Championship Weekend: NFL.com Fantasy League Locks

 

As all weekends involving NFL games are, this past weekend was absolutely fantastic.  The Saints and 49ers treated us to one of the most exciting games in recent history, as Alex Smith showed everyone why Jim Harbaugh is a freakin’ genius.  Making some huge plays in the clutch, it was a spectacular moment for Alex, who has constantly been under fire from San Francisco fans and the media in his 7 years since being taken as the number 1 overall pick.

After a Patriots shellacking of Tim Tebow on Saturday night, a solid slate of Sunday games rounded out the weekend.  I also opened a pack of football cards and stumbled upon a potential source of retirement income should my 401K ever tank:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m going have to put that in a safety deposit box for safekeeping…(Side note: does anyone still use safety deposit boxes?) 

As it stands, there are only 3 football games left before the season comes to a close (and before you correct me, no, the Pro Bowl does not count).  Championship Sunday features the Patriots/Ravens and 49ers/Pack…errr, 49ers/Giants.  Sorry, still adjusting.  So what’s this mean for you fantasy junkies that still manage to be picking playoff lineups?  Going off of the 2 Mugs league rules on NFL.com, where you get bonus points for playing a player in consecutive weeks, here’s how the optimal lineup shakes out.

Predictions

Patriots 28, Ravens 24 – The Flacco show will be able to keep up with the Pats, but it won’t be enough.

Giants 20, 49ers 17 – As good as the 49ers looked last week, the Giants are a different monster.  A total package of offensive and defensive stability, they’re going to be too high a task for the 49ers to overcome.

 

Quarterback: Tom Brady/NE - Playing like a man possessed, he’s the clear cut top QB left.  Plus, you get some bonus points if your league awards points for punters.

Running Back: Ray Rice/BAL – I realize I’m picking Baltimore to lose, but the running back options are brutal.  Rice should be very involved in the game plan for the Ravens.  If they pull off the upset, you’ll be the contrarian that is ahead of the rest of your league heading into Super Bowl week.

Running Back: Ahmad Bradshaw/NYG – It’s probably the worst matchup of all the running backs, but fully expecting the Giants to win, the bonus points you’ll see from having him in your lineup for multiple weeks will be well worth it.  Hopefully he can find some extra value in the passing game this week to make him worth a play.

Wide Receiver: Wes Welker/NE – The Patriots' WR and TE personnel are a nightmare to scheme against.  Welker will see his fair share of looks in this one.  If the Ravens figure out they should probably double Gronk in the redzone, Welker should also see some extra touchdown opportunities.

Wide Receiver: Victor Cruz/NYG – This is a little bold, as Nicks seems like the no doubt about it play.  Nicks’ first two games have yielded 13rec/280yds/4TDs, telling me that the 49ers will probably throw some extra attention his way.  Nicks was held to a 2rec/41yd line in the week 10 meeting with the 49ers.  Expect Cruz to see a lot of looks this week, and also be a solid asset against a weak Patriots’ secondary should the Giants make it to the Super Bowl.

Tight End: Rob Gronkowski/NE – Does the pope shit in the woods?

Kicker: Lawrence Tynes/NYG – One only need to take a peak at the score predictions to figure out how I determined this one.

Defense: New York Giants – It’s still Alex Smith guys, and let’s be honest: the Saints defense sucks (I mean, they couldn’t stop Alex Smith!).  Sacks, a couple turnovers, and a low score for the opponent is a nice recipe for a solid fantasy defense score.