Fantasy Football Rankings & Tiers. Divisional Round
It is time to make those tough football decisions for the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. Whether your playing DFS, Playoff best ball or any other playoff contest, we have you covered.
Below you’ll find positional rankings, player analysis, betting totals, and implied points for every game on the slate.
Find all of our positional rankings here.
Fantasy Football Rankings & Tiers – Divisional Round
Last updated: 10:00 pm, Friday, January 20th. Please refer to our Rankings page for updates!
Quarterback
| Tier | Pos Rank | Player | Opp | Game Total | Spread | Team Total | PPG |
| 1 | QB1 | Jalen Hurts | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 26.8 |
| 1 | QB2 | Patrick Mahomes II | vs JAC | 53.0 | -8.5 | 30.75 | 25.9 |
| 1 | QB3 | Josh Allen | vs CIN | 48.0 | -4.5 | 26.25 | 24.4 |
| 2 | QB4 | Joe Burrow | at BUF | 48.0 | 4.5 | 21.75 | 22.3 |
| 3 | QB5 | Brock Purdy | vs DAL | 46.0 | -3.5 | 24.75 | 11.3 |
| 3 | QB6 | Dak Prescott | at SF | 46.0 | 3.5 | 21.25 | 18.5 |
| 3 | QB7 | Trevor Lawrence | at KC | 53.0 | 8.5 | 22.25 | 18.3 |
| 4 | QB8 | Daniel Jones | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 18.4 |
Tier 1 – Jalen Hurts
Hurts was the No. 1 weapon in fantasy football, averaging 26.8 points per contest this season. The third-year QB delivered 22-plus points in a tantalizing 11 of 15 opportunities thanks to a unique blend of high-end passing and rushing upside. He leads the NFL in designed rush attempts by a QB (24%) despite missing two games and ranks No. 3 in passing YPA (8.1).
The Eagles are 7.5-point favorites over the Giants in an NFC East matchup, with Philadelphia carrying the second-highest team total on the slate. This season, no team has led by four-plus points on a higher percentage of their plays than the Eagles.
The average NFL team leads on 24% of snaps, but the Eagles led more than double that at a whopping 50%. Heavy leading scripts haven’t slowed Hurts down – he averaged 27.3 points in games when he led by four-plus points on 50% or more plays.
Hurts struggled against the Giants' backups in Week 18 in his first game back from a shoulder injury, which could cause some to doubt his No. 1 rank this weekend. However, zooming out to see the larger picture, New York plays the most man coverage in the NFL and has a bottom-five PFF coverage grade. Look for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to exploit mismatches early and often in this one.
In the first matchup with New York, the third-year QB delivered 214 passing yards and two TDs, plus 77 yards and a TD on the ground on his way to 30.4 fantasy points.
Hurts ranks three spots ahead of industry consensus as my No. 1 QB for the Divisional Round.
Additional QB Notes & Movers:
- Tier 1 – Patrick Mahomes shredded the Jaguars for 331 yards and four TDs via the air and 39 yards on the ground in Week 10. The matchup projects for the highest game total in the Divisional Round, and most of the points are sitting on the Kansas City side, with a 30.8-point team total as 8.5-point favorites. Expect the pass-heavy Chiefs to remain pass-heavy in what could be their healthiest skill position game in months if Mecole Hardman (questionable) returns to action. Mahomes is a high-end QB1, per usual.
- Tier 3 – Dak Prescott shook off the rusty game against Washington to light up the Buccaneers for 305 passing yards and one TD. He also tacked on another score and 24 yards on the ground on a season-high seven attempts. However, Prescott had two-plus receivers with a step or more of separation on 16 of 37 dropbacks, leading to 166 yards and three TDs. We can’t expect the same sort of looks against a defensive unit with a top-five PFF coverage grade (89.8), but for Dallas to defeat San Francisco, it will likely have to come through the air – no team allows fewer yards on the ground per game in non-overtime play (78.2). Prescott is a mid-range QB1 on a small slate.
Running Back
| Tier | Pos Rank | Player | Opp | Game Total | Spread | Team Total | PPG |
| 1 | RB1 | Christian McCaffrey | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 21.2 |
| 1 | RB2 | Saquon Barkley | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 17.8 |
| 2 | RB3 | Travis Etienne Jr. | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 12.5 |
| 2 | RB4 | Joe Mixon | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 15.9 |
| 2 | RB5 | Jerick McKinnon | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 11.7 |
| 2 | RB6 | Miles Sanders | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 13.3 |
| 2 | RB7 | Tony Pollard | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 16.5 |
| 3 | RB8 | Isiah Pacheco | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 7.7 |
| 3 | RB9 | Ezekiel Elliott | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 13.2 |
| 3 | RB10 | James Cook | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 6.3 |
| 3 | RB11 | Devin Singletary | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 11.0 |
| 3 | RB12 | Elijah Mitchell | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 6.5 |
| 4 | RB13 | Samaje Perine | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 9.3 |
| 4 | RB14 | JaMycal Hasty | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 5.4 |
| 4 | RB15 | Kenneth Gainwell | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 5.2 |
| 5 | RB16 | Kyle Juszczyk | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 4.1 |
| 5 | RB17 | Matt Breida | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 3.1 |
| 5 | RB18 | Boston Scott | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 2.5 |
| 5 | RB19 | Ronald Jones II | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 1.4 |
| 5 | RB20 | Nyheim Hines | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 4.6 |
| 5 | RB21 | Jordan Mason | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 2.6 |
Tier 1 – Christian McCaffrey
We now have five data points with McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell playing in the same game, and it clearly impacts McCaffrey’s role.
| Week | Snaps | Rush Att | Routes | Targets | TPRR | SDD Snaps | i5 Att | LDD Snaps | 2MIN Snaps | PPR |
| 10 | 65% | 34% | 73% | 21% | 23% | 58% | 50% | 100% | 0% | 17.7 |
| 11 | 66% | 25% | 93% | 25% | 26% | 50% | 0% | 100% | 0% | 17.6 |
| 12 | 63% | 35% | 69% | 17% | 23% | 57% | 0% | 92% | 22% | 8.9 |
| 18 | 48% | 29% | 59% | 16% | 19% | 29% | 50% | 55% | 100% | 16.9 |
| WC | 74% | 48% | 82% | 7% | 7% | 71% | 33% | 100% | 100% | 21.6 |
McCaffrey averages 34% of rushing attempts in games with Mitchell and 58% in games without, which impacts fantasy production. CMC averages 9.3 fewer fantasy points per game in contests with Mitchell. Most of this is due to a dramatic drop in rushing yards (54.6 vs. 92), but Mitchell also poached a red-zone receiving TD in the Wild Card Round.
In a condensed slate, McCaffrey still pulls down the top RB ranking, but the likelihood of him finishing as the RB1 on the slate is reduced. That makes him someone we can feel more comfortable pivoting away from in DFS and other contests when seeking leverage.
His current rushing prop is 65.5 (-110) on BetMGM. The under represents a 6.5% edge versus his average with Mitchell.
McCaffrey is a high-end RB1 this weekend, but don’t expect the 25.8 point-per-game version we saw without Mitchell playing.
Tier 2 – Miles Sanders
Sanders erupted for 31 and 28.5-point performances in Weeks 12 and 14, getting fantasy players excited about his upside. However, since then, he averaged a pathetic 5.4 points per game. That is what we call a boom-bust RB2, folks!
On the positive side, the 28.5-point outburst was against the Giants, who allow more rushing yards per game (138) in non-overtime than any other defense remaining.
Sanders could certainly flop in the Divisional Round, but his upside is undeniable – especially at $5,700 on DraftKings and as a third-round selection in Underdog Playoffs Return contests like The Gauntlet. Use code LIFE to get a 100% first deposit match for up to $100!
Starting with Jalen Hurts + A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith + Sanders isn’t a bad way to kick off a draft. The veteran RB also makes sense on Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes builds, where you could be sitting in a great position if Buffalo or Kansas City square off in the Super Bowl.
Sanders is a boom-bust RB2 with No. 1 overall potential against the Giants.
Tier 2 – Tony Pollard
Pollard is the most explosive RB on the Cowboys, but he faces the No. 1 run defense in the NFL. The 49ers allow only 78 rush yards per game in non-overtime play.
The best path for the electric back to come through is in the passing game, where San Francisco’s heavy zone looks can create opportunities for RBs. However, we saw Ezekiel Elliott handle more of the two-minute offense last weekend.
| Week | Snaps | Rush Att | Routes | Targets | TPRR | SDD Snaps | i5 Att | LDD Snaps | 2MIN Snaps | PPR |
| 1 | 55% | 32% | 32% | 5% | 13% | 50% | 0% | 55% | 50% | 4.2 |
| 2 | 39% | 36% | 36% | 24% | 54% | 20% | 100% | 40% | 60% | 19.8 |
| 3 | 44% | 39% | 29% | 0% | 0% | 40% | 0% | 30% | 0% | 10.5 |
| 4 | 39% | 29% | 39% | 9% | 17% | 50% | 0% | 36% | 0% | 1.8 |
| 5 | 41% | 22% | 21% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 0% | 27% | 0% | 14.6 |
| 6 | 40% | 42% | 34% | 6% | 17% | 11% | 0% | 17% | 17% | 7.2 |
| 7 | 65% | 38% | 55% | 8% | 14% | 75% | 20% | 50% | 0% | 12.9 |
| 8 | 53% | 48% | 39% | 4% | 9% | 75% | 0% | 57% | 100% | 33.7 |
| 10 | 87% | 67% | 70% | 10% | 12% | 100% | 0% | 92% | 100% | 21.7 |
| 11 | 54% | 39% | 56% | 21% | 33% | 38% | 50% | 40% | 100% | 36.9 |
| 12 | 59% | 46% | 33% | 7% | 25% | 33% | 0% | 77% | 0% | 8.1 |
| 13 | 41% | 34% | 42% | 10% | 21% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 24.6 |
| 14 | 58% | 34% | 60% | 13% | 20% | 50% | 0% | 70% | 52% | 22.2 |
| 15 | 55% | 48% | 37% | 17% | 38% | 67% | 50% | 45% | 100% | 14.6 |
| 16 | 53% | 32% | 58% | 23% | 32% | 0% | 0% | 60% | 0% | 14.0 |
| 18 | 43% | 28% | 44% | 3% | 5% | 50% | 0% | 50% | 50% | 1.9 |
| WC | 58% | 47% | 43% | 10% | 19% | 33% | 0% | 64% | 36% | 11.9 |
| YTD | 49% | 37% | 41% | 10% | 20% | 47% | 23% | 50% | 48% | 15.5 |
Three of Pollard’s top-five performances have come when his route participation eclipses 50%. The fourth-year RB averages 26.9 points in those contests.
Pollard is a boom-bust mid-range RB1 on the four-game slate.
Additional RB Notes & Movers:
- Tier 2 – Jerick McKinnon could have more backfield company this weekend. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in the 21-day practice window, and there is a chance he will play. McKinnon may have solidified himself as an indispensable piece of the offense by now, but it is worth noting that he averaged 6.1 fantasy points in seven games with Edwards-Helaire. McKinnon already lives on thin margins thanks to big plays in a split backfield with Isiah Pacheco, but the offense's upside and big-play ability have kept him afloat. McKinnon is a mid-range RB1 on the slate, but he carries a lower floor if CEH plays.
- Tier 3 – Elijah Mitchell averages 10 points in contests with Christian McCaffrey. He doesn’t have a huge role, but 28% of rushing attempts isn’t bad either in a run-first offense with big scoring potential. The second-year RB is a boom-bust Tier 3 RB.
Wide Receiver
| Tier | Pos Rank | Player | Opp | Game Total | Spread | Team Total | PPG |
| 1 | WR1 | Stefon Diggs | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 18.6 |
| 1 | WR2 | Ja'Marr Chase | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 18.3 |
| 1 | WR3 | A.J. Brown | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 17.9 |
| 1 | WR4 | CeeDee Lamb | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 17.8 |
| 2 | WR5 | DeVonta Smith | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 15.1 |
| 2 | WR6 | Tee Higgins | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 15.8 |
| 2 | WR7 | Deebo Samuel | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 13.7 |
| 2 | WR8 | Christian Kirk | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 13.8 |
| 2 | WR9 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 12.0 |
| 2 | WR10 | Brandon Aiyuk | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 13.6 |
| 2 | WR11 | Zay Jones | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 12.8 |
| 2 | WR12 | Gabe Davis | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 11.8 |
| 3 | WR13 | Isaiah Hodgins | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 11.1 |
| 3 | WR14 | Tyler Boyd | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 10.3 |
| 3 | WR15 | Darius Slayton | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 9.9 |
| 3 | WR16 | Kadarius Toney | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 5.6 |
| 3 | WR17 | Michael Gallup | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 8.0 |
| 3 | WR18 | Richie James Jr. | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 8.8 |
| 4 | WR19 | Isaiah McKenzie | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 7.7 |
| 4 | WR20 | Marvin Jones Jr. | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 7.5 |
| 4 | WR21 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 7.3 |
| 5 | WR22 | Quez Watkins | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 5.1 |
| 5 | WR23 | T.Y. Hilton | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 7.6 |
| 5 | WR24 | Khalil Shakir | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 3.4 |
| 5 | WR25 | Cole Beasley | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 1.9 |
| 5 | WR26 | Noah Brown | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 7.5 |
| 5 | WR27 | Jauan Jennings | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 5.4 |
| 5 | WR28 | Justin Watson | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 3.2 |
| 6 | WR29 | Jamal Agnew | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 5.0 |
| 6 | WR30 | Trenton Irwin | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 7.6 |
| 6 | WR31 | Ray-Ray McCloud III | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 3.6 |
| 6 | WR32 | Skyy Moore | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 2.7 |
Tier 1 – CeeDee Lamb
The third-year WR has eclipsed 16 fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games. Of WRs with at least 250 routes this year, Lamb ranks eighth in PFF receiving grade (86.2), 10th in YPRR (2.35), and 10th in TPRR (25%) – all career highs.
The 49ers' pass defense is a solid unit, but they have struggled to cover slot WRs, allowing the seventh-most yards per game (85) to the position. Lamb operates from the slot on 63% of plays, and the Cowboys love to use motion to protect him. If Dallas is going to hang with San Francisco in this game, Lamb must be a centerpiece.
The Cowboys’ go-to WR is a top-four option in the Divisional Round.
Tier 2 – DeVonta Smith
Smith exploded over the second half of the season, averaging 18 points over his last nine games – up from 12 over his first eight. The Dallas Goedert injury put more pressure on Smith to come through, and he delivered in a big way. Things haven’t slowed down since Goedert’s return either – Smith has averaged 21.8 points.
Smith had eight targets in each of his last two outings against the man-heavy Giants secondary and averaged 15.6 points. He should see plenty of opportunities in the Divisional Round and carries slate-breaking upside against the worst-graded PFF coverage unit in the playoffs (55.3).
Smith comes in four spots ahead of industry consensus in my overall ranks and one spot ahead in the WR ranks.
Additional WR Notes & Movers:
- Tier 2 – JuJu Smith-Schuster averaged a disappointing 5.1 points over the last three games, leaving us wondering where the 22.4 and 18.8-point outings from Weeks 14 and 15 have gone. The Chiefs are a spread-it-around offense outside of Travis Kelce, and Smith-Schuster isn’t immune to these sorts of stretches. However, he is the second-most involved player from a route participation standpoint, and Jaguars allow the most passing yards per game (252) in non-overtime play on the slate. Smith-Schuster has high-end WR1 upside.
- Tier 2 – Gabe Davis draws a tough matchup against a top-four Bengals coverage unit, but we saw the downfield target blowup for a huge game in this spot last postseason. With Josh Allen returning to health, Davis’ ADOT is back up to 19.2 yards over the last three games, and he leads the Bills with a 27% target share. The latter is likely to regress, but Davis carries big upside once again in a pass-first offense with a bomb-friendly QB.
- Tier 4 – Marvin Jones Jr. delivered a 91% route participation in the Wild Card Round after failing to eclipse 80% since Week 5. The 32-year-old WR could be in for an expanded role during the playoffs. His 16% TPRR suggests he isn’t the player he once was, but more routes can’t hurt, making him a viable cheap option in DFS and playoff contests. Jones is a low-end WR2 for the Divisional Round slate.
Tight End
| Tier | Pos Rank | Player | Opp | Game Total | Spread | Team Total | PPG |
| 1 | TE1 | Travis Kelce | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 19.2 |
| 2 | TE2 | George Kittle | vs DAL | 46.0 | -4.0 | 25.00 | 13.0 |
| 2 | TE3 | Dalton Schultz | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 9.7 |
| 2 | TE4 | Evan Engram | at KC | 53.0 | 9.0 | 22.00 | 10.6 |
| 2 | TE5 | Dallas Goedert | vs NYG | 48.0 | -7.5 | 27.75 | 11.9 |
| 2 | TE6 | Dawson Knox | vs CIN | 49.0 | -5.5 | 27.25 | 9.0 |
| 3 | TE7 | Hayden Hurst | at BUF | 49.0 | 5.5 | 21.75 | 8.0 |
| 3 | TE8 | Daniel Bellinger | at PHI | 48.0 | 7.5 | 20.25 | 6.8 |
| 4 | TE9 | Noah Gray | vs JAC | 53.0 | -9.0 | 31.00 | 4.2 |
| 4 | TE10 | Jake Ferguson | at SF | 46.0 | 4.0 | 21.00 | 4.7 |
TE Notes & Movers:
- Tier 2 – Evan Engram faces a Chiefs defense that struggles against the pass. Out of the remaining playoff teams, Kansas City allows the most passing TDs (1.9) and second-most passing yards per game (242) in non-overtime play. Engram has three 18-plus point outings in his last six contests. The veteran TE offers the type of upside that has a chance to offset a big Travis Kelce game. Engram is a mid-range TE1 with blowup potential.
