DraftKings NFL: Wild Card Saturday DFS Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.

The Games

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford at CAR ($6,900): The Rams have a 28.5-point implied total, considerably higher than the Packers and Bears, so it's easy to understand why Stafford projects for the most raw points at QB. He was also fantastic this season, throwing for 46 touchdowns as he continues to play his best football in the twilight of his career. Caleb Williams ($5,600) and Jordan Love ($5,300) project a bit better from a point-per-dollar standpoint because they're significantly cheaper, but because pricing is rather loose, I'd still expect Stafford to be the most popular. 

Williams and Love are strong options in their own right, as they're both capable of hitting a ceiling in any matchup. Williams and Chicago are peaking while Love hasn't played since suffering a concussion against the Bears in Week 16. Still, the Packers were unlucky to lose that game despite being shorthanded on both sides of the ball. Love was impressive, throwing for three scores in the Week 14 matchup that Green Bay won 28-21. It's notable that they're one-point road favorites. I'm from Wisconsin, so I'll side with Love, but both are viable in any format. Bryce Young ($5,000) will be much less popular than the others and that's the main selling point for rostering him in GPPs. He threw for three touchdowns when the Panthers upset the Rams 31-28 in Week 13. 

Running Back

Josh Jacobs at CHI ($6,300): After managing a knee injury over the last month of the season, Jacobs comes into Saturday without an injury designation. If healthy and ready for a full workload, he's considerably underpriced for a player we saw in the mid $7Ks most weeks, and that's why he projects as the top point-per-dollar by some margin. That makes him essentially a lock for cash games but also a candidate to fade for leverage in GPPs in you prefer a Bear or Panther. 

Kyren Williams at CAR ($6,400): Williams is probably a must for cash games too, given that pricing is soft and because he projects considerably better than D'Andre Swift ($5,700) and Rico Dowdle ($5,500), who have Kyle Monangai ($5,200) and Chuba Hubbard ($4,500), respectively, to contend with for touches. The same could be said, to a lesser extent, about Blake Corum ($5,400), who's looked good in an expanded role. Nevertheless, Williams will command similar ownership to Jacobs, and rightfully so, with the Rams in the most favorable spot. 

Wide Receiver

Puka Nacua at CAR ($8,700): The easiest click on the board, Nacua will be exceedingly popular, especially because there are literally no other options in the $7K-$8K salary range. He's coming off another incredible season and has looked unstoppable of late. The only reason to fade him is for leverage, as it would be the easiest way to be unique in the largest-field tournaments. It's always possible that three other WRs go for 20+ DraftKings points and 15 from Nacua isn't enough. Especially when one of those WRs is Davante Adams ($6,500), who's supposedly back to full health after missing the final three games with a hamstring injury. Clearly Stafford's favorite red-zone target, Adams caught 14 touchdowns in 14 games. Tetairoa McMillan ($6,000) won't project as well because he doesn't draw the consistent volume of targets, but his upside is still massive. The most talented WR in his class, we saw that when he caught eight passes for 130 yards and two TDs against the Falcons in Week 11. 

Christian Watson at CHI ($4,900): Watson will be the most popular non-Ram WR, as he's really established himself as the Packers No. 1 since returning from a long injury layoff in Week 8. Always a deep threat, he's added other parts to his game and become a complete receiver. With six touchdowns in his last seven games, he's topped 18 DraftKings in four. Romeo Doubs ($4,400) and Jayden Reed ($4,000) are worthy tournament options; both have plenty of upside for relatively cheap salaries, but I think Reed is the more likely to get there on one or two big plays. 

On the Bears side, it will be important to monitor the status of Rome Odunze ($5,800), who hasn't played since Week 13 but seems to be trending in the right direction. DJ Moore ($5,300) and Luther Burden ($4,600) have benefitted from his absence. Assuming Odunze plays, I won't have much interest in him or Moore. Burden, who's averaging over six targets in the last five games, looks like the best option regardless and he's cheaper. 

Jalen Coker ($4,500) is also worth mentioning; coming off six catches and a TD last week, he's scored in three of the last five games. Panthers WRs will likely have the most favorable game script assuming they're playing catchup in the second half.

Tight End

Colston Loveland vs. GB ($4,400): Written off by some after a slow start to his career, Loveland has been a revelation in recent weeks. He's coming off 10 catches for 91 yards and a TD against the Lions last week, after six catches for 94 yards and a score the week before. He's become the top target of Caleb Williams and part of the reason I have less interest in Bears WRs. 

If you're looking to save salary, Rams tight ends remain viable. Tyler Higbee ($3,200) returned from a six-week absence to catch five passes for 91 yards and a touchdown last week, while Colby Parkinson ($3,700) has drawn seven targets in three of the last four games. Both are fine options, but I'd temper my expectations some with Davante Adams back in the fold. 

Defense/Special Teams

I wouldn't prioritize a defense on this slate, but the Rams ($3,500) project best, which makes sense because they're up against the worst of the four QBs and Carolina have the lowest implied total. The position is so variable, and saving salary is often more important, so any of the four are viable. The Panthers ($2,000) picked off Stafford twice and sacked him twice on their way to putting up 13 points in the Week 13 matchup while the Rams scored two points. Anything is possible.