The USFL will crown a North Division and a South Division champion in this week’s playoff contests. The North Division representatives are decidedly lesser teams than the South Division squads. The defenses are eye-catching in the North Division contest. Although, there are some intriguing offensive players. The South Division playoff game is packed with top-shelf DFS options. In fact, some didn’t make the cut for this week’s primer. The picks for this week are narrowed to a smaller pool than usual to fit the size of this two-game slate.
Quarterbacks
Alex McGough is a one-man wrecking crew for the USFL's most potent offense. Birmingham's 287 points were 50 more than the second-highest total. Additionally, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Stallions have the highest implied total (23.75 points) this weekend. McGough was third in passing yards per game (210.4), first among quarterbacks in completion percentage (67.4%), first in touchdown passes (20) and first among quarterbacks who attempted at least 20 passes in QBR (108.3).
However, his brilliance as a passer is only part of the story. The dual-threat quarterback was also sixth in rushing yards per game (40.3) and third in rushing touchdowns (five). McGough's ceiling is unmatched because of his excellence as a passer and a rusher.
However, E.J. Perry is an intriguing pivot in GPPs. Perry made his USFL debut in a start for the Panthers last week. Perry is athletic and can run. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Brown rushed for 538 yards and seven touchdowns on 51 attempts in 10 games in his final collegiate season at Brown in 2021. Perry toted the rock 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown last week. He wasn't as impressive as a passer, completing 12 of 23 attempts for 121 scoreless yards. Still, Perry could take a step forward with another week to acclimate himself to the playbook and with more first-team reps with his pass-catchers.
Running Backs
Wes Hills and C.J. Marable are workhorses attached to the two best offenses still playing football in the USFL this year. Sadly, Hills set a season-low for opportunities (rushes plus targets) with only 14 last week. Nevertheless, his floor for chances to touch the ball is high, and his ceiling is through the roof. Perhaps, the reduced workload will give him fresh legs against an opponent he piled up yards against in the regular season.
In Week 3, Hills had 191 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, three targets, three receptions and 16 receiving yards. Then, in Week 7, he had 77 rushing yards, five targets, three receptions and 11 receiving yards. Hills can shine in a good matchup this week. The Stallions allowed the second-most rushing yards per game (118.0) in 2023.
Marable was a three-down back for the Stallions this year. He had at least 12 opportunities in the final seven games of the regular season. Furthermore, from Week 5 through Week 10, the do-it-all back averaged 12.8 rushes per game, 62.3 rushing yards per game, 4.2 targets per game, 3.7 receptions per game, 28.5 receiving yards per game and scored four touchdowns. Finally, the Stallions are 3.0-point favorites. So, while Marable is game-script proof, he should have a good game script this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Davion Davis ($9,400) was a difficult cut from this section. He's had more than 100 receiving yards in two of his last three games. However, the salary discounts for Jace Sternberger and Deon Cain were too good to pass up when fleshing out a complete roster. Sternberger enters this week on a four-game streak of reaching paydirt. He's also had at least 58 receiving yards in three straight games. The pass-catching tight end scored touchdowns in seven of 10 contests this year and averaged a rock-solid 51.7 receiving yards per game.
Cain's best work was on kickoff returns early in the year, scoring return touchdowns in back-to-back contests in Week 3 and Week 4. However, Cain emerged as integral to Birmingham's passing attack down the stretch. In the final three weeks of the regular season, Cain averaged 5.7 targets per game, 4.0 receptions per game, 43.7 receiving yards per game and scored two touchdowns, scoring in each of the final two games of the regular season.
Sage Surratt and Lee Morris are exciting bring-back options from the Breakers. Surratt was sixth in targets (65), tied for second in receptions (50) and fourth in receiving yards per game (55.2) this year. He was also successful against the Stallions this year, posting nine receptions on 14 targets for 115 receiving yards in two meetings.
Morris was a helpful ancillary piece of the Breakers' passing attack. He had at least four targets in his last six games of the regular season and cleared 30 receiving yards in seven of nine contests. Furthermore, he had five receptions for 90 receiving yards and three touchdowns on seven targets in the two previous matchups against the Stallions.
Last week, Perry funneled the ball to Joe Walker and Trey Quinn. The former had a jaw-dropping 39.1% target share, and the latter had a 26.1% target share. Walker turned his dominant target share into an underwhelming three receptions for 23 scoreless yards. Still, his ability to earn targets from Perry bodes well for his scoring ceiling. And Quinn effectively hauled in three receptions for 44 yards. Thus, they're the two best stacking options with Perry and stellar one-offs.
Tre Walker is the most appealing punt on the slate. In his last five games, he's had 23 targets, 12 receptions, 158 receiving yards, three rushes and 17 rushing yards. Walker hasn't demonstrated a high ceiling. Yet, his steady role in Pittsburgh's offense is valuable at his tiny salary.
Defense and Special Teams
Pittsburgh's defense put the team on its back to close the regular season, holding the Panthers and Generals to just 13 points. They had seven sacks and forced seven turnovers in those two games. The Maulers also held the Panthers to seven points and had four sacks and forced four turnovers in Week 5. They can pile up DFS points. However, they might have more difficulty with Perry's mobility this week. So, they're not a no-brainer pick.
The Panthers had six sacks and allowed only 19 points to the Maulers in Week 9. They also had three sacks and forced two turnovers against Pittsburgh in Week 5. Pittsburgh has struggled mightily to keep their quarterbacks upright this year, and Michigan's defense was tied for third in sacks (24.0) in the regular season. So, they have an appealing cheap defense.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
