Veteran running backs changing teams was one of the biggest NFL storylines this offseason. Many of those players are options in Saturday's NFL DFS player pool. Derrick Henry signed with the Ravens this offseason after spending his first eight seasons with the Titans, while Joe Mixon signed with the Texans after spending his first seven years with the Bengals. Both could be popular Saturday NFL DFS picks as the Texans host the Chargers at 4:30 p.m. ET followed by Ravens vs. Steelers at 8 p.m. ET, so how should these veteran running backs factor into your NFL DFS strategy?
Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins signed a one-year contract coming off a torn Achilles after spending his first three years with the Ravens and all three running backs finished in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per game, so there will be plenty of tough calls for who daily Fantasy football players choose to roster. Before locking in any NFL DFS picks for Wild Card Weekend Saturday for Chargers vs. Texans and Steelers vs. Ravens on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel, be sure to check out the NFL DFS lineup advice, strategy and player stacks from SportsLine NFL daily Fantasy expert Jimmie Kaylor.
Kaylor is a NFL and DFS expert for SportsLine, who opened the 2022 NFL season by winning DraftKings' NFL Showdown Thursday Kickoff Millionaire contest. He edged out over 355,000 other entrants in the contest and also has multiple five-figure tournament wins on his DFS resume. Kaylor, who cashed big all season in 2022, has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, and his background as a former college and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Kaylor has hit on epic NFL DFS picks for SportsLine members. He was all over slate-breaking performances like Travis Kelce's (7-25-4), Kirk Cousins (460-4), T.J. Hockenson's (13-109-2), Ja'Marr Chase's (15-1923), D.J. Moore's (8-230-3), and De'Von Anchane (233 total yards, four TDs). This season, some of Kaylor's top picks include Green Bay wide receiver Jayden Reed (4-138-1, 33-1) and James Cook (78-2). Anyone who followed his picks on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel could be way up.
Now, Kaylor has turned his attention to Wild Card Weekend on Saturday in the 2025 NFL playoffs and locked in his top daily Fantasy football picks. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
Top NFL DFS picks for Texans vs. Chargers and Ravens vs. Steelers on Saturday
One of Kaylor's top NFL DFS picks for Saturday Wild Card Weekend is Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson ($8,000 on DraftKings and $8,700 on FanDuel). Jackson, who turned 28 on Tuesday, became the first player in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 900 yards in a season as he passed for 4,056 yards while rushing for 915 yards and posted elite totals for Fantasy football players. Jackson finished as the QB1 in Fantasy football and besides just posting strong totals in DFS formats, his 41 touchdowns compared to four interceptions is exceptional quarterbacking.
Jackson threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 22 yards in a 34-17 home victory against the Steelers in Week 16. The Ravens are averaging 31.5 points per game at home this season including scoring at least 30 points in six of eight home contests and Kaylor expects another strong Baltimore offensive performance and Jackson to carry his MVP-caliber regular season into the playoffs. See who else to roster here.
Kaylor's Saturday Wild Card Weekend NFL DFS strategy also includes rostering Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey ($6,800 on DraftKings and $7,500 on FanDuel). The No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had a slower start to his NFL career than some of the other top pass-catchers in his draft class, but he finished with as strong of a finish as any receiver in the league. McConkey had fewer than 50 yards in five of his first six contests, but he finished with at least 80 yards in six of his last seven games. He had more than 90 yards in each of his last two games, including five receptions for 95 yards last week against the Raiders.
The rookie led Los Angeles in receptions (82), receiving yards (1,149) and targets (112). He was second on the team in receiving touchdowns (seven) and his 15 plays of more than 20 yards also led the Chargers. McConkey's chemistry with Justin Herbert strengthened as the season progressed and the Chargers enter the postseason scoring at least 34 points in three straight games. See who else Kaylor likes right here.
How to set Saturday NFL DFS lineups, player pools
Kaylor is also targeting another undervalued player who could explode for huge numbers for Wild Card Weekend Saturday. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is, and the rest of Kaylor's NFL DFS picks, at SportsLine.
So who is Jimmie Kaylor including in his optimal NFL DFS lineups for Chargers vs. Texans and Steelers vs. Raves on Saturday, and which under-the-radar NFL DFS picks offer huge value? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from an NFL DFS expert who won a prestigious Millionaire Maker tournament, and find out.
