We have three matchups on Monday for Wild Card week, kicking off with the Steelers heading to Buffalo to take on the Bills, in what is expected to be horrific conditions for offensive football. In the sandwich game of the day, the Packers head to Dallas to take on the high-powered Cowboys’ offense, before we finish the day off with the massive clash between the LA Rams and Detroit Lions. It should be a terrific day of football!
Draftstars has a $15,000 contest, with a $1,133 first prize. There are plenty of other contests for everyone to get involved. And if you’re really keen on a chance to win big, there’s a $20 contest with the winner gaining entry into the $150k NFL Star Final. Bring it on! Let’s kick things off.
EDIT: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills has been postponed due to weather
NFL 2023-24 Daily Fantasy Tips: Wild Card Week
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott - $17,560
This is a bet on the Cowboys offense, and it seems a safe bet considering the game will be played in Dallas. At home this season, the Cowboys have scored 299 points this season, for an average of 37.4ppg. Their lowest score at home all season was 20, and they have only scored less than 30 once. Prescott led the league with 36 touchdowns this season, and is coming off a fantastic display last week against the Commanders, where he threw for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Packers have been middle-of-the-road defensively against quarterbacks this season, and with ideal home conditions, I expect Dak to cook.
Matt Stafford - $15,370
Stafford returns to Detroit to take on his old team, the Lions, in what should be a fascinating wild card matchup. Stafford has been extremely consistent at the back end of the season, averaging 21.8 over his last 6 games. Opposing quarterbacks have torched this Lions defense all season, conceding the fifth-most points per game in the NFL. In once again ideal conditions indoors in Detroit, expect this high-powered Rams offense to look sharp, and Stafford to score 20+.
Running Backs
Kyren Williams - $17,790
The Lions are the best team in the league when it comes to defending opposition running backs in fantasy, but it doesn’t matter. This dude is a beast, and if he doesn’t get hurt, he will eat once again this week. Since returning from injury, Williams has averaged 26 fantasy points per game, whilst crossing for 7 touchdowns in 6 games. Williams was rested last week in the Rams’ week 18 win over the 49ers, and should be 100% heading into this game.
Aaron Jones - $13,500
Jones has slowly been building back to full fitness, and with three straight games of 100+ yards rushing, expect Jones to once again feature heavily this week. RB2 AJ Dillon looks likely to miss out, meaning Jones will be the bell cow running back for the Packers, and if he can manage his first touchdown since early November, Jones could be a contest winner for owners this week. The Cowboys defense has been solid against running backs, and the worst-case scenario for Jones this week is the Cowboys getting out to an early lead. If this is close for four quarters, Jones will eat.
David Montgomery - $11,000
It’s hard to find a RB2 in this slate, with three of the four teams involved today running bell cows at running back. The one team not doing this? The Detroit Lions. Montgomery is the cheapest option at running back in this slate and given his propensity to get into the endzone (13 TDs in 14 games), Montgomery is a solid selection this week as your RB2. With only one score under 10 this season, Monty has the type of floor that you can confidently pay up to $11k and expect low-end RB1 scores.
Wide Receivers
CeeDee Lamb - $20,370
Ceedee is expensive, but it’s very difficult to leave him out this week. Lamb averages 25.1 points per game in DFS this season, with his average at home a whopping 30.6ppg. Lamb is a great stack option this week with Dak Prescott, against a middling Packers pass defense. Not much is needed to be said, Lamb was second in the league in receiving yards and touchdowns, whilst leading the league in receptions and longest catch.
Puka Nacua - $16,520
What a season for the fifth-round rookie out of out of BYU, as Nacua broke the rookie records for most receiving yards and most receptions by a rookie. He’s averaged close to 19 DFS points per game this season and has a tremendous ceiling. I fully expect the Rams/Lions game to be a track meet, and as such love the idea of stacking both teams in this matchup. Stafford is a solid option to stack with either Kupp or Nacua, as they take on a Lions defense that has conceded the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers.
Jayden Reed - $13,020
Reed has been killing it off late, and Draftstars has finally started upping his price. Averaging just 13.8ppg this season, over his past four games he averages 20.7. Whilst the Cowboys defense has been solid against wide receivers this season in fantasy, they have been susceptible to slot receivers. The other nice thing for Reed is, that even if Christian Watson does play, it shouldn’t hurt Reed’s targets a great deal, as his average doesn’t change much with Watson in or out.
Tight Ends
Jake Ferguson - $11,350
Ferguson has been a great option this season in DFS, averaging 6 targets per game and 10.4 points per game. This week, Ferguson and the Cowboys get to take on a Packers defense that concedes the 14th-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. With Sam LaPorta in severe doubt, Ferguson is the favourite in this slate to finish as TE1.
Brock Wright - $5,000
This is a speculative shot here, with Brock Wright slated to slot in as TE1 if Sam LaPorta misses. Even if LaPorta plays, there’s a chance he re-aggravates his injury, or sees a reduction in snaps, and Wright will be the beneficiary. The Rams have conceded the 10th-most points per game to opposing tight ends, and at bottom dollar, Wright could be the guy that allows you to spend up on a second wide receiver.
D/ST
Dallas Cowboys - $6,720
I was all over the Bills and Steelers in this spot, before their matchup was postponed, so it’s difficult to get over excited over any defenses playing today. With both totals over 50 points, it will serve you to spend minimum on D/ST units. However, the Cowboys D/ST units have easily the highest upside in this slate, and if you have money to burn, are by far the most likely to score huge for you. With seven 15+ scores this season, this is a boom or bust option in this slate.
Detroit Lions - $5,050
The Lions defense hasn’t been great this year, however with the other two options playing on the road against high powered offenses, the Lions are the number two selection here almost by default. They are helped by the fact they can create turnovers and get to the quarterback and will be hopeful of getting both on Monday.
Suggested Draftstars Lineup
