Week #2 of the playoffs is already here. Some teams have already been eliminated, and others are just getting back to playing after a week off. The daily fantasy football season is winding down, and the competition in most leagues is the toughest it has been all season. It’s important that if you are putting together a fantasy football team this weekend that you have the best data possible when drafting your roster. While we can’t go into an in-depth analysis of every player available this weekend, we can look at some of the bigger names. If you are playing DFS football this weekend, you’re likely going to be considering some of the players listed below.
Quarterback is Key this Week
Tom Brady: Brady is averaging 296.2 yards per game and has 28 touchdowns so far this season. That’s with just 12 games under his belt. Brady is one of the most consistent and productive QBs in the NFL, and he is ranked second in most fantasy leagues for this weekend, but Brady also has an issue going into this game. The Houston defense has been particularly potent against limiting quarterback fantasy stats. They are ranked #2 in the NFL. This leads us to believe that Brady will not perform at the level that is expected of him. This leaves the door open for a value pick.
Russell Wilson: Wilson is not ranked nearly as well as Brady is this season, but he holds just as much potential this weekend, and at a fraction of the price. During the postseason, even one or two low cost, high impact players can help you to win your league, and Wilson could very well be that player for you. He has averaged 261.4 yards per game passing, and has 23 total TDs this season. His fantasy point total is about 5 points behind Brady, but thanks to the fact that the Seahawks are going against the #31 ranked defense in the Atlanta Falcons. Wilson can more than make up those 5 points, especially when you consider that he has historically outperformed his normal stats in the postseason.
Big Time Players at Wide Receiver
Julio Jones: Jones is the WR that most people will choose to be their number one at this position. This is a mistake. Yes, Jones has dominated in yards per game, putting up over 100, but his TD number is very low. This shows a struggle on the end of the Falcons offense as they get closer to the end zone. Jones is great, there’s no denying that. He can make more yards happen than almost anyone else, and he’s priced competitively this weekend. However, with the Falcons going against the strong Seattle defense and his inability to take the ball in for 6 raises concerns for us.
Antonio Brown: Brown is by far the most expensive WR in most leagues. This is going to drive a lot of people away from drafting him, which leaves the door open for you to capitalize on him by centering your entire lineup around him. His stats are difficult to argue with. He has averaged 88 yards per game and has 14 TDs this season. And that was with a couple really bad games. Plus, the fact that the Steelers are taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, who are ranked #24 in the NFL against receivers, tells us that Brown is in a position for an above average game.
Running Back will Score You Big
Le’Veon Bell: It’s hard to know what to do with Bell this game. He is above and beyond the best RB playing this weekend. He averages more than 110 yards per game; no one can come close to this. But the Steelers are in a position where they will rely more on the pass than the rush this weekend, and they are in a must win game. We like Bell, but at his price and the likelihood that he will not be used quite as much as usual leads us to look elsewhere.
Thomas Rawls: And our sights land on Seattle’s Rawls. The Seahawks play Atlanta, who is ranked 29th in the NFL against the rush. We see QB Wilson passing a lot this game, but we also see Rawls having an above average game. He is priced competitively enough that even if he is only a little above average here, he’s a strong pick.
