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The first week of the USFL playoffs are here, with four teams left vying for the championship. Philadelphia takes on New Jersey in the first playoff game of the day, followed by New Orleans taking on Birmingham.
In this article I will be providing you with daily fantasy football USFL DFS picks on DraftKings for the semifinals of the USFL season. These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks.
This slate locks on 6/25/2022 at 3:00 p.m. ET. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter: @juscarts
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USFL Quarterback DFS Picks
Case Cookus (Philadelphia Stars) - vs New Jersey ($11,000)
Cookus averages more fantasy points per game than any healthy QB in the league, so if you're looking for a high floor play, this is it. He's had one real stinker, when he had just 1.5 fantasy points against Pittsburgh in Week 9, but he's also had some explosive games lately, including a Week 8 showing where he had 247 passing yards and four touchdowns, plus 102 rushing yards. He was solid in a relief effort in Week 3 against New Jersey.
De'Andre Johnson (New Jersey Generals) - vs Philadelphia ($8,000)
Johnson's rushing attempts are down in his two games back from his ankle injury, but Johnson had five games earlier this season with double-digit rushing attempts. He was 8-for-10 throwing the ball last week, with his third 100-yard passing game of the season. Luis Perez getting snaps will also hurt Johnson's upside, but considering Johnson had 20.3 fantasy points in the first meeting of these teams, I'll sprinkle him into some lineups.
USFL Running Back DFS Picks
Jordan Ellis (New Orleans Breakers) - vs Birmingham ($9,600)
Ellis has had just one game this season with fewer than 10 carries. Even in a meaningless game last week, he toted the rock 10 times. His per carry averages aren't looking too great, but Ellis is definitely the safe play on this slate, as he's guaranteed to get touches, even if Anthony Jones winds up siphoning off some of them.
C.J. Marable (Birmingham Stallions) - vs New Orleans ($7,700)
Marable has maintained a solid volume lately, even if the days of him getting 16 or more carries are behind him because of Bo Scarbrough. Marable has seen an increase in his passing game usage lately too, with eight targets over the last two games. Last week, he had eight carries for 47 yards and a touchdown, plus four catches for 39 yards.
USFL Wide Receiver/Tight End DFS Picks
Kavontae Turpin (New Jersey Generals) - vs Philadelphia ($10,600)
This is the safest pick you can make. Turpin has double-digit fantasy points in eight consecutive games. After not doing much in the first two weeks, he exploded for five catches and 78 yards against Philly in Week 3, plus added 14 rushing yards. Turpin gets used as both a receiver and a rusher, which raises his ceiling as well. He's caught all 13 of his targets over the last three games. Turpin basically is the Generals offense at this point.
Jordan Suell (Philadelphia Stars) - vs New Jersey ($9,100)
I'm a fan of stacks in the USFL, so if I'm playing Cookus at QB, I want a Star receiver. It's been tough to predict this receiving unit, but Suell has touchdowns in three of the last four weeks, giving him the most upside among the Philly wideouts. Last week, he was targeted eight times, pulling in five for 31 yards and a score against this same New Jersey team.
Alonzo Moore (New Jersey Generals) - vs Philadelphia ($5,100)
Moore had a great game last week against the Stars, catching seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, that was a large amount of his 2022 production. And yes, in Week 9 he was held without a catch. But I think Moore is a good option if you don't want to pay up for Turpin.
Adrian Hardy (Birmingham Stallions) - vs New Orleans ($3,700)
Birmingham has three receivers/tight ends listed as out for this game, which should bode well for Hardy, who is my favorite value play on this slate. He didn't make his debut until Week 8, but since then, he's brought in all eight of his targets for 128 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 10.9 fantasy points per game. The low volume is obviously not my favorite thing, but his sure hands and the fact that Birmingham is targeting him in the end zone are the kind of positives that I cling to when looking for a value guy.
USFL D/ST DFS Picks
New Orleans Breakers - vs Birmingham ($4,100)
For a slate like this where things are likely to be a bit of a crapshoot, I'm good with targeting the cheapest DST on the slate, which also happens to be the one that averages the most fantasy points per contest at 9.9. This defense had 14.0 fantasy points the last time these teams played, with four sacks, one interception and just 10 points allowed. It had a pick and a sack in the first meeting too.
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