The expanded 2020 playoffs mean this wild-card weekend will give us six games instead of the usual four. Quite a few players are nursing injuries heading into the weekend, but the majority should be able to gut it out.
It bears watching the injury – and, as always in 2020, COVID-19 – reports before you finalize your DFS rosters heading into Saturday.
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill, Titans ($6,600 on DraftKings, $8,200 on FanDuel) – Many people will be on Lamar Jackson at QB and Derrick Henry at RB. I’m going to flip the script and take the Titans QB and the Ravens RB. Salary has a lot to do with it. Despite Henry often stealing the show – see 250 rushing yards in the regular-season finale to eclipse 2,000 yards on the season – Tannehill continues to put up solid fantasy numbers. He averaged nearly 23 DFS points per game on DraftKings over the course of the season.
Running Backs
JK Dobbins, Ravens ($6,600 on DK, $6,800 on FD) – The Titans are best beaten on the ground, and Dobbins has settled into the No. 1 running back role for the Ravens. While Dobbins isn’t getting the workhorse carries of Henry, he’s making the most of those touches, averaging six yards per carry and a touchdown per game over the last two months of the season.
Nick Chubb, Browns ($6,700 on DK, $7,700 on FD) – Chubb’s story is similar to Dobbins’ – he doesn’t get those 20-plus carries per game, but he makes the most of his opportunities. Chubb averaged 5.6 yards per carry on the season while rushing for 12 touchdowns. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing on the season despite missing four games to injury.
Wide Receivers
Michael Thomas, Saints ($6,400 on DK, $6,800 on FD) – If Thomas plays, he will likely see plenty of targets from quarterback Drew Brees, especially if Alvin Kamara isn’t cleared to play and remains on the COVID-19 list. The Saints expect Thomas to return from injured reserve on Wednesday as he recovers from a high-ankle sprain, so we will have to watch the news leading into Sunday to see if Thomas gets the OK.
Corey Davis, Titans ($4,800 on DK, $6,400 on FD) – Pair Tannehill with Davis, who’s admittedly had an up-and-down season. With playoff implications in Week 17, Tannehill looked Davis’ way 11 times. Davis can be boom or bust – he put up a bagel against Green Bay in Week 16 after scoring 38.2 points on DraftKings in Week 13 – but he’s a nice salary saver with upside.
Tight End
Logan Thomas, Washington ($4,900 on DK, $6,400 on FD) – Thomas finished the season strong, averaging 17.4 DFS points per game on DraftKings over the last five weeks of the regular season. Washington’s three primary pass catchers are all suffering from some form of foot and leg injury. While Terry McLaurin, Alex Smith, and Antonio Gibson will likely play, they won’t all be at 100%, potentially opening up more opportunities for Thomas.
