FanDuel is going to need to step it up this weekend after trashing the Saturday-only, Monday single-game, and full weekend slate last weekend due to “technical issues.” Another week of cancellations will surely cull many of their most ardent supporters. If they can get their stuff together, they will join DraftKings in offering contests on each day, plus full weekend contests. Meanwhile, Fanball is offering full weekend contests and Sunday-only contests, but no Saturday-only games. Confused? Me too. I’ll try to lay it all out for you as we get ready for divisional weekend DFS!
DFS: The Full Weekend Slate
DK Lineup: QB Patrick Mahomes ($8k), RB Christian McCaffrey ($8k), RB Jerick McKinnon ($6k), WR Brandon Aiyuk ($5k), WR Zay Jones ($4.7k), WR Cole Beasley ($3k), TE Travis Kelce ($7.7k), FLEX Dallas Goedert ($4.5k), DST Kansas City Chiefs ($3.1k)
FD Lineup: QB Patrick Mahomes ($8k), RB Christian McCaffrey ($9.2k), RB James Cook ($5.8k), WR Kadarius Toney ($5.8k), WR Zay Jones ($6.5k), WR Cole Beasley ($5k), TE Travis Kelce ($8k), FLEX Dallas Goedert ($6.3k), DST Kansas City Chiefs ($4.2k)
FB Lineup: QB Patrick Mahomes ($9.2k), RB Miles Sanders ($5.3k), RB Jerick McKinnon ($5.7k), WR Tee Higgins ($5.2k), WR Brandon Aiyuk ($4.6k), WR Cole Beasley ($3k), TE Travis Kelce ($7k), FLEX Christian McCaffrey ($7.4k), FLEX Dallas Goedert ($4.4k)
DFS: The Saturday-only Slate
DK Lineup: QB Patrick Mahomes ($8k), RB Miles Sanders ($5.7k), RB Jerick McKinnon ($6k), WR Christian Kirk ($6k), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster ($5.1k), WR Quez Watkins ($3.3k), TE Travis Kelce ($7.7k), FLEX Dallas Goedert ($4.5k), DST Philadelphia Eagles ($3.3k)
FD Lineup: QB Patrick Mahomes ($9.2k), RB Miles Sanders ($7.2k), RB Jerick McKinnon ($7k), WR Zay Jones ($6.5k), WR Kadarius Toney ($5.8k), WR Quez Watkins ($4.9k), TE Travis Kelce ($8k), FLEX Dallas Goedert ($6.3k), DST Philadelphia Eagles ($4.8k)
*Fanball is not listing a Saturday-only slate.
DFS: The Sunday-only Slate
DK Lineup: QB Josh Allen ($7.8k), RB Christian McCaffrey ($8k), RB James Cook ($4.8k), WR Deebo Samuel ($5.9k), WR Tee Higgins ($5.8k), WR Gabe Davis ($4.8k), TE George Kittle ($5.7k), FLEX Dalton Schultz ($4.2k), DST Dallas Cowboys ($3k)
FD Lineup: QB Josh Allen ($9k), RB Christian McCaffrey ($9.2k), RB James Cook ($5.8k), WR Tee Higgins ($7k), WR Gabe Davis ($6.6k), WR Cole Beasley ($5k), TE Dalton Schultz ($6.4k), FLEX George Kittle ($7.1k), DST Dallas Cowboys ($3.9k)
FB Lineup: QB Josh Allen ($7.3k), RB Joe Mixon ($6.1k), RB James Cook ($4.4k), WR Stefon Diggs ($7.2k), WR Tee Higgins ($5.2k), WR Cole Beasley ($3k), TE George Kittle ($5.2k), FLEX Dalton Schultz ($4.1k), FLEX Christian McCaffrey ($7.4k)
| Player | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | $8,000 | $9,200 |
| Josh Allen | $7,800 | $9,000 |
| Jalen Hurts | $7.600 | $9,000 |
| Joe Burrow | $6,500 | $8,000 |
| Dak Prescott | $6,100 | $7,500 |
| Trevor Lawrence | $6,000 | $7,600 |
| Daniel Jones | $5.800 | $7,400 |
| Brock Purdy | $5,400 | $7,000 |
Quarterback
Weekly strategy – This is a week where you can play any of the QBs. Still, I’m going to mostly avoid Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott, and I will have only minimal exposure to Daniel Jones.
Pay to play
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs vs. JAX
($8,000 DK, $9,200 FD) Back in Week 10, Mahomes threw for 331 yards and four TDs versus this defense. The only thing that could slow Mahomes down here is if the bye week left him rusty. In his last four games, Mahomes has 12 total scores and only one game with fewer than 328 passing yards. Another 325-3 will happen here as Jacksonville has allowed the most passing yards per game among the remaining playoff teams.
Stay away
Daniel Jones, Giants @ PHI ($5,800 DK, $7,400 FD) Philly’s pass defense is their strongest attribute. No team is allowing fewer passing yards per game than the Eagles. That said, they have allowed some decent rushing yards to “running” QBs. This included allowing Jones to rush for 26 yards and a score in Week 14. Still, Jones has more than one passing TD only five times all year. He needs to score on the ground to have any shot at achieving value this week.
Value play
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars @ KC ($6,000 DK, $7,600 FD) Lawrence has never lost a football game on a Saturday. He is also coming off one of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history. He is also facing a defense that has allowed the most passing TDs per game all season, including a pair of scores from the arm of Lawrence in a Week 10 loss. Lawrence will have to throw the ball to keep up with the Chiefs offense. It ultimately may fail from a game status, but his fantasy production should look sweet. His value is also slightly better on Fanball, where they don’t dock the QBs for INTs thrown.
| Player | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Christian McCaffrey | $8,000 | $9,200 |
| Saquon Barkley | $7,900 | $8,500 |
| Joe Mixon | $6,500 | $7,700 |
| Travis Etienne |
$6,400 | $6,800 |
| Tony Pollard | $6,100 | $7,100 |
| Jerick McKinnon | $6,000 | $7,000 |
| Miles Sanders | $5,700 | $7,200 |
| Isiah Pacheco | $5,500 | $6,400 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | $5,400 | $6,500 |
| Devin Singletary | $5,200 | $5,900 |
| James Cook | $4,800 | $5,800 |
| Elijah Mitchell | $4,700 | $5,400 |
| Matt Breida | $4,600 | $4,700 |
| Samaje Perine | $4,600 | $5,000 |
| JaMycal Hasty | $4,500 | $4,700 |
| Boston Scott | $4,300 | $4,800 |
| Nyheim Hines | $4,200 | $4,700 |
| Ronald Jones | $4,200 | $4,600 |
| Kenneth Gainwell | $4,100 | $5,100 |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | $4,000 | $5,600 |
| Jordan Mason | $4,000 | $4,700 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | $4,000 | $4,600 |
Running back
Weekly strategy – This is not a great week for the RB position. You will probably need to choose between Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, or Travis Etienne at RB1. I don’t love any of them, but there aren’t any sure things this week. Jerick McKinnon and Miles Sanders are both cheaper and probably the closest alternatives to shore things up top. The issue with both of them is that they may split their workload. For RB2, I recommend taking your pick of one of the Bills or Elijah Mitchell. You can also take a flier on one of the Eagles’ backups.
Pay to play
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers vs. DAL
($8,000 DK, $9,200 FD) Only two teams have allowed fewer rushing TDs than Dallas. Still, they are middle of the pack in allowing 4.4 yards per carry. You definitely will not get a McCaffrey ceiling game here, but he can approach double-digit receptions at any time. This feels like the game where Brock Purdy is finally corralled. That should force him to feed McCaffrey early and often. On a small slate, you almost have to use either McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley, especially since these are the only two RBs on the board that have slate-breaking skills.
Stay away
Tony Pollard, Cowboys @ SF ($6,100 DK, $7,100 FD) Alas, I am not as confident about Dallas’ running game against the Niners. During the regular season, only New England allowed fewer total RB touchdowns, and no team allowed fewer total yards to the position. When you add this to the fact that Pollard still splits the workload (and most of the goal line work) with Ezekiel Elliott, you have the recipe for a fade.
Value play
James Cook, Bills vs. CIN ($4,800 DK, $5,800 FD) It may be a few weeks later, but we will finally see the outcome of Buffalo versus Cincinnati. Cook has scored in his last three games as he has surpassed Devin Singletary in the Bills’ RB touchdown pecking order. The yardage still leans slightly towards Singletary, but even that is closing the gap. The Bengals are solid versus the run, but at this price, you can chase another Cook TD.
| Player | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Ja’Marr Chase | $7,800 | $8,500 |
| Stefon Diggs | $7,700 | $8,200 |
| A.J. Brown | $7,600 | $8,300 |
| CeeDee Lamb | $7,300 | $7,800 |
| DeVonta Smith | $7,200 | $7,400 |
| Christian Kirk | $6,000 | $7,600 |
| Deebo Samuel | $5,900 | $7,100 |
| Tee Higgins | $5,800 | $7,000 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster | $5,100 | $6,600 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | $5,000 | $6,500 |
| Isaiah Hodgins | $4,900 | $6,700 |
| Gabe Davis | $4,800 | $6,600 |
| Zay Jones | $4,700 | $6,500 |
| Darius Slayton | $4,200 | $5,700 |
| Kadarius Toney | $4,100 | $5,800 |
| Tyler Boyd | $4,000 | $5,600 |
| Richie James |
$3,900 | $5,900 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | $3,800 | $5,400 |
| Michael Gallup | $3,800 | $5,700 |
| Mecole Hardman | $3,700 | $6,000 |
| Marvin Jones |
$3,600 | $5,300 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | $3,300 | $5,100 |
| Quez Watkins | $3,300 | $4,900 |
| T.Y. Hilton | $3,200 | $5,000 |
| Justin Watson | $3,100 | $4,700 |
| Noah Brown | $3,100 | $4,900 |
| Cole Beasley | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Jamal Agnew | $3,000 | $4,700 |
| John Brown | $3,000 | $4,600 |
| Kenny Golladay | $3,000 | $4,800 |
| Khalil Shakir | $3,000 | $4,900 |
| Ray-Ray McCloud |
$3,000 | $4,700 |
| Skyy Moore | $3,000 | $4,800 |
| Trenton Irwin | $3,000 | $4,800 |
Wide receiver
Weekly strategy – Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, DeVonta Smith, Christian Kirk, and Tee Higgins are all in play at WR1. Smith, Kirk, and Higgins are my favorites. I will try to get two of them into my lineup, if possible. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Brandon Aiyuk, Gabe Davis, and Zay Jones are my other WR2 options. For WR3, choose between Kadarius Toney, one of the Giants, or one of the Cowboys. I also could see punting with either Quez Watkins or Cole Beasley.
Pay to play
Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals @ BUF ($7,800 DK, $8,500 FD) Fitting Chase or Stefon Diggs into your lineup will be tough financially. That said, both make solid plays this week at the WR1 position. Buffalo is, perhaps surprisingly, far worse against the pass than Cincy, so Chase is arguably the safer play of the two.
Stay away
A.J. Brown, Eagles vs. NYG ($7,600 DK, $8,300 FD) This is another case of a stud player who has a tricky matchup. We saw a fully healthy Giants secondary frustrate Justin Jefferson last week. We might see similar coverage here, which would suggest a softer game for Brown and a potential monster game for DeVonta Smith and/or Dallas Goedert. Both Smith and Brown scored in Week 14, and Brown outproduced Smith in Week 18. Still, neither game had the full New York secondary healthy. I’d still suggest throwing out at least one Voltron stack with all three pass catchers and Jalen Hurts. Just know that Brown is my least favorite play on this offense this week.
Value play
Zay Jones, Jaguars @ KC ($4,700 DK, $6,500 FD) I love that DK just flat-out refuses to raise Jones’ price where it belongs. Heck, even the FD price is lower than it should be for what Jones has produced this season. Only Dallas allowed more passing TDs than KC during the regular season. Meanwhile, Jones has scored five TDs in his last six games. Christian Kirk scored both of the TDs in their earlier meeting, but Jones finished with a respectable 8-68 on 10 targets. At more than $1k savings, I’d rather run back my Chiefs’ stacks with Jones.
| Player | DraftKings | FanDuel |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Kelce | $7,700 | $8,000 |
| George Kittle | $5,700 | $7,100 |
| Dallas Goedert | $4,500 | $6,300 |
| Evan Engram | $4,300 | $6,000 |
| Dalton Schultz | $4,200 | $6,400 |
| Dawson Knox | $3,800 | $5,800 |
| Hayden Hurst | $3,200 | $5,000 |
| Daniel Bellinger | $3,000 | $4,900 |
Tight end
Weekly strategy – The TE position is loaded this weekend. There are zero reasons to not go all in on double-TE or even triple-TE here. Most of my lineups will have both Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert. That said, I could pair any of the other TEs with Goedert to save money.
Pay to play
Travis Kelce, Chiefs vs. JAX
($7,700 DK, $8,000 FD) We get the best TE in football going up against one of the softest TE defenses in the league in what should be a shootout. Sign me up. In their earlier meeting, Kelce had only posted 6-81-1. Of course, Noah Gray and Jody Fortson also added 3-26-1 in that game. Don’t be shocked when Kelce finishes with 10-125-2 here. Considering the high price and the multitude of quality TEs on this slate, you can use Kelce as your pseudo-WR1, and spend less on that position while building a double-TE lineup.
Stay away
George Kittle, 49ers vs. DAL ($5,700 DK, $7,100 FD) We get the battle of the red-hot TE versus the dominant TE defense. This matchup should be epic. Dallas has allowed two TEs to score since the start of the season. Meanwhile, Kittle has scored seven TDs in his last five games. I feel much more comfortable playing him at his DK price than for just $900 less than Kelce at FD. That said, throw him into a double-TE lineup or two and pray that Brock Purdy keeps looking his way.
Value play
Dallas Goedert, Eagles vs. NYG ($4,500 DK, $6,300 FD) While the Giants were busy taking Justin Jefferson out of the game last week, they once again allowed T.J. Hockenson to go ham against them. Looking back at the season, every elite TE to face this defense went off against them. At this price, Goedert must be your first plan if you pivot off of Kelce. Or, just play them both and count your winnings.
