Now that regular season fantasy football is over, it’s time for the playoffs. NFL Playoff Tournament play in fantasy football to be exact. Here are players from each matchup over Wildcard Weekend to either start or sit on your roster so you can dominate your league.
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Bye Weeks:
Kansas City
Detroit
Texans vs Chargers
Start:
- Chargers Defense: The Chargers have a 35.1% pressure rate this season, which is their highest since 2018. They are tied for fifth most interceptions this season.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn: Fairbairn finished 2024 with the fourth most kicker points in fantasy. It’s likely you’ll need to start a kicker in most tournaments. The Texans limped into the playoffs and unless a miracle happens, the Chargers are likely to come away with the victory. Why waste a roster spot on with a player on a struggling offense?
Sit:
- CJ Stroud: This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has paid one iota of attention to the Texans quarterback this season. Stroud has averaged only 12.2 fantasy points per game over second half of the season, ranking him No. 24 among the position. This is a far cry from his rookie season where he finished as the No. 11 quarterback in fantasy football.
- Will Dissly: The touchdown saved his fantasy day in the Week 18 matchup against the Raiders. Dissly did flash in Week 14, finishing as TE 5 on the week. Since then, he’s been fairly quiet and seeing minimal targets. Despite the Texans defensive woes, they do tend to limit the tight end position to only 9.7 fantasy points per game.
Ravens vs Steelers
Start:
- Lamar Jackson: The Ravens are posed to make a Super Bowl run this year, and Jackson is one of the few quarterbacks you can feel good starting for the long haul. He has been the most productive quarterback this season in both real-life football and fantasy, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 41 touchdowns. His dual-threat ability sets him apart from almost every other quarterback in the playoffs shown by his nearly 915 rushing yards.
- Pat Freiermuth: The Steelers number one tight end ended his regular season quietly with the ninth most fantasy points this season. Over the last two weeks, Freiermuth has been targeted 18 times and scored a touchdown.
Sit:
- Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren: The Ravens are a tough defense to run on this season, only allowing running backs to score the fourth fewest fantasy points per game. The last time these two teams matched up, neither Harris nor Warren posted more than 50 yards on the ground. The one, two-punch for the Steelers has been less than exciting for fantasy managers. There are other, better options for your roster in the flex position.
- Zay Flowers: This really has more to do with the knee injury Flowers suffered in Week 18. He is listed as day to day and according to Head Coach John Harbaugh, but he avoided season-ending injury. There’s no guarantee that he plays in this matchup against a touch Steelers defense. Even so, Flowers hasn’t had a top 10 finish since Week 9 against Denver. He has scored a combined 8.2 fantasy points in his last two games on three targets.
Bills vs Broncos
Start:
- Josh Allen: Allen is having a career year, and given the way he’s played, it would be almost malpractice to leave him off your roster. He’s the second most productive quarterback in fantasy this season. He has 70 total touchdowns in December and January since 2020, which is 22 more than any other player in the NFL.
- Marvin Mims Jr.– There is nothing wrong with rostering Courtland Sutton, but if the idea is to make your roster unique to give you a better chance to win, consider Marvin Mims Jr. Mims has scored four touchdowns on 13 targets in the last two weeks. Mims has gotten hot recently, and Bo Nix will need all the help he can get against the Bills.
Sit:
- Dalton Kincaid: If this season were an annual review for Kincaid, it would say “does not meet expectations.” His last double-digit performance came in Week 8 against Seattle. Since then, he hasn’t scored over 10 fantasy points a game. Even for the tight end position, that’s a not good sign that he’s a player to count on propelling you to a playoff tournament win.
- The Denver running back room: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime make up the Denver running back committee Sean Payton has deployed this year. Together, they account for 1,319 rushing yards. There are six backs in the league that have singlehandedly rushed for more yards. None of the players have averaged more than 9.1 fantasy points per game this season.
Rams vs Vikings
Start:
- Puka Nucua: Puka has been a force in his second year despite serious injuries keeping him sidelined earlier in the year. Minnesota’s defense runs a tight ship, unless it’s against the other team’s receivers. Against opposing wide receivers, the Vikings give up the most fantasy points this season. Nucua has averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game in the 12 games he has played this season.
- TJ Hockenson: The Rams’ defense allows opposing teams’ tight ends the second most fantasy points at 13.3 per game. Since his return in Week 9, Hockenson has been targeted at least five times in all but two games this season. He hasn’t gotten in the endzone yet this year, but it’s only a matter of time.
Sit:
- Cooper Kupp: Even with the Vikings’ defense susceptible to opposing teams’ receivers, Kupp is a risky play for your roster. Many managers will remember the zero points during Week 15 (the fantasy playoffs) and that over the last three games, he’s only been targeted three times each. Kupp has not managed to score more than six points in those weeks as well.
- Sam Darnold: This is not an indictment on Darnold’s play or production this season. This has clearly been Darnold’s best season of his career. The Vikings are an elite offense, so it’s difficult to choose one player to fade during the playoffs. Ultimately, you want a quarterback who will take you all the way to the Super Bowl and give you multiple weeks of production. There are better options at this specific position that you can roster.
Buccaneers vs Commanders
Start:
- Terry McLaurin: McLaurin will see a good matchup against a Bucs defense who allows a whopping 31.1 fantasy points to opposing team’s receivers, which is ninth most overall. Of the playoff teams, only the Ravens, Lions, and Vikings defenses have given up more fantasy points through the air. Don’t forget this is only Scary Terry’s second time in the playoffs in his six years in the league, and you know he’s the kind of competitor who is ready to make it memorable.
- Jalen McMillan: Did you know McMillan leads the NFL with six receiving touchdowns since Week 14? Your opponents’ probably don’t know that either and may overlook the rookie receiver for a spot on their roster in favor of guys like Evans and Irving. Since Week 14, McMillan has scored an average of 19 fantasy points per game and finished as the No. 8 wide receiver overall in fantasy production.
Sit:
- Rachaad White: White may have started the season as the without a doubt number one back in Tampa, but Irving, over the last two weeks of the season, has come on strong. Over the last two weeks, Irving has out-touched White 45 to 7, including 21-0 in Week 18’s matchup against the Saints. In the last three weeks, White has not scored more than 15 fantasy points total.
- Brian Robinson Jr: While the Bucs pass defense leaves a lot to be desired, their rush defense can hold their own. They allow the fourth fewest rushing yards per game and are tied for allowing the tenth fewest touchdowns. Robinson hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 13, which is coincidentally the last week he produced fantasy relevant numbers.
Eagles vs Packers
Start:
- Josh Jacobs: Since Week 7, Jacobs produced eight weeks of 20 or more fantasy points, including a consecutive streak of 20 plus performances during Weeks 11 through 16. He’s been Jordan Love’s most consistent weapon this season. While the Eagles defense is one of the best this season, Jacobs gives you the highest likelihood of success on the Packers offense if you have to choose a player from each team in your tournament.
- Saquon Barkley: Barkley finishes the season as an absolute fantasy monster. If you drafted him, he likely won you a championship. He led the league in rushing yards, with over 2,000 and scored 15 total touchdowns. He ends the season with the most fantasy points at the position.
Sit:
- Jordan Love– Love injured his elbow at the end of last week’s matchup with the Bears. Additionally, he hasn’t been able to maintain the production level from last season. His passing volume significantly decreased from last season, which is most likely due to the better play from the Packers’ rushing attack. Still, if you’re looking for a quarterback to start in a playoff tournament, you want a player who will give you a high-volume passing game and the possibility to gain points on the ground. Love just hasn’t shown he can be trusted to do that this season. Not to mention the Eagles allow some of the lowest fantasy points per game to opposing teams’ quarterbacks this year.
- Jalen Hurts– It might seem surprising to have Hurts on the “sit” list, but if you are playing in a league where you can only start one player from each team, you’re likely going with Barkley as your Eagles starter. The matchup with the Packers might seem like a slam dunk, but the Packers have given quarterbacks trouble this year. They allow the fifth-fewest yards per game and typically hold opponents to only 19.9 total points.
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