3 Best NFL Player Prop Bets for the Divisional Round

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up in the betting market via the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to measuring a player's potential to produce in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing our NFL projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- as a guide, here are some NFL player props that look appealing for this week.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Prop Picks for the Divisional Round

Austin Ekeler Over 23.5 Receiving Yards (-113)

I'm starting with my favorite player prop of the weekend -- Austin Ekeler to go over 23.5 receiving yards.

Ekeler has played in two games since coming back from injury, and he's had a good role, logging snap rates of 60% and 47%. In the Wild Card Round, Ekeler played only three fewer snaps than Brian Robinson and was targeted four times, catching three of them for 26 yards. And that was in a neutral game script.

This week, the Washington Commanders' chances of seeing a negative game script are pretty high as they're 8.5-point road 'dogs at the Detroit Lions. That's a big reason to be in on Ekeler having a good receiving day. In losses this season (five-game sample), Ekeler averaged 39.5 receiving yards per game.

But even if Washington doesn't get behind, Ekeler can still hit this bet as he averaged 24.1 receiving yards per game across seven wins.

Our NFL projections have Ekeler going for 31.5 receiving yards. If you think the Lions cruise past Washington, Ekeler's alternate markets are enticing, and I don't mind rolling the dice on him to get 40-plus receiving yards at +255 odds. Or you could craft a Same Game Parlay of Ekeler over 23.5 receiving yards paired with a Lions win, which comes out to +116 odds.

Xavier Worthy Under 53.5 Receiving Yards (-113)

Xavier Worthy has big-play juice, which makes this bet a little scary, but I'm backing the under.

Worthy ended the season with an increased role, seeing 11, 11 and 9 targets over his last three games, which led to him going over 53.5 yards twice in that span. But those two instances were two of the just five times all season that Worthy recorded at least 54 receiving yards in a game as he cleared this bar in only 5 of 17 outings.

The matchup this week is a really tough one, too. The Houston Texans rank fifth in pass defense and fifth in overall D, according to our schedule-adjusted metrics. They're a strong unit.

I also think the return of Marquise Brown is something to factor in. Brown came back and was immediately fed 15 targets over his first two contests, so it seems like the Kansas City Chiefs want him to be a big part of things. If that's true, Worthy will now be competing for looks with all of Brown, Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins.

Our model projects Worthy for 41.6 receiving yards on Saturday.

Saquon Barkley Over 12.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

Saquon Barkley's receiving production has dwindled over the back half of this season, but he can get 13 receiving yards on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Rams.

Barkley is averaging 17.4 receiving yards per game on the season, and he went for 47 receiving yards at the Rams back on November 24th. But since that game, he's done oddly little as a pass-catcher, averaging just 4.2 receiving yards per game over a six-game span and failing to catch a pass in two of those outings.

I'm chalking that up to randomness. Barkley has always been a capable pass-catcher, and his recent quiet receiving games have helped push his receiving yards prop to this low number. Now could be a good time to pounce as our projections peg Barkley for 15.6 receiving yards. He's capable of going over 12.5 yards in one catch.

Plus, weather is supposed to be an issue Sunday, with snow in the forecast. That could result in a few more checkdowns from Jalen Hurts.

You can also check out our latest 2024-25 NFL Playoffs printable bracket

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.