🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Deeper DraftKings DFS Sleepers for Wildcard Weekend

Deeper daily fantasy sleepers for DraftKings and Wildcard Weekend of the NFL season. Justin Carter finds DFS sleepers for fantasy football owners to target.

The regular season is behind us and your season-long fantasy leagues are done, but that doesn't mean you're ready to give up on fantasy sports, right? You've got a month left to play in daily fantasy leagues and playoff leagues! And you've got an incredibly interesting slate of games coming up this weekend, including Buffalo's return to the postseason and a pair of  NFC South teams playing each other.

During the regular season, this column focused on season-long formats, with ownership numbers drawn from Yahoo. That isn't necessarily helpful anymore. Instead, I've gone into DraftKings and identified players who cost $4,000 or less. These are guys who definitely come with risk, but have enough upside that they make for good bargain plays and allow you spend more on the big name players. Are you ready to take some risks in this playoff round? Yeah? Yeah??? Alright!

Let's look at deeper DFS targets and DraftKings sleepers for Wildcard Weekend.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Deeper DraftKings DFS Targets for Wildcard Weekend

QUARTERBACKS

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans - $5,500 (DraftKings)

So, the quarterback position is obviously the place where you can't get super sneaky with how you use your salary. The cheapest starter is Tyrod Taylor ($4,700), but that's a really scary move to make since the Bills are playing Jacksonville. Marcus Mariota is a good option against the Chiefs, a team that has allowed more fantasy points to the quarterback position than any other defense that's playing on Wildcard Weekend. Mariota didn't have a great regular season, but he's mobile and accurate and he saves you some money.

 

RUNNING BACKS

Marcus Murphy, Buffalo Bills - $3,700 (DraftKings)

The good news for the Buffalo Bills is that they made the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The bad news is that LeSean McCoy hurt his ankle and may not be available against the Jaguars. If McCoy is even close to ready, he'll play. If he isn't? Someone has to run the ball for Buffalo and that someone could be Marcus Murphy, who had seven carries for 41 yards in Week 17 in relief of McCoy and added two catches for seven yards. There's literally no other information I can give you about Murphy aside from the fact that he is in his third year and his nine touches against Miami represent all but two of his career touches. He's a risk, but he should lead the Bills backfield if McCoy is out.

Mike Tolbert, Buffalo Bills - $3,600 (DraftKings)

Or go with Buffalo's other back! Tolbert isn't likely to have a huge yardage total, but he's more likely than Murphy to see touches down near the goal line. He's a very touchdown dependent option.

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers - $3,500 (DraftKings)

Stewart missed Week 17 with a back issue. If he's back this week, he's a decent option. The veteran back ran for 45 yards and a touchdown the last time he played against the Saints. He followed that game up with a 103 yards and three scores against Minnesota, but he struggled in Weeks 15 and 16. There's a lot of risk with Stewart, but he has plenty of upside.

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans  - $3,600 (DraftKings)

If--and this is a big IF--we ignore that Davis didn't have a catch in Week 17 against a strong Jaguars pass defense, there's a case to be made for the rookie against a Chiefs pass defense that has struggled at times this season. Not counting this past week, Davis was targeted at least four times in every game he played. He played well in Week 16, catching six passes for 91 yards.

Eric Decker, Tennessee Titans  - $3,500 (DraftKings)

I'm not trying to pick on the Chiefs defense here, but DraftKings has a lot of Titans players available at a good cost and the match-up isn't bad for Tennessee. Decker has played well over the past month, though he hasn't found the end zone since Week 9. Still, he's a reliable option for Marcus Mariota and should have a little bit higher floor than Corey Davis.

Albert Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs  - $3,300 (DraftKings)

Wilson had a huge Week 17 with the rest of Kansas City's weapons sitting out, finishing with 10 receptions for 147 yards. He's obviously not going to repeat that, but Wilson was targeted eight times in Week 16 and seven times in Weeks 13 and 15. Alex Smith will look his way at times, and he's going to feel more confident doing so after watching what Wilson did against the Broncos.

 

TIGHT ENDS

Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons - $2,900 (DraftKings)

There's a big drop-off after the first four tight end options this weekend. You might think that means you should grab one of those guys, but there are enticing players down the list. The Falcons play the Rams, who allowed the 12th-most points to opposing tight ends, the worst of any playoff team. Hooper is a VERY boom-or-bust option, but this could be a week to give him a shot.

Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars - $2,500 (DraftKings)

If you're grabbing a long shot, touchdown-dependent tight end to save your salary space for someone like Todd Gurley, there are worse places to look than Marcedes Lewis. The Bills are only slightly better against tight ends than the Rams are and Lewis found the end zone two more times than Hooper. (Okay, yes, three of those came in the London game I KNOW I KNOW.) Lewis has a shot to produce this week. (Also, though, maybe it's a good idea to pick up the players I wrote about in the other three sections of this article and not skimp on tight end too much, because there really isn't much consistency beyond Travis Kelce and Delanie Walker. Even Greg Olsen is a scary option, and DraftKings has Charles Clay as their fourth guy.)

 

More NFL Playoffs and DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Cleared to Play Against Denver
Kevin Huerter

Ruled Out With Pelvis Soreness
Nicolas Claxton

Cleared to Face New York
Dean Wade

Sidelined Monday
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Unavailable Against Pelicans
Landry Shamet

Sidelined Against Nets
Tyler Herro

Making 2025 Campaign Debut on Monday
Caris LeVert

Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert Available Versus Indiana
Kevin Love

Out Monday Versus Warriors
Grayson Allen

and Ryan Dunn Sidelined vs. Rockets
Lamar Jackson

Now Dealing With a Toe Injury
Anthony Davis

Downgraded on Monday Night
Lonzo Ball

Set to Suit Up Versus Toronto
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Tuesday
Draymond Green

Ruled Out With Foot Sprain
Sam Merrill

and Craig Porter Jr. Out Monday
RJ Barrett

Sidelined Versus Cleveland
Ridly Greig

Still Out Monday
De'Andre Hunter

Out Versus Raptors
Baker Mayfield

Dealing With Low-Grade Shoulder Sprain
Thomas Chabot

Misses Monday's Matchup
Mitchell Robinson

Under the Weather, Out Versus Brooklyn
Kirill Marchenko

Out Monday
Jarrett Allen

Out of Action Again on Monday
J.T. Miller

Unavailable Monday
Andrew Wiggins

Norman Powell Out on Monday Night
Brayden Point

Out Against Flyers
Darius Garland

Sidelined on Monday
Nikita Kucherov

Good to Go Monday
Chris Godwin

Buccaneers Plan to "Ramp Up" Chris Godwin's Usage
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Ankle Injury isn't Severe
Jayden Daniels

to Practice This Week, Considered a Long Shot for Week 13
C.J. Stroud

Remains in Concussion Protocol
Mike Evans

Could Return Before End of Regular Season
J.J. McCarthy

in Concussion Protocol
Tyrod Taylor

to Remain the Jets' Starting QB
Shedeur Sanders

to Make Another Start for Browns in Week 13
Tee Higgins

Won't Play on Thanksgiving
Joe Burrow

Bengals Expect Joe Burrow to Play on Thursday
Baker Mayfield

Not Being Ruled Out for Week 13
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
New York Giants

Giants Fire Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen
Tee Higgins

in the Concussion Protocol
Scott Wedgewood

Gives Avalanche Second Consecutive Shutout
Macklin Celebrini

Makes History During Multi-Point Performance
Joey Daccord

Posts Shutout in Losing Effort
David Rittich

Keeps Kraken Quiet
Jesper Wallstedt

Picks Up Third Shutout of the Season
Rasmus Andersson

Extends Point Streak With Three Assists
Davante Adams

Catches Two Touchdowns in Sunday Night Win
Baker Mayfield

has Sprained Shoulder, Will Undergo MRI Monday
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Fire Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Quinshon Judkins

Salvages his Day With Two Trips to the End Zone
Alvin Kamara

Dealing With MCL Sprain, Timetable Unclear
Michael Wilson

has Double-Digit Catches, Over 100 Yards for Second Straight Week
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Aaron Gordon

Sidelined 4-6 Weeks with Hamstring Strain
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
MON

Alexandre Texier Joins Canadiens
Jason Dickinson

Returns to Action Sunday
Elias Lindholm

Activated From Injured Reserve
Mikko Rantanen

Suspended for One Game
Neal Pionk

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Out Week-to-Week
Alexander Romanov

Out 5-6 Months Due to Shoulder Surgery
Sidney Crosby

Records 500th Multi-Point Game
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal
Raisel Iglesias

Returning to the Braves on One-Year Deal
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Continue Fall Run at RSM Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Looking to Bounce Back at RSM Classic
Tom Hoge

Looking to Regain Form at RSM Classic
Joe Highsmith

Searching for Turnaround at RSM Classic
Adam Hadwin

Looking to Build on T11 Finish in Bermuda
Austin Eckroat

Searching for Momentum at RSM Classic
Joel Dahmen

Trying to Find Form at the RSM Classic
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful to Play Against Western Kentucky
Michael Thorbjornsen

Hopes to End 2025 Campaign With Another Solid Finish
Andrew Novak

Looks to End 2025 Season on High Note at RSM Classic
Harry Higgs

Teetering for PGA Tour Card in 2026
PGA

Nico Echavarria has the Potential to Contend at the RSM Classic
Sam Stevens

Finishing Out Year in Georgia
Seamus Power

Playing Better at the Right Time
Beau Hossler

Roller Coaster Comes to Saint Simons Island
Quade Cummins

The Time is Now for Quade Cummins in Georgia
Austin Cook

Needs a Win at the RSM Classic
Cameron Champ

on the PGA Tour Card Bubble
Grayson Rodriguez

Shipped to Angels
Taylor Ward

Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward From Angels
Shota Imanaga

Accepts Cubs Qualifying Offer
Brandon Woodruff

Returning to Milwaukee in 2026
Denny McCarthy

Looking For Another Solid Finish at RSM Classic
Si Woo Kim

Looking To Use Current Momentum to Flip Script at RSM Classic
Mackenzie Hughes

a Good Bounce-Back Candidate at RSM Classic
Harris English

Making 14th Start at This Week's RSM Classic
Konnor Griffin

Could Compete for Starting Shortstop Job in 2026

RANKINGS

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