2025 FFPC Playoff Challenge: Overview and Strategy

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

FFPC Playoff Challenge

There are a wide variety of fantasy playoff contests and one of my favorites that we'll focus on in this article is the FFPC's Playoff Challenge. A pair of buy-ins are offered: a $200 entry with 7,500 entries and a $500,000 top prize, as well as a $35 entry with 16,000 entries and $100k up top. Both contests pay the top 11.3 percent. 

If you're new to the format, rosters are comprised of 12 players, but the caveat is that you can only select one player from each team. With 14 playoff teams, two teams will need to be faded altogether. Points are doubled in the Super Bowl for added strategy and excitement. The FFPC is also TE premium with 1.5 points per reception compared to one PPR for RBs and WRs. Rosters consist of QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, TE, 4 Flex (RB/WR/TE), K and DEF. Complete rules can be found here. 

Last year's winning lineup: Josh Allen, Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Jones, Mike Evans, CeeDee Lamb, Travis Kelce, Puka Nacua, Amon-Ra St. Brown, DeVonta Smith, David Njoku, Justin Tucker, Hou D/ST.

Quarterback

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Week 1-17

With QB typically being the highest scoring position, it's important to find a quarterback who will play at least three games. It's easy to be drawn to the likes of Jackson and Allen as they top this list, and we even saw Allen post more than 40 fantasy points in back-to-back games later in the season. I expect him to be the highest-rostered player in the contest considering he has spread the ball around too much to risk going with Khalil Shakir, Amari Cooper or Dalton Kincaid. Jackson is in a similar situation as Zay Flowers is likely to miss at least the first playoff game and Mark Andrews' late-season production has been heavily TD dependent. The Eagles are capable of making a Super Bowl run, making Jalen Hurts a leverage play at the position and away from Saquon Barkley.

Running Back

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Weeks 1-17

What a finish to the year it was for Gibbs, who reached at least 25 PPR points in each of the final four regular-season games. With Montgomery expected to return for the Lions' first playoff game following their bye, it'll be difficult for Gibbs to maintain the same production with the lesser workload. That will make Barkley and Henry popular choices, and rightly so. 

If you're doing multiple teams, Cook is an intriguing pivot away from Allen as he scored five TDs  the last four games and has a high ceiling with his ability to break long runs. Irving is another player to consider at RB with Tampa being favored, so it makes sense to go with a position player. Irving averaged 17.7 PPR points across the final four games as he took over as the team's workhorse. From a roster construction standpoint, I think targeting 2-3 RBs is the most optimal. 

Wide Receiver

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Weeks 1-17

We saw Jefferson (and Addison) get shut down by Detroit last week, but those results have been few and far between. After all, it wasn't long ago that Jefferson went through a three-game stretch of 24-349-5. The interesting part is which receivers you opt to go with, especially since most teams will roster at least four. The Buccaneers' defense has been a pass funnel all season, and McLaurin seems to find the end zone constantly. 

Nacua likely will be a popular choice as he averaged 19.8 PPR points from his return from injury from Week 8 through Week 17, the second most amongst players in this contest behind only Evans. An under-the-radar option is Sutton, who has posted double-digit PPR points in every game since Week 8 and has been a reliable option for Bo NIx. I'll be looking to take 4-5 WRs.

Tight End

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Weeks 1-17

Kelce failed to reach 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season and only hauled in three TDs, so you should avoid him, right? I'm not so sure. Kelce limped into the playoffs last year with only 88 total yards in the final three games of 2023, and then he came to life with 32 catches, including three TDs, in the playoffs. He's a difficult player to fade.

The most productive fantasy TEs in George Kittle, Brock Bowers and Trey McBride missed the playoffs, so it's not easy to find other options. That said, LaPorta is an interesting player to consider as he averaged 17.7 ppg in this format across the final six weeks of the season, but there are other better choices on the Lions. Ertz has been a TD-machine, finding the end zone six times over the last seven games. 

The half-point PPR bonus for TEs adds an element on how heavy you should go at the position, but I'll be going with 1-2 TEs max. 

Kicker 

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Weeks 1-17

This is where to start looking at teams we expect to lose in the first round. The Steelers, Broncos, Packers and Commanders are the biggest underdogs on the slate. McManus as been rock solid for Green Bay, converting 20-of-21 fields goals and 30-for-30 on extra points. He's my top choice. Mike Tomlin's conservative nature combined with a lack of red zone production from the Steelers' offense makes Chris Boswell an option, too. He's made 13 field goals from 50-plus yards and we get bonus points for every field goal longer than 30 yards in this format (46 yard field goal = 4.6 points).

Defense/Special Teams

FFPC Fantasy Scoring Leaders Per Game Weeks 1-17

Echoing the above sentiment, the Broncos top the list as they led the league in sacks. It's not an easy matchup against the Allen-led Bills, but we prefer a team that we expect to be one-and-done at defense. The Chargers are a potential contrarian play at the position against a struggling Texans offense, but also comes with risk as fading McConkey could be costly. 

Team-by-Team Options

Baltimore: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews

Buffalo: Josh Allen, James Cook

Denver: Courtland Sutton, D/ST, None (fade team altogether)

Detroit: Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown

Green Bay: Josh Jacobs, Brandon McManus, D/ST, None

Houston: Nico Collins, Ka'imi Fairbairn, D/ST, None

Kansas City: Xavier Worthy, Travis Kelce

LA Chargers: J.K. Dobbins, Ladd McConkey, None

LA Rams: Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua

Minnesota: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison

Philadelphia: Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown

Pittsburgh: George Pickens, Chris Boswell, D/ST, None

Tampa Bay: Bucky Irving, Mike Evans

Washington: Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz