The Pro Bowl is in the books and the NFL Fantasy season is down to one final game, the DFS slate for the Super Bowl. There are no low-cost options at quarterback, as Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford are two of the three most expensive options on FanDuel and DraftKings, so in this article, The Professor will break down seven low-cost skill position options for the NFL championship to help you fill out your DFS card.
Tyler Boyd, CIN WR, $8500 FanDuel, $8100 DraftKings
Rookie Ja’Marr Chase has cemented himself as the top target in Cincinnati, and second-year receiver Tee Higgins is typically second in the pecking order, but while his role diminished, slot receiver Tyler Boyd is still a heck of a player. Boyd’s highest receiving total during the NFL playoffs is 26 yards, which came in a game against Las Vegas in which he also caught his only postseason touchdown, but if Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey is occupied with Chase, which is a plausible scenario, Boyd will have a talent advantage over anyone the Rams throw at him in the slot, and while he has had a quiet postseason, Boyd had several big games in the regular season.
Kendall Blanton, LAR TE, $8000 FanDuel, $6900 DraftKings
Kendall Blanton’s potential value hinges on fellow tight end Tyler Higbee’s status, but the current outlook on Higbee’s return from a knee injury is pessimistic, which sets Blanton up to make a name for himself on the NFL’s biggest stage. As NFL fans saw last week, the Los Angeles offense naturally sets up advantageous opportunities for its tight ends, whether as the release player on a quarterback rollout, a seam runner or even as the screen player on plays such as the “Flea Flicker Tight End Screen” the Rams executed against the 49ers.
Sony Michel, LAR RB, $7500 FanDuel, $7500 DraftKings
Sony Michel got more opportunities in the NFC Championship Game after fellow running back Cam Akers handled the lead role in the Divisional Round, and with Akers nursing an injury after the Rams’ latest win, Michel could see a favorable number of touches at his price point. Michel will need to be more efficient with those touches for this play to pay off, but the Bengals have some standout players on the defensive line, Cincinnati’s defensive front as a whole is not as formidable as the units in Tampa Bay or San Francisco.
C.J. Uzomah, CIN TE, $7500 FanDuel, $6600 DraftKings
The lead tight ends for both teams are battling injury ahead of the Super Bowl, but Cincinnati’s C.J. Uzomah has vowed that he will be ready to go by Sunday. Uzomah’s situation is different than that of Rams tight end Tyler Higbee because while the Rams have a clear alternative at tight end, Cincinnati might simply feature the receiving trio of Chase, Higgins, and Boyd more if Uzomah can’t go. It would be nerve-racking to roll the dice on a player who could be a game-time decision, but Uzomah has posted huge games on multiple occasions during his breakout season and could end up being the swing player on this DFS card if he is active.
Van Jefferson, LAR WR, $7000 FanDuel, $7800 DraftKings
Van Jefferson was enjoying a strong campaign until Odell Beckham Jr. arrived in town to seize the second receiving spot behind lead receiver Cooper Kupp. Beckham’s arrival coincided with a drop-off in play from Jefferson, who has been relegated to a deep-threat role after he appeared to be on the verge of becoming a consistent factor in this offense. Jefferson’s most recent stretch isn’t one that would lead NFL fans to expect a big Super Bowl, but Jefferson could change a tournament if he reels in one deep ball from quarterback Matthew Stafford. His price makes him a far less appealing option on DraftKings, but on FanDuel, Jefferson could offer a decent bang for your buck.
Samaje Perine, CIN RB, $7000 FanDuel, $3600 DraftKings
Samaje Perine’s catch-and-run touchdown on a screen against the Chiefs changed the narrative of that game, but Perine’s score on that play did not lead to a bigger role the rest of the game, and when fans look at the distribution of touches in Cincinnati’s backfield during the NFL playoffs, they will see Perine’s role is unlikely to change for the Super Bowl. Lead running back Joe Mixon has 52 carries, quarterback Joe Burrow has nine, receiver Ja’Marr Chase has five, and nobody else has more than two, a group that includes Perine, who has one carry. Perine did get four targets last week but saw zero against Las Vegas and two against Tennessee; if he rips off an explosive touchdown, Perine could swing a tournament, which makes him an interesting roll of the dice on DraftKings, but on FanDuel, The Professor is looking at players with more projected touches in Perine’s price range.
Ben Skowronek, LAR WR, $6600 FanDuel, $900 DraftKings
Rams receiver Ben Skowronek nearly made a game-changing play against the 49ers when he broke free on a post route shortly before the half, but he dropped the ball on a golden opportunity that would have changed the trajectory of the game, as the Rams ended up missing a field goal that set the 49ers up with a short field for a field goal before the half. Skowronek could get a chance for redemption and would be well worth his $900 DraftKings price tag if he reels in a deep touchdown, but the Rams coaching staff may not scheme up another opportunity after that drop, which makes Skowronek a tough play at his FanDuel price.
Conclusion
This article covered The Professor’s low-cost DFS plays for the Super Bowl. For more DFS content from The Professor check out his weekly appearance on Razor’s RedZone and the rest of his content on BeerLife Sports!
Steven Clinton, better known as "The Professor", is a former D-1 Quality Control Assistant (Northwestern, Toledo) who holds a B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. He maintains an end-to-end NFL game projection model and is a film junkie who breaks down the tape of every NFL game.
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