Ivan Herrera 
Welcome to the first Saturday slate of the NFL season. Both games on the slate have playoff implications so expect the four teams fighting for a playoff spot 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:
Lamar Jackson ($8200DK, $8800FD)
Starting with the best quarterback on the slate, Jackson is in play on Saturday. This is a do-or-die game for the Ravens, as a win will give them the same record as Pittsburgh going into the final two games of the year. Stix’s model has Jackson as the highest scorer on the slate, and after what Jalen Hurts did to the Steeler’s defense, I wouldn’t put it past Jackson to have his best DFS performance of the season. The Steelers are the 4th-ranked team against fantasy QBs and have given up an average of 15.6 points to opposing QBs this season. Being projected at around 22.5% ownership, Jackson is a great play in all formats, along with the next QB on the list.
Who to pair him with: Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely
CJ Stroud ($6000DK, $7200FD)
Stroud is the third-highest-owned and priced QB on the slate. He has hit a bit of a sophomore slump this season but that has been partly due to injuries to his top wide receivers. Stroud has a chance to outduel Patrick Mahomes and clinch Houston the AFC South title. The Chiefs have allowed the 13th fewest fantasy points (17.3) to opposing quarterbacks, but they have given up multiple 20+ fantasy performances to quarterbacks that season.
Who to pair him with: Nico Collins. Tank Dell. Dalton Schultz
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Mahomes. Russell Wilson
The RBs:
Derrick Henry ($8000DK, $9000FD)
Henry is always in play and this Saturday is no different. He is second in rushing with 1474 yards and is tied for most rushing touchdowns (13) by a running back. The Steelers are allowing the 10th fewest fantasy points (21.3) but that is the most points allowed by a team on the slate. They held Henry in check the last time they played, holding him to 65 rushing yards and a touchdown. With how tough all four defenses are, I want to rely on the best running back.
Najee Harris ($5700DK, $6600FD)
As I mentioned above all four defenses are good against the run so none of the running backs have a clear advantage on paper. I like Harris this week for his value, as he is the lowest-priced starting running back on the slate. The Ravens are allowing the seventh fewest fantasy points (20.4) but they are allowing the sixth most receiving yards to running backs at 41.4 yards. Harris is averaging 18.3 receiving yards and has had at least three receptions in five games this season including going 4 for 30 against the Ravens in their first matchup.
Honorable Mentions: Isiah Pacheco. Joe Mixon. Justice Hill
The WRs:
Nico Collins ($8100DK, 9000FD)
Collins is my favorite wide receiver on the slate and he is projected to be the third-highest-scoring player on the slate based on the Win Daily projections. Since coming back from injury he is averaging 5.3 receptions for 70.5 yards and found the end zone three times. I mentioned with Stroud above that this is a big game for Houston as they can clinch the division and they can put pressure on the AFC North winner for the third seed. Collins will need to come up big against Joshua Williams who has been one of the better corners this season.
Zay Flowers ($5900DK, $7200FD)
The dip in price between the highest priced WR, Collins, and Flowers who is second is interesting. Being priced 2.2K less than Collins on DK makes him a much better play for me. The projection model has Flowers as the second-best wide receiver on the slate. With the injuries to the other Raven wide receivers, Flowers should see an uptick in targets. Flowers gets a great matchup against James Pierre who has been the worst Steeler corner in fantasy this season.
Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Hopkins. Tank Dell. Xavier Worthy. Calvin Austin III.
Punt WRs: Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker. The Ravens’ wide receiver room is depleted, so Wallace and Walker can see more work this week. Neither is a sure thing, but in a two-game slate, they can make a difference if they can find the end zone.
The TEs
Mark Andrews ($4300 DK, $6000 FD)
As I have mentioned above, the Ravens are down to their WR4/WR5 due to injuries and off-the-field issues. Andrews started the season slow but has picked it up over the last couple of weeks averaging 15 points on DraftKings over the past three weeks. The Steelers are allowing the 16th most fantasy points per game (12.2) and the 12th most receptions (76). Andrew’s first game against the Steelers was one of his worst since regaining his form and is the only game of the last five where he failed to reach the end zone.
Honorable Mentions: Travis Kelce. Dalton Schultz. Isaiah Likely.
Drago’s Best Bets:
- Houston Texans ML (+150) vs Kansas City Chiefs
- Baltimore Ravens Alt Line -4.5 (-158) vs Pittsburgh Steelers
- Justice Hill 25+ Receiving Yards (+110)
- Joe Mixon Over 87.5 Rush + Receiving Yards (-115)
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/
