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When constructing your fantasy football playoff rosters, the key steps are to project how the conference brackets will play out and how many games each team might play. Such exercises are essential in the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) Playoff Challenge, where you can only select one player from every team.
My NFL Playoff Power Rankings, built for purposes of the FFPC Playoff Challenge, will help you set the ideal lineup and can be used as a guide for other fantasy football playoff formats, including drafts. Roster requirements and scoring for the FFPC Playoff Challenge can be found here.
The NFL Playoff Power Rankings feature scouting reports, player picks, and projected outlooks for how many games each team might play. Teams are ranked by their potential to reach the Super Bowl and play in the most postseason games.
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Fantasy Football Playoff League Power Rankings And Best Picks: FFPC Playoff Challenge
1. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco is obviously loaded on offense, more than any other team in the playoffs. It is very hard to pass on Christian McCaffrey as the one player to roster from the 49ers in the FFPC Playoff Challenge format unless you submit more than one entry. George Kittle may be the best option at tight end in a TE premium format when you consider that he has a good shot to play more games than Travis Kelce. Brock Purdy should be a steady option at QB, but I would rather opt for upside with WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel when considering the Niners.
Projected Playoff Road: The 49ers are the favorite to win the NFC, although the Rams could give them a tough battle if they upset Detroit. The Eagles have a good chance of being the first opponent for San Francisco and then the Niners might host Dallas or Detroit. I don’t think any opponent is going to knock off San Francisco at home, although surprises are what make the playoffs fun. The 49ers have the best shot to give you three guaranteed games and bonus FFPC points in the Super Bowl.
Best Lineup Choices (In order of preferred selections): Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy
2. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens’ top offensive players outside of the QB have less upside than those on the 49ers. Lamar Jackson is the apparent standout pick from the roster as a dual threat with a legitimate shot to make a deep playoff run for the first time in his career. Baltimore has convincingly knocked off other top teams it faced during the regular season.
With records changing after the early window, here is the updated version of this:
Lamar Jackson has 10 QB wins vs teams .500 or better, the most in the NFL.
Jackson has an NFL-high 21 pass TD vs teams .500 or better.
Jackson leads the NFL with 3,824 offensive yds & 26… https://t.co/ji6epvIhw3
— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) January 1, 2024
Zay Flowers played well late in the season. Isaiah Likely also flashed some of his promise in the regular season's final weeks, but a Mark Andrews potential return clouds his outlook for the full playoff schedule. Gus Edwards will be a consistent source of TDs and regularly mediocre yardage totals. Odell Beckham Jr. has valuable postseason experience, but he does not offer a solid statistical floor.
Projected Playoff Road: The Browns might be the most challenging possible opponent in the AFC Divisional Round. I think this Ravens team is too good to be one and done though, and expect Baltimore to host the conference title game. Buffalo seems to be the biggest threat heading into the playoffs, but I will bet on Jackson to be less prone to a big mistake than Josh Allen while giving Baltimore a defensive edge. While a postseason upset loss is possible at any time, the Ravens have already shown that they can extinguish other top teams and I expect them to do so in the AFC playoffs.
Best Lineup Choices: Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Isaiah Likely, Gus Edwards, Odell Beckham Jr., Mark Andrews, Justice Hill, Rashod Bateman
3. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo won its final five games and looks to be back in its best possible form in time for the postseason. Allen is the top fantasy QB in the playoff field overall, but his turnovers could prevent the Bills from playing more than three games. The potential for Buffalo to play four games cannot be dismissed. James Cook’s versatility positions him as a top-five RB playoff option. Stefon Diggs slumped late in the season and Gabe Davis will miss the Wild Card game with a knee injury. Buffalo’s pass-catchers have upside, yet they are also unreliable.
Projected Playoff Road: The widespread expectation is that the Bills will dispose of the Steelers in the Wild Card round. Allen can either take this team to the Super Bowl or be a cause of a second-round exit. If you take a tournament approach to beating the FFPC playoff field though, the Bills have the best shot to play four games, and that means four games from the No. 1 QB in fantasy football.
Ultimately, I project that Buffalo and Baltimore both play in three postseason games, and I give Allen the nod over Jackson if both teams are going to play an equal amount of games. Jackson cannot play in four games, so that is an obvious advantage for Allen when deciding between the two QBs.
Best Lineup Choices: Josh Allen, James Cook, Stefon Diggs, Dalton Kincaid, Khalil Shakir, Gabe Davis, Leonard Fournette
4. Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott is a top-four QB in the fantasy playoff field, and CeeDee Lamb is the elite WR with the best chance to play in three games, and possibly four. Tony Pollard has been a disappointment overall, yet he can post decent totals, and Brandin Cooks is a regular TD threat. The Dallas defense gives it a good chance of advancing deep into the playoffs, Mike McCarthy’s postseason experience can be valuable. He has seen both highs and lows and can learn from past postseason failures to guide his team to a possible NFC Championship Game berth.
Projected Playoff Road: The Cowboys will have the luxury of two playoff games at home, where they will be very hard to knock off. After eliminating Green Bay, matchups vs Philadelphia or Detroit will be formidable draws, but the Eagles are very flawed and the Lions are postseason newbies. You can get three playoff games out of Dallas, which means big numbers from Lamb overall.
Best Lineup Choices: CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson
5. Cleveland Browns
The combination of a reborn Joe Flacco and a solid defense can propel the Browns to at least two playoff games, and possibly three. David Njoku looks like the best overall TE in the fantasy playoff field and he can be an essential piece in a TE premium format. Amari Cooper should be recovered from a heel injury and he can explode in any week. Jerome Ford is not an exciting fantasy option, yet he is versatile and can provide decent production.
Projected Playoff Road: The Browns are simply the better team than the Texans and should advance to a matchup with Buffalo or Baltimore. They know the Ravens well, but the defense might have a better chance of making a difference against Buffalo.
Best Lineup Choices: David Njoku, Amari Cooper, Jerome Ford, Joe Flacco, Elijah Moore. Kareem Hunt
6. Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City’s offensive issues are well documented, but resiliency, defense, and championship experience certainly give the Chiefs a decent chance to reach the AFC Championship Game again. Mahomes doesn’t project to be the best QB in the postseason field this time, and Kelce frustrated so many fantasy players during the regular season. Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice might be the best upside plays from the Kansas City offense.
Projected Playoff Road: Postseason experience and cold temperatures can provide an advantage in the Wild Card round vs. Miami. A trip to Buffalo in the second round may put an end to the season, as these Chiefs won’t be able to effectively trade offensive punches with the Bills.
Best Lineup Choices: Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco, Patrick Mahomes, Rashee Rice, Justin Watson
7. Detroit Lions
The Lions have significant offensive ceiling players at every lineup spot. Their projected postseason path, as I outline below, isn’t easy to forecast. Detroit can outscore any opponent though. Amon-Ra St. Brown is the best pure WR pick outside of Lamb, and Jahmyr Gibbs has much upside as a fantasy playoff RB. Sam LaPorta may miss at least one game, so he may be faded by a good chunk of FFPC playoff participants.
Despite missing two games, Jahmyr Gibbs has the most 20+ yard runs in the #NFL this season with 10.
⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/c4wXn3pRcF
— LionsFanReport (@lionsfanreport) January 5, 2024
Projected Playoff Road: The Lions could be done after one game, as the Rams are very capable of ruining the playoff party in Detroit. Dan Campbell’s guys could also make a run to the NFC Championship Game. A trip to Dallas in the second round can lead to a lot of offensive fun.
Best Lineup Choices: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Jared Goff, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams
8. Philadelphia Eagles
The defending NFC Champions stumbled badly down the stretch, yet they can still beat Tampa Bay and then possibly perform respectably in the Divisional Round. You can get two quality performances out of Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown. Dallas Goedert is more appealing in the FFPC TE premium format.
Projected Postseason Path: I think Philadelphia will bounce back to beat Tampa Bay, and then it might be over, although anything could happen in a matchup with the Cowboys if that does end up being the second-round draw.
Best Lineup Choices: Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith (check status, ankle), Dallas Goedert, D'Andre Swift
9. Miami Dolphins
Injuries have been an issue recently, especially on defense. On the offensive side, Miami might get Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert back for the Wild Card round. Tyreek Hill and De'Von Achane will be the obvious ceiling plays in any given week. The Dolphins’ struggles against teams with winning records in the regular season point to not more than two games played.
Projected Playoff Road: A win at Kansas City is possible if the offense can perform effectively enough in projected adverse weather conditions. The season would not likely last past a date with the Ravens.
Best Lineup Choices: Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, Jaylen Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa
10. Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams managers: pic.twitter.com/j7XZ5r8kJE
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) December 31, 2023
Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have won a Super Bowl together. Experience and a deep crew of playmakers give the Rams a true chance to beat Detroit in the NFC Wild Card round. Getting two games out of Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams could be a good boost in a fantasy playoff field. The defense, however, might prevent a surprise run past two playoff games.
Projected Playoff Road: A potential win at Detroit, and then maybe a gutsy exit at San Francisco.
Best Lineup Choices: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Demarcus Robinson
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay WRs can have a lot of success against the Philadelphia secondary. Rachaad White will battle hard for his yardage as a runner and receiver.
Projected Playoff Road: The Buccaneers are capable of eliminating the skidding Eagles in the first round. That would mean two games from Mike Evans and White, which is very appealing.
Best Lineup Choices: Mike Evans, Rachaad White, Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield
12. Houston Texans
They will be fun to watch and you can get at least one good game from Nico Collins.
Projected Playoff Road: No more than one game if they can upend the Browns.
Best Lineup Choices: Nico Collins, C.J. Stroud, Noah Brown (check status, back), Devin Singletary, Dalton Schultz
13. Green Bay Packers
The Packers are feisty and won’t be an easy out. Jordan Love, Dontayvion Wicks, and Jayden Reed offer some statistical promise.
Projected Playoff Road: A trip to Dallas for a respectable defeat.
Best Lineup Choices: Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Jordan Love, Aaron Jones
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
In the FFPC Playoff Challenge, you can fade two teams, and this should be one of them.
Projected Playoff Road: Quickly to the offseason, although Mike Tomlin did another good job of piloting this team to the postseason.
Best Lineup Choices: Najee Harris, George Pickens, Jaylen Warren, Diontae Johnson
Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.
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