DraftKings NFL: Saturday Divisional Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.

The Games

Quarterback

• Jayden Daniels at DET ($7,000)

The Washington-Detroit matchup has a 55.5-point total, the highest of any game this season. Two of the top-5 highest-scoring teams in the league, both play fast and will enjoy perfect conditions inside at Ford Field. Buoyed by rushing upside, Daniels projects for the most raw points on the slate and is expected to be the highest owned QB as there's enough value at the other positions to afford him. That isn't to say he's a must or even close to it, however, because there are two other good QBs who are also underpriced. 

• Jared Goff vs. WAS ($6,300)

The Lions have a massive 32-point implied total, which makes sense considering they've scored at least 30 points in five consecutive games and have a favorable matchup against a Commanders defense that doesn't do anything particularly well. Prior to blowing out the Vikings last week, Goff had thrown for at least three TDs in four consecutive games. He projects about equally to Daniels on a point-per-dollar basis. So does Patrick Mahomes ($6,000), who's also priced cheaper than we've ever seen despite coming off his best performance of the season in Week 17 against the Steelers. A week before that he faced this same Texans team and did pretty much whatever he wanted on his way to 24 fantasy points. There are three really good QB options and it's one of the tougher decisions I can remember on a two-game slate. Take your pick. 

Running Back

• Jahmyr Gibbs vs. WAS ($7,700)

This one is a no-brainer. Gibbs clearly stands out at what is the weakest position on the slate and is going to be the most popular overall player as a result. He's scored at least 28 fantasy points in four consecutive games, including a whopping 49 against the Vikings in Week 18 after 170 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. 

• David Montgomery vs. WAS ($5,700)

Montgomery hasn't played since spraining his knee Week 15, but he practiced fully all week and enters Saturday without an injury designation. It's difficult to predict how much he'll play, but I expect him to be out there for short-yardage and pass-blocking situations. It's unfortunate that pricing is so soft because this could've been a more difficult decision. Montgomery's salary had reached $7K prior to the injury and it's never been less than $6K. At just $5,700 and with the Lions having a 32-point total, he looks pretty good. That said, he and Joe Mixon ($6,500) will be similarly popular and I wouldn't fault anyone for choosing Mixon based on the uncertainty surrounding Montgomery's role. The Texans have a paltry 16.5-point total for their matchup in Kansas City against a good Chiefs defense, however. The stark difference in their respective matchups is my main reason for siding with Montgomery. 

Wide Receiver

• Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. WAS ($7,200)

Sticking with the theme, St. Brown is priced cheaper than he's been all season, despite a prime matchup. DraftKings really dropped the ball with these salaries and it makes for some very easy decisions. St. Brown will be the second-most popular player behind Gibbs and is a lock for cash games. The only reason to consider fading either in GPPs would be for leverage. 

• Terry McLaurin at DET ($6,300)

I'm pretty sure the second-most popular WR will be McLaurin, who has a great matchup on paper. The Lions allowed more yards to WRs than any team in the league and the Commanders will most likely be playing from behind, which is always advantageous for the passing game. McLaurin is coming off seven catches for 89 yard and a TD in last week's upset of Tampa Bay and has to be a factor if Washington has any chance against Detroit. 

Chiefs will be popular sources of value. Xavier Worthy ($5,200) has emerged as the favorite target of Mahomes. He's averaging seven catches on 10 targets in his last three games. Hollywood Brown ($4,200) has nine catches on 15 targets in two games since returning from a shoulder injury. Expect to see at least one in nearly every cash-game lineup. Tournament options in the cheap range include Dyami Brown ($3,900) and John Metchie ($3,800). Brown is coming off the best game of his young career after five catches for 89 yards and a score. He's splitting time with Olamide Zaccheaus ($4,300) as the Commanders' No. 2 WR. Metchie, who caught four of eight targets for 28 yards last week, will try to fill the void left by Tank Dell. 

Tight End

• Sam LaPorta vs. WAS ($4,200)

Underpriced Lions players project best across the board. LaPorta's had at least seven targets in five consecutive games and caught a touchdown in two of the last three. Similar to last week, two-TE constructions will be popular. Travis Kelce ($5,000) is expected to be about as owned as LaPorta. It was down year for the aging Kelce but he's coming off eight catches on 11 targets against Pittsburgh in Week 17 and is also priced cheaper than he's been all season. 

Zach Ertz (4,000) and Dalton Schultz ($3,400) are viable in their own right. Ertz has six TDs in his last eight games and with Washington likely facing a negative game script, all of their pass-catchers look a little bit better than usual. I distinctly remember Ertz with four catches and a TD on a meaningless garbage-time drive against the Eagles in a primetime game in Week 11. We just saw Pat Freiermuth do the same against the Bengals two weeks ago. From almost nothing to optimal as their team chases the game. Schultz fits that bill as well. He's been more involved since Houston lost Diggs and Dell and the cheapest of the bunch by some margin. 

Defense/Special Teams

• Kansas City Chiefs vs. HOU ($3,600)

Just looking at the point totals of the four opponents, it's clear that Kansas City will project best. The Chiefs have one of the best defenses in the league while Houston has one of the worst offensive lines. They'll be the most popular, but they're also expensive and rather hard to afford. D/ST is rarely a position to prioritize and I'm not going to recommend doing so here. I will try to afford them but won't make too many concessions.