PLAYOFF POSITIONAL RANKINGS
Here are our rankings for the players in action this week. The best four teams are left and we rank the
featured players at each position. For
some teams, they may have a second running back or third wide receiver that is
notable, so I may include them as well.
First, here is a recap of our positional rankings from the Divisional
weekend and the scoring for our game:
POSITIONAL RANKINGS – Scoring
Matching rank (predicted rank = actual rank) – 10 points (5
if score is tied with another player)
Placing rank –
All but WR: 0-6 points based on
this formula: (21-(predicted rank))-(21-(# of ranked players)+(actual rank)) (0
points if this is a negative number)
Example:
QB predicted to rank 1st, but actually ranked 4th:
(21-1)-(21-8+4) = 3 points
WR: 0-7.5 points based on above
formula and divided by 2 because of 2x the amount of players ranked
Example:
WR predicted to rank 1st, but actually ranked 4th:
((21-1)-(21-16+4))/2 = 5.5 points
QUARTERBACK RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Tom Brady NE
|
1
|
4
|
29
|
3
|
|
Peyton Manning DEN
|
2
|
T-6
|
24
|
0
|
|
Aaron Rodgers GBY
|
3
|
8
|
20
|
0
|
|
Russell Wilson SEA
|
4
|
3
|
37
|
1
|
|
Matt Schaub HOU
|
5
|
5
|
25
|
10
|
|
Colin Kaepernick SFO
|
6
|
1
|
58
|
1
|
|
Joe Flacco BAL
|
7
|
2
|
40
|
0
|
|
Matt Ryan ATL
|
8
|
T-6
|
24
|
0
|
|
QB TOTAL
|
15
|
RUNNING BACK RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Marshawn Lynch SEA
|
1
|
7
|
10
|
1
|
Turbin (4)
|
Arian Foster HOU
|
2
|
1
|
25
|
6
|
Casey (2)
|
Frank Gore SFO
|
3
|
2
|
19
|
4
|
Dixon (4), James (2)
|
Knowshon Moreno DEN
|
4
|
T-4
|
13
|
6
|
Hillman (10), Hester (1)
|
Ray Rice BAL
|
5
|
3
|
17
|
1
|
Pierce (1)
|
DuJuan Harris GBY
|
6
|
6
|
12
|
10
|
|
Danny Woodhead NE
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
|
Michael Turner ATL
|
8
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
Rodgers (6), Snelling (6)
|
Stevan Ridley NE
|
9
|
T-4
|
13
|
0
|
Vereen (32)
|
RB TOTAL
|
38
|
WIDE RECEIVER RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Eric Decker DEN
|
1
|
10
|
8
|
3.0
|
Stokley (8)
|
Demaryius Thomas DEN
|
2
|
T-8
|
9
|
3.5
|
|
Andre Johnson HOU
|
3
|
7
|
11
|
3.5
|
Posey (12)
|
Brandon Lloyd NE
|
4
|
T-11
|
7
|
1.0
|
|
James Jones GBY
|
5
|
5
|
14
|
13.5
|
|
Julio Jones ATL
|
6
|
14
|
5
|
0.0
|
Douglas (2)
|
Michael Crabtree SFO
|
7
|
2
|
23
|
4.0
|
|
Roddy White ATL
|
8
|
4
|
17
|
2.5
|
|
Wes Welker NE
|
9
|
6
|
13
|
1.0
|
|
Greg Jennings GBY
|
10
|
T-8
|
9
|
0.0
|
|
Anquan Boldin BAL
|
11
|
T-11
|
7
|
5.0
|
|
Jordy Nelson GBY
|
12
|
15
|
4
|
0.0
|
Cobb (4), Ross (-1)
|
Golden Tate SEA
|
13
|
3
|
18
|
0.5
|
|
Randy Moss SFO
|
14
|
16
|
2
|
0.0
|
|
Torrey Smith BAL
|
15
|
1
|
27
|
0.5
|
Jones (17)
|
Kevin Walter HOU
|
16
|
17
|
1
|
0.0
|
|
Sidney Rice SEA
|
17
|
13
|
6
|
0.0
|
|
WR TOTAL
|
38
|
TIGHT END RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Rob Gronkowski NE
|
1
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
|
Tony Gonzalez ATL
|
2
|
3
|
15
|
5
|
Coffman (2)
|
Owen Daniels HOU
|
3
|
2
|
17
|
5
|
Graham (3)
|
Aaron Hernandez NE
|
4
|
4
|
14
|
12
|
|
Delanie Walker SFO
|
5
|
9
|
2
|
0
|
|
Dennis Pitta BAL
|
6
|
5
|
8
|
0
|
Dickson (5)
|
Jacob Tamme DEN
|
7
|
T-6
|
7
|
0
|
Dreessen (10)
|
Zach Miller SEA
|
8
|
1
|
26
|
1
|
|
Vernon Davis SFO
|
9
|
8
|
5
|
0
|
|
Jermichael Finley GBY
|
10
|
T-6
|
7
|
0
|
|
TE TOTAL
|
23
|
KICKER RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Matt Prater DEN
|
1
|
7
|
5
|
0
|
|
Stephen Gostkowski NE
|
2
|
2
|
13
|
14
|
|
Justin Tucker BAL
|
3
|
T-4
|
10
|
1
|
|
Shayne Graham HOU
|
4
|
3
|
11
|
1
|
|
Matt Bryant ATL
|
5
|
1
|
16
|
2
|
|
Ryan Longwell SEA
|
6
|
8
|
4
|
0
|
|
David Akers SFO
|
7
|
T-4
|
10
|
0
|
|
Mason Crosby GBY
|
8
|
6
|
8
|
0
|
|
K TOTAL
|
18
|
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS RESULTS – Divisional Weekend
Player
|
StatMan Rank
|
Actual Rank
|
FPTS
|
Score
|
Others
(FPTS)
|
Seattle Seahawks SEA
|
1
|
T-6
|
2
|
1
|
|
New England Patriots NE
|
2
|
T-6
|
2
|
0
|
|
Denver Broncos DEN
|
3
|
T-1
|
14
|
4
|
|
Houston Texans HOU
|
4
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
|
Baltimore Ravens BAL
|
5
|
T-1
|
14
|
2
|
|
Green Bay Packers GBY
|
6
|
3
|
12
|
0
|
|
San Francisco 49ers SFO
|
7
|
4
|
6
|
0
|
|
Atlanta Falcons ATL
|
8
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
|
DEF TOTAL
|
7
|
TOTAL RESULTS (through Divisional Weekend)
Position
|
Wild Card
|
Divisional
|
Conf. Champ.
|
Super Bowl
|
TOTAL
|
QUARTERBACK
|
31
|
15
|
46
|
||
RUNNING BACK
|
17
|
38
|
55
|
||
WIDE RECEIVER
|
39
|
38
|
77
|
||
TIGHT END
|
31
|
23
|
54
|
||
KICKER
|
21
|
18
|
39
|
||
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
|
31
|
7
|
38
|
||
TOTAL
|
170
|
139
|
309
|
QUARTERBACK RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1.
Colin Kaepernick SFO
2.
Tom Brady NE
3.
Joe Flacco BAL
4.
Matt Ryan ATL
QB
notes: Consider me a believer in Colin Kaepernick. He can run and he can pass. A 58-point effort is a playoff all-timer, as
his QB-record 181 rushing yards would attest.
RUNNING
BACK RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1.
Frank Gore SFO
2.
Ray Rice BAL
3.
Stevan Ridley NE
4.
Jacquizz Rodgers ATL
RB
notes: Frank Gore was my top-ranked running back from last week who advanced. Rodgers gets the ranking over Michael Turner
because he can receive out of the backfield.
WIDE
RECEIVER RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1. Michael Crabtree
SFO
2. Julio Jones ATL
3. Torrey Smith BAL
4. Wes Welker NE
5. Roddy White ATL
6. Brandon Lloyd NE
7. Anquan Boldin
BAL
8. Randy Moss SFO
WR
notes: Torrey Smith gets the biggest bump, going from 15th out of 17
receivers last week to third out of eight this week. No third receivers were ranked this week.
TIGHT
ENDS RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1. Aaron Hernandez NE
2. Tony Gonzalez ATL
3. Dennis Pitta BAL
4. Delanie Walker
SFO
TE
notes: Rob Gronkowski is out for the rest of the playoffs, so Hernandez’s stock
goes up even more. For the second week
in a row, a New England tight end tops the list.
KICKER
RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1. Justin Tucker
BAL
2. David Akers SFO
3. Stephen
Gostkowski NE
4. Matt Bryant ATL
K
notes: The home dome kicker is at the bottom of my rankings for this week and I
am predicting some redemption for Baltimore’s kicker in New England after last
season’s failure.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL
TEAMS RANKINGS – Conference Championship
1. Baltimore Ravens
BAL
2. San Francisco 49ers
SFO
3. New England
Patriots NE
4. Atlanta Falcons
ATL
DST notes: The Ravens defense and special teams has improved since
the regular season ended, while the Falcons defense will have to contend with a
steady diet of San Francisco’s rushing offense.
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PICKS
Playoff Pick Results:
Last Week: 1-3 straight up, 2-2
against the spread
Playoffs: 5-3 straight up, 5-3
against the spread
San Francisco at
Atlanta (+4) – Straight Up: San Francisco, Against the Spread: San Francisco
Atlanta has made it farther than last year. Matt Ryan is tasting some playoff success and
the Falcons are trying to get to their first Super Bowl since the “Dirty Bird”
Falcons of Jamal Anderson and Chris Chandler.
Standing in their way is the San Francisco 49ers, which are trying to
get to their sixth Super Bowl. After
reaching the NFC title game last year with Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick is at
the helm full-time and has had a wonderful playoff. Kaepernick and the 49ers’ main rusher, Frank
Gore, will be able to run on the Falcons, and I think San Francisco wins by
double digits here.
Predicted Score: SFO
38, ATL 28
Baltimore at New
England (-7.5) – Straight Up: Baltimore, Against the Spread: Baltimore
Revenge. This is a rematch of the AFC title game last
season, when former Raven wide receiver Lee Evans dropped an easy touchdown
pass and former Raven kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal wide
left. The Patriots survived, 23-20, and
lost to the Giants in last year’s Super Bowl.
Evans and Cundiff are gone and replacing Cundiff is a rookie kicker who
has been very successful on clutch kicks, Justin Tucker. He was a shade under 91% on field goals this
year and made both of his playoff field goals so far. I think it will come down to the kicking game
again, but this time, the Ravens will ride Tucker to help Ray Lewis continue
his last ride right into the Super Bowl.
Predicted Score: BAL
35, NE 34
NFL.com PLAYOFF CHALLENGE
We are participating in the NFL.com Playoff Challenge, using
our weekly rankings to pick our teams.
This is a different game than the ESPN.com Gridiron Challenge in that
you do not have to adhere to a salary cap.
You are picking the top players at each position (1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1
TE, 1 K, 1 DEF) and see how they score in that week’s playoff games. If the players you picked last week are still
alive, their points are worth twice as much, so if other options are only
marginally better, it makes sense to keep them in your lineup.
Playoff Challenge
Results:
Lineup
|
Wild Card
|
Divisional
|
Conf. Champ.
|
Super Bowl
|
TOTAL
|
QB
|
A. Rodgers GBY – 15
|
A. Rodgers GBY – 36 (18 x 2)
|
C. Kaepernick SFO (at ATL)
|
51
|
|
RB1
|
A. Peterson MIN – 9
|
M. Lynch SEA – 11
|
F. Gore SFO (at ATL)
|
20
|
|
RB2
|
A. Foster HOU – 23
|
A. Foster HOU – 54 (27 x 2)
|
R. Rice BAL (vs SFO)
|
77
|
|
WR1
|
J. Nelson GBY – 5
|
A. Johnson HOU – 11
|
M. Crabtree SFO (at ATL)
|
16
|
|
WR2
|
A. Green CIN – 8
|
E. Decker DEN – 8
|
J. Jones ATL (vs SFO)
|
16
|
|
TE
|
O. Daniels HOU – 9
|
R. Gronkowski – 0
|
A. Hernandez NE (vs BAL)
|
9
|
|
K
|
J. Tucker BAL – 6
|
J. Tucker BAL – 16 (8 x 2)
|
J. Tucker BAL (3x)
|
22
|
|
DEF
|
Seahawks SEA – 12
|
Seahawks SEA – 6 (3 x 2)
|
49ers SFO (at ATL)
|
18
|
|
TOTAL
|
87 pts
|
142 pts
|
229
|
Catch me on "Sports With
The StatMan" on
Wednesdays at 11pm ET and Saturdays at 11am ET. We'll break down these picks
and look ahead to next week on our This Week in Fantasy Sports segment,
Saturday morning at 11am ET.
