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Tom Vecchio highlights the top FanDuel NFL DFS lineup picks for the Conference Championships, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
RotoBallers, welcome to the Conference Championships of the daily fantasy football season. In this column, you will find my recommended FanDuel DFS Lineup Picks to target for the Conference Championships of the NFL season. You can also click here to find more DFS analysis articles and tools.
The goal is to identify players to start on FanDuel this week based on various factors including the opponent, the player's opportunity, analysis of the game's matchups, and the FanDuel price.
Let's find some DFS lineup sleepers, and win on FanDuel. Good luck in the Conference Championships! Find me @DFS_Tom if you have any questions.
FanDuel Quarterbacks - Conference Championships DFS Picks
Jared Goff - QB, LAR @ NO (FD - $8,000)
Goff and the Rams are very slight 3.5 road dogs in this game, which hopefully, means another high scoring game as we saw back in Week 9. He comes in as the cheapest starting quarterback which can help with your roster construction since we are dealing with a limited two-game slate this week.
Stacking Goff with some of his receivers is very easy this week and you could ever look to do a bit of a game stack since there is so much expected offense in this game. Back in that Week 9 game, Goff posted 391 yards and three touchdowns, which is a level of production that is firmly in the cards this week since the Saints have the 22nd DVOA versus the pass this season.
FanDuel Running Backs - Conference Championships DFS Picks
Rex Burkhead - RB, NE @ KC (FD - $5,500)
Burkhead is clearly a riskier play on this slate, but he comes in very cheap and truly only needs one touchdown in order to break value. He has two or more targets in four of his last six games, which isn't a ton but three of those targets have come in the red zone. He offers a ton of leverage in tournaments if he is able to reach the endzone and has shown decent ability to do so on limited chances since returning from injury. The salary relief he brings allows you to spend up on the expensive wide receivers and tight ends, which shouldn't be overlooked on this two-game slate.
Damien Williams - RB, KC vs NE (FD - $7,200)
Williams played on 74% of the snaps last week against the Colts, showing he is the clear lead back for the Chiefs, who come in with a 29.8 implied team total. He posted 129 yards on 25 rushing attempts last week, one rushing touchdown, along with five receptions for 25 yards. He is getting it done in all aspects of the offense and comes in at a very reasonable price this week, which should make him very popular in all formats.
FanDuel Wide Receivers - Conference Championships DFS Picks
Michael Thomas - WR, NO vs LAR (FD - $8,800)
Some say that you can't guard Mike Thomas and I tend to agree with that, so whenever he is on the slate you should be looking to get plenty of exposure to him. These teams faced off in Week 9 where Thomas nearly went Super Saiyan posting 12 receptions for 211 yards and one touchdown. This is the level of production we should be expecting from him, considering he has nine or more targets in four of his last five games, showing he is the goto option for Brees in the passing game. Viable in every format, every lineup, and every time you have the salary for him.
Brandin Cooks - WR, LAR @ NO (FD - $6,900)
Cooks and the Rams receivers are looking to be some of the best options on the slate since the Saints allowed 43.8 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers. That is 43.8 points total to all receivers on a team, not just one player. If you are a believer in narratives, this is a revenge game for Cooks, who posted six receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown in their Week 9 matchup versus the Saints. Solid price on him, along with plenty of big play ability.
FanDuel Tight End - Conference Championships DFS Pick
Josh Hill - TE, NO vs LAR (FD - $4,600)
It'd be easier to talk about Kelce or Gronk on this slate since they are clearly the two best tight ends on the slate, but a case can also be made for Hill. First off, Benjamin Watson didn't practice as of Wednesday due to illness but should be good to go for this game. Regardless of Watson playing or not, Hill out snapped Watson last week 62% or 33%, where Hill had three targets to Watson's one. This is a clear low floor, high upside play that offers salary relief and should come in at lower ownership.
FanDuel Defense - Conference Championships DFS Pick
New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams (FD - $4,600)
Defense is a true wash this week since they are all up against powerful offenses and their expectations are therefore very low. The Saints have generated three or more sacks in seven of their last nine games, which is nice since pressure on the quarterback can lead to turnovers, which can lead to defensive touchdowns, which is where the points really are.
