This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The wild-card round of the NFL playoffs kicks off Saturday with a two-game slate of AFC battles. First up, the Bengals will host the Raiders at 4:30 p.m. EST, while the third meeting of the season between the Patriots and Bills will close out Saturday's action in Buffalo. Vegas-Cincinnati is expected to be the higher-scoring affair, though it could be significantly closer than the Bengals' 32-13 Week 11 win, while New England-Buffalo should be another defensive battle after the Bills out-scored the Patriots by a combined score of 43-35 in two regular-season meetings, both of which were won by the road team. With a mix of low-cost value plays and stars worth paying up for, there are plenty of strategies for constructing your lineup, even with just two games to pick from.
QUARTERBACK
Joe Burrow, CIN vs. LV ($34): Before sitting out the final game of the regular season as a precaution, Burrow was the hottest quarterback in the league, compiling a gaudy 971 yards and eight touchdowns through the air in his prior two games. With one of the league's best groups of wide receivers to throw to, Burrow should pick up where he left off in his postseason debut at home against a Raiders defense that allowed Justin Herbert to throw for 383 yards and three touchdowns last week — the third time an opposing quarterback mustered at least 375 yards and multiple touchdowns against Vegas in the last nine games.
RUNNING BACK
Damien Harris, NE at BUF ($22): Rookie quarterback Mac Jones threw for a combined 164 yards and two interceptions without a touchdown in two games against the Bills this season. In those same two games, Harris rushed for 214 yards and four touchdowns. It's no secret that New England will look to attack the Buffalo defense on the ground, and Harris is the leading figure in the team's rushing attack. Pay little mind to the hamstring injury that's been capping Harris' practice reps, as he dealt with the same issue prior to both of his big games against the Bills in the regular season.
Devin Singletary, BUF vs. NE ($21): Singletary caught fire down the stretch, finally emerging as the clear lead option in a Buffalo backfield that had been locked in a frustrating timeshare for multiple seasons running. He had at least 17 touches in each of the season's final four games and made the most of that workload, finding the end zone five times on the ground and once through the air over that stretch while averaging 99 scrimmage yards. That strong finish included 78 scrimmage yards and one touchdown against the Patriots, which translated to a robust 16.3 fantasy points for Singletary in that game. He's a nice value as this slate's fourth-priciest running back.
WIDE RECEIVER
Hunter Renfrow, LV at CIN ($24): Renfrow was the Raiders' clear top option in the passing game down the stretch, finishing the season with four touchdowns over the final three games. All told, he had 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns, finishing as one of just 10 players to reach triple digits in catches. Stefon Diggs also had 103 catches, putting those two guys at least 20 catches clear of all other players in action Saturday. Renfrow should be targeted early and often, especially with the Raiders expected to fall behind as road underdogs.
Tee Higgins, CIN vs. LV ($21): Higgins can't match the upside of teammate Ja'Marr Chase, but he was Cincinnati's most consistent wide receiver this season and offers significant savings compared to Chase's $31. Prior to sitting out the final week of the season, Higgins finished with more receiving yards than Chase in five of the previous six games, topping 100 receiving yards four times in that stretch. The Raiders did a good job of defending wide receivers overall, but the risk/reward ratio should work in your favor here with Higgins.
Gabriel Davis, BUF vs. NE ($13): Davis got quite the workout down the stretch, as he was targeted a whopping 14 times in the season finale against the Jets. He failed to find the end zone over the final two games but scored four times in three appearances before then. Bill Belichick is a master of taking away the opposition's top weapons, so the Bills will likely need someone besides Stefon Diggs to step up. Davis should be that guy, and at less than half of Diggs' $28 salary, he's the superior value proposition.
TIGHT END
Darren Waller, LV at CIN ($22): The Bills and Patriots gave up a combined 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns to tight ends in the regular season. On the other hand, the Raiders allowed 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns to the position all on their own, while the Bengals gave up 1,083 yards and eight touchdowns. Consequently, it makes sense to target a tight end from the Cincinnati-Vegas game. C.J. Uzomah's a nice value option at $14, but Waller's the premier upside play at the position, as he's head and shoulders better than the alternatives when healthy. The issue is that he hasn't been healthy, as his Week 18 appearance was his first since Thanksgiving due to a knee injury. He caught only two of nine targets against the Chargers in the season finale, but Waller should be a bit healthier having had another week to recover, and his involvement in that game suggests he will be a major part of the game plan Saturday.
DEFENSE
Cincinnati Bengals, CIN vs. LV ($10): Sticking with the theme of chasing value, the Bengals are more appealing than the Bills or Patriots are at $18. Locking in this unit will allow you to chase upside at other positions, and the Bengals proved they're capable of finding success against the Raiders by scoring 10.0 fantasy points when these teams met in Vegas in Week 11. Overall, Cincinnati displayed a decent floor by scoring at least 6.0 fantasy points in 10 of 17 games and reaching double digits four times. Plus, you know Paul Brown Stadium will be rocking as the home team tries to pick up its first playoff win since 1991.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Josh Allen (BUF, $36), Derek Carr (LV, $22)
RB: Joe Mixon (CIN, $34), Josh Jacobs (LV, $23), Brandon Bolden (NE, $15)
WR: Tyler Boyd (CIN, $16), Jakobi Meyers (NE, $12), Stefon Diggs (BUF, $28)
TE: C.J. Uzomah (CIN, $14), Hunter Henry (NE, $13)
DST: Buffalo Bills (vs. NE, $18), New England Patriots (at BUF, $18)
