Yet another NFL Sunday is upon us, meaning it’s time for the latest edition of our weekly must-starts column.
The NFL Playoffs continue with the AFC and NFC Championship Games this week, putting the Patriots against the Broncos while the Rams get the Seahawks. Slates get smaller and pickings get slim in the player pool, but the mission for our DFS strategy remains the same as ever — we just want to help you win. After crunching the numbers, we’ve got another three must-start players for your fantasy football contests. Whether a standout talent to build lineups around or an intriguing value with matchup and salary, these are guys who can smash and win the week. Let’s jump right in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
QB Matthew Stafford, Rams at Seahawks ($6,300)
There are only four quarterback options on Sunday, with those choices limited to Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold… and Jarrett Stidham. It’s probably best to ignore the latter entirely, and while Maye and Darnold have had their moments, neither have looked great in the postseason thus far and have some pretty significant red flags. That leaves us with Stafford. Sometimes, you’ve just got to pay up for the top guys.
With that out of the way, the Rams’ signal caller averages 21.6 FPPG this season and comes with a very steady floor, even if last week’s Divisional win mark of 10.2 DKFP was a little lower than usual. However, that was the first game of the entire season in which the quarterback didn’t throw at least one touchdown. When he hits a touchdown pass or two, Stafford typically reaches 20+ fantasy points and has multiple scores in all but three of his outings as well. The Seahawks’ passing defense is fairly stingy in the top-12 for passing yards allowed, passing touchdowns allowed and EPA/pass, also holding opponents to the lowest aDOT in the NFL too. Attacking them through the air is the way to go though, so Los Angeles should throw it plenty.
RB Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks vs. Rams ($6,200)
Injuries absolutely suck, especially when they’re serious ones like the ACL tear Zach Charbonnet suffered in last week’s win. However, the next man must step up as always in the NFL. Kenneth Walker III did that in his most recent outing and is positioned for another big game here.
In the Divisional, Walker posted 38.5 DKFP — yes, 38.5 fantasy points — while operating as a true workhorse back. He ran 19 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns, catching three passes for 29 yards to add some extra points. We saw the veteran excel in fantasy last season (when healthy) with the lion’s share of touches in the backfield, and the outlook appears bright for him moving forward since this Seahawks team runs even more than last year’s. Expect somewhere around 20 DKFP or more if he scores a touchdown in a potential shootout between high-scoring offenses. Sure, the defensive matchup isn’t fantastic since the Rams allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns in the regular season along with top-13 marks in rushing yards and EPA/rush, but the volume is meaningful enough to make up for the challenge.
TE Colby Parkinson, Rams at Seahawks ($3,500)
I didn’t set out to stack the Seahawks/Rams game when I started writing this, but the chips fell where they did. Instead of targeting a wideout in this column, I’m going tight end for the second straight week and looking at Colby Parkinson to work as a difference maker.
He’s not a flashy name, but the sixth-year pro now faces his former team with a shot at revenge in the NFC Championship Game. Just look at the recent track record here. Parkinson has scored double-digit DFKP in five of his last seven outings dating back to Week 14 and has seen seven targets in four of those, including last week even when L.A. abandoned some of its tendencies to use 13 personnel. The floor has become quite steady and he continues to lead the position group in snap share, not dipping below 63% since Week 11. The veteran has become a reliable option at the position and does have a decent shot to score a touchdown during any given week while catching Stafford’s passes. Seattle allows the fourth-most targets and receptions to tight ends as well as the sixth-most yards, likely a result of taking away the deeper passing game to force a low aDOT from opponents. Parkinson blends value and upside in this spot.
