Sunday of the NFL Divisional Round will see two fascinating games with the potential for plenty of scoring. In terms of NFL DFS picks, there are plenty of choices to consider, with all four teams having multiple intriguing fantasy options on their roster.
With the assistance of the free PFN NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer, let’s examine the top NFL DFS picks for the Sunday slate of games involving the Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills.
Who Are the Top NFL DFS Picks for Sunday’s Games?
Baker Mayfield, QB (TB at DET) | DK $6,000, FD $7,300
I never really imagined I would be leaning on Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield as a lynchpin of my Divisional Round DFS lineup, but here we are. Mayfield dispelled any injury concerns last week with his dismantling of the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense. Coming off a 30-point performance last week, things could be just as good this week.
The Lions’ defense was not quite as bad as the Eagles’ defense against opposing QBs this season, but it is close enough. Last week, we saw the Lions give up 25.68 fantasy points to Matthew Stafford, and that could easily be repeated by Mayfield this week.
While I do not expect we see another 30-point performance, as the lowest priced of the starting QBs, even a 20-25-point performance would represent nice value for Mayfield this week.
Other options to consider: Patrick Mahomes (FD only $7,700) and Jared Goff (DK $6,300 and FD $7,600)
Isiah Pacheco, RB (KC at BUF) | DK $6,400, FD $7,500
The RB position is a weird one on Sunday, with no options really standing out. That has been reflected in a very flat pricing structure where all five of the main options are within $500 of each other.
Just purely from a volume perspective, Isiah Pacheco is the one I am locking in, regardless of site. The second RB spot I may play with from lineup to lineup, but Pacheco is going to be locked in most of my lineups this week.
He has seen 20+ total opportunities in seven of his last 11 games and more than 10 carries in all but two contests all season. The Chiefs vs. Bills game has been up in the air because of weather concerns all week, but Pacheco is the one play I really like.
Rachaad White, RB (TB at DET) | DK $6,500, FD $6,700
Of the other four RBs, the next best volume play is likely to be Rachaad White. There is no one on this roster capable of taking carries away from him. With James Cook possibly losing touches to Ty Johnson and Latavius Murray, as well as the timeshare we often see with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, White comes out on top.
This second RB spot could see shares of all four of the remaining “big five” on Sunday across my lineups. However, White is my favorite just purely based on opportunity, while Gibbs comes a close second as the highest-upside play.
Other options to consider: Jahmyr Gibbs (DK $6,600 and $7,300)
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (DET vs. TB) | DK $8,200, FD $9,200
He may be extremely expensive, but it is hard to avoid WR Amon-Ra St. Brown this week. He has scored 20+ points in DraftKings scoring in each of the last five weeks and gives a great balance of floor to ceiling.
St. Brown is a marginally better play in the full-PPR format of DraftKings, but even on FanDuel, you are going to want plenty of exposure to him. Outside of Rashee Rice, there is no other WR who has such a clear dominance over their passing game than St. Brown.
Mike Evans, WR (TB at DET) | DK $7,200, FD $7,600
This week, there is a case to be made for having exposure to both of the main WR options on the Buccaneers’ roster. Which one you go for may depend on the type of contests you play. In the bigger contests, Mike Evans’ upside makes him a very attractive player to consider this week.
Evans has that ability to post a 30+ point week but is also generally more likely to give you a sub-five-point performance. The Lions’ defense allows 39.86 fantasy points per game to WRs on average, so there is a great opportunity for both to deliver.
Rashee Rice, WR (KC at BUF) | DK $6,800, FD $7,800
Not only has Rice made himself the top WR option for the Chiefs’ but he is arguably the number one pass catcher right now. That is not to diminish Kelce’s skills, but Rice has just been so consistent in the past few weeks. Rice has scored double-digit fantasy points in every game since Week 11.
The great thing about the rookie WR is that his production is not just coming from big plays that are not reliable. Rice is averaging 9.13 targets per game, taking full advantage of the usage that comes with teams focusing on Kelce. There is no reason to imagine that changes this week, so Rice should be a staple of Sunday DFS lineups.
Other options to consider: Jameson Williams (DK $3,600 and $5,300)
Sam LaPorta, TE (DET vs. TB) | DK $5,900, FD $6,600
The improving health of Lions TE Sam LaPorta has made this one of the easiest NFL DFS picks of the Sunday slate. While we cannot ignore the potential of Kelce and Dalton Kincaid, LaPorta just offers a touch more upside right now. Add in that he is slightly cheaper than Kelce, and it makes it reasonably easy to make this call.
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The matchup this week is nice for LaPorta, with the Buccaneers allowing 14.73 fantasy points to TEs this season. With LaPorta likely to be much closer to 100%, we could see big numbers from the Lions’ tight end.
Other options to consider: Travis Kelce (DK $6,000 and $7,100) and Dalton Kincaid (DK $4,800 and $6,200)
Chiefs DST (at BUF) | DK $2,700, FD $3,800
It is hard to pick a DST to lean on this week, so my preference is either to go for what I view as the best defense or the cheapest. The Chiefs ranked second in the league in terms of points allowed, turnovers, and sacks this season. Those are three crucial parts of DST scoring, so investing in a team good at those three things feels like a smart choice.
The Bills’ offense is good, but the weather and the ability of the Chiefs’ defense still make them a good play. It would be stunning if the Bills suddenly put up 30+ points on a team that has only allowed over 20 points on four occasions all year.
Other options to consider: Buccaneers DST (DK $2,500 and $3,400)
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