RADIO
Dennis Clausen highlights the top FanDuel NFL DFS lineup picks for Sunday, January 19, 2020 (Championship Sunday), and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Here we are, the final (real) NFL DFS slate before the Super Bowl. With only a limited amount of options, one wrong move will destroy your chance to make some noise in tournament play, so let's make this our best week yet. The first game of the day begins with Derrick Henry and the Titans heading to Kansas City to meet with the Chiefs to decide the AFC Champion. Tennessee has been hot, thanks in large part to the stellar play of Henry over the last two weeks. To finish out the night, and for the NFC Championship, the 49ers will host the Packers in a rematch from earlier in the year. San Francisco has been hot on the defensive end. However, you can never really count out Aaron Rodgers, despite his lackluster play historically in NFC Championship contests.
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel for Sunday, January 19, 2020 (Championship Sunday). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading my column throughout the year. It is very much appreciated. Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter @Den_Clausen and let me know how I did this season. Good luck on Sunday.
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FanDuel Quarterbacks - Championship Sunday
Patrick Mahomes - QB, vs. TEN ($9,500)
Though you don't really need me to inform you that Mahomes is an efficient DFS option, I will highlight why the other starting quarterbacks are not. As mentioned, Aaron Rodgers has not played well in the NFC Championship throughout his career, throwing only four touchdowns while tossing five interceptions in three lifetime NFC title game appearances. He has also completed just 57.8 percent of his passes in those games and will be up against a 49ers Defense that gave up 122 passing yards to the Vikings during the divisional round.
Rodgers didn't play well against San Francisco back in Week 12 either, finishing with a miserable 9.46 fantasy points. Ryan Tannehill, on the other hand, did record three total touchdowns against a rough Ravens Defense last weekend. However, with only 29 combined passing attempts over his previous two games, it should be the Derrick Henry show once again against the Chiefs. Lastly, Jimmy Garoppolo has been relegated to the role of an innocent bystander as the team continues to run the ball more often than not. Garoppolo attempted just six passing attempts after he threw an interception late in the second quarter against the Vikings, which doesn't give me a warm feeling heading into Sunday. While past results don't necessarily mean that these guys will continue to play like garbage, I will play it safe and pinch my pennies in order to roll with Mahomes as my DFS quarterback.
FanDuel Running Backs - Championship Sunday
Damien Williams - RB, vs. TEN ($7,600)
We know that Derrick Henry has been a stud, but with a $9,800 price tag, it will be much more challenging to squeeze him in if you are hoping to throw some of the other big names in your DFS lineup. Williams, just like Henry, has played well and will cost you $2,200 less. In his three games since returning from a rib injury that he sustained back in November, the 27-year-old is averaging just under 24 fantasy points per game. He likely won't carry the ball a ton against the Titans, but he should supplement that by catching a few passes out of the backfield, similar to what he has been doing all season.
Raheem Mostert - RB, vs. GB ($5,800)
Mostert experienced cramping in his calf during last weekend's outing against the Vikings and finished with only 12 carries as a result. He would go on to yield carries to Tevin Coleman, who had a career-high 22, to total 105 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman is priced higher than any of the other 49ers' running backs, but Mostert, who had at least one touchdown in his previous six games heading into the matchup against Minnesota, should be back as the No. 1 option on Sunday.
FanDuel Wide Receivers - Championship Sunday
Tyreek Hill - WR, vs. TEN ($7,400)
Patrick Mahomes was feeding plenty of mouths against the Texans, which resulted in Hill finishing with only three catches for 41 yards. Nonetheless, with this game against Tennessee expected to be a shootout, I would rather spend my cash here, as opposed to dropping $8,300 on Davante Adams, who will have a tough task against a 49ers Defense that gave up just 126 passing yards against Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Titans haven't been as glamorous on the defensive end, allowing an average of 277 yards through the air in each of their two playoff games. Since I also hate all of the San Francisco receivers (not personally, just from a fantasy standpoint), I wouldn't have an issue throwing Sammy Watkins into the equation as well.
A.J. Brown - WR, @ KC ($6,800)
Brown has played horribly in his last two games, but I'm not ready to sleep on him just yet. With the Chiefs likely to pay extra attention to Derrick Henry, the door could open for Brown to get back on track in this crucial contest. He went bananas in December, averaging 18.74 fantasy points per game, and also scored at least once in three of those five games. Adam Humphries may be back after injuring his ankle at the end of the year, but his presence shouldn't do much to diminish Brown's production.
FanDuel Tight Ends - Championship Sunday
Travis Kelce - TE, vs. TEN ($7,800)
Kelce has been limited with a knee issue and is officially listed as questionable. Nonetheless, he should be good to go against the Titans in the AFC Championship game. Kelce caught 10 of his 12 targets for 134 yards and three touchdowns during the comeback win over the Texans, and should remain heavily involved in this one. Outside of George Kittle, there really isn't anywhere else to turn at this position, so if you have to take a hit at the wide receiver spot (I'm looking at you Corey Davis and Sammy Watkins) to pay the cost to acquire Kelce's services, do it.
