DraftKings NFL DFS Picks: Conference Championship Main Slate with Jalen Hurts, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Kelce

January 29, 2023

Joe Nicely's DraftKings NFL DFS picks and lineup sleepers for the Conference Championship (January 29, 2023) Main Slate. His top daily fantasy football lineups to target for DraftKings DFS contests.

Hello RotoBallers and welcome back to Break The Slate! Our season-long quest to find the best plays at each position for every DraftKings Main Slate has now evolved into a postseason venture, and in this article, we'll be discussing the best plays for the Conference Championship Main Slate, which will take place Sunday.

With just two games to work with, this Conference Championship slate is something of a hybrid between a Showdown slate and what we've seen over the past couple of weeks for the NFL Playoffs. Obviously, we'll need to think outside of the box in order to avoid our lineups being heavily duplicated, while still targeting players with tournament-winning upside. It's admittedly a difficult task, as all four of these teams are excellent and have few weaknesses to target.

These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, projected DK points and ownership, overall upside/talent levels, and opportunity, as well as factors such as Vegas odds, home-field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great plays available on DK for the NFL Playoff Conference Championship slate. Also, be sure to also check out our weekly FanDuel DFS lineup picks and lots of other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big! Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups – let's Break The Slate together!

DraftKings Quarterbacks - Conference Championship DFS Picks

Jalen Hurts - SF @ PHI ($7,200)

As mentioned in this week's intro, we are clearly dealing with four excellent football teams this Sunday. As a result, we won't find those obvious types of matchup edges that we normally would on a regular full slate.

With that said, we'll go about trying to pinpoint even the smallest of edges this week, no matter how tiny. In Philadelphia QB Jalen Hurts, we'll try to capitalize on a San Francisco defense that's been susceptible through the air. Although the Niners boast one of the NFL's best defenses, they have been shredded by the pass on occasion. San Fran allowed 20 passing TDs and just over 4,000 passing yards to opposing QBs during the regular season.

When healthy, Hurts has been close to matchup-proof this year. The third-year Eagles signal-caller has displayed a stratospheric combination of DFS floor and ceiling thanks to his improved passing in 2022, as well as his elite rushing ability. Hurts led all quarterbacks with 13 rushing TDs during the regular season and finished second at the position in average DK points per game (26.7).

Joe Burrow - CIN @ KC ($6,800)

If you're a regular reader, then you know I'm the president of the "Joe Burrow Fan Club" and love rostering him in DFS formats.  I see no need to hop off my guy this week in a matchup against a Kansas City defense that he's owned as of late.

To put it kindly - or maybe not so kindly - Burrow has demolished the Chiefs in their recent meetings. The Bengals signal-caller has posted DK scores of 21.5, 37.84, & 30.04 in his last three games against KC, tossing for a total of 982 yards, eight TDs, and just a single pick across those meetings.

While playing in a Conference Championship environment at Arrowhead Stadium is undeniably a tough task, it's still difficult to envision Burrow failing this week, as the Chiefs finished the regular season ranked dead last in the NFL in passing TDs allowed and 29th in DK points allowed to opposing QBs.

DraftKings Running Backs - Conference Championship DFS Picks

Christian McCaffrey - SF @ PHI ($8,000)

In the absence of a true must-play at the RB position, I'm content to take the raw-point production of the running back with the most talent and volume on the slate, Christian McCaffrey. The Niners swung a midseason blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for the dynamic dual-threat running back and the Stanford alum has been as good as advertised in his return to the Bay area.

Since making his Niners debut in Week 7, CMC has posted 1,210 all-purpose yards and 11 total TDs for San Fran in the regular season, as well as 193 scrimmage yards and a pair of scores across their two playoff games. While Philly's defensive line has been bolstered by the midseason addition of veterans Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph, this is still a unit that finished the season ranked 21st in the NFL in Rush Defense DVOA and should be considered a run-funnel defense.

Jerick McKinnon - CIN @ KC ($5,400)

The talented but often-injured veteran has thrived as a dual-threat presence for Kansas City in what's been his healthiest - and most productive - season in years. McKinnon has carved out a nice role for himself in the Chiefs' backfield, serving as the squad's primary pass-catching back, and "Jet" has totaled 62 overall opportunities since Week 14 of the regular season.

Though playing in tandem with rookie Isiah Pacheco, McKinnon is the back Kansas City trusts when the chips are down. He out-snapped Pacheco 65% to 35% in last week's Divisional Round and should once again be heavily utilized in this potential shootout matchup against a tough Bengals front. The 30-year-old's ability to pile up catches is an asset on a full-PPR site such as DraftKings.

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DraftKings Wide Receivers - Conference Championship DFS Picks

Ja'Marr Chase - CIN @ CIN ($7,600)

In tandem with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase has been a legit "Chief Killer." The second-year superstar has torched Kansas City for a ridiculous 24 catches, 417 yards, and four TDs across his three career meetings with the Chiefs. Despite missing five games in 2022 with a hip issue, Chase still topped 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his two-year career. He's also been brilliant in the postseason and has amassed 145 yards and two scores on 14 catches in Cincinnati's two playoff tilts this year.

We can expect KC to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Chase this Sunday, though there's little reason to believe they'll find much success. The Chiefs allowed the NFL's second-most WR touchdowns this season (20) and the league's seventh-most DK points to the position. KC finished the year ranked 20th in Pass Defense DVOA. Chase has routinely feasted on this secondary and the buffet should be open once again in this matchup.

DeVonta Smith - SF @ PHI ($6,800)

While the San Francisco 49ers boast the league's best statistical defense, they have been leaky against perimeter wideouts down the field on multiple occasions this season. The Niners' run-stopping front finished 2022 ranked second in the NFL in Rush Defense DVOA, which should force Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to develop a pass-centric game plan for this NFC showdown.

A.J. Brown has been undeniably great in his first campaign in Philly but Devonta Smith's 2022 contributions shouldn't go overlooked. The former Heisman Trophy winner has lived up to the billing this season, posting 1,196 receiving yards and seven scores. Smith's ceiling is what's so intriguing here. He posted five games of 100+ receiving yards in 2022 and finished the year 19th in deep targets. His ability to break the type of zone coverage scheme that this Niners secondary deploys downfield makes him one of the more enticing GPP plays on the slate.

DraftKings Tight Ends - Conference Championship DFS Picks

Travis Kelce - CIN @ KC ($7,800)

I don't really know what I can say about Travis Kelce at this point...the dude is Superman lined up at the TE position. Kelce carried the Chiefs in last week's Divisional Round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, reeling in a ridiculous 14 catches on 17 targets for 98 yards and two scores against the Jags. Even though the position is strong this weekend, no tight end on this slate - or any other for that matter - can rival the elite combination of DFS floor and ceiling that Kelce brings to the table.

It's not like he needs a favorable matchup to thrive, though he sure draws a nice one this weekend against the Bengals. While Cincy's defense has been consistently solid, they have struggled at containing the TE position. The Bengals allowed just over 900 receiving yards to opposing TEs this season and have most recently relinquished a combined 10 catches for 138 yards in their two postseason games.

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