The second round of the playoffs are set to go ahead this weekend, and if the wild card round is anything to go by then there should be plenty of drama and incredible American football to watch. The quarterback position, much like last week, is a difficult position to get right. Last week Aaron Rodgers was probably the best quarterback, but this week he faces a Cardinals defense that is solid against the pass. Your best bet this week is Alex Smith of the Chiefs when he takes on the Patriots. The Patriots are extremely good at home but their defense has been leaky the past few weeks. Combine that with Smith being the second cheapest at the position and you’re onto a potential winner.
At running back all eyes point towards David Johnson (Cardinals) to have a big week. He is the third most expensive running back but this week he has a great matchup against the Packers defense combined with a bye week to rest up. A slightly cheaper option is Eddie Lacy (Packers) in the same game after he had a solid outing last week against the Redskins. The Cardinals have a great defense against the run as well as the pass, so be wary in this one, but there’s a high potential for a big week from the former pro-bowler. Your cheapest option at running back is Steven Jackson (Patriots) although he may not be a bad idea if you want to save money. Jackson is the power back in the Patriots scheme and will get the ball on goal line carries, and even just a few yards with a touchdown would be reward enough for a guy with that low of a price tag.
Now Julian Edelman (Patriots) is the second most expensive wide receiver, but this week he should be worth it. In the PPR format Edelman is a machine due to the sheer number of catches he gets. The Chiefs rank in the bottom ten in points allowed to opposing wide receivers, so this pick just makes sense all round. Lower down then look to Emmanuel Sanders (Broncos) to have a good week against the weak Steelers defense. The Steelers are struggling with injuries all over their team, so this opens up the door for a big week from all the players on the Broncos team. The Seahawks taking on the Panthers is probably going to be the best game of the week, and in that match up look to rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett (Seahawks) to potentially break out in the passing game. Baldwin will see the coverage of the Panthers number one corner back all game, so this will open up holes for Lockett to get open and rack up some points.
Tight end is tough this week, and truly any of the players could be boom or bust. Gronkowski (Patriots) takes on the Chiefs defense that allows the fewest points to opposing tight ends in the entire league, and Greg Olsen (Panthers) plays the Seahawks that allow a lot of points to opposing tight ends but almost shutdown the tight end they played last week. Your best candidate might well be Owen Daniels (Broncos) due to how cheap he is and the Steelers defense allowing plenty of points to opposing tight ends.
Playoff football is always exciting, so get some fantasy football betting in to make it even better!