Big Game 2024: Daily Fantasy Football lineup picks
Whether you've played Daily Fantasy on Yahoo before or are giving it a try for the first time for the Big Game, Dalton Del Don offers up his top plays for the big game.
Lineup building block
Christian McCaffrey ($42) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
McCaffrey exited the end of the NFC Championship Game with a stinger but hasn’t appeared on the injury report. He should be fully healthy with two weeks off, so the only reason to fade CMC is to be contrarian. McCaffrey is up to 25 touchdowns over 18 games this season, and Kansas City’s biggest weakness on defense is against the run. Expect McCaffrey to play 100% of the snaps Sunday; his high DFS salary is worth paying up for.
Star to Fade
Brandon Aiyuk ($28) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Aiyuk might be the best route runner in the league and joined the exclusive 3+ yards per route run club this season. He led the league with a whopping 81.3% of his catches turning into first downs or touchdowns while posting the highest receiving DVOA grade ever.
While playing in San Francisco’s offense has its benefits, limited volume prevents Aiyuk from being a truly elite fantasy receiver. BA ranked 30th in the league in targets and 44th in red-zone targets, where he saw just 10 all season (despite having the same wingspan as Calvin Johnson). He ranked 16th among wideouts in fantasy points per game but 31st in expected fantasy points per game.
Most concerning regarding Aiyuk in DFS this week is his matchup; Kansas City has allowed by far the fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points to wide receivers over the last two months. Zay Flowers just became the first WR to reach 90 yards against KC since Week 11, a span of 10 games. The Chiefs allowed just three wide receivers to reach 100 yards over 20 games this season. With the 49ers offense entering healthy, and with him in an extremely tough matchup (he’ll see a ton of L’Jarius Sneed), Aiyuk is a DFS fade this week.
Undervalued Options
Travis Kelce ($28) vs. San Francisco 49ers
Kelce has looked healthier and like a different player after resting in Week 18, racking up 23 catches for 262 yards and three touchdowns over three playoff games against tough defenses. Fred Warner looms, but the 49ers yielded the second-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to tight ends over the season’s final five games. Moreover, Kelce has scored 18 touchdowns in 17 career playoff games with Patrick Mahomes. Expect a heavy dose of Kelce (who’ll benefit from the extra rest and perhaps added work with Rashee Rice limited with an ankle injury) on Sunday, so he’s undervalued with six players sporting a higher salary.
George Kittle ($22) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Assuming Kittle’s toe injury is minor as promised, he’s a DFS target this week. Kansas City’s elite corners present difficult matchups for Deebo Samuel and Aiyuk, but the Chiefs ceded the ninth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to tight ends over the last five games of the season. The 49ers offense will be pushed facing Mahomes, so Kittle should be busy Sunday.
Bargain Bin
Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($11) vs. San Francisco 49ers
MVS played a season-high 83% of the snaps in the AFC Championship Game, leading Kansas City in routes run. Justin Watson played half as many snaps, while Mecole Hardman was on the field for just one after a mistake-filled Divisional Round. Kadarius Toney is off the injury report but he’s highly unlikely to play a big role at this point. MVS could be in line for more work again if the aforementioned Rice is limited, too. San Francisco’s defense has struggled during the postseason, and opponents averaged the third-most pass attempts against the 49ers this year. Valdes-Scantling is an intriguing flier at the near minimum.