п»їNFL DFS for Championship Weekend, 2021: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy football picks, stacks.
SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS pro with almost $2M in winnings, gives optimal lineup advice.
Who should you target from the four-team NFL DFS player pool for daily Fantasy football tournaments, 50-50s, and cash games on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel? Before making any NFL DFS picks and NFL DFS stacks for Sunday's Championship Round games, be sure to see the latest NFL DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy football picks from SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS pro who has won almost $2 million.
McClure crushed his NFL DFS picks in 2019, finishing as high as the top 1 percent of tournaments on DraftKings and returning as much as 40x return in some higher-stakes tournaments. He then continued his roll in the postseason, cashing on every single lineup he posted for the divisional round. Anyone who followed him saw some huge returns.
In the Divisional Round, McClure had Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as one of his top NFL DFS picks for both FanDuel and DraftKings. The result: Kelce caught eight passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, returning almost 28 Fantasy points on both sites. Anybody who had him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to Sunday's Championship Round games and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for Sunday's 2021 Championship Round.
One of McClure's top NFL DFS picks for Sunday's Championship Round games is Packers wide receiver Davante Adams at $8,000 on DraftKings and $8,900 on FanDuel. The seven-year veteran from Fresno State led the NFL with 18 touchdown receptions, tied for second with 115 receptions, and tied for fifth with 1,374 receiving yards.
Adams overcame a difficult matchup against Rams defensive back Jalen Ramsey last week to reel in nine receptions on 10 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Adams turned in his second 1,300-yard season in three years, nearly equaling his 111-catch, 1,386-yard effort in 2018 that also yielded 13 touchdowns. He's had five touchdowns in his last three games and can help anchor your NFL DFS stacks on Sunday.
Part of McClure's optimal NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs at $7,000 on DraftKings and $8,300 on FanDuel. He led the NFL with 127 receptions during the regular season and also totaled an NFL-best 1,535 yards along with eight touchdowns. He has caught 14 of 20 targets in two postseason games for 234 yards and two scores.
Diggs was acquired via trade from Minnesota during the offseason. He quickly meshed with Bills quarterback Josh Allen and smashed his career-high for receptions and receiving yards. He has a sky-high ceiling in Sunday's Chiefs vs. Bills game.
How to set NFL DFS lineups for Sunday's Championship Round.
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Sunday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
So who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Sunday's Championship Round? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has almost $2 million in career winnings, and find out.
NFL Super Wild Card Weekend game picks: Ravens top Titans; Steelers over Browns.
Around The NFL Editor.
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Gregg Rosenthal went 15-1 on his predictions for Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season, bringing his total record to 166-88-1. How will he fare on Super Wild Card Weekend? His picks are below.
Sunday, Jan. 10.
Baltimore Ravens 30, Tennessee Titans 28.
It should be obvious by now the Titans match up well with the Ravens. Tennessee can handle the physicality and diversity of Baltimore's defense. The Ravens' increasingly efficient but low-volume passing attack doesn't take full advantage of the Titans' biggest weaknesses in pass rush and pass coverage. The Titans prove they can hold on to a big lead against the Ravens last January and completed a double-digit comeback this November.
Baltimore's Week 11 loss to Tennessee proved to be the Ravens' low point. Instead of trying to hammer teams with interior runs, they adapted to a spread attack that emphasized Lamar Jackson and J.K. Dobbins on the edge. They have fewer tight ends on the field on early downs and more creativity with players like Devin Duvernayп»ї. The team's defensive resurgence may be more about the opponents and the offense holding the ball so long.
There is every reason to expect a shootout. The Titans aren't just bad on defense; they are ranked 28th in special teams DVOA. (The Ravens are second.) Ryan Tannehill is seemingly built to withstand vicious hits, blitzes and pressures. Derrick Henryп»ї, after 378 carries, appears indestructible and can victimize a Ravens front that's not as good as its reputation.
I'm picking the Ravens here because Jackson is still my choice as the best player on the field and I don't want to imagine another offseason of talking about his playoff struggles. But I don't understand the folks saying this matchup sets up well for the Ravens and I don't like the looks of Baltimore as the overwhelming consensus pick. That's underestimating the Titans -- and an offense that ranks with any in the NFL -- yet again.
New Orleans Saints 30, Chicago Bears 20.
The score projection above could change depending on the health of the Bears. Chicago hasn't had two starting cornerbacks (Jaylon Johnson and Buster Skrineп»ї) for weeks, and it showed last week against Green Bay. Linebacker Roquan Smith, who has been nearly as valuable as Khalil Mack this season, could be out. No. 2 receiver Darnell Mooney may also be unavailable.
For most of the season, including during the Saints-Bears overtime game in Week 8, Chicago's defense was a big plus. The Bears make opposing attacks earn it. I'm not sure that's the case anymore because of injuries, and the matchup on Sunday is tricky. In theory, the Bears can win if they pressure Drew Brees into mistakes. Brees has been holding the ball and more hesitant at times over the last three weeks. But he has the luxury of a prime running game and the best tackle combination in football, ready to snuff out Mack and Robert Quinnп»ї.
Mitchell Trubisky's resurgence over the last month has more to do with improved play-calling, weak opponents and dropped interceptions than any real development. Analysts touting a change are either seeing what they want to see or haven't watched the games. There's little reason to think he's capable of playing four quarters against a quality pass rush without coughing the ball up a few times.
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Cleveland Browns 20.
A handful of the Steelers' best players are more rested than they've been all year. The Browns, meanwhile, have barely practiced in weeks and will be missing their head coach and players like guard Joel Bitonio due to COVID-19. The team's best pass rusher down the stretch, Olivier Vernonп»ї, just tore his Achilles' tendon. It's a shame that the Browns' well-earned first playoff season in eons is so impacted by bad luck, and it's also a shame these teams played last week.
The key for the Browns will be protecting Baker Mayfieldп»ї. While he threw the ball well against Pittsburgh in Week 17, most of the four sacks Pittsburgh recorded without T.J. Watt or Cameron Heyward came because of Mayfield's indecisiveness. Most of the pressure that Cleveland generated came from Sheldon Richardsonп»ї, matched up against the Steelers' backup center.
Even without Bitonio, the Browns' offensive line is the best unit in this game. Jack Conklin and Wyatt Teller can maul anyone in the running game. Cleveland's tight ends will have favorable matchups against Pittsburgh's iffy linebackers at times. The Browns have the better offense in an offense-first league. That gives the Browns a shot to win in a matchup likely to feature few possessions, but it still feels like they are fighting uphill because of the circumstances entering this game in addition to their lackluster defense.
ALREADY COMPLETED.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Washington Football Team 15.
The Football Team overachieved. No one can take away the fact that Alex Smithп»ї, after all his surgeries, was the quarterback getting interviewed on the field by Michele Tafoya after making the playoffs in Game 256 of the NFL season. The Team should keep the nickname and the uniforms, but they should not keep playing after this weekend.
Washington's rugged defense has slowed down nearly every team it's faced, so that is likely to happen again, even against a peaking Bucs offense. Chase Youngп»ї, Jonathan Allen and friends comprise a worthy opponent for one of the best offensive lines in football. Washington can make Tom Brady uncomfortable.
Watching Smith and this Washington passing game against virtually any defense right now, however, is equally uncomfortable. The Football Team features one of the worst offenses to make the playoffs in a long time, facing a talented, if erratic, Bucs defense. Ron Rivera has talked about possibly rotating in backup Taylor Heinicke for this game if Smith's calf isn't right. This matchup reminds me of the Seahawks-Eagles Wild Card game last season where Josh McCown had to take the quarterbacking reins for Philadelphia. The Wild Card Round is where the NFL flushes out the nice stories in favor of complete teams.
UPDATE: Smith is inactive for Saturday's game, so Heinicke will get the start.
Los Angeles Rams 20, Seattle Seahawks 19.
Jared Goff is a John McVay-era quarterback in a Sean McVay NFL. Goff's inability to hit big plays or create on his own has held the Rams back this season, and McVay's play-calling down the stretch displayed a previously unseen lack of confidence in his well-compensated quarterback. I would love to know if Goff will be starting this game following thumb surgery before making a pick, and I'd really love to know how McVay feels about his quarterback position.
Rams backup John Wolford wasn't perfect last week, but his legs gave the Rams a much-needed boost to their struggling running game. He went through progressions and threw with timing. In a matchup against a Seahawks defense that dominated Goff just two weeks ago, I wonder if Wolford is the better choice.
Russell Wilson's matchup against these Rams is similarly daunting. Pro Football Focus' 19th-ranked quarterback since Week 9 hasn't seen many open receivers. He's faced pressure at the fourth-highest rate in the league, often indecisive and incorrect about when to run. The Seahawks have scored 12 points combined in the first half of their last two games.
I think the Rams are the most likely underdog to win this week because they have the best defense in a defensive matchup. Aaron Donald has 16 pressures in two games against the Seahawks this season and Jalen Ramsey has helped limit DK Metcalf's impact. This game is bound to be ugly, low-scoring and close in the fourth quarter. McVay has a 5-3 record against Pete Carroll and winning on the road with a backup quarterback would get the crown back as the NFC West's best coach and certainly the best division's best defense.
Buffalo Bills 31, Indianapolis Colts 21.
There's no particular reason the Bills should lose this game. They are a dominant, pass-first team in a pass-first league, peaking at the right time. Josh Allen hasn't just proven previous doubters like me spectacularly wrong this year; he's made the argument for my unemployment during an economic crisis.
The Bills finished first in weighted DVOA at Football Outsiders, which gives added importance to how a team performs later in the season. Even Buffalo's defense, which struggled early in the year, finished the season playing at a higher level than a sound Colts group that is similar to the Bills' D in many ways. Both units communicate well and don't give up big plays. They force opponents into long drives and each finished in the top five in takeaways. That's Indianapolis' best hope.
Despite Philip Rivers' bad decisions when trailing, the Colts finished second in turnover margin with the third-fewest giveaways in the NFL. If Indianapolis' big defensive playmakers like DeForest Buckner, Darius Leonard and Kenny Moore force a mistake or three and get a lucky bounce, the Colts could hang in this game. Jonathan Taylor has evolved from a struggling rookie to one of the 10 best running backs in football, so Indy could try the ol' shorten the game strategy against a superior opponent.
This is the perfect first playoff test for these Bills. The Colts are a quality opponent who will make Buffalo earn it, but they don't have enough firepower to hang in a shootout. If Frank Reich's offense goes stagnant for a few quarters, like it has regularly over the last month, the Bills could overcome any deficit or make this game uglier than the score I'm predicting.
NFL playoff picks, predictions for wild-card games: Steelers survive Browns scare; Ravens, Buccaneers roll.
It's an NFL wild-card weekend like none other.
The 2021 NFL playoffs feature six wild-card matchups over a two-day stretch that should produce an overload of excitement for NFL fans.
Indianapolis and Buffalo open the playoff bracket at 1:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Los Angeles and Seattle will meet for the third time in the 4:40 p.m. slot, which sets up a prime-time matchup between Tampa Bay and Washington at 8:15 p.m.
Sunday's schedule features another tripleheader. Baltimore and Tennessee meet in a rematch of last year's AFC divisional playoff game at 1:05 p.m. Chicago faces New Orleans at 4:40 p.m. Cleveland makes its first playoff appearances since 2003 against the rival Steelers at 8:15 p.m.
Sporting News wrapped up the regular season with another solid week in our straight-up picks. We like the favorites this weekend, but we know anything can happen.
Last Week: 13-3, .812 Regular season: 129-75, .632.
With that in mind, below are our picks and predictions for Week 17:
NFL playoff picks, predictions for 2021 wild-card games.
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills (-7)
Saturday, 1:05 p.m., CBS.
The Bills covered the spread in eight straight games to close the season, part of a six-game winning streak that makes them one of the NFL's hottest teams. The Colts have a top-10 defense and Philip Rivers is an experience playoff quarterback, but they were 1-4 against the other AFC playoff teams this season. Buffalo wins its first playoff game since 1995 with another strong performance from Josh Allen.
Pick: Bills 34, Colts 23.
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-4.5)
Saturday, 4:40 p.m., FOX.
If Jared Goff (thumb) can't go, then John Wolford will make his first career playoff start against the rival Seahawks. Seattle's offense has been hit-or-miss with Russell Wilson the last few weeks, but the defense is allowing just 12.5 points per game through a four-game win streak. Wilson gets Seattle back in the NFC divisional round. It's hard to pick the Rams – who have the league's top-scoring defense (18.5) – if Goff cannot go.
Pick: Seahawks 27, Rams 16.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) at Washington Football Team.
Saturday, 8:15 p.m., NBC.
Tampa Bay averaged 37 ppg. in four straight victories to close the season; a remarkable stretch under Tom Brady. Chase Young leads a Washington defense that allows just 20.6 points per game, and it could get interesting if they stop the run. Alex Smith is a feel-good story in his first playoff start since career-threatening leg injury. The line has jumped 1.5 points; a nod to the confidence in Brady and the Bucs.
Pick: Buccaneers 28, Washington 21.
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans.
Saturday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN.
We flip-flopped on this one for obvious reasons. The Titans beat the Ravens in last year’s playoff and won a 30-24 overtime thriller this season. Baltimore found its groove on offense after the 47-42 shootout against Cleveland, and Lamar Jackson was the difference. He finally wins his first playoff start in thrilling fashion.
Pick: Ravens 36, Titans 31.
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints (-9.5)
Saturday, 4:40 p.m., CBS.
The Bears backed into the playoffs after losing to the Packers, and Mitchell Trubisky is making his second playoff start. The Saints are optimistic Alvin Kamara will return from the COVID-19 list, and Drew Brees is coming off a three-TD performance in Week 17. New Orleans learns from last year’s wild-card loss to Minnesota and returns to the divisional playoffs.
Pick: Saints 31, Bears 21.
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-4)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m., NBC.
The Browns beat the Steelers 26-24, and this is the first matchup between the teams since the 2003 AFC Wild Card thriller. Expect a similar game to break out. Cleveland leads at halftime behind a pair of Nick Chubb TDs. Baker Mayfield plays his best game to date at Heinz Field, much better than the last visit. The Steelers rally in the second half, however, and Ben Roethlisberger – who is 24-2-1 against the Browns – leads the way in the second half. Cleveland has a chance to tie late, but the Steelers come up with the stop this time.
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