DFS Cash Game Plays: Divisional Round
The NFL Divisional Weekend DFS slate is ready for us to attack, but first, let’s think about how to react to last week’s DFS slate. With 19 weeks of data under our belts and just eight teams playing, it’s hard not to overreact to what we saw on the field, particularly as injuries and outlier performances pile up. Let other people chase the outcome stats, and we will instead focus on usage and opportunity.
We will go through each position at a variety of salary levels to see who are the best plays in cash games on DraftKings and FanDuel. For these purposes, a cash game is any contest that pays out more than one-third of the field. While these are also viable GPP options, we are primarily looking for a safe floor combined with high usage that can lead to ceiling games.
DFS Tools
Previous Week’s Results
This was my cash game lineup for all contests in Week 18:
Tough lineup build last week. The only thing I feel I should have done is play Khalil Shakir instead of Jameson Williams. Williams is a thin play in cash games and Shakir was playing without Gabe Davis stealing snaps.
Be sure you’re following me on X (@CableBoxScore) for any updates I make to my player pool as we get closer to lock. I will update that account every weekend with additional players as other news emerges.
Scoring Differences Between DraftKings and FanDuel
A quick primer on DraftKings versus FanDuel scoring for DFS if you are unfamiliar with their platforms.
- On DraftKings, you are selecting nine spots with a total of $50,000 to spend. FanDuel has nine spots with $60,000 to spend, so salaries are slightly higher.
- DraftKings is full PPR scoring, while FanDuel is half-PPR.
- DraftKings deducts one point for a fumble lost and an interception. FanDuel is minus two points for a lost fumble and minus one for an interception.
- DraftKings awards three-point bonuses for 300-yard passing games, 100-yard rushing games, and 100-yard receiving games. FanDuel does not award bonuses.
With those differences in mind, let’s look at which players make good selections in Week 18.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson (DK: $7,900, FD: $8,700) has at least 23 fantasy points in three of his last four games played and now gets a Houston Texans defense that has allowed the eighth-most passing yards and the most rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season. His salary will be tough to fit with value scarce on this slate, but the taste of five touchdowns against Miami is still in our mouths and Jackson and the Ravens have a playoff-failure chip on their shoulder this year.
Brock Purdy (DK: $6,500, FD: $7,800) and Baker Mayfield are the two “value” options this week, but Purdy seems to be in the best spot and has the highest implied team total at his back this week in a home playoff game. Apart from the horrific game against Baltimore in December, Purdy has at least 23 fantasy points in seven of his last nine games and has a fully healthy roster ready to roll against the upstart Green Bay Packers. The Packers’ secondary is a bit banged up with Jaire Alexander dealing with an injury, so that’s one less barrier to success for Purdy.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey (DK: $8,800, FD: $10,800) is $800 cheaper on DK than the last time we saw him, but he got no real discount on FD for this shortened slate. We all know McCaffrey has the best workload and usage in the league, and his team is in the best environment on the slate. He seems to have no lingering effects from his calf injury after a week off and the Packers allowed top-ten numbers in both rushing yards and touchdowns to running backs this season.
Aaron Jones (DK: $6,700, FD: $7,400) will likely still serve as a semi-bell-cow back even if A.J. Dillon returns this week. Jones has turned back the clock recently with four straight games over 17 fantasy points, including averaging 29 points in the last two Packers games, both essentially elimination games. Jones just gashed a strong Dallas rush defense for 118 yards and three scores last week, so concerns about the matchup are likely overblown, especially Jones will be the pass-catching back in this game.
Devin Singletary (DK: $5,700, FD: $6,400) is priced like a running back who has a part-time role or who is significantly slumping in more of a featured role. Neither of those things are true and a matchup against a tough Baltimore rush defense shouldn’t scare us off from Singletary, who is playing more than 80% of his team’s running back snaps. Singletary has at least 16 touches in each of the last three games and just put up 16 points against one of the best rush defenses in the league against the Cleveland Browns.
Wide Receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown (DK: $8,200, FD: $9,200) gets the top billing among the wide receivers this week with no Tyreek Hill or CeeDee Lamb left in the postseason. But his salary doesn’t scare me one bit considering his production over the last five weeks combined with a matchup against a weak Buccaneers secondary. The Sun God has five straight with at least 21 fantasy points and only three teams allowed more passing yards than Tampa Bay in 2023.
Nico Collins (DK: $7,100, FD: $8,700) might get even more looks this week than he has been with Noah Brown placed on season-ending IR by the Texans. With no Brown or Tank Dell, Collins has exploded lately, with at least seven targets, 80 yards, and 16 fantasy points in each of his last three games. Collins is also $500 cheaper on DK than he was in Week 18, and his salary is way too low considering how often C.J. Stroud looks his way.
Rashee Rice (DK: $6,800, FD: $7,800) is simply a WR1 in all forms of fantasy football now, and there is really no way to dispute it. He has averaged nine targets and 128.5 receiving yards in his last two games and has even passed Travis Kelce as Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target. With the Chiefs on the road and underdogs in this game, I expect Mahomes to lean on Rice early and often, extending his steak of at least 20 fantasy points in three of his last four games.
Josh Reynolds (DK: $3,700, FD: $6,100) has become a focal point of the Lions’ passing attack lately, especially with Sam LaPorta hobbled. Reynolds saw seven targets in the Wild Card Weekend win and turned that into five catches for 80 yards. The Buccaneers are very beatable through the air, as we saw with Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Reynolds’ low salary on DK is the skeleton to the rest of our lineups. His salary is not nearly as attractive over on FanDuel.
Tight End
George Kittle (DK: $5,200, FD: $6,400) looks like the best spend-up tight end option with Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, and Mark Andrews all facing injury or usage questions for this round. Only five teams allowed more touchdowns to tight ends than the Packers did this season, and Kittle has below 54 receiving yards just once in his last four games.
Cade Otton (DK: $3,500, FD: $5,300) has clearly become one of Baker Mayfield’s favorite targets, and when Mike Evans was struggling with drops against the Eagles, Mayfield looked his way often. Otton caught eight of 11 targets for 89 yards and his salary on both sites does not reflect the new role he has in this Tampa Bay offense. The Lions allowed top-ten numbers to tight ends in both yards and touchdowns.
Defense/Special Teams
Baltimore Ravens DST (DK: $3,500, FD: $4,300) are the most expensive defense on the DK slate this week, and for good reason. They haven’t allowed more than 19 points since Week 14, they have at least three sacks in three straight games, and have forced 12 turnovers in the last four games. C.J. Stroud might have led the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio, but on the road as an underdog is a great place to bet on some sacks and turnovers.
Buffalo Bills DST (DK: $2,800, FD: $4,000) are simply underpriced on DK relative to their opportunity. They have six interceptions in the last three games, and you can be sure they will be looking to shut down the run game for Kansas City so they can put pressure on Patrick Mahomes on the road. After recently holding Miami and Dallas to a combined 24 points, this squad is simply playing on another level right now.
Cash Game Sample Lineup
Using the players listed above, you could construct a roster that looks something like this. However, remember that this is just a suggested build and could change drastically by the time the games kick off on Sunday. You should come to your own conclusions and build a cash game roster that suits the players you prefer and your style of build.
