X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Deeper DraftKings DFS Sleepers for the Conference Championships

Deeper daily fantasy sleepers for DraftKings and the NFL Conference Championships, Justin Carter finds DFS sleepers for fantasy football owners to target.

And now there are just four teams left in the NFL playoffs. The New England Patriots are there, like many people expected. The Philadelphia Eagles are there too, which many people also expected at times during the regular season until quarterback Carson Wentz went down with a knee injury and was replaced by the Nick Foles, the man who co-owns the record for the most touchdown passes in a single game--and also vanished from the consciousness of NFL fans over the past couple of years.

The Vikings are there after beating the Saints in dramatic fashion, with a shocking last second touchdown pass from Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs that no one expected. (Note: As a University of Houston alum, I am very proud of Case Keenum.) And then the Jacksonville Jaguars are making their first appearance in the Conference Finals since 1999 behind quarterback Blake Bortles and a stellar defense that...just gave up 42 points to Pittsburgh? WHAT IS FOOTBALL DOING.

This could be a big week for you on DraftKings as the season winds down. Let's look at deeper DFS targets and DraftKings sleepers for the Conference Finals. These are all players whose DraftKings cost is at or below $5,000, except for the wide receiver position, where I'll be looking at players below $4,000.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Deeper DraftKings DFS Targets for the Conference Finals

QUARTERBACKS

Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars - $5,000 (DraftKings)

There's a temptation to suggest Foles here because he's $200 cheaper, but he plays against a Vikings defense that allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks during the regular season and is coming off a fairly mediocre win against the Falcons. But Bortles? He gets the Patriots, who allowed the seventh-most points during the regular season to the position AND allowed Marcus Mariota to throw for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running the ball four times for 37 yards. Bortles has found his feet during these playoffs, and his arm came alive against the Steelers. It's actually not crazy to imagine the Jaguars in the Super Bowl and Bortles being one of the reasons why.

 

RUNNING BACKS

James White, New England Patriots - $4,900 (DraftKings)

So you're willing to bet that lightning actually does strike the same place twice? James White found the end zone twice in the Divisional Round against the Titans, finishing with 20.0 fantasy points, his highest mark of the season. It's tough to trust a Patriots running back who isn't named Dion Lewis, but White does have a history of performing in the playoffs--he had three touchdowns in last year's Super Bowl against the Falcons, plus another touchdown during last season's Divisional Round. White is a player who has stepped up in big spots for New England. There's no guarantee he does that again, but I like his chances in a week with a really shallow pool of players to draw from.

T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars - $4,200 (DraftKings)

Yeldon served as the primary backup to Leonard Fournette in the Divisional Round with Chris Ivory inactive. Fournette re-injured his ankle during that game, though he did return in the second half. Yeldon could serve useful this week as a guy who can spell Fournette at times and as a pass catcher--in addition to rushing five times for 20 yards and a score last week, Yeldon caught three passes for 57 yards.

Corey Clement, Philadelphia Eagles - $3,100 (DraftKings)

Clement is another back whose usefulness in the passing game could come in handy. He only carried the ball once against Atlanta and last saw double-digit carries in Week 9 as Jay Ajayi's presence has knocked Clement down his team's rotation, but his five targets against Atlanta and his increased usage as a receiver since Nick Foles became Philadelphia's quarterback gives him a chance to put up decent numbers and, possibly, to find the end zone, though it'll be tough against a Vikings defense that allowed just one receiving touchdown to a running back during the regular season.

Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots - $3,000 (DraftKings)

Maybe the ultimate "hmm, maybe?" guy this week. Bolden scored a touchdown last week for New England as the team used him as a goal line back. If Mike Gillislee (knee) or Rex Burkhead (knee) are able to suit up this week, Bolden becomes much less appealing. But if one or both--and Gillislee in particular--are out, Bolden could once again see snaps down near the end zone.

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Dede Westbrook, Jacksonville Jaguars - $3,900 (DraftKings)

The rookie vanished against Pittsburgh, catching just one pass for eight yards. But he's got a good match-up this week (New England allowed the sixth-most points to receivers in the regular season), has plenty of talent, and had been developing as a weapon for Jacksonville over the second half of the season. At this point, I trust him more than Keelan Cole or Allen Hurns.

Jarius Wright, Minnesota Vikings - $3,000 (DraftKings)

This one is definitely a "cross your fingers and hope" pick, but Wright did catch three passes for 56 yards against the Saints. If there's a weak spot in the Eagles defense, it's been in how they've done defending wide receivers. Wright is pretty far down Minnesota's pecking order behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, but he's got decent upside (and also those two guys are the two most expensive wide receivers this week and I'm a little scared of the price tag.)

 

TIGHT ENDS

Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings - $4,500 (DraftKings)

This feels like cheating. Rudolph is a good option and comes at a significant discount over Rob Gronkowski and a decent discount over Zach Ertz, but he's still the third highest tight end salary this week. Let's just skip to the next player.

Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars - $2,500 (DraftKings)

I'm going to be very honest with y'all right now--once you get past Rudolph, you're just throwing darts and hoping something sticks. The Jaguars are not good at using their tight ends, but if you're cutting corners on this position then you want the player with the best chance at finding the end zone. Lewis did that five times this season and New England's defense does the poorest against tight ends of any of the four teams left. It's...bleak, but if you're going to get lucky then this might work out.

 

More NFL Playoffs and DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tetairoa McMillan

Signed By Panthers
Kris Bubic

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Bobby Witt Jr.

Posts Four-Hit Game
Jayden Higgins

Inks Rookie Deal
Ashton Jeanty

Secures Rookie Deal With Las Vegas
Colston Loveland

Chicago Signs First-Round Pick Colston Loveland
Stephen Curry

Unsure When He Can Return From Injury
De'Andre Hunter

Iffy For Friday
Evan Mobley

May Miss Another Game
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 3
Adin Hill

Looks To Return To Winning Ways Thursday
Johnathan Kovacevic

Won't Be Ready For Training Camp Following Surgery
Anthony Stolarz

Not Traveling With Maple Leafs For Game 3
Logan Stanley

Could Return To Action Friday
Josh Morrissey

Will Be A Game-Time Decision Friday
Alex Pietrangelo

A Game-Time Decision Thursday
Pavel Dorofeyev

Won't Play In Game 2
Hunter Greene

Diagnosed With Grade 1 Groin Strain
Victor Dimukeje

Dealing With Torn Pec
Quinn Ewers

Inks Rookie Deal With Dolphins
Nic Scourton

Panthers Expect Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen To Make Immediate Impact
Dax Milne

Dax Milne Let Go By Panthers
Cade Horton

Joining MLB Roster This Weekend
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Fire Derek Shelton
Tay Martin

Kyron Johnson Waived By Titans
Joe Bachie

Colts Sign Joe Bachie
Jonathon Brooks

Placed On PUP List, Out For 2025
Jadeveon Clowney

Panthers Release Jadeveon Clowney
Jordan Matthews

Panthers Release Jordan Matthews
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Held In Check Wednesday
Chet Holmgren

Logs Double-Double In Game 2 Win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads Thunder To Blowout Win
Derrick White

Close To Another Double-Double In Game 2
Jaylen Brown

Struggles In Second Half Wednesday Night
Josh Hart

Leads All Scorers With 23 Points In Game 2 Against Celtics
Mikal Bridges

Makes Late Impact Again
Eetu Luostarinen

Stretches Point Streak To Four Games
Morgan Rielly

Registers Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Max Pacioretty

Extends Multi-Point Streak To Three Games
Travis Etienne Jr.

Jaguars Not Very High On Travis Etienne Jr.
Bhayshul Tuten

Could Make Impact In First Season
Mitchell Marner

Hits Game-Winner Wednesday Night
Arian Smith

Jets Expected To Use Arian Smith Early
Mark Scheifele

Returns With A Goal Wednesday
Jalen Ramsey

Rams Involved In Jalen Ramsey Trade Talks
Jake Oettinger

Collects Victory With 29 Saves
James Cook

Bills GM Expects James Cook To Be Ready
Mikko Rantanen

Nets Another Hat Trick Wednesday
Max Fried

Keeps Rolling With Seven Strong Innings On Wednesday
Framber Valdez

Shuts Down Brewers On Wednesday
Sonny Gray

Tosses Gem Against Pirates
Joe Ryan

Scratched From Thursday's Start With Illness
TJ Friedl

Blasts Two Home Runs
Wilyer Abreu

Launches Two Home Runs
Cam Skattebo

Giants Plan To Use Cam Skattebo As Rusher And Receiver
Dylan Cease

Dealing With Forearm Cramp
Karl-Anthony Towns

Turns It Around In Game 2
Jalen Brunson

Leads The Knicks To Another Win
Kristaps Porzingis

Logs Only 14 Minutes In Game 2
Jayson Tatum

Has Another Rough Shooting Night
Pat Bryant

Broncos Sign Rookie Third-Rounder Pat Bryant
Dylan Cease

Makes Early Exit On Wednesday
J.J. McCarthy

Kevin O'Connell Non-Committal On Potential Competition For J.J. McCarthy
J.T. Realmuto

Exits Early On Wednesday With Foot Injury
Juan Soto

Smacks Two Homers
Hunter Greene

Leaves Wednesday's Outing With Groin Injury
Kris Bryant

To Have Surgery On His Back
Rob Dillingham

Remains Out For Game 2 Against Warriors
Al Horford

Starts Game 2 Against Knicks
Giancarlo Stanton

Could Return In Late May
Sam Hauser

Out For Game 2 Against Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis

Available Wednesday
Stephen Curry

Ruled Out For At Least One Week
Mark Jankowski

To Be A Game-Time Call Thursday
Connor Hellebuyck

Puts Home Win Streak To Test Wednesday
William Contreras

Expected To Return On Friday
Miro Heiskanen

Continues To Sit Wednesday
Anthony Stolarz

Won't Play In Game 2
Mackie Samoskevich

Rejoins Panthers Lineup Wednesday
Aaron Ekblad

Set To Return Wednesday
Clayton Kershaw

Might Need Just One More Rehab Start
Teoscar Hernández

Dodgers Hopeful Teoscar Hernandez Will Return In Two Weeks
Will Zalatoris

Looking To Find Consistency Heading Into Philadelphia
Justin Rose

In Solid Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Russell Henley

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At Truist Championship
Brian Harman

In Great Form Heading Into Philadelphia
Corey Conners

Red-Hot Heading Into Truist Championship
Daniel Berger

In Great Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Sahith Theegala

Struggles Continue Ahead Of Truist Championship
Xander Schauffele

Eyeing Strong Finish At Truist Championship
Jaccob Slavin

Extends Point Streak With Overtime Winner
Collin Morikawa

Poised To Rebound At The Truist Championship
Tony Finau

Trying To Find Form In Philadelphia
Justin Thomas

Looking To Keep Winning Ways Going Art Truist Championship
Maverick McNealy

In Great Form Ahead Of Truist Championship
Michael Kim

Looking To Recapture Elite Form In Philadelphia
Rory McIlroy

The Headlining Favorite At Truist Championship
Ty Jerome

Struggles As Starter Tuesday
Tommy Fleetwood

Eyeing First Victory At Truist Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Looking To Stay Hot In Philadelphia
Andrew Novak

Looking To Keep Hot Stretch Of Play Going In Philadelphia
Shane Lowry

Still Having An Amazing Season Ahead Of Truist Championship
Stephan Jaeger

Trying For Top-10 Result In Philadelphia
Aaron Rai

Heads To Philadelphia Playing Well
Lucas Glover

Hot And Cold Heading To Truist Championship
Deiveson Figueiredo

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cory Sandhagen

Gets Back In The Win Column
Reinier de Ridder

Extends His Win Streak To Four
Bo Nickal

Suffers His First Loss At UFC Des Moines
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Suffers TKO Loss At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Undefeated No More
Montel Jackson

Extends His Win Streak
Serhiy Sidey

Gets Decision Win At UFC Des Moines
Jeremy Stephens

Unsuccessful In His UFC Return
Mason Jones

Wins Decision At UFC Des Moines
Joey Logano

Steals The Victory At Texas On Sunday
Kyle Larson

Strong Performance Ends With A Top-Five Finish At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Quietly Obtains A New Career-Best Finish At Texas
Josh Berry

Spins His Way To A Poor Result At Texas
Ross Chastain

Picks Up Second-Place Finish
Carson Hocevar

Bad Pit Strategy And Late-Race Crash Spoil Carson Hocevar's Top-10 Run
Erik Jones

Improbably Finishes Fifth Despite Speeding Penalty
Michael McDowell

Despite Crashing Out At Texas, Michael McDowell Surprisingly Fights For The Win
John Hunter Nemechek

Brilliant Pit Strategy Lifts John Hunter Nemechek To Eighth Place
Ryan Blaney

Frustrated After Fumbling Away Potential Win At Texas
Brad Keselowski

Woeful Season Continues With Wreck At Texas
Kyle Larson

Has One Of The Best Cars In The Field At Texas
William Byron

Will Be Tough To Beat At Texas
Chase Elliott

A Slam-Dunk DFS Pick At Texas
Austin Cindric

Could Austin Cindric Legitimately Contend At Texas This Weekend?
Ryan Blaney

Is Worth Rostering For Texas DFS Lineups On Sunday
Joey Logano

Struggling To Find Speed At Texas
Tyler Reddick

Should Be Highly Considered For DFS At Texas This Week
Daniel Suarez

Has Been One Of The Best At Texas In Next Gen Car
Denny Hamlin

Might Have Another Quality Texas Start This Week
AJ Allmendinger

Has Shown Speed At Texas This Weekend
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF