X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL Playoff Picks: Wild-Card Weekend

After one of the wildest Week 17's in recent memory and what felt like an extremely short season, we've finally made it to the playoffs. The AFC is very weak. The wild card teams have no shot at reaching the Super Bowl. The four division champs do. Over to the NFC, all six teams can make the Super Bowl.

Nothing will surprise me there. Even a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. We've seen three Cavs-Warriors finals in a row, two consecutive Alabama-Clemson championships, North Carolina basketball reach the championship two years in a row, and the Penguins win back-to-back Cups. Is it so out fo the realm to get a Falcons Patriots rematch.

I will be attempting to seek perfection in the impossible playoff challenge; the immaculate 11-0 against the spread perfect postseason.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

CHIEFS -9 vs. Titans

Saturday 4:30

All season long, I've consistently said the Titans are so overrated with an anemic offense straight from the 90's. Their offense is run, run, then a 5-yard pass way short of the sticks. That's partly due to them being 18th in yards per play. Marcus Mariota took a giant step back this year. His yards per attempt dipped from 7.6 to 7.1, and his passer rating fell from 95 to 79. More shocking was the fact that Deshaun Watson, who played in SIX games, threw for 19 touchdowns, while Mariota threw for 13 in 15 games. That wasn't a typo. You read that correctly. It's even more scary that Mariota's threw 13 touchdowns to 15 picks. Additionally (from The Action Network), he "has performed substantially worse on the road this season (8 TDs/4 INTs at home vs. 5 TDs/11 INTs on the road)."

Now the Chiefs defense has struggled at times, but they step up when it counts. They've played exceptional in primetime, not including the Thursday night road game in Oakland where they had four days rest; they held Tom Brady, Kirk Cousins, and Phillip Rivers to under 300 passing yards and a combined 7.20 opponent Y/A. That was also Brady's second-worst passer rating all year and Rivers's two worst games. The've created multiple turnovers in their past four games, are second in turnover differential, and seventh in takeaways. That doesn't bode well for a Titans team who's given the ball away an average of twice on the road (29th).

Worried about the Chiefs offense? Don't be. They've turned the ball over the least amount of times in the entire league. That's in part because Alex Smith had a career year. He threw for 4,000 yards for the first time ever, set career highs in touchdowns, 26, passer rating, 104.7, and Y/A, eight, with five interceptions. It wasn't like he was throwing dinks and dunks like Mariota was. The Chiefs were second in yards per play, fifth in points per game, 26, and tied for third in 40+ yard plays (the Titans had six such all year).  The Titans have a defense ranked 21st in DVOA, and as much as they've taken care of their cake schedule, they will struggle to slow down Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt.

Andy Reid gets a bad knack for the playoffs, and rightly so. His postseason record is 11-12, and he'll do something stupid with the clock. That you can count on. However, Reid has made the playoffs 12 times in his career, and only four of those times has he lost in the team's playoff opener.

The Chiefs may struggle to stop the run, but I don't see how the Titans can keep pace with the Chiefs in Arrowhead. I'll lay the points.

Prediction: Chiefs 30 - Titans 13

 

Falcons +6.5 @ RAMS

Saturday 8:00

Doesn't the line seem two points too high? Is Vegas begging us to bet the Falcons or are they completely miscalculating this game?

The Falcons have struggled on offense this year and something is off. For a team that scored 30 points in 12 games last season, excluding the playoffs, they've broken 30 just four times. How are they only ranked 15th in points scored, one season after scoring a league leading 34.1 points, the most since the Broncos averaged 36.4 in 2013. The next best team last was second with 29.3 points. To compare that to this year, the Rams led the league with 29.9 and the Pats were second with 28.6.

Since 2015, the Falcons are 4-2 on the road on the West Coast. The two losses have been by a combined three points. One of those games was the non pass-interference on Julio Jones in Seattle. They are a dome team so playing in a warm stadium is enormously beneficial. Their entire offense relies on Matt Ryan's playmaking ability. Last year was an anomaly. Just check his career stats. He will need to play as well as he did last season for them to compete. Atlanta has the players, talent and experience. Can they execute against a top-10 defense coached by Wade Phillips?

The Rams offense reliably heavily on Todd Gurley. He accounted for 36% of the Rams offense. Atlanta's head coach, Dan Quinn, was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks in 2013 and 2014 when they went to back-to-back Super Bowls. He knows how to coach a defense and will have a game plan to slow down Gurley. The Rams also love throwing the deep ball and are extremely effective doing it. They rank seventh in 20+ yard pass plays and fifth in 40+ yard plays. However, the Falcons have allowed the eighth least 20+ yard plays, and only four 40+ yard plays, ranking fourth. The Rams are the young fun team that kind of reminds me of the Eagles under Chip Kelly in 2013 when they won the NFC East. LeSean McCoy had a great season like Gurley. Nick Foles had an incredible year like Goff. Kelly was the young hot coach of the NFL, like McCoy. And, they ended up losing in the first round to the Saints at home.

This could come down to a field goal and the Rams lost their stud kicker Greg Zuerlein a couple weeks ago. I think the Falcons win this one a really tight battle.

Prediction: Falcons 30 - Rams 27

 

JAGUARS -9 vs. Bills

Sunday 1:00

This game will be determined if LeSean McCoy plays or not. He's "accounted for more than 32% of the Bills' yards this season (3rd highest percentage in the NFL).

The Bills are the worst ranked playoff team per DVOA with a total DVOA rank of 21, offensive, 26, and defensive, 15.

What makes me nervous is the Bills are celebrating like they've made it to the Super Bowl. It's their first trip to the playoffs in 18 seasons, first this millennium, so naturally the fans and players are going to be hyped. But will they head into Sunday with the mindset of happy to be there, or wanting to prove they were a deserving playoff team?

The Jags number one ranked pass defense will feast on Tyrod Taylor. They were second in sacks and Taylor takes 3.01 seconds to get rid of the pass, bottom three in the league. Simply put, they have the best defense in the league. We all know that. But did you know they were the number one rushing team in the league averaging 141 yards per game. That's not good news for a Buffalo defense that was bottom five against the run allowing 124 yards per game. They will also struggle to get pressure on Blake Bortles. The Bills had 27 sacks, bottom five in the league. Even after all those stats, I still believe the defensive minded Sean McDermott will load up to stop the run, and make Bortles beat them.

Earlier in the week I liked the Bills to cover, but this stat was the telltale sign. The Jags are fifth in first quarter points while Buffalo is 31st.  The Jags will get off to an early lead, and let the defense take control.

And, if for somehow, it's a close game, maybe we'll get a Music City Miracle repeat. Too soon?

Prediction: Jaguars 23 - Bills 10

 

SAINTS -7 vs. Panthers

Sunday 4:30

This will be the third time these teams will meet this season. The Saints defeated the Panthers in Week 3, 34-13, and in Week 13, 31-21. New Orleans is a top-five offense predicated on outside runs and 5-yard screens to Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. The major factor of this game will rely on Carolina setting the edge? Can they contain Ingram and Kamara and force the Saints to play a different game than they're used to? The Panthers are 27th in open-field tackling and that's not good news for them. However, they were eighth against the run this year. Carolina is not good against the pass. Since their bye in week 11, they've allowed Robbie Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, Adam Thielen, and Mike Evans to go over 100 receiving yards. They are simply awful in the secondary. If they can't stop the run, they will have no chance to slow down Michael Thomas.

Will the real Cam Newton please stand up? This is the main other factor for this game. He's thrown for over 300 yards twice all year and that was in Week 5 and 6. He's thrown the most interceptions since his rookie year and had his lowest Y/A, 6.7, in his career. But if there's one player who can be all of a sudden play like a star, it's him. He is so mercurial. You just never know which Newton you will get.

Eight of the Saints wins have been by double-digits, the other three were by nine, eight and three. It's terrifying to go against Newton in the playoffs, but the Saints will get out to an early lead. They've scored the second-most first quarter points, 6.7, and nine over their last three, while Carolina was 18th with with 3.7. The Saints will get out to an early lead, Newton will get off to a slow start and never recover in a raucous environment.

Preditciton: Saints 34 - Panthers 24

Best of luck!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Triston Casas

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Patellar Tendon
Coby Mayo

Promoted To Major Leagues
Yordan Alvarez

Scratched With Hand Inflammation
Clarke Schmidt

Scratched On Saturday With Side Soreness
Miro Heiskanen

Unavailable For Game 7
Riley Greene

Makes History, Homers Twice In The Ninth Inning
Jason Robertson

Will Not Play In Game 7
Connor Hellebuyck

Continues To Struggle Away From Home
Cal Raleigh

Slugs Two Homers, Collects Five RBI On Friday
Cole Perfetti

Nets A Power-Play Goal In Game 6 Loss
Jordan Binnington

Outstanding At Home Again
Cam Fowler

Notches 10th Postseason Point
Philip Broberg

Records Two Points In Friday's Win
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Hits Two More Homers, Cubs Trounce Brewers
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks Sign 17 Undrafted Free Agents
Seattle Seahawks

Elijah Arroyo Recovered From Knee Injury
Hunter Greene

Shuts Down Nationals, Fans 12 Over Six Innings Pitched
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Add Nine Rookie Free Agents
Philadelphia Eagles

Jihaad Campbell Not Taking Part In Rookie Minicamp
Cleveland Browns

Jerome Ford Agrees To Pay Cut
Green Bay Packers

Jaire Alexander Not Participating In Voluntary Offseason Work
Green Bay Packers

Christian Watson Working Hard In Recovery From Torn ACL
Triston Casas

At The Hospital, Expected To Be Out A While
Fernando Tatis Jr.

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Forearm
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Diagnosed With Ankle Sprain
Merrill Kelly

Exits Early With Trainer On Friday
Triston Casas

Injures Knee, Taken Off On Stretcher
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Exits Early On Friday After Hit-By-Pitch
Damian Lillard

Undergoes Successful Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Leaves Early On Friday With Leg Injury
George Kirby

Mariners "Hopeful" They'll Have George Kirby In Late May
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

To Be Out "A While" With High-Grade Strain
Walker Buehler

Lands On Injured List
Sebastian Aho

Misses Practice For Personal Reasons
Corey Seager

Could Return This Weekend
Eric Robinson

Misses Friday's Practice
Oliver Bjorkstrand

Recovering From Surgery
Victor Hedman

Nursing Broken Right Foot
Brandon Hagel

Diagnosed With Concussion
Tyler Tucker

To Remain Out On Friday
Nikolaj Ehlers

Expected To Return Friday
Salvador Perez

Not Playing On Friday
San Francisco 49ers

Ross Dwelley Returns To 49ers
San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco Adds D.J. Humphries
Connor Wong

Activated From Injured List And Starting On Friday
Green Bay Packers

Collin Oliver Signs Four-Year Deal With Green Bay
Philadelphia Eagles

Smael Mondon Jr. Inks Rookie Deal With Philly
Deiveson Figueiredo

Returns To Action
Cory Sandhagen

Set For UFC Des Moines Main Event
Bo Nickal

Set For Co-Main Event
Reinier de Ridder

An Underdog At UFC Des Moines
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks To Win Second Consecutive Fight
Santiago Ponzinibbio

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Marcos

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Carolina Panthers

Ulcerative Colitis Kept Hunter Renfrow Out Of NFL In 2024
Montel Jackson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Sign First-Rounder Tyler Booker To Four-Year Deal
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Trying To Get Something Done With Trey Hendrickson?
Carolina Panthers

Nothing Guaranteed Beyond 2025 For Adam Thielen
Cameron Smotherman

Set For His Second UFC Bout
Serhiy Sidey

A Favorite At UFC Des Moines
Mason Jones

Set To Open Up UFC Des Moines Main Card
Jeremy Stephens

Returns For UFC Des Moines
Mikko Rantanen

Finishes Game 6 Loss With Four Points
Roope Hintz

Notches Four Points In Losing Effort
Cale Makar

Enjoys Three-Point Night Thursday
Nathan MacKinnon

Collects Three Points In Crucial Win
Mark Stone

Continues To Heat Up Thursday
William Nylander

Leads The Way In Game 6 Victory
Connor Brown

Tallies Three Points In Series-Clincher
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Don't Exercise Zion Johnson's Fifth-Year Option
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Don't Pick Up Fifth-Year Option For Kaiir Elam
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Expect Trevon Diggs To Start Camp On The PUP List
Tennessee Titans

Titans Don't Pick Up Treylon Burks' Fifth-Year Option
Green Bay Packers

Packers Don't Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Quay Walker
Isaiah Stewart

Out On Thursday
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Add Collin Johnson To Wide Receiver Room
Amen Thompson

Fills Stat Sheet In Game 5 Victory
Stephen Curry

Held To 13 Points Wednesday Night
Anthony Edwards

Struggles To Score In Series-Clincher
Rudy Gobert

Comes Up Big In Game 5 Victory
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Battles Back Issue In Game 5 Loss
LeBron James

Undecided On Future
Derrick Jones Jr.

Fine For Thursday
Maxi Kleber

Available For Lakers Debut Wednesday
Jonathan Kuminga

Out With An Illness
Jimmy Butler III

Ready To Play Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

In Danger Of Missing Another Game Thursday
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Build Off Last Week's Runner-Up Finish
Gary Woodland

Could See Success At CJ CUP
Cam Davis

Making First Appearance At TPC Craig Ranch
Sam Burns

Could Be Due For A Great Week At TPC Craig Ranch
Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall