The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.
The NFL playoffs have arrived, limiting the available talent pool, so the “bargains” around this time are less plentiful. That’s why we will simply be pointing out great matchups, even if they’re more expensive than the players tend to be in these guides.
Quarterbacks
Carson Palmer, Cardinals ($6,500): Palmer is inexplicably the sixth-most expensive QB on Draft Kings, which players should drool over, and then enter as quickly as possible. Palmer averaged 291 yards, and finished the season with 35 touchdowns and 11 picks. He’s cheaper than Ben Roethlisberger with a separated shoulder, and Aaron Rodgers, whose end to the regular season was shaky enough that the Packers were in a pick’em vs. the Redskins.
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Peyton Manning, Broncos ($6,000): Manning has been bad all season, but the matchup here is favorable. Of the defenses remaining, Pittsburgh is most vulnerable against the pass, and Denver has the talent at receiver to help Manning along. Denver will have the benefit of playing at home, and the entire roster will be healthier after getting the Round 1 bye.
Running Backs
David Johnson, Cardinals ($6,000): Johnson is arguably the best RB left in the playoffs, with the two names above him – DeAngelo Williams and Marshawn Lynch – both battling injuries that could keep them out of the games entirely. In Johnson’s first three games as a starter, he averaged 126 yards and a score per game. Green Bay is just 19th in the NFL against the run this year, and Johnson has already ripped them once for 127 all-purpose yards and a score.
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James White, Patriots ($5,200): The Chiefs have a strong run defense, which means White will be significant for Brady as New England’s top receiving back. White caught 40 passes for 410 yards and four scores this season, From Week 13 on White averaged seven targets per game, and caught six passes for 63 yards on average through that span. The Chiefs will do all they can to limit TE Rob Gronkowski, which will force Tom Brady to turn elsewhere. The KC pass rush will feast on New England’s banged-up O-line, opening up lots of checkdown opportunities for White.
James Starks, Packers ($4,000): Starks has a very low floor, but it’s worth noting Arizona has been vulnerable (22nd vs. RBs in the pass game) to pass-catching running backs in 2015. Starks has shown playmaking ability this year, and Eddie Lacy is not 100 percent.
Wide Receivers
Demaryius Thomas, Broncos ($7,000): Thomas doesn’t come cheap, but he’ll be worth it. Thomas’ production was much better with Manning than Brock Osweiler, and Pittsburgh only ranked 27th vs. No. 1 wide receivers. He could be in for a monster game.
Doug Baldwin, Seahawks ($6,800): You don’t want to skimp on WR on Draft Kings, which uses a PPR scoring format. Baldwin is money in the bank these days, scoring at least one touchdown in six of Seattle’s last seven games. He may have Josh Norman latched onto him this week, but really this is just trusting that Russell Wilson and the Seahawks’ scheme will find a way for Baldwin to strike.
Ted Ginn, Panthers ($5,000): The floor for Ginn is zero points, but if Carolina lines him up away from Richard Sherman, Cam Newton will look his way for deep passes several times. Even against Sherman, Ginn has the chance to beat him purely based on his speed.
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen, Panthers ($6,900): The Seahawks have struggled with tight ends all year, and Greg Olsen is one of the best tight ends in football. Olsen topped 1,000 yards for the second straight year, and averages 70 yards per game. Bet on him to do much better than that this week.
Travis Kelce, Chiefs ($5,100): Kelce finally went off in the way fans thought he should be doing all year, catching eight passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots could be plotting how to scheme against Kelce hurting them, but it’s more likely they’re figuring out how to keep Jeremy Maclin in check.
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