Conference Championship Rankings: NFL Playoff Fantasy Football

NFL playoff fantasy football has just two rounds left heading into the Conference Championship games! The Divisional Round gave us another epic showdown between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, heartbreak at the hands of kickers, and more! Who will rise up in the title games to help you get one step closer to winning your NFL playoff fantasy football league? Check out my rankings and analysis below to point you in the right direction.

NFL Conference Championship Rankings by Position

Rankings last updated January 26th

QUARTERBACK

Given the Buffalo Bills’ exit from the playoffs, ranking Lamar Jackson at the top of the Conference Championship rankings, without Josh Allen available, is a no-brainer. The rushing upside separates Lamar from the rest of the remaining quarterbacks in the NFL playoffs. His 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last week speaks for itself. Additionally, he averaged 21.1 fantasy points per game during the regular season with 7.0 points per game from rushing alone. It’s also worth noting the Ravens haven’t scored less than 31 points in each of their last seven home games.

On the other side of the field is Patrick Mahomes who is gearing up for his sixth-straight Conference Championship. In his five prior Conference Championships, Mahomes has averaged 303 passing yards per game and thrown for 14 total touchdowns, including exactly three passing scores in four of his five appearances.

Brock Purdy has the best matchup of any Conference Championship quarterback. He’s at home facing a Detroit Lions defense that allowed 19.4 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks during the regular season. Additionally, the Lions have allowed 24.07 fantasy points per game between Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield during their first two playoff games. Especially with Deebo Samuel expected to play, the 49ers’ offense is far more threatening than both the Rams and Bucs at any given moment.

Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense is a tough matchup for Jared Goff, especially on the road. They held Jordan Love to just 194 passing yards, picking him off twice, last week during the Divisional Round. Goff threw for 21 fewer yards per game, as well as logging eight fewer passing touchdowns, on the road this season, as well.

RUNNING BACK

Chicago Bears quarterback, Justin Fields, is the only singular player this season to rush for 70 or more yards against the Detroit Lions’ defense. Christian McCaffrey has rushed for 70 or more yards in 12 of 17 games this season. Luckily, McCaffrey is much more than a between-the-tackles runner. He’s still the best back to bank on in the Conference Championship.

Jahmyr Gibbs‘ 19 and 26 snaps in each of the Lions’ first two playoff games are both tied for his two-lowest snap totals this season. Yet, Gibbs has 182 total yards, and a touchdown in each game, on just 25 touches this postseason. If the Lions are to have a chance in the NFC Conference Championship, Gibbs needs to lead the backfield in playing time and touches.

Isiah Pacheco also has a touchdown in each playoff game. His 39 carries through the Kansas City Chiefs’ first two games make him a dependable, volume-based option for the Conference Championship. Pacheco has at least one rush for 20 or more yards in four of his last five games, including both playoff games.

Justice Hill ranks ahead of David Montgomery because I expect more touches for Hill, especially in the passing game. Montgomery is a bruiser of a back, but runs into his toughest matchup yet on the road against the 49ers. He is more touchdown-dependent in the Conference Championship than he has been this postseason.

Similarly, Gus Edwards remains a touchdown-dependent play, as well, out of the Ravens’ backfield. He’s averaging just 49 rush yards per game over his last five. Let’s not forget Lamar Jackson is a threat to lead the Ravens in carries, yards, and touchdowns on the ground in any given matchup.

WIDE RECEIVER

As the NFL playoffs progress, the options are thin at wide receiver for fantasy lineups. Amon-Ra St. Brown remains at the top for the Conference Championship rankings carrying his 33.8% combined target share from the Lions’ first two games into a battle with the 49ers. Not far behind him is Brandon Aiyuk. It sounds like Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is good to go, but I expect Aiyuk to be the top target on the 49ers’ offense against a Lions defense that allowed the third-most yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points per game to the position during the regular season. They’ve also allowed Puka Nacua and Mike Evans to each log 8+ receptions, 147+ yards, and find the end zone in their respective matchups. Aiyuk has more competition for targets on the 49ers offense, but should come close to mimicking those stat lines, especially as a deep threat.

Rashee Rice is Patrick Mahomes’ top wide receiver target so he sits third in the Conference Championship rankings. Including the playoffs, Rice’s 102 targets this season are second to only Travis Kelce’s 121 on the Chiefs. Mahomes has been here before. Here meaning the AFC title game and before meaning the previous five seasons. Even in a tough matchup in Baltimore against the Ravens, Rice should see eight to 10 targets at least.

Zay Flowers is Lamar Jackson’s top target, though on a more run-heavy Ravens team. His 22.6% target share this season hopefully prevails as he looks for his first postseason touchdown as a rookie. He has four in his last six games. If the Chiefs continue to prioritize man coverage in the Conference Championship, Nelson Agholor, who has success man-to-man, should be the next biggest beneficiary amongst Ravens wide receivers.

Without Deebo Samuel for most of last week’s game, Jauan Jennings‘ six targets tied Brandon Aiyuk amongst 49ers wide receivers. He could slide into a larger role if Deebo exits the Conference Championship early again. Joshua Reynolds is the next best number two receiver amongst the four remaining teams. His connection with Jared Goff is clear, perhaps from their time with the Rams, as his trustworthiness has yielded 11.85 fantasy points per game through the first two playoff games.

TIGHT END

Contrary to the wide receiver Conference Championship rankings, the tight end rankings are some of the best I’ve seen in a while this late in the NFL playoffs. Travis Kelce remains at the top with the Chiefs heading into their sixth-straight Conference Championship since Patrick Mahomes has taken over as the starting quarterback. His seven-game touchdown drought is over after finding the end zone twice last weekend on two of his five receptions logging 75 yards.

Again, I don’t expect Deebo Samuel to play in the Conference Championship. George Kittle often sees a big bump in usage with Deebo absent. Kittle has averaged 4.5 targets per game in those that Deebo has exited early, but nine targets per game in the two Deebo missed entirely this season. In those two games without Deebo, Kittle has 14 total receptions for 227 scoreless yards. The Detroit Lions’ defense is the best matchup for a tight end in either Conference Championship. They allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to the position during the regular season and a 5/65/1 receiving line to Tampa Bay’s Cade Otton last weekend.

Sam LaPorta‘s knee injury at the end of the regular season looked like it was going to end his rookie campaign. Instead, LaPorta has played 80% or more of the Detroit Lions’ offensive snaps in each of the team’s playoff games. He scored a touchdown on one of his three targets in the Wild Card round then hauled in nine of his 11 targets for 65 yards during the Divisional Round. LaPorta remains the second option in the Lions’ passing game alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Mark Andrews is coming off of Injured Reserve for the AFC Conference Championship. That makes choosing between him and Isaiah Likely a bit messy. Andrews’ availability means he’s 100% healthy, or as close to 100% as he can be. I prefer him to Likely if both are active, especially on a run-heavy team like the Ravens. For one reason or another, Lamar Jackson has thrown 24 or fewer pass attempts in three of Baltimore’s last four games.

KICKER

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS