2023 NFL Wild Card DFS Picks – Top Plays and Sleepers to Target
The first round of the 2023 NFL playoffs arrives this Saturday. Like usual, it bleeds into Sunday, and we even get a Monday Night Football clash, too.
Super Wild Card Weekend is a thing, and I’m ready to soak it all up. The best way to do that is to win some cash, and hopefully I can help you do just that with my favorite NFL DFS picks for the Wild Card round.
I am focusing on the main slate here, which covers all three days of action, and I’ll give you my top play for each position at Draft Kings. Let’s get to it.
Quarterback: Tom Brady – Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($5.8k)
Josh Allen projects the best, and there are several compelling plays at quarterback this week. However, betting against Tom Brady never feels good, and he gets a home game against the Cowboys.
Dallas has not been nearly as formidable on grass fields, and they’ve struggled to corral fantasy passers as of late. Coming into the first round of the playoffs, they rank just 28th against fantasy quarterbacks in points allowed over the past four weeks.
Brady, meanwhile, is in a bit of a groove.
Tom Terrific completed 76% of his passes with a touchdown before hitting the bench last week, and the week prior he lit up the Panthers for 40 fantasy points.
I’m not in denial as far as this shaky Buccaneers offense is concerned, but Brady’s home/away splits is startling.
- Home: 22.4 fantasy points per game
Away: 12.3 fantasy points per game
If Dallas continues their defensive struggles, I think Brady and co. can not just provide immense value in your NFL DFS lineups, but they may even get the win.
Running Back: Travis Etienne – Jacksonville Jaguars ($6.3k)
Christian McCaffrey is the top dog at running back this week, but he’s crazy expensive, and I’m not so sure he’ll be needed enough against the Seahawks.
Obviously he could go nuts here, but the 49ers could run away with this one, or a now healthy Elijah Mitchell could help shoulder the rushing load.
Either way, Etienne stands out to me as an elite value. He did struggle in a big week 18 regular season finale, but he’s in a much better spot against a banged up Chargers team.
The Bolts are not great (26th) against fantasy running backs on the year, and Etienne has been in mostly good form in recent weeks.
- Week 17: 26 fantasy points
- Week 16: 14 fantasy points
- Week 15: 16 fantasy points
Jacksonville hosts this one and you know they’re going to lean on Etienne to get things going on the ground.
Ultimately, he’s too cheap for what he can bring to the table.
Wide Receiver: Justin Jefferson – Minnesota Vikings ($8.4k)
You should pay up for at least one stud on this loaded slate, and if you do, it should probably be Justin Jefferson. He’s perhaps the most unstoppable force in these playoffs, and he sure went off the last time he faced the New York Giants.
Jefferson has also been way too quiet lately.
He got stifled by the Packers two weeks ago, and wasn’t really needed in the regular season finale. With Minnesota out to prove they’re the real deal, I’d expect him to be peppered with targets and find plenty of success in the biggest game of his NFL career.
Tight End: Mark Andrews – Baltimore Ravens ($5.2k)
You should also consider George Kittle as a nice spend-up option. However, I’d imagine the Niners enjoy most of their success on the ground, and trusting in a rookie quarterback in his first ever playoff game isn’t something I’m eager to do.
I’d rather find a little value at tight end, which has me digging the idea of a full punt with someone like Dalton Schultz, or at least shaving off $900 and snagging Andrews.
His upside probably hinges on the return of Lamar Jackson, to be fair, but it does sound like that could happen this weekend.
With or without Jackson, Andrews is Baltimore’s best weapon in the passing game. He should see plenty of balls comes his way, and he’s too cheap for this slate.
Defense: Jacksonville Jaguars ($2.7k)
Lastly, you can soak up more savings by going a bit cheaper on defense. The 49ers stand out as the safest option on this slate, but the Jags are the most enticing.
The most interesting reason why is their opponent – the Chargers – won’t be very healthy coming into this playoff clash.
Their top wide receiver in particular has a serious back issue and probably won’t be 100% if he somehow suits up.
On top of that, Jax is in a groove. The Jags returned a defensive touchdown to ice last week’s win, and they’ve scored 12+ fantasy points in five straight games.
Is this a team of destiny? It’s possible. Besides, a 38-10 drubbing earlier this season against the very Chargers team they face this week has to promote some optimism.
There are so many options to consider this weekend, but I really like building with this core. Do I still have interest in paying up for Josh Allen, C-Mac, and others? Of course! And if you roll out loads of lineups, you should, too.
However, I love these plays for Super Wild Card Weekend and hope they work out for you if you end up using them as well.
Good luck!
Writer at Daily Fantasy Fade
DFS Keanu has been covering fantasy sports, DFS, and props for the better part of a decade, all while fighting The Matrix and a litany of assassins.
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