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Austyn Varney highlights the top FanDuel NFL DFS lineup picks for Saturday, January 4, 2020 (Wild Card Saturday), and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Welcome to Wild Card Weekend. FanDuel has broken Saturday and Sunday into two very different slates, so we've followed suit and will be writing up site-specific articles for FanDuel DFS contests. Make sure to check out tomorrow's FanDuel piece as well.
We open things up with just two games, kicking off with the Bills @ Texans and finishing off with Titans @ Patriots. There are limited options at each position and a few injuries we need to pay attention to. We also need to consider if we think the Patriots are fine or if the Titans are going to shock the world. FanDuel has some huge tournaments this Saturday, and we'll need to be different in some spots. Let's dive in!
In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel for Saturday, January 4, 2020 (AFC Wild Card Round). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. You can follow me on Twitter @VarneyDFS and fire away any questions. Good luck RotoBallers!
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FanDuel Quarterbacks - Wild Card Saturday
Josh Allen - QB, BUF @ HOU ($8,200)
The Bills are 2.5-point road underdogs in Houston to open up NFL Saturday and most would say that’s an even line with the 2.5 points for home-field. It’s going to be a phenomenal game to open the NFL Playoffs as both teams offer their own set of strengths. Defending the pass is not one of those for the Texans. They ranked 28th in football against the pass this season and also allowed the sixth-most rushing yards to opposing QB’s. Allen is always a threat on the ground and it helps his upside. If I’m choosing between Allen and Watson, give me the discount with Allen.
Tom Brady - QB, NE vs. TEN ($7,800)
Brady may end up being popular on this slate, but I’d consider him in cash games as you can lock in two touchdowns and 200 yards. If the Patriots decide to break out of their shell, a big game is certainly in the books against a terrible Titans pass defense. They can rush the passer, but have some of the weaker cornerbacks in the entire league. The Titans rank 16th against quarterbacks on the season, but 24th if you isolate weeks 9-17. Brady is just a bit too cheap here on FanDuel and you can lock him into your cash games.
FanDuel Running Backs - Wild Card Saturday
Sony Michel - RB, NE vs. TEN ($7,200)
The Patriots are heavily favored in this game and we have to assume they’re going to establish the running game. Sony Michel has been over 18 carries in three straight games and it sure seems like this is his backfield for now. Red Burkhead and James White shill always have their role and they are both exquisite tournament options as Belichek can have a game plan to use one of these guys heavily without any indication. The safe option is Michel, who’ll have the advantage between the tackles and has dabbled in the passing game of late. If you don’t want to spend up on Henry in a tough match-up, Michel has a great shot at scoring and eclipsing 80 yards.
Devin Singletary - RB, BUF @ HOU ($6,500)
Running back isn’t the greatest on this Saturday slate, and we may be forced into some moves that may not be considerate correlative on a typical slate. For example, I have no issue playing Singletary with Josh Allen in a lineup. We know Singletary is going to see the volume and both can have value-hitting games for their price. With just two games on the slate, we can’t be as picky as normal and force ourselves into a prototypical build that everyone will have. Singletary is my favorite point-per-dollar RB and I’m a fan of pairing him with Josh Allen.
Duke Johnson - RB, HOU vs. BUF ($5,300)
Carlos Hyde isn’t a bad choice, but I expect the Bills to slow him down and turn towards a more agile and pass-catching Duke Johnson. He’s still a good running back, but gives you that extra threat against a tough defensive team. With Will Fuller out of the lineup, I can see Watson checking down to Jackson a few times a half.
FanDuel Wide Receivers - Wild Card Saturday
John Brown - WR, BUF @ HOU ($6,800)
It’s a tough choice between John Brown and Cole Beasley. It bothers me when people say that Brown is the riskier of the pair as it’s really not true. Beasley has five games of sub-nine fantasy points this season while Brown did it twice. John Brown also has a 30-FP performance on his belt and has the upside to go for a TD at any given point. I’ll lean John Brown, but don’t be fooled by Cole Beasley. If the Texans hone in on Brown, Beasley catches everything thrown his way and is a TD-machine when targeted in the red-zone.
Kenny Stills - WR, HOU vs. BUF ($5,800)
With Will Fuller likely out for this game, Kenny Stills is going to step in as the number two option as he’s done many times this season. Stills is coming off a nine-target, five-catch performance against the Bucs to close out the season with 57 yards. That’s after finding the end zone twice in week 16 against the Titans. If Still can put it all together, the upside is unquestioned and we know the Bills are going to do their best to shit down Hopkins. In double-coverages, look for Stills to see a bunch of targets and the threat of a deep ball is very much there.
Corey Davis - WR, TEN @ NE ($5,400)
It’s always hard to target players against the Patriots, but they haven’t been great this season and it’s hard to just cross out teams best options at this point. I suspect the Patriots focus in on Derrick Henry and make Tannehill play from deep on second and third down. A.J. Brown will likely match-up with Stephon Gilmore, which leads me to like Corey Davis quite a bit. He’s seen 4+ targets in four consecutive games and the 6’2 Davis is bound to find the end zone. I don’t think the Patriots focus on Corey Davis and Tannehill has no problem throwing him the ball.
FanDuel Tight Ends - Wild Card Saturday
Jonnu Smith - TE, TEN @ NE ($6,300)
Tight end is a sad position on this slate. I’ll lean just plugging Jonnu Smith in there, but I am hesitant how I feel about an average tight-end that may be 75% owned. On one hand, he’s far and away the best option. The targets are going to be there and the TD upside is solid. On the other hand, there are four or five other tight ends on this slate that are at least capable of scoring and you get a discount. If Jordan Akins sits, Darren Fells will play a lot and has a ton of TD upside Dawson Knox is also in play, though I think he’ll be too popular as well
