Yahoo DFS Football: Super Bowl Picks

Yahoo DFS Football: Super Bowl Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.

The final Yahoo! NFL DFS contest of the season will be a single-game contest for the Super Bowl, which will kick off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST. The game is supposed to be played at a predetermined neutral site but for the second year in a row, the NFC's representative just so happens to call that site home, and the Rams will host the Bengals in the biggest game in SoFi Stadium's brief history. For this final contest of the season, you'll have $135 to form a five-player lineup. Your lineup doesn't have to fill any positional quotas, but the below breakdown will still be done by position. There's also a Captain spot that will score 1.5 times as many fantasy points, and that player will still cost his usual salary.

QUARTERBACK

Matthew Stafford, LAR vs. CIN ($30): You don't have to have a quarterback, but it's probably best that you include at least one considering both teams have relied primarily on their passing games in the playoffs. Stafford has thrown for 703 yards and a 4:1 TD:INT in his last two games, and he's tossed multiple touchdowns in all but one of his last 10 games. With Odell Beckham thriving in the postseason and Cooper Kupp continuing to build on what has been a historic year, the Rams should keep leaning on their powerful passing attack over a running game led by the fumble-prone Cam Akers.

Joe Burrow, CIN vs. LAR ($33): Burrow has carried the Bengals with his arm, throwing for over 300 yards in five of his last eight games, including a two-game stretch in which he racked up 971 yards and eight touchdowns to close out the regular season. Running back Joe Mixon will try to help the Bengals keep a more balanced offensive approach, but keep in mind that the last time Mixon reached 100 rushing yards was Nov. 28. With weather not a factor under the roof in Los Angeles, both offenses will likely be airing it out, so plan accordingly.

RUNNING BACK

Joe Mixon, CIN vs. LAR ($31): Mixon hasn't had a dominant rushing performance in a while, but he's maintained a high floor thanks to a heavy workload, with at least 18 touches in each of his last 12 games. He'll be heavily involved regardless of game flow, as Mixon gets fed on the ground when Cincinnati's ahead and contributes as a pass-catcher when the Bengals fall behind. His prominent role includes plenty of opportunities in the red zone, as he's scored 17 scrimmage touchdowns in 19 games between the regular season and playoffs.

Darrell Henderson, LAR vs. CIN ($13): Henderson has tremendous upside relative to his valuation. With Akers our for most of the season due to a torn Achilles, Henderson worked as the Rams' lead back before suffering a knee injury that's sidelined him since Dec. 26. Prior to that point, Henderson had mustered 864 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games. He's expected to suit up and could wind up usurping the touches of Sony Michel, who was the clear backup to Henderson when both were healthy. Akers lost two fumbles in the divisional round and has been nursing a shoulder injury, so if he gets benched or has his touches limited, it could thrust Henderson right back into a workhorse role.

WIDE RECEIVER

Cooper Kupp, LAR vs. CIN ($41): Kupp will likely occupy the Captain spot in a plurality -- if not an outright majority -- of lineups, and for good reason. He had 20 catches for 325 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games alone, and Kupp has totaled 170 catches for 2,333 yards and 20 touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs. He should be worth paying up for as the priciest player against a Bengals secondary that's allowed a combined 220 yards and a touchdown apiece to No. 1 wide receivers A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill in the last two games.

Ja'Marr Chase, CIN vs. LA ($34): Both teams have an elite No. 1 receiver, as Chase has either 100 yards or a touchdown in all three playoff games after racking up 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns in a fantastic rookie regular season, and the wideout's chemistry with Burrow goes back to their LSU days. He'll likely see a heavy dose of Jalen Ramsey, but Ramsey's presence is a double-edged sword, as the Rams may be content leaving the star cornerback one-on-one with Chase. That strategy didn't work out late against the Buccaneers in the divisional round, as Mike Evans burned Ramsey for a 55-yard touchdown, and Chase is an even more prolific deep threat. You'll probably want to build around either the Burrow-Chase or Stafford-Kupp combo.

Odell Beckham, LAR vs. CIN ($23): Beckham has stepped up in the postseason, catching 19 of 23 targets for 236 yards and a touchdown. If you're building around the favored Rams, the boisterous wideout is an excellent complement to Stafford and Kupp. At a reasonable valuation, Beckham's also a solid option if you forgo Kupp's services to build around the Bengals instead.

TIGHT END

Kendall Blanton, LAR vs. CIN ($14): Tyler Higbee's knee injury will likely end up keeping him from suiting up for the Super Bowl, creating an opening for Blanton to fill. Blanton did an admirable job after Higbee exited early in the NFC Championship Game, catching all five of his targets for 57 yards. The backup tight end could be overlooked due to his limited regular-season role when Higbee was healthy, but Blanton's a solid value play here.

DEFENSE

Los Angeles Rams, LAR vs. CIN ($17): Picking a defense isn't sexy, but this unit's teeming with big names and could provide excellent value. Aaron Donald on the inside and Von Miller on the outside have combined to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks this postseason, leading to plenty of hurried throws in addition to five sacks in three games for Los Angeles' defense. The secondary has held up its end of the bargain with four interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. A less accomplished Titans defensive line sacked Burrow nine times earlier in the playoffs, so expect the Rams to generate significant pressure against Cincinnati's subpar offensive line.

Honorable Mentions

Tee Higgins (CIN, $24), Cam Akers (LAR, $19), Tyler Boyd (CIN, $17)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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