This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The NFL playoffs kick off with a two-game Saturday slate on wild-card weekend. Chargers-Texans are up first at 4:30 p.m. EST, followed by Steelers-Ravens at 8:00 p.m. EST. Yahoo will continue to run NFL DFS contests throughout the postseason, and Saturday's biggest contest is the NFL $40K Guaranteed, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $40,000 to the top 425 finishers, including $10,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 70 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 2,345 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $40K Guaranteed lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Saturday's suggested options include a star coming off a quietly historic season, as well as a WR and D/ST that surged down the stretch.
QUARTERBACK
Justin Herbert, LAC at HOU ($32): Herbert posted a tidy 23:3 TD:INT in the regular season, and he was at his best down the stretch once he put the lingering effects of an ankle injury behind him. He reached 280 passing yards in three straight games to close out the schedule, something he did only six times all season, and Herbert posted a 7:1 TD:INT while averaging 303.7 passing yards and 27.3 rushing yards during that strong kick to the finish line. The star QB should keep rolling against a Houston secondary that allowed 31 passing TDs in the regular season -- third-most in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions:
Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. PIT ($39); C.J. Stroud, HOU vs. LAC ($21)
RUNNING BACK
Derrick Henry, BAL vs. PIT ($36): Henry's about as close as it gets to a sure thing at RB, while questions over health or performance linger around all of Saturday's alternatives at the position. His stellar season was overshadowed by Saquon Barkley, but Henry quietly posted the 11th-most rushing yards in NFL history (1,921) while tying for the league lead with 16 rushing TDs. Given Baltimore's run-first identity, Henry should get no shortage of carries as he looks to add to a playoff legacy that includes three games with at least 156 rushing yards in seven previous postseason outings.
J.K. Dobbins, LAC at HOU ($27): Dobbins bounced back from multiple significant injuries to post the best season of his career, rushing for 905 yards and nine TDs despite missing four games. With Joe Mixon struggling badly down the stretch and Pittsburgh's RBs locked in a frustrating platoon, Dobbins looks like the top option after Henry among Saturday's RBs. On the off chance Dobbins sits due to an ankle injury, Gus Edwards ($14) would become a nice value in the lead role. The Chargers allowed the fewest rushing TDs to RBs (four) and the Ravens allowed the fewest rushing yards to the position (1,085), so Houston's better-than-average run defense is a less daunting matchup by comparison.
Honorable Mentions:
Joe Mixon, HOU vs. LAC ($28); Jaylen Warren, PIT at BAL ($20)
WIDE RECEIVER
Nico Collins, HOU vs. LAC ($32): Collins will be called upon to lead the way for Houston's offense against a Chargers defense that tied for the sixth-most TDs allowed to WRs (19). Despite slowing down late in the season along with the rest of Houston's offense, Collins still finished fourth in the NFL with 83.8 receiving yards per game and scored a team-high seven receiving TDs -- more than double any teammate's total -- in only 12 appearances.
Ladd McConkey, LAC at HOU ($32): McConkey established himself as the clear go-to guy in the Chargers' remade receiving corps, so he'll be a strong option here whether or not you stack Herbert with the rookie second-round pick. Over his last seven games, McConkey caught 45 of 58 targets for 657 yards (93.9 yards per game) and three TDs. A Texans defense that surrendered the second-most TDs to WRs (21) in the regular season is unlikely to slow down the Herbert-to-McConkey connection.
Rashod Bateman, BAL vs. PIT ($21): Bateman had a quietly strong season as Baltimore's No. 2 WR and will likely step into the No. 1 WR role with Zay Flowers (knee) expected to be sidelined. Bateman finished second on the Ravens in both receiving yards (756) and receiving TDs (nine) during the regular season, with four of those TDs coming in the last four games.
Honorable Mentions:
George Pickens, PIT at BAL ($20); Diontae Johnson, HOU vs. LAC ($10)
TIGHT END
Pat Freiermuth, PIT at BAL ($18): Freiermuth should work as a key security blanket for Russell Wilson as the Steelers try to counter a Ravens pass rush that racked up the second-most sacks in the NFL (54). The TE has built a nice rapport with Pittsburgh's veteran QB, stepping up as a consistent target in a Pittsburgh passing game that lacks depth. Freiermuth has scored a TD in four of the last six games while notching at least 48 receiving yards in five of the past seven. Baltimore defended Freiermuth well in both regular-season meetings, but the Ravens allowed 963 receiving yards to TEs overall -- most among teams in action Saturday and ninth-most in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions:
Mark Andrews, BAL vs. PIT ($23); Will Dissly, LAC at HOU ($11)
DEFENSE
Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT ($18): It's more justifiable paying up for a defense when your options are so limited on a small slate, and Baltimore has earned consideration with a late-season surge. This unit has scored at least 14 fantasy points in three consecutive games, starting with a Week 16 game against the Steelers. Over that span, the Ravens have recorded 10 sacks, forced five turnovers, scored two pick-sixes and allowed only 9.0 PPG. There's little doubt about Baltimore's run defense and pass rush, and Pittsburgh lacks the playmakers in the passing game to consistently capitalize on facing the Ravens' sometimes-shaky secondary.
Honorable Mentions:
Los Angeles Chargers at HOU ($15); Pittsburgh Steelers vs. BAL ($10)
