Fantasy Football Conference Championship FantasySP Expert Picks: Brian Robinson Jr., A.J. Brown, James Cook, Kareem Hunt and More

It's the penultimate chance to play fantasy football, something that is both sad and unbelievable at the same time; remember when the season was just starting? We are here to help you finish the season strong, though.

Morgan Rode, Ted Chmyz, Mark Morales-Smith, and Daniel Hepner answered five questions to help you prepare for fantasy and DFS choices in the Conference Championship Games.

Are any of Washington’s running backs worth considering in DFS?

Morgan: I have Brian Robinson as my No. 3 fantasy back for this week. Granted, there aren’t many good options outside Saquon Barkley, but I’d be fine taking a chance on Robinson. He’s not likely to have a huge game, but he might do enough to help out playoff fantasy teams or DFS lineups.

Ted: Given the complete lack of options, both are absolutely worth considering. I’m going to disagree with Morgan here and say that I prefer Austin Ekeler to Robinson. Robinson had the better game last week, but this week’s matchup should favor Ekeler’s passing-down role more than Robinson’s early-down grinding. 

Mark: In this matchup, I’d stay away if I could. Robinson would be my choice if I had to play one.

Daniel: Volume is the best way to rack up fantasy points, and that comes from Robinson. The matchup isn’t great (Philadelphia was close to a top-10 run defense), and I’d rather steer clear. Ekeler could be an OK lower-cost option in PPR.

Who will be the best fantasy pass catcher on the Eagles in this game?

Morgan: I’m going with Dallas Goedert. A.J. Brown has underwhelmed this postseason, and DeVonta Smith hasn’t been much better. Goedert has been the top pass catcher, and I think that continues against the Commanders.

Ted: I don’t care who the opponent is, the answer to this question should always be Brown. Smith is an excellent WR2, and Goedert is a solid receiving TE, but Brown is one of the best receivers in the league. His stats this season weren’t eye-popping because of the Eagles’ low volume, but he still easily leads the team (playoffs included) with genuinely elite marks in every stat we care about: 30% target share, 50% air yards share, 41% first-read target share, etc.

Mark: I’m going with Smith here. It seems like Brown is more hurt than he’s letting on. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he came out and made me look stupid, though. When healthy, he’s the best wideout left in the playoffs.

Daniel: Brown is one of my favorite fantasy receivers, but this team doesn’t throw enough for him to be elite every week. That matters because you have to pay up for him in DFS. If I’m taking a stab at a Philly receiver, I’d go with Smith because he costs less.

Which Buffalo players other than Josh Allen are worth fantasy consideration?

Morgan: James Cook, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid are worth considering this week. I have Cook as my No. 2 running back, Shakir as my No. 2 receiver and Kincaid as my No. 4 tight end. None of them are elite fantasy options, but in a week lacking a ton of options, they probably are a bit better than you might think. 

Ted: Cook is the obvious choice, as he is the only RB on this slate outside of Barkley to have a clear claim to being his team’s lead back. Shakir is also definitely playable as the team’s lead WR (although his role isn’t as big as you might think). After him, however, things get tricky. Buffalo’s other running backs (Ray Davis and Ty Johnson) have marginal roles, and no pass-catcher outside of Shakir posted even a 50% route participation rate or recorded more than 12 yards last week. However, with the lack of options available, Dawson Knox, Keon Coleman, and Kincaid are all worth considering. A tier below that trio, Curtis Samuel, Amari Cooper, and Mack Hollins are viable dart throws, and Johnson can be played if you’re in a pinch at RB.

Mark: This is an easy answer, and it’s Cook. If we take him out of the mix, I like Shakir the best of the pass-catchers because of his floor.

Daniel: Cook and Kincaid are the easy guys. Cook is a true RB1, capable of building volume every game. The Chiefs allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends during the season, regularly getting beat up by the position even when they were successful stopping the pass. That makes Kincaid a nice low-cost option if you don’t want to splurge on Travis Kelce. Anyone else is a lottery ticket that you're hoping can find the end zone.

Are any Chiefs other than Travis Kelce worth targeting in DFS?

Morgan: I’ll say Kareem Hunt, who is my No. 4 fantasy back this week. He’ll likely split the workload with Isiah Pacheco, but Hunt has a decent chance to score. If you only have a few bucks to work with, Hunt should be a fairly cheap option, and he’s got decent upside with his touchdown potential.

Ted: I agree with Morgan about Hunt, and Pacheco himself is also worth considering given he will be far less popular, and his role is only barely worse than Hunt’s. Meanwhile, Xavier Worthy is legitimately one of the best wide receiver plays on this slate. I also like Marquise Brown, who was the Chiefs’ clear WR2 last week despite his donut on the fantasy scoreboard. On a two-game slate, even DeAndre Hopkins and Noah Gray are worth a second look, although they join the Bills’ second-tier options in not having broken the 50% route participation rate mark last week.

Daniel: The running backs aren’t great; the receivers are mostly middling. Patrick Mahomes is my bottom-ranked fantasy quarterback for the week. The Chiefs win on the strength of their defense as much as anything else. Anyone you choose from Kansas City aside from Kelce, you’re just hoping for a touchdown. I agree with Ted that Worthy is a legit WR option, and Kelce is the top fantasy tight end.

Give us your picks for the two Conference Championship games.

Morgan: I have the Chiefs edging the Bills in another classic showdown. I took KC to win it all before the season, and I’m sticking with that pick. I’m going to take Washington to pull another upset and down Philadelphia - that game might end up being more fun to watch, with more offense and big plays.

Ted: I’m going to go with my heart and back Buffalo to finally get over the hump and beat the Chiefs. Kansas City simply hasn’t been as dominant as we’ve grown used to this season, although their third-down and clutch-time numbers are still absurd. On the other side, I’m going to stick with the favorites and back the Eagles. With Jalen Hurts banged up, Washington clearly has the better quarterback in this matchup, which matters a lot, but Philadelphia’s roster is better at essentially every other position.

Mark: Chiefs and Eagles. The Eagles are the far superior team, and it’s hard to pick against Mahomes. He just always finds a way to get it done. I thought the Ravens had a shot, but I don’t like the matchup for the Bills. The only hope the Commanders have is either Hurts being terrible or Daniels being unreal. They might need both to happen.

Daniel: Bills and Eagles. Philadelphia’s defense is superb; they might be one of the only teams capable of containing Daniels right now. With stars on the offense and a top-flight offensive line, the Eagles might have the best all-around roster of the four teams remaining. I see the AFC Championship as a toss-up. KC has won most of the major matchups, so let’s see if the Bills can turn things around.