Has the end of fantasy football season got you talking weather reports with co-workers? Have no fear. Because fantasy LIVES ON in NFL.com’s fantasy football playoff challenge. Draft players from the playoff teams, and rack up multiplier points by correctly predicting which teams progress furthest. A game of wit and strategy like no other.
Here are my 11 players to target for the Playoff Challenge. For this list, I am including four WRs, three RBs, two QBs and two TEs.
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NFL.com Playoff Challenge Strategy, Advice & Players to Target (2023)
The Bills have the highest odds among any teams playing this weekend to make it to the Super Bowl, giving Josh Allen the highest probability of reaching the Big Game with that highly-coveted 4x multiplier in the playoff challenge. He’s also the No. 1 fantasy quarterback this week with the Bills boasting the highest implied team total on the wildcard slate. In two games versus Miami this season, Allen has averaged 31 points per game, 352 passing yards and three passing TDs.
The Bills will likely face the Bengals in the next round.
The Eagles may be on a bye this week, but Hurts is worth it considering Philly has the best odds among all NFL teams to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. Keep in mind that before Hurts’ injury, he ranked as the fantasy QB1 through the first 14 weeks of the season. Just be sure to pair him with a skill player with a high projection this week to make up for his zero points in the first round.
The Seahawks defense ranks fifth in most fantasy points per game allowed to RBs since Week 7. They are by far the best matchup for any RB among the remaining playoff teams. CMC rushed for 108 yards and one TD when he last played Seattle on 26 carries. On top of this, he had six catches for 30 yards on a 31% target share. He totaled over 25 fantasy points. By far the clear-cut RB1 in the playoff challenge.
No team has allowed more targets to RBs this season than the Jacksonville Jaguars. This sets up Austin Ekeler perfectly to be peppered with underneath targets from Justin Herbert, especially if Mike Williams is limited by his back injury. With LA in the playoffs in a win-or-go-home situation, I expect them to fully unleash Ekeler as both a rusher and receiver. If the Chargers win, they will likely take on the Chiefs in the next round, which is another plus matchup for the Chargers’ scrappy running back.
Drafting James Cook is a different approach, but hear me out. Like with Josh Allen, the Bills have the highest odds among all teams playing this weekend to make it to the Big Game. And what shouldn’t be lost in Week 18’s win over the Patriots was that Cook played a season-high 56% snap share and was the heavily favored back after Singletary lost a fumble. Considering we have seen Buffalo punish Singletary in the past for fumbling, Cook’s coming out party could be during the Bills’ playoff run. The Dolphins’ biggest weakness against RBs this season has been through the air, as they have allowed the second-most receptions to RBs since Week 12. In two games versus Buffalo this year, they have yielded nine catches per game to Cook and Singletary combined.
With the Ravens’ QB situation in dire straits, I feel good about the Bengals moving on into the divisional round. That means you need to roster some Bengals, with them likely taking on the Bills in a rematch of Week 17’s no-contest. My main target is wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Since he returned to the starting lineup in Week 13, he has averaged a 32% target share, 88 receiving yards and eight receptions per game. In two games versus Baltimore this season, Chase has averaged a 34% target share and over 17 fantasy points per game.
It only makes sense to pair the No. 1 quarterback with his No. 1 WR. However, you are playing the long game with Diggs, as he has been held relatively in check by the Dolphins this season, frequently catching shadow coverage from Xavien Howard. Regardless, Diggs has been the team’s most-targeted WR in the two games versus Miami with a 21% target share and six catches per game. Even if he doesn’t go nuclear in the wild card round, you’ll be glad you rostered Diggs early on so his multiplier can build as Buffalo progresses through the postseason.
You’ll want at least one Eagle on your roster heading into the divisional round, so bank the 2x multiplier with A.J. Brown on a bye week. AJB commanded a 32% target share (10 targets) and 65% air yards share (156 air yards, three deep targets) in Hurts’ first game back since his shoulder injury in Week 18.
But don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled by selecting Philadelphia’s No. 2 WR, DeVonta Smith, who has really been more of a 1B than a true No. 2 WR for the Eagles since Week 10. Brown and Smith have posted nearly identical counting and usage stats since Week 10 with Hurts at quarterback. It’s not probable that Smith out-scores Brown during the playoffs, but it’s much closer than the rostership number between the two receivers would suggest.
This one is easy folks. Travis Kelce is the best fantasy tight end and is also Patrick Mahomes’ No. 1 receiver. 49ers tight end George Kittle has obviously been on a heater with nine TDs since Week 11, but he’s gone over 30 receiving yards in just three of those games. TD regression will eventually come his way, especially with Deebo Samuel coming back into the fold. Even with one fewer game to play, Kelce remains the best bet at tight end for the NFL.com playoff challenge.
Kittle is obviously the consensus No. 1 tight end with him playing this week, but there’s reason to fade him for the other under-rostered tight end with a bye week in Dallas Goedert. DG has averaged four catches for 53 receiving yards in three games since returning from injury but just hasn’t scored yet. If Kittle’s TDs regress, rostering Goedert at a fraction of the ownership could provide massive leverage considering they play similar roles in their offenses alongside two ultra-productive WRs.
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
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