NFL DFS Value Plays: Super Wild Card Weekend Bargain Bin for DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo Includes Matthew Stafford, Joe Mixon, Cooper Kupp and more

Welcome to the Super Wild Card Weekend main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin for the start of the 2024 NFL postseason, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry who find themselves in favorable matchups and/or suddenly expanded roles.

Each week, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit. On this Super Wild Card Weekend six-game main slate, I'm glad to report that value-salary players are abundant on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

In addition to offering multiple candidates at each position, I'll list at least one more player to consider, along with some site-specific value plays when applicable.

NFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro

Before we go NFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, here are a few particulars about format and content.

The nature of the beast with value plays is at least a modest amount (and sometimes substantially more) of risk. Therefore, the Bargain Bin may be a bit more of a roller-coaster ride on some slates than your typical “tout” article!

Naturally, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside to be had. All of these selections are, therefore, suitable for GPPs and can also often serve as solid cash-game plays while often helping you accommodate multiple higher-priced studs into your lineup.

Typically, I’ll suggest players who are value-priced across three major DFS sites (DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo). However, there are certainly occasions where one or more sites price a player significantly lower than others. Whenever possible, I’ll typically at least note those players as an “XYZ site special.”

This article is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive list of all value options for the week. Rather, it’s meant to take a deeper dive into those I feel offer some of the best combinations of savings and upside.

The goal is to recommend truly affordable players, as opposed to, say, a player priced just $300-$400 away from the highest-priced option at his position. I don’t have set-in-stone price limits in mind for each site, but I do consider legitimate affordability a very important criterion.

Quarterback DFS Value Plays

Matthew Stafford, LAR vs. MIN | DK: $5,700, FD: $7,100, Yahoo: $22     

Stafford should have a lively arm by the time this game rolls around, considering he got Week 18 off and the wild-card matchup doesn't kick off until Monday night. For a long-tenured QB with plenty of miles on his arm, that can make a significant difference at this juncture of the NFL calendar, leaving Stafford with a relatively bright outlook on that front.

Additionally, the Vikings have been a pass-funnel defense all season, considering how good they've been against the run. While Sean McVay will certainly ensure Kyren Williams gets his touches, given how important he is to the offense, Stafford is going to have to remain aggressive considering the potency of the offense on the other side. Minnesota finished the regular season allowing 247.6 passing yards per road game as well, furthering a postseason- savvy Stafford's case.

Matthew Stafford knows how to turn it on for the playoffs 🔥🔥

📺 Watch Rams vs. Vikings on NFL Game Pass on DAZNpic.twitter.com/O0YAigYvHH

— NFL on DAZN (@NFLonDAZN) January 9, 2025

C.J. Stroud, HOU vs. LAC | DK: $5,500, FD: $7,000, Yahoo: $21

Stroud's salaries, especially his DK one, haven't been this low in a very long time, and naturally, his struggles down the stretch as Houston suffered attrition at the receiver position have plenty to do with that. Nevertheless, that presents us with an opportunity to take advantage of rostering a player who's highly capable of outpacing the investment currently required to roster him. Stroud was able to tune up  in positive fashion for this game when he drove the Texans down the field on the opening possession of the Week 18 matchup against the Titans, capping off a 6-for-6 drive with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins.

Another encouraging development from that game was the fact that Diontae Johnson, who Houston will be relying on for a veteran No. 2 presence that can take pressure off Collins despite his relatively short time with the team, was able to see four targets and bring in two of them, with those coming from Davis Mills. Although the Chargers were a tough team to pass against all season, Stroud already comes in armed with some postseason experience and Los Angeles did give up an elevated 67.0 percent completion rate in the last three games of the regular season.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Bo Nix, DEN at BUF | DK: $6,300, FD: $7,500, Yahoo: $25

DraftKings-FanDuel Special:

• Justin Herbert, LAC at HOU | DK: $6,000, FD: $7,600

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— Scott (@scottd923) September 25, 2023

Running Back DFS Value Plays

Joe Mixon, HOU vs. LAC | DK: $7,200, FD: $7,500, Yahoo: $28         

Like Stroud, Mixon is a Texan who can be rostered at a bit of a discount during Super Wild Card Weekend. The veteran back was mostly outstanding during his debut campaign in Houston, but some inefficient performances down the stretch as the offense suffered multiple injuries helped lead to a salary drop that we can now look to take advantage of against a Chargers team that wasn't always stout against the run this season.

Los Angeles allowed 117.5 rushing yards per game during the regular season, and the Bolts conceded 4.6 yards per carry to RBs specifically. The Chargers also surrendered a robust 85 receptions to running backs, a vulnerability that Mixon is highly capable of taking advantage of considering his well-established body of work as a receiver. With the Chargers' secondary a stingy one, the Texans are likely to prioritize keeping Stroud out of unfavorable down-and-distance situations, and there's no better weapon to do that with than Mixon.

I’m feeling a big Joe Mixon game Saturday.
Some nasty cuts are coming as well.

The Chargers are middle of the road in rushing yards allowed. Texans need to establish the run early and can. pic.twitter.com/rek67jdT27

— big ounce (@_bigounce) January 10, 2025

Jaylen Warren, PIT at BAL | DK: $5,200, FD: $5,600, Yahoo: $20

True running back value is hard to come by in this first round of the postseason, but Warren is an interesting consideration for tournaments considering his versatility and frequently efficient rushing lines. The third-year pro finished the regular season with 821 total yards across 15 games, and in an example of what he can bring to the table, he posted a combined 23-119 tally on the ground and 10-85 receiving line in Weeks 16 and 17.

That sample included 12 carries for 48 yards and five receptions for 44 yards over 40 snaps in the Week 16 loss to the Ravens. Warren's work as a receiver gives him a nice floor especially in a full-PPR format like DraftKings', and although Baltimore was the toughest team in the league to run on by many metrics, the Ravens did give up an 80-674-4 receiving line to running backs this past regular season.

DraftKings-FanDuel Special:

• Bucky Irving, TB vs. WAS | DK: $7,000, FD: $7,600

Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays  

Cooper Kupp, LAR vs. MIN | DK: $6,400, FD: $7,000, Yahoo: $20           

Kupp has fallen very much out of favor with many DFS players thanks to what seems like a complete surrender of the No. 1 receiver role to Puka Nacua in the Rams' potent air attack. The veteran wideout mustered a modest 4-53 line on nine targets over the last three games he played in the regular season, and although he produced a trio of 100-yard performances during the campaign, none came after Week 11.

Yet, just as with Stroud and Mixon to a certain extent, all that does is give us a player that still has a high ceiling and is rested after getting Week 18 off at a discount across all three sites. Kupp remains a key to what Los Angeles wants to do on offense, and he's facing a Vikings defense that allowed the most receptions (255) and second-most receiving yards (3,147) to wideouts during the regular season. Minnesota also gave up league-high figures in both DK (41.7) and FD (32.7) points per game to receivers, furthering Kupp's case.

Can @CooperKupp recreate this generational 2021 playoff run this postseason? 👀

📺: #MINvsLAR – Monday 8pm ET on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/BnJNzDieWU

— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2025

Jordan Addison, MIN at LAR | DK: $6,100, FD: $6,800, Yahoo: $26

Addison has had a bit of a boom-or-bust quality to his production this season, but when he's hit, he's often hit big. The second-year wideout has plenty of field-stretching speed and there's no question he can capitalize on the copious amounts of defensive attention typically bestowed on Justin Jefferson. Addison finished the regular season with a pair of 100-yard performances in the last seven games, and he scored double-digit fantasy points in eight of 15 games.

Addison exceeded 30 fantasy points on two occasions, and he's facing a Rams team that was among the most generous to wide receivers in terms of touchdown catches. Los Angeles surrendered the third-most scoring grabs (20) to wideouts, and the Rams were tied for the third-most yards per completion (11.1) surrendered at home. With a very likely high-scoring affair set to unfold between these two teams, banking on a big game from Addison at his salaries is a viable way to go in tournaments.

Jalen McMillan, TB vs. WAS | DK: $5,200, FD: $6,400, Yahoo: $27

McMillan was quite the revelation for the Buccaneers' air attack down the stretch in the wake of Chris Godwin's season-ending ankle injury. The rookie took some time to hit his stride, but he came into his own over the last five games, cobbling together an impressive 24-316-7 line on 31 targets in that span while averaging an impressive 2.07 yards per route run and logging five red-zone targets overall. The 2024 third-round pick recorded at least one TD grab in each of those contests as well, leading to an average of 19.8 DK/17.4 FD and Yahoo points per game.

McMillan will remain a trusted No. 2 option for Baker Mayfield in Sunday night's showdown with a Commanders team that's very likely to force Tampa Bay's passing attack to keep its foot on the gas for all four quarters. Washington finished the regular season allowing 223.4 passing yards per road game (compared to 159.3 per game at home), along with 11.0 yards per completion (9.9 at home). The Commanders also yielded 12.8 yards per reception to wideouts, which dovetails well with McMillan's robust 11.9-yard aDOT.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Keon Coleman, BUF vs. DEN | DK: $4,600, FD: $5,300, Yahoo: $15

DraftKings-FanDuel Special:

• Terry McLaurin, WAS at TB | DK: $6,500, FD: $7,700

Tight End DFS Value Plays   

Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. GB | DK: $3,900, FD: $6,000, Yahoo: $14     

Goedert was activated from injured reserve ahead of the Week 18 win over the Giants and made great use of his opportunity to shake off rust ahead of the postseason. The veteran tight end worked with third-string QB Tanner McKee and delivered a 4-55 on six targets despite playing just 13 snaps overall. Despite the brief amount of time in the game, Goedert looked fully healthy and could be poised to play a significant role in the air attack against Green Bay.

The Packers were tough against wide receivers all season, even with Jaire Alexander, who's unavailable the rest of the way due to a knee injury, missing plenty of time. However, Green Bay was more generous against tight ends, giving up 93 receptions for 970 yards and four touchdowns to the position. That equated to 12.8 DK and 9.9 FD points per game yielded to the position, and Goedert also posted four catches versus the Pack in the Eagles' Week 1 win in Brazil.

Loved this route from Dallas Goedert.

DB playing with outside leverage so uses body language & stem to sell inside route.

Once DB closes space Goedert throws him by w/ a club & extends his inside arm to frame defender away & prevent him from closing space on the break. pic.twitter.com/f9NzIWXMc2

— Nick Waters (@Philly_Films) January 6, 2025

Tyler Higbee, LAR vs. MIN | DK: $3,300, FD: $5,100, Yahoo: $10

Higbee made a late-season return from injury in his own right, although in his case, it was actually a delayed season debut. The veteran tight end had suffered multiple ligament tears in his knee during last January's playoffs, but he was able to get in three games at the end of the regular season during which he posted an 8-66-2 line on 12 targets across 58 snaps.

Higbee worked up to 27 snaps in the Week 18 loss to the Seahawks, which led to a five-catch, 46-yard, one-touchdown performance. The Vikings were vulnerable to the pass this season partly because of how many attempts they faced, as outlined earlier in Stafford's entry. Additionally, Minnesota surrendered 88 catches for 880 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends, allowing an average of 11.5 DK/8.8 FD points per contest to the position.

ALSO CONSIDER:

• Will Dissly, LAC at HOU | DK: $3,400, FD: $5,000, Yahoo: $11

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