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NFL Conference Championship Sunday: Top DFS picks and fades

scott pianowski
Fantasy analyst
·3 min read

It's the last two-game slate of the NFL season. Here are some DFS plays and fades to get you started.

It stings a bit to buy at the top of the market but sometimes you have to do it. Barkley's been reliable all season, but the Eagles in particular have steered into his workload lately, giving him 119 touches over the last four games. And with Jalen Hurts likely not 100%, it lines up to be another Barkley Show. Washington ranks just 26th in run-defense DVOA, and Jahmyr Gibbs did whatever he wanted last week.

For the most part the Buffalo passing game is comprised of a receiver rotation, but Shakir is the one player who breaks that platoon. He's secured 12-of-13 targets in the playoffs and he had a tidy 8-70-0 line (on 12 targets) when Buffalo beat Kansas City back in November. Shakir also produced in the playoffs versus the Chiefs last year, grabbing seven passes and scoring a touchdown.

The Eagles eliminated him in the first matchup but McLaurin was just fine in the rematch (5-60-1). Mostly this pick is about a player in top form, with McLaurin on a 45-548-9 barrage over his last eight games. Philadelphia's secondary is also dealing with some nagging injuries.

Although Isiah Pacheco has been back for about two months now, Hunt continues to run ahead of him as the team's backfield chairman. Hunt punched in a touchdown last week and is also getting more opportunities in the passing game. Kansas City will give him an opportunity to take some body blows against Buffalo's undersized defensive front.

The regular-season numbers are too depressing to look at, but why bother? Playoff Kelce is a completely different thing, when the Chiefs take the wraps off their most experienced target. Kelce exploded for a 7-117-1 line in the Houston win, and over his last 13 playoff games, his worst yardage return was 71 yards. It's lovely to land upside and floor with the same choice.

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The rushing equity is always a nice backboard, but the Philadelphia passing game has been a volume problem for several weeks. Hurts hasn't made it past 180 passing yards in five of his last six starts and he took a ghastly seven sacks in the win over the Rams. You can't blame the Eagles if they scheme around Hurts on Sunday.

The salary has come down but the recent production still has me spooked — Hopkins didn't have a catch in the win over Houston and his last five starts have netted just 112 yards and one touchdown. If I have to play a Kansas City wideout, I'll look at one of the younger options.

We had some fun with him late in the season, but Dyami Brown has moved past him during the playoffs and his salary is just four bucks extra.