As we get one game closer to the Superbowl this weekend, with New England vs. Denver, I will be highlighting some players who are likely going to show up with big games for their teams.

To keep things interesting, I also will be mentioning a few players who are more under-the-radar and could perform well for daily fantasy football owners.

Here are some top DFS fantasy football plays for the AFC championship round.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Championship Round DFS Matchup Picks (AFC)

Rob Gronkowski (TE, NE)

This goes without saying, but Gronk is the top tight end option in both leagues this week. Last week there was a lot of reports out there saying he was injured, but let's be real - Gronk played 53-of-58 offensive snaps last week, so I'm going to assume he's fully healthy. Last time these two teams faced off, the Patriots didn't have Edelman and Gronk posted 88 yards with a touchdown. I say he's good for at least that same stat line this week.

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, DEN)

As surprising as this may sound, my top wideout choice this week will be Sanders for two main reasons. For starters, Sanders has a very good statistical history versus the Patriots.  In the last three matchups, Sanders has totaled 362 yards (121 yards per game), all with Manning as his starting quarterback. Sanders actually played more offensive snaps than Thomas last week, and he could this week as well. My second reason is due to his DFS price. The only other wideout I'm confident of producing is Edelman, and he's the most expensive wide receiver. If you want to save some money in your lineups, I'd go with Sanders.

Julian Edelman (WR, NE)

If Edelman wasn't so expensive, I'd go with him as my top wideout choice this week. But if we look past that, Edelman is a great DFS option for this week. Last week Brady targeted Edelman 16 times, which was double what Gronk had. When the Broncos and Patriots faced off earlier this season, Edelman wasn't available - but now that he's back, I expect another repeat from last week's offensive strategy. Edelman is pricey, but is nearly a lock to get a 100 yards if he can stay healthy for the entire game.

Championship Round DFS Sleepers (AFC)

Here are some players that could be viewed as DFS sleepers this weekend, and could post solid games:

C.J. Anderson (RB, DEN)

The next two players I'm going to nominate as DFS sleepers are the 1-2 running back punch for the Broncos. We all know that Gary Kubiak's offense is a run-first unit, and that will not change this week. Earlier this season when the Broncos faced the Patriots, Anderson posted a solid game (113 yards and two touchdowns). I'm going to call Anderson my 1A sleeper pick since he's getting slightly more snaps than Hillman (50% vs. 45% last week). I expect that the Broncos will continue mixing up a similar recipe for this upcoming matchup.

Ronnie Hillman  (RB, DEN)

My second DFS sleeper is my 1B option. Hillman comes with a cheaper DFS price tag, but will still get a decent amount of snaps and opportunities to score. In their matchup earlier in the season, Hillman totaled 59 yards with a touchdown. That stat line wasn't as productive as Anderson's, but if you are looking for a cheaper flex option then Hillman could be a great target for you.

Brandon LaFell (WR, NE)

For my super deep DFS sleeper I'm going to throw in Brandon LaFell. Last week, LaFell was the 3rd most targeted wide receiver on the Patriots with five targets. This week, the Broncos will have their hands full guarding both Gronk and Edelman. While both of those players will get their best cover guys, LaFell will be left to the coverage of the lower tier players. He's not a super sexy pick, but if you are paying top dollar for other players you could do worse than LaFell.

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