We had a fun Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs with some big performances from Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs and Travis Kelce in helping their teams advance. And even guys like Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Aaron Jones and Mike Evans did well in a losing effort.
Each week, we like to review what happened in the previous playoff round and see if that impacts the Fantasy value for certain players in the upcoming season. This is our playoff stockwatch, and you can see the first version of this story from after the Wild Card round here.
I also have updated rest of postseason rankings below for any of you who need help in your playoff challenge. And now we move on to the AFC and NFC Championship Games, which is Kansas City at Baltimore and Detroit at San Francisco.
It should be an exciting weekend ahead as we get closer to the Super Bowl. But before that starts, let's look back at the Divisional Round weekend and see if anything changed for some players heading into 2024 when it comes to their Fantasy outlook.
Quarterback
Stock up
Lamar Jackson
Jackson played like the NFL MVP in Baltimore's 34-10 victory against Houston. He was 16-of-22 passing for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Depending on how the postseason ends for the Ravens, it might be time to consider Jackson as the No. 2 Fantasy quarterback in 2024. Josh Allen is expected to be the first quarterback drafted in most leagues, but Jackson, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes will all be in consideration to go second. If another weapon in the passing game is added to Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews this offseason, and the run game is still questionable, then Jackson might be the top choice to be drafted after Allen next season.
Stock down
Purdy looked average in San Francisco's 24-21 victory against Green Bay, and he might be overdrafted in next season's Fantasy drafts. He was 23-of-39 passing for 252 yards and one touchdown, along with 14 rushing yards, against the Packers, which was good, not great. Granted, it was raining most of the night, and Deebo Samuel (shoulder) was also injured. But Purdy has now posted less-than-stellar stat lines in two of his past three games, and it might be a bad idea to draft him ahead of guys like C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love, Anthony Richardson or Kyler Murray. Purdy benefits from being in a great system with amazing weapons, and he's been fantastic since taking over as the 49ers starter last season. I like Purdy as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback, but he's someone I would rather settle for than target on Draft Day in 2024.
Running back
Stock up
White performed better than I expected in Tampa Bay's 31-23 loss at Detroit with nine carries for 55 yards and four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on five targets. We'll see what the Buccaneers do this offseason to enhance their backfield, but White should be drafted next season in Round 2 in all leagues. He finished the 2023 campaign as the No. 4 PPR running back and averaged 16.0 PPR points per game, and he was No. 4 in receptions among running backs with 64. Tampa Bay has to figure out what to do with Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans as free agents, but if the Buccaneers run it back with the same crew then White should have the chance for another solid campaign in 2024.
Stock down
Cook did OK in the 27-24 loss against Kansas City with 18 carries for 61 yards and four catches for 21 yards on five targets, but he's now gone five games in a row without a touchdown or 100 total yards. He finished the regular season with more than 1,500 total yards and appears poised to do well in 2024, but can you justify drafting him in Round 2 in most leagues? He only scored six total touchdowns (two rushing), and playing next to Josh Allen will limit his touchdown potential. And he only had 44 receptions, which was tied for No. 17 among running backs. I like Cook as a low-end No. 1 running back in 2024, but the earliest I would draft him is Round 3 in all leagues.
Wide receiver
Stock up
Doubs had four catches for 83 yards on six targets in the loss at San Francisco, and he finished the playoffs as the No. 1 receiver for the Packers. In the Wild Card round, Doubs had six catches for 151 yards and a touchdown on six targets. Green Bay has a loaded receiving corps with Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, and in the second half of the season, it felt like Doubs was the odd man out. But his performance in the playoffs should give you hope that Doubs can still be a Fantasy contributor, and he's worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues. I still like Reed and Watson ahead of Doubs, but Jordan Love will spread the ball around. And Love is fond of Doubs, which we saw in the postseason, and that's all that matters.
Shakir had a solid game in the loss against the Chiefs with seven catches for 44 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. He finished the 2023 campaign with three quality outings in a row with six catches for 105 yards on six targets at Miami in Week 18, three catches for 31 yards and a touchdown on three targets against the Steelers in the Wild Card round and then his performance against Kansas City. This bodes well for the 2024 season since Gabe Davis is a free agent, and it feels like Stefon Diggs isn't a lock to return to Buffalo. All three of Shakir's final games were with Davis injured, so it's clear Shakir can perform in a bigger role. And being associated with Josh Allen is a great thing. Shakir will be a popular sleeper in 2024, and he's someone to target in all leagues with a mid-round pick.
Stock down
Stefon Diggs
Diggs had three catches for 21 yards on eight targets against the Chiefs, and that's now seven games in his past 10 outings with 55 receiving yards or fewer. He also had just one touchdown over that span. It was a miserable ending to the 2023 campaign for Diggs, and we'll see what happens with him this offseason. He's 31 and has four years left on a contract that has cap hits north of $22 million in every season. According to The Athletic, it would be $31 million in dead cap if they cut or trade him before June 1. If they designated him a post June 1 cut, they could save roughly $20 million on the 2024 cap but eat north of $20 million in dead cap money on the 2025 cap. So it appears like Diggs will be back in Buffalo, but his best days might be behind him. The earliest I would draft Diggs is Round 3, but even that might be too soon. He's just a No. 2 Fantasy receiver at this point in his career.
Godwin had four catches for 40 yards on eight targets in the loss at Detroit, and he finished the 2023 campaign with 13 games with 55 receiving yards or less, including the playoffs. He's also scored just five touchdowns over the past two seasons. We'll see what happens with free agents Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, and if the latter leaves then Godwin could be a star. But following the end of the 2023 season, you have to treat Godwin like a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best. While he averaged 13.6 PPR points per game, that was his lowest total since his sophomore season in 2018. If Evans is back in Tampa Bay then the earliest you should draft Godwin in most leagues is Round 6.
Tight end
Stock up
Kittle had four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown on seven targets against Green Bay, and he continues to play well at home. That's now six games in a row with either 100 receiving yards or a touchdown in San Francisco, so keep that in mind for the NFC Championships Game against Detroit. While Kittle is 30 now and starting to hit the back nine of his career, he can still be a serviceable No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues in 2024. After Fantasy managers draft the younger guys with upside like Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride, Kittle should be in the next group of tight ends with Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. It might feel like you'll be settling for Kittle on Draft Day, but he's averaged at least 13.3 PPR points per game for three seasons in a row. I'm confident he can do that again in 2024, barring injury or any significant changes for the 49ers.
Stock down
Schultz had five catches for 43 yards on seven targets at Baltimore, and we'll see if that's his last game with the Texans. He heads into free agency this offseason, and where he plays in 2024 will ultimately determine his Fantasy value. He had a solid season in Houston with 11.4 PPR points per game, which is the second-best mark of his career, and I would love to see him stay associated with C.J. Stroud. It's unlikely you'll draft Schultz as a No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues no matter where he plays, but he could end up as a quality reserve or low-end starter in deeper formats, especially if he's playing with a good quarterback.
Playoff rankings for the remainder of the postseason ...
This is based on the total number of games each player is expected to play for the rest of the playoffs.
Quarterback
1. Lamar Jackson
2. Brock Purdy
3. Patrick Mahomes
4. Jared Goff
Running back
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Jahmyr Gibbs
5. Gus Edwards
6. Justice Hill
7. Dalvin Cook
Wide receiver
2. Zay Flowers
3. Rashee Rice
5. Deebo Samuel
7. Odell Beckham
10. Josh Reynolds
12. Jameson Williams
Tight end
1. George Kittle
2. Travis Kelce
4. Sam LaPorta
5. Mark Andrews
DST
1. 49ers
2. Ravens
3. Chiefs
4. Lions
Kicker
2. Jake Moody
4. Michael Badgley
