2026 NFL Playoffs Power Rankings for Fantasy Football - Divisional Round Picks for FFPC Playoff Challenge 2

January 16, 2026

2026 NFL playoffs power rankings for fantasy football playoff leagues (Divisional Round). Andy ranks postseason teams with top lineup picks for FFPC Playoff Challenge 2 contests.

Even though we are just a few weeks away from crowning the Super Bowl champion, eager players can still participate in serious fantasy competitions, as the Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) Playoff Challenge 2 begins with this week’s Divisional Round matchups. This challenge consists of picking eight players, one from each remaining playoff team, and the team with the most points at the end of the Super Bowl will win the grand prize of $100,000.

Below, I will analyze my Power Rankings for the FFPC Playoff Challenge 2 and detail which players to target from each team. While managers in other fantasy formats can use these rankings, I will tailor them to align with the FFPC's scoring.

With that being said, let's take a look at which player from each of the remaining eight playoff teams managers should target in the FFPC Playoff Challenge II.

Roster Requirements and Scoring

Before we dive into the rankings, let's take a quick look at the scoring to ensure we target the layers with the highest upside.

In this competition, managers must fill a roster following these requirements:

The key emphasis in this scoring is that tight ends earn 1.5 points per reception, and players earn double points in the Super Bowl. Additionally, receivers and running backs tally 1.0 points on a reception, and QBs earn 1.0 points for every 20 yards and 4.0 points for every passing touchdown. As a result, we would prefer our QB to advance to the Super Bowl.

The full scoring details can be found here.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed a week off in the Wild Card round and open as heavy favorites over the injured San Francisco 49ers this weekend, which places them at the top of our rankings. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Seahawks enter as 7.5-point favorites, the highest mark on the slate, which suggests they should be in a great position to play in at least two games.

While savvy managers may consider selecting running back Zach Charbonnet, who has found success against the 49ers defense this season, the top selection from this team is wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Smith-Njigba enjoyed a massive breakout season in 2025, catching 119 passes for 1,793 yards and 10 scores. During the two games he faced San Francisco (Week 1 and Week 18), Smith-Njigba caught 15 passes (21 targets) for 208 yards. In fact, 124 of those yards came in their Week 18 victory over the 49ers, which earned them the top seed in the conference.

The other pick would be Charbonnet, who carries slightly more scoring upside than his backfield mate, Kenneth Walker III. Charbonnet led the way with 74 yards and a score against the 49ers in Week 18 and also added 47 yards and a touchdown against them in Week 1.

Managers should not look to target QB Sam Darnold, as several other QBs carry higher upside. Even with the high possibility of playing in at least two games, Smith-Njigba's upside is significantly higher than Darnold's.

Best Lineup Picks (In Order of Preference): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet, Kenneth Walker III, Sam Darnold, AJ Barner

New England Patriots

The Patriots will take on the Houston Texans in Foxborough on Sunday afternoon and enter as slight three-point favorites. However, with Houston's top wideout, Nico Collins, suffering a concussion and in danger of sitting out, the Patriots are in a good position to participate in at least two more games.

In their playoff opener, their offense stumbled but got the job done, taking down the Chargers 16-3. In this game, MVP candidate Drake Maye went 17-of-29 with 268 yards and a 1:1 TD:INT ratio. He continued flashing high upside as a rusher, adding another 66 yards. More importantly, Maye spread the ball around, targeting four different pass-catchers at least four times.

Given his rushing upside and lack of a true WR1, Maye is the clear top choice for New England.

Managers who are instead looking to select another high-end QB (likely the one from Buffalo) should look to select either Hunter Henry or Rhamondre Stevenson. Stefon Diggs caught just two passes last week and faces a daunting task, lining up against the Houston secondary that held DK Metcalf to only two receptions on Monday night.

Henry, on the other hand, caught three of his five targets for 64 yards and a score. Given the favorable scoring for tight ends, Henry could turn in another solid showing, especially if Diggs is contained. Stevenson saw more involvement both as a rusher and a receiver over rookie TreVeyon Henderson on Sunday night, making him the better choice in the backfield.

Best Lineup Picks: Drake Maye, Hunter Henry, Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, Stefon Diggs

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams were one of the toughest teams to analyze in the first NFFC Challenge, given their assortment of offensive weapons, but it's a bit easier in the second challenge. In their thrilling Wild Card round victory, Puka Nacua led the way, bringing in 10 of his 18 targets for 111 yards and a score. He added 14 yards and an additional score with his legs.

Stafford to Puka! The @RamsNFL are on the board first.

LARvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YkQfPDj0Oi

— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2026

In this contest, QB Matthew Stafford suffered a finger sprain. While he intends to play through it, his upside could be significantly limited. In their victory, Stafford still filled the stat sheet, going 24-of-42 with 304 yards, three scores, and one interception, but was in clear pain throughout the afternoon.

Even though Stafford has the capability of putting up 300 yards on any given week and will face a struggling Chicago defense that allowed 323 yards to Jordan Love last weekend, nearly a third of his total yards went to Nacua. Nacua's target share is too high to pass up, and in a PPR setting, it will be very challenging for Stafford to match him.

Pivot to another QB like Maye or Josh Allen and lock Nacua into a WR spot.

A contrarian pick would be running back Kyren Williams, who carried the ball 13 times for 57 yards and caught both targets for 18 yards and a score. However, when looking for pure upside, nobody on this roster can match Nacua on a per-game basis.

The potential for 2+ games from Stafford is enticing, but Nacua's upside is game-breaking, and the top QBs in the AFC have much higher rushing potential.

Best Lineup Picks:  Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, Kyren Williams, Colby Parkinson, Blake Corum

Buffalo Bills

Despite suffering numerous injuries throughout the contest, Josh Allen put the Bills on his back and led them to a victory over the higher-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars. In this game, Allen went 28-of-35 with 273 yards and a score while punching in two scores with 33 yards with his legs.

Even though he is set to face one of the league's most potent defenses with some injury concerns, Allen should be the quarterback you select. Sunday's contest was just another example of how Allen can truly take over a game and tally 30+ PPR points at will.

This season, Allen only fell under the 20.0 PPR points mark in three games. He carries an elite floor given his production in the red zone and his willingness to use his legs.

JOSH ALLEN TUSH PUSHES FOR 10 YARDS

BUFvsJAX on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/euKB0arG2m

— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

The other player to consider is star running back James Cook. Cook was shut down by the Jaguars on Sunday, totaling just 46 yards on the ground. Facing a Denver defense that is allowing the fewest PPR points to opposing RBs will not make it much easier, but given that he has scored 19.2 PPR points during Weeks 1 through 17, he should be worth considering.

The Bills march into the No. 1 seed's home as mere 1.5-point underdogs. If you believe the Bills can get the job done, select Allen with confidence, as two games of his production could be the difference between you winning or losing this competition.

Players who trust the Broncos should consider pivoting to Maye instead and targeting Cook or wide receiver Khalil Shakir (do this at your own risk).

Best Lineup Picks: Josh Allen, James Cook, Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears narrowly passed through the Wild Card round over the Packers and could find themselves in another high-scoring affair against the Los Angeles Rams, as suggested by the high 50.5 O/U. In their Wild Card victory, second-year QB Caleb Williams totaled 361 passing yards with two scores and two turnovers.

Much of the receiving work went to rookie tight end Colston Loveland. Loveland saw a team-high 15 targets and caught eight of them for 173 yards and a two-point conversion. DJ Moore and Luther Burden III each saw seven targets, while Rome Odunze, who returned from injury, saw six.

Their rushing attack struggled to get going, but D'Andre Swift still finished the game with a touchdown and 54 yards on 13 carries.

Given the projected high-scoring affair and the TE-premium scoring, it's hard not to select Loveland from Chicago. The Michigan product began to flash upside down the stretch, averaging 14.3 PPR points per game from Weeks 9 through 18. During this stretch, he scored six TDs (in 10 games) and has appeared to bring his game to another level, as shown on Saturday night.

Swift would be the contrarian play on this team, but facing a Los Angeles defense that has also allowed the 11th-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs, Loveland carries much more upside. If both offenses light up the scoreboard, Loveland should pace Chicago's pass-catchers once again.

Colston Loveland holds on for the first down 😤

GBvsCHI on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wWXk4HWIu8

— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

Best Lineup Picks: Colston Loveland, D'Andre Swift, Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, DJ Moore

Denver Broncos

Despite being the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Broncos have a tough task ahead of them in the Divisional Round and are not heavy favorites, unlike the NFC's top seed. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Broncos enter as low 1.5-point favorites on their home turf against Allen and company and are already on upset alert.

With other QBs possessing much higher upside than Bo Nix and tight end Evan Engram's near minuscule usage, the choice is between running back RJ Harvey and top wideout Courtland Sutton. When looking at this week's matchup, Harvey earns the slight edge.

In their loss to the Bills last weekend, the one bright spot of the Jaguars offense was running back Travis Etienne Jr. Etienne took 10 carries for 67 yards and brought in five targets for 49 yards and a score. Overall, the Bills have surrendered the eighth-most PPR points to opposing RBs this season, setting up Harvey for a productive showing.

From Weeks 13 through 17, Harvey totaled 19.3 PPR points per game as he took 14.0 carries per game and brought in 3.6 receptions per game.

Sutton, on the other hand, will face a tougher secondary, which has allowed the sixth-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs. The Broncos will want to keep the ball out of Allen's hands. Facing this Buffalo defense, leaning on the ground game is an easy decision.

If you believe the Broncos will take care of business, Sutton would have a slightly more favorable matchup against the Patriots in the AFC title game.

Best Lineup Picks: RJ Harvey, Courtland Sutton, Bo Nix, Troy Franklin, Evan Engram

Houston Texans

The selection from Houston greatly depends on Nico Collins' status. Collins suffered a concussion on Monday night, but if he can clear protocol, he would be the clear choice facing New England. However, if he sits out, the decision becomes much tougher.

In their opening round, rookie Woody Marks led the ground game, taking 19 carries for 112 yards and a score. This was the first time he eclipsed the 100-yard mark in an NFL game.

Even though he faces a tough New England defense that has shut down the run this season (allowing 101.7 total rushing yards per game, the sixth-lowest in the league), seeing him have success against Pittsburgh should not deter you from selecting him.

The other target is tight end Dalton Schultz. While wideout Christian Kirk stole the headlines on Monday night, Schultz should be the pass-catcher selected if Collins sits out. Schultz only brought in three of his four targets on Monday for a mere 12 yards, but remained heavily involved in the offense, seeing the third-most targets.

Over his last nine regular-season games, Schultz averaged 11.2 PPR points and 43.6 yards per game. Marks would be the preferred choice, but if you opt to target another Chicago Bear outside of Loveland, Schultz could be a sneaky tight end as the Patriots have allowed the 13th-most PPR points to the position this season.

Without Collins, it is challenging to predict this team taking down the Patriots, even with its elite defense.

Best Lineup Picks: Nico Collins (monitor injury status), Woody Marks, Dalton Schultz, C.J. Stroud, Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers will hold the bottom spot on our rankings. The 49ers pulled out a victory over the Eagles, but saw their star tight end suffer an Achilles injury in this game. They will now travel to the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks without George Kittle, and potentially wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle).

They enter the weekend as the biggest underdogs, making their player selection quite simple. There is nobody on this offense who has more upside than Christian McCaffrey with Kittle on the shelf.

In their victory, McCaffrey took 15 carries for 48 yards and brought in six of eight targets for 66 yards and two scores. While Brock Purdy could be an intriguing sleeper, with the potential of him only playing in one game and being without his top pass-catcher, McCaffrey is the safe and easy selection here.

Jauan Jennings TD PASS TO CMC

SFvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/18VxTpTKgj

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2026

Best Lineup Picks: Christian McCaffrey, Jauan Jennings, Brock Purdy, Jake Tonges, Demarcus Robinson

Sample Lineup

QB - Josh Allen, BUF

RB - RJ Harvey, DEN

RB - Christian McCaffrey, SF

WR - Puka Nacua, LAR

WR - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA

TE - Colston Loveland, CHI

FLEX - Woody Marks, HOU

FLEX - Hunter Henry, NE

An alternative would be to switch Allen for Maye (if you believe the Patriots can reach the Super Bowl), which would open up a FLEX position for Cook or Shakir.

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