Happy almost weekend, RotoBallers! The NFL Playoffs are here and it feels like it's just about anyone's game to win it all this season. If you had a disappointing regular season for fantasy and even DFS, now is your chance over the next few weeks to make up for it. With the NFL Playoffs having added a No. 7 seed as early as 2021, we now get 6 playoff games over the weekend compared to the usual 4.
The hardest part about the end of the regular season for fantasy purposes is trying to decipher which teams have an interest in resting some of their starters as well as teams eliminated from playoff contention no longer playing to win and getting a look at younger players buried on the depth chart instead. No doubt it's been ugly in the DFS streets over the last 2-3 weeks, but now that the playoffs are here we can rest assured each team will be playing their stars and trying to win.
Here you will be provided with daily fantasy football picks on DraftKings for the Buccaneers vs Cowboys NFL DFS showdown slate on January 16th. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you have any questions, you can follow me on Twitter @LuckIsMadeFF and fire away, or sign up for a premium RotoBaller NFL package and chat with an NFL DFS analyst at any time you'd like!
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MVP/Captain Plays
CeeDee Lamb- WR, $15,900 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 156 targets, 107 receptions, 1359 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns
- 2022 Offensive Pass DVOA: 12.8% (thirteenth), per Football Outsiders.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Pass DVOA: -2.7% (fifteenth), per Football Outsiders.
Lamb took a huge leap forward in 2022 finishing as a WR1 on the season and was a solid start throughout. He benefitted greatly in vacated targets from Amari Cooper's departure and Michael Gallup's slow start coming back from a brutal ACL injury. The Cowboys' offense was great this season and is very balanced with their potent running game to go along with their passing attack. The Tampa defense hasn't been as dominant as it was last year, but they feature one of the better run defenses in the league. This may cause the Cowboys to take to the air where Lamb could benefit. This one feels like it could be a fairly high-scoring affair and in order to win, Dallas will need Lamb to be the best version of himself.
Mike Evans - WR, $14,400 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 127 targets, 77 receptions, 1124 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns
- 2022 Offensive Pass DVOA: 17.9% (11th), per Football Outsiders.
- 2022 Opposing Defense Pass DVOA: -11.3% (third), per Football Outsiders.
A model of consistency, Evans went over 1,000 yards for his ninth-straight season. However, he was fairly inconsistent for fantasy this year before coming alive in Week 17 with a monster performance of 10 receptions for 207 yards and 3 TDs. The Bucs' offense hasn't been as great as it's been the prior two seasons, but I still wouldn't make a habit of betting against Tom Brady in the playoffs. Tampa's running game hasn't been as great either and this game could potentially be a shootout. To, keep up with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys on the other side, Evans and Chris Godwin will be relied upon heavily. Better to stay with the hot hand and hope for another big performance from Evans in this one.
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DFS Flex Plays
QB Dak Prescott - QB, $10,400 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 2,860 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 182 rushing yards, 1 touchdown (12 games)
Dak went down earlier this season and missed games, but was great when he returned minus some of the interceptions. Prescott's legs haven't been as potent as they've been prior to 2020 and he isn't as much of a threat on the ground. Nonetheless, if the Cowboys win this game, it will come on Dak's shoulders. Prescott is 1-3 in his career in the postseason and Dallas has a lot to prove in this one. Even on the road, the Cowboys are favored and as mentioned above, Tampa Bay has dealt with its fair share of injuries this season and their defense hasn't been as dominant. As Dak goes so will the Cowboys' playoff chances.
WR Chris Godwin - WR, $9,200 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 142 targets, 104 receptions, 1,023 receiving yards, and three touchdowns
While his ADOT has been significantly
On the other side of the field looms Gabe Davis. While he might not have had the breakout season many in the fantasy community were hoping for, he has about as high of a ceiling as any WR out there in DFS. He has just 3 performances inside the Top 12 for fantasy and has been inconsistent this season, but if you are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for one game you can do it with Davis. The Pats tend to try and take away what you do best (Diggs) and this could potentially open things up for Davis as the Bills need to win this game and will need to keep throwing to do so.
DFS Value Plays
Dalton Schultz - TE, $6,400 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 89 targets, 57 receptions, 577 yards, 5 TDs
It's been an up-and-down type of year for Schultz, who missed several games early in the season. He had been a reliable target in the Cowboys' offense with 9+ targets in 3 of his last 5 games. The Tampa defense allowed the 8th-most fantasy points to Tight Ends during the regular season. The bulk of the offensive targets went to CeeDee Lamb during the regular season, but there is ample room for Schultz to be a Top 2 target in the Cowboys offense for this game. He's always been a solid threat in the red zone and the Cowboys may struggle to run the ball against the stout Tampa front.
Rachaad White - RB, $5,400 (DK)
Key Stats
- 2022 Stats: 481 rushing yards, 1 touchdown, 50 receptions, 290 yards, 2 touchdowns
An all-purpose type of running back, White became more involved in the Bucs' offense halfway through the season but was not able to overtake Leonard Fournette as the lead back. He only averaged 3.7 yards per carry as well as 5.8 yards per reception, but it was also because the Tampa offense was nowhere near as explosive as in 2021, and couldn't move the ball downfield as easily. Having defenders up in the box a lot of the time prevented White from thriving, but he still had an impressive enough rookie season. White is a threat out of the backfield and in a full PPR format it's not hard to see him having plenty of receptions in this one.
The NFL playoffs are here, but we will have to wait until Monday Night for this one. Enjoy your weekend and good luck to everyone!
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