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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Heroes and Zeroes - Wild Card Fantasy Football Picks

Pierre Camus outlines his favorite picks at each position and players to fade for Wild Card Weekend of the 2017 NFL season for fantasy football lineup prep.

Let's get straight to the point: you don't care that the NFL regular season is over because you're a fantasy football junkie and you need your fix. Who am I to deny you more fantasy goodness? There are several variations of playoff leagues, including best available, one-and-done, and salary cap style. Regardless of how you play, here are a variety of picks that could suit your needs.

If you're here for DFS advice, you've also come to the right place. While I won't get too detailed into prices and game types, I will recommend some viable tournament plays that could help you cash out, in a week where the choices are slim.

Now, let's get to my fantasy "heroes" and "zeroes" at each position for NFL Wild Card Weekend. For a full set of rankings, look no further than our very own RotoBaller consensus weekly rankings.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Wild Card Weekend Lineup Heroes

QUARTERBACK

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints - It's odd to say, but Drew Brees hasn't played like a top-five fantasy QB all season. We all know the numbers by now: 23 TD, his fewest-ever as a Saint, only one game over two TD, and only three 300+ yard games. However... that one three-TD game came against the Panthers in Week 3. Of course, he only tossed one TD against them later in the year, but he also didn't turn the ball over in either game. Let's face it, unless you think Alex Smith will put up better numbers, Brees is the default QB1 for Wild Card weekend. He's got the most weapons, but also faces a Panthers defense that got worse toward the end of the season. Carolina allowed 282 pass yards per game after their Week 11 bye, including 326 and 311 in their final two games. Brees has by far the highest floor of any quarterback going in the Wild Card round. He's also somehow only the third-most expensive QB out of eight playing in DK. Don't get cute at this position and stick with the sure thing.

RUNNING BACKS

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs - Let's start with the obvious play. For the somewhat reasonable price of $8100, you can own Hunt on DraftKings this week. He's no Todd Gurley, but there isn't any other RB that should see more touches than Hunt and you can save about 2K by opting for Hunt instead. After going MIA for a while, Hunt finished strong with 362 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in Weeks 14-16. Tennessee has the fourth-ranked rush defense in the league, so this might seem like a counterintuitive play, but they allowed the most receiving yards to running backs of all teams. Hunt is the do-it-all back for KC, so even if he struggles on the ground, he'll make his way in the passing game.

Marcus Murphy, Buffalo Bills - LeSean McCoy is still a big question mark for this weekend, but if you watched him leave the game in agonizing pain with tears on the sideline, you know it's not likely he'll play. When his coach simply says there's "a chance" he will play, he isn't playing. Murphy hasn't played much at all in his NFL tenure, other than as a return man. He served well in limited time last week, rushing seven times for 41 yards. It remains to be seen what he can do in an RB1 capacity, but it's worth the risk to find out. Mike Tolbert presents a decent floor because he will catch some passes and get any potential goal-line work, but Murphy is the one to roll out in tournaments. He doesn't stand out physically, nor does he have a great matchup, but this is all about opportunity.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs - My original pick was Albert Wilson here, but he's questionable with a knee injury. If he doesn't play, try Robinson if you're doing a Stars and Scrubs lineup. This is strictly a punt play, but keep in mind that he could step in as WR2 for KC in a game that they are expected to win. P.S. - I don't really love any other receivers this week that aren't totally obvious, so in pretty much every other scenario, you're better off just going with Michael Thomas and either Julio Jones or Tyreek Hill and calling it a day.

TIGHT END

Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans - Travis Kelce will be the chalk play this week, but Walker can be had for significantly cheaper and may produce nearly as well. It's not as if the Chiefs are weak against tight ends--they actually allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to the position in 2017--but Walker should be the primary target for his young quarterback when things start crumbling around him. Walker was Marcus Mariota's favorite target by far this season, leading the team with 116 targets. The next closest was Erick Decker with 86. The veteran isn't the most exciting pick to make, but in cash games he is the one to go with.

Josh Hill, New Orleans Saints - If you're going to pass on the top three tight ends, you might as well go straight to the value plays. Hill is a mere $2500, but he's actually the TE1 on his team, which can't be said for the likes of Logan Thomas, Eric Saubert, and the 20 other tight ends with the same salary. Hill is totally and completely TD-dependent, but try to name a tight end after the top three that isn't...

 

Wild Card Weekend Lineup Zeroes

QUARTERBACKS

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars - You thought I was going to go with the QB on the other side of this matchup, didn't you? While I don't recommend starting Tyrod Taylor against the best defense in the league by any stretch of the imagination, I also can foresee a scenario in which Taylor outscores Bortles. In this case, it's all about game script. If the Bills are without leading rusher LeSean McCoy, they'll have little choice but to air it out more than they want. This is especially true if the Jags jump ahead early. Jacksonville is listed as an 8.5 point favorite so far, but if Shady is ruled out altogether, that could increase further. Simply put, a double-digit Jaguar lead means less passing for Bortles and more for Taylor. For a team that leads with its superior defense and running game, it's unlikely they'll give Bortles free reign to throw unless absolutely necessary. Avoiding turnovers has been key to their success, mainly because they ran the ball more than any other team in the league (525 rush attempts, 1st in NFL) and threw the ball the least (51.1% pass percentage, 32nd in NFL). Now, on top of all that, add in the fact that the Bills finished 29th in rush defense, yet have a pair of decent cornerbacks to support a pass defense that allowed a 14:18 TD:INT ratio to opposing QBs, and it's easy to see why Bortles should be the very last QB you choose this week.

RUNNING BACKS

Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons - Despite a tough road matchup in L.A., we know the Rams defense has been susceptible to the run. Coleman may get close to 10 carries in a close contest, but that's about his ceiling, which promises to deliver no more than 50 yards on the ground. There were only three occasions where Coleman and Freeman shared duties this season in which Coleman went over 50 rush yards. Coleman will see some targets, but the Rams were just 18th in receiving yardage allowed to running backs. He's a volume-dependent player that should be bypassed in favor of Devonta Freeman, particularly around the red zone, where Freeman carried it 10 more times (33-23) and was targeted twice as much (8-4) this season, despite missing two games.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans - The player pool might be thin this week, but why Corey Davis is getting any love at all, even as a sleeper, is beyond me. By all accounts, it's been a disappointing rookie campaign for the fifth overall pick. Not a single touchdown and only two games with more than four receptions or 50 yards over the course of 11 games. The Chiefs' secondary may not be strong, but it'll take more than that to suddenly turn Davis into a viable fantasy player.

Keelan Cole, Jacksonville Jaguars - First of all, if you hate the QB you can't love his receivers. It's also time to remind everyone that Cole has not been a fantasy asset all season. The one week where he exploded for 186 yards and a touchdown, nobody was playing him! He had a nice follow-up with 108 yards against the 49ers, but quickly came back down to Earth. In Week 17, with some fantasy championships on the line, he caught four passes for 33 yards. Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns are both back in action, so Cole will be the third or fourth target at best on a team that is not going to be airing it out. Leave him off your roster, unless it's a dynasty league bench for next season.

TIGHT END

Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Rams - I'm not sure if Everett hit the rookie wall, because he never got up and running in the first place, but he looked downright lost in Week 17. He was running incorrect routes, dropping easy passes, and failed to make a difference despite seeing his highest target total of the year with six. Everett is talented, but far from seasoned and should be avoided in a playoff atmosphere, regardless of his cheap price tag.

 

More Wild Card Weekend Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Terrance Ferguson

Could Benefit from Rams Scheme Changes
Jacob Cowing

Could Handle Gadget Role in San Francisco
Jayden Higgins

to Start for Texans Right Away?
Sauce Gardner

Agrees to $120.4 Million Contract Extension
Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF