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For the uninitiated, playing daily games on DraftKings can be an enjoyable experience, but equally sobering is the fact that season-long knowledge does not always translate to success in the daily space. Footballguys will bring you a series of value- and strategic-based selections from a number of seasoned daily veterans throughout the NFL season. Herein is another edition of “Tipandpick’s Tips and Picks,” where we will examine the salaries of players at each position on DraftKings and make value-based recommendations for both your cash games and tournaments.

Below you will find a list of recommended players for both formats. GPP players generally have high-upside, but are too risky for cash games; cash game players are consistent with high fantasy floors. In some instances, the value for a player is so strong, he may fall into both categories…let’s have a look.

TIPS & PICKS

Let's take a deeper look into some of the players who I will be targeting for my cash game and tournament rosters this weekend.

CORE PLAYS

The following players represent options that should be the most highly represented in your overall DFS portfolio this weekend; these players are viable in all contest formats.

SUMMARY: As a general rule, I do not recommend playing cash games on short slates such as this four-game Divisional Championship weekend. The lack of diversity in the player pool leads to astounding redundancy across cash game lineups to the extent that the difference between winning and losing distills down to a few players. With that in mind, the bulk of this article has been constructed with tournaments in mind. The above table lists the most relevant players from each position, as evidenced by their respective percent-rostered numbers in the next-to-last column. At quarterback, Patrick Mahomes II and Josh Allen are going to be the most popular options and for good reason: Mahomes and Allen are averaging a shade under 28 DK points per game across the season. Mahomes has been a bit quiet of late, but benefits from the "Andy Reid after a bye week" narrative and the highest implied team total on the entire weekend. Allen plays a tough Baltimore defense, but cannot be ignored after scoring 35 or more points in 3 of his previous 4 contests. The vast majority of exposure to running backs will be spread across four of them this weekend: Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, Cam Akers, and Devin Singletary. Kamara fell short of expectations against the Bears last Sunday when he just missed the 100-yard bonus (99 rushing yards) and managed only 19.6 DK points. This week, the sledding will not get any easier against the Bucs' shutdown run defense (1st in NFL; DVOA), who have allowed only one running back since Week #2 to surpass 20 DK points; Kamara is always in play, but this might be a week to focus on the Saints' passing game. In Green Bay, both running backs are going to garner attention because of recent usage and touchdown upside; Cam Akers has collected over 50 touches across the Rams' last pair of games and Aaron Jones should be expected to be heavily featured after getting a lightened load to end the season and then a bye during wild-card weekend. Jones has additional allure because Aaron Rodgers' favorite weapon (Davante Adams) is going to be contending with Jalen Ramsey (more below) all day, which could result in additional action for the fresh-legged running back. In Buffalo, do not sleep on Devin Singletary now that Zack Moss has landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury suffered last week against the Colts. Singletary is fairly priced at only $4.5K, but does stand to lose a portion of goalline opportunities to his quarterback. Looking over the wide receiver position, Davante Adams is hard to miss after the best regular season of his career, but Adams is priced up at $8.6K and will square off against Jalen Ramsey who finished second amongst qualifying cornerbacks by ProFootballFocus this season; Ramsey did not allow 50 receiving yards to any receiver in his coverage after the opening weekend of the season. It's a tough call, but I will be fading Adams in this matchup given his salary and percent-rostered projections. Instead, look to Michael Thomas, Stefon Diggs, and/or Tyreek Hill at the position. Thomas is the elite option due to his subdued popularity and lower salary in a matchup that favors the New Orleans' passing game, but Diggs and Tyreek both merit attention due to their respective team marketshare, quality quarterback play, and general ability. In Buffalo, Marquise Brown is getting some attention in DFS circles after scoring seven touchdowns across his previous seven games, but last week's 109-yard performance was his highest of the season and only the second time he surpassed 100 yards in 2020/21; with TreDavious White tailing him, it would not be surprising to see Hollywood's scoring streak come to an end in Buffalo. At defense, there is not a lot to like with all of the quality quarterback play, but the Bills top the list because of how well they match up against the Ravens and their affordable price point.

TOURNAMENT OPTIONS

These players are intended primarily for tournaments where only the top 20% of lineups win. There may be reason to use a player or two from this list for cash games, depending on your specific lineup build.