NFL DraftKings Plays: Wild Card Weekend

The NFL playoffs are upon us, and we have a six-game DraftKings slate to accompany it. It is noteworthy that only two of these games have a spread above four. That would be the Los Angeles Rams over the Carolina Panthers, who are 10.5-point favorites. And the Philadelphia Eagles, who were 3.5-point favorites to start the week, are now favored by six over the San Francisco 49ers. Amongst the four other games, the highest spread is 3.5 points, so we should have a great weekend of games. As far as points in these games go, the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars take the cake for that crown, with an implied total of 51.5 points. That is almost a touchdown ahead of the Rams and Panthers game, sitting at 46.5 points.

For team totals, the Rams, Bills, and Eagles lead the pack. And the weather will be rougher on Saturday, with minor weather concerns in both games. Sunday looks much clearer with only wind concerns in Philadelphia. We will start with what looks like a sunny afternoon in Jacksonville for our quarterback pick, who has been leading a scorching hot offense into the playoffs.

Favorite DraftKings NFL plays for Wild Card Weekend

Quarterback

Favorite Play: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (6.2K)

Lawrence has been the hottest quarterback in the league as of late. And they should be considered the favorites in the AFC. Buffalo’s main weakness on defense is against the run, where they rank in the bottom five in the league. However, Lawrence has four rushing touchdowns in the last four weeks, including two against the Indianapolis Colts. Lawrence has also been the model of consistency on DraftKings. The star quarterback has only had one game under 20 DraftKings points since Week 12. And that was Week 14 with 19.4 fantasy points. In a game that is likely to be the highest scoring of the weekend, either quarterback is a fantastic play.

Play to Consider: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (5.2K)

The quarterback with the third-lowest salary on DraftKings is one of my favorites this week. The third-year quarterback will get to go against a defense that allowed the third-most passing yards on the season. And it is obviously still having lapses in coverage, with Zay Flowers getting behind the defense not once but twice this past Sunday night. The only thing that concerns me is that the Texans and the Steelers have low team totals. Stroud should be able to produce enough DraftKings points at this low salary despite the low projections.

Running Back

Favorite Play: Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

This spot will be the last time I mention the Jaguars in this article. However, Etienne’s matchup is just too good to ignore. I stated that Buffalo’s weakness was against the run. And that rings true in the metrics: second-worst team in estimated points added against the run, fifth-most rushing yards, and tied for most rushing touchdowns allowed. Etienne has left a lot to be desired heading into the playoffs. He only scored 4.8 DraftKings points against the Tennessee Titans last week. As if they even need him, as the team scored 41 points in the matchup. This matchup is one that Etienne can exploit, and one that could help him vault into the optimal lineup this weekend.

Play to Consider: Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles (7K)

Both Barkley and Kyren Williams’ teams have excellent matchups as heavy favorites. Both will also face defenses in the bottom 13 of defensive points added against the rush. I will side with Barkley between the two, given his big-play ability, even though we have not seen it much this year. Even with Barkley’s struggles, he still has three runs of 40 yards or more this season. That mark is good for seventh in the league, tied with Travis Etienne. The Niners have not given up many breakaway runs, only allowing one over 40 yards, but they have allowed the 16th most runs of 20 yards or more. After a week of rest, I like Barkley to run wild after a disappointing year by his standards.

Wide Receiver

Favorite Play: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers (4.9K)

This play is one where you’ll need to keep an eye on the weather. Since returning from his torn ACL, Christian Watson has been the Packers’ best wide receiver, almost finishing with the most receiving yards on the team, only behind Romeo Doubs. Now, he gets to take on a secondary he had 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns against just a few weeks ago. That game did come with Jordan Love, while his down game against the Chicago Bears was with Malik Willis. The Bears give up the second-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. So, weather permitting, Watson could be in for a repeat of that Week 14 showing.

Play to Consider: Nico Collins, Houston Texans (7.2K)

The player I would like to stack with Stroud on DraftKings is none other than Nico Collins. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been susceptible to wide receivers this season. Giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to the position. And we saw that in full force last Sunday night. Even though Week 18 did not count for most people, he still was the overall WR1 for the week. Collins has the fifth-highest yards per route run against man coverage, and the Steelers play man coverage at a top-five rate in the league. So, Collins has a great matchup both schematically and talent-wise.

Tight End

Favorite Play: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (4.2K)

Dallas Goedert has had quite a knack for finding the endzone this season. He finished with ten, tied with Trey McBride for the league lead. Coincidentally, the San Francisco 49ers gave up the same number of touchdowns this season. That number puts them at the sixth-most in the league. Goedert’s redzone usage is enough alone to make him my favorite play on DraftKings this weekend. His 2.6 average depth of target inside the 20-yard line comes from all of the goal-line flip passes that have led to a good portion of his ten scores. He leads the team in receiving touchdowns and figures to be a large part of the game plan, as he is currently tied with Hunter Henry for the best odds at +170 to score a touchdown. With the current slate of tight ends on DraftKings, a touchdown and a few catches could easily crack the optimal lineup on Sunday.

Play to Consider: Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers (3.4K)

If you are looking to save some salary on DraftKings, playing Gadsden is one way to do so. Gadsden has cooled off after his early-season stretch, when he took the fantasy world by storm. He will most likely not return that value, but he has had some good showings to end the season. With 32 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Texans, along with 61 yards on four catches against the Kansas City Chiefs. The only problem with Gadsden is his snap share, as there are some games where he runs under 25 routes. That is due to the Chargers missing both of their star tackles. The Patriots allow the 16th most points to the position. So, Gadsden is a risk, but at his DraftKings salary, it is a risk I am fine taking.

Final Thoughts

A DraftKings slate spanning three days is enjoyable. Just ask all of the fellow DraftKings players who play PGA. We have an incredible slate of games this weekend, which is rare; last year, we had only one game that ended within a touchdown. This slate has few games with predictable outcomes. The Rams appear to be the only safe bet against a team that they have already lost to this season. So, everything is on the table. The four teams I want most in my lineups, though, are the ones with the highest team totals. Going against the grain on a slate this small should not be off the table, but I would be cautious about doing so. I wish everyone the best of luck for the first week of the NFL playoffs.