Wild Card Rankings: 2024 NFL Playoff Fantasy Football

The 2024 fantasy football season continues with the NFL playoffs! There are plenty of ways to play NFL playoff fantasy football. Check them all out by downloading the Fantrax app for free and starting up a league today! The purpose of these Wild Card rankings is to assist you with setting “one and done” lineups. In this type of NFL playoffs league, you and other managers set lineups, sometimes with similar players. However, once you use a player, you lose that player for the remainder of the NFL playoffs.

So, there is some strategy in choosing players who you expect to have a big day, but don’t expect their team to advance. Below are Wild Card rankings by position, but it’s up to you as to how you wish to construct your lineup! You don’t necessarily want to pick all of the top-ranked players as you’ll need some of them as the NFL playoffs progress. Choose wisely!

NFL Wild Card Round Rankings by Position

Rankings last updated January 9

QUARTERBACK

Seven of this season’s top-10 fantasy football quarterbacks on a points per game basis are playing in the Wild Card round. All seven are inside the top-eight of these Wild Card rankings with Justin Herbert mixing in.

I don’t need to convince you to start Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or any of the other obvious studs. The key to choosing a quarterback for the Wild Card round has more to do with which players you want to save for the next three weeks. Luckily, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff become available to us next week after their bye. That said, you can get away with starting a top ranked quarterback this week and continue on with plenty of high value options moving forward.

A common strategy I often implement in this NFL Playoffs fantasy football format is to start players from the same conference at quarterback, tight end, kicker and defense. You only need one player per week at these positions. Doing this guarantees players to start in the Super Bowl at those positions from the other conference. This is more important to consider over the next three weeks after we see how the Wild Card round shakes out, but worth keeping in mind.

RUNNING BACK

The Wild Card rankings of running backs is best discussed in tiers. Tier 1 includes Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Bucky Irving. They have the best combinations of talent, volume, and matchup. Though I predict all three to move on to the next round, Irving would be the least likely to do so if you’re looking for a big week from a potential one-and-done running back.

Kyren Williams, Josh Jacobs, and Joe Mixon are three of five running backs in Tier 2 of the Wild Card running back rankings. While the volume may be there, they’re all facing bottom-eight matchups on a fantasy points per game basis. Williams, though, has a really good chance of logging 25 or more touches. His usual backup, rookie Blake Corum, is on Injured Reserve with a broken arm. Williams averaged 25.25 touches per game in four must-win December matchups.

From J.K. Dobbins onward, the running backs begin to feel touchdown dependent going down the Wild Card rankings. If you play in half-PPR or full PPR formats, players like Jaylen Warren, Rachaad White, and Austin Ekeler are high-floor RB2 options.

The Denver Broncos backfield is tough to depend on. Jaleel McLaughlin has logged 26 total carries to Audric Estime’s 21 over the last two weeks. However, Javonte Williams has logged six targets to a combined five for McLaughlin and Estime over the same span. Williams also logged a team-high 11 targets in Week 16.

The Buffalo Bills have allowed the second-most receptions and receiving touchdowns to running backs as well as the most receiving yards to the position. You’re only playing one of these guys if you want some variance in “one and done” lineups. If you’re drafting a lineup for the entire NFL Playoffs, I like Williams as one of your last picks.

WIDE RECEIVER

More than any other position, wide receivers who rack up a ton of points but their team loses the Wild Card round are extremely valuable. Whether your league starts two or three, and has a flex spot, there are a ton of players to choose from. Getting these picks “right” to begin your NFL Playoffs fantasy football title run isn’t crucial to do in order to win, but provides a huge advantage the rest of the way.

I don’t think you will be disappointed with either Justin Jefferson or Puka Nacua in your Wild Card lineup. Both are top targets on their respective offenses and have top-12 matchups for wide receivers on a fantasy points per game basis. The Vikings specifically are the best matchup for opposing wide receivers. So, if you think the Rams will lose, then Nacua is worth that much more plugging into your lineup. It’s not a bad idea to include both, however, if you don’t think either team will advance beyond the Divisional Round next weekend.

Mike Evans will face cornerback Marshon Lattimore on Sunday night. This is a notorious rivalry. Evans has an average of 2.6 receptions and 43.6 yards per game in 13 matchups with Lattimore. However, Lattimore is returning from a hamstring injury. He’s played in just two games for the Washington Commanders, as well. If you don’t want to risk it at all, pivot to Jalen McMillan. The Bucs’ rookie has exactly five receptions in each of his last four games. He’s also scored seven touchdowns in his last five games with at least one in each. It’s hard to imagine McMillan going anywhere in this offense even with Cade Otton expected back after missing three weeks.

I don’t feel overly confident about wide receivers outside of the top-12 of these Wild Card rankings, but that’s the point. Rashod Bateman is probably the most likely of the bunch to finish inside the top-10 especially since Zay Flowers (knee) is out. Bateman is typically a boom-or-bust option. He has nine touchdowns this season on just 45 receptions. That includes four scores in his last four games on 10 total receptions. Bateman did log a 5/76/1 receiving line on eight targets last weekend with Flowers exiting early.

Keep in mind, we will have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins, and others joining the ranks next weekend.

TIGHT END

With Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta both on bye, the rest of the tight end group in Wild Card rankings is a bit lackluster. Mark Andrews sits at the top, especially with Zay Flowers (knee) sitting out. Andrews should remain the top target for the Ravens. He logged a season-high eight targets in Week 18 in which Flowers exited early. Andrews has scored 11 touchdowns in his last 12 games including one in each of his last six.

T.J. Hockenson has the best matchup amongst tight ends in Wild Card rankings. The Los Angeles Rams have allowed the second-most receptions and fourth-most yards to the position this season. Zach Ertz has the next best matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their defense has allowed the fifth-most receptions and second-most yards to tight ends in 2024. Ertz’s 91 targets this season are second only to Terry McLaurin (117) on the Washington Commanders.

All remaining tight ends have more competition for targets and/or tough Wild Card matchups. That’s not to say they aren’t worth starting. They just have lower ceilings than the top-three in my Wild Card rankings.

A tight end I believe can put up double-digit fantasy points on a losing team in the Wild Card round in Dalton Schultz. The Houston Texans rank 11th in pass attempts (33.5) per game this season. After losing Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell this season, Schultz is all of the sudden second in targets (85) behind Nico Collins (99). It’s a tough matchup hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, but the volume should be there for Schultz perhaps in a negative game script.

KICKER

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS