Playoff Rankings for Fantasy Football

The NFL regular season is over, but that doesn’t mean your fantasy season needs to end. There are a heap of fantasy leagues available for the NFL playoffs and today I’m going to take you through my rankings and draft advice. 

There are many styles of playoff leagues and it’s important to understand what type you’re in. The core type I’ll be focusing on requires you to select a team of players, then you’re unable to change the team once the playoffs start. This naturally means you want to draft the players who will play the most games in the playoffs. There are, of course, leagues which allow waivers and substitutions and that will increase the value of players on worse teams. But you do ultimately want your best players to be playing in more games in these leagues too. Finally, there are some leagues where you can use each player for one game only. I will be releasing individual league rankings later in the week and I would recommend reading those for these types of leagues.

Be sure to check out Razzball Football’s updated rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF

Be sure to check out the latest tools on Razzball.com: Slot vs. Wide PPG Allowed | WR Slot vs. Wide| DEF Targets Allowed | Home vs. Away | Wins vs. Losses | TD Tool | RB Zone vs. Gap Rushing | DEF Zone vs. Gap Rushing |

Want more data-driven stats and tools to help you win your fantasy league? Check out the Razzball Fantasy Football premium subscriptions for $0.00 upfront with our 3-day free trial!

In order to accurately estimate total fantasy output for each player, I’ll be referring to two components:

Firstly, I estimated the PPG (points per game) for each player. For some, this is their PPG from the season. For others that have had a change in situation, I’ve estimated there PPG myself. Note that I’ve used PPR scoring.

Secondly, I estimated the number of games I expect each team will play this playoffs. This is based off the odds from online bookmakers. Note that this is the statistical expected number of games, not an estimate for exactly how many games I think a team will play. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in either of these calculations and would like to know more. This is the list of expected games for each team. Naturally, the Broncos and Seahawks are lower than some other lower ranked teams, as they can’t possibly play four games and will face tougher opponents.

Quarterbacks:

With the Rams expected to go deep into the playoffs and Matthew Stafford on fire this season, the veteran is the obvious top pick in playoff leagues. Drake Maye and Josh Allen likely score more points per game, but are less likely to play as many games. Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence and Brock Purdy are the other high upside guys, though I would be wary with Purdy, who is unlikely to make it past the Eagles. I’ve seen Bo Nix and Sam Darnold ranked high in some places, but I would avoid them if possible. They’re not only limited to three possible games, they play behind strong offenses and are unlikely to have league-winning performances.

Running Backs:

The Rams have been clear that they’ve been using Blake Corum to rest Kyren Williams for the playoffs. Don’t expect the 50-50 split we’ve seen at times this season; Williams will be getting the vast majority of touches and is my favorite. Christian McCaffrey, meanwhile, would need to get past the Eagles to have any chances of paying off. While that’s possible, giving him high upside, he’s a huge risk and you can probably find better value elsewhere.  James Cook tops a number of stud runners who should dominate their backfields. But Cook is the one I would target over RJ Harvey, Saquon Barkley, Travis Etienne and Omarion Hampton, who are all a tier below. The most interesting options are the Patriots backs though. While TreVeyon Henderson likely goes earlier in many leagues, I think, especially in PPR, that Rhamondre Stevenson is the player to own. He’s getting a fair share of the goal line work and most of the receiving downs. In Half-PPR, they’re closer.

Wide Receivers:

Puka Nacua is the clear stud option across all positions in playoff leagues, standing head and shoulders above every other player. You’d have to be very contrarian to not select him if the opportunity presents itself. His combination of the second highest PPG (behind McCaffrey) and the highest expected games makes him a truly elite prospect. Davante Adams is a tier below but may slide under radars and is a great upside option given his touchdown potential. Meanwhile Jaxon Smith-Njigba sits somewhere in the middle, lacking the ceiling of Nacua but being similarly safe. Nico Collins and AJ Brown are the only other receivers who get me excited, as they have high scoring upside in teams that could reasonably make the Super Bowl. Everyone after this point is much of a muchness and in a draft league, I’d be focussing on other positions if Stefon Diggs and Courtland Sutton are gone.

Tight Ends:

Tight ends regularly have huge playoff games, and it’s often not the studs who succeed. For that reason, I’d be inclined to go for the cheaper options here. While George Kittle has upside, I’m terrified by how low his floor is. Colby Parkinson is likewise an upside option, but the impact of Tyler Higbee and Davante Adams’s returns remains unclear. As a result, I’ll likely target the cheapest of the Top 8, with Brenton Strange a viable desperation pick.

Kickers/DSTs:

As always, you should take DSTs and kickers last in drafts, if they’re included at all. I would take a DST first then a kicker in general but see what’s available and use the point projections as a guide.

As always, if you have any questions, comment below or message me on Instagram @TheFantasyFirstDown. You can also check out my rankings at ffdfantasyfootball.com and you can find my long-form videos on the Fantasy First Down Youtube channel.

Good luck in your playoff leagues. If you have any questions, please comment below or contact me on any of my social media accounts.