Super Bowl Sunday is the big day. That’s the moneymaker as far as Vegas is concerned. However, Championship Sunday is my favorite football slate of the year. It’s hard to top last week’s two-day Divisional Round. But if it’s going to happen, it will happen today with two of the best teams in each Conference squaring off to see who will play in the big game for all the marbles and glory.
As for today’s DFS slate, there will be a ton of overlap in ownership, given the lack of options. Getting the core pieces right and straying away in a couple of areas in tournaments becomes vital. With that said, let’s make some cash. Here are my favorites options for Conference Championship Sunday
Core Plays
Joe Burrow ($6,600 DK, $7,500 FD)
As a Bears fan, I’m without a dog in the fight. But as a football fan, I need someone to root for while enjoying these fantastic games. The Bengals have been that team in every round, and it’s not stopping here. The biggest issue for the Bengals is their offensive line. Will it hold up well enough against the Chiefs’ defense to allow Burrow to make the necessary plays? Although the Bengals won last week against the Tennessee Titans, Burrow was sacked nine times, and the offense only put up 19 points.
Nonetheless, Burrow and this offense will need to put up points if they hope to win. The Chiefs’ offense is clicking. They just dropped 42 points on the number one defense in DVOA. The Bengals are seven-point underdogs, which could set up a positive game script for Burrow. He’s cheaper and lesser-owned than Patrick Mahomes, and he’s been attempting many passes as of late. Over the last four games, Burrow averages 39 pass attempts per game, including that exact number the last time these two teams faced in Week 17. Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns. He’s my top option at quarterback this week.
Jerick McKinnon ($5,100 DK, $6,200 FD)
McKinnon is getting more work in this Chiefs’ offense than anyone could’ve predicted. Over the last two games, he’s been on the field for 73 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Last week, Clyde Edwards-Helaire only played 30 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and carried the football only seven times, while McKinnon continued to get more passing work as well. Although he popped off a couple of runs last week, CEH lacks the burst Andy Reid wants.
McKinnon caught at least five passes for the second straight game. It was also the second straight game where he had 54 or more receiving yards. The Bengals allowed the fifth-most receptions and sixth-most receiving yards to opposing running backs during the regular season. At this price, I’ll have plenty of McKinnon shares.
Other Core Pieces: Ja’Marr Chase, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, George Kittle
Alternatives
Brandon Aiyuk ($5,000 DK, 5,600 FD)
Let’s start with the game script. Last week, the San Francisco 49ers narrowly pulled out a victory in cold and snowy conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. For both teams, the offense was hard to come by. However, this week, the 49ers will play in a dome against the Los Angeles Rams and are underdogs again. The Rams have been racking up points all season. That means the 49ers could be forced to throw more than head coach Kyle Shanahan would like.
Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are the primary beneficiaries. However, they will also be rostered at a higher percentage. Aiyuk was only targeted once last week and finished without a catch. That should keep many DFS players off him. The last time these two teams met, Aiyuk caught six of seven targets for 107 yards. I’m willing to take a shot on his upside, hoping he can have a similar performance, and maybe he winds up in the endzone.
Byron Pringle ($4,300 DK, $5,700 FD)
Pringle has chipped in over the last five games. He’s played upwards of 70 percent of the offensive snaps in three of the previous five games and has at least five catches in four of those. Not to mention, he averages seven targets and has caught three touchdowns over the last three games. We all know about Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Those two are the best options to use in this offense. However, Pringle could be a sneakier way to get a piece of the pie and save salary.
Other Alternatives: Matthew Stafford, Tyler Boyd, Odell Beckham, C.J. Uzomah
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