OL/DL wild-card weekend matchups to target & avoid for prop bets and DFS

• Brock Purdy continues to be underrated: Despite his strong play as a starter, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback has a favorable passing touchdown prop to attack.
• J.K. Dobbins is a clear value: The Baltimore Ravens running back has a tantalizing rushing prop and is a great DFS value against a poor run-defending defensive line.
• An Austin Ekeler prop to hit the under: Fantasy’s RB1 isn’t amazing at everything, and his rushing prop is one of the better under bets to target this week.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

The NFL playoffs offer plenty of opportunities for continuing the fantasy season, whether it’s through daily fantasy or betting purposes, and recognizing the mismatches in the trenches will provide a significant advantage for winning no matter the format. 

NOTE: Click here to see this week’s entire offensive line/defensive line matchup tool.

Offensive line matchups to target

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers offensive line earned the fifth-highest pass-blocking grade (76.7) after allowing just 15 sacks (fourth-best) and 117 pressures (third-best) in the regular season. The Seahawks defensive line ranked 25th in pass-rush grade (65.7) with a 41.6% pass-rush win rate (27th).

Key player(s) to target

QB Brock Purdy (over 1.5 touchdown passes) – Since taking over as the starter in Week 13, Purdy ranks seventh among all quarterbacks in passing grade from a clean pocket (83.9). He continues to rank inside the top 10 in passing yards (1,044), yards per attempt (8.8) and completion percentage (73.7) when kept clean in that span. Most importantly, Burdy has thrown 10 touchdown passes from a clean pocket under the same circumstances, which is tied for the most among quarterbacks in that time. Purdy’s current passing touchdown prop on BetMGM is set at 1.5. Purdy has thrown at least two touchdowns in every game since taking over, and with the mismatch in the trenches, there is an excellent opportunity for him to hit the over. He is also the cheapest Saturday starting quarterback for DFS at $5,500 on DraftKings.

Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants

The Vikings offensive line owns the second-highest run-blocking grade on the year (81.6) while the Giants defensive line has managed just a 53.9 run-defense grade (24th). The Giants defensive line has also given up the highest average depth of tackle against the run (3.21 yards).