FanDuel Picks: Wild Card Weekend

This isn’t a list of the best players for Wild Card weekend, but our FanDuel picks will give you the best bang for your buck.

FanDuel Dollar Menu – Weekly Value Picks

Alright, alright, you got me, none of these players actually cost a dollar. What they are is a list of players that provide excellent value for you each week in FanDuel contests. You know, the same way that the dollar menu at your favorite fast food restaurant provides you with a meal that may not be gourmet but it fills you up without breaking the bank. Again, this is not a list of the best players each week, this is a list of the players that offer the best bang for your buck.

With that being said, these are my FanDuel wild card weekend value plays.

[Also See: DFS Stack Plays, Wild Card Weekend]

QB: Dak Prescott ($7,500, SEA @ DAL)

Dak Prescott saved his highest scoring game for the last week of the regular season.  The Dallas signal caller threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns on his way to 33.48 FanDuel points, good for second most among all quarterbacks.  He and the Cowboys now get to host the 17th ranked pass defense of the Seattle Seahawks.  Dak did struggle against the Seahawks early in the season, but this is a completely different offense since the addition of Amari Cooper.  The first game was also in Seattle, which is a nightmare environment for opposing quarterbacks.  Dak has scored 26 or more FanDuel points in three of his last six games and he is averaging 20+ FanDuel points in all home games this season.

Additional Value Pick: Andrew Luck ($8,000, IND @ HOU) is the highest priced player to make my value plays list this season.  Luck has had great success against the Texans this season, passing for a total of 863 yards and six touchdowns in their two meetings.  He is priced third highest among the eight starting quarterbacks but I have him rated at number one.  He is $400 less than the top priced quarterback and only $700 more than the lowest priced quarterback, making him worth the investment.

RB: Lamar Miller ($6,400, IND @ HOU)

Lamar Miller has come on strong in the second half of this season.  Excluding the Jets game where he only received three carries before injury, Miller is averaging 14.4 FanDuel points over his last eight games, scoring less than 12 in only one of those contests.  He is priced as the 10th running back this weekend, placing him behind multiple backups and $2,400 less than the highest priced option.  He received 19 touches and scored 13.7 FanDuel points in his last matchup with the Colts.  The Texans should give him a healthy dose of touches again this week in order to maintain time of possession and keep Andrew Luck and the hot Colts offense off the field as much as possible.

RB: Tarik Cohen ($7,000, PHI @ CHI)

Tarik Cohen arguably produces more with fewer touches than anyone in the NFL.  The versatile running back is averaging 13.26 FanDuel points in his last six games.  He is a threat to score each time he touches the ball due to his explosiveness and big play ability.  This weekend the Bears take on the very stout run defense of the Eagles, likely meaning that Jordan Howard will struggle to produce on the ground.  The Bears would be wise to involve Cohen early by running him outside and throwing him quick passes and screens to neutralize the strong defensive line of the Eagles.  I expect Cohen’s reception total to be high and his production to be solid in this one.

Additional Value Pick: Nyheim Hines ($4,800 IND @ HOU) has turned 30 targets into 23 receptions in his past five games, averaging almost eight FanDuel points per game during this time.  That is very consistent production for a player that costs only $4,800.  The Colts often make it a point to get him the ball by splitting him out to take advantage of one on one situations with linebackers.  It should continue this weekend as they try to avoid the solid defensive front of J.J. Watt and the Texans.

WR: Amari Cooper ($6,700, SEA @ DAL)

Amari Cooper has cooled off over the last three weeks after having a three-game stretch where he averaged almost 30 FanDuel points per game.  Since arriving in Dallas, Cooper has shown that he is a capable number one NFL receiver and he is pretty clearly the favorite target of Dak Prescott.  Cooper’s target count has stayed consistently high and that should continue against the 17th ranked pass defense of the Seahawks, as they will likely focus on stopping Ezekiel Elliott, resulting in some one on one matchups against a defense that has allowed 26 passing touchdowns on the year.

WR: Dontrelle Inman ($5,500, IND @ HOU)

Dontrelle Inman is becoming a reliable target for Andrew Luck.  He has emerged as the Colts second wide receiver and it is showing in his production.  Inman scored a touchdown in each of the last two games of the season resulting in an average of 14.4 FanDuel points during those games.  He now goes against the Texans defense that has struggled all year to stop opposing pass offenses.  Andrew Luck is averaging over 430 yards through the air in each of his games against the Texans this year, which is more than enough to spread around to Hilton, Ebron, and Inman.  I look for Inman to again produce another solid game and at $5,500 he is priced to buy.

Additional Value Pick:  Keke Coutee ($5,600, IND @ HOU) has been very productive when healthy this season.  He has now returned to practice fully and the Texans have spots to fill at receiver.  Coutee is averaging more than 8 FanDuel points per game and should get his fair share of targets on Saturday against the same Colts defense that allowed him 11 catches for 109 yards earlier this season.

TE: Hunter Henry ($4,900, LAC @ BAL)

If Hunter Henry is activated and plays Sunday in Baltimore, it will be a welcome addition for Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense.  The key word in that statement is IF.  Henry went down with a torn ACL in May and the Chargers have not been able to replace his production this season.  He has been practicing, in some form, for the past couple weeks and is scheduled to take the first team reps this week.  Though Henry will likely not be in game shape, he will still be an upgrade in the passing game over an aged Antonio Gates and an underwhelming Virgil Green.  Tight end is one position that the Ravens have struggled against this season and Henry is a great red zone target, making him a great investment at $4,900.

Additional Value Pick: Mark Andrews ($5,900 LAC @ BAL) seems to be Lamar Jackson’s favorite target in Baltimore.  With limited passes being thrown each week, Andrews seems to be the only consistent pass catching option on the Ravens offense.  He had his best game of the season against these Chargers, just two weeks ago when he scored 15.3 FanDuel points.

DEF: Colts ($3,700 @ HOU)

Andrew Luck and the Colts offense have been very good in this year’s push to make the playoffs, but the difference in this year and previous years is the Colts solid defense.  The Colts completely shutout the Cowboys just a few weeks ago, which would have been unimaginable in previous seasons.  In the two matchups with the Texans this season, the Colts have logged 12 sacks.  They are the lowest priced defense this week, making them a great value for buyers.

Additional Value Pick: Eagles ($4,200 @ CHI) The Eagles are coming off a 16-point performance in week 17.  They now face the league’s 21st ranked offense that is led by a second-year quarterback in his first playoff game.  They are priced $1,300 below the top defense, which makes them a solid value.