Browns vs. Chiefs: Daily Fantasy Sleepers, Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings

The Kansas City Chiefs had the No. 1 offense in the NFL during the regular season, averaging 415.8 total yards per game. The Cleveland Browns ranked in the middle of the pack, but they got off to a strong start in the postseason, compiling 390 total yards in their Wild Card Round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So when the Chiefs and Browns go head-to-head Sunday in the divisional round, there's the potential for there to be plenty of offense from both sides. Kansas City and Cleveland each have quite a few talented playmakers who are likely going to draw heavy consideration for daily fantasy lineups.

Coming off a first-round bye, the Chiefs offense likely isn't going to slow down now the postseason has arrived. Meanwhile, the Browns have a lot of momentum coming off their victory in Pittsburgh, and they have a powerful rushing attack that could be difficult for Kansas City's defense to stop.

Here's a look at some players to consider for your daily fantasy lineups from the Browns-Chiefs matchup.

Top Lineup Picks

Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes ($8,000 DraftKings; $9,200 FanDuel)
Cleveland RB Nick Chubb ($6,600 DraftKings; $8,200 FanDuel)
Kansas City TE Travis Kelce ($7,800 DraftKings; $8,500 FanDuel)

While you may not be able to get all three of these stars in your DFS lineup, all of them are likely to have strong showings in this divisional-round matchup and could provide you with some big numbers Sunday.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been a tremendous playoff performer the past two seasons. In five career playoff games, he's passed for 1,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. He passed for 901 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in three games during Kansas City's run to the Super Bowl championship last year.

Although Mahomes didn't reach the same totals he put up during his NFL MVP season in 2018, he put up better numbers this season than he did in 2019. In 15 games, the 25-year-old passed for 4,740 yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions. And he led the NFL by passing for 316 yards per game.

In the Wild Card Round, the Browns allowed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to pass for 501 yards. A big reason for that was because Cleveland had a big lead early and Pittsburgh had to pass a lot. But the pass defense was beatable during the regular season, as they allowed 358.4 yards through the air per game.

Cleveland has struggled against tight ends. And there's been no better tight end in the NFL this season than Travis Kelce, who will surely be a frequent target of Mahomes on Sunday.

Kelce, who had 105 receptions for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns in 15 regular-season games, has a strong chance to get into the end zone against the Browns, who have allowed 11 touchdowns to tight ends (including one to Pittsburgh's Eric Ebron during wild-card weekend).

Mahomes and Kelce have been fantasy stars all season, and they shouldn't let down those who utilize them in their DFS lineups Sunday, potentially even as a stack play.

Nick Chubb also has the potential to be a top DFS player Sunday, as he's scored a touchdown in seven straight games. He scored seven rushing touchdowns over Cleveland's final six regular-season games. Then he scored his first receiving touchdown of the season in the Wild Card Round.

Kansas City allowed 122.1 rushing yards per game during the regular season (12th most in the NFL), so there's a solid chance that the Browns will have success on the ground. That should bode well for Chubb, who has been consistently strong out of Cleveland's backfield over the past two months.

Sleepers to Consider

Kansas City RB Darrel Williams ($4,000 DraftKings; $4,800 FanDuel)
Cleveland TE Austin Hooper ($3,700 DraftKings; $5,500 FanDuel)

If you're not looking to pay the high price it will cost to get Kelce, then Austin Hooper is also a viable DFS option Sunday. Over the Browns' past six games, Hooper has four touchdowns. Prior to that stretch, he had only one touchdown on the season.

Hooper is consistently getting passes thrown his way, as he's been targeted 37 times over Cleveland's past four games. Against Pittsburgh last time out, he was targeted 11 times, turning those into a season-high-tying seven receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Kansas City allowed six touchdowns to tight ends over the final seven weeks of the regular season, so there's a solid chance that Hooper will get into the end zone, which would mark the first time he's scored a touchdown in consecutive games this season. But he's been playing better after a slow start, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise for that to finally happen.

Darrel Williams could be worth flex consideration depending on the Chiefs' backfield situation. Rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is questionable for the game because of ankle and hip injuries, as he hasn't played since Kansas City's Week 15 win against the New Orleans Saints.

If Edwards-Helaire is out, then Williams and Le'Veon Bell will split the workload out of the backfield. And when that happened in Week 16, Williams got plenty of opportunities, as he had 10 carries for 46 yards and four receptions for 27 yards in a home win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Williams would be a bit of a risky start, as he hasn't been too involved in the Chiefs offense for much of the season. But if Williams could get into the end zone, he would be worth the DFS price, as starting him would leave you with enough budget to get stars at other positions.

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