X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Conference Championships NFL Matchups Analysis (Sunday) - Start/Sit

What's up RotoBallers. Below you will find our Conference Championships matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis for the NFL playoffs. Ben Ruppert breaks down the Championship round matchups to help you prepare your lineups to win this week.

Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down individual matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL match-ups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Packers @ Falcons - Sunday 1/22 @ 3:05 PM ET

Matchups We Love

Devonta Freeman (RB, ATL)

In their two playoff games so far, opposing running backs have rushed for an average 4.8 YPC against the Packers defense. Freeman and Tevin Coleman continued to operate in a split backfield last week against Seattle, with Coleman actually out-rushing Freeman on less attempts (11 carries, 57 yards versus 14 carries for 45 yards). However, Freeman made up the difference by catching four passes for 80 yards, compared to three receptions for 22 yards for Coleman. Both players were able to find the end zone last week as well. No matter how you slice these two players up, they are both extremely effective backs in the Atlanta backfield, evidenced by their 24 combined touchdowns during the regular season. If the Packers continue to struggle to contain the run, both backs would be in line for a great game. Freeman gets the nod as the better fantasy play due to his higher number of touches.

Julio Jones (WR, ATL)

There are no concerns from the Falcons about Jones’ toe injury, meaning he will be ready to roll for the NFC Championship game against the Packers. Last week playing in limited action he was able to pull down six of his team-leading eight targets for 67 yards, including an early second quarter TD that evened the score in the game. Green Bay’s secondary has been putrid this season; they allowed the most receiving yards and the third most receiving touchdowns in the league during the regular season. Last week Dez Bryant was able to dominate this defense for 132 yards and two TD on nine receptions. If the toe injury doesn’t slow down Jones, then his ceiling in this game is monstrous.

Randall Cobb (WR, GB)

Cobb is one of the few remaining healthy targets left for Aaron Rodgers. Jordy Nelson missed last week’s game with multiple injuries, and now Davante Adams has popped up on the injury report with a high ankle sprain; much like the injury he tried to play through last season when he was a very ineffective WR. Cobb exploded in the Wild Card round for three touchdowns, and did well last week against Dallas catching seven passes for 62 yards. Atlanta only allowed one less receiving TD than Green Bay during the regular season, and allowed the fifth most receiving yards in the league. Working from the slot last week, Doug Baldwin was able to go for 80 yards and a TD against this Falcons defense. Hopefully both Adams and Nelson will be healthy enough to play this week, but either way Cobb makes for a solid fantasy start this week given the matchup.

Matchups We Hate

Ty Montgomery (RB/WR, GB)

The Green Bay rushing attack hasn’t been much of a factor all season long, given the carousel of players who have taken hand-offs from Rodgers. Montgomery has been the most effective back they’ve had all year, and he started the year as a WR (though admittedly, Montgomery has always seen himself as more of a RB than a WR). Last week he only received 11 carries, but was able to rush for 47 yards and two touchdowns. With how effectively this offense passes the ball rushing attempts are going to be hard to come by, especially with Montgomery, Christine Michael, and Aaron Ripkowski all getting looks. Atlanta limited Thomas Rawls last week to only 3.1 YPC, one week after he ripped Detroit for 161 yards and a TD (6.0 YPC). During the season Atlanta was far more susceptible to the pass compared to the run; they allowed the eighth fewest rushing yards to opposing RB, yet allowed the most receiving yards in the league to RB this season. If TyMont is going to have an effective game, it’ll be in the receiving game and not the running game.

Notable Players

Taylor Gabriel (WR, ATL)

Gabriel led all wide receivers in receiving yards last week for Atlanta, hauling in 4-of-6 targets for 71 yards in the win over Seattle. The Falcons biggest deep threat outside of Jones finished the regular season averaging 16.5 YPR, seventh in the league among WR with at least 30 receptions. If the Packers want to commit extra attention to Jones while he is on the field, then Gabriel will have even better odds to catch a few deep balls against a porous secondary. The Packers have given up the most fantasy points per game to opposing WR who line up on the right side of the field, where Gabriel plays about half of his total snaps. Though he has seen a dip in his production since the return of Mohamed Sanu, he offers the biggest upside at WR on the team behind Julio.

Jared Cook (TE, GB)

Cook played a huge role in last week’s win over the Cowboys, making the potential catch of year along the sidelines on third and 20 late in the game. He ended the game with six receptions on a team leading 11 targets for 103 yards and a TD. With Nelson and Adams both hobbled heading into Sunday, Cook could be in line for another high-usage game. Both times during the regular season Cook went over 80 yards receiving, he put up a dud in the next game. However, with everything on the line and options thinning, we could see Cook have back-to-back 100 yard games for the first time all season.

 

Steelers @ Patriots - Sunday 1/22 @ 6:40 PM ET

Matchups We Love

Le’Veon Bell (RB, PIT)

Putting it lightly, the postseason run Bell has had so far has been absolutely insane. In two games he has rushed 59 times for 337 yards and two touchdowns, which average’s out to 29.5 rushes for 168.5 yards and a TD per game. It is the best start to a postseason career in NFL history, and only the fourth time in NFL history someone has had back-to-back 150-yard playoff rushing performances. He is on pace to break the all-time postseason rushing mark of 610 yards, set by John Riggins. Though the Patriots only allowed 3.9 YPC during the regular season, and held Lamar Miller to that same number last week, don’t expect anything to change this week for Bell. It will be nearly impossible for the Patriots to slow an elite talent like Bell, especially with how well he has been running of late.

Antonio Brown (WR, PIT)

Though not as crazy as Le’Veon Bell, Brown has been having an excellent postseason so far as well. Through two games, Brown is averaging 5.5 receptions for 116 yards and a TD per game. He and Bell are carrying the Steelers offense; the duo has combined to gain 75% of the team’s total yards through these first two games. How this offense was unable to score a TD last week is beyond me. Even if Big Ben Roethlisberger struggles on the road, we haven’t seen it affect Brown yet. He moves around the formation too much to be stuck facing one cornerback all game, so while he may face Malcolm Butler for most of the game, he will get plenty of opportunities against their lesser skilled CB. He is a sure-fire WR1 heading into championship Sunday.

Julian Edelman (WR, NE)

Since the Patriots Week 9 bye, Julian Edelman has been on quite the roll. He only has one game with less than six receptions and two games with less than 10 targets. Over that span he has averaged seven receptions on 12 targets for 98 yards per game. He is peaking at just the right time for New England; in the past two games, he has averaged eight receptions on 13 targets for 144 yards. Pittsburgh was burned by Jarvis Landry in the Wild Card game, and though they looked better against Kansas City, their passing attack pales in comparison to the Patriots. They will need to throw to keep up with the high-octane Steelers offense, so expect nothing less from Edelman in this one.

Matchups We Hate

Martellus Bennett (TE, NE)

The loss of Gronk opened the door for Bennett to gain the most, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case. Though he did have three touchdowns over the final four weeks of the regular season, he only averaged three receptions for 39 yards per game over that span. In last week’s tilt with the Texans, he caught only one of his four targets for four yards. Travis Kelce led the team in receiving against the Steelers last week, but unless he sees a sudden spike in targets don’t expect much of anything from the big TE.

Notable Players

Dion Lewis (RB, NE)

Not only did Lewis return a kickoff 98 yards to the house last week, he finished second on the team in targets, catching 2-of-7 passes for 23 yards and a TD. He also ran 13 times for 41 yards with another TD. He out-touched LeGarrette Blount 15-to-8, and though he did also fumble twice (losing only one), it didn’t seem to affect his usage in the game. Blount was limited to clock-killing work, while Lewis was let loose in a nearly full-time role. He even punched in goal-line TD over Blount with the Pats in hurry-up mode on offense. The fumbles are a bit concerning, but expect Lewis to hold onto the starting spot over Blount this week as well.


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Javier Sanoja39 mins ago

Hits First MLB Homer
Jake Irvin48 mins ago

Punches Out Nine In Solid Performance
Tyler Mahle55 mins ago

Keeps The Good Times Rolling On Sunday
Jesús Luzardo1 hour ago

Jesus Luzardo Impresses Against Former Club
Max Fried1 hour ago

Flirts With No-No In Fourth Win
Brice Turang1 hour ago

Notches Three Steals, Scores Three Times On Sunday
Rhys Hoskins1 hour ago

Stays Hot, Delivers Combo Meal On Sunday
Austin Wynns1 hour ago

Collects Six Hits, Six RBI In Monster Game
Kerry Carpenter6 hours ago

Leaves Game With Hamstring Injury
Jeffrey Springs6 hours ago

Leaves Start With Hamstring Tightness
Noelvi Marte6 hours ago

Tallies Five Hits, Drives In Seven
Scott Blewett6 hours ago

Traded To Atlanta
Justin Martinez6 hours ago

Unavailable Due To Fatigue
Agustín Ramírez6 hours ago

Agustin Ramirez Headed To Majors
Luis Arraez8 hours ago

Carted Off In First Inning
Jayden Daniels8 hours ago

Focused On Improving In 2025
Isaiah Stewart9 hours ago

Iffy For Monday Night
Aaron Gordon9 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Game 2
Gabriel Vilardi10 hours ago

To Remain Out For Game 2
Logan Thompson10 hours ago

Could Be An Option Monday
Martin Fehérváry10 hours ago

Martin Fehervary Iffy For Game 1
Tanner Jeannot10 hours ago

Remains Week-To-Week, Out For Game 1
Tyler Glasnow10 hours ago

Exits Sunday's Start Early With Lower Leg Cramps
Zeev Buium10 hours ago

Makes NHL Debut In Playoff Opener
Anthony Stolarz10 hours ago

Makes First Career Postseason Start
Oliver Ekman-Larsson11 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Zach Agnos13 hours ago

Promoted To Major Leagues
Victor Vodnik13 hours ago

Placed On 15-Day Injured List
Josh Lowe13 hours ago

Takes 20 Dry Swings
Blake Treinen13 hours ago

Dealing With Low-Grade Forearm Injury
Jack Leiter14 hours ago

To Make Rehab Start On Tuesday
15 hours ago

Washington Hosts Tre Harris
NFL15 hours ago

Will Johnson Visits With Seattle
NFL15 hours ago

Devon Key Sticking With Denver
Yegor Sharangovich19 hours ago

Recovering From Broken Foot
Rasmus Andersson19 hours ago

Played With Broken Fibula
Semyon Varlamov19 hours ago

Expects To Be Ready For Next Season
Owen Power19 hours ago

Avoids Surgery
Rasmus Ristolainen19 hours ago

May Miss Start Of Next Season
Evander Kane19 hours ago

Close To Being Cleared For Action
Kyle Connor19 hours ago

Caps Off Three-Point Effort With Game-Winner
Nathan MacKinnon20 hours ago

Leads Avalanche To Game 1 Victory
Max Pacioretty1 day ago

Available For Playoffs
Jake McCabe1 day ago

Available For Sunday's Game 1
Oliver Bjorkstrand1 day ago

Will Not Play In Round 1
Matthew Tkachuk1 day ago

Logs Full Practice Saturday
Jonathan Drouin1 day ago

Available For Game 1
Miro Heiskanen1 day ago

Upgraded To Day-To-Day
Jaylen Brown1 day ago

Not Expected To Be Limited On Sunday
Irv Smith2 days ago

Houston Re-Signs Irv Smith Jr.
Ja Morant2 days ago

Cleared To Play Friday
Brandon Williams2 days ago

Available Against Grizzlies
Anthony Davis2 days ago

Will Play Friday Night
Gary Trent Jr.2 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Pacers
Taurean Prince2 days ago

Returns To Bucks Lineup Saturday
NFL2 days ago

Justin Hardee Sr. Waived With Non-Football Injury
Isaiah Stewart2 days ago

To Return For Game 1
Ausar Thompson2 days ago

Available For Game 1
Rui Hachimura2 days ago

On Track To Play Saturday
Austin Reaves2 days ago

Ready To Go For Game 1
NFL2 days ago

Bills Release Armani Rogers, Branson Deen
Luka Dončić2 days ago

Luka Doncic Removed From Injury Report
LeBron James2 days ago

Listed As Probable For Game 1
Ben Sheppard2 days ago

Probable For Saturday's Game 1
NFL2 days ago

Kolton Miller Absent From Raiders' Voluntary Offseason Program
Kevin Durant2 days ago

To Houston Already Losing Steam
Lauri Markkanen2 days ago

Wants To Stay With The Jazz
NFL2 days ago

Ross Blacklock Let Go By New York
Bennedict Mathurin2 days ago

Expected To Play In Game 1 Saturday
Pascal Siakam2 days ago

Available For Playoff Opener
Tyrese Haliburton2 days ago

Returning From Two-Game Absence Saturday
Cade Cunningham2 days ago

Available For Game 1 Against Knicks
NFL2 days ago

Raiders Considering Drafting A Quarterback
Irv Smith2 days ago

Sticking With Texans
NFL2 days ago

Texans Expected To Draft Wide Receivers
Greg Dortch2 days ago

Returning To Cardinals
Mark Andrews2 days ago

Could Be Traded Soon
NFL2 days ago

Raiders, Falcons Could Have Interest In Jalen Ramsey
2 days ago

Raiders Are High On Ashton Jeanty
Rome Odunze2 days ago

To Hopefully Get More Involved
NFL2 days ago

Dolphins Could Draft A Quarterback
James Cook2 days ago

Could Stay Away From Voluntary Workouts
Jake Tonges3 days ago

Signs Exclusive-Rights Tender
Denver Broncos3 days ago

Broncos To Focus On RB Position In Next Week's Draft
Lucas Glover4 days ago

Looks To Rebound After Poor Performance
Daniel Berger4 days ago

Looking To Continue Solid Play At RBC
Sepp Straka4 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At RBC
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking To Shake Off Poor Masters At RBC Heritage
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Still Looking For Year's First Win At RBC Heritage
Maverick McNealy5 days ago

Is An Intriguing Play At RBC Heritage
Shane Lowry5 days ago

Looks To Shake Off Poor Masters Sunday At RBC Heritage
Will Zalatoris5 days ago

Eyes A Bounce-Back At RBC Heritage
Gary Woodland5 days ago

Could Add Some Surprise At Hilton Head
Sam Burns5 days ago

Hoping For Better Times At RBC Heritage
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Still Trying To Put It All Together
Aaron Rai5 days ago

Might Be That Guy For Hilton Head
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

All Or Nothing At RBC Heritage
Tom Hoge5 days ago

Still Playing Solid Heading To Hilton Head
Nick Dunlap5 days ago

Continues To Have Rough Stretch
Keegan Bradley5 days ago

Looks To Move On From Masters Performance
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Option At RBC Heritage
Patrick Cantlay5 days ago

A Strong Play At RBC Heritage
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Targets Another Strong RBC Heritage Showing
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Eyeing Victory At RBC Heritage
Max Homa5 days ago

Breaks Through At The Masters
Alexander Volkanovski6 days ago

Reclaims Featherweight Title
Diego Lopes6 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 314
Paddy Pimblett6 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Michael Chandler6 days ago

Suffers TKO Loss
MMA6 days ago

Patricio Freire Gets Dominated In His UFC Debut
Yair Rodriguez6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Bryce Mitchell6 days ago

Gets Submitted At UFC 314
Jean Silva6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 314
Dominick Reyes6 days ago

Wins Third Fight In A Row
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF