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

Divisional Round NFL Matchups Analysis (Sunday) - Start/Sit

Ben Ruppert's fantasy football matchups analysis for the NFL Divisional Round weekend (Sunday). Starts and sits for fantasy football lineups based on matchups.

What's up RotoBallers. Below you will find our Divisional Playoff NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis for the 2016 NFL football season. Ben Ruppert breaks down the second half of the Divisional round matchups to help you prepare your lineups to win this week. Be sure to also check out part one of this week's matchups analysis by Pierre Camus (@pfunk00).

Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down individual matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL match-ups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

Editor's Note: New users that sign up on FantasyAces, make a $20 deposit, and enter any game will receive BOTH our full season NFL and NBA Premium Passes for free, a $119.99 value. Just email [email protected] with your new FantasyAces username - and boom, that's it! We will email you with your Premium Passes.

 

Steelers @ Chiefs - Sunday 1/15 @ 1:05 PM ET

Matchups We Love

Le'Veon Bell (RB, PIT)

After missing the first three games of the regular season, Bell had been an absolute monster for the Steelers this season. Things didn’t change with the start of the playoffs; he contributed heavily to the dismantling of the Dolphins last week. He rushed 29 times for 167 yards with two touchdowns, along with two receptions for seven yards. He will be leaned on heavily again when the Steelers play Kansas City on Sunday. Last time these two teams met in Week 4 (his first game back from suspension), Bell ran 18 times for 144 yards including five receptions for 34 yards. The Chiefs have had a decent run defense all season, but no one has really been able to totally shut out Bell, who is active in the rushing and receiving game. Even with Pittsburgh on the road, Bell will find a way to get his.

Antonio Brown (WR, PIT)

Even though Ben Roethlisberger has struggled on the road this season, Antonio Brown has not felt the same effects. Brown ended the year with 1,284 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 693 yards and six scores coming on the road (591 yards and six scores at home). The Chiefs have had a good defense overall, but allowed some big games to opposing WR1 over the final few weeks of the season including Julio Jones and Rishard Matthews. Brown scored twice in the first half when these teams met in Week 4. Even if Big Ben doesn’t put up the stats were used to, expect Brown to get the majority of the targets/yards in the receiving game.

Travis Kelce (TE, KC)

Kelce was a man on a mission over the final seven weeks of the season, helping many fantasy owners win their leagues. He averaged six receptions on eight targets for 94 yards over that span, including his Week 17 game when he caught one pass for eight yards as Kansas City rolled over San Diego. Kelce led the Chiefs in targets this season, and was fourth overall among all TE. Pittsburgh allowed him to score last time these two teams met, and over the final few weeks of the season Gary Barnidge, Dennis Pitta, and Charles Clay all met or exceeded their fantasy expectations against the Steelers. He will be heavily utilized with everything on the line for KC.

Matchups We Hate

Tyreek Hill (WR, KC)

Hill is going to be given the ball in all types of situations, but purely from a receiving standpoint this will be a difficult game for the speedster. Over the final three weeks of the season, Hill was third on the team in targets behind Jeremy Maclin and Kelce with 15. He turned those into only five receptions for 46 yards, and was catchless in Week 15 and 16. The Steelers gave up the third fewest fantasy points to the WR position during the regular season, and over the final few weeks of the year it was mainly bigger, more physical receivers doing the most damage (Terrelle Pryor, Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell). Hill will still get his rushing attempts and punt returns, where he is more than capable of taking it to the house. However, in the receiving game this one is shaping up to be a tough matchup.

Notable Players

Spencer Ware (RB, KC)

After sitting out Week 17 tending to a rib injury, Ware is set to return for the divisional round. He faded a bit down the stretch this season, so hopefully the two weeks of rest will help him get his legs back under him. He is expected to receive the majority of the touches with Charcandrick West subbing in also. The Steelers run defense looked better in the second half of the season, holding LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, and last week Jay Ajayi to below average rushing performances. Ware will need to come into this game refreshed if he stands any chance at finding production. His lock for touches keeps him as an attractive fantasy option.

 

Packers @ Cowboys - Sunday 1/15 @ 4:40 PM ET

Matchups We Love

Dez Bryant (WR, DAL)

Though he was quiet in the final game of the regular season, expect Dez Bryant to be much more involved on Sunday. By his standards this was a down year for the Pro Bowl WR, ending the year with 796 yards and eight touchdowns. However, his 15.9 YPR was the highest of his career with Dak Prescott at the helm. The Packers allowed the most receiving yards in the league this season, and the fourth most plays of over 20 yards. A long TD or two isn’t out of the question for Dez, even if the Packers looked improved last week against the Giants (with the help of a struggling O’Dell Beckham). Look for the Week 16 version of Bryant on Sunday (four receptions, 70 yards, two touchdowns), rather than what he showed in limited playing time in Week 17.

Ezekiel Elliott (RB, DAL)

Elliott is another player who got much needed rest in Week 17, after leading the league in rushing by over 300 yards. He also carried the ball a league leading 322 times, so the extra week of rest will be big for the rookie. He is coming into this week feeling fresh, and expects to receive a bigger workload than the 24 carries per game he received during the regular season. If that is the case, then Elliott (if he isn’t already) would be the top RB play this week by a landslide. No team has been able to effectively corral Elliott behind the best offensive line in football, Green Bay included; in Week 6 he ran for 157 yards on 28 carries against them. Expect another huge output on Sunday from Elliott, as the Cowboys try to take some of the pressure off Prescott.

Matchups We Hate

Christine Michael (RB, GB)

The Jordy Nelson injury will likely bump Ty Montgomery into more of a WR than a RB, leaving Michael alone in the backfield. Last week against the Giants the two split carries with Michael playing like the superior RB (4.7 YPC compared to Montgomery’s 2.5 YPC). The Cowboys have a better run defense than the Giants, mainly because they have been able to get a lead and control the clock with Elliott all season long. If the Packers defense can’t hold up and they get down early, we will likely see much more of TyMont than Michael due to his receiving abilities. Game flow will be a big indicator on which back gets more work, and things could very easily get out of hand for the Packers this week. I would avoid this running game at all costs, though in a PPR format Montgomery may be a good play.

Notable Players

Davante Adams (WR, GB)

Adams led the team in receiving last week, catching 8-of-12 targets for 125 yards and a touchdown. He was surprisingly one of the best receivers in fantasy this season, finishing as the ninth best WR in PPR formats. With Nelson out this week expect Adams to see an increase in targets, something last season he was unable to handle. He has looked much improved this season however, and seems ready to be able to handle the workload against Dallas. It’s anyone’s guess who will have the best game out of this WR corps, but with how often Aaron Rodgers will need to throw we know at least one, if not more of these guys will have a standout performance.

Randall Cobb (WR, GB)

Where has that been all season? After a season that left many fantasy owners frustrated, Cobb comes out in the wild card round and scores three touchdowns, nearly matching his total for the entire year. He hauled in five of seven targets for 116 yards in what was easily his best game of the year. Last season the Packers offense looked completely inept at times without Nelson, so we’ll see if Cobb can repeat his performance this week. Green Bay will surely need to throw plenty to keep up with the Dallas offense.

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Demarcus Robinson

Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
Jalen Nailor

In Line for WR3 Role in Minnesota
Andrew Thomas

Could Miss Start of 2025 Season
Alex Bregman

Expected to Return on Friday
Julio Rodríguez

Julio Rodriguez Won't Suit Up for Midsummer Classic
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Expected to Work Out Long-Term Extension
Bernhard Raimann

a Candidate for an Extension This Summer
C.J. Stroud

Could Sign Multi-Year Deal Before 2026 Season
Kyle Juszczyk

Says Christian McCaffrey Looks Healthy, Explosive
Kyren Williams

Showing Improved Explosiveness
Christian Barmore

"Dominant" this Spring
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF