I don’t understand how the Buffalo Bills lost to Denver. My wife and I repeated every superstition that brought us a win the week before against Jacksonville: same Bills gear, same couches, same drinks (bourbon for me, wine for her) and same five lucky buffalo nickels in my pocket. My wife’s co-worker even discarded an “unlucky” Bills sweatshirt that was owned by her father-in-law, which should have sealed the deal. And yet…we lost. That’s when I remembered: we’re Bills fans, and Bills fans can’t have nice things. Still, my loyalty will never waver. Like the since-fired Sean McDermott said after the loss, “I’m standing up for Buffalo, dammit. I’m standing up for all of us”. Go Bills!
The Final Four of the NFL season starts this Sunday. The Seahawks, Rams, Broncos and Patriots duke it out for the rights to play in Super Bowl LX. Who will the standout Fantasy players be? Read on, oh fans eternal.
CHAMPS!
QB Matthew Stafford at Seahawks — Stafford is the best QB left in the playoffs, and he’s no stranger to the Seahawks. The last time Stafford played in Seattle he had three TDs and 457 yards. In a game where the ‘Hawks might try to slow things down with the running game, Stafford will come out guns blazing and dare Seattle to keep up.
QB Drake Maye at Broncos —The second-best QB left in the postseason, Maye stood tall against the hardscrabble Texans to the tune of three TD passes. The Denver defense padded their stats against a bunch of second tier teams. Had Josh Allen not turned the ball over so often, the Broncos would be home watching from their living rooms.
RB Kenneth Walker III vs. Rams — We finally got to see how good Walker can be without sharing the rock with Zach “Box Wine” Charbonnet (knee, out for the rest of the season). His 19 carries for 116 yards were both season highs last week. Walker will easily reach the century mark, and chip in a TD or two.
WR Puka Nacua at Seahawks — Stick with Nacua. He has 35 catches for 500 yards and three TDs (including 225 yards and two TDs last outing) in five games against the Seahawks in his career. This week should be no different.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Rams — Sit back and watch an airshow between the Rams and Seahawks that would make the Seattle-based Boeing aircraft company jealous. In four games against the Rams, JSN has 28 receptions for 390 yards and three TDs.
TE Evan Engram vs. Patriots — Injuries to WRs Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant leave a lot of volume for Engram. He will be Jarrett Stidham’s security blanket, and I expect the Broncos to throw plenty while playing from behind.
CHUMPS!
QB Sam Darnold vs. Rams — The worst defense left in the playoffs belongs to the Rams. Curiously, in his two games against them, Darnold has tossed just one TD. Fighting an oblique injury that limited him to only 17 pass attempts last week, the Seahawks will lean on Walker III in attempt to keep Stafford, Nacua and Davante Adams off the field.
QB Jarrett Stidham vs. Patriots — A former New England 4th-round draft pick, there’s not a lot of tape on Stiddy. He’s a pocket passer who moves well, can extend plays and is not afraid to run the ball. Can he be the next Nick Foles or Jeff Hostetler, backup QBs who led their teams to the Super Bowl? If the Patriots put enough pressure on him, the answer is no.
RB Blake Corum at Seahawks — In the timeshare with Kyren Williams, Corum needs to score on the ground to be a viable starter against Seattle, who have allowed five rushing TDs all year. The best you can hope for is an 10-point outing for Blake. Look elsewhere.
RB J.K. Dobbins vs. Patriots — If Dobbins (check status) returns from injury, avoid him. The Broncos are down to their third-string center. That’s bad news facing a Pats team that’s allowed a paltry 93 yards rushing combined to RBs in their last three games.
WR Troy Franklin vs. Patriots — A WR who relies on acceleration and sharp route running needs healthy hamstrings to do so. If he plays (check status), Franklin will most likely not be 100%.
WR Cooper Kupp vs. Rams — In another revenge game for Kupp, can he get some scraps if the Rams double cover Nacua? His four catches in his last two games against Seattle screams “no.”
TE Adam Trautman vs. Patriots — If they award points for blocking, Trautman is your guy.
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
I can’t see Stidham beating potential MVP Maye, can you? Patriots 30, Broncos 14
Running the ball and the 12th Man crowd sends Seattle to the Super Bowl. Seahawks 28, Rams 24
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Bill Reinhard is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and a columnist for FantasyGuru.com.
