2021 Fantasy Football Conference Championship Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Sleepers, Fades, Matchups, DFS Bargains

Start 'em and sit 'em for every position for the conference championships from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano.

Be sure to check out my conference championship rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings.

Conference Round Weekend Start ‘Em: Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers vs. Buccaneers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Rodgers is the clear odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP award, and this week’s home matchup against the Buccaneers will be a revenge game of sorts. His worst totals of the season came back in Week 6, when the Bucs held him to 160 yards and 3.8 fantasy points. After that game, Rodgers averaged a stellar 25 points during the rest of the regular season. He’s also a reasonable $6,500 on DraftKings this week.

Conference Round Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks

Tom Brady at Packers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Brady has been on absolute fire in recent weeks, scoring 22-plus points in each of his last five games, including the playoffs. And while it's tough to think of a scenario where he would falter in the NFC championship game, Brady did fail to score 15 fantasy points against the Packers earlier this season. Green Bay's defense has also allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks at Lambeau Field this season.

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Conference Round Start ‘Em: Running Backs

Leonard Fournette at Packers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Fournette led all Bucs backs in snaps and touches last week, even with Ronald Jones (quadriceps) back in the mix. His 21.7 points led all running backs for the weekend, and he’s now scored a combined 44.9 points in the postseason. The Packers' defense has allowed the fifth-most points per game to opposing running backs, including Cam Akers’s 18.6 in last week’s win, so Fournette is in a good spot to succeed.

DFS Bargain: Darrel Williams vs. Bills (DraftKings: $4,800)

Conference Round Weekend Sit ‘Em: Running Backs

Devin Singletary at Chiefs (6:40 p.m. ET, CBS): Singletary looked like a decent play last week based on potential volume, as the Bills were without fellow running back Zack Moss against the Ravens. Well, Buffalo went on to run the football nine times while giving Singletary a mere 10 touches in the win. That makes it tough to trust him this week in Kansas City against a Chiefs defense that allowed Singletary to post 45 scrimmage yards and 5.5 points back in Week 6.

DFS Fade: Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. Bills (DraftKings: $5,000)

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Conference Round Weekend Start ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin at Packers (3:05 p.m. ET, FOX): Godwin is coming off a stinker in New Orleans, scoring a mere 7.4 fantasy points. He had put up 18-plus points in his previous three games though, and the Buccaneers could be without Antonio Brown (knee) against the Packers. Mike Evans will also draw Green Bay’s best cornerback, Jaire Alexander, who shadowed him nearly 80 percent of the time in their last meeting. Godwin could put up a nice line this week.

DFS Bargain: Allen Lazard vs. Buccaneers (DraftKings: $4,200)

Conference Round Weekend Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Cole Beasley at Chiefs (6:40 p.m. ET, CBS): Beasley hasn't been all that reliable in recent weeks, scoring fewer than 10 fantasy points in three of his last five games, including a goose egg against the Ravens. He has been dealing with a bum knee, which could be part of his lack of production. Beasley has a tough matchup this week too, as the Chiefs have allowed 3.6 receptions and the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing slot receivers this season.

DFS Fade: Mike Evans at Packers (DraftKings: $5,800)

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Conference Round Weekend Start ‘Em: Tight Ends

Robert Tonyan vs. Buccaneers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox: Travis Kelce will see a lot of run in DFS and postseason formats this week, but Tonyan will be the second-most popular option. He’s $4,400 cheaper than Kelce on DraftKings, and the game against the Buccaneers is a positive one. Their defense has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and the position has produced 12 or more points nine times with another three games of nine-plus.

Conference Round Weekend Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski at Packers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Gronkowski’s totals have gone south in recent weeks, as he’s scored a combined 2.4 fantasy points in his last two games. He also ran a mere 16 pass routes against the Saints while his teammate, Cameron Brate, ran 13 routes and saw the same number of targets (5). The Bucs also ran the football on 32 of Gronkowski’s 54 snaps (59.2%) last week, which isn’t what you want to see from your fantasy tight end.

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Conference Round Weekend Start ‘Em: Defenses

Packers D/ST vs. Buccaneers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): Let’s be honest, folks. There are no good matchups on the defensive side of the football when the quarterbacks are Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. The Packers might have the best shot at producing, as Brady has thrown two pick-sixes this season. Regardless, don’t expect much defensive production.

Divisional Round Weekend Sit ‘Em: Defenses

Buccaneers D/ST at Packers (3:05 p.m. ET, Fox): The Bucs defense scored an impressive 19 fantasy points against the Packers back in Week 6, but don't expect a repeat performance. Overall, defenses scored the fewest fantasy points against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' explosive offense. The weather could be an X-factor in the contest, but the matchup isn't great for the Bucs.

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for all of the latest breaking fantasy football news and the best analysis in the business!

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