FanDuel Single-Game DFS Football Helper: Wild Card Saturday (Browns at Texans)

Wild Card Weekend is set to begin with the Cleveland Browns visiting the Houston Texans in a rematch of a game that took place in Week 16 of the regular season. It was a 36-22 victory for the Browns in the first meeting with C.J. Stroud sidelined for the Texans. According to the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, Cleveland is a 2.5-point road favorite, and the over/under is listed at 44.5.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

FanDuel Research's Brandon Gdula has done a deep dive on single-game strategy, and numberFire has projections if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both before making your lineups.

NFL DFS Single-Game Picks

MVP Candidates

Joe Flacco ($15,500) -- Joe Flacco has been tremendous since becoming the starting quarterback for the Browns. The experienced signal-caller has thrown for at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns in four of his five starts. That includes a 368-yard, three-touchdown performance where he scored 26.82 FanDuel points in Week 16 versus the Texans. The Texans are 31st in completion percentage over expected (CPOE) and 28th in average depth of target (aDOT) allowed to quarterbacks. At the same time, Flacco is averaging a league-high 378.8 air yards per game since taking over in Week 13, via NextGenStats.

C.J. Stroud ($15,000) -- The matchup isn't ideal for Stroud, but the rookie quarterback will need to have a special performance if the Texans want to defeat the Browns. Stroud averaged a solid 18.70 FanDuel points during the regular season while recording multiple touchdown passes in 8 of his 15 appearances. One area the Texans can attack the Browns defensively is down the field as Cleveland is 15th in aDOT given up to quarterbacks. Look for Stroud to try to connect vertically with Nico Collins and his other pass-catchers in his playoff debut.

Nico Collins ($13,500) -- Speaking of Collins, the big-play wideout has evolved into a true No. 1 receiver for the Texans this season. Since Week 12 when Tank Dell suffered a season-ending injury, Collins leads the Texans in target share (23.2%), red-zone target share (28.6%), and end-zone target share (41.7%). The former third-round pick has also found the end zone in four of his last six games, including a touchdown in Week 16 against the Browns. Collins is averaging 17.2 FanDuel points in his six outings since Week 12, and Houston could be hobbled at the wide receiver position entering Saturday's matchup.

Amari Cooper ($13,000) -- Amari Cooper is dealing with a heel injury that kept him sidelined for the final two weeks of the regular season, so it will be worth monitoring his status. When these teams met in Week 16, the talented receiver notched a franchise record 265 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 receptions, which resulted in him producing a jaw-dropping 46 FanDuel points. Since Week 13 when Flacco became the starting quarterback, Cooper leads the Browns with a 24.6% target share and is averaging 150.7 air yards per game in that span. The Texans are 29th in yards per route run, and Cooper has an impressive 3.37 yards per route run (YPPR) in his five games with Flacco.

Flex Breakdown

David Njoku ($12,000) -- David Njoku is another skill player on the Browns who has benefited from Flacco operating the offense. The athletic tight end is second in target share (22.5%) and red-zone target share (22.2%) while he is tied with Cooper in end-zone target share (33.3%) since Week 13. Njoku has either topped 100 receiving yards and/or caught a touchdown in four consecutive games. The Texans have also permitted the second-most receptions (100) and the fifth-most receiving yards (975) to tight ends.

Devin Singletary ($11,500) -- One area of weakness for the Browns on the defensive side of the ball is their run defense. Cleveland's defense is giving up the third-most rushing yards over expected per attempt (0.66), proving that teams can create chunk plays on the ground against them. In the last five weeks, Devin Singletary is posting 17.6 attempts, 74.6 rushing yards, and 15.2 expected FanDuel points per game. Singletary has been on the field for 64.3% of Houston's offensive snaps and is running a route on 46.2% since Week 14 compared to Dameon Pierce registering 13.8% of the snaps and a 9.5% route percentage in the same five-game span.

Ka'imi Fairbairn ($9,000) and Riley Patterson ($8,500) -- The kickers are both viable options to save salary in this game. Ka'imi Fairbairn will be kicking for the Texans while Riley Patterson is expected to replace Dustin Hopkins, who is doubtful to play for the Browns. Patterson may end being up the optimal choice; Cleveland's D is strong, but they're oddly surrendering the highest percentage of touchdowns on red-zone trips (71.4%) in the entire NFL, which will reduce Fairbairn's scoring upside.

Robert Woods ($8,000) -- There won't be many ideal salary-saving options in this contest, but Robert Woods will be on the field often if he's active. The veteran wideout missed Week 18 with a hip ailment, and he is questionable to suit up on Saturday. In the last four weeks of the season, Woods ran a route on a team-high 78.5% of the plays. If one of or both of Noah Brown and Woods are ruled out, then John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson become risky salary-saving options for the Texans. Brevin Jordan would also be worth a flier if Woods and/or Brown are inactive; the Texans could run more 12 personnel in their absences.

If you're betting on any of Saturday, January 13th's NFL playoff action, you can take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Playoffs No-Sweat Same Game Parlay. Check the promotions page for more information.

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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.