This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The NFL regular season is over, but Yahoo DFS football will continue to run throughout the postseason, with Yahoo NFL DFS contests available for every day on which playoff games will take place. The postseason kicks off Saturday with a two-game slate: Browns-Texans at 4:30 p.m. EST followed by Dolphins-Kansas City at 8 pm. The biggest Yahoo NFL DFS contest for Saturday's wild-card round slate is the $30K Wild Card Baller, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $30,000 to the top 523 finishers, including $5,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 68 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 2,350 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $30k Wild Card Baller lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Saturday's suggested plays include a QB-TE stack with plenty of previous postseason success, a pair of speedy teammates on a high-powered offense, and bargain plays at WR and D/ST.
QUARTERBACK
Patrick Mahomes, KC vs. MIA ($28): Mahomes had a down year by his lofty standards with 4,183 yards and a 27:14 TD:INT after leading the NFL with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes last season, but it wouldn't be at all surprising to see him flip the switch in the playoffs given Mahomes' career 35:7 TD:INT in 14 playoff games. Miami's 27 passing TDs allowed are the most among teams in action Saturday, and a couple of ugly Dolphins stats suggest this clash at frigid Arrowhead Stadium could turn out one-sided in favor of the home team: Miami went 1-5 with a -91 point differential against playoff teams this season and has lost 10 consecutive games with a kickoff temperature under 40 degrees.
Honorable Mentions:
Joe Flacco, CLE at HOU ($34); C.J. Stroud, HOU at CLE ($29)
RUNNING BACK
De'Von Achane, MIA at KC ($30): Achane rushed for 800 yards and eight TDs on just 103 carries (7.8 YPC) in the regular season, and he could be thrust into the lead role Saturday if Raheem Mostert remains out for a third consecutive week due to knee and ankle injuries. Even if Mostert returns, Achane's greater involvement in the passing game could help the explosive rookie be the more effective back in a game that could see the Dolphins forced into playing catch-up. Achane had 21 targets in his last five appearances while Mostert totaled nine targets in his last eight games.
Devin Singletary, HOU vs. CLE ($24): Singletary started the season as the backup to Dameon Pierce but eventually worked his way up to a timeshare before becoming the clear lead back down the stretch, to the point that Pierce was limited exclusively to special teams duty in Houston's must-win Week 18 game. Volume is among the biggest keys to success for RBs, and Singletary should continues to see plenty of it after averaging 19.4 touches in Houston's last nine games. He had at least 63 scrimmage yards in all but one of those games, and establishing the run will be key for the Texans against a Browns defense that allowed the fewest passing yards in the regular season but ranked outside the 10 stingiest run defenses.
Honorable Mentions:
Isiah Pacheco, KC vs. MIA ($29); Jerome Ford, CLE at HOU ($22)
WIDE RECEIVER
Tyreek Hill, MIA at KC ($33): Hill's valuation is at its cheapest point of the season after he spent most of the year at $39 or more. Even against the stingy Kansas City defense, this is a can't-miss value considering Hill led the NFL in receiving yards (1,799) and receiving TDs (13). The star speedster will do all he can against his former team, and Miami's game plan will almost certainly emphasize getting the ball in Hill's hands as much as possible.
Amari Cooper, CLE at HOU ($31): The last time we saw Cooper take the field, he set a Browns single-game receiving record with 265 yards and two touchdowns against this very Texans defense in Week 16. Cooper missed the two subsequent games due to a heel injury, but he has said he'll play in this game, and the veteran WR is no stranger to playing through injuries. We probably won't see a repeat performance, but the Joe Flacco to Cooper connection is unlikely to just disappear in this rematch, either.
Mecole Hardman, KC vs. MIA ($10): There's plenty of star power taking the field Saturday, and finding the right bargain plays can help you fit more pricey stars under the salary cap. Hardman's a low-risk, high-reward play at the minimum valuation. Kansas City hasn't gotten much out of its wide receivers besides rookie Rashee Rice, but Hardman posted a promising performance in the regular-season finale with six catches for 77 yards on 11 targets, albeit with Blaine Gabbert under center. The speedster spent his first four seasons with the team, so he's familiar with the system and has more chemistry with Mahomes than your typical midseason trade acquisition. It's possible Hardman's strong Week 18 performance will earn him a more prominent role in the postseason.
Honorable Mentions:
Nico Collins, HOU vs. CLE ($30); Rashee Rice, KC vs. MIA ($26)
TIGHT END
Travis Kelce, KC vs. MIA ($19): Kelce had a down year by his lofty standards yet was still the most productive fantasy TE on a per-game basis. He's a steal compared to David Njoku at $27, even with Njoku facing a Houston defense that was more vulnerable to tight ends in the regular season. Kelce has consistently taken his game to another level in the playoffs. He has scored a touchdown in nine of his last 10 playoff games and racked up at least 95 receiving yards in seven of the past nine.
Honorable Mentions:
David Njoku, CLE at HOU ($27); Dalton Schultz, HOU vs. CLE ($15)
DEFENSE
Houston Texans vs. CLE ($12): The D/ST spot is a good place to save cap space, and Houston's affordable unit has a couple things going for it. The Texans were proficient against both the pass and the run in the regular season, allowing the fewest passing TDs (17) and the fewest yards per carry to RBs (3.35). For all of Flacco's success under center for the Browns, he also threw eight interceptions in five starts, with at least one in every game, so the Texans should be able to force some turnovers in this one.
Honorable Mentions:
Cleveland Browns at HOU ($17); Kansas City vs. MIA ($14)
