FanDuel NFL Picks For Conference Championship Week

Oct 28, 2015; London, United Kingdom; General view of NFL Nike Shield logo at Niketown London in advance of the NFL International Series game between the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Looking for one last FanDuel win this NFL season? Here are the picks!

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This is the last chance to get in on the NFL FanDuel action for this season. The NFL is down to the final four teams, meaning it is much harder to get all of the players that you want. You have to take a hit somewhere. Where should that be? I will try to help you out!

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To finish in the money, you need to choose the best high priced players, and the best cheap options to let you afford some high priced players. I will give you some of each option at each position and let you choose from there.

Here are my FanDuel NFL picks for Conference Championship Week:

Next: Who Will Put Up Big Numbers At QB?

Quarterback:

Best Bet:

Tom Brady, Patriots ($8,100): It’s going to be cold in Denver, but the NFL is a passing league. With the receivers getting away with what they do, why wouldn’t it be? It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, Brady is still the key to the New England offense. When you get to this stage of the playoffs, all of the team defenses are solid, but Denver’s is a little more vulnerable to the pass than the others.

Honorable Mention:

Carson Palmer, Cardinals ($7,700): The Panthers have a tough defense, and this game will be played in frigid Charlotte. The game itself shouldn’t really be affected, but the Cardinals still haven’t been able to fly into the city yet. That throws off the preparation a little bit. The only reason I am taking Palmer over Newton is because he has more reliable receivers. Newton may be worth the risk because of his ability to run the ball, but Arizona has a very good defense as well.

Dark Horse:

Peyton Manning, Broncos ($6,700): Manning is cheap because he hasn’t played well in a game since November, but in what might be his last hurrah, Manning might be worth rolling the dice with. Then again, he could get you ten points or less, which will plant you firmly out of the money.

My pick: Brady

Next: Who Are The Best RB's?

Running Back:

Best Bet:

Jonathan Stewart, Panthers ($7,000): Stewart decimated the vaunted Seattle defense last week, running for over 100 yards and scoring twice. He likely won’t be quite as good against the Cardinals, but he is the most reliable back available. Both Denver and New England are in committee situations, so it really comes down to Stewart and Johnson. Stewart gets my vote.

Honorable Mention:

David Johnson, Cardinals ($8,000): Johnson was held in check by the Packers last week. He was a must-play down the stretch in the regular season. Will he regain that status against Carolina? Doubtful. He is easily the second best pick, but there are cheaper options that could come through for you. You just have to guess right on which one.

Dark Horses:

C.J. Anderson, Broncos ($6,300): Anderson is still splitting carries with Ronnie Hillman, but as opposed to the Patriots’ backfield situation, Denver’s backs see almost an identical split. That makes playing one or both of them less of a risk. Given the choice, I would take Anderson because he has been more productive lately. He has three straight games of over 12 FanDuel points.

Steven Jackson, Patriots ($5,700): James White tallied only one carry last week, but he still outproduced Jackson for fantasy purposes because of his work in the passing game. Will the Pats go with a power run game in the snow in Denver? If they do, Jackson could be a sneaky play.

My picks: Stewart and Anderson

Next: Should You Spend At WR?

Wide Receiver:

Best Bets:

Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals ($8,000): The veteran shredded the Green Bay defense for 176 yards and a touchdown last week. That was part of the reason for David Johnson’s pedestrian day. The Cardinals will likely try to run more against Carolina, but when they do throw, Fitz will be the top option. If you have the money, play him.

Demaryius Thomas, Broncos ($7,600): Thomas had his best games of the year with Brock Osweiler under center. That had a lot to do with the struggles of Peyton Manning. Thomas will find holes in New England’s secondary. That is just what he does. The only question is whether Manning can hit him when he’s open.

Honorable Mention:

Julian Edelman, Patriots ($7,800): Edelman is listed as questionable, but this is for a trip to the Super Bowl. It will take a lot to keep him off the field, and it seems like the injury is relatively minor. Edelman has had at least 50 receiving yards in every game this year. He is one of the few options that you can consistently rely on.

Michael Floyd, Cardinals ($7,500): Floyd only caught three passes last week, but two of them went for touchdowns. He is the top target in the red zone for the Cardinals, which makes him a solid play, but also one with a bit of risk.

Dark Horses:

John Brown, Cardinals ($6,500): Brown has been upgraded to probable for tomorrow. His speed could cause a bit of a problem for Carolina, but he still carries a pretty big risk, especially considering the way that Fitzgerald and Floyd have played lately.

Ted Ginn, Panthers ($6,200): Greg Olsen was the only receiver that had any kind of success against Seattle last week, but honestly, Carolina really didn’t need to throw the ball. It will be a different story this week, and while I expect Olsen to still be the primary receiver, Ginn should see a healthy dose of targets as well.

My picks: Fitzgerald, Edelman, and Ginn

Next: Can You Save Money At TE?

Tight End:

Best Bet:

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots ($8,900): Gronk is the most expensive receiver, nay, player in FanDuel. He destroyed the Chiefs last week, but is still listed as questionable for tomorrow. If you think he is missing this game, you’re nuts….

Honorable Mention:

Greg Olsen, Panthers ($7,000): Olsen has been almost as productive as Gronkowski this year. The only thing I have a question about is whether Gronk will be almost $2000 better than Olsen. I have my doubts, making Olsen the better value pick. That said, Gronkowski obviously has more upside.

Dark Horse:

Owen Daniels, Broncos ($5,000): The ineffectiveness of Daniels and Vernon Davis has left the Broncos with a huge void where Julius Thomas used to dominate. This has a lot to do with the demise of Manning as well. When he can’t rely on his tight ends, he is far less effective. If you are thinking of using someone outside of the top two at tight end, don’t. There is no value deeper at the position.

My pick: Olsen

Next: Who To Take A D And K?

Defense:

With only $500 separating the top defense from the bottom (Carolina to New England, respectively), you should be able to get whichever one you choose. This being the playoffs, they are all facing good offensive teams. My favorites are the two middle teams. If Arizona can limit the running game and make Newton throw, they can be successful, but I prefer the big play ability of the Denver defense. None of the four are likely to score big points, so the question becomes who is more likely to make a mistake?

My pick: Carolina

Kicker:

Again, only $500 separates the most expensive (Stephen Gostkowski) from the least (Chandler Catanzaro), so you should be able to pick who you want. I think the kicking conditions are going to be far worse in Denver than Charlotte, so I am going with a NFC kicker. Graham Gano is the safest pick, so that is where I’m going.

My pick: Gano