This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
We're back to preview the second day of the divisional round of the playoffs after what we hope will be an exciting pair of games Saturday. The first game to kick off Sunday may be the most anticipated matchup of the weekend, as the Bengals head to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The game has a 49.5-point total, with the Bills having an implied total of 27.5 while the Bengals have a 22-point implied total. The divisional round closes with the Cowboys meeting the 49ers in San Francisco. The game total is 46.5, with the 49ers having a total of 25 and the Cowboys 21.5.
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen ($9,000) is unsurprisingly the highest-priced quarterback by $1,000. Since suffering an elbow injury in Week 9, he has reached 25 FD points in only two of 10 games. Despite still remaining a fairly prolific passer in that span, he has only three rushing touchdowns in that span -- hurting his upside. The Bengals are an average matchup, which leaves Allen as a mediocre play on paper. His ceiling remains higher than anyone else at the position on this slate.
Joe Burrow ($8,000) is the next highest-priced quarterback and he's had a comparable level of fantasy success as compared to Allen since the mid-point of the season. While his ceiling is lower due to his relative lack of rushing ability, Burrow has four 25 FD point performances in his last nine games. The Bills are an above-average secondary and Cincinnati's offensive line is depleted. Both are reasons for concern, but even so, I'd be happy to invest in Burrow – particularly in tournaments.
Dak Prescott ($7,500) is an interesting player to consider. He may see an inflated roster rate due to his dismantling of the Buccaneers on Monday night, though the public will likely be off of him due to a perceived tough matchup against the 49ers. However, San Francisco allowed 25.1 fantasy points per game across the last three games of the regular season – most of which came without Ambry Thomas, who remains out for Sunday's game.
Finally, Brock Purdy ($7,000) has been emerged as an unlikely hero in the last two months, though he managed to top 20 FD points for the first time in the wild-card round. Excluding their demolition of Tom Brady in the wild-card round, the Cowboys have also been an above-average matchup for opposing quarterbacks in recent weeks. Eventually, Purdy's magic will run out, though his offensive weapons are still enough to keep him in consideration for cash games.
Running Backs
Christian McCaffrey ($9,200) is the most expensive player on the slate and has been incredibly efficient. He's found the end zone at least once in each of his last seven games and has also topped 100 rushing yards four times in that span. The Cowboys have been consistently tough against the run, but McCaffrey is explosive enough to overcome the matchup. Elijah Mitchell ($5,400) is at least worth mentioning due to his name value and the short slate. He's likely to see between five and nine carries while spelling McCaffrey, so his path to value is falling into the end zone and working efficiently.
After McCaffrey, Joe Mixon ($7,700) has the highest potential to dominate work out of his team's backfield. However, since returning from a concussion, he's topped 11 rushing attempts only twice in five games. He's yet to top 15.3 FD points in that span. The Bills have been stingy against opposing running backs, so don't expect a ceiling performance. Samaje Perine ($5,000) has gotten enough run to take away value from Mixon, but he's been useless on his own for fantasy purposes.
Tony Pollard ($7,1000) saw 18 total touches in the wild-card round as opposed to 15 for Ezekiel Elliott ($6,500). Between the split workload and a matchup against one of the best run defenses in the league, it's difficult to project either as good point-per-dollar values.
James Cook ($5,800) seems to have inched in front of Devin Singletary ($5,900) from a workload perspective, so he could be a value option if needed.
Wide Receivers
Ja'Marr Chase ($8,500) has quickly re-established himself as the alpha receiver in Cincinnati. He has a minimum of 12 targets in each of his last five games and has posted fewer than 15.5 FD points only once in that span. That has pushed Tee Higgins ($7,000) into a more peripheral role, and he has been touchdown or bust from a fantasy perspective. Tyler Boyd ($5,600) has also become an afterthought in the offense, and rostering him is simply a bet on the game environment.
The opposite trend has occurred in Buffalo, where Stefon Diggs ($8,200) has only a 21.4 percent target share across his last four games. He has an incredibly efficient 3.7 yards per route run, which has helped him to performances of 19.9 and 14.9 FD points in his last two games. In that same four-game span, Gabe Davis ($6,500) has a 28.6 percent target share.
CeeDee Lamb ($7,800) has a claim as the best cash game option at the position, as he has topped 13 FD points in six of his last seven games. Michael Gallup ($5,700) is a boom-bust selection, though he has a consistent role and has four touchdowns in his last seven games. He could be a nice value, and the 49ers allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers during the regular season.
Deebo Samuel ($7,100) is the cheapest of the top receivers, and he lacks the gaudy air yard or target share marks of other pass catchers already discussed. However, he offers slate-breaking upside in a very positive matchup against the Cowboys. He's taken over targets from Brandon Aiyuk ($6,500), though Aiyuk's dip in price makes him a notable value option.
Tight Ends
The Cowboys allowed only one touchdown to a tight end during the regular season, which is a concerning trend for George Kittle ($7,100). Kittle's price is also steep.
Dalton Schultz ($6,500) is slightly cheaper but is also in a tough matchup against a 49ers defense that allowed only 7.7 FD points per game to opposing tight ends during the regular season.
Dawson Knox ($5,800) has a touchdown in five consecutive games, but he has five or fewer targets in each of his last three games. Given that, he'll likely need to continue his scoring streak to return value.
Hayden Hurst ($5,000) has shown no upside despite having a relatively consistent role of at least three targets per game in Cincinnati's offense.
Defenses
No defense stands out, so I'd bet on regression finally coming for Purdy and pay down a bit for the Cowboys ($3,900) defense.
The Bills ($4,100) could also be an option as a home favorite while lining up against a beat-up offensive line.
