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One of the most difficult parts of playing daily fantasy during the NFL Playoffs is the time it takes to research matchup trends. My goal over the next few weeks is to reduce the amount of homework readers need to make smart lineup choices.
Over the course of two articles each week, I will provide at least one matchup nugget for each team at each of the key fantasy positions for each team left in the playoffs.
Each selection will be written from a defensive perspective. In other words, look for the Chiefs' section for a trend working for or against Josh Allen this week.
NFL DFS Picks: Ravens (vs. HOU)
QB - Excluding Tua Tagovailoa's garbage time-aided two-TD effort during Baltimore's 56-19 rout of the Dolphins in Week 16, Matthew Stafford is the only quarterback who has thrown for more than one touchdown against this defense since Week 8. No quarterback has thrown for 300 yards against the Ravens this season.
RB - Baltimore allowed an individual 100-yard rusher in its last three games and four of its last five. However, the Ravens also finished in a tie for the league lead in fewest rushing TDs allowed to running backs with five in 2023.
NFL DFS Picks: Bills (vs. KC)
QB - Patrick Mahomes' 271 passing yards in Week 14 are the most Buffalo has given up to a quarterback since Week 9.
Mason Rudolph's 229 passing yards in the Wild Card Round marked the only other time the Bills have yielded more than 215 over that span.
RB - Buffalo has permitted more than 13.1 PPR fantasy points to only one running back (Breece Hall, Week 11) over the last eight contests. Only four running backs since Hall have reached double figures.
Be sure to check out our free DFS Lineup Optimizer to get the optimal lineup in place for the Divisional Playoffs.
NFL DFS Picks: Chiefs (@ BUF)
QB - Kansas City has yet to allow a 300-yard passer all season. Including their Week 14 meeting with the Bills, the Chiefs are giving up an average of 165.5 yards passing over the last six contests.
RB - James Cook's 25.1 PPR fantasy points in the first meeting are the most Kansas City allowed to an individual running back all season.
His 83 yards receiving in that game are more than twice as many as any other running back had versus the Chiefs.
NFL DFS Picks: Texans (@ BAL)
QB - Houston surrendered a league-high seven rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks during the regular season. However, despite facing three of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL (Lamar Jackson, Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray), only Murray topped 40 yards rushing.
RB - Excluding Jonathan Taylor's 188 rushing yards in the season finale, the most rushing yards the Texans have permitted to an individual running back in a game since Week 9 is 62.
A trio of Baltimore running backs churned out a total of 63 yards rushing in the teams' Week 1 meeting.
NFL DFS Picks: 49ers (vs. GB)
QB - San Francisco tied Chicago for the most interceptions in the league with 22. The 49ers were the only defense to post a sub-1 TD-to-interception ratio (20:22).
RB - No defense faced fewer rush attempts than San Francisco (369). Running backs handled a league-low 265 carries versus the 49ers. However, San Francisco ranked fifth in most catches allowed to the position (90).
NFL DFS Picks: Lions (vs. TB)
QB - Detroit has permitted an average of 353 yards passing over its last four contests.
RB - No running back rushed for more than 69 yards versus Detroit all season. Only three topped 100 total yards.
The Lions also yielded only 59 catches to running backs during the regular season - the second-lowest total in the league. Detroit is the only team that has yet to give up a receiving score to a running back.
Bucs (@ DET)
QB - Jared Goff's 353 passing yards against Tampa Bay in Week 6 were his fewest in three all-time meetings versus the Bucs. For his career, Goff is averaging 415.3 yards and 2.3 TDs against Tampa Bay.
RB - No running back has scored a touchdown against Tampa Bay since Week 14. The Bucs finished in a tie with the Rams for the fewest total touchdowns allowed to the running back position this season (seven).
They remain in a three-way tie for first for the fewest rushing TDs allowed to running backs (five).
NFL DFS Picks: Packers (@ SF)
QB - Only one quarterback (Baker Mayfield in Week 15) during the regular season accounted for more than two scores against Green Bay. However, only one team (Tennessee, six) recorded fewer interceptions than the Packers (seven).
RB - The Packers have surrendered at least 85 total yards to running back 10 times this season. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey has accounted for at least 91 total yards in 14 of 16 games.
