Not surprisingly, the Divisional Round is full of talented offensive players. That would normally lead to a follow-up comment where the salaries are comparatively high. Not so fast! Of course, there are some players who carry an extreme premium, but the pricing simply can’t treat everyone as it would on a normal week — you do have to be able to make a lineup, after all. Therefore, there are some relative discounts for names that are well worth a strong consideration.
Based on our expected Divisional 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 Divisional Round Plays:
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers – How can we not start with Aaron Rodgers? The superstar quarterback and reigning MVP has put together arguably a better season in 2021 than he did in 2020, and his team enters Saturday as the biggest favorite of the Divisional Round. That’s not an accident. This might be the best Green Bay Packers team we have seen in years, and Rodgers is at the center of it. The narrative that the San Francisco 49ers will once again knock off the Packers is going to circulate between now and kickoff but, even if that happens, Rodgers won’t go down without a fight. His ceiling is astronomical in any game flow.
Matthew Stafford – Matthew Stafford was not asked to do much in his Los Angeles Rams’ playoff debut, but he was nearly perfect when called upon. On just 17 pass attempts, Stafford completed 13 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Considering the early dominance of the run game, and the lead the Rams enjoyed throughout the game, Stafford wasn’t needed often, but that shouldn’t be the case this week. Playing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their elite run defense, it is extremely unlikely that the Rams are able to be as successful on the ground. It is also quite likely that they enter this game with the complete opposite game plan given the much better matchup for the passing game. The Buccaneers’ defense ranks 22nd in the league in passing yards allowed per game and 26th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. The game is going to demand more of Stafford this week, and given what we saw from him last week, we are confident he is up to the task.