FanDuel Single-Game Fantasy Helper: Wild Card Weekend Sunday Afternoon

In the late Sunday slot on wild card weekend, the 9-7 Philadelphia Eagles travel to take on the 12-4 Chicago Bears. With the fantasy season in the rearview mirror, FanDuel provides a variety of contests, including single-game slates, allowing football enthusiasts to stay involved in the action.

For those unfamiliar, single-game slates feature five flex spots with identical scoring to the main slate. However, kickers are included in these contests, and there is an "MVP" roster slot. The MVP receives 1.5-times his total fantasy points, making this spot crucial.

Bookmakers currently peg the Bears as a 6.5-point favorite, with a 41.5-point over/under. While this affair appears low scoring, a few exploitable match-ups make this contest interesting for fantasy purposes.

MVP Consideration

Mitchell Trubisky ($16,500): Playing the single-game slate's most important position, Mitch Trubisky gets the nod over Nick Foles due to matchup. While the Chicago Bears have played fierce defense, the Philadelphia Eagles rank 18th in pass defense, per our schedule-adjusted metrics. Ravaged by injuries, this secondary has given up the second-most passing yards in the NFL (4,612). Trubisky also brings rushing upside to the table, with the fifth-most rushing yards this season among quarterbacks (421). With a multitude of factors working in his favor, Trubisky looks like the quarterback to target this afternoon.

Jordan Howard ($14,000): Splitting time with Tarik Cohen, Jordan Howard is the preferred play in this game due to the projected game script. Favored by 6.5-points, game script sets up for a ground-and-pound attack featuring Howard. Winners of their last four games, the Bears have given Howard 19.25 touches per game on average in those four contests. The Eagles rank 16th in rush defense, per our metrics, keeping the door open to a big game from Howard. With volume and game script in his favor, Howard could exceed expectations in this spot.

Alshon Jeffery ($13,500): Coming in $500 more expensive than Zach Ertz, many will gravitate towards Ertz instead of going with Alshon. However, Jeffery stands to benefit from chemistry with Foles and a better on-paper matchup. When targeting Jeffery this season, Foles has completed 76% of his passes, but his completion percentage is "only" 67% when targeting his other pass catchers. While the Bears rank third in pass defense, according to our metrics, they allowed the 14th-most receiving yards this season (2,645).

Allen Robinson ($9,500): A potential stacking partner with Trubisky, Allen Robinson led the Bears in targets (93), receiving yards (741), and air yards (1,124) this season. Noted above, Philly has struggled mightily in the secondary over the back half of the season. In their last four games in particular, the Eagles have allowed the second-most receiving yards to wideouts (778). A-Rob averaged eight targets per game in his last four contests, keeping him in play as a low-cost MVP option who will likely be a contrarian MVP selection.

Value Plays

Darren Sproles ($8,000): Playing in a three-way committee, Darren Sproles enters the week cheaper than both Josh Adams ($10,000) and Wendell Smallwood ($8,500). With the Bears implied to win by 6.5 points, the Eagles will likely use Sproles often if they get behind. Sproles led the Eagles' running backs in snaps each of the past two weeks, recording nine targets in that span. The Bears rank second in overall run defense, per our metrics, which should force Philly to go to the air, and Sproles has shown the ability to carve up defenses in the passing game. The Bears allowed the 16th-most receptions to running backs this year (84), giving Sproles an opening toward a productive fantasy game.

Taylor Gabriel ($7,500): Taylor Gabriel has clearly moved ahead of Anthony Miller as Chicago's number-two wide receiver. Gabriel has played at least 77% of Chicago's snaps in his last three healthy games while Miller's snap share hasn't surpassed 52% in that span. Gabriel also out-targeted Miller (13-4) and saw more air yards (160-16) during that stretch. As we said earlier, opposing receivers have decimated the Eagles of late, putting Gabriel on the map as a cost-effective play.

Dallas Goedert ($6,500): Coming into this game, the Eagles have used two tight-end sets more than any other team in football (41%). In his last four games, Dallas Goedert has played at least 59% of the Eagles' snaps, handling 13 targets in that span. The Bears have played lights out tight end defense this season, allowing the sixth-fewest yards to the position (641), which will likely scare the masses off of Goedert. But coming in at a bargain-bin price with negative game script working in his favor, Goedert is worth a calculated dart throw in this spot.

Adam Shaheen ($5,000): Ominously, Trey Burton popped up on Chicago's injury report on Saturday with a groin injury. Listed as questionable, Burton's injury could open the door for Adam Shaheen to see increased playing time. Since returning from injury, Shaheen's snaps have steadily increased -- all the way up to 57% in Week 17. The Eagles have allowed the fourth-most tight end receptions over the last four weeks (23). While Shaheen has been targeted only six times since returning from injury, he could see an increased role with Burton possibly limited by injury.

Matthew Gajewski is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matthew Gajewski also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mgajewski. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.