Commanders at Eagles Single-Game NFL DFS Picks for the NFC Championship
On Sunday, the Washington Commanders take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Conference Championship Round of the NFL playoffs.
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The postseason is a fun time to play single-game NFL DFS on FanDuel.
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 FanDuel Research has NFL DFS projections if you select the game from the slate tab. It's worth checking out both before making your lineups.
All NFL projections via our numbers at FanDuel Research, and NFL odds references are to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Commanders at Eagles NFL DFS Picks
MVP Candidates
In the NFC Championship, Jalen Hurts ($13,500), Jayden Daniels ($15,000), and Saquon Barkley ($17,000) are a cut above everyone else in our NFL DFS projections, and it's sure hard to argue against that. All three are projected for around 20 FanDuel points; no one else reaches even 13 points.
While weird things can always happen in single-game slates, it's probably wise to mostly stick with these three at MVP outside of taking some contrarian swings in large-field tournaments.
Of this trio, it's hard to not like Barkley after he just torched the Los Angeles Rams for 40.4 FanDuel points, his seventh game with 30 or more points this season -- two of which came versus Washington. Over 18 games, he's averaged an insane 146.6 scrimmage yards per game, and his rushing plus receiving yards prop is appropriately set at 142.5. As a home favorite taking on the NFL's 19th-ranked schedule-adjusted rush defense, another massive outing from Barkley wouldn't be the least bit shocking. This might be the rare instance where a running back is the most popular MVP over either QB.
If the Commanders are to pull off the upset or even come close to doing so, it will almost certainly be because of a great game from Daniels. This is a difficult spot against a Philadelphia team that's first in adjusted pass defense and has allowed the fourth-fewest FanDuel points per game to quarterbacks. However, the rookie faced them twice this season, and in the second matchup, he had a season-high 36.42 FanDuel points behind 5 passing TDs and 81 rushing yards. Dating back to Week 12, Daniels has averaged 29.2 FanDuel points over his last seven full games.
Considering how well the other two have performed in DFS lately, Hurts could see the lowest MVP roster percentage of the three, which is something to keep in mind for tournaments. However, in order to unlock his ceiling, we might need the Commanders to force the Eagles to throw the ball far more than they've done in these playoffs. Hurts has attempted just 20 and 21 passes in the first two rounds, and even with 70 rushing yards and a rushing TD last week, he still scored just 18.12 points. The QB is dealing with a knee injury, which could further add risk if his hampers his ability to run. Still, despite these concerns, Hurts' unique goal-line role always leaves the door open for multiple rushing touchdowns.
Flex Targets
A.J. Brown ($13,000) -- With Barkley taking center stage for the Eagles' run-heavy offense, Brown has been invisible this postseason. Across two games, he's totaled just 10 targets, 3 receptions, and 24 scoreless yards, but if we're looking for a silver lining, that's come to a 26.3% target share and 56.4% air yards share. He still projects for the game's most targets (8.0) and receiving yards (70.5), and Washington is just 22nd in adjusted pass defense. We really need the Commanders' offense to turn this into a shootout for Brown to return to relevance, but Jayden Daniels could be up to the task.
Terry McLaurin ($12,500) -- McLaurin owns a 26.2% target share and 34.3% air yards share in the playoffs, logging 80+ receiving yards and a touchdown in both games. He remains Daniels' top pass catcher, but this is a tough matchup versus a defense that's allowed the sixth-fewest FanDuel points per game to wideouts.
Brian Robinson ($11,500) and Austin Ekeler ($8,000) -- While Robinson is coming off a two-touchdown game against the Detroit Lions, if we get a negative game script as the spread suggests, that could lead toward the pass-catching Ekeler getting more work. Ultimately, the two project roughly the same for DFS, and their rushing plus receiving yards props are also nearly identical with Ekeler getting the slight edge (47.5 to 46.5). The Eagles' D is rough on running backs, too, giving up the fewest FanDuel point per game to the position, so it's probably better to opt for Ekeler at the value salary.
DeVonta Smith ($11,000) -- Smith projects for 7.5 targets, putting him just behind A.J. Brown. He's had a solid 21.1% target share in the playoffs, and much like his teammate, passing volume is what we really need for him to produce on Sunday.
Dallas Goedert ($10,000) -- Goedert has actually tied Brown with a 26.3% target share in the postseason. As we've seen throughout the campaign, targets are concentrated around Brown, Smith, and Goedert when all three are healthy, leaving scraps for everyone else. The tight end projects for 5.8 targets.
Zach Ertz ($9,500) -- In the playoffs, Ertz is third on Washington with a 14.8% target share, but he hasn't reach 30 receiving yards in either game. While he's a touchdown-or-bust play, he does have a team-high 28.1% red zone target share this season.
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST ($9,000) and Washington Commanders D/ST ($8,500) -- This game likely needs to go really sideways for either defense to be a significant factor. Philadelphia is favored by nearly a touchdown at home against a rookie quarterback if you're going to take a swing, though. The Eagles enter the NFC Championship with the top adjusted total defense.
Jake Elliott ($9,000) and Zane Gonzalez ($8,500) -- Along the same lines as the defenses, the kickers are arguably fringe plays in a game that could see a fair bit of scoring. Elliott has the easier path on the favorite if the Eagles turn this into a one-sided affair.
Dyami Brown ($8,000) -- Brown has logged a 21.3% target share in the playoffs, and he should be Washington's No. 2 wideout with Olamide Zaccheaus not being much a factor and dealing with a hip issue. Dyami has scored 17.4 and 12.8 FanDuel points in those games, and he's looking like a great potential value option.
You can also click here to check out our updated 2024-25 printable NFL playoff bracket.
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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.