Andy Richardson

January 24, 2025

Championship Game Rankings

Top RB, WR on NFC side

We've previewed both games over the course of the week. Now time to put numbers to the text, and see who the best players should be.

Josh Allen looks best at quarterback. He's carried the offense in recent clashes with Kansas City, and run more than usual in these matchups. Maybe Buffalo changes things up and leans on the conventional running game; they've got three capable backs. But Allen seems more likely to be carrying the ball around the goal line than usual, and he's got one of the week's two best matchups for passing, too.

Nobody with the luxury of starting Saquon Barkley this week will be nudging any backs ahead of him. The debate comes at the No. 2 option, with James Cook, a Washington back or Kareem Hunt all viable candidates. But Cook has been his team's most regular lead back of those options.

Terry McLaurin is the top wide receiver still playing, but Khalil Shakir, Xavier Worthy and both Eagles are also viable. The Eagles merit some discussion: Jalen Hurts has a knee injury that's been limiting him in practice. I've ratcheted Hurts' rushing production well down from usual, and I think it could affect the passing game too -- his mobility should be compromised. If you're in the camp that thinks Hurts will be a-OK, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, and Hurts himself, would get a little boost. I think the Eagles offense will be the Saquon Barkley show, again, and am not to keen to be starting other Eagles players.

Travis Kelce has averaged 20 more yards per game in three of his last four postseasons than in the regular season, and kept that going in last week's 117-yard performance. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert have their merits, but I'm not going to slot either guy as comparable to Kelce.

Rankings are below, sorted by PPR (but Standard and TD-only projected point totals are also shown). Good luck in your competitions.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RANKINGS
Pos	Tm	Player	Pass	Rec	Run	Tot	TD	Std	PPR	TD
QB	BUF	Josh Allen	235	0	47	282	2.20	26.2	26.2	9.9
QB	WAS	Jayden Daniels	228	0	41	269	1.85	23.4	23.4	7.9
RB	PHI	Saquon Barkley	0	14	131	145	1.10	21.2	22.8	6.6
QB	KC	Patrick Mahomes	252	0	20	272	1.89	22.3	22.3	7.7
QB	PHI	Jalen Hurts	183	0	23	206	1.87	19.9	19.9	8.4
TE	KC	Travis Kelce	1	61	0	62	.39	8.5	15.7	2.4
WR	WAS	Terry McLaurin	0	69	0	69	.50	9.9	14.8	3.0
WR	BUF	Khalil Shakir	0	58	0	58	.31	7.7	13.0	1.9
WR	KC	Xavier Worthy	0	51	4	55	.44	8.2	12.9	2.6
WR	PHI	DeVonta Smith	0	54	1	54	.42	8.0	12.3	2.5
RB	BUF	James Cook	0	14	60	74	.50	10.4	12.2	3.0
WR	PHI	A.J. Brown	0	54	0	54	.38	7.6	11.8	2.3
WR	WAS	Dyami Brown	0	41	1	43	.31	6.1	10.1	1.8
WR	KC	Marquise Brown	0	41	0	41	.31	6.0	10.0	1.9
TE	PHI	Dallas Goedert	0	43	0	43	.35	6.4	10.0	2.1
RB	WAS	Brian Robinson	0	12	45	56	.43	8.2	9.6	2.6
RB	WAS	Austin Ekeler	0	28	22	49	.31	6.8	9.4	1.9
RB	KC	Kareem Hunt	0	12	44	56	.38	7.9	9.4	2.3
TE	WAS	Zach Ertz	0	35	0	35	.40	5.9	9.3	2.4
PK	BUF	Tyler Bass	0	0	0	0	.00	8.1	8.1	8.1
PK	KC	Harrison Butker	0	0	0	0	.00	8.0	8.0	8.0
PK	PHI	Jake Elliott	0	0	0	0	.00	7.4	7.4	7.4
WR	BUF	Curtis Samuel	0	26	1	27	.23	4.1	7.2	1.4
WR	KC	DeAndre Hopkins	0	28	0	28	.26	4.4	7.0	1.6
PK	WAS	Zane Gonzalez	0	0	0	0	.00	6.8	6.8	6.8
RB	BUF	Ty Johnson	0	22	13	35	.24	4.9	6.7	1.5
TE	BUF	Dalton Kincaid	0	30	0	30	.14	3.8	6.7	.8
RB	KC	Isiah Pacheco	0	5	33	38	.25	5.2	6.0	1.5
WR	WAS	Olamide Zaccheaus	0	25	0	26	.16	3.5	5.8	1.0
RB	KC	Samaje Perine	0	23	4	27	.15	3.6	5.8	.9
WR	BUF	Keon Coleman	0	24	0	24	.19	3.5	4.9	1.1
TE	KC	Noah Gray	0	20	0	20	.17	3.0	4.9	1.0
WR	BUF	Amari Cooper	0	22	0	22	.19	3.3	4.8	1.1
RB	PHI	Kenneth Gainwell	0	7	19	26	.16	3.6	4.6	1.0
TE	BUF	Dawson Knox	0	22	0	22	.10	2.8	4.4	.6
WR	BUF	Mack Hollins	0	17	0	17	.19	2.8	4.1	1.1
RB	BUF	Ray Davis	0	5	12	17	.09	2.2	2.8	.6
WR	WAS	Jamison Crowder	0	9	0	9	.05	1.2	2.4	.3
WR	PHI	Jahan Dotson	0	9	0	9	.06	1.3	2.1	.3
WR	KC	Justin Watson	0	8	0	8	.07	1.2	1.8	.4
WR	KC	JuJu Smith-Schuster	0	5	0	5	.06	0.8	1.2	.3
TE	WAS	John Bates	0	5	0	5	.02	0.6	1.0	.1
RB	WAS	Jeremy McNichols	0	1	5	6	.04	0.8	.9	.2
WR	WAS	Luke McCaffrey	0	2	0	2	.02	0.3	.6	.1
TE	WAS	Ben Sinnott	0	2	0	2	.00	0.2	.6	.0
TE	PHI	Grant Calcaterra	0	2	0	2	.01	0.3	.4	.1
RB	WAS	Chris Rodriguez	0	0	1	1	.01	0.2	.2	.1
QB	KC	Carson Wentz	3	0	0	3	.02	0.2	.2	.1
TE	PHI	E.J. Jenkins	0	1	0	1	.01	0.1	.2	.0
QB	BUF	Mitchell Trubisky	2	0	0	2	.02	0.2	.2	.1
WR	PHI	Johnny Wilson	0	1	0	1	.01	0.1	.2	.0
QB	WAS	Marcus Mariota	2	0	0	2	.02	0.2	.2	.1
TE	BUF	Reggie Gilliam	0	0	0	1	.01	0.1	.2	.0
RB	PHI	Will Shipley	0	0	1	1	.01	0.1	.2	.0
TE	BUF	Quintin Morris	0	0	0	0	.02	0.1	.2	.1
RB	KC	Carson Steele	0	0	0	1	.00	0.1	.1	.0
TE	WAS	Colson Yankoff	0	0	0	0	.00	0.1	.1	.0
QB	PHI	Kenny Pickett	1	0	0	1	.01	0.1	.1	.0
TE	KC	Peyton Hendershot	0	0	0	0	.00	0.0	.1	.0
WR	KC	Nikko Remigio	0	0	0	0	.00	0.1	.1	.1
WR	PHI	Parris Campbell	0	0	0	0	.00	0.0	.0	.0

Defense rankings are below. As you might expect from four of the offenses who turned it over the fewest during the season, there's not a slam dunk best choice. Eagles and Bills look best, but not a heavy favorite.

DEFENSE RANKINGS
Team	Fum	Int	Pass	Run	Pts	Sack	TD D	TD K	Std	PPR	TD
Eagles	.45	.60	230	115	21.5	1.9	.08	.01	4.56	5.06	0.565
Bills	.45	.55	255	105	24.0	2.1	.09	.02	4.74	4.74	0.642
Commanders	.55	.65	190	160	27.0	2.5	.09	.02	5.53	3.78	0.630
Kansas City	.40	.30	235	130	25.0	1.7	.06	.02	3.59	3.09	0.486

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