It’s the final week of the NFL regular season and it feels like it’s flown by this season. For the final time this season I’ve picked out some of my favourite value plays in the Bet365 Sunday Redzone competition. Again, the games have been restricted to only the 1 pm EST kick-offs this week and things are made a bit trickier by some teams lack of motivation.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are locked in to the 4th seed in the NFC and have absolutely nothing to play for this week – so don’t expect to see much of Tom Brady. Other eliminated teams may be more cautious with injured players than earlier in the season.

On the other hand, there are number of teams still fighting for a playoff spot or better seeding. Also, we have Justin Jefferson chasing the single season receiving yards record (needing 194 yards) and a variety of players close to performance incentives.

So, it’s going to be a tricky slate to navigate, but hopefully I can help you find some solid starters to end the season on a high. For more information on who will be motivated this week, check-out this great article by Denny Carter on NBC SportsEdge that covers all you need to know!

Quarterbacks

There’s not a lot at the QB position this week; Justin Fields will miss the game with a hip injury, as mentioned Brady is unlikely to play much (if at all) and Lamar Jackson looks set to miss another week. It’s also likely the Bills will be locked into the 2 seed by Sunday (if KC win vs the Raiders on Saturday), so Josh Allen is unlikely to play much as well.

For me that leaves two viable options at QB, Joe Burrow (20.1M) who will be looking to beat the Ravens to secure the 3 seed in the AFC. Alternatively, Kirk Cousins (18.1M) whose Vikings can move to the 2 seed if the 49ers lose in the late window.

If you’re desperate for a budget option, Andy Dalton (14.3M) at home to the Panthers is the best of the rest. The Panthers gave up a lot of big plays last week to the Buccaneers and Saints coach Dennis Allen may well be coaching for his job this week (although his fate may already be decided).

Running Backs

• Keyshawn Vaughn (4.1M) -Keyshawn Vaughn could be the biggest beneficiary of the Bucs resting starters this week. With Blaine Gabbert stepping up at QB, I don’t expect big things from the receivers or a lot of pass volume. Against Atlanta, the opportunities should be there for Vaughn to have an efficient day on the ground.
• Zach Moss (11.3M) – The Colts host the Texans in a dead rubber game to end the season. If anything, the Texans should look to lose to lock-up the 1st pick in the draft. Moss has had double digit carries in each of the last 3 games and it won’t change this week against the league-worst Texans run defence.

Wide Receivers

• Rashid Shaheed (10.4M) – Rashid Shaheed has established himself as a valuable part of the Saints passing offence over the past month or so. Last week he out targeted Chris Olave and the speedster could benefit from the porous Panthers secondary. I expect the Saints to be going all-out in a divisional game despite being eliminated from the play-offs.
• Jakobi Meyers (11.2M) – The Patriots control their own destiny in the AFC Wildcard race, beat the Buffalo Bills and they’re in. Meyers is recovering from a shoulder injury, but has got in limited practice’s so far this week, so expect him to play and again lead the Patriots in targets. With Buffalo likely locked in to the 2 seed by kick-off, we may see players rested on defence as well as offence ahead of the Wildcard Round.

Tight Ends

• Juwan Johnson (8.8M) – Like Dalton and Shaheed, Juwan Johnson may be another beneficiary of the Panthers poor pass defence. As Denny Carter noted, Johnson has seen 33% of air yards over the past 4 weeks, giving him great big play potential. One question mark is a quad injury he picked up last week. After a DNP on Wednesday he got in a limited practice on Thursday, so he’s trending in the right direction. Make sure to check his status before kick-off in case he can’t play!

Defence/Special Teams

The bottom priced Patriots (6.8M) are the obvious choice at defence assuming Kansas City win on Saturday night. The Patriots are priced as if Josh Allen is playing the full game, with a KC win I would expect to see him for one or two series at the very most (possibly not at all). Case Keenum is a pretty solid back-up, but he’s obviously a massive downgrade on Josh Allen. As mentioned above, the Patriots will be fully motivated with a win guaranteeing a playoff spot. Their defence has also been on a tear recently, scoring double digit fantasy points in each of the last 4 games.

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