• Jayden Daniels breaks the rookie commonplace: Rookies should not presupposed to carry out properly on the street within the playoffs, however Daniels broke that development final weekend, and he’ll look to benefit from the injury-riddled Detroit Lions protection this Saturday evening.
• Kyren Williams doesn’t supply the upside that’s wanted resulting from his pricetag: Williams has scored 20-plus fantasy factors in solely three video games this season, as his solely 25-plus level efficiency got here all the best way again in Week 3. Plus, the Philadelphia Eagles protection shouldn’t be one to focus on when looking for high-upside DFS event performs.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Strive PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and study 2025’s prime prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting in your favourite NFL group.
Estimated Studying Time: 9 minutes
The common fantasy season is over, however that doesn’t imply your fantasy soccer enjoyable is over. Get your DFS lineups submitted to benefit from the NFL playoff video games to the fullest! And I can assist you make one of the best lineup! Beneath yow will discover my prime fireplace (increase) and ice (bust) gamers at every place for Divisonal Spherical Weekend. Plus, the highest sleeper (dangerous however excessive upside) on the extensive receiver and tight finish positions. Don’t miss my Fireplace & Ice chart on the backside of this web page. There, I’ve listed out all of my fireplace, good, sleeper and ice performs for Divisional Spherical Weekend.
Word: I used FanDuel’s Saturday-Sunday event slate for participant pricing. FanDuel makes use of half-PPR scoring so I used half-PPR information in my beneath writeup.
Fireplace QB Begin of the Week: Jayden Daniels (at DET)
FanDuel Price: $8,500 – Third amongst QBs
Jayden Daniels isn’t like an everyday rookie quarterback, he’s a cool rookie. Not solely was Daniels the primary rookie to win a street playoff sport in over a decade, however he additionally grew to become the primary rookie to throw a number of touchdowns in a street playoff win in NFL historical past. Daniels is the whole package deal, as he is a large risk on the bottom but in addition excels as a pocket passer.
Daniels has now scored at the least 22 fantasy factors in six straight full video games performed and has an opportunity to place up one other big sport in a positive matchup this weekend. The Detroit Lions protection got here to play towards Sam Darnold in Week 18 … however that now doesn’t appear too spectacular after his depressing efficiency within the wild-card spherical. Within the weeks main as much as Week 18, the Lions allowed Josh Allen (41.3), Brock Purdy (30.3) and Caleb Williams (26.1 and 22.8) to all have large video games towards them.
Ice QB Begin of the Week: Patrick Mahomes (vs. HOU)
FanDuel Price: $7,700 – Sixth amongst QBs
This worth is a bit too hefty contemplating the manufacturing that Patrick Mahomes provided this season — he scored fewer than 17 fantasy factors in 11 of 16 video games performed in 2024. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been superior within the playoffs all through Mahomes’ profession … however final postseason, Mahomes solely hit 19 fantasy factors in one among 4 video games (the Tremendous Bowl — and he solely acquired there as a result of he scored 8.4 factors in extra time).
The Houston Texans have held opposing quarterbacks to simply 16.3 fantasy factors per sport this season, together with Justin Herbert’s 5.7-point efficiency towards them within the wild-card spherical. No protection has allowed a decrease comp proportion than the Texans this 12 months, and solely the Philadelphia Eagles have allowed fewer passing yards per dropback than the Texans.
Fireplace RB Begin of the Week: Jahmyr Gibbs (vs. WAS)
FanDuel Price: $8,900 – Third amongst RBs
David Montgomery is returning to the sphere, however that shouldn’t scare off DFS gamers from paying up for Jahmyr Gibbs. I count on Montgomery’s workload to be restricted in his first sport again, and Gibbs has been an absolute beast for the Lions offense in his absence. Gibbs has put up over 150 scrimmage yards and at the least one landing in three straight video games.
The Washington Commanders have allowed the third-most yards per carry and fifth-most speeding touchdowns to operating backs this season. Different elite operating backs, resembling Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson, have lately dominated the Commanders protection.
Ice RB Begin of the Week: Kyren Williams (at PHI)
FanDuel Price: $7,700 – Fourth amongst RBs
Kyren Williams has been a particularly regular, dependable fantasy producer this season, however he has not had many week-winning performances. Williams has scored 20-plus factors in solely three video games this season, with 25-plus factors in only one sport (Week 3). He will get a brilliant onerous matchup towards the Philadelphia Eagles, who’ve allowed the fewest fantasy factors per sport to operating backs since Week 6.
Even with a landing, Williams nonetheless had a mediocre fantasy day towards the Eagles of their Week 12 matchup, scoring simply 11.2 fantasy factors. His upside shouldn’t be price his value, particularly in massive tournaments.
Fireplace WR Begin of the Week: Terry McLaurin (at DET)
FanDuel Price: $7,600 – Fiftth amongst WRs
McLaurin has hit 16-plus fantasy factors in 5 of the final seven video games whereas catching a landing eight instances over that span. McLaurin’s fantasy ceiling is simply as excessive because the extensive receivers priced larger than him this week — Amon-Ra. St. Brown, Puka Nacua, Nico Collins, A.J. Brown — however he has one of the best matchup of all of them.
The Lions allowed probably the most receiving yards and third most fantasy factors to extensive receivers in 2024. Earlier than Sam Darnold’s Week 18 collapse, the Detroit Lions let Keenan Allen and Ricky Pearsall every put up precisely 141 receiving yards and one landing towards them in Weeks 16 and 17.
Sleeper WR Begin of the Week: Keon Coleman (vs. BAL)
FanDuel Price: $5,300 – 18th amongst WRs
It hasn’t been probably the most inspiring season for Buffalo Payments’ rookie WR Keon Coleman, who they took on the prime of the second spherical, however he has made some massive catches all year long. He has averaged 18.7 yards per reception in his first season within the NFL and may have the chance to return down with some extra splash performs this Sunday evening.
The Baltimore Ravens protection allowed the third-most downfield receiving yards within the NFL within the 2024 common season, behind solely the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. When the Payments confronted the Ravens in Week 4, Coleman had a number of receptions of 20-plus yards and dropped a 40-yard goal proper in his palms. If any of the Payments extensive receivers come by means of with a giant efficiency this weekend, I might put my cash on Coleman.
Ice WR Begin of the Week: Puka Nacua (at PHI)
FanDuel Price: $8,600 – Second amongst WRs
The Rams offense has been inconsistent over the past month, and Puka Nacua has not caught a landing in any of his final 4 video games performed whereas placing up fewer than 60 receiving yards in two of his final three video games. Nacua had a giant sport towards the Philadelphia Eagles earlier within the season, however that was in Los Angeles.
The Eagles have allowed simply two extensive receivers to attain greater than 12 fantasy factors towards them at house since their Week 5 bye … and one among them was Malik Nabers, who did it in Week 18 when the Eagles have been resting most of their starters.
Fireplace TE Begin of the Week: Dallas Goedert (vs. LAR)
FanDuel Price: $6,100 – Second amongst TEs
Dallas Goedert led the Philadelphia Eagles with six targets in Wild-Card Weekend whereas placing up a stable fantasy day with 47 yards and a landing. He will get a positive matchup this weekend towards the Los Angeles Rams, who allowed the second most fantasy factors to tight ends within the 2024 common season after which allowed T.J. Hockenson to attain 15 factors towards them within the first spherical of the playoffs.
The Rams’ have allowed a good finish to attain 14-plus fantasy factors towards them in every of their final three video games— Hockenson (14.9), Trey McBride (24.3) and Noah Fant (14.8).
Sleeper TE of the Week: Dalton Schultz (at KC)
FanDuel Price: $5,300 – Seventh amongst TEs
The Houston Texans got here into the season with a plethora of receiving choices, however now, within the largest sport of their season, it is as much as Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz to hold the passing sport. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have allowed probably the most receiving yards to tight ends in 2024. Of their Week 16 matchup, Schultz recorded eight targets, 5 receptions, 45 yards and a landing.
Additionally, teammate TE Cade Stover has been stealing some snaps and targets from Schultz as of late, however he was positioned on injured reserve this week and can miss the remainder of the season.
Regulate Schultz’s apply standing as a result of he’s additionally banged up. If Schultz doesn’t play, Irv Smith Jr. would change into a really sneaky, low-cost DFS possibility with excessive upside.
Ice TE Begin of the Week: Zach Ertz (at DET)
FanDuel Price: $5,500 – Fifth amongst TEs
Not solely is Zach Ertz coping with a rib harm, however he additionally has a really robust matchup within the divisional spherical. The Detroit Lions permit the fewest fantasy factors to tight ends this season whereas permitting the third-fewest receiving yards and solely three receiving touchdowns to the place. Solely two tight ends scored greater than 11 fantasy factors in a matchup towards the Lions this 12 months.
Jayden Daniels ought to be capable to benefit from the Lions’ weaker CB group and goal his higher-ceiling weapons in McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus.
Right here, I categorize each related fantasy participant into 5 completely different buckets: (1) fireplace begins (finest begins of the week); (2) thumbs up (good begins); (3) Dangerous gamers with upside (sleepers); (4) Ice begins (predicting dangerous efficiency from good participant); (5) Cease (should sits).
Word: If a participant/protection shouldn’t be listed, I both count on them to not play within the Divisional Spherical or am not contemplating beginning them in fantasy lineups.
