Vanek's Views: DraftKings NFL DFS Picks for Wild Card Weekend (Saturday Slate)

by Jordan Vanek (vanekjordan) Last Updated 2026-01-08 18:09:48 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 Saturday slate on DraftKings for Wild Card Weekend. Formerly of The 33rd Team and 4for4 Fantasy Football, Jordan’s deep dive into the best stacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends is a must-read before you start building your lineups.

Wild Card Weekend is here, and with every game being played outdoors, weather is going to be a major factor. For all of your weather needs, Kevin Roth’s NFL weather page breaks down the true impact at each location and is updated right up until kickoff. Roth is the best in the business, and everyone should be checking this page before finalizing lineups.

You want to get different on these 2-game slates. Ownership projections are going to be so important this weekend, and our NFL DFS projections are going to provide you updates in real time. I think the news on the Bears WRs will be the key to the entire slate.

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NFL DFS DraftKings Picks: Top Stacks, RBs, WRs, & TEs for Wild Card Weekend (Saturday Slate)

Game Stacks

Matthew Stafford ($6,900, QB, Los Angeles Rams)

Puka Nacua ($8,700, WR, Los Angeles Rams)

Davante Adams ($6,500, WR, Los Angeles Rams)

Colby Parkinson ($3,700, TE, Los Angeles Rams)

Rico Dowdle ($5,500, RB, Carolina Panthers)

Chuba Hubbard ($4,500, RB, Carolina Panthers)

When playing Stafford on a 2-game slate, I think you need three pass-catchers with him for the salary to truly pay off, and one of those should be a tight end. The Rams weren’t able to use much 13-personnel in the first matchup against Carolina due to injuries, but now they have the pieces, with Parkinson, Tyler Higbee ($3,200), and Davis Allen ($2,500) healthy. Terrance Ferguson ($2,700) is the key name to monitor on the NFL injury report – if he plays, Allen is likely inactive. Targeting a tight end here matters because this is a look the Panthers didn’t see in the first meeting, and it creates real problems for run fits and play-action concepts.

Carolina has played a heavy amount of Cover 3 and disguises its variants well, but Rams head coach Sean McVay and Stafford will have answers after seeing it once already. Nacua dominates against these looks, and Adams was a matchup nightmare in the first game.

The aggressive nature of Carolina’s offense is a big reason this game has legitimate shootout potential. If Carolina struggles, the Rams should benefit from strong field position; if Carolina is successful, the game environment naturally pushes toward more scoring. In the first matchup, the Panthers went 7-of-15 on 3rd down but a perfect 3-of-3 on 4th down. Those 4th-down decisions leaned heavily toward passing, but I expect a shift this time around, as the Rams will be more respectful of Bryce Young’s ability to convert through the air. Another key reason for a heavier rushing approach in those situations is the potential return of Robert Hunt, whose presence would be a massive boost to the offensive line and give both Hubbard and Dowdle a better chance to convert short-yardage opportunities.

Dowdle hasn’t been particularly effective in recent weeks, but those struggles have come against strong run defenses. The last time he faced the Rams, he handled 20 touches for 79 yards – the last time he reached that workload. Similarly, the last time Hubbard topped 15 touches also came against the Rams, when he posted 19 touches for 124 yards and 1 touchdown. For Stafford to end up playing from behind in this game, Carolina’s running backs will need to be difference-makers and the defense will have to generate turnovers. On a 2-game slate, it’s very realistic that both backs landing in the range of 12–15 touches ends up being optimal.

I don’t mind adding a wide receiver instead of both running backs in this stack, and Jalen Coker ($4,500, WR) would be my choice. He finished with 4 catches for 74 yards and 1 touchdown in the first matchup. I expect Tetairoa McMillan ($6,000, WR) to be bracketed heavily throughout the game, which could limit his raw production and push more opportunity toward the secondary options.

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