Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Conference Championship WRs

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2025-01-23 16:00:50 Premium Content Part of the product NFL DFS

Using his experience as a former scout and staff member at Central Florida under Josh Heupel, Jordan Vanek takes an in-depth look at the upcoming NFL DFS main slate on DraftKings. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan will do a deep dive into the best ways to attack the wide receiver position to help you climb the leaderboards.

The Divisional Round was full of great games, but the only team’s game plan that I’m pretty upset about is the Baltimore Ravens. They gave Lamar Jackson zero designed runs, and I can’t believe how dominant the Bills’ offensive line was in the 1st half. The Bills did not make any mistakes, and we’ll see if they can continue that this weekend.

The final four teams have a lot of familiarity with one another. The Bills/Chiefs rivalry has become a playoff matchup in four of the last five postseasons. Meanwhile, the Eagles and Commanders will be facing off for the third time this season. There was something Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio did in their second matchup that surprised me, and I doubt he makes the same mistake again. I will discuss this mistake below and talk both sides of the coin.

With such a small slate, my Views will be shorter. It’s been an incredible season, and I can’t wait to watch these Conference Championship games. Shout-out to our NFL DFS projections team for grinding all season, and make sure you are using LineupHQ, which is the best NFL DFS optimizer in the industry.

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog Fantasy promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

Vanek’s Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Tips for Conference Championship WRs

Stacks

Jalen Hurts ($6,500, QB, Philadelphia Eagles)

A.J. Brown ($6,800, WR, Philadelphia Eagles)

DeVonta Smith ($5,800, WR, Philadelphia Eagles)

Brian Robinson ($5,600, RB, Washington Commanders)

Saquon Barkley failing may not be the most likely outcome on this type of slate, but it isn’t impossible—especially if Jalen Hurts can throw at least 2 TDs and “tush push” his way into the end zone for another 2 TDs. In that case, you’d likely pivot to players like James Cook and possibly Kareem Hunt in the flex spot for the other game.

Now, the reason I want to stack Hurts here is that the Commanders play a lot of Cover 1. They’ve leaned on it against the Eagles to add an extra defender in the box to help stop Barkley. This defensive scheme creates opportunities for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to exploit one-on-one matchups against the Commanders’ defensive backs. Both receivers are more than capable of winning on big plays, and Cover 1 is a look where Hurts has averaged over 10 yards per passing attempt this season.

As I mentioned in the intro, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio made an adjustment in the second matchup against Jayden Daniels that surprised me—he chose to blitz. Daniels dismantled their blitz packages in that game, and I don’t think Fangio will make the same mistake this time. He’s even acknowledged in the media that Daniels is “a young quarterback by birth certificate, not by the tape,” which suggests Fangio will focus on disguising coverages instead of relying on the blitz.

I anticipate the Eagles shifting to more Cover 4 in this matchup, trusting their defensive line to generate pressure with four pass rushers while keeping their eyes on Daniels if he escapes the pocket. This approach will likely limit the Commanders’ passing game, and the receivers I have the most interest in are Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder. Both fit the profile of players who can succeed against a soft zone coverage designed to keep everything in front, but I ultimately left them out of this stack due to a split role between them.

The path to Barkley failing becomes more plausible if the Commanders take a lead, which would result in a heavy dose of Brian Robinson for Washington. Robinson ran effectively against the Lions’ front last week and handled most of the goal-to-go situations. While he may not break 100 yards rushing in this matchup, he could very well end up with multiple touchdowns if the Commanders find themselves in scoring positions.

Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!