Running Back Matchups to Target in Divisional Round - Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs

January 17, 2025

Thunder Dan's favorite RB matchups to exploit for the Dvisional Round of NFL Playoffs - DFS running backs to target on DraftKings and FanDuel. These RB matchups are GPP and cash game opportunities.

It's no surprise that most of the teams remaining in the playoffs have running backs who had huge statistical seasons.

These backs are the cream of the crop and have been staples in our DFS lineups all season long. But we can only play two or three of them in a lineup at a time this weekend, so which backs should we prioritize over the others?

Let's take a closer look at some of our favorite running back matchups for the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

Saquon Barkley ($8,200 DK, $9,300 FD)

Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Rams

Eagles fans certainly remember Barkley's first game this season against the Rams as he ran for 255 yards and went over 300 total yards from scrimmage in a big Philadelphia win.

Saquon Barkley had a monster game against the Rams in Week 12

• 255 Rushing Yards
• 47 Receiving Yards
• 2 Touchdowns

🍿🍿🍿#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/rU5NTC8rb6

— The Philly Times 📰 (@the_phi_times) January 14, 2025

Philly will certainly attempt to establish the run again this week behind one of the best run-blocking units in the NFL. The Eagles' run game ranked fifth-best in the league this year, while the Rams were just 20th in run defense.

Barkley handled 23 touches per game this season and had the longest rushing average on touchdowns as he broke off multiple big runs this season and was not used as often inside the five as Jalen Hurts ate up some touchdowns with the "Tush Push."

Vegas is expecting a big day from Barkley as his total scrimmage yards prop is set at 129.5 yards. He will certainly be the focal point of this offense and has the potential to be the top-scoring option at the RB position.

Derrick Henry ($8,000 DK, $9,600 FD)

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

Henry is a few hundred dollars cheaper than Barkley on DraftKings and a few hundred more expensive on FanDuel. Rostership projections show that Henry will probably be rostered on significantly fewer teams than both Barkley and Gibbs this weekend.

Derrick Henry was UNSTOPPABLE this week 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VQzhWcsoaD

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) January 13, 2025

That's a situation where we can gain leverage in tournaments by playing Henry, who is in a good matchup of his own. Despite ranking seventh overall against the run this year, the Bills have allowed the third-most fantasy points to running backs on the season.

Barkley isn't the only running back to have dominated his opponent during the regular season, either. Henry ran over the Bills for 199 yards in Week 4, which included an 87-yard touchdown run.

If the Bills are determined to stop Henry, then Lamar Jackson will run wild in this two-headed monster of a run game. And eventually, Henry just wears down defenses to where he can break a big one. He's also the unrivaled goal-line back and one of the best short-yardage runners of his generation. He's very likely to find paydirt this weekend - if not once, then possibly even twice.

I'm loading up on Henry in this matchup. Cold weather in Buffalo only lends itself to more running, which is what Baltimore ultimately wants to do anyway.

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Jahmyr Gibbs ($7,700 DK, $8,900 FD)

Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders

Gibbs is looking like the chalk play at the position, but I am not sure you want to fade him on that alone. That means you should probably be locking him into any cash games or small-field contests so you aren't behind the rest of the field if he does what he has been doing the last few weeks.

How will the Washington Commanders stop this?

Playoff Jahmyr Gibbs is about to be SCARY 🤯#OnePride pic.twitter.com/7i7LrXLEem

— Crunch Time Sports (@officialctpod) January 15, 2025

David Montgomery is set to return for the Lions this week, so he will take some carries away from Gibbs and could even vulture a touchdown. But Gibbs has asserted himself as the top back in this offense and offers the type of explosiveness and big play ability we are looking for.

The Lions' run is formidable as Detroit ranked second behind only Baltimore in rushing offense (DVOA) this season. Meanwhile, Washington finished the season ranked 26th in DVOA rushing defense. That's a massive mismatch in favor of Gibbs and Monty. Expect Gibbs to find his way to the end zone and to be used both as a runner and receiver this week as the Lions pile up points and advance to the NFC championship.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your DFS contests!

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