Fantasy Football 2021: Daily Fantasy Advice for Championship Games

Four teams. Two conference championship games. A pair of spots in Super Bowl LV on the line. There should be plenty of exciting NFL action coming Sunday.

It will also be an opportunity to create daily fantasy lineups using some of the top players from these four teams, with a chance to cash in and earn prizes from either DraftKings or FanDuel. While traditional fantasy football is long over, DFS provides a way for fantasy managers to get in on the postseason action.

The Green Bay Packers are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, then the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. And as you might expect, all four teams have a bunch of talented players, which is why they are playing deep into January.

Here's some daily fantasy advice for conference championship weekend.

Allen Should Be Reliable Starting Option at Quarterback

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Even though Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (who is in NFL's concussion protocol) has an uncertain status for Sunday, he's still the most expensive quarterback in DFS for conference championship weekend. That's why it will be better to spend a little less and go to the opposite sideline with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Allen ($6,900 DraftKings; $8,500 FanDuel) has had a breakout 2020 season, and he's continued that into the playoffs. Over Buffalo's first two postseason games, he's passed for 530 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions while also adding 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

In the divisional round, Allen faced a solid Baltimore Ravens defense and passed for 206 yards and one touchdown. Before that, he had accounted for at least three total touchdowns in five of his previous six games. The 24-year-old will be looking for a better showing against the Chiefs, who held him to 122 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6.

Kansas City's defense ranked near the middle of the league against both the pass and run this season, so Allen should have a better showing. Plus, the Chiefs had the No. 1 offense in the NFL, so if they start putting up a lot of points, the Bills may be forced to keep passing the ball, which should lead to a big fantasy day for Allen.

At the very least, Allen should put up solid numbers that keep your DFS lineup afloat. His ceiling is another breakout performance with huge stats to carry your lineup. He should be the most reliable starting option at quarterback, especially considering he's healthy heading into Sunday.

Go with Jones from Buccaneers Backfield

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Ronald Jones II returned to the Buccaneers lineup in the divisional round after missing their Wild Card Round win at Washington because of a quad injury. And although Leonard Fournette started in the victory over the New Orleans Saints, Jones got into the mix again, rushing for 62 yards on 13 carries.

With more time to keep recovering, Jones ($4,600 DraftKings; $5,600 FanDuel) should be poised for an even better showing at Green Bay on Sunday—especially considering what the 23-year-old running back did the last time he took on the Packers.

In Week 6 of the regular season, Jones helped the Bucs notch a 38-10 win over the Packers by rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns, which ended up being his only multi-touchdown game of the season. Green Bay has given up 91.47 rushing yards per game to running backs (playoffs included) and has conceded a touchdown to one in each of its past two games.

Although Jones is back, Fournette remains the more expensive daily fantasy option of the two. And the former Jacksonville Jaguar could still have a solid game as well because of his involvement in the passing game. However, this should be an opportunity for Jones to put up some big numbers, and given his low DFS cost, it will come at a great value.

Spend Big for Adams, Who Should Have Another Big Game

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If you have a budget option or two in your daily fantasy lineup (such as Jones), then you should use the budget you have left to add Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. He's been one of the best receivers in the NFL this season, which is unlikely to change now that we're deep into January.

Adams ($8,000 DraftKings; $8,900 FanDuel) scored a career-high 18 touchdowns during the regular season. Then he opened the postseason by hauling in nine passes for 66 yards and a score against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Although the Buccaneers kept Adams out of the end zone in Week 6, it was his first game back from an ankle injury, and he still had six catches for 61 yards on 10 targets.

Later in the regular season, Adams really got going. It wouldn't be surprising to see him put up much bigger numbers Sunday, especially with the stakes being so high.

The Bucs had the top run defense in the NFL during the regular season, so it may be difficult for the Packers to get much going on the ground. But that could lead to more passing opportunities for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who would surely frequently throw to Adams in that scenario.

Adams should have another big game, so make sure he's in your daily fantasy lineup Sunday.

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