The 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge will heat up this weekend, as competitors will earn double points for players who were included in their lineups last week. One of the key ways to gain an advantage over the competition is to select a few players who are not widely chosen, which gives you a chance to rise to the top of the standings. Players like Josh Allen could be popular NFL Playoff Challenge picks, so it might be wiser to go in a different direction with your 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge lineups. Another key factor in 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge strategy is to look at each team's 2023 Super Bowl odds at Caesars Sportsbook. There will be even more multipliers at stake during conference championship weekend, so your players need to be alive after the divisional round. Before you lock in your 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge picks, be sure to see what SportsLine's Mike McClure has to say.
McClure is a legendary professional DFS player with over $2 million in career winnings. His methodology has led to enormous cashes on FanDuel and DraftKings. He took down two high-stakes tournaments on FanDuel in 2020 and recorded a pair of top-10 finishes in tournaments with over 130,000 entrants on DraftKings. His lineups also finished inside the top 1% in more than a dozen other tournaments.
He uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every snap of NFL action, taking factors such as matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account. This allows him to find the best values that he shares only with members at SportsLine.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to the 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge and locked in his top Fantasy football picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NFL Playoff Challenge picks for the Divisional Round
One of McClure's top NFL Playoff Challenge picks for the Divisional Round: 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel. He was the most explosive player for San Francisco in the Wild Card win against the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday. He caught six of his nine targets for a season-high 133 yards and a touchdown in the 41-23 win.
On Sunday, he'll be at home against the Dallas Cowboys, whom he will face for the first time in his career. Last week against Tampa Bay, Dallas' starting cornerback duo of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland saw their defensive assignments catch a combined 13-of-21 targets for 148 yards and a touchdown. The 49ers have a more balanced offense than Tampa Bay, which should keep the Cowboys from focusing on Samuel and he should feast for a second straight playoff game.
Another part of McClure's optimal NFL Playoff Challenge lineup includes rostering 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He has been a strong addition to Kyle Shanahan's offense, taking over the top running back spot since being acquired from Carolina in the middle of the season. McCaffrey played a pivotal role down the stretch of the regular season, rushing for at least 105 yards in three of his final five games, scoring four rushing touchdowns during that stretch.
His surge continued in the first round of the 2023 NFL playoffs, as he racked up 119 yards on 15 carries against Seattle, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. He has now had double-digit touches in eight consecutive games and the 49ers will not shy away from him with a spot in the NFC title game on the line. McCaffrey could be chalk in NFL Playoff Challenge lineups this weekend, but McClure believes he is too strong of an option to pass on. See who else to pick here.
How to build 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge lineups
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for big numbers during the 2023 NFL Divisional Round because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your NFL Playoff Challenge lineups or going home with nothing. You can see who it is over at SportsLine.
So what is the optimal 2023 NFL Playoff Challenge lineup for the Divisional Round? Visit SportsLine now to see the full optimal tournament lineup for the NFL Playoff Challenge, all from a daily Fantasy expert with over $2 million in winnings, and find out.
