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Wild Card Weekend is behind us, but we have four huge matchups this weekend for the Divisional round in the NFL and two games on the Saturday only slate for FanDuel. While DraftKings put all four of the games on their main slate, FanDuel opted to create their biggest contests for the two-game slates only but also still has a full four-game slate, too. Make sure you check out my dude Jorge Pucks' breakdown of the Sunday slate as well.
The Bills will host the Ravens in Buffalo after both teams escaped with narrow victories last weekend. That's going to be a great game and has a significantly higher total of the two games on this slate. Meanwhile, the Rams are touchdown underdogs on the road in Green Bay but have to be feeling good about their team after a convincing win over division rival Seattle last weekend. I think both underdogs are live and that we are likely going to want a sprinkle of all four teams' players into our DFS lineups.
In this article, I will be providing you with my Divisional round Saturday slate daily fantasy football lineup picks on FanDuel. These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @ThunderDanDFS.
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NFL DFS Divisional Round Saturday Slate
4:35 PM EST: L.A. Rams (+6.5) @ Green Bay Packers (45.5 O/U)
8:15 PM EST: Baltimore Ravens (+2.5) @ Buffalo Bills (49.5 O/U)
FanDuel DFS Quarterbacks
Josh Allen vs. BAL ($8,800)
I want my QB to come from this game in Buffalo, and I really don't care about the forecast that might be calling for snow and cold weather. Allen has elite rushing upside with his scrambling ability and is going to be asked to carry the Bills offense again this week. With Zack Moss out, they're left with Devin Singletary in the run game and Buffalo has failed to run the ball consistently all season.
Allen is going to be slinging it, and the way to beat Baltimore is through the air as several other teams have proven this season (KC, Pittsburgh). The combination of the rushing upside and large number of passing attempts gives Allen a huge ceiling and if the Bills pull this off against a surging Ravens team, it's likely on the back of a big-time performance from their MVP.
Lamar Jackson @BUF ($8,000)
I have been critical of Lamar Jackson over his career as I think he's a bit of a one-trick pony, but damn is he good at doing what he does. He simply makes plays and his ability to run is something we haven't seen out of an NFL QB since Michael Vick. He can break open any game at any time with a huge run and while he's not a great passer, he certainly knows where to pick his spots and when to tuck it and run.
Buffalo's defense isn't anything to fear and I think the Ravens move the ball throughout this game and pull off the upset. Jackson is going to run for 80-100 yards and account for a huge chunk of the Baltimore offensive production. We are getting him at a really fair price here, too, and I have to admit I like him a bit more than Allen based on their salaries.
FanDuel DFS Running Backs
Cam Akers @GB ($7,000)
If the Rams are going to win this game, it's because they are going to control the line of scrimmage and have success in the run game. They want to keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hands and away from the high-powered Packers offense as much as possible. Akers had a massive game last weekend with 176 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches and the Rams would be crazy not to go back to him this week in an even better matchup.
Green Bay has a middling rush defense as they rank 18th in rush DVOA and 23rd in adjusted line yards as per Football Outsiders. The Rams clearly want to run the ball and set up some high percentage play-action passing, which allows Jared Goff to be a game manager of sorts. Akers has been dynamic with the ball off tackle and has been an asset in the passing game. He should be able to find some success against this Green Bay defense regardless of the game script.
J.K. Dobbins @BUF ($6,500)
Buffalo is the other run defense I want to target this week as they rank 17th in rush DVOA and 19th in adjusted line yards. The Ravens are a run-first football team and it's no secret that they are going to come out and try to push other teams around with their offensive line and a 300-pound fullback. Dobbins continues to be incredibly productive on a per-touch basis and has now scored a touchdown in seven consecutive games.
It might seem hard to justify rostering a back who may only have 10-15 touches, but the quality of those touches matters and the fact that he's finding ways to get in the end zone. A positive game script here could always lead to more touches and a huge day if Baltimore pulls out a win.
FanDuel DFS Wide Receivers
Davante Adams vs. LAR ($9,000)
Adams has been matchup-proof all season and even though he might draw coverage from Jalen Ramsey for much of this game, I think he's still going to be highly targeted and find his way into the end zone. He scored touchdowns at an incredible rate this season and he's a good bet to reach paydirt again. The Rams Defense is really tough against both the run and the pass, but I expect them to have an easier time shutting down Aaron Jones than they will attempting to stop Adams.
Cole Beasley vs. BAL ($5,900)
It's tough to justify paying up for Stefon Diggs on this slate when Davante Adams is only a few hundred dollars more. But I do want exposure to the Bills' passing game. Beasley has been a safety valve for Allen throughout the season as he operates out of the slot and runs a lot of the crossing patterns and out routes that Allen can utilize him on when he's pressure or scrambling. He's going to rack up targets and catches and if he happens to get in the end zone he will smash this price tag. Don't totally sleep on John Brown here, either. Even though he was held catchless last week, he ran routes on 44 passing plays and he will be lower-owned after last week's dud.
FanDuel DFS Tight Ends
Mark Andrews @BUF ($6,600)
The Bills have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to the tight end position this season and you'd have to think that Andrews is going to be a big part of the game plan this week for the Ravens. While Hollywood Brown had a great game last week, he'll likely draw a really tough matchup with the Bills' top cornerback Tre'Davious White.
I look for Andrews to work in the middle of the field and for Jackson to target him in the play-action passing game. He's the most expensive tight end, but it's not all that hard to fit him into your builds. If you're looking for a pivot, consider Robert Tonyan for the Packers.
FanDuel DFS Defense/Special Teams
I am all about saving some money on defense this week and both underdogs have the cheapest defenses on the slate. The Rams are only 3800 despite being a top-5 defense in the NFL and have an elite pass rush that can pile up sacks and force turnovers. If you don't want to go after Rodgers at home, then consider the Ravens for 200 less against Josh Allen, who is likely going to have to throw it 40+ times as the Bills have no semblance of a running game. Either way, the best defenses are the cheap ones this week, don't pay up for either of the home favorites.
Well, that's it, everyone! Good luck, RotoBallers, in your contests and I hope this slate turns out to be a profitable one for you!
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