Fantasy footballers looking for a postseason challenge are most likely involved in what’s called a “One and Done” league. In these formats, managers can pick a player once in the entirety of the playoffs, and the team with the most points after the Super Bowl wins.
I’m involved in such a league, and I had a bit of a “mid” week in the Wild Card Round. Here’s the lineup I submitted. I’m required to start one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, one tight end and one flex starter (running back, wide receiver or tight end).
QB – Jayden Daniels, Commanders (22.3 points)
RB – Saquon Barkley, Eagles (14.3 points)
WR – Nico Collins, Texans (25.2 points)
TE – Mark Andrews, Ravens (5.2 points)
FLEX – Puka Nacua, Rams (10.1 points)
This lineup suffered from the lack of production I received from Nacua and Andrews, and obviously I was hoping for much more from Barkley. In the Divisional Round, I created the lineup listed below thinking the Commanders and Ravens would both lose their games.
QB – Lamar Jackson, Ravens (18.1 points)
RB – Derrick Henry, Ravens (14.4 points)
WR – A.J. Brown, Eagles (3.4 points)
TE – Zach Ertz, Commanders (13.8 points)
FLEX – Terry McLaurin, WR, Commanders (18.7 points)
I started Jackson and Henry and the Ravens did lose to Buffalo, but neither player had great games. Brown’s 3.4 fantasy points killed me, too, so I’m now fighting an uphill battle in the next two weeks.
So, let’s move on to the Conference Championship Round, where I have a few difficult lineup choices to make and it starts with the quarterback position. Since I’ve already used Daniels, I have to stick with the NFC and use Jalen Hurts. That’s the safe play, as I’ll be able to use Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl Round. I’m starting James Cook at running back, as I’ve already burned Barkley in the previous round.
I love Xavier Worthy this week against the Bills, as he’s emerged as the clear top option at wide receiver for Mahomes. I’m going with Travis Kelce at tight end, simply because he’s the best option and I need points. The decision might ultimately hurt me in the next round, but I must chase point production. My flex starter is DeVonta Smith, who is the next best bet based on my Conference Championship Round rankings, which you can find here.
Final Lineup
QB – Jalen Hurts, Eagles
RB – James Cook, Bills
WR – Xavier Worthy, Chiefs
TE – Travis Kelce, Chiefs
FLEX – DeVonta Smith, Eagles
Good luck all!
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fabs' One And Done Fantasy Football Playoff Lineup For The NFL's Championship Round.