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

Quarterback Targets for DFS and Playoff Leagues: Divisional Round

If your regular season fantasy teams didn't perform as planned, no need to worry, you don't have to wait until next year for redemption. There are plenty of playoff leagues and daily fantasy leagues available which allow you to keep your competitive spirit sharp while at the same time possibly winning some money and/or bragging rights.

This article will aim to highlight playoff league targets and DFS plays for quarterbacks in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, players that you should consider targeting for your various fantasy football leagues and lineups.

I will list DraftKings and FanDuel prices for those looking for value DFS plays beyond the obvious QBs. The quarterbacks will be split up into three tiers - from most desirable, to most desperate.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Top Plays for the Divisional Round - Quarterbacks Targets and DFS

Tom Brady, New England Patriots - vs. TEN ($7,000 DK, $8,800 FD)

After a bye week that was marred by a stunning ESPN expose which suggested there is a fracture between Brady, head coach Bill Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft, the Patriots are surely itching to get back to just playing football. Drama aside, don't expect the  Patriots to have much trouble against a Titans team that barely snuck into the playoffs and shocked the Chiefs in the Wild Card round. Brady is the most expensive option on both DraftKings and FanDuel but his price isn't all that prohibitive. Unlike the other similarly-priced top quarterbacks on the slate, Brady has a plus matchup against a leaky Tennessee pass defense that ranked 24th in DVOA in the regular season. Brady is the top QB option on the slate by a wide margin and can be used in cash or GPPs. He should be the first quarterback selected in weekly redraft sites like Draft.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints - @ MIN ($6,300 DK, $8,100 FD)

Brees draws a tough matchup against a Vikings pass defense that ranked fourth in DVOA over the regular season. That being said, the future Hall of Famer came up big against a tough Panthers pass defense in the Wild Card round, passing for 376 yards and two touchdowns to down their division rivals. The 39-year-old signal caller was leaned on more extensively after the Panthers were able to slow the New Orleans ground attack. That could happen again against Minnesota and Brees is talented enough to be dangerous against any pass defense. Brees is worth a look this week, especially as a GPP option,

 

Mid-Tier - Divisional Round Quarterbacks and DFS Targets

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers - vs. JAX ($6,200 DK, $8,000 FD)

I was really close to placing Roethlisberger in the bottom tier and he will be a bottom tier option if star wide receiver Antonio Brown doesn't play. For now, reports on Brown have been optimistic but we won't know more until the team starts releasing practice reports on Wednesday. The Jaguars have employed a fearsome pass defense this season, ranking first in DVOA. I'm not too interested in Big Ben in cash games but he has some appeal as a low-owned tournament play, but only if Brown plays.

Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings - vs. NO ($6,100 DK, $7,600 FD)

Keenum's success in 2017 was one of the better stories of the season. The former journeyman quarterback leaned heavily on the talents of Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon to post a career-best 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns while only tossing seven interceptions. Coming off a first-round bye, Keenum will have his work cut out for him as the Vikings welcome a New Orleans pass defense that finished the season ranked fifth in DVOA. Keenum isn't a safe play but he's on the radar as a decent option based on the limited options on the slate and on how excellent his offense has been this season. Vegas likes the Vikings' chances as they have them as four-point favorites in a game with a decent 45-point over/under.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans - @ NE ($5,900 DK, $7,500 FD)

Mariota came to play against the Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs, throwing for 205 yards, two touchdowns and adding 46 rushing yards. His final line was buoyed by an improbable play which saw him throw a six-yard touchdown to himself on a pass that was batted by the defense. That play alone gave him 10 fantasy points on both DK and FD. While that won't happen again, the Titans will likely have to abandon their run-first offensive attack to keep up with a Patriots offense that has the highest implied team total of the entire weekend. The New England defense got progressively better as the season went on but they still finished as just the 21st ranked unit in DVOA.

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars - @ PIT ($5,000 DK, $7,100 FD)

It was an ugly day for the Jacksonville offense in the Wild Card round, which managed just 10 points against the Bills. Bortles struggled, completing just 12-of-23 passes for 87 yards. In a stat line that's almost as surprising as Mariota throwing a touchdown to himself, Bortles eclipsed his passing yards with 88 rushing yards on 10 attempts to lead the Jaguars in rushing. While that won't happen again, Bortles' recent rushing production is not a fluke. The Jacksonville signal-caller has been a weapon on the ground this season, rushing for 322 yards in the regular season. The upside he offers as a rusher along with his low prices keeps him as a mid-tier QB option this week, even against a solid Pittsburgh pass defense.

 

Bottom Tier - Divisional Round Quarterbacks and DFS Targets

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons - @ PHI ($5,700 DK, $7,700 FD)

Ryan's 2017 struggles continued in the first round of the playoffs. Even though Atlanta finished with 26 points, Ryan threw for only 218 yards and one touchdown against the Rams. Ryan has performed as a QB2 in fantasy all season and I don't see that changing when he takes on the Eagles in the Divisional Round. Philadelphia has been tough against the pass this season, ranking seventh in DVOA and allowing the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. I'll be avoiding Ryan in all formats as he has yet to pass for more than two touchdowns in a single game this season and only reached multiple touchdowns five times all year.

Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles - vs. ATL ($5,200 DK, $7,200 FD)

Foles came back to earth after a surprising Week 15 performance which saw him throw four touchdowns against the Giants. While he didn't play much in Week 17, he still threw just one touchdown and two interceptions over the final two games of the season. He could surprise against the Falcons in the playoffs but I'm not betting on that happening. For what it's worth, Vegas has no confidence in Foles, either, installing the Falcons as 2.5-point road favorites against an Eagles team that lost just three games all year. Foles is okay for a tournament lineup or two but I will be limiting my exposure to him this weekend.

 

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

Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

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

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
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
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
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
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
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
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
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
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
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
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched 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
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

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

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
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
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
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
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
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
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF