While the masses are giving their undivided attention to the same old million dollar dreams on the big sites, we’re shifting much of our focus towards the user-friendly site and fish-filled pools over on SuperDraft.
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Here’s another look at my SuperDraft cheatsheet for Wild Card Weekend:
Let’s get into my top plays and fades…
Top Plays
QB
- Drew Brees, NO (1.35x) – The Bears are 1-6 against teams that made it to the playoffs this season, allowing an average of nearly 27 points per game to those teams. In their last ten, the Chicago pass defense has allowed 2 or more touchdowns nine times. Brees is at home, with a significant multiplier…this is as good as it gets for me at quarterback this weekend.
- Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (1.3x) – Cleveland is allowing the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, yet are top ten against the run. Big Ben has an impressive compliment of pass catchers and has averaged over 40 passing attempts in his 15 games this season. Big volume and a relatively high multiplier earn Roethlisberger a spot in my top plays.
RB
- Jonathan Taylor, IND (1.25x) – Taylor has turned on the jets since late November, averaging 123.5 rushing yards and finding the end zone 8 times in six games. Buffalo’s run defense is much improved since early in the season, when Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds worked through injuries, but they are still allowed nearly 4.5 yards per carry to opposing backs.
- J.K. Dobbins, BAL (1.35x) – This game has track meet potential, with an explosive and well-rounded Titan offense looking to keep pace with the Ravens run game. Marquise Brown has rounded into form just in the nick of time, but Baltimore should still lean on Dobbins here to control the all-important battle for time of possession.
WR
- Marquise Brown, BAL (1.55x) – The aforementioned Hollywood Brown has righted the ship over the last month of the season, reaching the end zone six times in his last six games. While his other receiving numbers have been pedestrian at best, the Titans enter Sunday’s contest allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers.
- Emmanuel Sanders, NO (1.55x) – Another big multiplier for another team’s WR1, Sanders has stepped up as Brees’ favorite target in Michael Thomas’ absence. Although Thomas could return this week, he’s only 1x on SuperDraft, which keeps Sanders in line as my favorite pass catcher for Saints stacks.
TE
- Logan Thomas, WAS (1.3x) – Washington’s quarterback situation still sounds like it’s up in the air. Regardless of who is under center, Thomas at 1.3x is as good an option at the tight end position as it probably gets this week. Sure, Gronk has some upside at 1.4x, and Andrews floor may be worthy of taking the 1x plunge, but Thomas gives you the best of both worlds, in my opinion, with a big floor (6+ catches in four of his last five) and the upside (20+ point fantasy games in two of those five) with a decent multiplier.
- Mark Andrews, BAL (1x) – There are a whole lot of Ravens in my to plays this week, which might give you a sense of who I feel like wins this game on Sunday. It feels like all DFS rosters are going to need one of either Marquise Brown or Mark Andrews this week, while the full Jackson-Brown-Andrews stack can certainly be considered in GPP’s.
Cash Plays
QB
- Tom Brady, TB (1.2x) – It took awhile, but Tampa finally has this offense that is chock full of pro bowl caliber players clicking. Brady is firing on all cylinders heading into wild card weekend, with 340+ passing yards in four of his final six games. Since Tampa’s week 13 bye, Brady has played at a 16-game pace of 5,332 yards and 48 touchdowns…at the ripe old age of 43!
- Lamar Jackson, BAL (1x) – With all of Baltimore’s offensive studs in the top plays section, you may be wondering why the catalyst of it all has been banished to the lowly Cash Plays section. It’s simply the 1x and nothing more. I think Jackson is a fine GPP option, but if we’re looking for a safe floor for double ups, I don’t see any way Jackson flops in this spot.
RB
- Alvin Kamara, NO (1.1x) – Some may think there is risk in rostering Kamara after he’s missed practice for 10 straight days. I don’t see it that way. This is an instinct position, and Kamara has plenty of that. Chicago has a formidable defensive line, so I expect Brees to be looking for the dump off early and often in this matchup. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kamara wind up with more receiving yards than rushing yards here.
- Derrick Henry, TEN (1x) – I certainly don’t love the 1x plays, but on a three-game or six-game slate, the options are limited enough to make it a viable play. While the Ravens have decent numbers against the run at first glance, they’re still allowing nearly 4.5 yards per carry to opposing backs, which puts them in the back half of the NFL. Henry carried the ball 28 times for 133 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting between these two teams back in November.
WR
- Stefon Diggs, BUF (1x) – Diggs finished the 2020 regular season atop the league in catches and receiving yards. He is a target hog in this Buffalo offense that could be without Cole Beasley again tomorrow. While the Colts sport a generally stingy defense, there are only six teams allowing more yards per game to opposing receivers.
- Diontae Johnson, PIT (1.2x) – Johnson had a bad case of dropsitis throughout December, but he seems to be getting a grasp on the issue. He’s emerged as the clear WR1 for this Steelers team that is full of talent at the position. JuJu Smith-Schuster seems questionable to suit up on Sunday, which would push Johnson even higher up my rankings for the weekend.
TE
- Rob Gronkowski, TB (1.4x) – Gronk took awhile to get acclimated to Tampa’s crowded offense, but he’s found his niche as a red zone target for his old pal Tom. Gronk has caught 7 touchdowns in his last 11 games. I’d like to see some more consistency in his week-to-week production, but the 1.4x makes him a pretty comfy cash option for me.
- Austin Hooper, CLE (1.3x) – Hooper was fantasy’s TE4 over the final three weeks of the season, behind only Kelce, Waller, and Logan Thomas. In those three games, he was targeted 26 times, catching 16-for-149 and 3 touchdowns. Not terrible. At 1.3x he stacks right up there with Thomas and Andrews as top plays this week, though he may be the safest of the three for cash game purposes.
GPP Plays
QB
- Ryan Tannehill, TEN (1.3x) – The Ravens pass defense has been stout throughout the 2020 season, but their offense hasn’t been too bad, either. Could we see this game get to the point where Tannehill is forced to play catch-up? If so, his multiplier gives him some serious upside. It was announced that A.J. Brown will play, which only helps Tannehill.
- Jared Goff, STL (1.25x) – Will Goff play? That’s the only question we need answered before firing him up against a Seahawks pass defense that has improved since the first half of the season, but is still allowing over 300 passing yards per game to opposing offenses.
RB
- James Conner, PIT (1.45x) – Pittsburgh wasn’t exactly focused on winning against Cleveland last week, sitting Big Ben and others. In their first meeting back on October 18, though, Conner carried the ball 20 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. I have trouble imagining the Browns keeping this one close, so Conner should get as many carries as he can handle on Sunday.
- Nick Chubb, CLE (1.15x) – On the other side of this one, it’s Nick Chubb that will get all the work that he wants. Expect the Browns to use Chubb early and often. The question is whether or not they can keep it close. If they do, Chubb is one of my favorite backs of the weekend.
WR
- Antonio Brown, TB (1.45x) – Although it sounds like Mike Evans will play, how effective will he be? Brown exploded without Evans on the field last week. Even though it was at least partly fueled by a contract incentive that Brady was trying to help his boy attain, he looked an awful lot like the AB of old, going 11-138-2.
- Josh Reynolds, LAR (1.7x) – In two games against Seattle this season, Reynolds has caught 14-of-20 targets for 159 yards. This is a secondary that bleeds yardage to the perimeter, making Reynolds another under the radar GPP option for the weekend.
TE
- Jared Cook, NO (1.55x) – Cook has been slowly coming back to life, with double digit fantasy points in four of his last five games. With Michael Thomas coming back this week, perhaps we see a drop off in targets for Cook, but his multiplier and matchup have him firmly in my player pool. The Bears allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.
- Tyler Higbee, LAR (1.3x) – I’ll be honest with you. Higbee wouldn’t normally wind up on this list, but with the limited options available to us at the position this weekend, he’s made the list simply because my O.C.D. wouldn’t allow me to list just one player here. He’s caught at least three balls in four of his last five games, but is nothing more than a guy you want like 2-3% exposure to if MME’ing.
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