‘Tis the season for Saturday NFL slates on DraftKings! Of course, this week we also get the six-gamer that covers the full weekend, but it’s also nice to break the slates down by day, and be able to cash come Saturday night. Here are some targets and values to consider on Saturday’s three-gamer.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NFL $2.5M Wild Card Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (Sat)
Quarterback
Expensive
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. Indianapolis Colts ($7,500) — The Saturday slate has two starting QBs listed as questionable and some others in tough matchups. Let’s play it safe here and just pay for Allen. He’s been spectacular all season, averaging over 27 DKFP, and brings a 40-DKFP ceiling to any game. The Colts rank just 26th in DKFP allowed to QB, and the Bills will be amped to play in front of some fans in a playoff game.
Cheap
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills ($5,400) — Again, a couple of questionable tags make QB tough. I’d prefer to just pay up at the QB position, but there’s a game-script here that does work in Rivers’ favor. Buffalo did rank just 29th in DKFP allowed to QB in the regular season, and if the Colts do fall behind early here, there’s not much of a choice but to look down field.
Other Options: John Wolford ($4,900 — if Jared Goff is out)
Running Back
Expensive
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills ($7,900) — Why I’d prefer to pay up at QB and not play Rivers is because Taylor has to be the centerpiece of what Indy is looking to do offensively. The Bills don’t have a strong rush defense by any means, ranking just 23rd in DKFP allowed to the RB position. The rookie enters the postseason on a tear, scoring at least 19 DKFP in each of his last five games. He finished with an insane 30-253-2 line for 41.4 DKFP in the season finale, and averaged 27.3 DKFP over that five-game span. Expect Taylor to be involved early and often.
Cheap
Ronald Jones, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington Football Team ($5,500) — The RB value is pretty slim on this slate, but we should be able to piece something together. Getting exposure to LAR/SEA is probably worth considering, but both backs are a little pricy for the game with the lowest total. Cam Akers ($5,100) will probably be more popular than Jones, especially with Washington such a trendy dog this week. But if the Bucs do happen to actually win big, we’ll see a lot of Jones down the stretch. I like the upside here with a team that seems to be unpopular for the largest favorite on the slate.
Other Options: J.D. McKissic ($4,800), Nyheim Hines ($4,700), Devin Singletary ($4,300)
Wide Receiver
Expensive
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs. Indianapolis Colts ($7,700) — Diggs might be banged up, but that’s not going to stop me from stacking him with Allen on this slate. Diggs finished a somewhat meaningless Week 17 game with seven grabs for 76 yards, but has been red-hot in games the Bills have gone all out for. Diggs previous three contests, he topped 130 yards and scored four total touchdowns, averaging over 35 DKFP. Indy ranks in the bottom-third of the NFL in DKFP allowed to WR.
Cheap
John Brown, Buffalo Bills vs. Indianapolis Colts ($4,700) — Whether you’re going full Bills stack, or getting crafty with a cheap pivot off Diggs, Brown is underpriced due to his long absence. Smokey was just getting into a nice groove in Weeks 9 and 10, but then we didn’t see him until the season finale. He got right back into the swing of things, hauling in all four of his targets for 72 yards and a touchdown (17.2 DKFP). He should slot right in as the WR2 on Saturday, and comes underpriced.
Other Options: T.Y. Hilton ($5,000)
Tight End
Expensive
Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($4,900) — Not really any other options to go with on this slate. Regardless of the QB, Thomas has found ways to make play, entering the postseason with six straight games of 10-plus DKFP, twice topping 24 DKFP. Tampa ranks middle of the pack defending the TE position, and Washington is dealing with key injuries at WR/RB.
Cheap
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks ($3,400) — In order to offset some of the Washington pass rush, I think Rob Gronkowski ($3,900) becomes more of a blocker than we’d hope in that game. So I’ll look to save even more with Higbee, who will be playing with either an injured QB or a backup QB. One way or another, that’s not great, and should lead to some exposure in the short game. Seattle ranks just 22nd in DKFP allowed to TE.
Other Options: Dawson Knox ($3,200)
D/ST
Expensive
Tampa Bay Buccaneers D/ST ($3,300) at Washington Football Team — The popular play might be on the opposite side of this matchup, but let’s not forget how good Tampa’s pass rush is. Washington’s offense comes with a very low floor, and if playing from behind, I think some sacks and turnovers become very likely.
Cheap
Seattle Seahawks D/ST ($2,700) vs. Los Angeles Rams — Regardless of the Rams’ QB situation, I don’t have much confidence they will produce much. Seattle’s defense was vastly improved the second half of the season, going from allowing 30 points per game the first eight games to 15 points per game the final eight. Good spot for some sacks and turnovers as well.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: NFL $2.5M Wild Card Millionaire [$1M to 1st] (Sat)
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