It’s finally playoff time!
And if you’re playing in a playoff league, dabbling in DFS, or placing any wagers — we have you covered. Make sure you check out our Staff Playoff Player Rankings, Staff Playoff Picks, and Brolley’s Betting Guide.
Here are some key stats in every game to get you set for all of your Wild Card action:
Indianapolis at Buffalo
Colts Stat-Pack
This is just the second time all year the Colts have been underdogs.
They were -1 or -2 favorites five times.
Over his final six games, Jonathan Taylor closed out the season as the RB3 in fantasy points per game (24.3) behind only David Montgomery (25.7) and Derrick Henry (24.7).
In this stretch, Taylor had the following weekly finishes: RB12 > RB5 > RB2 > RB15 > RB10 > RB1.
Per PFF, Taylor (0.25) ranked second behind only Nick Chubb (0.39) in missed tackles forced per touch over his last six games.
In his first nine games, Taylor forced just 0.10 missed tackles per touch.
The Bills front-seven gave up 56/273/4 (4.9 YPC allowed) on the ground and 17/126 receiving to opposing backs over their final three games.
Over the final six games of the year, T.Y. Hilton (43) led the team in targets by a mile ahead of Nyheim Hines (32), Michael Pittman (24), and Zach Pascal (23).
Hilton had 70 yards and/or a score in every game in this stretch.
Bills Stat-Pack
Josh Allen’s 25.4 fantasy points per game is the sixth-best season ever by a quarterback.
The Colts play zone coverage on 77% of pass plays (third-highest rate).
On that note… Allen was far better against man coverage (126 rating; second-best) than zone coverage (93 rating; 16th).
Only two wide receivers have recorded 6 or more receptions in 15 games in a single season all-time: Marvin Harrison (in 2002) and Stefon Diggs (2020).
Over the Colts final five games, they allowed the second-most receptions (17.2 per game) and third-most yards (217 per game) to opposing WRs.
In their last six games (Week 17 not included), Devin Singletary (53%) and Zack Moss (47%) split snaps right down the middle.
LA Rams at Seattle
Rams Stat-Pack
Even though they controlled the game throughout, HC Sean McVay still went 57% pass-heavy with John Wolford under center last week against Arizona.
Despite dealing with a high ankle sprain, Cam Akers out-touched Malcolm Brown 25 to 4 last week.
Not including Week 17, Robert Woods saw 76 targets while Cooper Kupp saw 73 in their final eight games played together.
Per PFF, Jalen Ramsey held D.K. Metcalf to 1 catch for 11 yards on four targets in their two games against each other this season.
Ramsey has allowed just 0.13 fantasy points per coverage snap this season, which is fourth-best among qualified CBs.
The Rams allowed just six receivers total to finish as a WR2 or better (top-24) this season, which was the fewest in the NFL.
Seahawks Stat-Pack
In his first eight games, Russell Wilson threw for 317.6 yards per game, completed 71% of his throws, had a 28:8 TD-to-INT ratio, and averaged 8.6 yards per attempt.
Over his final eight games, Wilson threw for 208.9 yards per game, completed 66% of his throws, had a 12:5 TD-to-INT ratio, and averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt.
It may have not always seemed like it, but D.K. Metcalf (17.1 FPG) ended the season as the WR9 while Tyler Lockett (16.6 FPG) was the WR12.
Metcalf had four WR1 (top-12) performances while Lockett had five.
Chris Carson cleared 80 yards rushing once all season.
Tampa Bay at Washington
Buccaneers Stat-Pack
Tampa’s offense ended the season on a tear and averaged 43.1 yards gained per drive (most) and scored on 53% of their possessions (third-best) over their final five games.
In this stretch, Tom Brady threw for 335.6 yards per game, had a 119.7 passer rating, completed 68.4% of his throws, and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt.
Over the full season, Washington allowed just 210.2 passing yards per game (fewest).
Washington’s front-seven generated pressure on 26% of opposing teams dropbacks, which was the fourth-best rate in the league.
Brady’s passer rating fell by 60 points when he was pressured (55.1) compared to kept clean (115.1) this season.
Ronald Jones has out-carried Leonard Fournette 54 to 23 in their last four games together.
Jones earned a 44% success rate on his carries, which was 19th-best out of 53 qualified RBs. Fournette’s success rate was 37% (which ranked 42nd).
WFT Stat-Pack
Over their final six games, Washington averaged just 25.9 yards gained per drive — which is the worst among playoff teams.
The good news? Their defense carried them. Washington allowed just 23.3 yards gained per drive (second-best) and allowed a score on 22% of drives (best) to opposing offenses.
After playing on just 30% of Washington’s snaps in his Week 16 return, Gibson got a big playing time boost in the finale (59% snap rate).
J.D. McKissic averaged 8.8 targets per game in Alex Smith’s full starts and 5.7 T/G without him.
Over the final five weeks of the season, the Buccaneers allowed 7.0 receptions per game to opposing running backs (second-most).
Would you believe me if I told you that Terry McLaurin was far better without Alex Smith this season? Because in the eight games that Smith played in, McLaurin averaged just 12.9 fantasy points per game. In seven games without Smith, McLaurin put up 17.4 FPG.
Alex Smith’s average depth of target downfield was just 5.4 yards this season, which was by far the lowest in the NFL. Drew Brees was second-lowest (6.6 aDOT).
Baltimore at Tennessee
Ravens Stat-Pack
Over his final five games, Lamar Jackson averaged 27.9 fantasy points per game. Only Josh Allen put up more FPG (28.1) in this span.
Jackson averaged 86 rushing yards per game and had 4 rushing scores in this span.
When Jackson finished as the QB1 last season, Jackson averaged 27.7 FPG.
Ravens RB carries over the last five weeks: J.K. Dobbins (62), Gus Edwards (50), and Mark Ingram (15).
The Ravens really condensed their aerial attack down the stretch run. Over the final five weeks, Mark Andrews (33%) and Marquise Brown (31%) have combined to see 64% of Lamar Jackson’s targets.
Over the final five weeks of the season, the Titans gave up a league-high 52.5 fantasy points per game to wide receivers which included 6/95/1 to Rashard Higgins and 8/62/1 to Jarvis Landry, 7/67/1 to Keelan Cole, 10/112/1 to Marvin Jones, 11/142/3 to Davante Adams, and 11/166/2 to Brandin Cooks.
This is also a great spot for Mark Andrews… the Titans allowed a league-high 0.45 EPA per target to opposing tight ends this year.
Titans Stat-Pack
Since he was made the Titans true workhorse back in the final three games of the 2018 season, Derrick Henry has averaged a ridiculous 117.8 rushing yards per start across 37 games (includes post-season).
The leader in yards per game since the merger is Barry Sanders with 99.8.
In his starts, Henry averages 24.3 fantasy points per game when the Titans win and just 12.5 FPG in losses.
In the Titans 24 victories, Henry has scored 15+ fantasy points 20 times; 20+ FP 16 times; and 30+ FP eight times.
Since being made the starter mid-season last year, Ryan Tannehill’s passer rating (110.6) ranks second-best behind only Drew Brees (111.2) over the last two combined seasons.
Tannehill is second in touchdown rate (7.2%) and first in YPA (8.6) in this span.
Only six receivers averaged more fantasy points per game than A.J. Brown this season: Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Keenan Allen.
In the 10 career games that A.J. Brown has seen eight or more targets, he averages 20.1 fantasy points per game.
Chicago at New Orleans
Bears Stat-Pack
Over the final six weeks of the season, David Montgomery was the RB1 in fantasy with 25.7 fantasy points per game.
In this stretch, he faced the 6th-worst defense in Rushing Expected Points Allowed twice (Packers), the Lions (5th-worst), the Texans (worst), and Jaguars (9th-worst).
To start the playoffs? Montgomery and the Bears matchup on the ground is far harder. The Saints ranked best in the league in EPA per carry and second-best in yards per carry allowed.
Just how much better was the Bears offense this season with Mitch Trubisky under center? According to SIS, they averaged 0.06 expected points per play with Trubisky on the field and -0.16 EPA when Nick Foles played.
Over a full game (~60 plays), the difference between Trubisky and Foles was worth about two touchdowns in scoring.
When these two teams met back in Week 8, Allen Robinson matched up with Marshon Lattimore and put up 5 catches for 80 yards and a score in Lattimore’s coverage.
Saints Stat-Pack
The Saints are -10.5 favorites, which makes them the third-largest favorite in a Wild Card round all-time.
In the eight games that Michael Thomas missed this year, Alvin Kamara averaged 30.9 fantasy points per game.
When Thomas played? Kamara averaged 18.7 FPG.
Emmanuel Sanders averaged 73 yards per game without Michael Thomas on the field this season and just 30.7 YPG when Thomas played.
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
Browns Stat-Pack
In the eight games before the Browns Week 9 bye, Baker Mayfield threw for 189.3 yards per game, he had a 15:7 TD-to-INT ratio, a 90.9 passer rating, completed 61% of his throws, and averaged 6.8 yards per attempt.
In eight games after the bye, Mayfield threw for 256.1 yards per game, he had an 11:1 TD-to-INT ratio, a 100.1 passer rating, completed 64% of his throws, and averaged 7.8 YPA.
Nick Chubb has gone over 100 yards or scored a touchdown in 10-straight games.
Once he returned from injury in Week 10, Nick Chubb was the RB8 in fantasy points per game (18.4).
Kareem Hunt averaged just 11.8 FPG once Chubb returned.
Jarvis Landry (28%) led the Browns in target share once Odell Beckham was lost for the season followed by Rashard Higgins (18%), Austin Hooper (18%), and Kareem Hunt (11%).
Steelers Stat-Pack
Just 28% of the Steelers offensive drives ended in a score over their final six games, which ranks worst among all playoff teams.
In this stretch, Ben Roethlisberger had a 81.9 passer rating, averaged 5.6 yards per attempt, and completed just 63% of his passes on 45.6 attempts per game.
In the 12 games that Diontae Johnson finished without an injury and Ben Roethlisberger was starting, he averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game.
That would have made Johnson the WR7 just ahead of A.J. Brown (17.4).
The Steelers cut Chase Claypool’s snaps down the stretch run for some reason. In Week 3-9, Claypool ran a route on 80% of Roethlisberger’s dropbacks but that dropped to 65% in Week 10-16.
Over his final six games, James Conner averaged just 52.2 scrimmage yards per game.
The Steelers opened up just 1.1 yards before contact per carry this season, which ranked 31st ahead of only the Chargers (1.0).
