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Wild Card Round
The playoffs took an extra week to arrive this season but it’s finally here! Let’s get started with the Raiders-Bengals showdown and work our way through each game. I’m kicking it off with Darren Waller (LV) over 3.5 receptions (90 pts) in the Saturday afternoon game. Waller caught just two passes in his first action since Week 12 but he saw a promising nine targets in their victory over the Chargers. He’s posted 4+ catches in each of his nine full games this season, including 7/116 receiving against the Bengals in Week 11. I’m finishing off Saturday’s action by taking Damien Harris (NE) over 50.5 rushing yards (100 pts) in the third matchup between the Patriots and Bills.
Harris has hammered Buffalo’s run defense with 28/214/4 rushing (7.6 YPC) in two games, and Bill Belichick will look to shorten this game to keep Josh Allen off the field as much as possible in bitterly cold temperatures.
Sunday’s action kicks off with the defending Super Bowl champions taking on the Eagles, and I’m grabbing Rob Gronkowski (TB) over 60.5 receiving yards (80 pts). Gronk is on fire heading into the playoffs since Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown left the lineup, finishing with 115+ yards in two consecutive games. Gronk missed this matchup back in mid-October, but O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate combined for 9/75/1 receiving. The Eagles allowed a league-high 17.4 FP to TEs this season. I’m most looking forward to the 49ers-Cowboys matchup this weekend, and I like Deebo Samuel (SF) over .5 receiving and rushing touchdowns (90 pts). Deebo has been the NFL’s biggest X-factor this season after setting a WR NFL record with eight rushing touchdowns, and he’s scored 14 times overall. The Chiefs and Steelers finish Sunday’s games and I’m going with Tyreek Hill (KC) under 85.5 receiving yards (80 pts) to end the action. Hill saw just 14 snaps last week because of a heel injury, and he’s fallen below 85 receiving yards in eight of his last nine games, including 2/19 receiving against Pittsburgh in Week 16.
I’m looking at Matthew Stafford (LAR) over 2.5 passing touchdowns and interceptions (75 pts) for the first Monday Night Football game in postseason history. Stafford is stumbling into the playoffs with eight INTs in his last four games, but he’s thrown eight TDs in that same time span. He’s reached three TDs + INTs in 12 consecutive games, and he reached those totals in both of his matchups with the Cardinals this season. Enjoy the start of the playoffs and, as always, good luck! — Tom Brolley
