As is usually the case, often times when we have a four-game set in which we like a few to go in a certain direction, the pricing of the players makes it nearly impossible to use our desired lineups without some compromise. For this reason, we are actually representing more players from the same team than we would otherwise, as there will need to be some level of flexibility when creating our lineups.
Based on our expected Wild Card Round DFS game flow analysis performed earlier, we can carry our thoughts into actual lineup positions. The long list of players that fit the requirements set forth by the projected flow of the game was cut dramatically by the requirements set forth by salaries.
Below are Sporfolio’s DFS Wild Card Round Plays:
Quarterback
Cam Newton – Newton and the Panthers suffered two loses at the hands of the Saints in the Regular season, and neither were particularly good games by Carolina. They may not have a different result this week, but with two games’ worth of tape to watch, they will surely put together a better effort this time around. The Saints’ offense has rolled over Carolina to the tune of 65 points over the two game, so Carolina will need to produce offensively to have a chance to win. The Panthers offense relies heavily on Newton as he is often their leading rusher which gives him a tremendous floor. Despite his recent success running the ball, Newton has struggled through the air in the past two weeks throwing just one touchdown and four interceptions. Those games will likely scare off many DFS players, by Newton has experience leading his team all the way to the Super Bowl, so it’s not out of the question to think the playoffs will bring out the best of him. He has all of his top weapons healthy and ready for action, and Newton is going to carry the Panthers offense in what has the makings of an NFC South playoff shoutout.
Drew Brees – Imagine you are the head coach of a team that has a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, but leaning exclusively on him has led to three consecutive losing seasons. Eventually, the mindset will have to change. You may start building a defense so this quarterback doesn’t have to win games with 400-yard days. Or, you might commit to running the ball more frequently. Assuming these work and you start winning, you can comfortable survey your options for the playoffs. However, when the competition increases and the season is on the line, will you turn anywhere but the quarterback? Of course not. Sean Payton may have established a running game to support Drew Brees, but that is exactly its purpose; to support Drew Brees. The quarterback is still one of the best of this generation, and he will be asked to shine on Sunday. He also has the benefit of playing in his home stadium – a dome – and against a familiar opponent.