Ivan Herrera 
Welcome to the first Saturday slate of the NFL season. All three games on the slate have playoff implications so expect all six teams involved to treat this game as a do-or-die situation.
The purpose of this article is to break down the best plays both on the DFS and betting sides. The article will include my favorite plays and honorable mentions for every DFS position. You can also find my favorite bets under Drago’s Best Bets section at the end of the article.
The QBs:
Russell Wilson ($6000DK, $7800FD)
Starting with everyone’s favorite QB, Wilson is very much in play on Saturday. Wilson has played a huge role in the sudden resurgence of the Broncos. The Broncos need this game to keep pace with the other handful of 7–6 teams in the AFC. Wilson has a great matchup to get the Broncos their seventh win in eight as the Detroit Lions rank 29th against QBs. Since Week 10, the Lions have given up an average of 24.1 fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Who to pair him with: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy
Mitch Trubisky ($5300DK, $7000FD)
On a small slate like this, I don’t mind taking a shot at Trubisky. Trubisky had a solid game against the Patriots in their Thursday night game last week, and this week he gets a beatable Colts pass defense. The game has a decent total of 42.5, which is second on the slate, so I expect points during this game. Stix’s model also has Trubisky as the best-value QB on the slate.
Who to pair him with: Pat Freiermuth. Diontae Johnson
Nick Mullens ($5000DK, $6500FD)
If you thought Trubisky was hard to stomach, I present you with Nick Mullens. Both DraftKings and FanDuel priced him as the cheapest of the six starting QBs. Even if Justin Jefferson is not back from the injury he suffered Sunday against the Raiders, Mullens still has the weapons to cause trouble for a bad Bengals pass defense. Mullens showed some flashes during his time with the Niners, so a successful fantasy game from him on Saturday will not be a shock.
Who to pair him with:TJ Hockenson, Jordan Addison, and KJ Osborn (if Jefferson is out)
Honorable Mentions: Jake Browning.
The RBs:
Jahmyr Gibbs ($6700DK/$7500FD)
His teammate David Montgomery is also in play, but I am going to take the receiving upside with Gibbs. Gibbs averages 4.5 fewer carries than Montgomery but makes up for it by averaging three more receptions per game. Being the better receiver will help Gibbs in this matchup, as the Broncos are giving up 5.3 receptions to opposing RBs per game. The Broncos run defense is bad; they rank 32nd against RBs, so I’m expecting good games from both Gibbs and Montgomery.
Ty Chandler ($5300DK/$6000FD)
With Mattison ruled on for Saturday’s contest against the Bengals, I am in on backup Chandler. Chandler has been an efficient back since taking over the backup role when Cam Akers got hurt for the year. He comes into Saturday averaging just under four yards a carry in his past four games. Similar to Gibbs above, Chandler is a good DFS option thanks to what he can do out of the backfield. He is much more explosive than Mattison, and the Bengals have struggled the last week to contain RBs out of the backfield as they are giving up 7.8 yards per reception to starting RBs over the past two weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Javonte Williams. Zack Moss. Joe Mixon. Jaylen Warren.
The WRs:
Amon-Ra St.Brown ($7900DK, 8100FD)
The Sun God is a great play this Saturday in what might be a must-win for the Lions if the Vikings win earlier in the day. St. Brown is third in the NFL in targets per game at 10.3. He has found a connection with Jared Goff since the former Ram got to Detroit. I am not on the QB because of his recent struggles turning the ball over, but with the number of targets his top WR gets, I am on St.Brown.
Michael Pittman Jr. ($7300DK, $7900FD)
Pittman is Minshew’s best target in the passing game, as the players below him on the depth chart are inconsistent. With the struggles of Downs and Pierce this season, Minshew has had to focus on targeting Pittman. Pittman averages 10.6 targets per game, which puts him second in the NFL, only behind LAC’s Allen with 11.5. He has seen double-digit targets in the last four games and five of his last six. This game will be a 7-6 AFC Wildcard, so expect the Colts to go to Pittman early and often to avoid falling behind the 7-6 pack in the hunt.
Ja’Maar Chase ($7600DK, $8000FD)
Chase has found some chemistry quickly with backup Browning. In the three games with Browning as his QB, Chase has seen 22 targets in that span, which accounts for 25.6% of the total targets in those three games. The Vikings have a good pass defense, but they have given up a lot of big plays this season. Chase has a safe floor and a high ceiling for this matchup.
Honorable Mentions: Justin Jefferson (QUES). Courtland Sutton. Jerry Jeudy. Diontae Johnson. Jordan Addison. Jameson Williams. Josh Downs.
The TEs
TJ Hockenson ($5800DK, $7000FD)
The Bengals are the worst team against TEs in fantasy, and Hockenson is one of the elite players in his position. No matter who has been the QB for the Vikings, Hockenson has been able to produce. He averaged 14.7 with Kirk Cousins and 16.2 with Hall and Dobbs throwing to him over the past five weeks. Mullens may not be an inexperienced QB, but he is making his first start of the year, and TEs are usually a QB’s favorite security blanket.
Sam LaPorta ($6,000 DK, $6800 FD)
The highest-priced TE for a reason. LaPorta has played a huge role in the Lions success this season, as the rookie TE is fourth among TEs in receiving yards and tied for the lead in touchdowns. On a small slate like Saturdays, going double TE isn’t terrible as both former Iowa TEs are in great spots.
Honorable Mentions: Pat Freiermuth.
Drago’s Best Bets:
- Joe Mixon Any Time TD
- Hockenson Over 49.5 Receiving Yards
- Courtland Sutton Any Time TD
- Jahmyr Gibbs Longest Run Over 13.5
- Josh Downs Over 42.5 Receiving Yards
- Michael Pittman Jr Any Time TD
Make sure to hop in our Expert Discord Chat for FREE! Ivan (idrago15) will be there answering questions all day and all night! Follow Ivan on Twitter @idragol15 and be sure to be on the lookout for future articles at https://windailysports.com/nfl/
