The NFL is now offering a triple header on the Saturday of the wildcard weekend, starting with Colts-Bills and ending with Buccaneers-Washington (with Rams-Seahawks in between). These six teams have plenty of solid DFS options, but with several top defenses in action, building a tournament-winning DraftKings lineup isn’t easy. Our picks are aimed at several Colts sleepers that we hope are underserved, as well as a few high-priced stars that we hope will advance through the playoffs.
Panning for likely chalk picks like Josh Allen gives us the differential that, while risky, could offer an advantage. Playing small slate tournaments involves taking some risks, and we definitely do with this lineup.
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Wild Card Saturday DraftKings Picks: NFL DFS tournament playoff line-up
QB Philip Rivers, Colts @ Bills ($ 5,400). They know the bills are going to score points so Indianapolis will likely need to air them out to keep up with them. Rivers has shown he can still do this effectively, averaging 260.6 yards per game for a total of 24 TDs this year. This includes seven multi-TD games and three three-TD games. Using Rivers, the fifth most expensive QB, gives us more salary to play with for our other roster slots without sacrificing a solid floor and relatively high ceiling against a Buffalo defense, giving QBs the fourth most fantasy points .
RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts @ Bills ($ 7,900). Taylor has taken advantage of cheap matchups on the track, averaging 19.8 transfers and 123.5 yards in his last six games. He’ll get the ball early on against Buffalo’s mediocre run defense, but he’s shown that he can also be an effective receiver, making multiple catches in all but four games and having at least four catches four times. It’s an unconventional stack to pair him with Rivers (and Nyheim Hines), but it’s also the kind of unique game that could pay off in a matchup that could score high.
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RB Nyheim Hines, Colts @ Bills ($ 4,700). Hines averaged 66.9 yards and 4.4 receptions in the second half of the season. That came up with only three points, but keep in mind that he has three multi-TD games in the season. Maybe we’re narrowing our edge a little by playing both Colts backs, but with tough RB matchups across the board on Saturday it’s not as crazy as it may look, especially when you consider how much Rivers he’s got on throws his back. Such a constellation construction will certainly give us a differentiation. So if both Hines and Taylor find the end zone, they could really pay off in the DraftKings PPR total.
WR Stefon Diggs, Bills against Colts ($ 7,700). We hope some will avoid Diggs because of the “Q” tag he’s been wearing all week, but we’d be very surprised if his oblique injury keeps him away on Saturday. Instead, we rely on the guaranteed production that he makes available all year round. It doesn’t hurt that Indy’s passing defense has fought down the track, allowing an average of 309.1 meters in the last seven games.
WR Antonio Brown, Buccaneers @ Washington ($ 6,100). Brown was force-fed last week partly because Mike Evans (knee) was injured early and because he was trying to find an incentive in his contract. Either way, there’s a good chance he’ll see lots of goals again this week if Evans is either out or limited. Washington has tough pass defense, but Brown can beat anyone. He has scored in three games in a row and will again be Tom Brady’s favorite target.
WR Cam Sims, Washington v Buccaneers ($ 3,900). We’re going to need at least a WR value to make it big, and we’re counting on Sims to be that guy. He has seen 6.6 goals in Washington’s last five games despite playing with three different QBs. Obviously the quarterback situation is worrying, but Washington will no doubt be forced to throw more in the second half of this competition and the 6-5 Sims will have opportunities on the field and in the red zone. He plays practically every snap, so we’ll take our risk in a cheap matchup.
TE Jack Doyle, Colts @ Bills ($ 2,900). Rivers distributes the ball to its receivers, so picking one to pair with is difficult. So we hope Doyle can make money around the goal line. It’s a risky choice as it’s pretty much touchdown-or-bust, but it’s a great matchup. The fading of Rob Gronkowski and Logan Thomas is risky too, but we will be in good shape if neither of the two scores, even if Doyle only makes a few catches.
FLEX Tyler Lockett, Seahawks v Rams ($ 6,900). In two games against the Rams that year, Lockett made eight catches for 110 yards – not great, but better than teammate DK Metcalf (8-87). Lockett will still have many goals, and his ability to play big always makes him a threat. You have to take some risk on a three-game plan, and since many choose to avoid the Seahawks’ passing game in a tough matchup, we’ll embrace the talent and hope for a big payoff.
D / ST Seattle Seahawks v Rams ($ 2,700). We’re going to defend ourselves cheaply every day against John Wolford or a battered Jared Goff (thumb), especially the Seahawks (16 offensive points per game in the last eight competitions, at least three sacks in seven of the last eight games).
