Monday Playoff Preview
The 6-game NFL Wild Card Weekend continues Sunday with a full day of games. FullTime Fantasy‘s Sunday Playoff Preview breaks down the slate from a fantasy football and sports betting perspective.
And just because the fantasy regular season has ended doesn’t mean the fun is over. FFWC Playoff Fantasy Football is a great way to extend the fantasy fun and win amazing prizes!
Minnesota Vikings (14-3) at Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
Time: 8:00 Eastern from Glendale, Arizona
Line: Vikings -2.5
Total: 47.5
Money Line: Minnesota -145, Los Angeles +125
Vikings Offense
This is another rematch of a regular-season game. In Week 8, the Rams defeated Minnesota 30-20 at SoFi Stadium. For the Vikings to even the score, they can’t allow Matthew Stafford to sit in the pocket and pick them apart for another four scores.
Sam Darnold was fine in that game, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Vegas is predicting Darnold will be better in the rematch. His Week 19 passing yard prop is 265.5 yards and he’s -168 to be OVER 1.5 touchdowns. The Rams allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, so this looks like a plus matchup for Darnold and company.
RB Aaron Jones was held to 58 yards on 19 rushes in Week 8. However, he did catch a pair of passes for 37 yards. Jones’s yardage prop of 82.5 with +125 odds of finding pay dirt looks promising but the Rams were above-average against running backs in the regular season. LA allowed only 10 total RB touchdowns in 17 games.
Cam Akers will mix in behind Jones and will have some drives to himself. Additionally, Jones was dealing with a quad injury down the stretch that could result in more opportunities for Akers. However, Jones is not listed on the injury report.
Los Angeles wasn’t as good against the pass, which bodes well for Minnesota’s receivers.
Justin Jefferson caught eight for 115 yards in Week 8. Meanwhile, the Rams allowed an opposing receiver to surpass 90 receiving yards nine times in the regular season. Additionally, LA surrendered 20 touchdown receptions to the position. Our RDA* projections favor another huge outing for Minnesota’s superstar WR1.
Jordan Addison didn’t do much (2/22/0) in the previous game. However, Addison has been hot, scoring seven of his nine touchdowns since Week 11. He also averaged 8.25 targets per game during that stretch. Our RDA* projections view Addison as a solid option in this slate, projected to catch 4.2 balls for 58.7 yards, and a 50/50 shot at scoring.
We don’t have much interest in Minnesota’s ancillary wideouts. However, TE T.J. Hockenson looks like a good target. In PPR leagues, the Rams allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, who averaged a healthy 15.2 fantasy points per game.
Rams Offense
Although this is a Rams’ “home” game, the NFL moved it to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, due to the destructive wildfires in and around the LA area.
Since getting picked apart by Matthew Stafford in Week 8, the Vikings have shored up their pass defense. In fact, the Vikings allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to enemy signal-callers in the final five weeks of the regular season. This game’s 47.5-point total looks inviting. However, our RDA* projections are cool on Stafford.
Only the Ravens allowed fewer rushing yards than Minnesota, so it’s a lousy matchup for RB Kyren Williams. However, Williams led all running backs with an 87% snap share, assuring he’ll have ample opportunities to contribute on the ground, via the pass, and in short yardage. He’s -125 to score and has a scrimmage yard prop of 97.5 yards.
WR Puka Nacua returned to the lineup against Minnesota in Week 8 and made an immediate impact. As good as the Vikings have been against the run, they’ve struggled versus the pass. Minnesota allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Additionally, we see a favorable game script for Nacua, who comes in as our No. 1 wide receiver in this slate.
Cooper Kupp’s play tailed off down the stretch. He only had three targets in each of LA’s final three contests and never topped 30 receiving yards. Kupp caught five balls for 51 yards and a score against this secondary in Week 8. However, our RDA* projections (5/62/.33) are quite a bit higher than Vegas projects.
WR3 Demarcus Robinson had a DUI arrest this week. There’s no indication if that will impact his role in this game but we recommend avoiding the Rams’ ancillary receivers.
That includes the tight end position. Tyler Higbee is still working his way back and should lead the way. However, the Rams don’t feature the position prominently and will use multiple players. Higbee is the best bet to score if you’re looking to save money in DFS.
FullTime Fantasy’s Playoff Fantasy Football Contests
Play 1 or play all 3! YOU decide!
Emil Kadlec Memorial Playoff Pick ‘Em — A FREE Single-Entry Contest.
Maui Madness Playoff Pick’Em — ($25 or a 5-pack for $100)
Playoff Draft World Championship $229 with NEW and improved league prizing!
Maui Madness is still accepting entries until Conference Championship Weekend. The contest determines the winner by using your highest two weekly scores.
While most fantasy football leagues have already concluded, that does not mean the fun is over. In fact, the best is yet to come for one skilled fantasy player!
That person who can build the best fantasy lineup for the playoffs will win the grand prize of:
A Trip for Four to Maui!
The Grand Prize includes:
• Resort Accommodations for 6 nights in Maui’s Five-Star Kaanapali Alii Resort (2BR-2BA)
• Airfare for Four anywhere in the continental U.S. (up to $1000 for each person roundtrip airfare*
• Grand Prize package worth an estimated $10,000!
*certain date restrictions may apply
1 ENTRY = $25
5-PACK = $100 (that’s a $25 savings!)
