• Saquon Barkley is definitely worth the hefty DFS price ticket: Not solely did Barkley destroy the Inexperienced Bay Packers for 132 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1, however he has put up over 100 yards in his of his 4 profession matchups towards them.
• Count on Broncos QB Bo Nix to wrestle in Buffalo: Not solely is Buffalo a troublesome place to play in, particularly in January, however Bo Nix additionally has been a lot better at house than on the street in his rookie season. If historical past tells us something about rookie QBs enjoying on the street within the playoffs, this isn’t going to be a enjoyable sport for Nix and the Denver Broncos offense.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Attempt PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and study 2025’s high prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting to your favourite NFL group.
Estimated Studying Time: 10 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 will help you make one of the best lineup! Under you will discover my high hearth (growth), sleeper (dangerous however excessive upside) and ice (bust) gamers at every place for Wild Card Weekend.
Don’t miss my Fireplace & Ice chart on the backside of this web page. There, I’ve listed out all of my hearth, good, sleeper and ice performs for Wild Card Weekend.
Word: I used FanDuel Saturday-Monday match slate for participant pricing.
Quarterbacks
Fireplace QB Begin of the Week: Baker Mayfield (vs. WAS)
FanDuel Price: $7,900 – Fifth amongst QBs
It is a very variety price for Baker Mayfield, who has scored 22 fantasy factors in 4 straight weeks. Plus, this matchup is at house, the place Mayfield averaged 22.3 fantasy factors per sport this season. He confronted the Washington Commanders protection in Week 1 and had a monster day with 4 touchdowns and practically 300 yards by means of the air for 30 fantasy factors. I’d not be stunned if Mayfield finishes because the top-scorer among the many 12 beginning quarterbacks this weekend.
Sleeper QB of the Week: Matthew Stafford (vs. MIN)
FanDuel Price: $7,100 – tenth amongst QBs
The final month has not been variety to Matthew Stafford, who has only one landing and 23 fantasy factors mixed over his final three video games. Nonetheless, if the Los Angeles Rams have any hope of beating the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings, they may want Stafford and Puka Nacua to play their finest soccer.
Solely two groups beat the Vikings this season — NFC’s No. 1 seed Detroit Lions and the Rams. Stafford put up 279 passing yards and 4 touchdowns for 25 fantasy factors in that sport.
Ice QB Begin of the Week: Bo Nix (at BUF)
FanDuel Price: $7,500 – Eighth amongst QBs
Bo Nix had a powerful rookie season, and Denver Broncos followers ought to be enthusiastic about their future … however there are various causes to imagine that Nix will wrestle mightily this weekend in Buffalo. The primary purpose is that Nix’s house/street splits in his rookie season have been drastic:
- Nix in 8 house video games: 67.9 comp pct, 250.5 cross YPG, 19 cross TD, 21.3 fantasy PPG
- Nix in 9 away video games: 64.9 comp pct, 196.8 cross YPG, 10 cross TD, 16.4 fantasy PPG
Plus, the Payments haven’t allowed an opposing quarterback to attain 18 fantasy factors towards them at house this season. On high of that, just one rookie quarterback in NFL historical past has scored greater than 15 fantasy factors on the street within the wild-card spherical (Russell Wilson within the 2012 wild-card spherical, scored 20 fantasy factors).
Working Backs
Fireplace RB Begin of the Week: Saquon Barkley (vs. GB)
FanDuel Price: $9,600 – Second amongst RBs
As anticipated, getting Saquon Barkley in your DFS lineups comes with a big price ticket … however he shall be value it.
The Eagles are working at a historic price this season. They ran the ball 621 instances this season, 67 extra instances than another group — that’s the most rush makes an attempt by any group in a single season because the 1984 Chicago Bears.
Barkley has owned the Inexperienced Bay Packers, placing up over 100 scrimmage yards in every of his 4 profession matchups towards them. He has had over 100 yards and at the least two touchdowns in each of his final two video games towards the Packers, together with his Week 1 efficiency when he put up 132 yards and three touchdowns in Brazil.
Sleeper RB of the Week: Austin Ekeler (at TB)
FanDuel Price: $5,400 – sixteenth amongst RBs
The 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a robust run protection, nonetheless, receiving backs have discovered success towards them — they allowed the fifth most receiving yards to the working again place this season. Austin Ekeler will probably not get many alternatives on the bottom, however he ought to see good goal quantity on this matchup. In Week 1, when these two groups confronted off, Ekeler led the Washington Commanders with 4 receptions for 52 yards.
Ekeler missed a giant chunk of time with a foul concussion from Weeks 13-17, however got here again in Week 18 and shall be prepared for an even bigger workload within the Wild Card spherical. Previous to his absence, he had gone three straight video games scoring at the least 13.6 fantasy factors in half PPR scoring (FanDuel setting). With Brian Robinson Jr.’s restricted utilization over the again finish of the 12 months, plus the matchup benefit for receiving backs, Ekeler is the higher Commanders’ RB worth in FanDuel contests this weekend.
Ice RB Begin of the Week: Najee Harris (at BAL)
FanDuel Price: $6,000 – twelfth amongst RBs
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stripping away enjoying time and workload from Najee Harris over the again half of the season. He has seen the sector for simply 42% of the group’s offensive snaps from Weeks 12-18 after enjoying on 56% of the snaps from Weeks 1-11, and he had 13 or fewer carries in every of the final 4 video games of the common season.
Harris has been a extremely inefficient runner this season, or actually his whole profession, and the Baltimore Ravens have allowed, by far, the fewest yards per carry to working backs this season. When the Steelers performed at Baltimore in Week 16, Harris scored simply 4.2 fantasy factors whereas seeing simply 9 carries and nil receptions within the sport. His upside is possibly 12 fantasy factors if he will get into the tip zone. He shouldn’t be thought-about an possibility in match lineups.
Broad Receivers
Fireplace WR Begin of the Week: Jalen McMillan (vs. WAS)
FanDuel Price: $6,400 – 14th amongst WRs
One of many greatest storylines on Sunday Evening shall be Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans going towards Washington Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore. These two have an extended historical past of intense battles throughout Lattimore’s tenure with the Bucs’ rival, the New Orleans Saints. Whereas Evans offers with Lattimore in protection, his teammate Jalen McMillan will face far more favorable matchups in protection towards Benjamin St-Juste and rookie Mike Sainristil.
With the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes on the road, McMillan performed on a career-high 88% of the group’s offensive snaps in Week 18. He has put up at the least 50 receiving yards and 1-plus landing in 5 straight video games. In reality, McMillan is the one participant within the NFL with greater than 5 receiving touchdowns since Week 14 (he has seven).
Sleeper WR Begin of the Week: Olamide Zaccheaus (at TB)
FanDuel Price: $5,600 – twenty second amongst WRs
The Commanders are leaning away from rookie Luke McCaffrey and have been giving veteran Olamide Zaccheaus a bunch of extra time on the sector. Zaccheaus has performed 72% of the group’s offensive snaps during the last three video games of the season, after enjoying on simply 36% of snaps from Weeks 1-15. From Weeks 16-18, Zaccheaus has three receiving touchdowns and has averaged practically 70 receiving yards and 16 fantasy factors per sport.
Zaccheaus has essentially the most slot receiving yards amongst Commanders WRs from Weeks 16-18, whereas the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have allowed the sixth most receiving yards to WRs out of the slot this season. Plus, Jamison Crowder is coping with a groin harm that would restrict his enjoying time, which might permit Zaccheaus to see much more snaps out of the slot this weekend.
Ice WR Begin of the Week: Courtland Sutton (at BUF)
FanDuel Price: $7,100 – Ninth amongst WRs
Courtland Sutton put up massive numbers in Week 18 towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ apply squad protection, however issues shall be considerably tougher towards the Buffalo Payments cornerbacks this weekend. Sutton is anticipated to see a whole lot of CB Christian Benford in protection, who allowed the fewest receiving yards amongst 39 CBs that performed 500-plus protection snaps in 2024. The Payments have allowed simply three large receivers to attain greater than 11 fantasy factors towards them at house this whole 12 months.
Tight Ends
Fireplace TE Begin of the Week: Zach Ertz (at TB)
FanDuel Price: $5,500 – twelfth amongst TEs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers protection has allowed the second most receiving yards to the tight finish place in 2024. Zach Ertz has been closely utilized over the backend of the season, particularly within the crimson zone – he has scored six touchdowns during the last seven video games. This matchup ought to be a high-scoring affair and rookie Jayden Daniels must lean on his veteran tight finish who has a whole lot of playoff expertise in his profession. Ertz has a superb shot to return down with a handful of receptions and at the least one landing on Wild Card Weekend.
Sleeper TE of the Week: Tyler Higbee (vs. MIN)
FanDuel Price: $5,100 – eleventh amongst TEs
As a result of tearing his ACL within the 2023 postseason, Tyler Higbee didn’t make his 2024 debut till Week 16. Amazingly, Higbee already has two receiving touchdowns in three video games performed this season, after having simply two touchdowns the entire final 12 months. On paper, the 2024 Minnesota Vikings seem like a troublesome protection towards tight ends, however they’ve confronted very a whole lot of weak competitors in that space. The handful of competent tight ends they did face (Trey McBride, George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, Tucker Kraft, Tyler Conklin and Cole Kmet) all had over 50 receiving yards of their sport towards the Vikings this season.
Ice TE Begin of the Week: Pat Freiermuth (at BAL)
FanDuel Price: $5,500 – Seventh amongst TEs
Pat Freiermuth completed the 2024 season towards two nice tight finish matchups (Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals) and he was very productive with 19 targets for 145 receiving yards and a landing over these video games … however he will get a way more tough matchup in Wild Card weekend. Russell Wilson has to principally be compelled to ever throw a ball over the center, whereas the Baltimore Ravens have nice linebackers and safeties to make it tough to focus on the center of the sector efficiently. Over Freiermuth’s two matchups this season towards the Ravens, he put up a mixed 5 receptions for 30 yards for a complete of 5.5 fantasy factors. Gross. Keep away.
Fireplace & Ice Fantasy Soccer Performs
Right here, I categorize each related fantasy participant into 5 totally different buckets: (1) hearth 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 will not be listed, I both count on them to not play in Wild Card weekend or am not contemplating beginning them in fantasy lineups.
Fireplace 🔥
Thumbs Up 👍
- QB: Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert
- RB: James Cook dinner, Josh Jacobs, J.Okay. Dobbins, Aaron Jones
- WR: Mike Evans, A.J. Brown, Nico Collins, Ladd McConkey, Jordan Addison, DeVonta Smith, Khalil Shakir
- TE: Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid
- DEF: Ravens, Eagles, Vikings
Upside 📈
- QB: Sam Darnold, Matthew Stafford
- RB: Austin Ekeler, Cam Akers
- WR: George Pickens, Cooper Kupp, Rashod Bateman, Jayden Reed, Olamide Zaccheaus, Diontae Johnson, John Metchie
- TE: Dallas Goedert, Tyler Higbee, Isaiah Possible, Cade Otton (if he performs)
- DEF: Rams, Buccaneers, Commanders
Ice 🥶
- QB: Bo Nix, Jordan Love
- RB: Joe Mixon, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Brian Robinson Jr.
- WR: Courtland Sutton, Quentin Johnston, Marvin Mims, Romeo Doubs
- TE: Pat Freiermuth, Dalton Schultz, Will Dissly, Tucker Kraft
- DEF: Texans, Steelers
