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When building your fantasy football playoff lineups, the first step is to forecast how far you believe every team can potentially advance. This exercise is highly critical in the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) Playoff Challenge, where you can only choose one player from every team.
To help you build out your squad, I have constructed my NFL Playoff Power Rankings for purposes of the FFPC Playoff Challenge. You can also use this as a loose guide for any fantasy football playoff format. But because you can pick only one player per team, and the FFPC format boosts TE scoring to 1.5 points per reception, my rankings of players by team is customized specifically for FFPC Playoff Challenge purposes. I do not rank purely by best player. It is done for roster context and what will fit best as I analyze teams in descending order. Roster requirements and scoring for the FFPC Playoff Challenge can be found here. My full Top 50 rankings for the FFPC Playoff Challenge are featured here.
The Power Rankings include my scouting reports on each team from NFL perspectives, so you can then further judge the postseason potential of every team in the field and then make your picks accordingly. Each team breakdown features my preferred picks from that roster.
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FFPC Playoff Challenge Power Rankings and Team Scouting Reports
- Kansas City Chiefs: The last team to repeat as a Super Bowl champion was the Patriots in 2004. The last team to repeat as a conference champion was the Seahawks in 2014. With the league’s best offense and a decent defense (22.6 points per game allowed, 16 INTs, tied for second) the Chiefs have the same formula that helped them win it all last season. In the FFPC Playoff Challenge format, the big question here is which player do you prefer most from the team? Travis Kelce gets the edge because of the extra emphasis on tight end scoring. Patrick Mahomes is second because quarterback is arguably the most important position in fantasy playoff formats. Tyreek Hill’s upside puts him third. Sammy Watkins’ impressive play during the playoffs last year has to be remembered at this point of the NFL season. Best Choices (in preferred order): Kelce, Mahomes, Hill, Chiefs Defense, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Watkins
- Green Bay Packers: The Packers topped the NFL with 48 TD passes and Aaron Jones leads a ground attack that averaged 132.4 yards per game. There may be no defense capable of stopping Aaron Rodgers in the postseason, as he has recaptured his best form. The run defense is more respectable than last year’s playoff team. The secondary is strong, making this team a tough out because of how explosive they are on offense and the fact that they have a Top 10 defense. The Pack may prove to be a more complete team than some are pegging them to be. Best Choices: Rodgers, Jones, Adams, Robert Tonyan
- Buffalo Bills: They lack a quality running game and the defense is middle of the pack overall. But Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs have them looking like a Super Bowl contender sooner than many of us expected. The Bills also have registered 15 INTs and 11 fumbles (third in total takeaways), so creating turnovers could be a big key to a deep run. The odds are very strong that Buffalo makes it to the AFC Championship game. Sean McDermott is my pick for Coach of the Year. Allen and Diggs are the obvious premier picks, yet John Brown is healthy and Tyler Bass is a top-level kicker, too. Best Choices: Diggs, Allen, Brown, Bass, Gabriel Davis
- New Orleans Saints: We know what the offense is capable of when all the key guys are available to play, and it looks like that will be the case for the Wild Card Round. The defense could be a big key to Sean Payton and Drew Brees returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years. New Orleans ranks fourth in total defense and fourth in total takeaways (26). The Saints tied for the league lead in INTs with 18. Alvin Kamara could be the key to controlling the clock in an NFC title game showdown with the Packers. Best Choices: Kamara, Michael Thomas, Brees, Will Lutz, Saints Defense, Jared Cook
- Seattle Seahawks: Seattle had one of the league’s top offenses in the first half of the season, and the best defenses in the league in the second half. As they enter the playoffs, the Seahawks look like a more traditional Pete Carroll team, with a good defense and reliance on Russell Wilson to win games late, as he did in Weeks 16 and 17. The running game is not as outstanding as it was in the Super Bowl years, but the wide receiver duo looks like the best in team history. The deep ball should return for the playoffs, but Brian Schottenheimer and Wilson will pick their spots with it. DK Metcalf has shown he can shine on the playoff stage and Tyler Lockett finished the regular season with a promising performance. Led by Jamal Adams and Carlos Dunlap, the defense surged to finish with 46 sacks and the unit has strong fantasy playoff appeal. Best Choices: Metcalf, Seahawks Defense, Tyler Lockett, Chris Carson, Wilson, Jason Myers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady seems to be dialed into postseason mode as the playoffs open, and the Buccaneers have an easy path to the second round. The receiving corps is so deep and may be the best Brady has ever worked with. Ronald Jones has been determined to quiet the critics and a strong postseason showing would only make them retreat further. As with Kansas City, you have to give strong consideration to taking the TE first with this team. The defense is tied for fourth in the league with 25 takeaways. It was also tied for third with 49 sacks. If this is the fourth best team in the NFC, though, it points to just how much more difficult the conference will be to forecast than the AFC. This team has great depth in terms of FFPC choices. Best Choices: Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans (pending health), Chris Godwin, Ronald Jones, Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Buccaneers Defense.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: All the overall numbers say this team is great on defense, yet injuries really robbed the unit of its true form late in the regular season. But Pittsburgh will get a lot of key pieces back for the Wild Card Round. The offense relies on its deep receiving corps and a battle-tested Ben Roethlisberger. But the running game, long a signature of the franchise, is suspect. The Steelers are still capable of a trip to the AFC title game, as they have a good head coach and the defense can spur a postseason win or two. The offense ranks 25th, though and can be predictable at times. You can’t count Pittsburgh out even though they are a notch below Kansas City and Buffalo. Best Choices: Diontae Johnson, Steelers Defense, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, James Conner, Eric Ebron
- Baltimore Ravens: This is where the pool starts to drop off. Baltimore is playing better as the postseason opens, but Lamar Jackson has yet to win a playoff game and the team is still not built to trade offensive punches or play catch-up. An AFC title game appearance is not impossible, though. Best Choices: J.K. Dobbins, Mark Andrews, Justin Tucker, Marquise Brown, Lamar Jackson
- Los Angeles Rams: The defense can take Los Angeles past the Wild Card round, and the WR corps is strong. But the QB spot will prevent a three-game run. Best Choices: Robert Woods, Rams Defense, Cooper Kupp, Cam Akers
- Cleveland Browns: The Browns have been a great story, but they may be one and done. The first round draw against Pittsburgh caps some fantasy playoff upside. Best Choices: Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Rashard Higgins, Kareem Hunt, Austin Hooper
- Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry can obviously lead postseason wins, but the team’s defense could point the way to a quick playoff exit. The Ravens are also thirsty for playoff revenge this weekend. Best Choices: Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, Corey Davis, Ryan Tannehill, Jonnu Smith
- Indianapolis: The opening round matchup with Buffalo is too tough. Philip Rivers has never won a big game of note, either. Best Choices: Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Rodrigo Blankenship, T.Y. Hilton
- Chicago: One of two teams you should leave out of your player pool, as you are only allowed one player from 12 teams. David Montgomery and Allen Robinson are the obvious picks, and Mitchell Trubisky is the gusty one.
- Washington: If you want to get the mood of this team, you can refer to what Eddie Murphy said in Coming to America: “I am very happy to be here!” Antonio Gibson is the best choice, but Logan Thomas and J.D.McKissic are interesting differentiators.
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