As we are coming to the end of the NFL season, it is time to step it up to the next level and crush the playoff slates just like we did the regular season slates this season. We had a lot of huge winners this NFL season and to each an every one of them, I congratulate you on a job well done. Even though we are nearing the seasons’ end, there is still much to look forward to, especially when you are a member of the DFS Army. The playoffs are a great time for DFS, but it is also time to begin exploring much of our other content if you have not done so already. NBA and NHL are in full swing as members have had great success in these sports already this season. PGA is starting back up as we speak and before you know it NASCAR will be making left turns once again and MLB will follow that up soon after. These are all big sports in the DFS industry that we have had tons of success in. If you are more of a niche sports DFS player, we also cover tennis, soccer, college basketball, WNBA and MMA. We certainly do have the best coaches in the industry and we are here to guide you in making DFS not just a football season tradition, but a full 365-day experience.
I will be ranking each player by our special Domination Station emojis. Remember the ratings go Adore, Love and Like
Sunday Breakdown By Position
Quarterback
Nick Foles- Will need to bring his A+ game in order for the Eagles to have a chance in this game. I have no faith in the running game as the Saints do have a top rush defense. The Eagles secondary will put them at a disadvantage from the start. What this means is that Foles should be throwing a lot and I am hoping it brings in a lot of fantasy points. The Saints are 29th in the league in pass defense and with all the weapons that Foles has at his disposal, he should be able to put up a lot of points. Love
Drew Brees- This is chalky, but for a good reason. The Eagles secondary is not good and the Saints should have no problem putting up points early. The problem that I see happening is if the Saints get up big too early in this game and they start to take their foot off the gas. I prefer Brees on FD where his early success will not hurt him as much. Foles is more likely to get the bonus for 300-yards passing if this game gets out of hand quick and that is why I prefer Foles on DK. Love/Like
Tom Brady- His time to shine is in the playoffs and there is no QB in the NFL that I would rather have in than him. With that being said the Chargers secondary is good, but they are beatable. Brady has a lot of options to throw the ball too and he will play smart. If he has time in the pocket he will make the plays necessary to win this game. Pass protection is going to be key for the Patriots to win this game. It was one thing to beat a rookie, now the Chargers have to face arguably the best QB in the history of the NFL. Overall, I like Brees and Foles much more, but if for some reason that game is low scoring, Brady is an excellent pivot. Like
Running Back
Alvin Kamara- He sat out week 17 and has had an additional week to rest as well. He is one of the most explosive players in the NFL. As long as this game stays somewhat close he will be getting touches. I am expecting 15-19 touches from him in this game and on this slate that should be more than enough for him to put up the numbers needed to be a part of the winning gpp lineup. Love
James White- He has been one of Brady’s favorite players to give the ball to for quite some time now. I prefer him on DK where it is full PPR. He is at a decent salary where he should be able to put up a nice return for how much it costs to roster him. On FD, I am a bit more hesitant to play him because he needs to get in the end zone to make it worth the money. Like
Melvin Gordon- He is underpriced on both sites in my opinion. The question is how is his knee? I am hoping he can stay healthy for the entire game because the way to attack this defense is on the ground. He is a great play on both sites and will be one of my higher owned players on this slate. Love SIDE NOTE, It might be worth it to make some lineups with Ekeler if you are playing in 150 max contest just in case Gordon is forced to leave the game.
Sony Michel- Just like the Patriots, the way to attack this defense is on the ground. I can see Michel pounding it into the end zone in this game and being used to kill the clock. There could also be a game plan set in place to exploit this weakness and Michel could see more looks than usual if that is the case. Like
Mark Ingram- If the Saints duplicate their performance from earlier in the season and you believe that it will happen again, Ingram is your guy. If they get up to a big lead early, the Saints will lean on Ingram to close this game out. I do not see it happening again, but if the Saints get to the goaline, than Ingram will likely be the one to pound it in. Like
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas- Click and Play. The weak secondary, amazing matchup and is playing at home. The recipe does not get any better than this. Nothing much else to say about him as he will probably be the highest owned WR on this slate. I will definitely have a lot of exposure to him everywhere across the industry. Adore
Julian Edelman- Brady’s favorite target and it has been clear this season that it is true. He has seen 8 or more targets in every game this season, but 3 of them. He is the best WR on this team and even though he draws a tough matchup, the amount of volume that he should get in this game will more than make up for it. Love
Keenan Allen- Is one of my favorite receivers to roster in the NFL. This guy is always underowned for some reason. He has not played well in over a month now, and it is time for the Chargers to lean on one of their best players. Especially since Gordon is still banged up a bit. He is priced fair on both sites. Overall, given his matchup and recent performances, I would keep my exposure to him pretty low as Edelman is a much better play. Neutral
Alshon Jeffery- Great matchup, should be in an excellent position for positive game flow. I will have a lot of Foles and Jeffery stacks on this slate. The Saints secondary is bad and has been for a couple of years. This is their weakness and if the Eagles want to win they will need to exploit this weakness. Adore
Mike Williams- Is a solid value WR on this slate. He is a dart play for me as there are much better options in this price range that I will be targeting more heavily. Mike and Tyrell are guys I can never get right and since they have hard matchups, I will have very limited exposure to them in gpps. Dislike/Neutral
Golden Tate/Nelson Agholor- I prefer Agholor and I believe that Foles does as well both of these value options at WR are great and the game flow that is expected for this game should be great for both of these players. While Tate is getting more targets than Agholor, Agholor is producing a bit more. In gpps I Love Agholor and I Like Tate.
Chris Hogan/Philip Dorsett- These guys are both gpp darts that I would have around 10% ownership on. Nobody is going to roster these guys and Brady is known for throwing touchdowns to anyone on the field. Taking a chance on either of these guys could be the difference in winning a gpp. Like
Ted Ginn- While Thomas is the guy I want the most of on this offense, Ginn does bring in a lot of value. He was rested for the playoffs and has the potential to burn this secondary. He is another guy who I believe will be low owned on this slate. In his first game back from injury, Ginn went 5-74 on 8 targets. I know you are saying that is not impressive, nothing to gloat about. What if I told you he only played 27/66 snaps in that game. Now you should be impressed. This is my bold call on the slate. This is going to be the play that takes home a gpp for someone in my opinion. Adore
Tight End
Zach Ertz- The Saints are one of the best teams at defending the TE position in the NFL. They shut him down previously in the season which makes his price tag hard to swallow. With that being said, Foles loves Ertz and is one of his safety blankets. Not counting week 17, Ertz has had 53 targets in 5 games with Foles as the starting QB. Given the matchup and expected touches, I will be underweight on him compared to the field as he should be the highest owned TE on the slate. Nuetral
Rob Gronkowski- In my eyes, Gronk can still be and is the best TE in the NFL when he wants to be. There is no better time to come alive than in the playoffs. If he wanted to make an impact this is the time to do it. The Patriots need Gronk to step up and deliver if they want to make it to the Super Bowl. I am hoping Brady and Gronk connect a lot on Sunday and Gronkowski becomes the slate breaking play. Love
Dallas Goedert- The Saints will focus on shutting down Ertz in this game and that could open up looks for Goedert. I like him as a gpp dart that could potentially find his way into the end zone, not only to skyrocket you up the leaderboard but to tilt all the people who rostered Ertz. Like
Antonio Gates- Gpp dart only, I like him as a low owned pivot that will allow you to pay up everywhere else. If Gronk and Ertz become non-factors on this slate than I firmly believe Gates can help bring you into the promised land. Like
Defenses
All of these defenses will do just fine in your rosters. On two-game slates, it does not matter if your QB is going up against your defense, at the end of the day whichever defense scores a TD or gets the most sacks and turnovers will be the highest scoring defense. With that being said I do have them ranked for you. Patriots and Chargers are my top defenses on this slate along with the Saints. I adore the Patriots, Love the Chargers and Like the Saints. I do not see a complete shutdown happening like the last time the Saints and Eagles played each other. Now the Patriots and Chargers have good defenses and for me, it is pretty even among the two. However, I do prefer the Patriots, they are home and the cold weather will not impact them as much as it will the Chargers.
Final Words of Wisdom
First of all, if you have not looked at Geeks sheet, you should do that now. He has been on fire all season per usual and is the driving force of the success that many of us have seen this season. Next, I would check out Pugs Draws, because his insight in matchups has been spot on the entire season and has led us on to low owned money makers on several occasions this season. Last, but certainly not least make sure you check out dfsupnorth’s showdown pieces as he has killed it all season long. Last notes for this slate, is to try and get a tight core of players to make your lineups and hopefully the hard work pays off. There are a lot of ways that I can see both of these games ending up and there is no clear path for how either game will go. Good Luck to everyone playing NFL this weekend and if you have not done so already, start plugging yourself into our other chats for great content is all of the other sports that we cover.