Tenacious Targets: NFL DFS GPP picks for the Divisional Round

This NFL DFS article will give my personal plays for DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo and SuperDraft. I will walk you through my process of selecting each player. I have gone through each game and each position, and these are my favorite plays that I have landed on.

With quarterbacks I want someone capable of running so I can score in two categories. With running backs, I typically want someone who is also a pass catcher. With wide receivers I want guaranteed targets in a favorable matchup. With tight ends I want consistency.

Quarterback My rankings:

Josh Allen Aaron Rodgers Patrick Mahomes Joe Burrow Running Back Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers Elijah Mitchell had 27 rushing attempts in the first week of the playoffs, which is 10 more than the next-closest back ( Cam Akers ). Now he heads to Lambeau, in freezing weather, where the game plan should be run the ball and keep the Green Bay offense off the field as much as possible. Of the remaining starting backs left in the playoffs, he led Wild Card weekend with the most yards per attempt (3.56). The Packers are allowing the third highest YPA in the league (4.69).

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs Clyde Edwards-Helaire practiced fully this week and doesn’t carry an injury designation into Sunday’s game against the Bills. The Bills are the worst team against the run remaining in the playoffs. The have allowed the most rushing TDs (19), the most red-zone touchdowns (16), and the second-most yards (1,858) on the slate. The Patriots exploited just how vulnerable the Bills are against the run in Week 16, and it has been downhill for Buffalo ever since. CEH is the ninth highest-priced back on the slate (including possible TB inactives). If you do not have Patrick Mahomes , getting exposure to the run game, on a four-game slate, should be a priority. The price and matchup combination makes a lot of sense to me here. Bonus if Darrel Williams is ruled out, as he could eat into the goal-line and passing-game work if he plays.

Others from the FTN Optimizer player pool (Check out the FTN DFS Optimizer when building your lineups.)

Devin Singletary Cam Akers Aaron Jones Derrick Henry Wide Receiver Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers He is the most mispriced receiver on the slate with Marquez Valdes-Scantling deemed doubtful after the salaries were released. He is going to lineup primarily (over 50%) in the slot against K'Waun Williams of the San Francisco 49ers. Williams is allowing the highest catch rate on the entire slate at 84%. Not that the 49ers can stop Davante Adams , but their focus will be on him, allowing hopefully more open looks for Allen Lazard . We know Rodgers is going to funnel passes to his most trusted options, and in this game that is Adams and Lazard, even with Randall Cobb back. Lazard is going to be my highest-owned WR on the main slate.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams I am going to be forced to go with Cooper Kupp and the top overall spend-up at WR on the slate. He is the most targeted WR in the league and he has the most touchdowns, yards, receptions, targets and fantasy points in 2021. He also has a better matchup than Davante Adams and Ja’Marr Chase while being fairly close in price to them. In the slot, Kupp will see a lot of Antoine Winfield , who gives up a 72% catch rate, which is 10-20% worse than what any other WR stud will see on the slate. He has the best matchup on the board on the FTN WR/CB matchup tool .

Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals Like always, one of the Bengals receivers is going to go off and make the optimal lineup. This week I will take a shot on Tyler Boyd . He runs 90% of his routes out of the slot. He will see Elijah Molden , who although has not been bad (67% catch rate) is still the easiest matchup to target in the secondary. If you have the salary to pay up and little and get Tee Higgins , I am fine with that as well. The Titans defense should be laser focused on stopping Ja'Marr Chase .

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers Jauan Jennings is a high-risk, high-reward play. He is only going to be on the field about 50% of the time, but he is only $3,400 on DK and has the second-easiest receiver matchup on the slate this week against Chandon Sullivan of the Packers secondary.

Others from the FTN Optimizer player pool Elite spend-ups : Davante Adams , A.J. Brown Mid-range : Tee Higgins , Byron Pringle Tight End George Kittle. San Francisco 49ers The Packers allow the second-most fantasy points to the tight end (10.6), left in the playoffs. They have allowed 8 receiving TDs to the position, which is tied with six other teams for fifth worst in the NFL during the regular season. Among teams in the playoffs, they are the worst at allowing TD against the TE, along with the Bengals. George Kittle is not priced like the elite option he is at only $5,300 on DK.

Anthony Firkser, Tennessee Titans Anthony Firkser has two touchdowns the past two games while catching 100% of his target the past four weeks (10). He is only $3,100 on DraftKings and faces a Bengals defense that is allowing the most fantasy points (12) to the position left in the playoffs. The Bills, Titans and 49ers are all elite guarding the TE immediately eliminating half of the field from my main lineup. He is coming in at low rostership, on a short slate, at cheap price in a plus matchup. He is worth chasing the recent production.

Others from the FTN Optimizer player pool Rob Gronkowski Cameron Brate Defense/Special Teams Green Bay Packers Tennessee Titans Los Angeles Rams Check out my cheat sheet here — that will be updated with any additional plays I find.

Tenacious Targets: NFL DFS GPP picks for the Divisional Round

Quarterback

Running Back

Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers

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