The NFL Playoffs are upon us, and that means another chance for fantasy football fun. To assist you in your pursuit of fun and, hopefully, winning a little cash, I have created playoff fantasy football rankings. Our playoff projection model serves as the baseline for my rankings. The model accounts for player roles and each team's likelihood of advancing in each round, based on Super Bowl odds.

RELATED: NFL Playoff Fantasy Football Rankings

Before we dive in, let's zoom out. While a strong ranking and projection set will help you in playoff contests, there are some critical tips to keep in mind.

1. When playing contests like the Fantasy Life Postseason Shootout, where you don't draft but can pick up to two players from each team, it's a good idea to start with the Super Bowl and work backward, creating multiple versions of reality. This activity will help you develop unique lineups and avoid self-inflicted wounds (see No. 1 and No. 2). Think of playoff contests as a thought experiment. Have fun with different scenarios!
    
2. Number one is huge because in playoff contests, we want to concentrate our players on specific teams. We want to reduce the number of things we need to get right. It doesn't mean you can't have a one-off player or two, but we don't want to roster one player from 10 different teams. Our goal is to have as many players alive as possible in each round. This thought process applies to the Fantasy Life Postseason Shootout and best ball contests alike.
3. Don't pair players that play each other in the first round. You are immediately eliminating one of your players in this scenario.
    
4. Consider which teams are most likely to face each other in Round 2. If possible, avoid pairing these players. For example, you know the No. 2 and No. 3 seed can't play each other, so they are safe to pair.
    
5. The larger the contest, the more differentiation will matter. There are multiple ways to differentiate. Here are a couple of ideas:
    
   1. Get some upsets right. When working backward from the Super Bowl (see No. 1 above), creating different scenarios, getting an extra game out of a team or two can go a long way—fading a chalky team that loses in Round 1 can be even bigger. You don't have to go overboard here; it is very rare for teams like the Panthers and Steelers to advance far. However, we could see one of them pull off a Round 1 upset.
   2. Differentiate your players on chalky top-seed teams. Historically, 1v1 and 1v2 seeds have made up over half of the Super Bowl matchups. But the top players from those teams will often be chalky. So, consider mixing things up when using top seeds. For example, using Rhamondre Stevenson over TreVeyon Henderson could provide you with leverage over the field without giving up spike upside.
       

Of course, Guillotine Leagues™ are also an amazing playoff format. Each week, the lowest-scoring team gets chopped, and their team hits the waiver wire. Should you go all in on Puka Nacua? Or is your team strong enough to wait it out another week? Sounds pretty cool, huh!?!? Well, Jake Nagy has you covered with his Guillotine Leagues™ Playoff Strategy Guide. 

Okay, let's dive into the postseason fantasy rankings.

Fantasy Football Rankings For The 2026 NFL Playoffs

Puka Nacua | WR | Rams – Nacua projects for more points than any other player in our playoff model, with 58.9 PPR points. The Rams have been shaky over the last month, but oddsmakers still have them as the second-most likely team to make the Super Bowl.

• Seahawks: +330 on DraftKings
• Rams: +425
• Broncos: +650
• Patriots: +900
• Eagles: +950
• Bills: +1000
• Texans: +1200
• Jaguars: +1300
• Packers: +2500
• Bears: +2500
• 49ers: +3000
• Chargers: +3000
• Steelers: +5000
• Panthers: +20000

This is a big deal. The Rams offer odds comparable to those of the No. 1 seeds and could play an extra game. Los Angeles is a 10-point favorite over the Panthers in Round 1. Nacua was the WR1 in fantasy with 23.4 PPG this season and is set up well for playoff contests.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Seahawks – Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks offer the No. 1 odds to make it to the Super Bowl. Fantasy's WR2 (20.9 PPG) in 2025 will get the lowest remaining seed in the Divisional Round. He pairs best with the Bears and Eagles in the NFC, since Seattle can't play either team in Round 2.

James Cook | RB | Bills – The Bills are the No. 6 seed, but still carry the third-best Super Bowl odds in the AFC. Most consensus rankings have Cook ranked below Christian McCaffrey, but the Bills carry much stronger Super Bowl odds (+1000 vs. +3000). Cook was the RB6 with 18.4 PPG over the first 17 weeks before resting most of Week 18. Cook projects to lead RBs in scoring in our playoff model (43.1), given his role and the odds of advancing.

Matthew Stafford | QB | Rams – Josh Allen was the QB1 this season, averaging 22.8 fantasy PPG and offers a nuclear ceiling thanks to his dual-threat ability. Still, Stafford locked down the QB2 spot with 20.6 points per game and provides better Super Bowl odds (+425 vs. +1000). With the second-best Super Bowl odds and the potential to play four games, Stafford is my QB1. The Rams' most likely Round 2 matchup is the Seahawks, but the Packers are 1.5-point favorites over the Bears. If Green Bay wins, they would face Seattle in Round 2, while the Rams would play the winner of the Eagles-49ers matchup.

Josh Allen | QB | Bills – The QB1 from the fantasy regular season (22.8 PPG) doesn't project quite as well as Stafford due to the lower Super Bowl odds. However, no player offers a higher ceiling. If the Bills play four games, including the Super Bowl, Allen is a near lock to lead in postseason fantasy scoring. Don't forget to avoid Jaguars if you select Allen, since they play in Round 1. Denver is their most likely Round 2 opponent, making them another AFC team to avoid in Buffalo builds.

Saquon Barkley | RB | Eagles – Philadelphia offers the fourth-strongest Super Bowl odds (+950). While the offense has struggled this year, they have the weapons to challenge any defense. They also boast a top-9 defensive EPA per-game average (4.47), making them a well-rounded team. Over the last four non-blowout games, the Eagles have loaded Barkley up with 76%, 91%, 78% and 83% of the rushing attempts.

Drake Maye | QB | Patriots – New England offers the fourth-best odds to get to the Super Bowl per oddsmakers, slightly ahead of Allen and the Bills. Maye was the QB4 with 20.4 PPG this season, making him an attractive option to build around. Maye will face the Chargers' No. 8 EPA-per-game defense (4.47) in Round 1. The Bolts have been the fourth-hardest matchup for QBs with a -3.0 fantasy boost.

Christian McCaffrey | RB | 49ers – McCaffrey led all fantasy backs with 24.3 points per game this year. If the 49ers manage to make a deep playoff run, this rank will be undoubtedly too low. However, they have the third-longest Super Bowl odds (+3000). San Francisco is a one-sided team, boasting the worst EPA-per-game defense in the playoffs at -3.56. They are 3.5-point dogs against the Eagles in the first round. Philadelphia's defensive EPA per game is 6.44, with Jalen Carter ranked fourth. I am lower on McCaffrey, preferring options like Cook and Kyren Williams based on their overall playoff outlook.

Nico Collins | WR | Texans – Collins finished the season as the WR10 with 14.9 points. The Texans are the five seed in the AFC and offer the seventh-best Super Bowl odds (+1200), just behind the Bills. They draw a very winnable Round 1 matchup against the Steelers—the worst EPA-per-game team in the AFC bracket (-0.11). The Texans have a good-enough offense with one of the best defenses in the NFL, making them a dangerous postseason team—Collins projects as the WR4 with 33.6 PPR points in our postseason model.

TreVeyon Henderson | RB | Patriots – Henderson has taken a back seat to Rhamondre Stevenson in fantasy points over the last two games (12.8 vs. 31.3 PPG). However, Henderson remains the lead ball carrier with a 55% rush share. Stevenson is the lead receiving back at this point, with a 57% route participation rate versus 36% for Henderson over that span. Henderson is the RB5 in our postseason projection model. 

RJ Harvey | RB | Broncos – The Broncos are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and have the third-strongest Super Bowl odds (+650). Since J.K. Dobbins went down, Harvey has averaged 15.2 points per game. Over that span, he has handled 60% of the rushing attempts and collected a 12% target share. The Broncos get a Round 1 bye, and there are rumblings that Dobbins could return as soon as the AFC Championship game should the Broncos win in Round 2.

Zach Charbonnet | RB | Seahawks – Charbonnet has averaged 15.9 points over the last four weeks, leading the Seahawks backfield with a 55% snap share. While the rushing attempts remain closely split with Kenneth Walker III (48% vs. 45%), Charbonnet is the preferred passing game option (47% vs. 35% route participation) and is gobbling up high-leverage opportunities. Charbonnet has accounted for 95% of the two-minute offense snaps and 83% of the short-yardage snaps. Walker is going ahead of Charbonnet in Underdog drafts, but I have the two ranked back-to-back with Charbonnet in the lead.

Trevor Lawrence | WR | Jaguars – Lawrence enters the playoffs on an absolute heater. He has averaged 30.5 points over the last four games. Over that span, he has thrown for 282 yards and 2.8 TDs per game. The former No. 1 overall pick has tacked on 27 yards and a rushing TD per outing. Jacksonville will have to defeat Buffalo as 1.5-point underdogs in Round 1. While drawing Josh Allen is a tough out, the Jaguars are peaking at the right time and offer the eighth-best Super Bowl odds in a tier with the Patriots, Bills, and Texans in the AFC. As the No. 3 seed, they are guaranteed not to play the Patriots or Broncos in Round 2, making them a strong team to stack with those teams.

Woody Marks | RB | Texans – Marks hasn't capitalized on his opportunities in a big way, but the team remains committed to him as the clear-cut RB1. In Week 18, before resting with C.J. Stroud in the second half, Marks notched a 70% snap share, 63% attempt share and a 70% route participation rate. The rookie back has reached a 60% or better snap share in five of his last six healthy games. What can I say? I am a sucker for Utilization. I have Marks ranked seven spots ahead of his Underdog ADP.

Parker Washington | WR | Jaguars – Washington suffered a hip injury in Week 13 that kept him out of Week 14 and limited his workload in Week 15. Since then, he has returned to a full-time role and has often looked like the best weapon in the Jaguars' passing attack. Over the last three games, he has averaged 21.1 fantasy points with a 91 Utilization Score and 9.3 targets per game. 

While Washington operates about half the time from the slot, he is not tethered to the line of scrimmage. He has a healthy 12.9-yard aDOT with 120 air yards per game over that stretch. When you pair Washington's ability after the catch and field-stretching ability, you have a lethal combination. I still have Jakobi Meyers as the top Jaguars pass catcher (No. 21), but have Washington at No. 32, well above his Underdog ADP of 42.

Christian Watson | WR | Packers – The Packers don't have great Super Bowl odds (+2500), but they are 1.5-point favorites over the Bears in the Wild Card Round. The Packers' receiving rotation is maddening, but Watson has been their undisputed No. 1 playmaker. The former Round 2 NFL Draft pick has averaged 13.2 fantasy points with a 20% target share since his return in Week 8. He has reached 18-plus points four times, demonstrating significant spike-week potential. If the Packers get hot, Watson is likely a key ingredient to their success.

Colston Loveland | TE | Bears – The Bears are the No. 2 seed but are slight Underdogs to the Packers (1.5 points). Their Super Bowl odds (+2500) don't align with their seeding. Oddsmakers are not believers in the Bears. However, they have home-field advantage and their passing-game pecking order is beginning to crystallize, and Loveland is a focal point. The Round 1 draft pick has taken over a full-time role with an 84% route participation rate over the last three games. Over that stretch, he has averaged 17.5 points with a 100 Utilization Score. He has a whopping 29% target share, 32% air yards share and 30% endzone target share. If the Bears surprise oddsmakers and live up to their seeding, Loveland could be a significant difference maker given the lack of high-quality tight end options behind George Kittle.

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