This article is part of our DFS NFL series.
The Super Bowl brings our final DFS contests of the NFL season. Let's end things on a high note. Here are some players to consider at each position as you build your lineups.
Quarterback
The Eagles and Chiefs bring contrasting styles at quarterback. The Chiefs have a more traditional option in Patrick Mahomes ($10,000 DK, $14,000 FD), who can rack up passing yards through the air in bunches. However, he did have a bit of a muted regular season, failing to throw for at least 4,000 yards for the first time since he played just one game in 2017. He then threw for 177 yards in the divisional playoffs and 245 yards in the AFC championship. When these teams faced in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, Mahomes threw for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He might need multiple touchdown passes to justify his salary.
Jalen Hurts ($10,400 DK, $13,500 FD) didn't even throw for 3,000 yards during the regular season. However, he had 14 rushing touchdowns. He recorded three rushing touchdowns in the NFC championship and has four total rushing touchdowns during the Eagles playoff run. In eight career playoff games, Hurts has nine rushing touchdowns. Three of those rushing touchdowns came against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. His rushing upside makes him difficult to pass up in DFS.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley ($12,000 DK, $16,500 FD) had a regular season for the history books and has not slowed down during the playoffs. He rushed for at least 118 yards in all three games and posted five total touchdowns. In two of those games, he received at least 25 carries. As the Eagles look to control the clock and keep the ball out of Mahomes' hands for as long as possible, look for Barkley to be extremely busy again.
Running back isn't as cut-and-dry on the Chiefs. Isiah Pacheco ($5,200 DK, $8,500 FD) hasn't been the same since returning from injury and has seen his role dwindle as a result. He totaled 10 carries in their last two playoff games. Dating to the regular season, he has five consecutive games with 32 rushing yards or fewer. The better DFS option out of the Chiefs' backfield is Kareem Hunt ($6,400 DK, $10,500 FD), who played well in the regular season when Pacheco was sidelined. He received 17 carries against the Bills, which he turned into 64 yards and one touchdown. That marked his fourth consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. During that span, he received nine rushing attempts inside the red zone. Pacheco had just three red-zone carries during that span.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
A.J. Brown ($9,600 DK, $12,500 FD) has been a bit of a boom-or-bust option with how reliant the Eagles are on their running game. While he had five games with at least 100 receiving yards during the regular season, he also had five games with 66 or fewer receiving yards. In the Eagles' first two playoff games, he totaled three catches for 34 yards. However, he bounced back with six receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Commanders. There is plenty of risk that comes with adding him to your DFS lineup, but there is also significant upside.
DeVonta Smith ($7,400 DK, $11,000 FD) is an important part of the Eagles' passing game, but that doesn't always translate to valuable fantasy production. He hasn't topped four receptions or 55 receiving yards in any of their three playoff games. After Brown, the most appealing receiving option on the Eagles might be tight end Dallas Goedert ($5,800 DK, $10,000 FD). During this playoff run, he has 15 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown. During the regular season, the Chiefs allowed the most receiving yards and were tied for the second-most receptions allowed to tight ends.
Xavier Worthy ($8,000 DK, $11,500 FD) emerged as the top wide receiver for the Chiefs during the regular season. Excluding Week 18 when the Chiefs rested their starters, Worthy finished with at least five receptions in five consecutive games. In two playoff games, he has 11 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Worthy has also been given some rushing opportunities, leaving him to rush for at least 10 yards in four of the last six games. Hollywood Brown ($5,400 DK, $9,500 FD) has made an impact since returning from injury, but his upside is limited since he hasn't surpassed 46 receiving yards in any of his four games since returning from injury.
Travis Kelce ($9,000 DK, $12,000 FD) is not the player that he was in his prime. He finished with fewer than 900 receiving yards for the first time since 2015. He also had just three receiving touchdowns during the regular season. His floor isn't as high as it used to be, but in a big game like this, Mahomes likely will look to his most trusted option when he needs him the most. Kelce only had two receptions against the Bills, but he had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown against the Texans.
Kicker
Harrison Butker ($5,000 DK, $9,000 FD) missed four of his 25 field-goal attempts during the regular season, three of which came from at least 50 yards. He has converted all four of his playoff field-goal attempts and has missed just three attempts in the playoffs during his entire career. Jake Elliott ($4,800 DK, $9,000 FD) went 1-for-7 on field goal attempts of at least 50 yards during the regular season. With how often the Eagles convert in short-yardage situations on third and fourth downs, Elliott attempted one or no field goals in five of 17 games during the regular season.
Defense/Special Teams
The Eagles ($4,200 DK, $8,000 FD) allowed the fewest passing yards per game during the regular season. They were tied for 14th in sacks, but their pass rush could receive a boost with linebacker Brandon Graham (elbow) activated from injured reserve. Barkley's ability to rip off big runs will be tested by the Chiefs ($4,000 DK, $8,000 FD) defense. They allowed only eight carries of at least 20 yards during the regular season, which was tied for the fifth fewest in the league. They also allowed the sixth-fewest yards per carry.
