We have two games for the Conference Championships. The AFC will have the top two seeds represented: No. 1 seed Denver Broncos vs. No. 2 seed New England Patriots. The NFC will be a NFC West rematch between the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks and No. 5 seed Los Angeles Rams.
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, New England is a 4.5-point favorite on the road with the total at 42.5. Seattle is a 2.5-point favorite at home with the total at 46.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks ($6,300)
I really wanted to go Drake Maye here but playing in Denver is tough and the Broncos have a great defense. I could make an argument for or against each of the four quarterbacks, but I decided to be a coward and go with Stafford. And the reasons why are because Stafford is a grizzled veteran with tons of playoff experience. In addition, he’s intimately familiar with the Seahawks defense, Sean McVay is a great coach and the Rams have a bevy of offensive weapons. In the two regular season head-to-head meetings with Seattle, Stafford went for 33.9 and 13.2 FPTS. I could see this matchup being low scoring, but the total is higher than the AFC game and I think the chances for a back-and-forth are higher for this game.
Other Options – Drake Maye ($6,000), Sam Darnold ($5,500), Jarrett Stidham ($4,500)
Running Back
Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams ($6,200)
With Zach Charbonnet out with an injury, Walker will be the bellcow for this one. Against San Francisco last week, Walker rushed 19 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns while catching all three targets for 29 yards. I’m not expecting the same type of production, especially in the touchdown department, but the workload will likely be similar with a good chance for more volume.
Other Options – Rhamondre Stevenson ($6,000)
Wide Receiver
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks ($9,000)
Can Nacua disappoint? Absolutely. He’s scored fewer than 20 FPTS in two of the last four games and the Seahawks limited him to 15.3 FPTS back in Week 11. That said, it’s highly likely that Nacua will see double-digit targets and he can access a ceiling that no one else on the slate can match. In Week 16, Nacua finished with 49.5 FPTS against the Seahawks.
Other Options – Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($8,000), Davante Adams ($6,000), Stefon Diggs ($5,800), Rashid Shaheed ($4,100)
Tight End
AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams ($4,000)
Barner didn’t do much the last two weeks, but that’s because he wasn’t needed. Granted, he’s third on the team in targets with 68, but in two games against the Rams this season, Barner finished with 15 and 17.1 FPTS. The Rams allowed seven touchdowns to tight ends during the regular season, tied for the seventh-most.
Other Options – Hunter Henry ($4,800), Colby Parkinson ($3,500), Evan Engram ($3,300)
Defense/Special Teams
Broncos DST vs. New England Patriots ($2,500)
I’m not in love with this play because I think the passing volume could be muted on both sides in this one. That said, this unit is the cheapest, at home and Drake Maye is still a young quarterback. The last two playoff games have been in the comfort of Gillette Stadium, so it’s within the range of outcomes that the hostile crowd in Denver rattles him. Not saying it’s probable, especially since he’s been so good all season and the Broncos could struggle on offense, but it’s possible, especially since Denver is second in pressure rate, first in sacks by a wide margin and Maye took 49 sacks during the regular season, tied for the sixth-most. The ownership could be low as well since many will pay up $1,000 for the Patriots DST to target Jarrett Stidham.
Other Options – Patriots DST ($3,500), Seahawks DST ($3,300), Rams DST ($2,800)
