. Paper doesn’t mean much come kickoff. This will be an interesting game and it will be roaring in Philly. There are some interesting options here but this game isn’t where the majority of my focus will be this weekend.
DFS Chalk: Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Zack Ertz, Devonta Freeman
DFS Value: Nick Foles, Nelson Agholor, Tevin Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Jay Ajayi
Tennessee at New England (-14, 48)
This game has the opportunity to shoot out. Will the real New England defense please stand up? Statistically, they’ve been one of the worst units in the NFL this season but they’ve bowed their backs when it mattered most, allowing them to take the Division and home-field advantage yet again. Tennessee’s pass defense has been a sieve which shines a light upon his Greatness and his favorite Tight End. I think New England wins here, but I think it will be more difficult than many expect. The Titans gained some confidence last weekend and I expect their offense to have some success. I think there are a bunch of players worth rostering in this game. Remember, Belichick likes to neutralize one aspect of his opponent’s offense. That has to be the Tennessee running-game right? #gametheory – Tennessee passing attack is interesting to me in GPP situations. The return of Hogan should lighten the targets to Cooks here.
DFS Chalk: Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Dion Lewis, Delanie Walker, Derrick Henry
DFS Value: Corey Davis, Eric Decker, James White, Rex Burkhead, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Rishard Matthews
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (-7, 41)
Sunday should be the fun day for this weekends slate and kicks off with a very interesting matchup in Pittsburgh. If Ryan Shazier were healthy, I’d think this was a slam dunk Steelers victory. As we all now, he sadly is not (keep on getting well Ryan!), and the Steelers run defense has not looked the same. They’ll copy the Bills blueprint and load the box with eight men. Will Nathan Hackett trust Blake Bortles here? Will they allow him to attack this Steelers defense down the field with Lee, Hurns and Westbrook? That is likely their plan and without something like it, they’ll be cleaning out their lockers early next week. The Steelers offense has the tough chore of the Jaguars defense. The Jags will slow the Steelers down some here, but the Jags offense has to apply pressure to this Steelers team. An upset here wouldn’t shock me but I think this is perhaps the most interesting matchup of the playoffs thus far and will be telling about the Steelers Championship hopes.
DFS Chalk: Big Ben, LeVeon Bell, Leonard Fournette, Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster
DFS Value: Vance McDonald, Dede Westbrook, Mercedes Lewis, Marqise Lee
New Orleans at Minnesota (-4.5, 46.5)
Like our Carolina | New Orleans call last week, this is the one with the best opportunity to shoot out and could be a thrilling final game to the weekend. The Vikings are legit, but so are the Saints. Both of these teams are formidable on both sides of the ball and both teams have offensive players who can score from anywhere on the field. I prefer Minnesota here but as anyone who follows the NFL knows, the Saints offense is capable of moving 85 yards in two or three plays at any time.
DFS Chalk: Case Keenum, Adam Thielen, Stephon Diggs, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara
DFS Value: Latavius Murray, Jerick McKinnon, Kyle Rudolph, Ted Ginn, Brandon Coleman, Josh Hill
Top GPP Stacks:
1a: Case Keenum, Jerick Mckinnon, Stephon Diggs, Michael Thomas
2a: Tom Brady, James White, Rob Gronkowski, Corey Davis
Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Divisional Round
Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Divisional Round
Next week will feature a small two-game slate with the Conference Championships. This week’s NFL Divisional round is the final four-game slate of the NFL season. We have some exciting games this week on both the NFC and AFC, so let’s dive in.
Vegas
The Vegas numbers this week features a little bit of everything. We have the Patriots as the team with the best Vegas data, and we have two games that feature pretty close spreads in Minnesota and Philadelphia.
The Patriots are also featured in the game with the highest game total with the over/under sitting at 47. But unfortunately, the Patriots dominate that game with as 13.5 points favorites over the Titans (16.75), which makes the game not ideal for stacking in hopes of a two-way shootout.
The Saints (20.75) at Vikings (25.25) is not far behind with a game total of 46. The Vikings are favored by 4.5 points at home so that game if any, seems most likely to shoot out between the two teams.
The other two games Falcons @ Eagles and Jaguars @ Steelers both have a game total sitting at 41. The Steelers (24.25) are 7.5 point favorites at home, while the Falcons (22) are the only road team favored this week by 3 points.
Injuries aren’t expected to play a significant role this week. But DeMarco Murray has already been ruled out for the second consecutive week, and Antonio Brown is fully expected to be back on the field for the Steelers. Be sure to follow our News page at Lineup Labs for any last minute news.
Quarterbacks
Case Keenum ($6,100) – Sitting in the mid-range of quarterback pricing, Keenum is my cash game play this week. He’s $900 cheaper than Brady at the top, and $1,100 more expensive than Blake Bortles. Keenum hasn’t exactly set the world on fire over his past four games but comes into the week with the second-best Vegas data of all quarterbacks. Keenum has thrown at least two touchdowns in four of his last six games and is averaging over 30 attempts during that span. The Saints pass defense is respectable with Marshon Lattimore (4th via PFF), Ken Crawley (28th via PFF), and (PJ Williams 83rd via PFF) at cornerback, but they have also given up 58.38 DK points over the past two weeks to Cam (28.66) and Winston (29.72). Over the last two games, the Saints have given up a total of 712 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. Keenum also gets the benefit of having an extra week to prepare and playing the game at home in an indoor stadium. I like the savings with Keenum.
Tom Brady ($7,000) – Brady is in a class of his own this week. With the highest projected team total at home against the best possible matchup in the playoffs. Brady is almost a sure bet to lead the quarterbacks in scoring. The reason why he’s a tournament play for me is that I’d rather use the savings at wide receiver this week. There’s not much convincing I need to do to justify playing Brady at home in the playoffs.
Running backs
Le’Veon Bell ($9,600) – As the case last week with Todd Gurley, this week atop the running back pricing, Bell is hugely overpriced from the other running backs and in a far from the ideal matchup. Bell is $1,800 more expensive than the second highest priced back Kamara ($7,800) yet; he’s still the best bet to reach value with the highest floor and ceiling. This week Bell comes in averaging over 20 DK points for the month and faces a Jags defense that forces opposing offenses to run the ball. The Steelers are a home favorite (-7.5) going up against the Jags defense that picked off Ben Roethlisberger 5 times in their matchup this season. With Antonio Brown potentially playing decoy out on the field, the Steelers could continue to force the ball to Bell who has at least six passing targets in his past seven games. Bell should be in line for 25-30 touches this week in a game that will likely feature terrible weather. According to CBS Pittsburgh, the game temperature is likely to sit in the teens at the start of the game and could see snow flurries and wind speeds near 20MPH. If that weather holds up, there’s no reason why the Steelers would test the Jags secondary and avoid giving the ball to Bell.
Devonta Freeman ($5,900) – Despite only getting two receiving targets last week and averaging 3.7 yards per carry, Freeman was able to turn in an atrocious game into a modest one on the road against the Rams. While I generally don’t like playing running backs on the road, Freeman comes into play as a top 3 projected running back to reach value this week. Freeman has actually produced better on the road than at home this season and has had two of his best games on the season on the road against the Bucs (33.4) and Lions (25.8). At a sub $6,000 price, I like playing Freeman as a favorite going up against the Nick Foles led Eagles who could turn the ball over, which would lead to a shorter field for Atlanta. Freeman should expect to see anywhere from 18-23 touches this week.
Dion Lewis ($6,600)/James White ($4,300)/Rex Burkhead ($5,700) – It’s worth monitoring the Patriots running back situation. Both White and Burkhead returned to practice this week, and the Pats are fully expected to have their trio of running backs available. If Burkhead plays, he is expected to be limited. When he was in the mix, White saw a drop off in playing time with Lewis being the early down backs and Burkhead working out of the passing game. If they all are active, I’d only consider playing Lewis for salary relief. But if only Lewis and White are active I don’t mind playing White because of the work he could see in the passing game and his cheap price tag.
Wide Receiver
Brandin Cooks ($7,000) – From the high priced range, I like Brandin Cooks this week a tad bit more than Adam Thielen ($7,600) for the savings. Cooks is a cheaper way to get exposure to Brady and has been a target monster for the Patriots passing attack this season. Cooks will be facing Adoree’ Jackson who ranks 39th via PFF, but we saw last Tyreek Hill have success against the Titans secondary last week. It’s also worth monitoring if Chris Hogan will play. He’s expected to but if he misses that should bump up Cooks’ target projection.
Mohamed Sanu ($5,700) – Sanu continues to remain involved in the Falcons passing attack over the past four games. In his last four games, Sanu has 30 targets and 17 receptions for 200 yards. He’s affordable under 6K and only needs 5 for 70 to reach value for you. He should see a lot of Jalen Mills who’s a decent cornerback, but if Ronald Darby shadows Julio Jones, Ryan could force more targets Sanu’s way.
Nelson Agholor ($4,800) – Agholor has seen an uptick in production since Nick Foles took over at quarterback for the injured Carson Wentz. He’s seen his market share of targets rise, while Alshon Jeffery has seen his targets decrease. In three games with Foles as the quarterback, Jeffrey has 14 targets to Agholor’s 19. Agholor has upside to make a big play anytime; he’s on the field so one big catch could give you all need to make value.
Tight End
Zach Ertz ($5,800) – Ertz has been one of the few Eagles players whose production has not faltered since Nick Foles took over for Wentz. In the first two full games with Foles under center, Ertz has 25 targets and 15 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown. On top of that, Ertz has five targets within the red zone with Foles under center. Of course, Gronk is viewed as the top tight end option on the board, but Ertz has been just as productive as Gronk this season. If Ertz is going to continue to be fed with targets, it almost makes him a lock and play with a $1,300 savings from Gronk.
Delanie Walker ($5,000) – Walker is coming off of a nice game against the Chiefs in the Wild Card round. He saw 8 targets and 6 catches for 74 yards. Who knows, he may have even added a touchdown if Mariota didn’t do that touchdown pass to himself within the 5-yard line. He’s the number one receiver for the Titans, and if the game script goes as Vegas thinks it will go, Mariota will be throwing quite a bit. Walker could potentially see double-digit targets, and if he catches 7 for 70, he doesn’t kill your lineup.
Defense
Minnesota Vikings ($2,900) – The chalky plays are going to be the Steelers and the Eagles. I like saving the salary and taking a shot with the Vikings defense. The Saints running backs showed last week that they could be stopped and the Vikings defense is better than the Panthers. Defense is so volatile, so I will almost always look for the team that offers up the most value per dollar.