Now that we've gone through the first weekend of the NFL Playoffs -- and the first round of the NFL Playoff Challenge -- things are going to start to heat up. This is when the double points start kicking in for anyone fortunate enough to still have their players alive in the postseason (we're looking at you, Jason Smith). So in advance of this weekend's divisional round games, here's a look at how some of our fantasy experts are rolling.
Michael Fabiano was willing to take a goose egg for the opening round in the hope that he can score big this weekend. However, he decided to go with the calculated risk of starting Russell Wilson over Peyton Manning at the quarterback spot. Maybe it's Manning's history of struggling in the postseason -- especially after having a first-round bye. Or maybe it's that the Chargers have given the Broncos offense a harder time than any other defense they've faced this season. Or maybe he's just daring to be different. We'll find out by Sunday evening how well it worked.
No, Marcas Grant didn't copy off of Michael Fabiano's test paper. It only looks that way. By loading up on the two No. 1 seeds in the playoffs, Marcas was willing to sit out the first week in the hopes that he can come up big this week. The biggest difference is that Marcas is willing to put his eggs in Peyton's basket. Hopefully he's not counting his chickens before they've hatched.
Never one to go along with the crowd, Adam Rank has thrown his lot in with the San Francisco 49ers. It's a strategy that served him fairly well, netting him a nice 86 points in the first round, with a chance for double points from just about every option on his roster this weekend. The only exception is Marshawn Lynch, which he used to replace Eddie Lacy. It's not a bad strategy -- ride the coattails of one of the hottest teams going. Just as long as they don't get cooled off in Carolina.
When it came to the top picks across all of the Playoff Challenge universe, there were some adjustments that had to be made after last week. Jamaal Charles, LeSean McCoy, A.J. Green, Jordy Nelson and the Chiefs defense are all off the table after their teams lost last week. So it's not a total surprise to see a preponderance of Broncos and Seahawks appearing in lineups this week. There were even a couple of holdovers from last week with Jimmy Graham and Adam Vinatieri making repeat appearances. How many of these faces will we see next week? We'll find out.
