This is one of my final articles of the season. It’s been a wild ride, but I always love giving advice throughout the year. Every week is a different beast, but that’s what makes DFS so intriguing. We only have four games to discuss for this divisional round, but it’s one of the best weeks of football all season. I have a ton to talk about, so let’s go ahead and get into it!
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NFL DFS Cash Game Lineup Advice & Picks
The players below are the ones I’m looking at for cash game considerations for the Divisional Round.
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $7,900 vs. HOU
L-Jax is well on his way to becoming the MVP, and you know he wants to show out in the playoffs. The speedy quarterback was second in the NFL with 22 DraftKings points per game, scoring at least 35 DraftKings points in two of his final four fixtures. That sort of upside is impossible to overlook against this horrid Houston secondary, posting a 24th OPRK against opposing quarterbacks.
FanDuel
Josh Allen (QB – BUF): $9,400 vs. KC
It’s always easier to save salary on FanDuel, so look for everyone to spend up to use Allen. It’s easy to understand why people would want to do that, leading the league with 25 FanDuel points per game. He’s been even better recently, averaging 28 FD points per game across his last four outings. Facing the Chiefs is concerning, however, he had 38 FanDuel points the last time he played KC in the playoffs!
Running Backs
DraftKings
Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF): $8,800 vs. GB
Does anything really need to be said here? Mac was the best player in fantasy this season, averaging 26 DraftKings points per game. He also established a 20-point floor as the focal point of this elite offense and should be utilized heavily in this must-win postseason game. It’s not like Green Bay is a scary matchup either, posting a 20th OPRK against opposing rushers. This is the safest cash game option out there and the best bet for 20 DK points of any position player on this slate.
FanDuel
Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC): $7,500 at BUF
This Chiefs’ passing game is a shell of the one we saw in the past, but it’s no surprise with the way Pacheco is pounding the ball right now. The KC back has at least 15 FanDuel points in four of his last five games, cracking 19 FD points in three of those. That sensational stretch should lead to him getting 20 carries in what’s expected to be a low-scoring game, and we don’t mind that Buffalo allowed 4.6 yards per carry, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – DET): $8,200 vs. TB
St. Brown has developed into one of the best receivers in the NFL, and it’s tough to fade him with how much Goff is feeding him. ARSB is averaging over 22 DraftKings points per game this season, 6.1 DK points higher than any other wideout on this slate. He’s also got at least 21 fantasy points in five straight fixtures and should bludgeon a Tampa Bay secondary that’s allowing the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL.
FanDuel
Mike Evans (WR – TB): $7,600 at DET
Evans churned out another 1,000-yard season, and he’s truly the most underrated player in the NFL. The Pro Bowler is tied for second among all receivers with 14 FanDuel points per game but is sixth in salary. A recent slump has moved him that low, but you know Baker Mayfield will force-feed Evans in this must-win game as a massive underdog. The matchup with Detroit is the icing on the cake, with the Lions owning a 30th OPRK against opposing wide receivers.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Travis Kelce (TE – KC): $6,000 at BUF
There’s no doubt that Kelce is getting worse in the back nine of his career, but this is still the best tight end in the league. He has been for over five years now and still led all tight ends with 15 DraftKings points per game. Fantasy managers will roster him because of that and his consistency throughout his career, picking up six catches for 83 yards against these Bills just last month.
FanDuel
Sam LaPorta (TE – DET): $6,600 vs. TB
LaPorta was one of the breakout players at the tight end position, ranked second on this slate with 11.4 FanDuel points per game. He was just a few catches short of catching Kelce for that top spot, and he might be the first tight end off the board in season-long leagues next year. He’s also averaging 16 FD points per game across his last eight outings and should have success against a Tampa team allowing the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
Detroit Lions D/ST: $3,300 vs. TB
There aren’t many bad offenses at this point in the playoffs, but Tampa looks like the worst one out there. That will have DFS managers rostering Detroit against them because the Lions are projected to be a 6.5-point favorite in this home playoff game. They also crushed the Bucs in their last matchup, holding them to just six points in one of their best showings of the season. That’s all you can ask for from a $3,300 D/ST.
FanDuel
Baltimore Ravens D/ST: $4,300 vs. HOU
Baltimore has been the highest-priced D/ST all season on full slates, and that’s not the case here. They’re actually third on this slate despite leading the league with 10.3 FanDuel points per game. That’s hard to fathom because the Ravens enter this matchup as a 10-point favorite in this favorable home game. Houston’s offense hasn’t been great recently either, scoring 23 or fewer points in seven of their final eight regular season games.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
