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Scott Engel's top 70 NFL playoffs fantasy football rankings for the 2026 FFPC Playoff Challenge and NFL playoff league drafts. Use his postseason rankings to win big.
Welcome to the 2026 NFL playoffs and RotoBaller’s ongoing coverage of fantasy football playoff leagues. Fantasy football is still widely available during the NFL playoffs -- including new drafts and contests forming ahead of the Wild Card Weekend games.
The NFL postseason begins with one of the most challenging and unique fantasy football playoff leagues you can register for: The Fantasy Football Players Championship (FFPC) Playoff Challenge. The setup is highly compelling, and the rewards for winning are very generous and impressive.
The format allows you to pick just one player from every NFL team. The rankings provided here are generated based on FFPC scoring and Playoff Challenge roster requirements. Players are ranked by a combination of projected production and potential to play in the most NFL playoff games.
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A full FFPC scoring, roster, and rules guide is featured here. A primary scoring point to highlight is that TEs get 1.5 points for every reception, which plays into the rankings. The ranks can also be effectively relied on for all fantasy playoff league formats. Be sure to consult our FFPC Playoff Challenge strategy primer for more tips on building lineups.
NFL Playoff Rankings Overview
For FFPC Playoff Challenge purposes, you should navigate down the rankings list after you select one player from each position/team to the next available players from other teams. For example, if you pick Matthew Stafford, you can then skip the rest of the Rams and move on to Seahawks players if you see them as the next best team to advance to the Super Bowl and log the most games.
Diversifying your picks via multiple entries is recommended, and this comprehensive list will serve you well when doing so.
Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings No. 1-40
1. Matthew Stafford: The Rams are the team that could potentially play the most games in the 2026 NFL playoff bracket, and he is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. Stafford finished with a career-best 46 TD passes and has the best receiving duo in the league.
2. Jalen Hurts: If any team can take out one of the NFC West powers in the playoffs, it is Philadelphia. The Eagles are returning many key players from their run to Super Bowl LIX and have a good shot of playing at least three games in this year’s postseason. Hurts is an obvious dual threat and a proven fantasy producer, even if the passing totals are sometimes disappointing.
3. Puka Nacua: Arguably the best overall fantasy pick among NFL players for the postseason. The tough decision when starting to build your FFPC playoff team is whether to go with Stafford or Nacua. I will lean toward the quarterback in a tight decision here, as it is the most important position in fantasy football playoff leagues. But going with the wide receiver is a play really not to be debated much, either.
4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba: He and Nacua are obviously the best two non-QB picks, and JSN is unquestionably the top pick from a Super Bowl favorite. If you roster Stafford, pairing him with Smith-Njigba is a good alternative. But the Seahawks might play three games as opposed to possibly four for the Rams.
5. Josh Allen: He is obviously the best pure fantasy quarterback in this season’s playoff field. Patrick Mahomes is not around to torpedo his chances again, either. The AFC seems wide open, and Allen could finally earn his seemingly elusive first Super Bowl appearance.
6. Trevor Lawrence: The Jaguars are very hot at the right time, and Lawrence is playing at the highest levels of his career. An eight-game winning streak heading into the playoffs could be the fuel for an AFC Championship run. Sometimes, a Super Bowl team will be the one that peaks during the playoffs.
7. Drake Maye: He would win the 2025 NFL MVP Award if not for Stafford and emerged as a clear leader on the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Maye finished as fantasy QB2 overall, but he could play one less game than Allen overall.
8. James Cook: The NFL’s 2025 rushing leader is the second-most-important player on a potential AFC champion that could play four games. Cook simply doesn’t get mentioned enough as an elite NFL RB, but savvy fantasy players know better.
9. Saquon Barkley: If the Eagles get back to the Super Bowl, Barkley will be a main reason why. He did score 15-plus PPR points in the final three weeks of the fantasy football regular season. Barkley will have to keep his levels of play consistently elevated to make a difference in the NFL playoffs and the FFPC Playoff Challenge.
10. George Kittle: Considering that tight ends are scored higher in the FFPC Playoff Challenge, Kittle is unrivaled as the best pick at the position and from the 49ers. The TE position is also thinner fantasy-wise during the playoffs than in the regular season. Kittle might be one of the most widely rostered players in the FFPC Playoff Challenge. It would not be a major shock if the 49ers played more than one game.
George Kittle's athleticism on this TD at 250 pounds is unbelievable 😳@gkittle46 | @49ers pic.twitter.com/5jrcHI4SEj
— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2025
11. A.J. Brown: Started to look more like his regular self down the stretch, and either Brown or Barkley is the best pick from the Eagles if you pass on Hurts.
12. Courtland Sutton: The No. 1 wide receiver for the Broncos is easily the best fantasy pick for the FFPC Playoff Challenge. The young Broncos offense will be looking for Sutton to lead it to a possible AFC Championship run.
13. Brock Purdy: This is an all-ceiling, no-floor pick that could make the difference against a large tournament field. The 49ers could either win the NFC Championship or be eliminated in the first round. Purdy was looking absolutely superb before Seattle cooled him off in the regular-season finale.
14. Kyren Williams: He remains the lead running back for the Rams and is the best option for rushing TDs on the offense that led the league during the regular season. Williams will be the primary drive finisher as an RB on a team that has a good shot to play four games.
15. Travis Etienne Jr.: The Jaguars' lead RB finished the fantasy regular season with two 20-plus-point games during the final four weeks. He leads the ground game of a team that is absolutely sizzling as the playoffs begin.
16. Christian McCaffrey: If the Niners can at least reach the NFC Championship Game, you know McCaffrey will be at the forefront of the charge. But as we indicated with Purdy, he could also be one and done.
17. Colston Loveland: He seemed to be gaining strong momentum at the end of the regular season, and with premium FFPC TE scoring, Loveland is a viable flex option.
18. Caleb Williams: The Bears have the potential to play three playoff games before their playoff push ends in the NFC Championship Game. Williams is also capable of a spike week or two.
19. Stefon Diggs: Might be better in real life than fantasy football at this point in his career, but could still be the No. 1 WR on an AFC champion. If you don’t roster Maye, Diggs is one of the best picks from the Patriots.
7th 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣-yard season for Stefon Diggs 👏 pic.twitter.com/2sbm9HtkCO
— z - New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 5, 2026
20. Nico Collins: The unrivaled top fantasy pick from the Texans for the FFPC Playoff Challenge, but the Texans could also be done after two postseason games.
21. Rhamondre Stevenson: He finished the regular season with a flourish and should be the primary TD source at RB for the Patriots during the playoffs.
22. Zach Charbonnet: He is the much better TD option among Seattle’s two top RBs, and if Charbonnet gets into a good rhythm at any time, a 90- to 100-yard outing is possible.
23. Bo Nix: Denver is the No. 1 seed in the AFC and has the best odds to make the Super Bowl among teams in its conference. With Nix, though, you are counting more on games played and cannot expect much of a statistical ceiling.
24. Sam Darnold: The Seahawks may indeed win their fourth NFC Championship, and Darnold can have a better-than-adequate outing in any week of the playoffs. But he lacks the upside of other fantasy football playoff quarterbacks.
25. Kenneth Walker III: The Seattle running game is hitting its stride as the playoffs open, but Walker’s TD output is unreliable with Charbonnet being the main goal-line RB.
26. Ricky Pearsall: San Francisco preserved him for the playoffs, and if the 49ers play more than one game, Pearsall could turn out to be a good flex pick.
27. Hunter Henry: Should be a prime TD target for Maye during the AFC playoffs.
28. DJ Moore: He is unquestionably the top WR for the Bears, but is unreliable for fantasy purposes. Still, he could make many important plays for Chicago during the postseason.
29. Davante Adams: He is expected to be back for the playoffs, but is the third-best pick on the best team to pick players from in the FFPC Playoff Challenge.
30. Jauan Jennings: He is very TD-dependent but is also a highly trusted target for Brock Purdy.
31. Jakobi Meyers: Might become more of a consistent playmaker for the Jaguars during the AFC playoffs.
32. DeVonta Smith: Faded during the second half of the regular season but certainly could re-emerge for better performances during the playoffs.
33. TreVeyon Henderson: He has the potential to deliver an impressive performance or two, but sharing the backfield with Stevenson makes Henderson very risky.
34. RJ Harvey: The Denver rookie certainly is a dual threat, yet he has not shown enough statistical promise.
35. Parker Washington: A possible sleeper play in the FFPC Playoff Challenge, Washington finished as a top-10 fantasy WR during the final three weeks of the NFL regular season, including Week 18.
.@Jaguars WR Parker Washington discussed winning the AFC South, QB Trevor Lawrence, and the culture under HC Liam Coen.
📻 https://t.co/1Le6pnfavd#Jaguars | #DUUUVAL | @CPW11_ pic.twitter.com/WmsvktUoPl
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 6, 2026
36. D'Andre Swift: A boom-or-bust type for the NFL playoffs who shares work that cuts into the chances of a big week.
37. Dallas Goedert: He is purely TD-dependent, yet may be relied on regularly for end-zone visits during the NFC playoffs.
38. Luther Burden III: A complete boom-or-bust option, you will be taking a chance that Burden’s breakout stretch will be coming during the NFC playoffs.
39. Colby Parkinson: Tyler Higbee has returned, but Parkinson is enjoying his best NFL season and will continue to be a TD target for Stafford during the NFL playoffs.
40. C.J. Stroud: If the Texans win the AFC Championship, defense will surely key their run. Stroud won’t provide satisfactory numbers in the FFPC Playoff Challenge.
Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings No. 41-70
41. Woody Marks: He doesn’t seem to do much other than run into packs of defenders for short gains. But Marks is versatile and has some TD potential.
42. Khalil Shakir: You should avoid the Buffalo WRs, but if you insist on one, this is obviously the only pick to make.
43. DK Metcalf: Will return for the playoffs, but could be done after one game, and was very inconsistent this season.
44. Josh Jacobs: He is a great regular source of TDs, but he was banged up at the end of the regular season and might not play more than two games, if that much.
45. Omarion Hampton
46. Blake Corum
47. AJ Barner
48. Dalton Schultz
49. Dalton Kincaid
50. Christian Watson
51. Kyle Monangai
52. Ladd McConkey
54. Troy Franklin
55. Justin Herbert
56. Brian Thomas Jr.
57. Kenneth Gainwell
58. Jordan Love
59. Jaylen Warren
60. Dawson Knox
61. Brenton Strange
62. Jayden Higgins
63. Pat Freiermuth
64. Romeo Doubs
66. Rashid Shaheed
67. Aaron Rodgers
68. Rico Dowdle
69. Tyler Higbee
70. Bryce Young
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Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
