NFL DFS Yahoo contests continue to run throughout the NFL playoffs, which resume Saturday with a two-game slate consisting of Bills-Broncos at 4:30 p.m. EST and 49ers-Seahawks at 8:00 p.m. in the divisional round.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football 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 football 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. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Divisional Round Saturday include the QB-WR stack facing the least daunting matchup and a potential unsung hero at TE.
QUARTERBACK
Sam Darnold, SEA vs. SF ($24): Darnold didn't do much in his regular-season matchups against the 49ers, but this price is hard to pass up considering he's this slate's most affordable starting QB and will face a far worse pass defense compared to the other three. The Bills, Broncos and Seahawks were three of the nine teams to allow 20 or fewer touchdown passes in the regular season, and they all finished among the 12 defenses with the fewest passing yards given up to QBs, while San Francisco surrendered the 10th-most passing yards and a 29:6 TD:INT. Darnold's coming off his second consecutive regular season with at least 14 wins, 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen, BUF at DEN ($40); Bo Nix, DEN vs. BUF ($27)
RUNNING BACK
James Cook, BUF at DEN ($33): Cook was held in check in the wild-card round by a Jaguars defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL this season, but the league's leading rusher should have a larger impact against a Broncos defense that was also stout on the ground but allowed RBs to score six receiving TDs. The Bills had no problem keeping the ball in Josh Allen's hands against a comparatively weaker Jaguars secondary, as Allen had 46 combined passes and rushes to Cook's 15 carries, but Denver's defense is strong on all three levels, which should necessitate a more balanced approach from Buffalo. Considering Cook's $33 price is substantially lower than it has been most of the season, the difficult matchup is already priced in while his upside remains high after averaging 112.5 scrimmage yards and scoring 14 total TDs in the regular season.
RJ Harvey, DEN vs. BUF ($22): The Bills are much more vulnerable on the ground than through the air, as they allowed 18 rushing TDs to RBs and 19 touchdown passes to QBs in the regular season. Jacksonville didn't stick with the run despite getting 118 yards on 14 carries (8.4 YPC) from top two RBs Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten, but Sean Payton's Broncos are unlikely to make the same mistake. Harvey has led the backfield for the Broncos since J.K. Dobbins (foot) got hurt, as the rookie second-round pick has six TDs in the last six games while averaging 17.3 touches over that span. Fresh off a bye, Harvey's primed for a heavy workload.
Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffrey, SF at SEA ($40); Kenneth Walker, SEA vs. SF ($20)
WIDE RECEIVER
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA vs. SF ($32): With or without a Darnold stack, Smith-Njigba is the clear No. 1 WR in action Saturday. JSN led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards in the regular season and his price for NFL DFS Yahoo contests hadn't dipped below $40 since Week 9. At just $32, it isn't too difficult to clear cap space for the star wide receiver as he faces a San Francisco secondary that gave up the 11th-most yards to WRs during the regular season.
Jauan Jennings, SF at SEA ($21): Jennings was banged up during the first half of the season but heated up once he got healthier, catching eight touchdown passes in his last nine regular-season outings. Seattle's secondary allowed the second-fewest yards to WRs, but all non-Seattle WRs are facing tough matchups here, and Jennings has shown he can complement his receiving production with trick-play success, having thrown a touchdown pass in each of his last two playoff games.
Khalil Shakir, BUF at DEN ($18): Shakir led all players in the wild-card round with 12 catches, and the Bills will likely look to get the ball out quickly again in the passing game while facing Denver's dangerous pass rush. At just $18, Buffalo's leading receiver in the regular season should continue to deliver plenty of value given his prominent role in the offense. The Broncos allowed the second-most yards to WRs among the four defenses in action Saturday.
Honorable Mentions: Courtland Sutton, DEN vs. BUF ($22); Demarcus Robinson, SF at SEA ($10)
TIGHT END
Jake Tonges, SF at SEA ($14): With George Kittle sidelined for the remainder of the postseason by a torn Achilles, Tonges is set to step into a larger role against a Seahawks defense whose Achilles' heel has been guarding TEs. Seattle boasts one of the league's three stingiest units in terms of rushing yards allowed to RBs and receiving yards allowed to WRs this season, but the Seahawks gave up the sixth-most yards to TEs in the regular season at 63.5 per game. Tonges has 29 catches for 269 yards and two TDs in six games without Kittle this season, so the backup has already proven capable of stepping up when called upon in a 49ers offense that relies on receiving production from the TE position.
Honorable Mentions: Dalton Kincaid, BUF at DEN ($17); AJ Barner, SEA vs. SF ($10)
DEFENSE
Buffalo Bills at DEN ($11): Denver has the least potent offense among teams in Saturday's Yahoo NFL DFS slate, as the Broncos averaged 23.6 points per game in the regular season while the other three teams each scored at least 25.7 PPG. The Broncos will have home-field advantage in this rematch, but they scored just seven points in a blowout 31-7 playoff loss at Buffalo last year. Buffalo's defense has heated up as the weather has gotten colder, as the Bills have allowed only 16.3 PPG across their last four games, but this unit can still be had for just $1 above the minimum, leaving plenty of cap space to pursue top performers at higher-scoring positions.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos vs. BUF ($15); San Francisco 49ers at SEA ($10)
