It was undoubtedly an interesting second weekend of the NFL Playoffs, which meant some interesting results in the NFL Playoff Challenge. With the Cowboys and Packers facing off, enthusiasts were certain to lose one set of bona fide fantasy stars. Add the Broncos' loss to the mix and a whole slew of big name contributors are finished for the season, although we certainly have questions about Peyton Manning going forward. But that's another discussion for another time. Let's take a look back at the weekend that was.
Quarterback:Tom Brady (13 percent started)
In a game that turned out to be a high-scoring thriller, Brady was victorious both on the scoreboard and the stat sheet. The future Hall of Famer accounted for four touchdowns (one rushing) while throwing for 367 yards. All told, it was a 30 point day for Brady -- 60 if you started him last week. Next week New England will host a Colts defense that shut down Peyton Manning in the Divisional Round. That same defense also held Brady to 14 fantasy points in Week 11. But that might have been because Jonas Gray was busy running wild.
Running backs:Justin Forsett (7 percent started) and DeMarco Murray (71 percent started)
Both top Playoff Challenge backs are players who helped carry plenty of fantasy owners to championships during the season. Unfortunately, neither will be around to help Playoff Challenge contestants during Championship Weekend.
Justin Forsett was once again a workhorse for Baltimore, racking up 129 rushing yards on 24 carries while adding a receiving touchdown in the third quarter. After being even more productive than even the Ravens could have imagined, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Forsett.
The same goes for Murray, who is expected to hit free agency this offseason. Still, the NFL's leading rusher in the regular season went out with a strong performance, running for 123 yards and a score. Murray is certain to have a number of suitors if he decides to test the market, but his best value could lie with the Cowboys.
Wide receivers:Danny Amendola (0 percent started) and Kelvin Benjamin (1 percent started)
The two top scoring wideouts barely made a dent in starting lineups, though for vastly different reasons. Amendola hadn't been much of a factor in New England's offense this season, scoring 26 fantasy points ... total. So it makes perfect sense that in a playoff game Amendola would break out for 81 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. The good news is that all of New England's pass-catchers were pretty productive even if Amendola was top dog for a day.
Kelvin Benjamin has been a pretty productive fantasy receiver this season, but very few thought the Panthers had a chance to beat the Seahawks in Seattle. That supposition turned out to be true, but Benjamin still posted a nice stat line in defeat. Benjamin has seven receptions for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including one late in the fourth quarter as a reminder that garbage points still count.
Tight end:Rob Gronkowski (50 percent started)
This was the reason so many of us were willing to take a zero in the first round for the promise of double points in the second round. Gronk was gronktacular, gronking his way through the Ravens defense to the tune of 108 receiving yards and a score. With the inconsistency that plagued fantasy tight ends all season long, it seemed as though there was only one real choice for the NFL Playoff Challenge and he delivered.
Kicker:Mason Crosby (4 percent started)
Despite a couple of fairly high scoring games, kicker totals were down in the Divisional games. This week's top booter was Crosby who nailed both of his field goal attempts along with knocking through a pair of extra points. What happens next week in Seattle? Who knows? But Crosby was held to just four points by the Seahawks in the season opener at CenturyLink Field.
Defense:Seattle Seahawks (45 percent)
Much like Rob Gronkowski was the overwhelming choice at his position, the Seahawks were a popular choice among the remaining defenses. And much like Gronk, the 'Hawks delivered. Seattle sacked Cam Newton twice and forced the quarterback into three turnovers including a pick six. Too bad you don't get extra points for Kam Chancellor being able to do this.
