NFL DFS Picks: DraftKings Expert Survey for the Divisional Round

by Justin Bailey (Jbails26) Last Updated 2026-01-16 16:29:52 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on NFL DFS today for the Divisional Round main slate on DraftKings. They’re ready to answer key questions that will assist you in making those crucial lineup-building decisions. Curious about Noto’s favorite correlation? Or perhaps you’re wondering about Davis Mattek’s favorite contrarian play? Read their thoughts below!

NFL DFS DraftKings Expert Survey: Divisional Round Picks

Rank your three favorite players for cash games, in order:

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What is your preferred tournament format (e.g. large-field, single-entry) to play on this slate? How do you plan to beat that field of opponents? What tactic or strategy will set you apart?

Notorious: I prefer small-field tournaments. My fade of Christian McCaffrey was working to perfection last week before he scored those 2 late touchdowns. I’m going to fade CMC again. The Niners have to go on the road to face one of the best defenses in football. The absence of George Kittle isn’t going to help, as he’s a great pass-catcher and one of the best run-blocking tight ends in football. If CMC scores less than 20 fantasy points, we are in serious business.

stevietpfl: I prefer small-field tournaments on this slate. I’m going to take a stand on the SF/SEA game. I think it’s going to be the lowest-scoring game of the weekend, and I’m going to be underweight on Christian McCaffrey and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I’d rather be overweight on Josh Allen and Puka Nacua. The Bills and Rams are my two favorite offenses to target this weekend.

Krayton: I will be playing single-entry contests along with 20-max contests. I love the playoff slates for NFL, and one of the ways I like to get different is to lock in my favorite plays (i.e. Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland) in our NFL DFS sims tool (SimLabs) and then see what other plays it gives me for single-entry contests. Then, I like changing the setting to large-field tournaments, and this is where I can find 2-3 lower-owned plays that project well.

ebeimfohr: I love smaller-field tournaments on slates like these smaller playoff weekends, especially over multiple days. The ownership condenses down so drastically to not only a small subset of players, but in turn, a small subset of roster constructions. In these smaller fields, we can find a basic pivot or leverage play, which is a great way to use our NFL DFS sims tool (SimLabs) and “play the best plays” around it without fear of needing the optimal in lottery fields. Having time after every game to make any ownership pivots is a huge way to set yourself apart as well. The majority of the field isn’t rerunning lineups after each game, and we can claw back from behind or block those trying to chase us down more easily.

ncorfield8k: Large-field tournaments – I’ll pay attention to how my early players are doing and late swap throughout the weekend. I’ll be heavy on the LAR/CHI game (which is the last game on the slate), so I’ll have plenty of optionality.

Davis Mattek: I think these are such fun slates to play single-entry tournaments because you can really just ride one take per lineup. If I do a Caleb Williams + Luther Burden III lineup, I can play Christian McCaffrey + Jaxon Smith-Njigba and whatever other chalk I want. You also can sift through and really make as many optimal swaps as possible between games based on the actual results from previous games.

Jordan Vanek: I love single-entry tournaments on slates like these because it doesn’t take much to get unique, and you can avoid getting buried by the absolutely crazy plays that can randomly smash. For example, Demarcus Robinson was not someone I was considering in my builds on Wild Card Weekend, and I didn’t see him in any of the top single-entry lineups, but he did end up being a tournament-winner in large-field contests. I love hunting for those types of outcomes in the regular season, but in the postseason, I prefer leaning into mismatches and elite talent. On this slate, I think that starts with Caleb Williams and the boundary wide receivers for the Chicago Bears.

Give a specific example of how you might utilize late swap depending on how the Saturday games play out.

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