Our first fantasy lineups of the postseason were actually not overly difficult to make, despite the number of talented options we had to consider. This is largely because we opted to find reasonable alternatives to some of the high-end — and, more importantly, high-priced — players, and it left us with tremendous flexibility while still carrying a high ceiling.
Based on our expected Wild Card Round DFS game flow analysis published 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
Russell Wilson – Once you enter the playoffs, many things become hard to predict due to a so many variables being in play. One thing that should never be confused come playoff time is Russell Wilson getting the job done in his first playoff game. In Wilson’s seven previous playoff appearances, only one time has he been eliminated in his first game. We have talked throughout the week about our abundance of confidence in the Seahawks in general this week, and with that, it is impossible to not have faith in Wilson even in this poor matchup. We have seen it time and time again throughout the years, even when the Seahawks were a run heavy team, when the games and moments being the most important, the Seahawks want the ball in Wilson’s hands. Wilson hasn’t been great against the Rams this year, but if you give a quarterback of his quality three shots against a team, they are likely to come through with a big game eventually. It should also be noted that in their first matchup, Wilson had his second largest rushing total of the season with a very solid 60 yards on the ground.
Ryan Tannehill – There is no easy way to separate the Tennessee Titans from running back Derrick Henry and the team’s rushing attack, but that’s exactly why we are buying into quarterback Ryan Tannehill so heavily, this weekend. The general assumption is that, when the Titans are playing in a key, they run the ball. Not so fast. That was the case in the 2019 playoffs, but Tannehill has developed quite nicely over the past year to the point where he easily blew away his career-bests in both most touchdowns and fewest interceptions — as a starter. Most importantly, the Titans let Tannehill take charge at various points of the season against playoff teams like the Bills and Browns, and he tossed three touchdowns in each matchup. He isn’t the flashiest option of the weekend, but he could legitimately produce the highest fantasy total among quarterbacks in-play.
Ben Roethlisberger – As counterintuitive as it might sound, we continue to drift toward expecting offense in the game from the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. If that happens, the Steelers have made it a point to almost exclusively move the ball through-the-air, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger becomes one of the top targets of the weekend. He’s essentially game flow-proof, as his team doesn’t bother running the ball, even in losses. Perhaps the best reason to target Roethlisberger is because of the wealth of talent he has at the wide receiver position. Not only is it difficult to pinpoint which pass-catcher will emerge as the best but, if multiple receivers thrive, then it’s extremely probable that Roethlisberger did, too.