DraftKings' Arena Football League (AFL) contests are back for the first week of the AFL's two-week playoffs. RotoWire will be providing lineup suggestions for each of the 13 weeks of the AFL regular season, the two weeks of the playoffs and the ArenaBowl.
DraftKings AFL lineups consist of one Captain spot, which sees the player's salary and fantasy points both multiply at a rate of 1.5x, and five Flex positions. The lack of positional specifications means that one could potentially compose a lineup consisting of players from just one position. However, for our purposes, we'll strive to highlight players from at least the top two fantasy-producing positions, quarterback and wide receiver.
Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations on certain players and are not intended to constitute a lineup that fits under DraftKings' $50,000 salary cap. In fact, the cumulative salary of the players suggested weekly will often check in well over that figure.
For a full overview of the basics of playing AFL DFS contests on DraftKings, review our DFS 101 primer here: https://www.rotowire.com/arena/article.php?id=45291
1st Round Playoff Plays
Captain: Arvell Nelson, QB, WAS vs. PHI ($16,500):
Nelson has been stellar all season long and particularly enjoyed his meetings with the Soul. In two regular-season contests against Philadelphia, Nelson compiled 14 total touchdowns and averaged 45.0 fantasy points (standard scoring). Therefore, his potential in the Captain's spot is through the roof Saturday, especially considering Philadelphia's secondary finished the season in awful form against the Empire
DraftKings' Arena Football League (AFL) contests are back for the first week of the AFL's two-week playoffs. RotoWire will be providing lineup suggestions for each of the 13 weeks of the AFL regular season, the two weeks of the playoffs and the ArenaBowl.
DraftKings AFL lineups consist of one Captain spot, which sees the player's salary and fantasy points both multiply at a rate of 1.5x, and five Flex positions. The lack of positional specifications means that one could potentially compose a lineup consisting of players from just one position. However, for our purposes, we'll strive to highlight players from at least the top two fantasy-producing positions, quarterback and wide receiver.
Note: Please keep in mind that these are merely recommendations on certain players and are not intended to constitute a lineup that fits under DraftKings' $50,000 salary cap. In fact, the cumulative salary of the players suggested weekly will often check in well over that figure.
For a full overview of the basics of playing AFL DFS contests on DraftKings, review our DFS 101 primer here: https://www.rotowire.com/arena/article.php?id=45291
1st Round Playoff Plays
Captain: Arvell Nelson, QB, WAS vs. PHI ($16,500):
Nelson has been stellar all season long and particularly enjoyed his meetings with the Soul. In two regular-season contests against Philadelphia, Nelson compiled 14 total touchdowns and averaged 45.0 fantasy points (standard scoring). Therefore, his potential in the Captain's spot is through the roof Saturday, especially considering Philadelphia's secondary finished the season in awful form against the Empire while also allowing the most passing yards per game (245.4) and surrendering the second-most passing touchdowns (59) in the AFL during the regular season. What's more, the Soul gave up 14 rushing touchdowns and the second-highest average yards per rush on the campaign, certainly relevant when considering the highly mobile Nelson (career-high 226 rush yards and 19 rushing TDs this season).
Flex: Tommy Grady, QB, ALB vs. BAL ($10,200):
Grady is a perpetual play anytime he's on a slate, and in a four-quarterback scenario like the playoffs, even more so. The prolific veteran finished the regular season off on an impressive note, completing 72.2 percent of his throws and compiling four touchdown passes in just a half of play against the Soul. Overall, Grady averaged 33.1 fantasy points per game in 2019 and generated a 68:10 TD:INT along the way. The Empire and Brigade met only once during the regular season, and Grady came through with 33.36 fantasy points on the strength of a 284-yard, six-touchdown passing effort. Baltimore's defense finished the campaign allowing the lowest completion percentage (59.6) and passer efficiency rating (96.2), so the challenge is a daunting one for Grady. However, he's essentially transcended matchup all season and posted a 33:5 TD:INT across six home games, so he's worth the five-figure investment in the high-stakes battle.
Flex: Dan Raudabaugh, QB, PHL at WAS ($10,000):
While Arvell Nelson certainly had his share of success against the Soul's defense this season as discussed earlier, Raudabaugh was certainly no slouch versus the Valor's secondary. The veteran quarterback compiled a combined 576 passing yards and a 12:2 TD:INT during his two games versus Washington, despite both of those ending up in the loss column for Philly. Raudabaugh averaged a solid 25.4 fantasy points overall in six road contests this season, but the 34.6 he averaged versus the Valor and the likelihood of a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair is what really makes him stand out here despite the elevated price tag.
Flex: Shane Boyd, QB, BAL at ALB ($9,000):
Boyd rounds out the quarterback field this week, and he, too, is worthy of consideration. The veteran's price has lagged behind that of his fellow signal-callers on most weeks this season, and he could certainly be a tad underowned in tournaments due to a downturn in numbers late in the campaign. However, it's important to note Boyd only played five quarters combined over the Brigade's last two games, and that he still finished the campaign averaging a solid 23.5 fantasy points. He also enjoyed one of his better games of the season against the Empire when he faced them in Week 7, putting up 32.44 fantasy points on the back of a 261-yard, six-touchdown tally. Albany yielded 55 passing touchdowns, the most completions (254), and the second-most passing yards per contest (245.0) on the season, boosting Boyd's candidacy at a reasonable cost.
Flex: Joe Hills, WR, BAL at ALB ($8,000):
If you do manage to get Boyd into your lineups, it would certainly be prudent to handcuff him with his savvy veteran target Hills. The wideout was technically on a one-game league suspension in Week 13, but he's cleared to play and well rested heading into Saturday's opening playoff salvo. It's notable that Hills' best game of the season came at the expense of the Empire in Week 7, when he produced 13 receptions for 137 yards and four touchdowns to rack up a season-high 53.7 fantasy points. Hills eclipsed 20 fantasy points in eight contests overall this season, and he averaged an impressive 30.9 in five road tilts overall. Those are all solid-to-excellent returns on his current salary, putting him squarely in play Saturday.
Flex: Dezmon Epps, WR, WAS vs. PHL ($5,800):
Epps might seem like somewhat of a dart throw given how he finished the season, but there's certainly a case to be made for the rookie in GPPs, especially at his bargain price. Epps famously started his AFL career with an eye-popping 9-201-4 line against the Brigade, but he eventually fell back to earth and only logged three receptions over the final three games. Yet, next to his trampling of the Baltimore secondary in the opener, Epps' next two most impressive performances arguably came against the Soul squad he'll face Saturday. The speedster finished with a combined 15-209 line against Philadelphia in two regular-season matchups, leading to a solid average of 19.5 fantasy points in those contests. The Soul's vulnerabilities against the pass were already detailed earlier in Nelson's entry, and Epps certainly has the upside to potentially offer a handsome return on a modest price.
