The Slate: A Detailed Look at the NFL Wild Card Schedule

Here's a breakdown of this weekend's Wild Card games:

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

Line: Texans +3 1/2 (opened at +3)
O/U: 40 (opened at 40 1/2)
Weather: Dome

Chiefs QB Alex Smith limits turnovers as well as any quarterback in the league - but it may take more than that to break through a Texans defense that was one of the NFL's best in the second half of the season. Smith may game-manage Kansas City to victory, but from a DFS standpoint, he's a fade candidate. ... RB Charcandrick West hasn't been daily fantasy-relevant since Week 10, and this isn't a great matchup for him; the Texans limited teams to fewer than 75 rushing yards in six of their final eight games. Fade him this week, and avoid backfield mate Spencer Ware, as well. ... WR Jeremy Maclin is battling a sore hip, but makes for a nice cash-game floor play if he suits up. Maclin finished the regular season with touchdowns in three straight games and six over his final six contests. ... TE Travis Kelce is priced aggressively for a guy who has posted dud DFS performances in five of his last eight games; avoid him in this one, with the Texans boasting the 11th-best fantasy defense against tight ends. ... Houston QB Brian Hoyer has had just one solid performance in the past five weeks, and faces a Kansas City defense that allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Look elsewhere. ... RB Alfred Blue closed out the season with two 100-yard efforts in his final three games, but all that did was force his salary up and take him out of value-play consideration against a punishing Chiefs run defense. ... WR DeAndre Hopkins is the key to victory for Houston, and should easily see 12+ targets; that should provide enough of a floor for his sky-high salary, with the upside for tournament play. ... None of the Texans' secondary receiving options are worth a look here.

Prediction: Texans 23, Chiefs 20
DFS MVP: DeAndre Hopkins
DFS Dud: Travis Kelce

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Line: Bengals +3 (opened at +2 1/2)
O/U: 45 1/2 (opened at 46 1/2)
Weather: Rain showers, 47 F; SE wind @ 10 mph

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger hasn't played his best football in recent weeks, and that could be a problem against a Bengals defense that held him to a 1:4 TD:INT ratio in two regular-season meetings. Big Ben is a big risk as the top-priced quarterback of the week; play him at your peril. ... With DeAngelo Williams (ankle) likely out this week, rushing duties will likely fall on Fitzgerald Toussiant; neither he nor projected backup Jordan Todman are all that inspiring, and should be left unowned except in cases where you absolutely need a low-priced RB. ... WR Antonio Brown looked mortal in two games against the Bengals, and is simply too high-priced to return proper cash-game value, making him. He's worth a flier in GPPs, but he would need a significant performance to be him a worthwhile pick. ... Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton are GPP-only plays; neither can count on the volume for cash games. ... TE Heath Miller is worth a shot in either format; he had 10 catches in each game against Cincinnati this season. ... Bengals QB AJ McCarron was solid in his previous meeting with the Steelers, and again finds himself in position to capitalize on Pittsburgh's woeful pass defense. He's worth rostering in both formats. ... RB Jeremy Hill is a must-fade against a stout Steelers run defense; Giovani Bernard is a slightly better option as the pass-catching back, but he didn't do much in two regular-season meetings. ... WR A.J. Green had Pittsburgh's number this season, going for 17/250/2 - with one of those games started by McCarron. Green is the runaway choice as the top WR in daily fantasy, and should be on every roster. ... Marvin Jones was invisible against the Steelers, and should be left unowned. ... TE Tyler Eifert is the most touchdown-dependent elite option at his position - making him nothing more than a GPP-only option.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Steelers 21
DFS MVP: A.J. Green
DFS Dud: Antonio Brown

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

Line: Vikings +4 (opened at +4 1/2)
O/U: 39 1/2 (opened at 42)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 2 F; NW wind @ 7 mph

Expect this one to be decided on the ground, with wind chills approaching -20 degrees Fahrenheit. ... Seahawks QB Russell Wilson put together the best seven-game stretch in football to close out the season; that includes a three-TD effort in Minnesota in Week 13. His floor and ceiling are both solid, though the frosty forecast and the return of RB Marshawn Lynch could result in fewer passes. Regardless, Wilson is playable in all formats. ... Lynch makes his return from a sports hernia, and should be fresh after sitting out the last seven weeks of the season; he's an all-formats play thanks to big workload, bitterly cold temperatures and a depressed salary. ... WR Doug Baldwin went for 5/94/2 in Week 13, and is a strong play in all formats as Wilson's No. 1 option - at least until the cold numbs their fingers. ... Neither Tyler Lockett nor Jermaine Kearse are solid cash-game plays, but both are worth GPP consideration with Wilson expected to spread the ball around. ... Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater was manhandled in his first encounter with Seattle, and nothing has happened since to suggest he'll avoid a repeat. Stay far, far away. ... RB Adrian Peterson was also mauled by Seattle, managing just 18 yards on eight carries with a long run of five yards. Given the Seahawks' elite run defense and Peterson's lack of activity in the passing game, fading him this week is the best course of action. ... WR Stefon Diggs can only go as far as Bridgewater takes him - and that makes him a terrible play this week. In fact, DFS players should avoid all Minnesota pass catchers in this one.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Vikings 13
DFS MVP: Marshawn Lynch
DFS Dud: Adrian Peterson

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins

Line: Redskins -1 (opened as PK)
O/U: 45 1/2 (opened at 46 1/2)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 50 F; SW wind @ 10 mph

It's been a strange year for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who posted decent numbers but had a rough season by his standards. It's hard to know what to expect out of Rodgers this weekend - and at his price point, that makes him little more than a high-risk GPP option. ... RB Eddie Lacy has the best chance at success of any Green Bay skill player, with the Redskins only average when it comes to allowing fantasy points to running backs. Lacy is boom-or-bust all the way, but you can actually trust him in all formats at his present salary. ... WR Randall Cobb has a disappointing season, but has a favorable matchup against a Redskins team that has struggled mightily against slot receivers. His salary is a little higher than you'd like, but he should return value comfortably. ... James Jones is a GPP-only option with big-play capability. ... Davante Adams can't be trusted. ... TE Richard Rodgers' receiving lines over the final five games of the season: 8/146/1, 1/3/1, 1/7, 1/2, 7/59/1. He's in the GPP conversation, but his floor is as low as they come. ... Redskins QB Kirk Cousins is going to see high ownership this week - and for good reason, given his late-season surge; he racked up 11 TDs in his final three games, the last of which saw him leave in the second quarter. He's an all-formats option and should have a big game. ... RB Alfred Morris hasn't been a strong play all season. Leave him unowned. ... WR DeSean Jackson is a big play waiting to happen, making him a GPP darling - but he didn't catch more than six passes in a game this season, taking him out of cash-game consideration. ... Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder are also GPP plays who could hit paydirt, but are by no means guaranteed. ... TE Jordan Reed should feast on a Green Bay unit that was middle-of-the-pack at defending tight ends; Reed's synergy with Cousins is significant, as the tight end has caught 29 of 31 passes thrown his way over the past four weeks.

DFS MVP: Kirk Cousins
DFS Dud: Randall Cobb