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Koby's top NFL DFS lineup picks for DraftKings, FanDuel -- Texans vs. Steelers MNF slate for Wild Card Weekend Monday Night Football (Jan. 12, 2026). His NFL daily fantasy sleeper picks.
Welcome Back, RotoBallers! The first day of the NFL Playoffs was insane. We had a couple of high-scoring games. Both the Rams and the Bears rallied back and won the game in clutch time. Let's hope that on top of the second day of games, we also get a great Monday Night Football game to cap off the Wild Card round of playoffs.
For tonight's game, we have what could be a defensive game compared to what we have seen so far. The Houston Texans (12-5) travel to Pittsburgh for what could be a very cold game against the Steelers (10-7). The Steelers were able to edge out the Ravens in last week's MNF thriller. Let's see if they can pull off the upset as 3-point underdogs at home.
In this article, I will share my Wild Card Weekend MNF daily fantasy football lineup picks for the Texans vs. Steelers on January 12, 2026. These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure also to check out our weekly NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big!
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MVP/Captain - NFL DFS Lineup Picks
C.J. Stroud - QB, PIT ($15.3K DK/$18.9K FD)
C.J. Stroud really helped turn around this team. Since his return from injury, he has rattled off five straight wins. Stroud wasn't spectacular in a few of them, but he really led this team to a playoff spot. He finds himself in a really nice spot against a Pittsburgh secondary that has been Swiss cheese for the most part this season.
The Steelers have given up the sixth-most fantasy points and the third-most passing yards to QBs this season. He is set up for a great game, and with this offense at full strength, Stroud should have no issue cutting through this defense. The double QB lineup is a common move, and I usually lean towards that in most lineups.
Kenneth Gainwell - RB, PIT ($13.2K DK/$13.8K FD)
This is a very risky play, but Gainwell has been huge for Rodgers late in the season. Just last week, he had nine targets for 64 yards. Gainwell isn't being used much in rushing plays, but he has seen six or more targets in six of his last eight games. As long as he continues to see targets from Rodgers, he should have no issue scoring double-digit fantasy points.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME KG 😱 @KENNETHGAINWEL
📺: #PITvsDET on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/tIObyBYuvZ
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) December 21, 2025
DK Metcalf being back hurts his production slightly, but I think this pass rush the Texans have may make it to where Rodgers is going to rely on his dump-off options like Gainwell quite a bit. In the red zone, Gainwell is seeing a 27% rush share, but is seeing a 20.5% red zone target share, which is good for second on the team. Look for Gainwell to be an underowned option at Captain on this slate.
Other Captains: Nico Collins, Aaron Rodgers
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Flex Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks
Nico Collins - WR, HOU ($10.6K DK/$13K FD)
Nico Collins continues to be one of the best WRs in the league. He has put up 19+ fantasy points in five of his last eight games, and although the last two games of the season were a bit lackluster, we know how much of a threat Collins can be weekly.
Collins finished the regular season with just over 1,100 yards and has shown himself to be effective in the playoffs. He has 367 yards and two touchdowns in four playoff games.
Collins is getting a great matchup here against a Pittsburgh Secondary that is giving up the 10th-most receiving TDs and the fifth-most receiving yards to opposing WRs this season. Collins leads the team in red zone target% as well, at 25.8%. He should be in for another big game with the season on the line.
Dalton Schultz - TE, HOU ($6.4K DK/$5.8K FD)
Keeping it here with the Texans guys, Dalton Schultz has seen a solid uptick recently. He has seen 34 targets in the last six weeks and has caught 30 of them. Like Collins, he has been top of the team in red zone target percentage, just behind him with 16.2%. He also has two touchdowns in his last four games.
CJ Stroud cross-body throw on the run to Dalton Schultz to put Houston ahead 🙌
📺: #HOUvsKC on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Km4czcexfZ— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2024
The Steelers' defense has struggled against TEs this season. They have given up the third-most fantasy points, which includes the fifth-most receiving TDs. Schultz is second on the team in targets this season, averaging 6.2 per game. Going up against a poor defense, this is a smash spot for Schultz, especially if he finds himself in the endzone.
Other Flex Options: Houston Texans Defense, DK Metcalf
Value Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks
Pat Freiermuth - TE, PIT ($5K DK/$7.2K FD)
I think the Steelers are going to have to throw the ball a lot in this one. I don't expect the run game to be very effective against a stout Texans run defense. Darnell Washington is done for the season, and it has shown how much more Pat Freiermuth will become involved in the offense.
In the last two weeks, Freiermuth has seen a jump from his sub-50% snap share to 70%. He saw five targets in both of those games and went for 50+ yards in both of them. Jonnu Smith should continue to see a slight increase as well, but I think Rodgers has shown a better connection with Freiermuth.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling - WR, PIT ($3.2K DK/$3.4K FD)
Last but not least, we stay here with another receiving threat for the Steelers. Metcalf being back hurts MVS a bit, but over the last few weeks, I think Rodgers and MVS have rekindled their former Packers connection. He has been targeted 16 times in the last two weeks and has the highest snap share of all Steeler WRs.
I do expect that all to drop a little bit, but I do think at his price, he has a decent path to value. Even if he gets a few receptions and reels in a touchdown, that is going to be massive at his price. MVS is quite the deep threat, too, so it may only take one long pass to make a big difference in this one.
Other Value Options: Chris Boswell, Ka'imi Fairbairn,
Sample NFL DFS Lineup
Here is a lineup option I like for Monday Night's slate on DraftKings. Note that sample lineups are not intended to be used in contests by readers, but instead to show the type of roster construction that I am considering when building my lineups.
More DFS Analysis and Lineup Picks
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