It’s the final weekend of multiple NFL games, and for fantasy football players — especially Draftstars Daily Fantasy NFL grinders — Championship Weekend is the ultimate condensed-slate puzzle. With only four teams to pick from across two games, roster construction gets brutally simple: usage concentrates, ownership condenses, and stacking isn’t a “nice-to-have” — it’s the foundation of every serious build. Unlike Week 18 chaos, there’s no guessing effort levels here. With a Super Bowl appearance on the line, starters play full snaps, coordinators empty the bag, and every possession matters.
From an NFL DFS perspective, the NFC Championship brings divisional familiarity, with the Rams travelling to Seattle for the rubber match after splitting the regular-season series (and those two games were essentially identical on the scoreboard and yardage). In the AFC Championship, the angle is volatility: New England travel to Denver to face a Broncos team forced into a quarterback pivot with Jarrett Stidham replacing the injured Bo Nix. That changes everything — from pace, to play-calling, to how you handle Broncos skill players and both defences.
With $10,000 guaranteed and $1,000 to first on Draftstars, winning lineups won’t be built by playing it safe. Instead, success comes from intentional stacking, correlated game environments, and embracing volatility where others hesitate. Below, we break down each position, expand on the best fantasy plays, and outline how to attack this slate correctly.
NFL 2025-26 Daily Fantasy Tips: Divisional Round
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye — $17,000
Maye is the highest-ceiling QB on the slate for a simple reason: he brings both elite passing production and enough movement to salvage DFS scores even when protection breaks down. He finished the regular season with 4,394 passing yards (4th), 31 TD (3rd), and just 8 INT, with a top-end QBR profile. The matchup, however, is not a cakewalk — Denver’s defence led the league with 68 sacks, and this is being played at Mile High where mistakes get magnified.
The key DFS angle is that Maye’s path to winning the slate is volume + efficiency early, before Denver’s pass rush can fully tilt the game. ESPN’s preview also notes Maye has fumbled six times in two playoff games, and New England are clearly focused on ball security. That matters because sacks and strip-sacks are how a D/ST breaks a small slate. Still, you generally don’t fade the best raw QB in a two-gamer unless you’re making a very specific bet on game flow (e.g., Patriots win via defence + run and Maye’s ceiling never appears).
How to play it: Maye is strongest in lineups that commit to Patriots control — pairing him with Patriots D/ST or building Patriots-on-top scripts where he gets short fields and red-zone chances.
Sam Darnold — $12,780
Darnold is the “salary relief with real upside” quarterback, and his profile is clearer than people think. He posted 4,048 passing yards (5th) with 25 TD in the regular season — but also 14 interceptions, which is the trade-off you accept for the discount. The matchup itself is fantasy-friendly: Rams @ Seahawks carries the higher tempo potential, and the regular season meetings were essentially coin-flips (Seattle and LA were separated by one point and one yard across the two games).
There are also two DFS-specific notes: (1) Darnold is healthy enough to play without an injury designation after an oblique issue, and (2) Seattle’s team context has shifted at RB depth due to a Charbonnet season-ending injury, forcing them to elevate depth and potentially lean more on their core pieces. If Darnold is forced to chase, that’s where his fantasy range expands — especially with elite yardage/TD weapons available on both sides.
How to play it: Darnold lineups should almost always be paired with at least one Seahawks pass-catcher, and ideally “brought back” with a Ram (or vice-versa) to capture the game environment.
QB Strategy
On a four-team slate, quarterback is less about “who’s best” and more about what story you’re telling.
- If you think the AFC game is tight and New England are aggressive, Maye is the highest raw ceiling.
- If you think the NFC game shoots out, Darnold plus the Seattle/LAR skill players is the cleanest path.
In both cases, do not play naked QBs. Correlation is your edge when the player pool is tiny.
Running Backs
Kenneth Walker III — $13,210
Walker is the clearest “touches + talent” RB on the slate. He finished with 221 carries, 1,027 rushing yards, and 5 TD, and he’s not a zero in the pass game either (31 catches). What makes him particularly appealing here is the matchup style: Rams–Seahawks has already proven to be a tight, back-and-forth series this year, and tight games are where Walker’s touch floor holds.
From a fantasy angle, Walker’s biggest value is how he lets you win the slate without guessing the passing distribution. If Seattle get ahead, he can grind. If Seattle are behind, he still has a role through screens and checkdowns, and his tackle-breaking ability keeps him live for chunk plays.
Kyren Williams — $10,880
Kyren is the definition of reliable workload. He logged 259 carries (9th), 1,252 yards (6th), and 10 rushing TD this season. In a condensed slate, that combination of touch certainty and goal-line equity is gold. Seattle’s defence has been strong overall, but this matchup tends to force sustained drives rather than instant knockout blows — exactly the type of game where Kyren stays involved throughout.
If you’re building Rams stacks, Kyren is also a strong way to stay correlated without overloading on wideouts. He can finish drives that Puka/Adams create, and he gives you an “alternate touchdown path” in lineups that fade Stafford (or any non-slate QB).
Blake Corum — $8,000
Corum is the tournament pivot that actually makes sense, because he isn’t just a random cheap back — he produced on real volume this season with 145 carries, 746 yards, 6 TD, and a strong 5.1 yards per carry. That profile matters: he has proven efficiency and touchdown access, and in a slate where salary gets tight fast (Maye + premium WRs), Corum is a legitimate roster-construction unlock.
The way Corum breaks the slate is simple: a handful of touches can turn into a score, and on a two-game slate, one unexpected rushing TD can swing contests massively.
RB Strategy
RB decisions should be tied directly to game script:
- Seahawks lead / balanced game: Walker becomes a priority.
- Rams lead / red-zone control: Kyren can outscore everyone through TDs.
- Stars-and-scrubs builds: Corum is the clean salary lever because his efficiency/TD profile is real, not wishful.
On this slate, it’s often optimal to play two RBs and let the field over-chase “all WR” builds.
Wide Receivers
Puka Nacua — $17,810
Puka is the slate’s premier WR ceiling. He led the NFL in receptions with 129, finished with 1,715 yards (2nd) and 10 TD. That’s the exact profile you want on a two-game slate: elite target volume, elite yardage, and touchdown access. The matchup is also proven — Seattle and LA have traded punches all season, and this game environment has repeatedly generated high-end passing production.
The DFS question isn’t “can Puka get there?” — it’s “how do I build around him?” Pairing him with a Seahawks pass-catcher is the cleanest way to capture the shootout. If you fade him, you’re betting on either (a) Rams spreading it out and not needing ceiling passing volume, or (b) Seattle’s defence playing a near-perfect game.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba — $16,630
JSN has an equally slate-breaking profile, and arguably the best pure yardage upside on the Seattle side. He finished with 119 receptions (4th), 1,793 receiving yards (1st), and 10 TD. That’s not “good”; that’s “win-the-slate” good — especially in a matchup that can turn into an overtime-style possession battle again.
His role also pairs perfectly with Darnold’s slate logic: if you play Darnold, you want the concentrated production that can outpace the field. JSN is that guy.
Cooper Kupp — $6,890
At this salary, Kupp is one of the strongest leverage pieces on the slate — but you have to frame him correctly. His 2025 season was quieter by his standards (47 catches, 593 yards, 2 TD), which is why the price is low. On a short slate, that’s exactly what creates opportunity: the field chases the obvious alpha profiles, and the discounted veteran can still hit value if he gets red-zone looks or short-area volume.
He’s also a roster-construction solve. Kupp allows you to fit Maye + one of Puka/JSN without destroying the rest of the lineup, and he’s the type of player who can outscore his salary with a single multi-catch TD drive.
WR Strategy
Because the pool is tiny, you should be thinking in pairs:
- Darnold + JSN is the cleanest Seahawks stack.
- Puka as a bring-back is the most direct way to play the game environment.
- Kupp is leverage — especially in builds that assume Seattle’s coverage tilts hard toward Puka.
Don’t be afraid to play two WRs from the same team. On small slates, that’s often the correct move.
Tight Ends
AJ Barner — $9,620
Barner is not a “punt TE” — he’s a real role player with real production, which is rare at the position. He finished with 52 receptions, 519 yards, and 6 TD, and that touchdown rate is exactly what you want on a two-game slate where TE scoring can decide everything. He’s particularly attractive in Seahawks stacks because he offers a different path to beating the field than simply “JSN goes nuclear.”
Barner’s best-case DFS outcome is the classic playoff TE script: condensed red-zone reads, play-action, and linebackers forced to choose between helping on the run or sinking under the seams. If Seattle are efficient but not explosive, Barner can still get there through two high-leverage catches.
Colby Parkinson — $5,000
Parkinson is the definition of “cheap player with actual touchdown gravity.” He had 8 TD on 43 catches for 408 yards this season. That’s a meaningful signal: he’s involved where it matters most. At $5k, he doesn’t need to rack up 80 yards — he needs to be the guy who catches one red-zone TD that the field didn’t roster.
He also fits Rams builds that are heavy on Puka. If you assume Seattle sells out to limit the obvious alpha, the Rams’ red-zone answers can tilt toward TE usage and play-action. Parkinson gives you access to that without paying up.
TE Strategy
Tight end is where you can manufacture differentiation without doing something silly.
- If your build is Seahawks-leaning, Barner makes sense because his TD profile is real.
- If your build is salary-tight (or Rams-heavy with Puka), Parkinson is the punt that still has slate-winning equity because of the TD rate.
The key is not to chase “athleticism narratives.” Chase red-zone usage and touchdown conversion, because that’s how TEs swing two-game DFS.
Defence / Special Teams
New England Patriots — $6,400
Patriots D/ST is viable because this AFC game has the ingredients for chaos: altitude, a backup QB on one side, and two defences that can dictate terms. Denver’s QB situation is the headline, but New England’s defence has its own path: pressure Stidham into mistakes and create short fields. If you’re building Patriots-on-top scripts (Maye does enough, defence wins it), Patriots D becomes a natural correlation play.
Denver Broncos — $4,600
Denver D/ST is the slate’s “ceiling for price” option. The Broncos led the league with 68 sacks and are built to win through pressure. The DFS angle is even sharper when you add two more details: New England have allowed 10 sacks across their two playoff games, and Maye’s ball security has been a talking point (including fumbles in the postseason).
On Draftstars, sacks and forced turnovers are how a cheap D/ST becomes optimal. If Denver hits Maye early, you can get a slate-flipping defensive score without needing the Broncos offense to be great.
D/ST Strategy
Defence should be treated as a bet on one thing: who is more likely to create negative plays.
- If you believe the Broncos pass rush dictates the AFC title game, Broncos D is the best point-per-dollar path.
- If you believe Stidham’s inexperience becomes the story, Patriots D is your tournament pivot that still correlates cleanly with a New England win.
Slate Strategy & Roster Construction
This slate is about committing to correlation. Start every build by answering: Which game is the fantasy engine?
- If you think Rams–Seahawks is the higher-scoring environment (very live given their regular-season splits), stack it hard: Darnold + JSN, bring back Puka, and decide whether you want Walker/Kyren as the touchdown anchors.
- If you think Patriots–Broncos becomes messy (pressure, sacks, field goals), you can win by leaning defence and touchdowns: Maye (raw points), plus Broncos D for leverage, or Maye + Patriots D for a “New England control” story.
Don’t be afraid to leave salary on the table. With ownership condensing, uniqueness often comes from combinations, not “weird players.”
Final Thoughts
Championship Weekend DFS is uncomfortable because you can see the chalk coming from a mile away — and so can everyone else. The edge isn’t in finding a hidden gem from Team #27; it’s in building a lineup where your pieces tell the same story. If Darnold and JSN hit, make sure your lineup benefits fully from that outcome. If Denver’s pass rush breaks the game, make sure you’re positioned to cash in on sacks and turnovers.
Keep it simple: stack properly, correlate your D/ST with your game script, and prioritise players with real season-long production profiles (Puka, JSN, Maye) while using the cheap leverage pieces (Kupp, Parkinson, Broncos D) to get different without getting dumb. That’s how you take down a two-game slate.
Suggested NFL Draftstars Lineup
