Championship Sunday features the top three scoring defenses in the NFL: the No. 1 Ravens, No. 2 Chiefs and No. 3 49ers. That's important to keep in mind when crafting your Championship Round Fantasy football picks since you want to favor players with strong chances of finding the endzone. While you shouldn't dismiss the likes of Travis Kelce, Gus Edwards or David Montgomery from slotting into Fantasy football lineups as they're facing top defenses, it could be prudent to focus in on players facing the Detroit Lions.
Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are already two of the most coveted Conference Championship Fantasy football picks, but lesser-known 49ers should also be considered. Jauan Jennings had 61 receiving yards last week and could be one of Brock Purdy's main targets if Deebo Samuel (shoulder) is limited. Before you lock in your postseason Fantasy football picks, be sure to check out the Fantasy football rankings for NFL Conference Championship Weekend from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for the Conference Championship Round of the 2024 NFL playoffs. Head to SportsLine now to see its NFL Divisional Round Fantasy football rankings.
Top NFL Conference Championship Fantasy football picks
One player the model is high on this week: Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. The No. 12 overall pick is a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year after 1,261 total yards and 11 touchdowns in the regular season. He's averaged 91 scrimmage yards in the postseason, scoring in both games, and Gibbs has 13 touchdowns over his last 13 games. He is ascending heading into the NFC Championship Game while the Niners' run defense is going in the opposite direction.
After allowing just 78.3 rushing yards over their first 13 games, the 49ers have given up 128.6 rushing yards over their last five games. Aaron Jones had 161 scrimmage yards last week versus San Fran, and the Niners are especially susceptible in the passing game, which is one of Gibbs' strengths. Gibbs ranked amongst the top 10 running backs in receptions this season (52), while San Francisco allowed the fifth-most receptions and eighth-most receiving yards to opposing RBs in the regular season.
And a massive shocker: Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns in last week's win over the Buccaneers, stumbles big-time and is ranked last among the four remaining starting QBs. The overall numbers were solid but Goff only averaged 6.7 yards per pass attempt against a Bucs defense that ranked 29th in the NFL against the pass this season.
Now the Lions will have a much tougher matchup against a 49ers defense that ranked fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per pass attempt (5.9). San Francisco held Jordan Love to just 194 yards on 34 pass attempts last week and intercepted the Green Bay quarterback twice after he had only thrown one pick in his previous nine games. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the NFL Divisional Round Fantasy football rankings.
Fantasy football advice for next season
If your fantasy football season has concluded, there's still plenty of content for you to take advantage of at CBS Sports. They have a full PPR mock draft for 2024 featuring our top fantasy experts. See where every player landed in their mock draft to get a jump-start on your opponents. All of their top fantasy experts also revealed their top 24 players, including a stunner by Chris Towers at running back. Get the full top 24 here. There's are also comprehensive dynasty QB rankings to help you get a jump-start on who to keep, including a surprising ranking for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who threw just 85 passes this season.
How to set NFL Conference Championship Fantasy football rankings
The model has also made a shocking call on who leads its Fantasy football QB rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the NFL Conference Championship Fantasy football rankings here.
So who should you start and sit this week, and which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get NFL Conference Championship Fantasy football rankings for every position and see which shocking QB comes out of nowhere to lead all scorers, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.