The 7-seeded Green Bay Packers travel to Lincoln Financial Field to face the 2-seeded Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon in a thrilling Wild Card Game in a rematch from the Week 1 Brazil game.
The Eagles won that game 34-29, but both teams are very different from that game as the season has gone on. The Packers have a recent history of pulling off the 2-7 upset as they did last year against the Dallas Cowboys. But this Eagles team is a different animal than the Cowboys and I look for the Eagles to prove me right this weekend. Do you want money from DFS from this game? Then follow these picks about to be laid out.
Packers vs. Eagles DFS Start ‘Ems
Here are a few of the players that we are leaning on heavily in this game. These players are in a good spot to put together a solid performance and have a favorable matchup.
Jalen Hurts ($7,300 Draft Kings, $8,300 FanDuel )
The prodigal son of the Eagles has finally returned as Jalen Hurts has been officially cleared from concussion protocol on Friday afternoon for Sunday’s game. When healthy, he’s been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in DFS play this season, especially after the Eagles’ Week 5 bye.
Look for Hurts to continue his success in DFS on Sunday, especially when he looks to AJ Brown this weekend because the Packers will also be without Jaire Alexander. If he can find Brown and Devonta Smith early and often in this game, he will continue his running to be the best play of the weekend. Even though both receivers were limited in practice this week, I feel those connections will be fine for Hurts in the passing game.
AJ Brown ($7,500 Draft Kings, $8,600 FanDuel )
Speaking of AJ Brown, he is one of those must-starts this weekend in DFS as he had a huge game in Week 1 against the Packers with Jaire Alexander out in the game. With him out, this should mean that Brown should go off in this game for HUGE numbers, especially if the Packers account for Saquon. I would hammer Brown in all DFS lineups this weekend.
Packers vs. Eagles DFS Sit ‘Ems
On the flip side of things, here are a few of the players we are sitting in this one.
Jayden Reed ($5,500 Draft Kings, $6,000 FanDuel)
Reed is one of the only consistent weapons that Love has left after the injury to Christian Watson last week, but he has trouble consistently getting open against legit corners and the Eagles have three legit corners in Quinyon Mitchell, Darius Slay, and Cooper Dejean.
I think Reed is going to be one of the main game-plan options for Love, but the Eagles’ Pass defense is one of those that opposing quarterbacks have struggled with for most of the season. The only bad game that the Eagles had was the Week 16 game against the Commanders. That’s because Jayden Daniels had all of his weapons and safety CJ Gardner Johnson was ejected from that game. Don’t trust Reed or any other Packers WR in DFS this weekend.
Jahan Dotson ($3,500 Draft Kings, $4,500 FanDuel)
Dotson had his best game as an Eagle in Week 18 with 7 receptions for 94 yards as the leader of the WRs with both Brown and Smith resting. I just don’t think he will get that volume this weekend as the Eagles will have their full assortment of weapons in this game. I love the potential of Dotson as a player but I don’t think he will be a huge sleeper asset in DFS in this matchup.
Total Apex Lock of the Game
Saquon Barkley ($8,500 Draft Kings, $9,600 FanDuel)
Coming off a huge 2,000-yard rushing season, Barkley is likely going to be motivated even more now because he didn’t get that chance to chase Eric Dickerson’s record last week. The Packers have a pretty good run defense, but I feel he will make a huge impact in this game in both the run game and the passing game in this game like he did in Week 1 in Brazil. He had over 30 fantasy points in that game. I don’t know if it will be 30 fantasy points but it should be a huge afternoon for the former Nittany Lion.
Total Apex Fade of the Game
Jordan Love ($5,800 Draft Kings, $7,200 FanDuel )
Love is entering the Sunday showdown against the Eagles in the Linc with a hampered elbow that he injured last weekend against the Bears. Yes, I did see him warming up on the sidelines during that game but it’s still likely that his elbow will hamper him to some degree in this game.
He is also without his top deep-threat wide receiver Christian Watson, who tore his ACL early in the Bears game. All of that, plus facing the No.1 Defense in the NFL, that features a great secondary led by CJ Gardner Johnson who has been on a tear as of late, is a bad combination for Love’s success in DFS in this weekend’s matchup.
Conclusion
I think that the Philadelphia Eagles will cover in this game and will not suffer the same fate as the Cowboys did this time last year against this Packers team. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley will be huge difference-makers in this game as they have been most of the season. I have had a great track record of picking DFS for the Eagles games this season and as an Eagles fan, I do take pride in that. For the rest of the Wild Card DFS slate follow Total Apex Fantasy.
