Fantasy Football wild-card weekend preview: Start/sits for all six games on the slate

It's wild-card weekend, and we have you covered with all of your Fantasy needs for any lineups you might be setting. We also have DFS plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

And you can check out my playoff-challenge rankings here for any long-term decisions you might have to make for the entire postseason. I love setting lineups in the playoffs, and I hope you will continue your Fantasy fun over the next few weeks.

For wild-card weekend, we have six games to break down, and I'll give you a player to start and sit from each matchup, as well as a sleeper to target. Hopefully, these will be some great games in the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Rams at Panthers

Start: Matthew Stafford

Stafford was bad at Carolina in Week 13 when he only scored 15.6 Fantasy points with 243 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, along with a lost fumble. But he should rebound in the rematch, and it's great that Davante Adams (hamstring) will return following a three-week absence. This isn't an easy matchup, and Stafford is one of only five quarterbacks with multiple touchdown passes against the Panthers this season. But I'm counting on Stafford to avoid the mistakes he made in Week 13, which included an interception at the goal line that took away a potential third touchdown. I'm expecting Stafford to lead the Rams to a win in this game.

Sit: Rico Dowdle

It's been a rough finish to the season for Dowdle, who has one game with more than 9.9 PPR points in his past five outings. In the first game against the Rams in Week 13, Dowdle had 18 carries for 58 yards and two catches for 21 yards on two targets. Chuba Hubbard was actually the better running back in that matchup with 17 carries for 83 yards and two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown on two targets. I'd be hesitant to trust either running back in this game, and the Rams are third in the NFL with just six rushing touchdowns allowed to running backs this season. Dowdle has one touchdown since Week 10, and if he doesn't find the end zone this week then his Fantasy production should again be minimal.

Sleeper: Jalen Coker

Coker was the best receiver for the Panthers in Week 13 against the Rams with four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown on six targets. I still like Tetairoa McMillan as the No. 1 receiver for Carolina, and he had one catch for 43 yards and a touchdown on two targets against the Rams in Week 13. But Coker closed the season strong with at least 14 PPR points in three of his final five games, and he should continue to be a solid weapon for Bryce Young in this matchup. The Rams have allowed five receivers to score at least 20.9 PPR points in their past five games, with seven touchdowns allowed, and Coker could be a nice surprise for Fantasy managers in this matchup.

Packers at Bears

Start: Jordan Love

The last time we saw Love in game action was Week 16 at Chicago when he left early due to a concussion. He missed the final two weeks of the regular season, but he is back for the playoff rematch with the Bears. In his first game against Chicago in Week 14, Love had a standout game with 234 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception for 25.3 Fantasy points. Christian Watson had four catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns on four targets, and he's also worth starting in this matchup. The Bears finished the season No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Love should get his revenge on Chicago in this game.

Sit: Rome Odunze

Odunze expects to play in this game after being out since Week 13 with a foot injury. He missed both games against Green Bay in Week 14 and Week 16, and I would be hesitant to trust him coming off the long layoff. In his absence, we've seen big games from Luther Burden III (two outings with at least 14.4 PPR points in his past three games), and he is my favorite Bears receiver in the wild-card round. And D.J. Moore has also played well with two games of at least 21.9 PPR points in his past four outings, including Week 16 against the Packers when he had five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Odunze was also struggling before his injury with three games in a row with 8.3 PPR points or less, and he has one touchdown since Week 4.

Sleeper: Colston Loveland

We'll see what Odunze's return means for Loveland, but he's on fire coming into the wild-card round with at least 21.4 PPR points in each of his past two games against San Francisco and Detroit. In those outings, Loveland has combined for 16 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets, and he looks unstoppable. Now, the Packers held him in check in Week 16 with three catches for 30 yards on five targets, but he also had four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown on five targets in Week 14 at Green Bay. With the way he's playing now, I would trust Loveland in all formats, and Caleb Williams should continue to lean on Loveland in this game. 

Bills at Jaguars

Start: Parker Washington

Washington has emerged as the No. 1 receiver for the Jaguars over the past three games, and he's worth trusting in this matchup against the Bills. In his past three outings against Denver, Indianapolis and Tennessee, Washington has combined for 19 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns on 29 targets, and he scored at least 19 PPR points in all three games. Trevor Lawrence should continue to lean on Washington, but this won't be an easy matchup since Buffalo is No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers for the season. With that in mind, I would avoid Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr., but Washington is playing too well to sit in this game.

Sit: Brenton Strange

Strange is playing well coming into wild-card weekend with at least 14.9 PPR points in two of his past three games. And he just had his best outing of the season in Week 18 against Tennessee with six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown on six targets for 17.2 PPR points. But now he has to face the Bills, who are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. Only three tight ends all season have scored at least 10.6 PPR points against Buffalo, and I don't expect Strange to have a big outing against this defense.

Sleeper: Dalton Kincaid

Kincaid was limited in practice Wednesday with a knee injury, but I'm hopeful he'll be close to 100 percent in this matchup with the Jaguars. If he can't play then put Dawson Knox in this spot. Jacksonville is No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and I expect Kincaid and potentially Knox to play big roles against the Jaguars. Kincaid has battled injuries for most of the second half of the season. But he has seven games this season with at least four targets, and he scored at least 14.1 PPR points in five of those outings. With Kincaid hurt, Knox has scored at least 10.4 PPR points in three of his final five games heading into this weekend.

49ers at Eagles

Start: DeVonta Smith

A.J. Brown remains the best receiver for the Eagles, but Smith is also worth starting in this game. He tends to play well in the postseason and has scored at least 16.9 PPR points in four of his past seven playoff games. He also had nine catches for 96 yards on 11 targets in his last meeting with the 49ers in 2023. And San Francisco has allowed 15 receivers to score at least 13.4 PPR points this season. Smith only has two games with at least 14.9 PPR points in his past seven outings, but this should be a good week for Jalen Hurts to lean on Smith against this defense.

Sit: Brock Purdy

I hope left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) play in this game for the 49ers because Purdy needs all the help he can get. The Eagles defense is tough on quarterbacks, and only three guys have had multiple touchdown passes against Philadelphia all season -- and just one since Week 4. Purdy also is coming off a miserable game against Seattle in Week 18 with 127 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception, and he suffered a stinger against the Seahawks after taking a hard hit on his left shoulder on the final offensive play. Purdy had some great moments this season, including scoring at least 32.2 Fantasy points in each outing from Weeks 15-17, but this is not a good matchup for him against the Eagles.

Sleeper: Dallas Goedert

Goedert was limited in practice Wednesday with a knee injury, but I'm hopeful he'll play against the 49ers. He missed Week 18 due to the knee injury, but he also might have been rested for the playoffs. Prior to Week 18, Goedert was on fire with four touchdowns in his previous three games, and he scored at least 12.2 PPR points in three of his past four outings. The 49ers are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and 12 guys have scored at least 10.1 PPR points against San Francisco this season. This could be a big game for Goedert if he's healthy. 

Chargers at Patriots

Start: Rhamondre Stevenson

The Chargers run defense is tough, and they haven't allowed a running back to score double digits in PPR in their past four games against Kansas City, Dallas, Houston and Denver. Prior to that, four running backs in the previous three games scored at least 12.1 PPR points with Travis Etienne, Bhayshul Tuten, Ashton Jeanty and Saquon Barkley. Stevenson is on fire heading into this matchup with at least 17.8 PPR points in three games in a row, and he scored six total touchdowns over that span. Now, his touches have been limited with 13 or less in each of those outings against Baltimore, the Jets and Miami, and he will continue to share work with TreVeyon Henderson. But on top of the touchdowns, Stevenson is averaging at least 5.9 yards per carry in each of those games and 11.0 yards per reception. I'm willing to trust Stevenson as a No. 2 running back in this game.

Sit: Justin Herbert

Herbert has one game with more than 17.1 Fantasy points in his past seven outings, and that was in Week 16 against Dallas. It's been a tough stretch run for Herbert, who is playing with a broken left hand. Herbert finished the season at No. 3 in most sacks with 54, and he was hit 129 times during the regular season, which is the most in the NFL. The Patriots have allowed just one quarterback to score more than 15.6 Fantasy points since Week 11, which was Josh Allen in Week 15. I wouldn't expect a big game from Herbert in this matchup on the road.

Sleeper: Hunter Henry

Henry is playing well coming into this matchup against his former team, and he has scored at least 10.6 PPR points in five of his past six games, with three touchdowns over that span. The one game where he failed to reach that total was in Week 15 against the Bills, who are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. The Chargers have struggled against tight ends lately with Brock Bowers, Dallas Goedert and Travis Kelce all scoring at least 14 PPR points in the past six games against Los Angeles. I'm expecting Drake Maye to lean on Henry in this matchup at home.

Texans at Steelers

Start: Kenneth Gainwell

Gainwell had another big game against Baltimore in Week 18 with five carries for 10 yards and a touchdown and eight catches for 64 yards on nine targets. He scored 21.4 PPR points, and he has now scored at least 16.2 PPR points in six of his past eight games. This won't be an easy matchup for him against the Texans, who are No. 8 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. But Houston has allowed eight running backs this season to score at least 7.3 PPR points with just their receiving totals alone, including Michael Carter, Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton in three of the past four games. Gainwell should once again be a reliable weapon for Aaron Rodgers in this matchup. 

Sit: DK Metcalf

Metcalf is back after his two-game suspension to end the regular season, but this is a tough matchup for him against the Texans. Houston is No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and the Texans only allowed eight touchdowns to wide receivers prior to Week 18. Prior to his suspension, Metcalf only had three games with double digits in PPR points in his past eight outings, with one receiving touchdown over that span, and he should struggle against Houston's secondary in this matchup on the road.

Sleeper: Dalton Schultz

Schultz had another solid outing in Week 18 against Indianapolis with four catches for 73 yards on four targets, and he has now scored at least 11.3 PPR points in three of his past four games coming into this matchup against Pittsburgh, with two touchdowns over that span. The Steelers are No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and nine guys have scored at least 10.8 PPR points against Pittsburgh this season. I'm expecting C.J. Stroud to continue to lean on Schultz in this game, and he should be considered the second-best pass catcher for the Texans behind Nico Collins.

DFS Lineups

Saturday Only

DraftKings

QB: Matthew Stafford (at CAR) $6,900

RB: Kyren Williams (at CAR) $6,400

RB: Josh Jacobs (at CHI) $6,300

WR: Davante Adams (at CAR) $6,500

WR: Tetairoa McMillan (vs. LAR) $6,000

WR: Christian Watson (at CHI) $4,900

TE: Colston Loveland (vs. GB) $4,400

FLEX: Luther Burden III (vs. GB) $4,600

DST: Rams (at CAR) $3,500

FanDuel

QB: Jordan Love (at CHI) $7,400

RB: Kyren Williams (at CAR) $8,000

RB: D'Andre Swift (vs. GB) $6,400

WR: Puka Nacua (at CAR) $10,000

WR: Christian Watson (at CHI) $6,400

WR: Luther Burden III (vs. GB) $6,000

TE: Tyler Higbee (at CAR) $5,000

FLEX: Jalen Coker (vs. LAR) $5,700

DEF: Rams (at CAR) $4,900

Sunday Only

DraftKings

QB: Josh Allen (at JAC) $7,000

RB: James Cook (at JAC) $7,400

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. LAC) $5,800

WR: A.J. Brown (vs. SF) $6,900

WR: Stefon Diggs (vs. LAC) $6,300

WR: Parker Washington (vs. BUF) $5,000

TE: Dalton Kincaid (at JAC) $3,800

FLEX: Dallas Goedert (vs. SF) $4,200

DST: Eagles (vs. SF) $2,900

FanDuel

QB: Jalen Hurts (vs. SF) $8,200

RB: James Cook (at JAC) $8,400

RB: Travis Etienne (vs. BUF) $7,700

WR: Parker Washington (vs. BUF) $6,900

WR: DeVonta Smith (vs. SF) $6,800

WR: Khalil Shakir (at JAC) $6,100

TE: Dallas Goedert (vs. SF) $5,600

FLEX: Hunter Henry (vs. LAC) $5,500

DEF: Eagles (vs. SF) $4,200

Monday Only

DraftKings

CAPTAIN: Kenneth Gainwell $13,200

FLEX: Nico Collins $10,600

FLEX: C.J. Stroud $10,200

FLEX: Dalton Schultz $6,400

FLEX: Ka'imi Fairbairn $4,800

FLEX: Texans DST $4,600

Full Slate

DraftKings

QB: Jordan Love (at CHI) $5,300

RB: James Cook (at JAC) $7,400

RB: Saquon Barkley (vs. SF) $7,000

WR: Puka Nacua (at CAR) $8,700

WR: Christian Watson (at CHI) $4,900

WR: Luther Burden III (vs. GB) $4,600

TE: Dalton Schultz (at PIT) $4,000

FLEX: Parker Washington (vs. BUF) $5,000

DST: Eagles (vs. SF) $2,900

FanDuel

QB: Josh Allen (at JAC) $8,700

RB: Saquon Barkley (vs. SF) $8,500

RB: Josh Jacobs (at CHI) $7,800

WR: Christian Watson (at CHI) $6,300

WR: Luther Burden III (vs. GB) $6,000

WR: Khalil Shakir (at JAC) $6,100

TE: Hunter Henry (vs. LAC) $5,500

FLEX: D'Andre Swift (vs. GB) $6,400

DEF: Texans (at PIT) $4,600