Twelve of the 14 teams in the NFL Playoffs will face off over wild-card weekend, which gives us plenty of fantasy options over those six games. A balanced lineup of studs and value plays looks to be the way to go in DFS this weekend.
Here are six players at the various positions to consider in the wild-card round:
QB – Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers ($5,200)
Big Ben may be staving off retirement as Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Saturday. His likely final season hasn’t proven spectacular, but in the wild-card round, he’ll face one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Plus, with the Chiefs as big favorites, Roethlisberger will likely be passing more in the fourth quarter to pad those fantasy stats.
RB – Joe Mixon, Bengals ($6,800)
After missing the regular-season finale under COVID-19 protocols, Mixon is back for the wild card and the Raiders’ 30th-ranked run defense in DFS. The Bengals will likely be playing with a lead late in the game and should lean on their workhorse running back.
RB – Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Buccaneers ($4,500)
This is a bit of a risky play, as Leonard Fournette will be a game-time decision, according to head coach Bruce Arians. But at this low price, Vaughn isn’t a big risk, especially since he would likely get additional reps even if Fournette plays since the starter should be limited.
WR – Cooper Kupp, Rams ($9,000)
Kupp just completed a historic regular season that saw him win the so-called Triple Crown of receiving by leading the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. There’s no reason not to expect more monster fantasy numbers from Kupp against the Cardinals in the wild-card round on Monday night, given that Arizona is one of the worst against defending receivers in DFS.
WR – Cedric Wilson, Cowboys ($4,400)
Wilson has put up nice numbers since Michael Gallup went down with a season-ending knee injury. In the past two games, he snagged 11 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. But his fantasy salary remains low, so Wilson looks to be one of the best value plays on the wild-card weekend.
TE – Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers ($6,400)
After missing a healthy portion of the season due to injury, Gronk has bounced back strong. In just the past two games, he has 14 receptions for 252 yards. The Eagles’ defense is terrible against tight ends, ranking 31st in the NFL in defending the position in DFS.
