NFL DFS Yahoo contests continue throughout the playoffs, which include Sunday's two-game slate consisting of Patriots-Broncos at 3:00 p.m. EST in the AFC Championship Game and Rams-Seahawks at 6:30 p.m. in the NFC Championship Game. This will be the final multi-game slate of the season, but Yahoo will run single-game contests for the Super Bowl.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS football contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Championship Sunday include a QB-WR stack that has been elite all season and a pair of RBs that have emerged as lead options after platooning for most of the campaign.
QUARTERBACK
Matthew Stafford, LAR at SEA ($32): Stafford performed well against Seattle's stout pass defense in the regular season, throwing for 587 yards and a 5:0 TD:INT ratio across two regular-season meetings. His zero-TD outing against the Bears in frigid Chicago conditions snapped a stretch of 12 consecutive multi-TD passing performances for the PFWA NFL MVP, but Stafford's likely to get back to his usual productive ways against this familiar foe. Sam Darnold has failed to reach 9.0 fantasy points in three consecutive games, Jarrett Stidham is unproven and Drake Maye has a cap hit $3 greater than Stafford despite facing a Broncos defense that allowed two fewer touchdown passes in the regular season than the Seahawks.
Honorable Mentions: Drake Maye, NE at DEN ($35); Jarrett Stidham, DEN vs. NE ($23)
RUNNING BACK
Kenneth Walker, SEA vs. LAR ($29): Walker is coming off a dominant performance against the 49ers in the NFC divisional round when he compiled 145 scrimmage yards and three TDs on a season-high 22 touches. He has touched the ball 20-plus times only three times all season while splitting carries with Zach Charbonnet, but Charbonnet suffered a season-ending knee injury against San Francisco, paving the way for Walker to take on a hefty workload Sunday. Walker had a season-high 164 scrimmage yards in Week 16 against the Rams and churned out 111 against them in Week 11, so he has been undeterred by LA's stout front seven this season.
Rhamondre Stevenson, NE at DEN ($28): Stevenson has been New England's go-to RB in the postseason, recording 209 scrimmage yards on 33 touches to TreVeyon Henderson's 59 on 23. Stevenson has racked up at least 77 scrimmage yards in seven consecutive games and is poised to take on another hefty workload for the road-favorite Patriots. After C.J. Stroud handed New England a victory with four turnovers in the AFC divisional round, the Patriots will likely rely heavily on the run to ensure Drake Maye doesn't do the same for a Broncos team starting its backup QB in Maye's first road playoff start. Maye has five turnovers in two playoff games and another three fumbles that the Patriots managed to recover.
Honorable Mentions: Kyren Williams, LAR at SEA ($35); RJ Harvey, DEN vs. NE ($26)
WIDE RECEIVER
Puka Nacua, LAR at SEA ($37): Nacua had a quiet game in the NFC divisional round but continues to offer lineup-carrying upside on a weekly basis. The last time he faced Seattle, he had 12 catches for 225 yards and two TDs. The Rams will look to get the ball in the star WR's hands early and often in this pivotal rematch.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA vs. LAR ($35): Like Nacua, Smith-Njigba is coming off a quiet game but is likely to step his production up dramatically. JSN had at least 72 receiving yards in all but one game during the regular season and fell short of 92 yards only four times. The Rams are the only remaining team that has been worse than league-average at defending WRs this season, as LA gave up the 10th-most yards to the position in the regular season.
Marvin Mims, DEN vs. NE ($14): Coach Sean Payton's likely to dig deep into his bag of tricks in the absence of starting QB Bo Nix (ankle), which could mean more attempts to get the ball in space to Mims, who has excelled as a return man and gadget guy. Mims capitalized on injuries to WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) to post eight catches for 93 yards and a TD in the AFC divisional round win over the Bills. Even if Denver gets those other two WRs back behind Courtland Sutton, Mims is likely to be prominently featured in the game plan against a Patriots defense that allowed 17 receiving TDs to WRs in the regular season, which is the most among the four remaining teams. Mims' cap hit remains low despite his strong contributions in the previous game.
Honorable Mentions: Davante Adams, LAR at SEA ($27); Stefon Diggs, NE at DEN ($22)
TIGHT END
Colby Parkinson, LAR at SEA ($15): Parkinson has nine touchdown catches in his last 11 games and has drawn seven targets in four of the last six, establishing himself as the top pass catcher in the Rams' deep TE room. Stafford's likely to look Parkinson's way consistently against a Seahawks defense that excelled relative to the rest of the league in containing WRs and RBs but struggled to defend TEs. Seattle allowed the sixth-most yards to TEs during the regular season and allowed backup 49ers TE Jake Tonges to lead San Francisco with 59 receiving yards in the NFC divisional round despite Tonges leaving the game shortly after halftime.
Honorable Mentions: Hunter Henry, NE at DEN ($17); AJ Barner, SEA vs. LAR ($13)
DEFENSE
New England Patriots at DEN ($12): The Patriots are the obvious defense to roll with, especially at just $2 above the minimum, as they will take on a Broncos team that's missing its starting QB. This unit has carried New England throughout the postseason, limiting the Chargers and Texans to a combined 19 points while racking up nine sacks, four interceptions (one returned for a TD) and two fumble recoveries in two playoff games.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos vs. NE ($12); Los Angeles Rams at SEA ($10)
