Happy New Year RotoBallers! In this article, I will be taking a look at some of my favorite FantasyAces DFS lineups picks for the Wild Card slate.

These picks are based on a multitude of factors including matchup, talent, recent performance and pricing on Fantasy Aces. Let's get to the picks!

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Quarterback Plays for Fantasy Aces

Ben Roethlisberger (vs. MIA, $7,300)

Roethlisberger sets up as the top quarterback play on the slate. Aaron Rodgers would normally hold that distinction, but he has a date with an extremely tough Giants secondary which held him to 259 passing yards and two touchdowns while intercepting him twice back in Week 5. By now, Big Ben's home/road splits are well-known, but daily players don't have to worry about that with Miami coming to Pittsburgh to play at Heinz Field. Roethlisberger played six home games this past season, passing for 20 touchdowns (compared to just nine on the road). The Dolphins defense shouldn't present much of an issue for the Pittsburgh passing offense as they allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. Fire up Roethlisberger with confidence in cash games and tournaments on Aces this weekend.

Eli Manning (@ GB, $6,200)

Manning shapes up as a solid value option for the first round of the NFL playoffs. He is just the fifth-most expensive quarterback on the slate, but he draws possibly the top matchup against a Green Bay pass defense that has really struggled this season. Green Bay finished the regular season ranked just 22nd in pass defense DVOA according to Football Outsiders. Their run defense, while it showed cracks as the season went on, was definitely the strength of the team's defense. That should force the Giants to throw early and often this weekend. The Giants are going to have to have success in the air if they want to advance this weekend.

 

Running Back Plays for Fantasy Aces

Le'Veon Bell (vs. MIA, $6,800)

Bell, David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliot dominated the running back position in the regular season. Of that trio, only Bell is playing this weekend as the Cowboys earned a first-round bye and Johnson will be watching the playoffs from his house. Bell is a must-play in cash games and should also be considered in tournaments, if you can fit him. The Dolphins' run defense does not pose a difficult matchup as they ranked just 22nd in DVOA. Bell's pass-catching ability gives him a high floor while he also carries the multi-touchdown upside which can win tournaments. 

Latavius Murray (@ HOU, $4,800)

Murray is coming off a disappointing Week 17 which saw him lose work to rookie runner DeAndre Washington. Murray finished with just five carries for 11 yards against the Broncos after operating as the team's lead back for much of the second half of the season. After Week 17's loss to Denver, Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio apparently wasn't pleased with Murray's lack of touches, stating, “We didn’t run it enough, I mean, Latavius ends up with five carries. How does that happen?" Expect offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to make amends for last week and feed Murray often against the Texans. That would be the smart move considering the Raiders are expected to be starting third-string quarterback Connor Cook this weekend. Add in a Texans defense that was much weaker against the run than the pass this season and we can expect an offensive game plan that centers around Murray. 

 

Wide Receiver Plays for Fantasy Aces

Antonio Brown (vs. MIA, $6,600)

The top receiver play this weekend comes down to personal preference as both Brown and Odell Beckham, Jr. have excellent matchups against weak secondaries. Brown gets the nod here because he's $100 cheaper than Beckham and is playing at home, where he and Ben Roethlisberger have dominated over the years. Miami's secondary has coughed up some huge games to opposing number one receivers lately, including eight catches for 151 yards and a touchdown to Julian Edelman in Week 17, seven catches for 154 yards and a touchdown to Sammy Watkins in Week 16, and four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown to Robby Anderson in Week 15.

Doug Baldwin (vs. DET, $5,100)

Baldwin is quite possibly the best wide receiver value on the slate. He will do battle against a Detroit secondary that he should be able to burn at will this weekend. Baldwin runs most of his routes from the slot, meaning he will avoid coverage from top Detroit corner Darius Slay. Instead, expect Baldwin to see a good amount of Detroit's slot corner Asa Jackson, who will be making just his third start of the season and was pressed into service after the Lions lost starter Quandre Diggs in Week 13. With Seattle's running game sputtering as of late, look for Russell Wilson to lean on Baldwin to move the chains this weekend.

 

Tight End Play for Fantasy Aces

C.J. Fiedorowicz (vs. OAK, $3,800)

Fiedorowicz offers some salary cap relief while also providing a decent floor for your lineups this weekend. While the return of Brock Osweiler to Houston's starting lineup doesn't bode well for the offense overall, Fiedorowicz was one of his favorite targets this past season. The big tight end has seen seven or more targets in five of his past six games and should be a top option in the middle of the field for Osweiler, who likes to throw short and intermediate passes. The matchup with the Raiders should also help Fiedorowicz out as Oakland allowed the eighth-most fantasy points per game to enemy tight ends in 2016. 

 

Defense/Special Teams Play for Fantasy Aces

Houston Texans (vs. OAK, $2,750)

During the regular season, the Raiders' offense was a unit to be avoided by fantasy defenses, but all that changed when Derek Carr broke his leg during Week 16. Now, following an injury to second-string quarterback Matt McGloin, the Raiders will most likely be forced to start rookie signal caller Connor Cook. Cook relieved McGloin during Week 17, fumbling once and throwing one interception. This puts Houston in a perfect spot as -4 point home favorites in a game with an extremely low 37 point over/under.