Wildcard Week is in the books and it’s on to the Divisional Week DraftKings plays. One of my favorite aspects of fantasy football has become playing on DraftKings. Every week is like a new puzzle to figure out. Whether you are more of a cash game player or a tournament player, each presents a unique challenge. Let’s take a look at the best Divisional Week DraftKings plays for the entire weekend slate.
Divisional Week DraftKings Plays
Wildcard Week Recap
It’s always good to be completely transparent and demonstrate accountability. That’s what I like to do with everything I do and that goes for fantasy football as well. Whether it’s bold takes or DraftKings recommendations, I always like to keep track of wins and losses. It’s not only good for the readers to know, but also helps me learn from mistakes moving forward.
🚨RECAP THREAD🚨
For full transparency each week I'll recap my suggested #DraftKings plays to see if they hit the 2.5x we generally shoot for each week in cash builds!#FantasyFootball#NFL#NFLTwitter#DFS@BlazedRTs@MyFantasyLeague@LastWordOnNFL
https://t.co/EMEngx46U2— ✴️Rob Norton✴️ (@norton0723) January 19, 2022
Looking back at Wildcard Week, it was worse than last week. This week 42.1% of the recommendations hit the 2.5x value we look for in cash game lineups. This time the quarterback group led the way with a 75% success rate. Meanwhile, the tight end group brought up the rear this week with a 25% success rate. It was not a profitable week. The cash build lost all four double-ups and went 3-5 in H2H’s. We’ll look to do even better with the picks and get back into the profits in the Divisional Week DraftKings plays.
- Week 18 – $285 → $216 ($69 LOSS)
- Playoff Total – $187 → $9 ($178 LOSS)
- Year Total – $6,405 → $5,931 ($474 LOSS)
Divisional Week DraftKings Plays
Quarterbacks
Patrick Mahomes (KC) – $7,300 v BUF
Patrick Mahomes is fresh off a 41.1 DraftKings point performance and now steps into the best game environment in the Divisional Round. The Kansas City Chiefs take on the Buffalo Bills in what many are calling the Super Bowl before the Super Bowl. This game has the highest combined total at 54.5 points and no other game is even within six points. Back in Week 5, the Bills won the first matchup 38-20 so Mahomes will definitely be looking for revenge in this one. He is playing as well right now as he has all season. The Bills are a tough matchup on paper but have had some injuries to their secondary since the previous meeting. There should be a lot of fireworks in this one and Mahomes should play a massive role in those fireworks.
Most playoff Pass TD in first 5 seasons of career
Patrick Mahomes 22
Russell Wilson 20
Joe Flacco 19
Bernie Kosar 15
Ben Roethlisberger 15
Kurt Warner 15 pic.twitter.com/qwu1OApbU0— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 19, 2022
Matthew Stafford (LAR) – $6,200 @ TB
If you’re trying to save a bit of salary to spend at other positions, Matthew Stafford looks like a nice value option this week. Stafford averaged 21.9 DraftKings points per game this season. He gets to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week who can be beaten much easier through the air than on the ground. They allowed the seventh-most DraftKings points to quarterbacks this year. When these two teams collided back in Week 3, Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams got the best of the Buccaneers 34-24. Stafford dominated with 32.5 DraftKings points. It would not be surprising to see another big output again in this one.
Others to Consider: Josh Allen (BUF) – $7,600 @ KC, Ryan Tannehill (TEN) – $5,800 v CIN
Running Backs
Derrick Henry (TEN) – $7,500 v CIN
It is the return of the king. Derrick Henry is making his long-awaited return this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry has been out since Week 8 due to foot surgery. Back when he was healthy, he was averaging 26 DraftKings points per game. That is more than any running back this season. Henry’s salary has dropped dramatically because of the injury so this is something that can be taken advantage of. That is if he is to step right back into his full workhorse role. Since it is a playoff game and the Tennessee Titans have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, it would be shocking if they did not try to give him as much work as possible, knowing that it gives them the best chance to win. Assuming he is fully healthy, Henry should see a workload that would typically see a much higher salary.
Derrick Henry is expected to start tomorrow vs the Bengals, per @TDavenport_NFL
HE’S BACK 👑 pic.twitter.com/93ZBbFzu5N
— PFF (@PFF) January 21, 2022
Leonard Fournette (TB) – $5,700 v LAR
Leonard Fournette did not get “Playoff Lenny” rolling last week as he missed last week’s game with a hamstring issue. There is still some concern as to whether or not he will even play. If Fournette is able to suit up, he should see plenty of work, especially in the passing game. The Buccaneers offensive line is banged up right now and facing a Rams defensive line that creates a lot of pressure. Tom Brady is a master at checking down to his running backs if the pressure gets to him. Fournette could see a massive target share if he plays and that would be huge at this salary. Fournette averaged 18.7 DraftKings points per game this year and scored double-digits in every game except two. Make sure to keep an eye on his injury status and if he is not able to suit up, Giovani Bernard and Ke’Shawn Vaughn both make for good plays.
Others to Consider: Joe Mixon (CIN) – $6,600 @ TEN, Devin Singletary (BUF) – 5,900 @ KC, Cam Akers (LAR) – $5,500 @ TB
Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp (LAR) – $8,600 @ TB
It wasn’t a joke when I said “Cooper Kupp always” months ago in this article. He just delivers week in and week out. It is a bonus that his price has dropped now once again. Kupp averages 27.2 DraftKings points per game so the 17.1 he scored last week is a disappointment, technically speaking. That is how good he has been this year. Kupp has scored double-digit DraftKings points in every single game so far, including the playoffs. Last week’s 61 receiving yards were the first time he had less than 90 in a game this year. The matchup against the Buccaneers is a good one as they can be beaten through the air, especially by the slot wide receiver. Kupp is very likely to turn in another great performance in this one and continue his magical season.
Cooper Kupp had 1,402 slot receiving yards this season
630 more than any other WR 😳 pic.twitter.com/xHHBWVigOh
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 22, 2022
Tee Higgins (CIN) – $5,700 @ TEN
Last week was Ja’Marr Chase week so it is only right that this week is Tee Higgins’s turn. It helps that Higgins’ salary dropped by $600 after his dud week last week. This week against the Titans weak secondary, the Bengals may not only need to but want to throw more than they did last week. The Titans have allowed the second-most DraftKings points to wide receivers this season. The Bengals are also 3.5-point road underdogs so the game script may not be in their favor the way it was last week. That will favor Higgins and the passing offense in general. This price is extremely favorable and one that allows Higgins a chance to return great value.
Others to Consider: Tyreek Hill (KC) – $6,600 v BUF, Stefon Diggs (BUF) – $6,500 @ KC, A.J. Brown (TEN) – $6,200 v CIN, Davante Adams (GB) – $8,500 v SF
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski (TB) – $5,800 v LAR
Rob Gronkowski has turned in three straight games and yet his salary dropped $600. That is how it goes during the playoffs on DraftKings. This is definitely something to take advantage of. As previously mentioned, the Buccaneers passing tree has slimmed down by two branches. Chris Godwin is injured and Antonio Brown is no longer with the team leaving Mike Evans and Gronkowski to soak up more targets. That is what he has been doing with 10, 10, and six over the last three. Gronkowski has turned those into 21.5, 23.7, and 14.1 DraftKings points. The Rams are not necessarily a team to target or fear either way when it comes to defending the tight end. Gronkowski is a trusted option for Brady in a game where he may need to rely on quick passing more than usual.
Rob Gronkowski now has 15 career receiving TDs in the playoffs, trailing only Jerry Rice (22)…
It’s 6 more than the next closest TE (Kelce, 9)
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) January 16, 2022
Tyler Higbee (LAR) – $4,000 @ TB
Tyler Higbee has made it his mission to fool fantasy managers but in this case, there are not too many options in terms of saving salary at tight end. There are three studs at the top end and then a divide and not much down below. Higbee checks in as a solid option due to the fact that he plays a lot of snaps in a high-powered offense and has a solid role in the passing game. He averaged 9.7 DraftKings points per game and accumulated 89 targets and 64 receptions on the year. As previously mentioned, the Buccaneers can be passed on so the Rams will likely throw the ball more than usual. Both teams are fairly fast-paced so there could be a good amount of scoring in this one.
Others to Consider: George Kittle (SF) – $5,300 @ GB, Travis Kelce (KC) – $6,500 v BUF
Defense/Special Teams
In terms of choosing a defense/special teams, it’s the last spot I fill in every week. It’s pretty random but there are a few areas to gain an advantage. I look to target the heavily favored teams as they usually are playing with a lead. This forces their opponent to throw it more often which can help lead to extra sacks and turnovers and hopefully a touchdown. Another aspect to target is turnover and sack-prone quarterbacks. My advice is to fill out the rest of your lineup first and then pick your favorite D/ST out of the remaining money.
My Tentative Cash Game Lineup
- QB – Josh Allen
- RB – Derrick Henry
- RB – Leonard Fournette
- WR – Tyreek Hill
- WR – Stefon Diggs
- WR – Tyler Johnson
- TE – Rob Gronkowski
- Flex – Tyler Higbee
- DST – Buffalo Bills
Make sure to tune in next week to see the results from my Divisional Week DraftKings plays and to see the best picks for the Conference Championships of the NFL Playoffs. Best of luck to everyone and let’s all enjoy some football and win some money!
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Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
