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- Two Playoff Games Stand Out
It wasn’t pretty as far as how we got there yesterday, but the playoff bracket is finally set. Here’s what we have on tap …
AFC: No. 1 Broncos (bye)
Sun 8 PM ET: No. 7 Chargers at No 2. Patriots (-3.5) - Maye vs. Herbert … or Harbaugh vs. Vrabel??
These two teams finished their seasons in very different ways—two straight losses for the Chargers (yes, I know they rested their starters vs. the Broncos) and two blowout victories for the Patriots. I’m kind of surprised New England isn’t a bigger favorite in this spot.
Sun 1 PM ET: No. 6 Bills (-1) at No. 3 Jaguars - The Josh Allen Bowl
Imagine telling Bills fans at the beginning of the year that they’d be playing at Jacksonville in the Wild Card Round as minuscule favorites. It’s tough to bet against Josh Allen (the QB one), but man, the Jags have so many more weapons than this depleted Buffalo squad. This is by far the most intriguing AFC matchup.
Mon. 8 PM ET: No. 5 Texans at No. 4 Steelers (+3) - Don’t Take The Over
You didn’t think you were getting rid of Aaron Rodgers that easily, did you? The man is going to outlive us all. Prepare accordingly, Houston … and take the under (39.5). Seriously.
NFC: No. 1 Seahawks (bye)
Sat. 8 PM ET: No. 7 Packers (+1) at No. 2 Bears - The Divisional Match
Green Bay won both of these regular-season matches, but the Bears are a much different squad now that they’ve opened up the passing game and unleashed their two rookie pass catchers. That said, I’m not sure I trust Caleb Williams in his first career playoff start against a solid defense.
Sat. 4:30 PM ET: No. 5 Rams (-10) at No. 4 Panthers - They Did It Once Already
The Rams open as huge favorites, but it is pretty funny that Carolina already beat them once at home this year in a 31-28 stunner. They’ll be way more prepared for the rematch, but why can’t the Panthers cover here?
Sun 4:30 PM ET: No. 6. 49ers at No. 3 Eagles (-3.5) - NFC East Royalty
One of these two teams has played in the NFC Championship game in each of the past four years. The Eagles are certainly the more well-rounded team, but this one rivals Bills/Jags for the most interesting opening weekend game.
Want to put your playoff knowledge to the test? Check out our Guilloteenie leagues below. We’ll have more strategy content in the coming days …
Fantasy Football Season Is Not Over
Four rounds. Three chops. One champion. Guilloteenies are now live in the Guillotine Leagues™ lobby.
Fantasy
Playoff Rankings: Puka Nacua is no Reach at WR1
After a magical season where he posted a league-high 129 catches, along with 1,715 receiving yards and 10 scores, Puka Nacua rises up to the top like he did making that one-handed TD catch against the Cardinals on Sunday.
It’s playoff time. Best of the best. There are 12 teams playing this week, so the playoff rankings are sawed off compared to the regular season. But the cream rises, like Puka has all year round. It’s not just him, though. Are Christian McCaffrey or James Cook the top RB? The rankings are here for you. ⤵️
Dynasty
The Dynasty Season Is Heating Back Up …
Sure, the fantasy football season has come to a close … but is there really a close when it comes to dynasty fantasy football? We didn’t think so.
Trade markets are opening back up, and players are being added to the block in leagues left and right. So, how do you tackle the trade market this early in the offseason? Jake Trowbridge has you covered …
The players listed below have likely reached the height of their fantasy powers and could come crashing down to earth very soon. They present a good opportunity to get out while the getting is good. If it helps, don’t think of it as selling The Hulk. Think of it as selling The Hulk right before he turns back into Bruce Banner.
SELL HIGH: Michael Wilson, WR, ARI
Wilson had an uncharacteristically stellar stretch of games to close out 2025. No, wait, that’s putting it mildly. Let me try again: Wilson went absolutely f*cking bonkers, and no one in the world saw it coming. But … how? And why can’t he do it again?
First, Wilson’s breakout perfectly synced up with Marvin Harrison Jr. getting hurt and missing games (I’m talking Dark Side of the Moon played over top Wizard of Oz levels of synchronicity). Behold, his average splits from the last two seasons with and without Marv on the field:
With (28 games): 4.6 targets, 2.8 catches, 34 yards, seven total TDs
Without (five games): 13.6 targets, 9.2 catches, 119.6 yards, four total TDs
Then there’s the Cardinals’ obliterated backfield. I’ve seen more consistency in my stools the morning after eating week-old bean dip. So naturally, Arizona was going to rely more heavily on its receivers.
Which brings me to my most salient point: Jacoby Brissett. From Week 6 on, when Brissett took over as the starter for an injured (and definitely not benched) Kyler Murray, no quarterback threw more passes per game. We really have no idea what the QB room will look like next year, especially if a new coaching staff and/or GM comes to town.
There’s just too much evidence to suggest that this was a one-off for Wilson. But hey, don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened and reap the rewards.
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Fantasy
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.
🪓 Playoff fantasy football strategy guide … your keys to another trophy.
🔮 NFL Draft order. The top two teams desperately need a QB.
➕ NFC North > NFC South … and it’s not even close.
❌ Here come the coach firings … the Falcons kick things off.
🥵 The NFL regular season is over. Wasn’t it just September?
😎 Kyle Pitts did it, and cooterdoodle told you it was for the bit.
🏈 The official schedule for Wild Card Weekend. Three days of football!
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