When I'm watching the playoffs, if my favorite team isn't playing the first thing I'm rooting for is a good game. After that, it depends on which team I like/despise and playoff fantasy football considerations.
If I'm still conflicted, I tend to root for great fantasy players. I want to see the guys who helped us achieve great things also achieve great things themselves when it matters most. So I'll root for a statistical superstar (fantasy) over players who don't get a lot of attention in our game (reality). I want our guys to win.
In fantasy vs. reality, this weekend was a split decision.
Saturday: Reality definitely won the day here. Minnesota's Dalvin Cook totaled 26 yards on 15 touches. Stefon Diggs saved his fantasy day with a long TD catch, but had just two receptions. Adam Thielen had a pedestrian 5/50 stat line. And now, all their seasons are over. The team with the more prominent fantasy players lost.
For San Francisco, George Kittle had 16 yards. That's about it. The best fantasy player in the first game was Tevin Coleman, who wasn't a reliable starter for anybody in the regular season. It was just a solid effort by the NFC's #1 seed and the better team won.
In the late game, the fantasy star of the year, Lamar Jackson, had a bunch of yards but three turnovers. His season is over and he's 0-2 in the playoffs to start his young career. In fact, the only fantasy starter who won their game and had a strong showing on Saturday was Derrick Henry, who threw as many touchdowns as Cousins, Garoppolo and Jackson that day. Except for Henry (who is now a one-man wrecking crew), all the best fantasy players went home and the ones who survived underperformed. Reality won Saturday.
Sunday: Different story all the way around. The best fantasy players advanced. In the first game, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce outgunned Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins (both great players who went out with a bang). Even Damien Williams established himself with three scores. Only Tyreek Hill missed out on the action in the stat lines. In a perfect world, I could have rooted for Watson, Hopkins, Mahomes and Kelce separately and have them all meet next weekend. But it was a great game for fantasy owners, and in the end the team with more fantasy assets is moving on.
It played out the same in the NFC, where Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones all showed up and outdueled Russell Wilson. It's not like Wilson was the only guy out there (this week it was Kevin Lockett over DK Metcalf for the receivers), but he's clearly the team's engine and the one player who constantly makes fantasy owners proud. The team with more fantasy firepower advanced again.
So if we're handicapping next Sunday Team Reality is San Francisco and Tennessee (with an assist from fantasy star Derrick Henry, who is playing for the other guys) and Team Fantasy is Green Bay and Kansas City. I don't have a rooting interest in any of these teams, and none bother me enough that I'd root against them. So I'll keep cheering for fantasy players to advance to the Super Bowl. That would be Green Bay and Kansas City, though if I have at least one to support in early February I'll be happy. And if your players are still alive in your playoff fantasy game, good luck this week.
What did you think of last weekend's games? Which of your fantasy favorites from the regular season are still alive? Who are you rooting for this Sunday? Share your thoughts below.