Hey there RotoBallers! Welcome back to the Conference Championship Round of the NFL playoffs. In this article, I will be taking a look at some of my favorite FantasyAces DFS lineups picks for the Conference Championship Round slate.
These daily fantasy football lineup picks are based on a multitude of factors including matchup, talent, recent performance and pricing on Fantasy Aces. Let's get to the picks.
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Quarterback Plays for Fantasy Aces
Aaron Rodgers (@ ATL, $7,900)
It's a tough week for the quarterback position on Aces as there are no value options to plug in at the QB2 spot. You will need to roster two of the four signal callers playing this Sunday with three of the four carrying price tags north of $7,000. Ben Roethlisberger checks in as the cheapest option at $6,750, but outside of a tournament dart-throw, I'm not about to trust him on the road, especially since the Pittsburgh offense has become more run-heavy over the past few weeks. The best way to proceed is to roster the top two quarterbacks on the slate and find savings elsewhere. Aaron Rodgers has been absolutely on fire as of late. In his four games since Week 16 of the regular season, he has passed for 14 touchdowns and just one interception. The Packers are road underdogs in a game with a massive over/under set at 60 points. Expect the game script to force the Packers to throw often to keep up with an Atlanta offense that was the best in the league in 2016.
Matt Ryan (vs. GB, $7,450)
Ryan continues to roll along as the leader of the top offense in the league this season. The Falcons ranked first in the league in points per game, second in yards per game, and third in passing yards per game in 2016. As mentioned above, Vegas has set the over/under for this game at a hearty 60 points, so expect some offensive fireworks from both teams. The Packers' run defense has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on, but they are still more vulnerable through the air than they are on the ground. Football Outsiders ranked Green Bay's pass defense 22nd in the league for the 2016 season. After what he did to the Seahawks last week, expect Ryan to be highly owned this weekend. That being said, with just four quarterbacks to choose from on a two-quarterback site, we can't be all that concerned by ownership percentage this weekend.
Running Back Plays for Fantasy Aces
Tevin Coleman (vs. GB, $4,800)
Le'Veon Bell checks in at $6,600 this weekend, a hefty price considering the quarterback pricing outlined above. If you are able to fit Bell into your lineups, you will want to do that. Bell, however, is a no-brainer, so I thought it would be more beneficial to take a look at two cheaper options for this slate. Tevin Coleman continues to go overlooked this season. While he plays second fiddle to Devonta Freeman in the running game, Coleman has flashed big-play ability when healthy. The second-year back managed to score 11 touchdowns (eight rushing, three receiving) in 13 regular season games played and added one last week in the Divisional Round. While Freeman is the safer play here, Coleman shapes up as a great tournament option who could do significant damage through the air against Green Bay.
Dion Lewis (vs. PIT, $4,650)
Lewis went nuts last week, showing his versatility by scoring three touchdowns in three different ways. Lewis returned a kickoff for a score, then reeled in a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. Later in the game, he scored a rushing touchdown to complete the trifecta. For all his efforts this past week, Lewis' price on Aces went up just $150. He will surely be a more popular play than he was last week, but it appears he's taking over in the New England backfield and should be leaned upon heavily yet again this weekend in a game that could be closer than many think.
Wide Receiver Plays for Fantasy Aces
Julian Edelman (vs. PIT, $5,500)
The Patriots should continue to lean heavily on Edelman's services as they look to return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years. Edelman has seen a huge role in the New England offense since Week 13, New England's first week without Rob Gronkowski. Since that week, Edelman has racked up 73 targets in six games (including last week's playoff game), a whopping 12.2 targets per contest. The Steelers represent a tough matchup for opposing receivers, but the same could have been said last week against a tough Houston pass defense that Edelman shredded for eight catches and 137 yards.
Geronimo Allison (@ ATL, $3,500)
Based on how the slate shapes up, you are going to need to find a few value plays and wide receiver is the place to do so this weekend. The Packers' wide receiver corps is really banged up right now as Jordy Nelson is looking doubtful with broken ribs and Davante Adams could be dealing with a high ankle sprain. Allison is a solid value play if one of the aforementioned pass catchers is forced to sit and a fantastic play if both were to miss Sunday's clash with the Falcons. For what it's worth, Allison is also dealing with a hamstring issue, but his injury appears to be the least severe of the three. If bad news breaks regarding Allison's injury, keep Jeff Janis in mind as another great value option.
Tight End Play for Fantasy Aces
Jared Cook (@ ATL, $4,700)
The tight end options on this slate are looking rough, to put it nicely. Cook sets up as the top play on the slate after seeing an increased role in Green Bay's offense with Jordy Nelson sidelined. Cook had one of the biggest games of his career last weekend against the Cowboys. He hauled in six passes for 103 yards and a score as the Packers won a thriller over Dallas. He is the highest priced tight end on the slate, but he also pulls a great matchup against a Falcons defense that allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends in 2016. Cook will be a popular play, so if you're looking for a shot in the dark tournament play, Ladarius Green returned to limited practice on Wednesday after missing all of the previous week with a concussion.
Defense/Special Teams Play for Fantasy Aces
New England Patriots (vs. PIT, $2,750)
With four great offenses taking the field this weekend, there's no reason to get cute with your fantasy defense. The Patriots are -5.5 home favorites against a Steelers team that has the lowest implied point total on the slate. While the Steelers can be explosive on offense, Ben Roethlisberger's struggles on the road are well documented by now. In addition, of all the fantastic quarterbacks playing on Sunday, Big Ben is the candidate most likely to throw multiple interceptions.