X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Divisional Weekend Daily Fantasy Football Stacks

That was fun, wasn't it? Wild-card weekend is a wrap, and jeez, was it wild.

It started with a kickoff return for a touchdown, ended with the Green Bay Packers completing the first-ever wild-card weekend sweep for road teams, and in between we had a shutout in Houston, a self-inflicted collapse and near riot in Cincinnati, and Blair Walsh's infamous 27-yard shank in Minnesota.

Some of our top projected daily fantasy stacks worked out (Kirk Cousins-Jordan Reed), and some didn't (Russell Wilson-Doug Baldwin), but that's just how it goes sometimes. Trust the numbers and trust your own process. Here's how we rank the potential stacks for the divisional round games, sorted in order of appeal rather than price.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 30% off using code WIN! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Strong DFS Stacks

Arizona QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Green Bay

The Cardinals' passing attack, led by the veteran MVP candidate Palmer, represents the safest floor for fantasy production this weekend. The trick here will be finding the receiver(s) that Palmer connects with the most. The hunch here is that Fitzgerald will be on the receiving end of at least Palmer touchdown strike.

The Packers' defense allowed Kirk Cousins to throw for 329 yards in the wild-card round, albeit with large chunks of those yards coming late in the fourth quarter. Cousins' longest completion was 38 yards on a dump-off to running back Chris Thompson. Green Bay held deep threat DeSean Jackson to just 17 yards on two receptions. If the Packers similarly defend John Brown and Michael Floyd, that should leave plenty of room for Fitzgerald to operate over the middle. This game also has the highest over/under (50) of the weekend, so Las Vegas expects plenty of points.

Carolina QB Cam Newton and TE Greg Olsen vs. Seattle

What more can be said about Newton's season? It's simply one of the greatest final stat lines we've ever seen -- 3,837 passing yards, 636 rushing yards, 45 total touchdowns. However, there are a few things to consider in this particular matchup against the Seahawks. Newton is just 1-4 in five career starts against Seattle, with a 4-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio. On the whole, that's simply not good.

Of course, the one win came earlier this season, when Newton engineered three 80-yard scoring drives in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to Olsen. The Panthers will be able to move the ball against Seattle, and Olsen (seven catches, 131 yards in Week 6 meeting) will play a major role. The Seahawks have struggled defending tight ends all season, and a 24-yard catch-and-run by Kyle Rudolph almost cost them dearly against Minnesota.

Seattle QB Russell Wilson and WR Doug Baldwin at Carolina

The wild-card win against the Vikings wasn't pretty for Wilson and the Seahawks' offense. For most of the game, it was downright ugly. But in the fourth quarter, that turned around. First, Wilson turned a botched snap into a scramble-drill, 35-yard completion to Tyler Lockett. Two plays later, he connected with Baldwin on the game's only touchdown.

Baldwin led Seattle with five catches for 42 yards on seven targets. The biting cold of Minneapolis clearly had an effect on both teams, so it's reasonable to chalk the low offensive numbers up to the weather. With temperatures projected for the mid-40s in Charlotte this Sunday, weather shouldn't be a factor. Wilson moved the ball well in the first meeting back in Week 6, finishing with 241 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and a touchdown. A similar performance in the divisional round rematch is a fair expectation.

 

Risky DFS Stacks

Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers and WR James Jones at Arizona

Rodgers' placement in the "risky" category is less an indictment on him than it is on the entire Packers offense. Which one will see in the divisional round? Will it be the offense that used a balance attack to score 17 straight points in the first half and 18 straight in the second half against Washington? Or will it be the unmitigated disaster that scored just eight points and allowed nine sacks in a 38-8 throttling by Arizona just three weeks ago?

The safe bet is that it'll fall somewhere in the middle. If Green Bay is going to have any chance of upsetting the Cardinals in Arizona, Rodgers must have a great game. That means 300-plus yards and two, maybe three touchdowns, and if that happens, expect Jones to be heavily involved. His seven receptions, 11 targets and 81 yards were all team highs in the wild-card round, and there's little evidence to suggest he isn't Rodgers' top target at this point.

New England QB Tom Brady and WR Julian Edelman vs. Kansas City

Mandatory disclaimer: Make sure Edelman is active and in the lineup Saturday before deploying him. The assumption here is that the shifty wide receiver will play for the first time since suffering a broken bone in his foot back in November. Brady will look to Edelman early and often against an imposing Chiefs front seven that includes Justin Houston and Tamba Hali, among others.

Rob Gronkowski is always a viable pairing with Brady, but the Chiefs rank No. 1 overall in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. A sneaky pairing could be running back James White. To combat Kansas City's formidable pass rush, a healthy dose of screens and short passes to White could do the trick.

Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Antonio Brown at Denver

This will be the trickiest play of the week. As of Tuesday evening, the statuses of both Roethlisberger and Brown remain unclear. Roethlisberger confirmed Tuesday that he suffered a sprained AC joint and torn ligaments in his throwing shoulder in the wild-card win over Cincinnati. Brown remains in the league's concussion protocol.

At this point, it would appear Roethlisberger is a safer bet to play than Brown, but even if he does, how effective will he be? Denver's defense has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season, so the matchup was tough for Roethlisberger to begin with. The upside here, of course, is that this could represent a major contrarian play. The injuries and substantial cost associated with this duo could drop their ownership numbers significantly. Just make sure to proceed with caution.

Denver QB Peyton Manning and WR Demaryius Thomas vs. Pittsburgh

It's been two months since we've seen Manning start a game, and even longer since we've seen him start and finish a game. Manning came on in relief of Brock Osweiler in the regular-season finale and finished a modest 5-of-9 for 69 yards. He'll likely have to produce more than that against Pittsburgh, which can be beaten through the air on defense.

Thomas is one of the NFL's premier receivers and his value shouldn't change much with the switch from Osweiler to Manning. His consistency gives him a relatively safe floor -- he's had at least five catches and 59 yards in five straight games (with four total touchdowns). Emmanuel Sanders is also a fine play, as he torched the Steelers for 181 yards and a score on 10 catches in Week 15.

 

DFS Stacks to Avoid

Kansas City QB Alex Smith and TE Travis Kelce at New England

We don't have anything personal against Smith, we swear! He perfectly fits what the Chiefs need from him, but from a fantasy perspective, there's just not much to like. Case in point: Kansas City has now won 11 straight games, including a 30-rout of Houston this past weekend, and Smith has thrown for more than 200 yards in just four of those games.

He does offer upside with his running ability, but it's not enough to offset the lack of yards and touchdowns. If you're digging for a low-owned dart throw for a GPP, Smith certainly fits the bill. But if he's without Jeremy Maclin (ankle), Kelce stands as his only proven, productive target.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NBA

Jahmir Young Agrees to Deal With Heat
Kyle Tucker

Played Through Hairline Fracture in Hand, Now Healthy
Landen Roupp

Carted Off With Apparent Knee Injury
Devaughn Vele

Traded to Saints
Demarcus Robinson

Issued Three-Game Suspension
Lamar Jackson

Dealing With Minor Foot Injury
Lamar Jackson

Suffers Apparent Hand Injury
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista has Surgery on Torn Rotator Cuff
Hideki Matsuyama

Looks to Bounce Back at Tour Championship
Corey Conners

Looking to Reverse Struggles at East Lake
Joe Mixon

Could Begin Season on PUP List
Cameron Young

Stays Hot Ahead of Tour Championship
Harris English

Aims for Complete Game at East Lake
Sepp Straka

Back in Action at East Lake
Ben Griffin

a Strong Value Play at East Lake
Bubba Chandler

to Join Pirates on Friday
Rory McIlroy

Chasing Another Win at East Lake
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for 30th at BMW Championship
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Seventh at BMW Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley

Finishes Tied for 17th at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at BMW Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 23rd at BMW Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Wins BMW Championship
Brian Robinson Jr.

Not Expected to Play for Commanders This Year
Kenley Jansen

Considered Day-to-Day With a "Physical" Injury
Rashee Rice

Could be Facing 4-6 Game Suspension?
Harry Hall

Hot at the Right Time for Tour Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound at Tour Championship
Jacob Bridgeman

has One Weakness Heading to Atlanta
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Not Expecting to Be Moved Before the Season
Nick Taylor

a Long Shot to Win Tour Championship
Josh Giddey

Bulls Not Interested in Sign-and-Trade Deal Involving Josh Giddey
Brian Harman

Trying to Crack Top 20 at Tour Championship
Andrew Novak

Attempts to Bounce Back in Atlanta
Oscar Tshiebwe

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Justin Rose

Seeks Even More Success at Tour Championship
Washington Wizards

Alondes Williams Joins Wizards for Training Camp
Washington Wizards

Wizards Add Skal Labissiere for Training Camp
Francisco Alvarez

Needs Thumb Surgery, May Play Through Injury
Willy Adames

Out With Side Soreness on Tuesday
A.J. Brown

on Track to Play in Week 1
Jacob deGrom

Being Skipped in Rotation Due to Shoulder Fatigue
Adley Rutschman

Scratched on Tuesday With Abdominal Discomfort
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Austin Riley

Doesn't Appear Ready to Return Any Time Soon
Aaron Judge

Unikely to Throw Normally Again This Year
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure