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Playoff Fantasy Football Rankings and Cheat Sheets

Playoff Fantasy Football Rankings and Cheat Sheets

Updated 9/20
By: Pete Davidson : January 04, 2012 2:34pm

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Here are the full rankings for fantasy postseason football.  At the bottom, you will find the base spreadsheet for this article and you'll also find cheat sheets that break the player pool down by position.  Use the one that best suits your needs.  As usual, all the cheat sheets are available in PDF, Excel or Numbers format.  The full sheet is in Numbers or Excel.

We'll have a strategy article later tomorrow.

Rank Pos Rank PLAYER POS TEAM THE SKINNY
1 1 Drew Brees QB NO He’s had an amazing year and he’s the best combination of stud player and 4-game potential. We project Brees to play three games, but he can easily play four. Remember that Brady and Rodgers max out at three due to their byes. If Brees goes to the SB again, he has 160-point fantasy point potential over that span. To us, he is the guy to take with the number one.
2 2 Aaron Rodgers QB GB He’s a strong bet for three games and, to us, he is the only guy we’d consider at #1 apart from Brees. We like Green Bay’s defense more than New England’s and that gives Rodgers the value edge over Brady.
3 3 Tom Brady QB NE He should be off the board by the 3rd pick. He’ll go one in some leagues and that is defendable. We worry about his team getting knocked out in the Championship Game as we see Baltimore as a complete team.
4 4 Eli Manning QB NYG Here’s a guy who could win you the league if his team can step up.
5 1 Ray Rice RB BAL He’s our first non QB off the board.
6 1 Jimmy Graham TE NO He has four game potential and scores like a WR1, so we’d take him as one of the first non-QBs off the board. He gets the nod over Gronk because he can play in one more game, but you can make a very strong argument for several other players here.
7 2 Rob Gronkowski TE NE He’s a monster and he should play at least twice.
8 5 Ben Roethlisberger QB PIT Here’s a very tricky player. The Steelers can win a game for sure and maybe they can even make a run, but what is Big Ben’s upside right now? How much healthier can he get in one week? We think he is a first rounder, but we hope to avoid him if we can.
9 1 Wes Welker WR NE He’ll use the time off to get healthy, so expect good things in the divisional round and at least two games if not three.
10 6 Joe Flacco QB BAL Flacco has 3-game potential, but he will not post the numbers that the studs can post. Flacco is a nice option if you select a QB in round two or maybe at the end of round one.
11 7 Matt Ryan QB ATL The Falcons have great scoring potential, but we don’t like they’re chances at winning games. That said, they can win this week, so Ryan is a good choice after the big boys are gone. If you do take Ryan, you really want to pair him with some of his targets if you get the chance.
12 2 Darren Sproles RB NO Sproles is a huge part of an offense that could pay four games. He’s viable anywhere after the stud QBs are gone.
13 3 Arian Foster RB HOU We see him playing twice and having two good games. Foster and a QB at the end of round one is a solid start.
14 4 Frank Gore RB SF Gore should be a huge part of their offense in the playoffs and the week off will help him. He’s one of the few legit RB options out there.
15 8 Matt Stafford QB DET Huge upside but can they win more than one game? We doubt it and even winning one game will be tough. Stafford and Megatron are both players to avoid in round one.
16 2 Greg Jennings WR GB His health is an issue though he is very likely to be ready. He’s a WR1.
17 3 Marques Colston WR NO He looked really good right now and he has four game potential
18 4 Jordy Nelson WR GB Arguably their top guy with Jennings potentially less than 100%.
19 5 Victor Cruz WR NYG We like the Giants and Cruz is on fire. He’s a good pick anytime after the end of round one.
20 6 Calvin Johnson WR DET He can post 2-3 games worth of stats in one game, so he’s a WR1, but he is likely to get just a single game. Of course, if they can somehow win...
21 3 Jermichael Finley TE GB Three game potential and he has tons of TD potential too. He should be the 3rd TE taken.
22 4 Aaron Hernandez TE NE We see him playing three times and doing well.
23 7 Hakeem Nicks WR NYG He can play three games and not make the SB, so you have to like the point potential. He is banged up and we like Cruz better for that reason.
24 8 Roddy White WR ATL He has nice upside, but we fear he plays just once.
25 9 Julio Jones WR ATL Just like Roddy and Calvin, he may need to do it all in one game.
26 10 Andre Johnson WR HOU AJ is a nice risk/reward pick. We think he plays in two game, so that helps.
27 5 Michael Turner RB ATL Turner could have some value if the Falcons can win. If you see them advancing, then he is a solid RB1.
28 11 Mike Wallace WR PIT He’s faded and who knows what they can do with all the injuries. He’s explosive and has a good chance to play twice, so we see him as a WR2.
29 12 Antonio Brown WR PIT Like Wallace, Brown is a solid bet to give you two solid outings.
30 13 Michael Crabtree WR SF He is clearly their go-to-guy and we think they play twice.
31 6 Ahmad Bradshaw RB NYG Bradshaw is risky with his health, but we project him to play twice and he is looking good currently.
32 7 Pierre Thomas RB NO With Ingram out, his role seems assured.
33 14 AJ Green WR CIN Could play twice and that gives him multi-TD potential.
34 9 Alex Smith QB SF Smith is the last QB that we’d use an early to middle pick on. Once he is gone, we are inclined to wait in league where you may only select a single quarterback. If you can actually get shut out in your league and end up with no QB, then you must bump the others up higher. He’s got a shot at playing three games, but he’s limited by his own arm strength and by his team’s likely conservative approach. We see Smith as being a bit behind Flacco, but better than
35 15 James Jones WR GB He’s hit and miss, but he should play three games.
36 8 Isaac Redman RB PIT He’s the man now and we like him to play twice.
37 9 Ryan Grant RB GB He’s looking like the guy and he’s made some plays lately. We’d take him over Starks at this point due to his health.
38 16 Robert Meachem WR NO Meachem looks pretty good these days and could play a bigger role if Lance Moore’s injuries continue. He’s a worthy mid-round option.
39 10 Chris Ivory RB NO He has nice upside, especially if they play with a lead.
40 5 Vernon Davis TE SF Davis is a solid TE option and could be taken reasonably any time after round three in 12-team leagues.
41 6 Tony Gonzalez TE ATL He’s a solid option, but we suspect he is a one-gamer.
42 17 Anquan Boldin WR BAL He’s risky with his knee injury, but he is supposed to play. We’ll see what the practice reports are on him this week.
43 18 Lance Moore WR NO He’s got value, but we’ll have to see if he’s practicing this week before we take him as more than a WR3.
44 7 Brandon Pettigrew TE DET Should give you one solid effort, but two is not likely.
45 11 BenJarvus Green-Ellis RB NE No way to tell how they will handle the backs, but BJGE and Ridley seem like the best bets and we see a three game run.
46 19 Deion Branch WR NE He’s always got a chance to make a big play and we see three games played.
47 12 Stevan Ridley RB NE They may be ready to unleash the guy, but you never know with NE. He’s worth a 4th or 5th pick based on upside and being a Patriot.
48 20 Torrey Smith WR BAL His potential matchups are mediocre. We see him as a very strong WR3 with upside.
49 13 Cedric Benson RB CIN He’s playing “eh” and we think they lose, but he has some potential to score.
50 14 Brandon Jacobs RB NYG He’ll help you as a 2nd RB.
51 21 Nate Burleson WR DET He can have big games, but we don’t see him lasting more than a game.
52 22 Donald Driver WR GB He has a good shot at scoring once or twice over Green Bay’s likely run.
53 23 Devery Henderson WR NO He could be a great mid-to-late grab or invisible, but he is CERTAINLY worth a spot on your team.
54 24 Demaryius Thomas WR DEN He’s a wildcard at this point.
55 15 James Starks RB GB Heath is tough to gauge. Risky, but he’s also a Packer.
56 25 Mario Manningham WR NYG He could be a very nice WR3 for you.
57 16 Kevin Smith RB DET Should be active this week at least.
58 26 Titus Young WR DET Could give you a big play or two.
59 27 Jerome Simpson WR CIN We’d take him as a WR3 just for the flip.
60 1 Stephen Gostkowski K NE He’s a quality kicker with solid 3-game potential.
61 17 Ben Tate RB HOU He’ll get touches as always and we like them to win in round one.
62 2 John Kasay K NO He’ll get one game indoors at minimum and he’s the best bet at a 4-game kicker out there.
63 8 Jermaine Gresham TE CIN He’s always got a shot at scoring, so he is worth something, but for him to be a good value, he’s going to need to have a monster game or Cincy would have to win a game. All that being said, in a small player pool, he is a TE1 all the way.
64 3 Mason Crosby K GB He’s a top kicking option.
65 18 Kendall Hunter RB SF He’s no lock to advance, but he should see some touches.
66 19 Maurice Morris RB DET Mo needs some help as he’s the #2 on his team and he’s less than 50/50 to advance.
67 20 Willis McGahee RB DEN He has a chance to advance, but his value as a one week player is not good. Pitt is a brutal matchup.
68 9 Dennis Pitta TE BAL This guy is a sleeper and he’s become a staple in their offense. he runs solid routes and is getting in-step with Flacco. We like him a bit better than Dickson right now.
69 4 Billy Cundiff K BAL Cundiff is a very solid option with 3-game potential
70 21 Lance Ball RB DEN He’s been involved, but he needs a win to be a real value.
71 28 Chad Ochocinco WR NE Once the real players are gone, Ocho can be an upside play and a 3-week guy, so he can be your flex and he’d have at least some potential. They use him deep.
72 5 David Akers K SF He can do a lot if he gets 2 games.
73 22 Jeremiah Johnson RB DEN He’s make a play or two against the Steelers.
74 23 Danny Woodhead RB NE Woodhead has value due to his 3-game potential.
75 24 Ricky Williams RB BAL He could play a big role in the cold weather. A solid way to fill your RB2 later on in the goings.
76 29 Eric Decker WR DEN E-Deck is a guy we really like, but he has been a shadow the last few weeks and we don’t project a win for Denver. That said, if the Broncos are anything, they are unpredictable and if they can knock Big Ben out of the game, who knows what might happen. If the Broncos do manage to advance, they would likely get a decent matchup with the Patriots unless Cincinnati beats the Texans, which we tend to doubt.
77 10 Heath Miller TE PIT He’s got some potential and we see two games played, but he’s a mid rounder.
78 25 Bernard Scott RB CIN He’s a nice sleeper with fresh legs and some upside in Cincy can eek out a win.
79 30 Eddie Royal WR DEN He can always make a big play and they will try to use him, but we see one and done.
80 11 Ed Dickson TE BAL He could play 2-3 games and he scores TDs--sometimes. He’s a decent late TE1 option.
81 1 Ravens DEF BAL We like their combo of great fantasy D with added benefits like solid matchups, multi-game potential and at least one home game.
82 2 Steelers DEF PIT They COULD end up turning Tebow over if they can get a big lead. That and their multi-game potential makes us like them.
83 3 Packers DEF GB They have play-makers on D and they could easily play thrice.
84 12 Owen Daniels TE HOU Daniels has 2 games by our math and he’s rested. Not bad way to fill TE in the mid to late rounds, but far from the lock he used to be with Schaub at QB.
85 6 Lawrence Tynes K NYG We like Tynes as a value pick. The Giants could make a run.
86 26 John Clay RB PIT He vultured TD in week 16, so he’s worth keeping an eye on, especially if Mewelde Moore’s injury fails to heal quickly.
87 31 Harry Douglas WR ATL We project a small role and one game, so he’s a WR4.
88 32 Jerricho Cotchery WR PIT Cotch gets red zone love, so he could help you and is worthy of a late pick.
89 27 Kevin Faulk RB NE He’s a vet that they trust, so he could have a role. He’s worth a late pick.
90 28 DJ Ware RB NYG He’s involved and we see them winning a game or more.
91 13 Joel Dreesen TE HOU The guy makes plays, so he is worth a spot.
92 33 Ted Ginn WR SF Ginn has a lot of ways he can help you though few of them are high percentage.
93 34 Kevin Walter WR HOU He’s got some potential and we see two games played, but he’s too risky to take early.
94 35 Kyle Williams WR SF This kid is a legit sleeper and the Niners could play twice.
95 29 John Kuhn RB GB Not touching the ball a ton these days, but if they play three, Kuhn should score at least once.
96 30 Mewelde Moore RB PIT He’s ganged up, but he could be a factor with no Mendenhall. Worth a late pick.
97 31 Shane Vereen RB NE Just a flier with upside at this point, but he should be owned.
98 7 Shaun Suisham K PIT Gets one start in Denver and we project two games. He’s a solid option.
99 8 Neil Rackers K HOU We think he plays twice and they are a FG team right now.
100 32 Jacquizz Rodgers RB ATL He’ll do something and he’s a guy to bump up if you are a Falcon believer.
101 33 Jason Snelling RB ATL Like with Rodgers, he’ll have a role and he’s worth more if you think the Falcons are winning games.
102 34 Brandon Saine RB GB The Packers backfield is banged up, so Saine is a sane selection once the solid options are gone. He’s one of our guys, but it’s all about opportunity. He’s a nice hedge against an injury to Starks or Grant.
103 36 Jacoby Jones WR HOU He’s a longshot with AJ healthy and we see them running a lot.
104 4 Saints DEF NO 4-game potential and we see a decent matchup in round two if they win this week. They are a solid fantasy D for the playoffs.
105 14 Tony Scheffler TE DET He could score for you, but we see one and done. If you are a Lions believer, bump him up some.
106 15 Jake Ballard TE NYG Ballard is no lock to play but it is anticipated that he will get back this week. He’s risky, but he has legit upside and multi-game potential.
107 5 Patriots DEF NE We always err on the side of Belichick, so we’re liking the Pats potential and their home field advantage.
108 6 Texans DEF HOU We like them as a 2-game team and a good D with a solid opening matchup.
109 10 Tim Tebow QB DEN Tebow is a very risky play. That said, you may be able nab him very late, so there’s that. Does he have ANY chance at beating the Steelers? We doubt it. Tebow can be a fantasy force, but he has a bad matchup and he is unlikely to win.
110 11 Andy Dalton QB CIN Dalton is compelling as he has a legit shot at winning his round one contest. If he does, his reward is facing New England’s secondary in the divisional round. That makes him a decent source of points that you can wait a bit on.
111 9 Jason Hanson K DET We see one good game.
112 16 Delanie Walker TE SF Walker is always involved. Who knows. The issue is his jaw, which has been wired shut. He’s no lock to be available. He has TD potential if he plays.
113 10 Matt Bryant K ATL We see one good game.
114 12 TJ Yates QB HOU Delhomme looked surprisingly good to us and the Texans’ starter is not the worst consolation prize out there. You are not done just because you end up with the Texans QB. They can both give you 30-40 points if they play two games. Right now, it looks like Yates will play.
115 35 Jed Collins RB NO He probably has a 50/50 shot of getting a cheap score if they play 3+ games.
116 37 Randall Cobb WR GB He’s a longshot, but he gives you big play ability and he may give you that for three weeks. They’ll find a way to include him if he’s healthy.
117 7 49ers DEF SF A good option, but they will face nothing but great offenses so factor that in.
118 38 Hines Ward WR PIT They will use him some and he could always score.
119 36 Keiland Williams RB DET Some value in deep leagues, but we see a saints victory.
120 8 Giants DEF NYG They have some upside due to the DL and we think they might make a run or mini-run.
121 11 Matt Prater K DEN We see one good game.
122 9 Benglas DEF CIN They won’t kill you.
123 37 Anthony Dixon RB SF He could vulture a score and Gore is always a candidate for injury.
124 39 Emmanuel Sanders WR PIT He’s banged up, but he could have value at some point. We think Cotchery is worth more at this point.
125 10 Broncos DEF DEN They could be ok for a week or two.
126 40 Lee Evans WR BAL Could he come alive? Maybe, but he’s a late pick at this point. He’s a sleeper with some upside.
127 12 Mike Nugent K CIN He’ll make a few kicks, but we project one and done.
128 11 Falcons DEF ATL We’re not feeling this unit (hey now) at all.
129 38 Brian Leonard RB CIN Deep league fodder.
130 12 Lions DEF DET Please try and avoid this scenario. They are going to get lit up and they are one and done in our minds.
131 17 Daniel Fells TE DEN He makes a play here and there.
132 18 James Casey TE HOU Has been a factor only when Daniels is out.
133 41 Bryant Johnson WR HOU He caught a big score last week, so who knows.
134 42 Matt Willis WR DEN For deep leagues only.
135 39 Da’Rel Scott RB NYG For deep leagues only.
136 19 Travis Beckum TE NYG For deep leagues only.
137 20 Tom Crabtree TE GB For deep leagues only.
138 40 Derrick Ward RB HOU A depth guy, but he could be a factor with a win and one injury.
139 21 Bear Pascoe TE NYG He could make a play or two if Ballard stays hurt.
140 41 Anthony Allen RB BAL A depth pick if you own Rice in a big deep league.
141 42 Joique Bell RB DET For deep leagues only.
142 43 Tiquan Underwood WR NE For deep leagues only.
143 44 Matt Slater WR NE Trolling the depth for a guy who could make a big play?
144 45 Adrian Arrington WR NO He could become a factor if there is another injury in Big Easy.
145 46 Ramses Barden WR NYG A longshot.
146 47 Devin Thomas WR NYG A serious longshot.

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