DraftKings NFL: Wild Card Sunday DFS Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.

The Games

Quarterback

Josh Allen at JAX ($7,000): From a DFS standpoint, Allen underwhelmed this season. Part of the reason was because James Cook had so much success on the ground but the other part was because Buffalo got next to nothing from its WR group, arguably the worst in the league. Tight end Dalton Kincaid showed promise but missed half the season due to injury. Nevertheless, Allen is priced as low as we've ever seen and the Bills have the highest implied total. Therefore, he projects as strong value and also for the most raw points. The matchup against Jacksonville is interesting because their defense allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL while consequently facing the highest opponent passing rate (64 percent). More drop-backs for Allen would mean more fantasy points, and he usually runs more in the playoffs too. A sneaky-good spot. 

Jalen Hurts ($6,300) might go a bit overlooked because he's sandwiched between Allen and Lawrence, who both project better point-per-dollar in a matchup with a 6.5-point higher total. Sunday's matchup against a considerably weakened San Francisco defense looks quite favorable. We're used to seeing Hurts step up and play well in January. He feels underpriced when you factor in all the one-yard rushing touchdowns. A great tournament option, though MVP frontrunner Drake Maye ($6,800) will be even less popular than Hurts and makes sense in GPPs for those reasons alone.

Trevor Lawrence vs. BUF ($6,100): The Jags have won eight in a row and Lawrence is playing the best football of his life. Point-per-dollar, he projects as well as Allen and his recent performances back that up. Lawrence has topped 21 DraftKings points in six of the last seven games, with ceilings of 31 and 47 mixed in thanks to a few rushing TDs. I think it's essentially a toss up between him and Allen in cash games, depending if you need the salary. An important note about the matchup: the Bills defense is a run funnel and typically very good against the pass. It could end up being a better spot for Travis Etienne than Lawrence. 

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey at PHI ($8,500): McCaffrey led the NFL in touches and finished sixth in receptions (102), so it's easy to understand why he projects as the best point-per-dollar value on the slate. San Francisco's matchup is not ideal though, traveling to Philadelphia to face one of the league's top defenses as they deal with multiple injuries. The 49ers are five-point underdogs and McCaffrey averaged just 3.8 yards per carry this season. Still, much of his value comes from his usage in the passing game and this a good spot for that. But there are certainly justifications for fading him in tournaments if that's the way you're leaning. 

Saquon Barkley vs. SF ($7,000): Barkley's matchup looks much better than McCaffrey's. The Eagles get All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson back, while the 49ers are missing multiple starters on defense and down to a third-string middle linebacker. They allowed 180 rushing yards to the Seahawks last week with the division title on the line. If forced to choose one, Barkley is my favorite running back this week. 

Both RBs in the Buffalo-Jacksonville game are good tournament options at lower ownership than McCaffrey and Barkley. James Cook ($7,400) would be more popular if he didn't have one of the toughest on-paper matchups. The Jags defense is a pass-funnel, holding opposing RBs to the fewest yards in the NFL. Cook has proved matchup-proof this season, however. On the other side, it's a great opportunity for Travis Etienne ($6,600) against the Bills run funnel defense. Buffalo will be missing their best lineman, Ed Oliver and we've already seen them allow 200+ rushing yards on four occasions. 

Wide Receiver

A.J. Brown vs. SF ($6,900): After a slow start to the season, Brown has drawn double-digit targets in five of his last seven games. The Eagles have a favorable matchup against an injury-depleted 49ers defense, and he won't face shadow coverage from Deommodore Lenoir. He's the most expensive WR and I expect him to be the most popular. DeVonta Smith ($5,900) is a good option too, as he'll be less popular than Brown and is significantly cheaper.

Stefon Diggs ($6,300) makes sense as a leverage option in GPPs, especially when paired with Maye. He's put up 25+ DraftKings points in two of the last three games and is expected to be lower owned than the Eagles and Jags WRs. 

Parker Washington vs. BUF ($5,000): Washington has drawn 10, 10 and nine targets over the last three games, resulting in 347 receiving yards and two touchdowns. It's easy to understand why he projects as the best point-per-dollar at the position, and I expect he'll be about as popular as Brown. He's a lock for cash games. Jakobi Meyers ($5,500) looks good as well, and he'll be less popular than otherwise after three consecutive games of single-digit fantasy points, despite catching 15 passes on 23 targets in that span. He's been chalky in recent weeks but now more will be on Washington instead. Rostering both is also an option. Brian Thomas ($4,700) will be forgotten about and makes sense for leverage in the largest field tournaments. 

Looking elsewhere, Khalil Shakir ($4,800) can be paired with Josh Allen at lower ownership than would've been expected. Keep an eye on the status of Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer. Assuming Coleman is inactive, Brandin Cooks ($3,500) should operate as the No. 2 WR, and he's coming off four catches for 101 yards as Allen looked his way on multiple deep shots. 

If you're rostering Drake Maye, I'd recommend pairing him with Kayshon Boutte ($4,300), back to full health and cheaper than he's been. He has home run upside and should play a majority of the snaps. 

Tight End

George Kittle at PHI ($6,200): I think Kittle will go overlooked for various reasons and that makes him one of the more intriguing leverage options for GPPs because he's clearly the best tight end and would have added upside if Ricky Pearsall is ruled out. He will go overlooked because the 49ers have the toughest matchup and lowest total. He's also expensive and there are five other viable TEs. If rostering Purdy or fading McCaffrey, consider using the extra salary for Kittle. 

Dallas Goedert vs. SF ($4,200): While I've highlighted Goedert because he projects just slightly better, I mentioned that five other TEs besides Kittle are very viable. Hunter Henry ($4,500) has scored double-digit DraftKings points in five of the last six games, Brenton Strange ($3,900) has 14 catches on 20 targets over the last three, Dalton Kincaid ($3,800) is back healthy and was Josh Allen's favorite target prior to getting hurt, flashing a ceiling with 100-yard games in Weeks 6 and 9, and Oronde Gadsden ($3,400) has been inconsistent but cheap and has serious talent. As road underdogs against a stout run defense, it should be a good script for Justin Herbert and Chargers pass-catchers. Take your pick.

Defense/Special Teams

• Los Angeles Chargers at NE ($2,200)

Either the Chargers or Eagles ($2,900) will be the most popular; the Chargers because they're the cheapest and have sack upside against Maye, the Eagles because they have the best defense of the six teams on this slate. The Patriots ($3,200) make sense too because Herbert has been under constant pressure since All-Pro tackle Joe Alt was lost for the season.