This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
Sunday's two-game slate includes the best matchup of the weekend as Cincinnati travels to Buffalo for a rematch of the game that was cancelled a few weeks ago after the scary injury to Damar Hamlin. That will be the popular target for game stacks with two of the leagues best QBs and passing attacks facing off. That means the Dallas-San Francisco matchup will be somewhat overlooked. Looking at the slate as a whole, the salaries are soft across the board as multiple players are priced at season lows for no apparent reason. I thought it would be best to break it down by position. I've highlighted the top value for cash games and added some ideas for tournaments. Speaking of GPP strategy on two-game slates, it's best to plan for specific game scripts, similar to how you would for single-game showdowns and then build lineups that fit them. Finding some leverage should be a priority, and it's often easier to find because of all the chalk and condensed rostership.
The Games
| Over/Under | Road Team | Road Implied Total | Home Team | Home Implied Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | Cincinnati Bengals | 21.75 | Buffalo Bills | 27.25 |
| 46.5 | Dallas Cowboys | 21.25 | San Francisco 49ers | 25.25 |
Quarterbacks
- Josh Allen
vs. CIN ($7,800)
Allen is the top projected player on the slate, in terms of both value and raw points. He has the highest floor and the highest ceiling. He will be the most popular QB as result, probably by a significant margin. Based on that, it seems like a no-brainer to roster him in cash games. Stacking him in GPPs makes a lot of sense too. I'd pair him with two Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis or Dawson Knox and run it back with one or two Bengals. If you don't like the Bills in this spot or if you're worried about Allen's recent performances, fading him would be an easy way to get some leverage. There's plenty of merit in rostering any of the other three.
- Joe Burrow
vs. BUF ($6,500)
Burrow's salary had been $7K or higher for five consecutive weeks. Now it's inexplicably down to its cheapest point since Week 1. No one would be surprised to see him throw for 300-plus yards and four TDs to beat the Bills. He's a great tournament option. Pair him with two or three pass-catchers and run it back with Davis, Diggs or even a Bills RB for leverage.
It's impossible to ignore how good Brock Purdy ($5,400) has been. He's undefeated in seven starts and has thrown at least two TDs in every one. He's coming off the game of his career and 38 DK points as the 49ers put up 41 points against the Seahawks. He's a great leverage option considering he'll be rostered on fewer than 20 percent of lineups. Dak Prescott ($6,100) might be even less popular. He's also coming off his best game of the season, a massive 40-point effort in Monday's destruction of the Buccaneers. The best advice I can give for when choosing between Allen or Burrow and Purdy or Dak, is to go with the player who's team you think wins. In general, Purdy and Dak are good options because they're cheap and won't be as popular.
Running Backs
- Christian McCaffrey
vs. DAL ($8,000)
Talk about soft pricing. McCaffrey has never been this cheap. It's a bit egregious. He's by far the top projected RB, making him a lock for cash-games and optimal builds. There isn't much else to say. Of course, it'd be fine to fade him in GPPs, especially if you're trying to afford Allen, Diggs, Ja'Marr Chase, etc. I don't see myself fading him in any format.
- Joe Mixon at BUF ($6,500)
Mixon is also the cheapest he's been this season. Dallas and Buffalo use two RBs in a timeshare. Almost by default that makes Mixon the second-best projected RB and he'll be the second-most popular. There isn't much of a decision except to roster him in cash-games but for tournaments he'd be a good option to fade. I prefer the Bengals passing-game in this spot and there are cheaper RBs who can offer leverage and salary relief.
Tony Pollard's ($6,100) salary has finally dropped. It's crystal clear that he's the best RB on the Cowboys, and we know he has more upside than Ezekiel Elliott ($5,400), especially against a tough 49ers run defense. It's a spot where Pollard could be featured in the passing game, where he excels. Especially if you think the Cowboys are playing from behind, Pollard is a great option for GPPs. Devin Singletary ($5,200) and James Cook ($4,800) are viable as well. They're both cheap and it's likely that one of them finds the endzone. Cook has scored in three of the last four weeks.
Wide Receivers
- Ja'Marr Chase at BUF ($7,800)
Chase has drawn at least 12 targets in five consecutive games and has caught at least seven passes in each. He has eight TDs in his last eight. I've been rostering Chase just about every week and there is no reason to stop now. He projects as the top point-per-dollar value at the position and will be the most popular as result. He's lock for cash games and a good GPP option too. Stefon Diggs ($7,700) will be slightly less popular, partly because his teammate, Gabe Davis will be chalky. Diggs had seven catches for 114 yards at halftime last week and somehow that's all he finished with. Pairing him with Chase would be a way to get different as it's difficult to afford both without sacrificing much.
Tee Higgins ($5,800) is priced cheaper than he's been all season and somehow isn't going to be overwhelmingly popular. He hasn't looked quite right recently but still has the upside to be the highest scorer at the position. So does Deebo Samuel ($5,900), who's also underpriced. He crushed the Seahawks last week with six catches for 133 yards and a TD. You'd figure that Kyle Shanahan will continue to emphasize getting him the ball in the playoffs. That's my belief anyway, and it makes him one of my favorite tournament plays on the slate. Brandon Aiyuk ($5,000) can also be had for a discount and will be less popular than Samuel. He makes for a decent leverage option, especially if you plan on stacking that game.
- Gabe Davis vs. CIN ($4,800)
It wouldn't surprise me if Davis ends up being the second-most popular WR. Partly because he's coming off his best game of the season and partly because he's still underpriced. There's also the whole "Playoff Gabe" narrative. Regardless, he's a great option for cash games and optimal builds when evaluating based on point-per-dollar value. I will continue to roster him but fading in GPPs for leverage makes sense too. We've seen him be wildly inconsistent all season. Other tournament options in this range include Tyler Boyd ($4,000) and Michael Gallup ($3,800). The Bills struggle against slot WRs and we just saw Boyd score an early TD against them in the game that got cancelled a few weeks ago. Gallup had five catches for 46 yards and a TD last week against the Bucs. He was priced around $5K before he got injured. Both him and Boyd have the upside to smash their bargain tags.
Tight Ends
- Dalton Schultz
at SF ($4,200)
Schultz will be the most popular TE. He was one of the stars in Monday's win over the Bucs, with seven catches for 95 yards and two scores. It was his second multi-touchdown game in his last three. The price tag is too cheap for that type of upside.
Dawson Knox ($3,800) has a TD in five consecutive games and, for whatever reason, his salary has dropped to less than $4K for the first time in awhile. I probably wouldn't roster him without Allen considering how touchdown-dependent he usually is.
- Hayden Hurst at BUF ($3,200)
Hurst likely will be the second-most popular TE, mostly because he's the cheapest of the four. He's caught at least four passes in three of his last four games and was inches away from finding the endzone last week. Similar to Knox, though, I probably won't roster him GPPs without Burrow.
And finally we have George Kittle ($5,700), who's going to be the least popular of the four. He has seven TDs in his last five games and put up ceilings of 25-plus in two. Pairing him with Purdy would be all the leverage you need.
Defense/Special Teams
- Buffalo Bills vs. CIN ($2,900)
Cincinnati will be without three starters on their offensive line. They've always been a unit that gives up sacks but Burrow might under more pressure than usual Sunday. The Bills will be the most popular but all four defenses are viable and there is merit to rostering each. The 49ers ($3,300) are the most talented. The Cowboys (3,000) face a rookie QB and have one of the best players in the league in Micah Parsons. The Bengals ($2,400) are cheap and up against a turnover-prone Josh Allen. From a leverage perspective, Dallas will be the least popular.
