The scriptwriters did well this year. In true movie-like fashion, it all comes down to this -- Game 272. Only 60 minutes separate the Bills and Dolphins from an AFC East title, and it's all set to happen under the lights at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The Bills were long left for dead, a season that seemingly sputtered out of control and destined to miss the playoffs. However, after all that, Buffalo is in position to win a division they've been favored to win for a few years now.
The Dolphins, however, have been a thorn in everyone's side, employing a maddening combination of speed and skill on offense. That "catch me if you can" style has come back to bite them in recent weeks, though, as injuries have piled up, allowing the Bills to catch up. Miami might've been in control for most of the season, once battling for the top seed in the AFC. Now, they might be going on the road when the playoffs kick off next week. It's Tirico and Collinsworth. It's NBC. It's Allen and Tua. It's the final game of the NFL's regular season, and there's a lot on the line. What better way to celebrate than with some DFS lineups to give us some skin in the game, too?
Before we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
Bills-Dolphins DraftKings Picks: DFS lineup for Week 18 Sunday Night Football
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): QB Josh Allen, Bills ($16,500)
In the final game of the regular season, it would be impossible to not trust Allen to get the job done. He's 9-2 in his career against the Dolphins, a team he has consistently dominated through the years. With 31 touchdowns to only five interceptions, the turnover-prone QB is anything but that when the fish are on the other sideline. The Bills always seem to find ways to lose big games like this, but the history of this matchup tells us to ignore that trend. Fantasy's best QB all season puts on another show on Sunday Night Football.
FLEX RB De'Von Achane, Dolphins ($9,000)
With Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) banged up, we're looking at Achane potentially leading the charge for Miami's offense. There's no shortage of injuries for the Dolphins at this point, something that could ultimately derail their season. Regardless, Achane brings that big play ability and could easily impact this game with just a play or two. After finding the end zone for the first time in nearly a month last week, Achane might be rediscovering himself at the right time. The rookie scored twice against the Bills back in October when he posted 101 rushing yards on just eight carries. With a little more opportunity, Achane is primed for an encore performance.
FLEX RB James Cook, Bills ($8,000)
Since making a change at offensive coordinator, Cook has been promoted to head chef in the Buffalo backfield. It's a move that's paid off tremendously, with Cook turning in at least 15 fantasy points in four of six games with Joe Brady calling plays. Buffalo has made it a point of emphasis to get him involved early and often, making the RB arguably the best player in this offense not named Josh Allen.
FLEX WR Gabe Davis, Bills ($7,000)
We couldn't go through this Week 18 contest without taking a shot. Our dart throw comes in the form of Davis, who is a real boom-or-bust receiver. The beauty of a player like this is that you'll either see him put up at least 20 points or turn in the dreaded goose egg. Davis has already scored once against the Dolphins this year and has been a fixture in all of our Bills-related lineups this season. We can't pass up another chance to strike gold, even with the threat that it might be fool's when it's all said and done.
FLEX K Jason Sanders, Dolphins ($5,000)
While all the focus remains rightfully on the offenses, what about the defenses? The Bills have ridden their defense down the stretch to get to this point, and why can't that continue? We already know about the countless ailments plaguing the 'Fins, meaning that TDs might not be on the menu in South Beach. Sanders has been on a tear lately, turning in double-digit point totals in five of the past seven. If Miami's drives begin to stall, they can trust that their steady kicker to knock the ball through the uprights with ease.
FLEX WR Cedrick Wilson Jr., Dolphins ($4,400)
Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are going into the week with ankle issues, leaving Wilson to be the guy to step up and take some of the work away from the star duo. He's yet to see more than five targets in a game this season, but he's collected three touchdowns, including one last week. He is the team's best receiver without some injury concerns heading into a pivotal game. That makes him worthy of a spot in our lineup.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
Bills-Dolphins FanDuel Picks Week 18: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
$60,000 budget, at least one player from each team required
- MVP (1.5x points) RB James Cook, Bills ($12,000)
- FLEX WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins ($16,000)
- FLEX QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins ($13,500)
- FLEX WR Gabe Davis, Bills ($10,500)
- FLEX TE Durham Smythe, Dolphins ($6,500)
Our FanDuel lineup continues to rely on the stars to get the job done. While this lineup couldn't afford Allen, we're happy with Cook and Davis -- the two players who figure to play big roles in the final result of this contest. As for the Dolphins, there's a good chance that Tagovailoa and Hill can help get revenge after the Bills delivered a 48-20 beatdown in Week 4. Smythe checks in as our sleeper pick here because of Buffalo's tendency to be generous to TEs. The 'Fins TE turned in a four-catch performance in their last matchup against the Bills, totaling 41 yards. He's still in search of his first touchdown this season, and there's a decent chance it happens this week with a banged-up receiver room in Miami.
Best SuperDraft Bills-Dolphins DFS Picks
This year, we're also listing our favorite single-game DFS plays on SuperDraft.
For those unfamiliar, SuperDraft's DFS scoring involves point multipliers as opposed to traditional salary-capped or tiered contests. A winning lineup will likely feature a strong mix of stud fantasy contributors with 1x-1.6x boosts, as well as matchup-based sleepers with larger multipliers. Each player is assigned a scoring multiplier based on their value as determined by SuperDraft. Users can roster any player in their lineup with no restrictions.
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Here are the most notable scoring rules for SuperDraft NFL contests: Half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, two-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
MORE SUPERDRAFT DFS: How to play SuperDraft
- Champion (+50% points): QB Josh Allen, Bills (Multiplier 1.5x)
- Super FLEX: RB James Cook, Bills (Multiplier 1.35x)
- Super FLEX: WR Stefon Diggs, Bills (Multiplier 1.05x)
- Super FLEX: WR Tyreek Hill, Dolphins (Multiplier 1x)
- Super FLEX: RB De'Von Achane, Dolphins (Multiplier 1.2x)
Our SuperDraft lineup is going all-in on the offenses. Diggs' best fantasy performance this season came against the Dolphins. Allen owns the Dolphins. Cook could own the Dolphins. The three-headed monster from western New York is in a good spot to deliver, but Hill and Achane will have plenty to say in the result as Miami tries to avoid a collapse in the AFC East.