👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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


NFL Wild Card Week DraftKings DFS Lineup Sleepers: Eddie Lacy, Brian Hoyer, Markus Wheaton

Playoffs!? Yes Coach Mora, playoffs. We've made it to the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, and even with an eight team slate you better believe we've got DFS games to play.

Let's peek at the Vegas lines for these four games. The highest projected point total is the 46 spot for the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati matchup. The Green Bay-Washington matchup has seen it's line settle at 45. Kansas City-Houston and Seattle-Washington are both hovering around 40, with Kansas City and Seattle being the favorites who should get the biggest piece of those low totals.

None of these games are sending up signals for fireworks, but rest assured there is still plenty of value calling far down on the player lists in DraftKings player pool. Let's get to it.

Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!

 

Cheap Wild Card DraftKings Quarterbacks

Brian Hoyer (QB, HOU): $5,400 - vs. KC

Hoyer is going to have to be the man for Houston against a formidable Kansas City defense that is coming into the playoffs having built some serious momentum. Kansas City's yearly totals are still pretty skewed by their early struggles, but there is also no answer for DeAndre Hopkins in the end. Hoyer will hope to have Cecil Shorts back on Sunday (Shorts has said that he hopes to be ready for the Wild Card weekend), as Nate Washington is banged up (though not ruled out himself either), and if neither can really go then it'll fall on Jaelen Strong to step up and be the team's #2 receiver out there.

Houston's running game is nothing special, and it may very well be shut down early and leave the game on Hoyer's arm. While Kansas City's pace of play is the second slowest in the league behind only Dallas, that still isn't enough to dissuade me as Houston ranks as the third quickest team and could very well fall into that spot where they need to put up points in the second half unless J.J. Watt runs a few back. At near minimum price, taking him might get you an affordable stack with Hopkins if that tickles your fancy.

AJ McCarron (QB, CIN): $5,200 - vs. PIT

This is as cheap as I'm comfortable going, as Teddy Bridgewater against Seattle (and honestly Teddy in general) gets a *hard pass* shake of the head from me. AJ McCarron may very well make a mess of things, but he's put some drives together and seems to grasp that he has two very talented and sizable receivers out there that he can trust in A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. His other complementary pieces ain't half bad either. Pittsburgh should look to push things with their aerial assault, and the strong possibility exists that McCarron will need to go out there and keep pace. This pretty much hinges on how well the Bengals defense can perform against Big Ben, but for tournaments this is a solid play, and again leaves you with a good opportunity to stack with Green and not blow your wallet.

 

Cheap Wild Card DraftKings Running Backs

Eddie Lacy (RB, GB): $4,500 - @WAS

I know, no one is going to feel good about this play. Aaron Rodgers and his arm are the best bets on the team, and then you've got John Kuhn always lurking in the shadows to take that one yard plunge into the endzone. All the same, this Washington defense isn't going to keep the Packers to single digits this weekend, they've been giving up plenty of yards by their own right (including 435 to Kellen Moore this past Sunday). This means that Lacy still makes for a decent play and pray option at this price point.

Fitzgerald Toussaint (RB, PIT): $3,900 - @CIN

Mike Tomlin was talking about how well Toussaint has stepped up for Pittsburgh, and while his on-field performance didn't look like anything special (and have led people to think that Jordan Todman is the play here, which I respect but we're talking Toussaint here), I like Toussaint the most for being a hair cheaper than Todman and also the favorite for the heavy work. Will Johnson could come in I suppose, but we're under $4,000 here and out of the entire backfield, I'd want Toussaint above the others and hope he gets a cheap plunge or two like DeAngelo Williams did in Week 16 off of the two pass interference calls.

Alfred Morris (RB, WAS): $3,700 - vs. GB

With Matt Jones still not at 100%, this leaves Alfred Morris as the favorite for leading the Washington backfield in a matchup with a Packer defense that has ranked 6th in passing DVOA and 19th in rushing DVOA according to FootballOutsiders. In the past four weeks we've seen both backs for Dallas put up 10+ points on them, as well as David Johnson and Adrian Peterson eclipsing the mark. At this price, I'm going after that ceiling of 18-100-2 with a good shot at a 16-60-1 line.

 

Cheap Wild Card DraftKings Wide Receivers

DeSean Jackson (WR, WAS): $4,500 - vs. GB

I'm not sure why DeSean Jackson is this cheap, but it plays very well into the boom or bust tournament sort of option that he is. If he catches that long touchdown, you've made your nut. If he busts, at least you didn't have to drop over six grand on him or anything. Besides, we want that ceiling on our teams anyway. Two weeks ago against Buffalo he dropped that 6-153-1 line. That is what we're after, and for $4,500 that is almost an automatic play for me.

Markus Wheaton (WR, PIT): $4,000 - @CIN

Martavis Bryant appears to be losing ground to Markus Wheaton as of late, as Bryant's toughness and dedication have been called into question by Ben Roethlisberger as Bryant sat out last weekend's second half against Cleveland with a stiff neck. Combine this with Wheaton's own uptick in play recently and the subsequent increase in targets from Roethlisberger, as well as the running game taking a serious ding with DeAngelo Williams' injury, and the recipe looks decent for Wheaton to put your $4,000 to work this weekend.

Nate Washington/Cecil Shorts/Jaelen Strong (WR, HOU): $3,600/$3,300/$3,000 - vs. KC

Look, one of these guys is going to be Houston's #2 receiver against the Chiefs. Nate Washington had a good set up last week with Cecil Shorts ruled out, but injured his hip and left the game, leaving Jaelen Strong to be in on 60 of 76 snaps, catching six balls for 56 yards. If all three of these guys can go, you're taking them in the order listed (and ignoring Strong totally if both Washington and Shorts are active). Washington benefits greatly from Shorts' being absent, so you're going to want to keep an eye on the Texans' practice reports as the week progresses. Regardless, as noted in Hoyer's blurb, I don't trust the Houston running attack to carry them to victory here, and while it may all go through DeAndre Hopkins, getting that secondary option is not a bad idea.

 

Cheap Wild Card DraftKings Tight Ends

Kyle Rudolph (TE, MIN): $3,500 - vs. SEA

The Vikings have Adrian Peterson and then some other guys who have shown flashes. Seattle destroyed the Vikings the last time out (though Minnesota was without quite a few key guys on defense) and took Peterson out of the game by jumping out to a healthy lead. Peterson finished the game with eight carries for 18 yards. Yeesh. The entire Viking offense failed, with Rudolph himself only catching three balls for 13 yards. The hope here is that a more complete Minnesota squad can put up an actual effort against Seattle at home. This would give Rudolph a chance to operate against Seattle's only real weakness, as they are 26th in DVOA against opposing tight ends (it's the only position where they aren't in the top ten). Reach for the stars.

Heath Miller (TE, PIT): $3,300 - @CIN

The Steelers aforementioned struggling running game that should be missing DeAngelo Williams is going to need its passing game in full swing to win. In the last two games against the Bengals, Heath Miller has caught 20 of 23 targets for 171 yards. The Steelers will need to rely on a voluminous passing attack in lieu of a true RB1 to carry the load, and Miller should be heavily involved. The Bengals have also given up decent lines to players like Blake Bell (8 targets-4-43) and Maxx Williams (10 targets-6-63), so with Heath's low cost he seems like a shoo in for consideration.

Cooper Helfet (TE, SEA): $2,500 - @MIN

Let's throw a minimum price guy in who has a good chance at giving you at least 10 points, and Seattle's latest tight end fits the bill. Cooper Helfet and Chase Coffman were Seattle's tight ends in Week 17 with Luke Willson dealing with a concussion (he is getting in limited practices thus far this week). Keep an eye on Willson's status, but Helfet has played 52 snaps in each of Seattle's past two games, catching four passes in each game for 43 and 42 yards, respectively. Chase Coffman is $2,800, probably due to his catching a touchdown in Week 17, but Helfet is the minimum price guy to chase if you need to. Knowledge is power.

 

Cheap Wild Card DraftKings Defenses

The favored teams in the lowest scoring games are your two most expensive options (Seahawks and Chiefs), and no team even comes close to the $2,000 floor we've always had in past weeks. Ah well, there's still relative value to be examined.

Pittsburgh Steelers, D/ST: $3,700 - @CIN

As we discussed before, AJ McCarron is a risky play and the Steelers defense may very well get a few opportunities to prey on an inexperienced kid in a playoff game who needs to engineer a comeback as the more experienced Roethlisberger-led Steeler offense puts points on the board. That's more than enough for me to take a chance on them for this price. The Steelers have preached a defensive philosophy that relies on sacks and turnovers, even if it means being vulnerable on the back end. Sounds like a great tournament style attitude to have.

Green Bay Packers, D/ST: $2,800 @WAS

The cheapest defense on the board is one that could actually pay off. Washington's roster is heading into uncharted waters here for the most part, and while Green Bay is not playing like they're used to, they've still got a heavy experience edge here and we've seen Washington just implode plenty of times before. They should be fired up, but I think if Green Bay can come out and control the game at first, show Washington that an initial wave of emotional charge won't be enough to carry them to the next round, it might just be enough to jar Washington into making some mistakes.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 




RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jackson Holliday

Orioles Reinstate Jackson Holliday From Injured List on Monday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Braves Reinstate Ronald Acuna Jr. From Injured List on Monday
Jose Altuve

Astros Put Jose Altuve on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Larry Nance Jr.

is Questionable for Game 1 on Tuesday
OG Anunoby

is Probable for Tuesday's Game 1
Luke Kornet

is Cleared for Game 1
New Orleans Pelicans

Jamahl Mosley Agrees to Become Pelicans Next Head Coach
De'Aaron Fox

is Ruled Out for Game 1 on Monday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Set to Start Game 7
Corey Seager

Going on Injured List With Back Injury
Tage Thompson

Can Match Franchise Record With Another Multi-Point Game
Nick Suzuki

Seeks More Road Success Monday
Lane Hutson

Riding a Five-Game Assist Streak Into Game 7
Filip Gustavsson

Needs Offseason Surgery
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Reinstated and Starting on Monday Against Twins
Cam Skattebo

Dynasty Stock Rising Following NFL Draft
Kaleb Johnson

Logging First-Team Reps in OTAs
Evan Engram

Dynasty Value Fading After Production Decline in 2025
TreVeyon Henderson

Dynasty Outlook Clouded By Split Backfield in New England
Caleb Williams

' Dynasty Upside Remains Sky-High Entering 2026
Bijan Robinson

Is Bijan Robinson the No. 1 Overall Player in Dynasty Formats?
Woody Marks

Should Have Plenty of Opportunities to Catch Passes
Drew Allar

Working as QB4 in First OTA Session
Aaron Rodgers

Reports to Steelers Facilities on Monday
Alvin Kamara

Saints Remain Non-Committal on Alvin Kamara's Future
Chris Olave

Saints Continue to Work on Extension With Chris Olave
Parker Washington

a Sneaky Trade Target in Dynasty Leagues?
Melquizael Costa

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 117
Jarquez Hunter

Can Jarquez Hunter's Dynasty Outlook Improve in Year 2?
Arnold Allen

Bounces Back
James Conner

Off the Dynasty Radar Entirely?
Elijah Arroyo

Will Elijah Arroyo Continue to Have Trouble Getting on the Field?
Daniel Santos

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Tre Tucker

Not a Long-Term Solution in Dynasty Leagues
MMA

Dohoo Choi Wins His Third Consecutive Fight
Malcolm Wellmaker

Suffers His Second Loss In A Row
Juan Diaz

Scores Second-Round Submission
Christian Edwards

Defeated At UFC Vegas 117
CFB

Transfer Running Back Arnold Barnes Visiting Iowa State on Monday
Modestas Bukauskas

Gets Split-Decision Win
Jack Bech

a Dynasty Hold as New-Look Raiders Offense Takes Shape
Jaydon Blue

a Low-Value Dynasty Stash Until Depth Charts are Settled
Makai Lemon

a Top-Five Pick in Dynasty Rookie Drafts
George Kittle

a Dynasty Buy with League-Winning Potential
Jhostynxon Garcia

Expected to Join the Pirates on Tuesday
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

a Dynasty Sleeper with High Touchdown Potential
Tobias Harris

Goes Cold in Game 7 Loss
Quinn Hughes

Open to Signing Extension This Offseason
Jalen Duren

Finishes Game 7 with Quiet Line
Cade Cunningham

Endures Cold Shooting Night Sunday
Joel Eriksson Ek

Misses Second Round Due to Heel Injury
Sam Merrill

Catches Fire in Game 7 Win
Evan Mobley

Posts Versatile Double-Double in Game 7
Jonas Brodin

Sits Out Round 2 Due to Toe Injury
Donovan Mitchell

Guides Cavaliers Into East Finals
Sam Malinski

Practices Fully Sunday
Jarrett Allen

Scores 23 Points in Cavs' Game 7 Rout of Pistons
Josh Manson

Rejoins Practice
Kevin Huerter

Active on Sunday Night
Caris LeVert

Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert Available Sunday
Dean Wade

Max Strus Replaces Dean Wade in Starting Lineup Sunday
Luke Kornet

Iffy for Monday
Larry Nance Jr.

Won't Play Sunday
De'Aaron Fox

Listed as Questionable for Monday's Action
Jalen Williams

Officially Available for Game 1 Against Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Named MVP for Second Straight Year
Colt Emerson

Mariners Promoting Top Prospect Colt Emerson to Major Leagues
Bones Hyland

Wants to Stay in Minnesota
Munetaka Murakami

Fantastic First Season Continues With Two More Homers
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Dazzles With 13-Strikeout Complete Game on Saturday
Blake Snell

to Undergo Elbow Surgery on Tuesday
Clay Holmes

Could Miss Around Three Months
Jose Altuve

Exits After Swing
Corey Seager

Absent With Back Spasms on Saturday
Jeremy Lauzon

Misses Saturday's Practice
Mark Stone

Doesn't Practice Saturday
Josh Manson

Misses Practice, Considered Day-to-Day
Brent Burns

Day-to-Day Ahead of Conference Finals
Cale Makar

Considered Day-to-Day
Alex Lyon

Likely to Start Game 6 Against Canadiens
Owen Power

Available Saturday
Trevor Story

Hits the Injured List With Groin Injury
Blake Snell

Likely to Need Elbow Surgery
Kyle Schwarber

on a Heater, Hits Two More Homers to Take Major-League Lead
Clay Holmes

Suffers Fractured Fibula on Friday Night
Blake Snell

Heads to 15-Day Injured List
Blake Snell

Scratched From Start on Friday for Undisclosed Reasons
Max Fried

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Bone Bruise
CFB

Julian Sayin Looking To Build Off Of Strong Debut Season
CFB

College GameDay Set for First Three Weeks
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Aiming For Ohio State Receiving Records
CFB

Keshaun Singleton Projects as Auburn's WR1
CFB

Jeremiah Cobb Impresses New Auburn Staff
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Very Likely to Start for Georgia Tech
CFB

Charles Woodson Jr. Commits to Michigan
Jordan Westburg

to Have Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Melquizael Costa

Set For UFC Vegas 117 Main Event
Arnold Allen

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 117
Daniel Santos

Set For UFC Vegas 117 Co-Main Event
MMA

Dohoo Choi Returns At UFC Vegas 117
Juan Diaz

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Malcolm Wellmaker

Looks To Bounce Back
Christian Edwards

Set For His UFC Debut
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Lane Hutson

Contributes Two Assists in Game 5 Victory
Nick Suzuki

Amasses Three Points in Crucial Victory Thursday
Juraj Slafkovsky

Dishes Out Three Assists in Game 5 Win
Carter Hart

Stops 31 Pucks in Series-Clinching Win
CFB

Virginia Tech Lands Commitment from Four-Star QB Peter Bourque
CFB

NFL Veteran Tom Moore Joins Iowa Coaching Staff
CFB

Can Cam Cook Dominate in Return to Big 12?
CFB

ACC, Big 12 Support 24-Team College Football Playoff
CFB

Anthony Colandrea Looking to Elevate Nebraska Back to National Contention
CFB

Kwazi Gilmer Set for Big Impact at Nebraska
Justin Thomas

Trending Well Ahead of PGA Championship Despite Concerning Form
J.J. Spaun

Trending Up Ahead of PGA Championship
Adam Scott

Riding Strong Form Into PGA Championship
Patrick Reed

Looking to Make Another Run at PGA Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Looks to Build on Strong Finish at Truist Championship
Sam Burns

Must Keep Ball in Play at PGA Championship
Jordan Spieth

Looks to Complete Career Grand Slam at Aronimink
Brandt Snedeker

Not the Best Option for the PGA Championship
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Volatile Option at PGA Championship
Maverick McNealy

Seeking Better Start in Philadelphia
Harry Hall

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Aronimink
Hideki Matsuyama

Attempts to Improve Over 2025 PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Looks to Defend PGA Championship at Aronimink
Nicolai Hojgaard

Wants to Keep Momentum Rolling in Philadelphia
Ben Griffin

Attempting to Bounce Back After Truist Championship
CFB

Transfer Defensive Lineman Devarrick Woods Commits to Clemson
Harris English

Will Need His Putter to Thrive at Aronimink
Akshay Bhatia

Creative Flair Could Show Itself in Philadelphia
Keegan Bradley

Knows the Aronimink Golf Club Well