Wild Card Weekend Matchup Breakdown

Ladies and Gentlemen, we made it through another fantasy football season! Hope we all took home some fantasy championships this season. Now we head into the NFL playoffs. The NFL playoffs give us more opportunities to enjoy the game we love and a different way to play fantasy football in the form of playoff leagues.

We are hosting a playoff challenge here at The Faceoff Sports Network and would love for you to join! This is a free-to-enter contest and the winner will take home a $25 Amazon gift card. Join the contest here! For this article, we are going to break down the matchups for all of the playoff games and hopefully help you take down your playoff league. Let’s get to it with Wild Card Weekend Matchup Breakdown.

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Raiders @ Bengals (-5.5)

Saturday 4:30 PM ET

Game Total: 49

Vegas Team Implied Totals: Raiders-16.25, Bengals-22.75

The first game of the playoffs features the Raiders heading to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. The two teams met earlier this season which led to a 32-13 win by the Bengals.  Joe Mixon was the fantasy star in that contest with 30 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Darren Waller was able to secure seven catches for 116 yards for the Raiders. For the season the Raiders have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs and have given up 23 touchdowns to running backs which is the fifth-most in the NFL. The Raiders have been able to limit opposing passing attacks giving up the 12th-fewest passing yards in the league and fifth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. The Bengals have given up the 6th most passing yards in the NFL while giving up 5th most receptions to running backs. The Bengals defense has given up the 5th most passing yards to tight ends and given up the 5th most touchdowns to the tight end position.

We’ve got some player prop bets to target in this matchup here.

Patriots @ Bills (-4)

Saturday 8:15 PM ET

Game Total: 44

Vegas Team Implied Totals: Patriots-15, Bills-19

These two teams square off in the nightcap of the Saturday slate for the third time this season. The first meeting was the 14-10 win for the Patriots in which they attempted three total passes in a very windy game. In the second meeting, the Bills took the contest 33-21 on the back of Josh Allen throwing for 314 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 64 yards rushing. Both teams have excelled this year in defending the pass as they rank 1st and 2nd for fewest passing yards and fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks. It should come as no surprise that both teams defend opposing pass-catchers very well as the Bills allow the fewest fantasy points to wide receiver and third-fewest to tight end, while the Patriots allow fourth-fewest to wide receivers and the fewest to tight ends. Both teams are middle of the road in defending the run as the Patriots are 14th, while the Bills rank 20th in fantasy points to running backs. In both games, the Patriots were able to run the ball extremely well to the tune of 371 yards and four touchdowns in the two meetings this season.

Eagles @ Buccaneers (-8.5)

Sunday 1:00 PM ET

Game Total: 46

Vegas Team Implied Totals: Eagles-18.75, Buccaneers-27.25

To kick off the Sunday slate of playoff games we have the Eagles traveling down to Tampa Bay to square off against the Buccaneers. In the previous team’s matchup in the early part of the season, the Buccaneers were able to pull out a 28-22 road win. In that game, Leonard Fournette was able to rush for 81 yards and two scores while adding six receptions for 46 yards. Jalen Hurts carried the load for the Eagles throwing for 115 yards and a score while running for 46 yards and two touchdowns. For the season the Buccaneers rank 13th in most passing yards given up while the Eagles rank 23rd. The Buccaneers give up the 4th most rushing yards to quarterbacks this season, something we know the Eagles are going to key on with Jalen Hurts. The Eagles defense has given up the 10th most fantasy points, 7th most touchdowns, and 3rd most receptions to running backs this season. The Buccaneers, however, have given up the 6th fewest fantasy points, but the 2nd most receptions to running backs. The Eagles secondary has done a great job this season in limiting opposing wide receivers as they have allowed 2nd fewest fantasy points and 3rd fewest passing yards to wide receivers. They have been crushed by tight ends giving up 2nd most fantasy points and giving up the most touchdowns. Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski seems inevitable this game. In their previous game, OJ Howard went 6-49-1 in Gronkowski’s absence.

49ers @ Cowboys (-3)

Sunday 4:30 PM ET

Game Total: 51

Vegas Team Implied Totals: 49ers-24, Cowboys-27

The evening game for Sunday features the 49ers and the Cowboys squaring off for the first time this season. We have two solid defenses here as both are right around league average against quarterbacks with the 49ers being 14th and the Cowboys 21st. Both teams also boast strong rushing defenses and both rank inside the top 10 for the fewest fantasy points given up to running backs. The 49ers have given up the 7th fewest rushing yards to runnings backs, while the Cowboys have given up the 12th fewest. Both teams have been weak against wide receivers as the 49ers have given up the 13th most fantasy points and 10th most yards, while the Cowboys give up the 10th most fantasy points and 7th most yards.

Steelers @ Chiefs (-12.5)

Sunday 8:15 PM ET

Game Total: 46.5

Vegas Team Implied Totals: Steelers-17, Chiefs 29.5

The final game of Sunday features the Steelers heading to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Chiefs. In their only meeting the season, the Chiefs dismantled the Steelers 36-10. Patrick Mahomes led the way with 258 passing yards and three touchdowns, two into the hands of Byron Pringle. Najee Harris led the way for the Steelers gaining 93 yards on 19 carries while adding five catches for 17 yards. The Steelers defense has given up the 11th fewest fantasy points and yards to opposing quarterbacks, while the Chiefs defense has given up the second most. Against running backs the Steelers have given up the 7th most fantasy points and 2nd most yards. The Chiefs have given up the 13th most fantasy points to running backs while giving up the 4th most receptions. This played true in their previous matchup when Harris caught five passes in that contest and they give up an average of 6.4 receptions per game to opposing running backs. The Steelers have done a good job in limiting wide receivers as they have allowed the 10th fewest fantasy points per game, while the Chiefs have given up the 8th most touchdowns to wide receivers. The Steelers also make it difficult on tight ends allowing the 9th fewest fantasy points per game to the position.

Cardinals @ Rams (-4)

Monday 8:15 PM ET

Game Total: 49.5

Vegas Team Implied Totals: Cardinals-22.75, Rams 26.75

The final game of wild card weekend features the Cardinals and the Rams. These two teams have met twice this season with the Cardinals winning the first game 37-20 and the Rams taking the second 30-23. In both games the road team was victorious. In both meetings, Matthew Stafford threw for 280 or more yards with at least two touchdowns, while Kyler Murray averaged 320 passing yards. During the Cardinal’s win they were able to rush for 268 yards, but in their loss only managed 103. Both passing defenses have done a good job at limiting opposing quarterbacks as the Cardinals have surrendered the 10th fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks while the Rams have given up the 4th fewest. Against running backs it is more of the same as the Cardinals have given up the 6th fewest fantasy points to running backs, while the Rams have given up the 9th fewest. The Cardinals defense has only given up six rushing touchdowns the entire season. Both defenses have not been successful at stopping wide receivers as the Cardinals have given up the 4th most fantasy points and the most touchdowns, while the Rams have given up the 8th most fantasy points and 4th most yards.

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