Only eight teams remain in the fight for hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, and the following is a look at the QBs I give my signature of approval for to go into battle with when drafting my Division Round roster for the $65K NFL Bomb at FanDuel.
Start ‘Em
Tom Brady QB New England Patriots ($9,700) The Pats field general is the most expensive QB to draft this week for good reason, as the Texans pass defense has been nothing short of brutal of late. Though it limited Andy Dalton to just 127 yards and picked him off once last week, the solid effort was a rare sight with DC Wade Phillips’ unit giving up a TD/INT ratio of 10:3 the previous five weeks; that includes Brady’s 296 yard and four TD effort in these team’s first go round. Now with a healthy Gronk at his disposal, another big showing will be in the cards if the Texans fail to make any adjustments.
Sit ‘Em
Joe Flacco QB Baltimore Ravens ($7,100) The Ravens signal caller let his fantasy football backers down in a big way last week. Though he threw for a pair of TDs, he failed to surpass the 300-yard plateau versus a Colts pass defense that went into the game ranked 21st against the pass while serving up 23 touchdowns. Denver’s given up an average of just 91.1 YPG on the ground and just five TDs all season long, so he won’t have the benefit of Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce making his job any easier. Joe’s struggled away from M&T Bank Stadium all season long, and Saturday should be no different.
**Division Round Value Start**
Colin Kaepernick QB San Francisco 49ers ($7,900) Ever since the 49ers made the decision to make Kaepernick their starting QB, the offense has been much more lethal. The Niners scored 27 or more points in five of his seven official starts, and the unit as a whole just looked more explosive with him manning the controls. Green Bay was able to flex its muscles against a QB that didn’t throw a single pass in the regular season, but it still had trouble containing Joe Webb when he decided to tuck it and run. I’m not a believer in the Packers defense whatsoever, and firmly believe the Niners will dictate this game offensively by battering Green Bay with Frank Gore which will allow for Kaepernick to again build his rapport with Michael Crabtree on play-action. Being at home for his first playoff start is a bonus. The extra points he racks up when scrambling will be the cherry on top of this value start!
