Hey Siri, Play Invincible by TOOL
What kind of silver lining can be discerned on the heels of a four-game losing streak? What does one do in this precarious situation? Pray? Meditate? Drink themself into oblivion? For the first time ever, I found myself nodding along with Mike McCarthy. I know how to win at DFS. I know how to build lineups. I am not concerned about my future job security.
Scotty Stacks came ready like the 49ers did and smacked me around with a one-two knockout punch from Sexy Flexy (Deebo) and the Rams DST. I rolled all of the above questions into a tasty burrito of an answer. My rebuttal comes in the form of a truly nasty lineup build for the Divisional round. It is a lineup that will take Scott from the penthouse to the bourbon aisle. Cheers!
Bo’s Lineup
QB – Ryan Tannehill – Tennessee Titans – $5,800
Tanny wasn’t his 2020 fantasy self this season. Far too many times, it was a product of the failing health of his most dangerous weapons. Tennessee will have all of them back this week. I am leveraging the Derrick Henry selection from Scott that I saw coming from 3,000 miles away. I am also predicting a three-touchdown game from Tanny, with one of them coming on the ground.
RB – Cam Akers – LA Rams – $5,500
I was an Akers truther from his last season at Florida State. Cam was ultra-impressive behind one of the worst offensive lines in NCAA history. Now, he’s the centerpiece in Sean McVay’s play-action crucible of an offense. The Bucs are not as immortal against good running backs as their reputation suggests. If a torn Achilles can’t keep Akers from dominating, neither can Vita Vea.
RB – Elijah Mitchell – San Francisco 49ers – $5,800
How can I possibly expect a late-round rookie to lead me to victory this week? If you’ve been following along, I was picking Mitchell ahead of Trey Sermon in rookie drafts in the preseason. He’s legit. Green Bay hasn’t been as porous against the run as in recent years, but the 49ers have zero chance of winning at Lambeau without sticking the ball in the kid’s gut at least 20 times.
WR – A.J. Brown – Tennessee Titans – $6,200
This build is all about the unlimited upside of mega-stud wide receivers. I wish I could roster more than four of them. AJ Brown stacked with Tannehill is going to be a lethal combination against a red-hot Bengals team. At the very least, I’m hoping for the same type of volume he saw against the 49ers a few weeks ago.
WR – Ja’Marr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals – $7,100
I actually do envision this Titans-Bengals game to flow like the Titans-49ers game in primetime a few weeks ago. Instead of Deebo, my correlating runback weapon is the best rookie receiver in NFL history. The game plan last week against Vegas was beautiful, with the lion’s share of targets going to Chase. A repeat of that and I’m golden.
WR – Cooper Kupp – LA Rams – $8,600
Kupp too? In this economy? Oh yes. The owner of the second-most productive wide receiver season in NFL history also has a nice chance to rebound off his most modest game of the year last week. The Bucs are ultra-generous to opposing receivers, funneling off their elite run defense. Once again, I’m hitting all the upside keys this week to make up ground on dear Scott.
TE – George Kittle – San Francisco 49ers– $5,300
Where last week was an obvious Deebo week, this game at Lambeau is a Kittle “body bag” game. He lit up the Pack in Week 3 and I expect more of the same in a winning or losing effort from San Francisco. He is usually too good of a blocker, but I think Shanahan can see this obvious matchup advantage in coverage.
FLEX – Randall Cobb– Kansas City Chiefs – $3,100
I’m taking a shot on this injury-mitigated price. Cobb has turned in five touchdowns on only 28 receptions this season. If San Francisco sells out to triple-cover Adams, Cobb is practically on the same cycle as Rodgers too.
DST – Buffalo Bills – $2,600
I don’t believe in the Chiefs this week. I might be wrong, but this Bills’ defense is literally built to beat them. Buffalo’s DST scored 17 fantasy points against KC earlier in the season and made Patrick Mahomes look like Daniel Jones. I don’t need that kind of performance, but I’ll gladly take it.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
If you are not familiar with Formula One or F1 Racing, you are really missing out on some incredible drama. This past season was one of the most exciting to date, after nine-time and defending champion Lewis Hamilton was passed on the last lap of the season by rising star Max Verstappen to claim the 2021 F1 Championship in dramatic fashion. Well, call me Max to Bo’s Lewis because after trailing all season, being down three games twice, and losing nine straight last season, I finally passed Bo last week and am leading the Clash of the Beards and Bellies. We are adding up all the H2H points scored in the playoff rounds to determine who wins their choice of a bottle of expensive Bourbon if BO wins or Scotch if Scott wins. I’m currently leading by 37.3, but no lead is safe against Bo. Onto the Divisional Round!
Scott’s Lineup
QB – Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals – $6,600
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are the truth! Burrow threw 34 touchdowns this year, 13 of them to Chase. Last week Burrow played well in his playoff debut, throwing two touchdowns and passing for over 240 yards. He peppered Chase with 12 targets, which he converted into nine receptions for 116 yards. This week he faces a Tennessee Titans secondary that finished in the bottom half of the league, giving up 20 touchdowns to wide receivers this season. Burrow’s other target on the outside, Tee Higgins has a 4-6 inch height advantage over Titan cornerbacks. The Bengals are currently three-point road underdogs, indicating that this game projects to be a back and forth contest that should keep Burrow passing throughout. Lock him in for Cash.
RB – Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans – $7,500
Derrick Henry hasn’t played a snap since breaking a bone in his foot in Week 8. This week he is set to officially return to the Titans lineup against the Bengals and DraftKings priced him up at $7,500. Cheap by previous King Henry prices, but still the most expensive running back by $700. We all know Henry’s upside and understand his potential. There are risks embedded in his price, so if any word leaks from Titans camp that he might be limited at all in the game pivot, but I am not worried. Henry is a playoff stud!
RB – Devin Singletary – Buffalo Bills – $5,900
Devin Singletary is the Buffalo Bills RB1. Finally, after three years, it’s “Mission Accomplished!!” Singletary has been on a tear, no pun intended, the last five weeks. He’s touched the ball 94 times, has rushed for 404 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He’s currently priced at only $5,900, yet he’s the RB1 in the highest-scoring offense remaining in the playoffs, and oh, did I mention the touchdowns? Bo has been fading Singletary, while I have been using him to beat him. Once again I am going to the well, instincts don’t fail me now!
WR – Odell Beckham Jr. – LA Rams – $5,300
Odell Beckham Jr. has found a role for himself in the LA Rams’ offense. Last week he caught all four of his targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. This week OBJ faces a Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary that Matthew Stafford torched early this season for over 200 yards passing and two touchdowns. Cooper Kupp performed so well earlier this season (nine receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns) that the Buccaneers will be gameplaying to stop him, leaving OBJ with single coverage on the outside and also potentially in the red zone. At only $5,700, I’m Cashing this week and taking my points to the Clash of the Beard and Bellies vault.
WR – JaMarr Chase – Cincinnati Bengals – $7,100
What else can be said about Ja’Marr Chase except that Bo ruined my stack attack this week by rostering Chase in his Clash of the Beards and Bellies Build? No surprise given that Chase is one of the top upside plays for the Divisional Playoff Round, and because Bo loves tormenting me with his roster moves each week. Thankfully Bo only copied one of my picks this week, so we can finally separate the Beards from the Bellies.
WR – Deebo Samuel – San Francisco 49ers – $7,600
Is Deebo Samuel a wide receiver masquerading as a running back or a running back masquerading as a wide receiver? Whether you label him a “Wide Back” or a “Running Receiver” the man averaged over 22 DraftKings points per game in the regular season and scored 20 last week in a defensive struggle against the Dallas Cowboys. There are so many reasons to like Deebo this week. PFF projects San Francisco with a decided run blocking advantage over the Green Bay Packers. Deebo has eight rushing touchdowns in the regular season, and one last week as well. Deebo also had over 1,400 receiving yards. There is no game script that does not include Deebo. He’s a Cash game must this week.
TE – Tyler Higbee – LA Rams – $4,000
I’m not in love with Tyler Higbee this week, but I love the game script, the price, the opportunity, the touchdown upside, Cooper Kupp leverage, who Bo is playing this week. At only $4,000 Higbee is a value play who has a good chance to score double-digit points. He’s averaging 13.25 DraftKings points per game over his last four games. And as mentioned before, his success directly takes away opportunity from his best play, Cooper Kupp.
Flex – Isaiah McKenzie – Buffalo Bills – $3,500
Isaiah McKenzie’s role in the Buffalo Bill offense is expanding. Last week he caught all four of his targets out of the slot. Cole Beasley was targeted one time. This week’s game on the road against the Chiefs will be different, but McKenzie is playing well and will be needed to take down the twice-defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. I love McKenzie in space with the ball in his hands. He is fast and has big-play ability every time he touches the ball. At only 3,500, he’s a perfect addition to my winning lineup.
DST – San Francisco 49ers – $2,500
The 49ers are the cheapest DST this week, hence the inclusion in my lineup. I do like the possibility of a snow game, as of now, there’s a 50/50 chance according to weather reports for Sunday. The ball always has a funny way of bouncing, hopefully, it’s into the arms of a 49ers player taking it back to the house.
Nimble w/Numbers 