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Deebo Samuel could be the first player chosen for daily fantasy football rosters Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has been used in every facet of the offense, and his play will be vital to success inside AT&T Stadium versus the Dallas Cowboys.
Samuel and the 49ers did not face Dallas in the regular season. The NFC foes are the only set of Wild Card Round opponents to not have faced each other already this season.
The unfamiliarity with Samuel’s usage could play to San Francisco’s advantage, especially as it tries to set the tone in the first half.
Dallas’ offense will try to dictate the pace early in the contest as well. Quarterback Dak Prescott is coming off a five-touchdown performance, and his unit comes into the postseason with a ton of confidence.
Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb will be Prescott’s primary targets, but a few other passing options could make the difference in the wild-card clash and in DFS lineups.
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WR Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel is one of the no-brainer lineup options for Sunday.
Samuel has been used in every way possible in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and that should not change for Sunday’s trip into the heart of Texas.
He totaled 14 regular-season touchdowns—eight rushing and six scoring plays through the air. The South Carolina product even threw for a touchdown in the Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams that secured the team’s postseason spot.
Samuel should have the most targets in Sunday’s game, and there is potential for him to be the top-scoring wide receiver across the entire slate.
He could be paired with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Kansas City Chiefs lineup stack to maximize the point total from a single DFS lineup.
RB Elijah Mitchell
San Francisco must run the ball to be successful.
That strategy is no secret, and the 49ers seem to find success no matter which running back lines up behind Jimmy Garoppolo.
Elijah Mitchell became the primary back during the regular season, and he should have one of the higher rushing attempt totals on Sunday’s three-game slate.
Mitchell earned more than 20 carries in each of his past five appearances. He turned in two 100-yard performances and a pair of touchdowns in that span.
His potential high usage makes him a DFS target. Few running backs will get more than 20 carries across the three wild-card contests. Mitchell could be utilized in an underrated lineup stack if you believe San Francisco can spring the upset. A grouping of Garoppolo, Samuel, Mitchell and George Kittle might reap success.
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QB Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott is the preferred DFS option at quarterback from the 49ers-Cowboys clash.
Prescott is expected to throw the ball at a higher volume than Garoppolo, and he has the potential to earn three or four touchdowns through the air.
The Dallas signal-caller produced at least 225 passing yards in each of his three postseason contests to date. He had five touchdowns and two interceptions in those games.
He comes into Sunday in the best form that a quarterback could ask for. He gained confidence through a five-touchdown outing against the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-string defense in Week 18. Prescott threw for 12 touchdowns in the past three weeks. That was his best three-week span of the regular season.
Prescott should be paired with one or both of Amari Cooper or CeeDee Lamb to start off a lineup stack. Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard or a sleeper option from the passing attack could also be added to that collection of players.
WR Amari Cooper
You can’t go wrong with Cooper or Lamb in a Dallas lineup stack, or a pairing with Prescott.
Cooper is the slightly better option because of his high volume of targets. He was thrown to on 25 occasions in the past three weeks. Cooper scored a touchdown in three of his past five contests, and he had 171 yards and a touchdown in Dallas’ last foray into the postseason in 2019.
Prescott should target his top two receivers on a frequent basis as Dallas attempts to pull ahead early and force San Francisco out of its comfort zone offensively.
Dallas will win if the Prescott-Cooper combination works at its highest level. That could result in a team point total above 30.
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FB Kyle Juszczyk
San Francisco’s offense could get creative with Kyle Juszczyk.
The fullback earned the fourth-most receiving yards on the 49ers roster in the regular season, and he produced a season-best 45 yards in Week 16 versus the Tennessee Titans.
Juszczyk could be used in short-yardage rushing scenarios in the red zone and may emerge as a third or fourth receiving option for Garoppolo if Samuel and Kittle are covered on certain plays.
He caught all three of his targets and scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, so he is no stranger to performing well at this level .
WR Cedrick Wilson
Cedrick Wilson will be Dallas’ No. 3 option in the passing attack.
Wilson emerged as a threat inside the offense with a two-touchdown performance in Week 18 in the role that was vacated by the injured Michael Gallup.
He will not receive a high volume of targets, but he could produce the best possible results on a small set of touches, like he did against the Eagles in Week 18.
Prescott could look to Wilson early to add to the player’s confidence as he works in an elevated role in a high-stress contest.
Wilson will not have 119 yards and two scores again this week, but a 40-yard, one-touchdown outing would be perfect for a No. 3 wideout in a DFS contest.