Daily Fantasy Football advice for Wild Card Weekend

As we roll into the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend, here’s some advice on Premium and Value picks to optimize your Daily Fantasy Football roster.

Who is ready for some playoff football?!

This week marks one of the most exciting weekends of the entire football season, pitting some of the youngest and most exciting NFL teams against each other. There are so many exciting players, storylines, and intriguing match-ups to wet you NFL whistle, but if you’re looking for more, here are a few of the premium players I like this week in Daily Fantasy Football, as well as some cheaper options.

Keep in mind when you are building a lineup of the $50,000 budget and some players having limited roles this Sunday.

Quarterback  – Premium

• Jared Goff – $6,700 – The most expensive QB option this week looks to be Jared Goff and if you are in the market for a premium quarterback then Goff is the correct choice. The Rams finished the 2017 season with the most points scored per game, just shy of 30 a game, and were in the top for 10 total yards, pass yards and rush yards. Atlanta‘s defense isn’t anything to shake a stick at but I think this is the shoot-out of the weekend and Goff should shine.

Quarterback – Value

• Marcus Mariota – $5,500 – The cheapest option of the starting quarterbacks this weekend is Mariota and I think he is a steal. Not only does Mariota bring a rushing element, he is also going up against a defense giving up 365 yards per game, 5th worst in the entire league. Last week against a fantastic Jaguars defense, in another must-win game, Mariota led the team in rushing and finished with roughly 15 fantasy points. I think 15 points is Mariota’s floor, with the potential for a monster game.

Running back – Premium

• Todd Gurley II – $9,700 – Oh, baby, I love me some Todd Gurley II this week. The Rams and Goff have been relying on Gurley all season and it has obviously paid off. The MVP candidate will not only be fed the ball he should also be involved in the passing game. Yes, he is the most expensive player this week, but as yearly fantasy players know, Gurley can go off for 50 points in a single game.

Running back – Value

• Marcus Murphy – $3,700 – Who is Marcus Murphy? You may ask. Well, he could be the starting running back for the Buffalo Bills this week. LeSean McCoy went down with an injury last week and Murphy and Mike Tolbert are the only two running backs left on the depth chart. In Murphys very limited work last week he ran for 41 yards on 7 carries and caught two passes. At just $3,700, regardless if McCoy plays, Murphy will get some work and I think is a good, cheap flyer.

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Wide Receiver – Premium

• Mike Thomas – $7,800 – Thomas, who is coming off his best season, has become Drew Brees top target and should thrive against a weak Carolina secondary. The Panthers are the third-best rush defense which should limit Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram of the Saints leaving Brees and Thomas to work their magic. Carolina finished 18th against the pass and should have trouble covering the Saints new stud receiver. In Thomas’s two games against the Panthers, he went for 157 yards, 2 touchdowns and 12 catches, two of his better games of the season.

Wide Receiver – Value

• Sammy Watkins – $5,100 – In the Daily Fantasy world there is a term used called ‘Stacking’ which means combining the same teams QB and WR and kind of banking on some double points. Watkins comes in as one of the cheapest starting wide receivers and the cheapest of the three Rams’ receivers. Atlanta’s top cornerback will be covering Robert Woods all day and I think Watkins has as good a shot as any of the Rams pass catchers to score a touchdown.

Flex –

• Allen Hurns – $4,600 – Allen Hurns is back this week and should slide into the Jaguars starting wide receiver spot. To get back Hurns will be huge for the Jags this week, as the team has been pedaling no-name receivers out onto the field for weeks and Blake Bortles‘ production has suffered as a result. Anytime you can get a number one wide receiver in DFS for $4,600 you take it, even if he’s a Jaguar.

Tight End – Premium

• Travis Kelce – $7,100 – Kelce has been one of the most consistent top tight end options all season. If you are interested in playing a premium tight end this week then Kelce is your only option. Greg Olsen is banged up and after Kelce and Olson there is a significant drop-off. Alex Smith will have to rely on his number one option this week and I think Kelce has a great game.

Tight End – Value

Austin Hooper

– $2,900 – A bottom of the barrel tight end option this week looks to be Hooper. An on-and-off fantasy option, Hooper should do the trick if you have to squeeze in a cheaper tight end. Atlanta’s offense should score at least two-to-three touchdowns this week and Hooper is the number two red-zone option on a pretty good Falcons offense.

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Defense/Special Teams – Premium

• Jaguars – $4,400 – One of the best defenses in the NFL this year goes up against a banged up McCoy, a banged up Kelvin Benjamin, a banged up Charles Clay, and a quarterback who’s throwing for less than 200 yards a game. The Jags could realistically pitch a shut out this week and are the best option for an expensive defense.

Defense/Special Teams – Value

• Rams – $2,700 – The Rams defense is loaded with talent and Matt Ryan and company on the Falcons offense haven’t performed like they did last season. The Falcons have had some injuries on their offensive line which shouldn’t make anything easier as the Rams strength is their front seven. For a cheaper option, I like the Rams as I figure they’ll record a number of sacks and should force an interception.

Below is a mock roster including my premium and value picks. The roster I will be riding with this week.

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