NFL DFS Championship Sunday Showdown: Chiefs at Ravens – 1/28/24

CPTN:

Isaiah Pacheco (DK- $14,100, FD- $14,000)

Although the usage has dropped slightly for Isaiah Pacheco in his last two starts (24 to 15 attempts) and playing through a supposed ankle and toe issue he still has potential to be one of the highest scoring options on the slate. Out of both teams BAL have struggled most against the running back position which bodes well for Isaiah Pacheco in both cash and tournaments. Since the start of playoffs BAL have given up the 3^rd most rushing yards on average (10^th most in the league) and may result in Pacheco rebounding strongly. In addition, despite having a projected ownership on the higher end he still doesn’t have the highest among offensive players with arguably one of the largest edges and that should be taken advantage of in contests.

Mark Andrews (DK- $9,900, FD- $11,000)

There is some slight risk here with Mark Andrews here in lineups after returning from a long period of time for an ankle injury, but it would be worth taking due to the importance of this game. Fortunately, after logging a full week of practice there’s assumption that Andrews should be back to a full workload and could potentially dominate. KC have surrendered 14.73 fantasy points on average against opposing tight ends which has been their toughest position to defend as of late and Mark Andrews couldn’t have returned at a more perfect time for BAL to possibly capitalize off that. Before Andrews was hurt, he was also Lamar Jackson’s go to option and led with 6 receiving touchdowns (before post season) so stacking him with Lamar Jackson in lineups would be most optimal but also viable as a one-off if the salary limits you with both in your lineups.

UTIL/FLEX:

Patrick Mahomes (DK- $11,000, FD- $15,000)

Patrick Mahomes may be a slight underdog here but there should be no surprise if he manages to prevail in what should be a back-and-forth matchup. In Mahomes’ last two playoff starts he’s drastically improved his efficiency (56.1% completion percentage to 73.9%) and could possibly remain on the higher end here despite both teams entering playoffs as a top five team in sacks. However, as of late of these two teams BAL have regressed slightly in sacks (11^th most among the playoff teams versus KC at 8^th most), which could provide a good opportunity for Mahomes to contribute strong value in lineups at a cheaper price tag and lesser projected ownership than his opposing quarterback. Moreover, the rush attempts have slightly increased in Mahomes’ last start as well (2 to 6) which is another factor that could potentially complement his passing in lineups as well, especially when BAL has hurried up the quarterback the 8^th most thus far in playoffs.

Lamar Jackson (DK- $12,600, FD- $17,000)

On the opposing end, Lamar Jackson is the more viable cash option due to having one of the highest projected ownerships on the slate and being favored in the matchup. Up to this point Lamar Jackson has been the more efficient quarterback (72.7% completion rate) compared to his opposing quarterback (62.5%) which could lead to him making slightly less mistakes, especially with his go to pass option (Mark Andrews) returning to play. However, there is some risk here with the KC defense forcing the 3^rd most fumbles in the playoffs so far (2 on average) and could deplete Jackson’s value in lineups slightly. Regardless, Jackson is likely to be more of a dual threat maintaining his rushing value (100 yards total thus far) to complement his passing this game. In addition, as of late KC has allowed more rushing yards when facing quarterbacks (3^rd most this playoffs) making Lamar Jackson a strong one-off option in contests if not stacked with BAL pass catchers.