The long grind of the NFL regular season is over and the playoffs have finally arrived. NFL Wild Card weekend will kick off with each team fighting for postseason supremacy. But the action does not slow down on DraftKings Sportsbook, nor do DFS contests with plenty of ways to continue getting involved. While the field of available players has been slimmed down, the top players are still available and will be ready to put their best performances on the field.
As you seek to maximize your DFS lineups, here is a look at a few players in line to outperform their price point to help give you an edge across Sunday’s slate. This article presents my top DFS lineup and the logic behind each selection.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence ($6,100)
It has taken him some time, but Trevor Lawrence is playing the best football of his career. The former No. 1 pick completed 60.9% of his pass attempts for 4,007 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 359 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground across the regular season. Lawrence finished the season ranked sixth among quarterbacks in fantasy production by averaging 21.0 points per game based on DraftKings scoring. Even more encouraging, he continued to get better as the season progressed, recording above his average fantasy output in each of the last four weeks, including as many as 47.3 fantasy points in Week 15. Jacksonville will prepare for its matchup with the Bills. During his first career playoff appearance, Lawrence was able to lead the Jaguars on a comeback after trailing 27-0 in the first half, throwing for four touchdowns in the process. He has taken his game to new heights since and has a better supporting cast around him. Look for Lawrence to be ready for the postseason challenge and outperform his $6,100 price point.
Other Considerations: Josh Allen ($7,000), Drake Maye ($6,800), Jalen Hurts ($6,300), Brock Purdy ($6,000)
Running Back
James Cook ($7,400)
The Buffalo Bills are often talked about as if Josh Allen is the sole source of their offense. But James Cook has quietly been one of the best running backs in football over the past three years. The 26-year-old posted his third consecutive 1,000+ yard season and led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards this year. Cook added 12 rushing scores across these opportunities, as well as 291 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Cook averaged 19.5 fantasy points per game this season on DraftKings scoring, which ranked sixth among running backs. Buffalo does not have a wide receiver with more than 750 receiving yards this year and has been forced to embrace a ground-oriented attack. Expect this to remain the case in the matchup with the Jaguars. Cook gets plenty of touches in the red zone; in fact, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last year and ranks fourth in the league in red-zone rush attempts this season. Count on him seeing a few chances to reach paydirt in this matchup along with plenty of touches to produce a healthy fantasy football output.
Saquon Barkley ($7,000)
The bar was set sky-high for Saquon Barkley following a historic rushing output last year in his first season in Philadelphia. His production has reduced this year, with offensive line help and play design being the driving reasons for regression. Even with these factors, Barkley finished the regular season with 1,140 rushing yards, 273 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Barkley averaged 15.1 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which ranks 15th among running backs. Lane Johnson’s return will help the offensive line’s outlook, as will the decision to rest starters in Week 18. In addition, Barkley will be facing a banged-up 49ers team that ranks 20th in net yards allowed per rush attempt. Play calling has been a point of criticism surrounding the Eagles all year, and there has been plenty of self reflection internally from the Eagles ahead of this matchup. Their path to the Super Bowl came as a run-first football team last year, so look for them to attempt to replicate this by putting the ball in Barkley’s hands at a greater rate.
Other Considerations: Christian McCaffrey ($8,500), Travis Etienne Jr. ($6,600), TreVeyon Henderson ($6,000), Kimani Vidal ($4,700)
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs ($6,300)
The New England Patriots have been one of the biggest positive surprises this season, leaping forward into the true contending conversation. Stefon Diggs has been a huge part of this effort, proving to be the WR1 that Drake Maye needed. The four-time Pro Bowler tallied 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season. Diggs finished the season averaging 13.3 fantasy points per game, which ranked 23rd among wide receivers. Diggs also tallied 25+ fantasy points in two of the last three games. New England will prepare to play the Chargers, who have a strong defense. Still, expect Diggs to be at the top of the offensive pecking order and see plenty of chances throughout the game. This will be Maye’s first taste of postseason football, so expect him to get comfortable by leaning on his top targets. Diggs has had some big moments in the playoffs before, and these are the types of matchups he was brought in for. Expect a big game in the opening week of the playoffs.
DeVonta Smith ($5,900)
There have been plenty of vocal criticisms of the Eagles’ inability to maximize their talented weapons. But DeVonta Smith has not been a part of this equation, recording the third 1,000+ receiving yard season of his career. Smith headlined the Eagles’ wide receiver attack, averaging 12.2 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring. While the Eagles will look to lean on their rushing attack as the foundation of their offense, San Francisco is vulnerable in its pass defense. The 49ers rank 25th in passing yards allowed, 24th in net yards per pass attempt, and 21st in passing touchdowns conceded. Philly’s Kevin Patullo-led offense has not maximized the team’s potential, but it is a match for Smith’s skillset. Expect a heavy dose of hitch and curl routes on which Smith is at his best, and for the Alabama product to still be in play for a deep shot. San Francisco’s offense has also been on a roll of late, so Philadelphia may be forced to lean on the pass attack more than it would like to. Count on Smith being involved throughout and outperforming his $5,900 price point.
Parker Washington ($5,000)
While Trevor Lawrence is the catalyst for this, the entire Jaguars’ wide receiver group deserves credit for their offensive explosion. Parker Washington has been heavily involved in this down the stretch, pulling in a career-high 58 receptions for 847 receiving yards and five touchdowns this year. He averaged 11.9 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, but especially came on strong to close the season. The addition of Jakobi Meyers allowed each player to slot into their proper roles, and Washington has been a beneficiary. Across the final three games alone, Washington tallied 19 receptions for 347 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 23.7 fantasy points per game across this stretch. Count on Jacksonville leaning on a pass-first attack and for Washington to continue to be involved. He has been targeted 29 times across the past three games, a trend which should carry into the playoffs.
Other Considerations: Ladd McConkey ($5,700), Jakobi Meyers ($5,500), Brian Thomas Jr. ($4,700), Kendrick Bourne ($3,600)
Tight End
Hunter Henry ($4,500)
Hunter Henry has been one of the more stable sources of offense for teams he plays for across his career. But Drake Maye has taken his game to new heights this season, resulting in a career-best year. Henry tallied 768 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and produced 10.7 average fantasy points per game. Los Angeles allowed six touchdowns to opposing tight ends across the regular season and allowed at least three receptions to opposing tight ends over each of the last 12 weeks. With Henry as a key part of New England’s passing attack anyway, count on the team finding a lane for him to produce in the offense and generating targets throughout. Outside of Diggs, Henry is the next-best safety blanket for Maye in the attack. Count on him being involved throughout, including in the red zone, and having a chance to be the top-performing tight end of the opening round of the postseason.
Other Considerations: Dallas Goedert ($4,200), Brenton Strange ($3,900), Dawson Knox ($3,300)
Flex
Khalil Shakir ($4,800)
While the overall wide receiver production is bleak in Buffalo, Khalil Shakir deserves credit for continuing to produce. The 25-year-old led the Bills this season with 72 receptions for 719 passing yards and four touchdowns. The 10.7 fantasy points per game he averaged on DraftKings ranked 43rd among wide receivers. While these are modest numbers for what you would expect for a WR1, this could be scaled up in the matchup with the Jaguars. The Jacksonville offense has been red hot and Buffalo will need to put up points to keep this game competitive. The Jaguars also rank 21st in passing yards allowed and 14th in passing yards conceded. Even with the mild stats in mind, no other wide receiver on the Bills’ rosterhas more than 38 receptions or 404 receiving yards. It also does not take an advanced eye to see Josh Allen not showing a high level of trust in most of the pass catching unit. Count on the star quarterback to seek out Shakir in big moments of the game and create a pathway to a strong fantasy output.
Defense & Special Teams
Philadelphia Eagles ($2,900)
For all the criticisms that can be said about the Eagles’ offense, the defense rounded into an elite unit as the season progressed. Philadelphia finished the year ranked fifth in points allowed, 13th in yards conceded, and seventh in turnover differential. Jalen Carter has returned to the field after battling injuries himself, and the Eagles have more depth at the notable positions than has been the case in years. While the 49ers’ offense has performed at an extremely high level of late, it is tough to see any of their top wide receivers having success in their matchups with this secondary. Christian McCaffrey is the biggest X-factor, but with the Philadelphia home crowd also a factor, expect points to be difficult to come by. Ultimately, expect the Eagles’ pass rush to be a major factor and for San Francisco to fail to put up the level of points that is detrimental for Philadelphia’s defense in fantasy. Back the Eagles’ defensive line to win the battle in this game and for the unit to continue being opportunistic in forcing turnovers en route to an output above the $2,900 price point.
Other Considerations: Patriots ($3,200), Jaguars ($2,700), Chargers ($2,200)
