The divisional playoff games offered a lot of great drama, but few real surprises. Only one top seed was knocked off (sorry, Broncos), setting up the Packers to face the Seahawks, and the Colts to face the Patriots in the conference championships. This sets up well for Playoff Challenge participants who had been patiently waiting with a roster full of Packers, Seahawks or Patriots, and even better if someone went all-in with the Colts starting in the Wild Card round (4x points already!). Anyway, here's what our lineups look like heading into Championship Sunday, and if you'd like to join in on the fun it's not too late. Sign up to partake in the NFL Playoff Challenge **RIGHT HERE**.
Marcas Grant
Marcas has the luxury of having a three times multiplier being applied to all of his players save LeGarrette Blount. Jordy Nelson was quiet last week as Dallas shaded a lot of double coverage his way, but he could have a better game against Seattle as he caught nine passes for 83 yards when the teams faced off in Week 1. This will be a great lineup for Marcas to ride into the Super Bowl, too, assuming the Seahawks and Patriots both advance.
Matt Franciscovich
Franchise openly admitted in our email chain earlier this week that he was swapping in a number of Colts players to try to make up some lost ground. A bold strategy given Luck's struggles against New England, but the past is the past and anything can happen in the playoffs. The nice thing for him is that the Luck-Hilton combo will net him double points every time they connect for a score. It's interesting to note that he also grabbed Doug Baldwin as a new addition. He has his fantasy eggs in a lot of baskets, but if all goes according to plan he could reap a big reward.
Alex Gelhar
So far, so good for my strategy of loading up on the Packers and Patriots. Given that I was riding those teams, I probably should have opted for a different running back instead of Beast Mode, but he's just too darn fun to watch and could have another big game against the Packers. If Aaron Rodgers can stay upright on his bum calf and deliver the ball to his playmakers, I'll be in good shape on Sunday. If not, well, I'll have to hope for better luck next year! Good luck to all of you playing along with the NFL Playoff Challenge this weekend. Until next time.
-- Follow Alex on Twitter @AlexGelhar.
