FanDuel Single-Game DFS Football Helper: Wild Card Monday (Eagles at Buccaneers)

The impending Wild Card matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers boasts an over/under of 43.5 points, per the NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. The Eagles enter as 3.0-point road favorites, indicating that there isn't much confidence in the reigning NFC champions securing an easy victory.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5 times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

FanDuel Research's Brandon Gdula has done a deep dive on single-game strategy, and numberFire has projections if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both before making your lineups.

NFL DFS Single-Game Picks

MVP Candidates

Jalen Hurts ($17,000) -- Jalen Hurts is dealing with a finger injury he suffered last week and he revealed that he hasn't thrown a football since getting hurt. Even with Hurts having a finger ailment, his rushing upside will always make him a viable MVP candidate in any DFS format. With the Eagles perfecting the 'tush push' in short-yardage situations, Hurts was tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (15) for quarterbacks. While Philadelphia's aerial attack failed to show much consistency throughout the season, Hurts still managed to record 20-plus FanDuel points in 13 of his 17 appearances. Hurts tallied 21.88 FanDuel points in Week 3 against the Buccaneers, and Tampa Bay's defense is tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns given up to quarterbacks among the 12 teams playing on Wild Card Weekend.

Mike Evans ($15,000) -- For the 10th straight season to begin his career, Mike Evans eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the Buccaneers. Aside from logging the third-most receiving yards in a single season of his career, Evans led the league with 13 receiving touchdowns. In his first year catching passes from Baker Mayfield, the veteran wideout led the Buccaneers in target share (24.5%), air yards market share (41.3%), yards per route run (2.44), and end-zone target share (47.2%), via NextGenStats. The matchup is a favorable one for Evans; the Eagles are allowing the most FanDuel points and the most receiving touchdowns to wide receivers.

Baker Mayfield ($14,000) -- Similar to Hurts, Mayfield won't be at full health entering Sunday's showdown. The former No. 1 overall pick is battling rib and ankle injuries that have prevented him from practicing this week. It's hard to believe Mayfield won't force himself to play in a win-or-go-home game in Tampa. The veteran quarterback delivered career-best marks in completion percentage (64.3%), passing yards (4,044), and passing touchdowns (28) in his first year with the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the Eagles have surrendered the second-most FanDuel points and the seventh-most expected points added per drop back to quarterbacks.

DeVonta Smith ($13,000) -- While DeVonta Smith has been cleared to play in Monday's contest, A.J. Brown is uncertain to play after sustaining a knee injury last week. Given the fact that Brown won't be 100% healthy if he plays and Smith is fully practicing again, Smith is the preferred wideout from the Eagles. Since Philadelphia's bye week in Week 10, Smith has registered the second-highest target share (25.1%) and air yards market share (40.8%) on the team. Smith also leads the Eagles in yards per route run (YPRR) at 2.36 yards since Week 11. On the other hand, the Buccaneers are permitting the third-most FanDuel points per target and the second-most YPRR to receivers among the teams playing this weekend.

Flex Breakdown

Chris Godwin ($11,000) -- The Buccaneers have a condensed number of skill players they tend to get the ball to, making it easier on us to determine who to target in their passing attack. If Mayfield isn't targeting Evans, there's a good chance the ball could be headed in the direction of Chris Godwin. Godwin finished the regular season with the second-highest target share (23.8%) and YPRR (1.92) in the Tampa Bay's offense. After exploding for 10 catches for 155 yards in Week 15, Godwin is averaging more FanDuel points per game (13.9) than Evans (12.5) in the last four games. According to numberFire's metrics, the Eagles are also 25th in scheduled-adjusted pass defense.

Dallas Goedert ($10,000) -- With Brown likely out or limited, Dallas Goedert could see an expanded role in Philadelphia's passing game. Since returning from an elbow injury in Week 14, Goedert owns the second-highest target share (24.1%), the third-most YPRR (1.63), and the highest end-zone target share (40%) among skill players on the Eagles who played in multiple games in that span. Considering Hurts could also be limited in attacking the field vertically, Goedert could see more short throws in a positive matchup. The Buccaneers are giving up the second-highest target rate and the second-most YPRR to tight ends among the teams in the Wild Card round.

Jake Elliott ($9,500) and Chase McLaughlin ($9,000) -- In a game where both quarterbacks could be hindered by injuries, Jake Elliott and Chase McLaughlin are viable options in the single-game contests. Elliott produced a solid 9.2 FanDuel points per game by converting 30 of his 32 field-goal attempts, including seven 50-plus yarders. As for McLaughlin, the placekicker for the Buccaneers also missed only 2 of his 31 field-goal tries and made seven 50-plus-yard field goals. McLaughlin has registered 11-plus FanDuel points in four of his last five games, and the Buccaneers have the third-worst red-zone touchdown percentage (45.83%) in the NFL.

Tampa Bay D/ST ($8,500) -- In the scenario where the Eagles continue to struggle to move the ball and Hurts is less effective because of his finger injury, Tampa Bay's defense becomes a solid value option. The Buccaneers are third in pressure/blitz rate and we saw Hurts and the Eagles sputter against the New York Giants, who led the league in pressure and blitz rate, last week. Tampa Bay's defense has notched 16-plus FanDuel points in two of its last three contests. Using a combination of the Buccaneers' defense and Rachaad White is one way to build a different lineup for Monday's playoff bout.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.