It all comes down to this. In two quite meaningful playoff-minded Saturday games, Brad Evans, naturally, spices up the action firing off on a pair of player props. Fade or follow? That’s up to YOU!
Game 1 Pick: Baker Mayfield OVER 15.5 rush yards (-115, BetMGM)
In the open field, he may run with the vim and vigor of a treat-motivated dachshund, but the Touchdown Maker is an effective scrambler. Tallying 11.9% of the team’s carry share, he’s called his number just over three times per game, averaging an eye-grabbing 6.9 yards per carry. Sprinting for at least 16 ground yards in 56.3% of his games this year -- including 49 yards in the first clash with Carolina in Week 16 -- Mayfield has excellent odds of boosting the bankroll.
Yes, the Panthers have dialed up the heat a league-low 15.8% of oppnent dropbacks this season. That standing primarily explains why they’ve surrendered the fourth-fewest rush yards (210) to the QB position. Still, alongside Tampa’s snap taker, four other passers reached 16 rush yards against them.
In a pressure-packed matchup, Baker the Pass Faker pumps, baits and bolts to a couple of chunk gains.
Game 2 Pick: Christian McCaffery OVER 5.5 receptions (+112, DraftKings)
The coveted MVP is sure to place either Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford in the game’s pantheon of greats, but the voter overlooked running back also deserves strong consideration. Disagree? His 6.85 Fantasy WAR in SuperFlex formats is head and shoulders above everyone else. Look past tired cursory narratives, NFL MVP decision makers. We fantasy nerds fully grasp a player's perceived value.
Defying the common belief he would shatter into a million pieces by Week 2, McCaffery has proven doubters wrong, reclaiming his rightful seat on the statistical throne. A destructive scoring dualist, he’s wrecked defenses via ground and air. Speaking specific to the latter, he’s logged more routes per game (28.1) than any other rusher. Netting a spectacular 1.98 yards per route and an enormous 24.5% target share, he’s reeled in 78.7% of his intended looks, catching at least a half dozen passes in 10 games. Baller.
Strangely, as stringent as Mike McDonald’s defense has performed this season, its soft underbelly has often been exposed. No unit has surrendered more receptions to running backs this season (90).
The Football Factory was a conveyor belt of catches in the first matchup versus Seattle way back in Week 1. In that contest, he was targeted 10 times, racking nine receptions.
With the No. 1 seed in the NFC at stake, CMC is sure to be all gas and no brakes.
NO CONTEXT PARLAY PLAY: Jalen McMillan OVER 2.5 receptions, Jaxson Smith-Njigba most receiving yards in game (+166, DraftKings)