This year’s Wild Card weekend
should live up to its name with four of the NFL’s top six
scoring offenses playing, including the Rams and Todd Gurley, the
league’s top scoring offense and fantasy MVP taking on the
Falcons.
Blake Bortles and the fifth-ranked Jacksonville Jaguar offense
host the Buffalo Bills, a team that allowed the most fantasy points
to opposing running backs and the most running touchdowns in the
league (18). A monster game by rookie Leonard Fournette on national
television could be in play on Sunday as the Jags look to impose
their will on the Bills with their punishing ground game.
The top-ranked New Orleans running game that produced two top-six
fantasy running backs in Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram take on
the No.3 ranked rush defense of the Carolina Panthers. Although
Carolina allowed only seven rushing touchdowns on the year, the
tandem of Kamara and Ingram torched the Panthers for nearly 70
combined fantasy points in their two showdowns in the regular
season.
Here are a few DFS plays that I will target in the four Wild
Card games this weekend, including a possible breakout game for
rookie Corey Davis against the Chiefs.
Attractive cash game QBs are hard to find
this week. Alex Smith represents the best of the bunch.
Quarterbacks
H2H/Cash - Alex
Smith vs. Tennessee ($6,300 on DraftKings)
There are a surprisingly low number of attractive cash game quarterbacks
this week considering the number of top 10 offenses in play. Of
the eight quarterbacks, Alex Smith at home against the Titans
provides the safest floor for cash game owners. The Titans are
far more skilled at limiting the run than the pass, which could
force Andy Reid and Smith to use a pass-heavy offensive scheme.
GPP - Blake
Bortles vs. Buffalo ($6,000 on DraftKings)
The way to beat Buffalo this season is by running the ball and
limiting the ground game of LeSean McCoy and the Bills. Although
I anticipate Fournette will have a big showing on Sunday, don’t
be surprised to see Bortles score a rushing touchdown to go along
with a pair of passing TDs.
Other options to consider - Marcus
Mariota @ Kansas City
Fade - Matt
Ryan @ Los Angeles ($6,100 on DraftKings)
Fading Matt Ryan has been a theme this season, as the reigning
MVP has come crashing down to Earth with just a meager 4095/20/12
stat line. The Falcons will look to run the ball extensively,
and the Rams will force Ryan into making bad decisions with their
4th-ranked pass rush.
There are a ton of running backs to target in both cash and GPP
games this weekend. Fournette playing at home against a Bills
defense that allowed 18 rushing touchdowns in 16 games is too
attractive to pass up.
GPP - Derrick
Henry @ Kansas City ($6,000 on DraftKings)
Henry posted his second-best game of the year last week with
18.7 points on 111 total yards and a touchdown, including a 66-yard
touchdown reception to help seal the victory over Jacksonville.
With DeMarco Murray out again with a knee injury, Henry is a nice
inexpensive option for 25 touches against the Chiefs.
Fade - LeSean
McCoy @ Jacksonville ($7,500 on DraftKings)
Running the ball is the best way to beat the top-rated Jacksonville
defense, and Shady McCoy averaged 20 points in each of his previous
three games before leaving with an injury against Miami. It is
possible that he could have a significant day against the Jags,
but his lingering ankle injury makes me too nervous to invest
in him when there are so many other attractive options.
Wide Receivers
H2H/Cash - Cooper Kupp vs. Atlanta ($5,800 on
DraftKings)
With very few high-end wide receivers worth targeting this week,
I am planning on investing heavily in running backs and cheap
volume receivers like Kupp. With double-digit games in six of
his last seven games, including 7/118/1 against Philly in Week
14, Kupp is an undervalued wideout who is perfect to pair with
an expensive RB in cash games.
GPP - Corey
Davis @ Kansas City ($3,600 on DraftKings)
For some reason, DraftKings has Davis as a 3.6k wide receiver
this week, despite the fact that he was the recipient of 20 targets
in his previous three games before Week 17 against the Jags. Throw
out the numbers against the Jags, as the Titans played a conservative
game against the league’s top pass defense. Davis is an
excellent GPP play who could post a career day against the league’s
worst pass defense in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide
receivers.
Fade - Devin
Funchess @ New Orleans ($5,900 on DraftKings)
Two-time defensive rookie of the month Marshon Lattimore will
not have difficulty shutting down a hobbled Devin Funchess. I’d
much rather save $100 and go with Kupp against the Falcons.
Tight End
H2H/Cash - Travis Kelce vs. Tennessee ($7,100
on DraftKings)
There are slim pickings at tight end most weeks of the season,
especially this week with eight teams playing and only a few viable
fantasy options to choose from in the player pool. In cash games,
paying up for Kelce makes sense, as his matchup at home against
the Titans is the best among the possible options. Pair him with
Smith for a nice cash game stack.
Other option to consider - Greg
Olsen @ New Orleans
GPP - Delanie
Walker @ Kansas City ($4,700 on DraftKings)
The Chiefs have been strong against opposing tight ends, but
you have to like the volume Walker will receive (no fewer than
five targets in a game dating back to Week 4) and the upside for
a touchdown.
Other option to consider - Charles
Clay @ Jacksonville
Fade - Austin
Hooper @ L.A. Rams ($2,900 on DraftKings)
I suspect that the Rams will force a game script on the Falcons
that will force Matt Ryan to pass heavily in the second half.
This should bolster the outlook of the receiving options on Atlanta,
including tight end Austin Hooper. But Hooper’s lack of
volume makes me too worried to play him in any lineup.