I'll be the first to admit that playoff fantasy football doesn't appeal to me quite as much as the usual 16-week marathon, but that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy it. And coming off my most profitable fantasy season yet, I'm looking to make a great season even better. For better or for worse, I want to share my experience with you (no matter which category mentioned in the first paragraph you may fall under) in hopes that some of you can end this season on a definite high note.

In addition to owning one NFL.com team, I will be taking part in several money leagues with Fuzzy's Fantasy Football. My goal over the next four weeks will be to help each of you through your decision-making process as you attempt to boost your bottom line.

NFL.com

For a complete rundown of how players will score fantasy points for your team, click on the “Official Rules” link on the NFL.com entry page. However, much of the content immediately below is included on the “How to Play” page, so what I provide here should be more than enough to follow along easily.

The object of the game is to pick the players you think will perform best in their playoff matchup. Select one QB, two RBs, two WRs, one TE, one K and one D/ST. You will earn fantasy points based on their on-field performance during their game, and if your player's team wins, you will have the option to carry that player over to the next round, where he will earn a bonus point modifier to his score.

Before we get into the picks, let’s briefly review the rules and how we may use them to our advantage: 1) passing TDs are worth four points, so passing yards are valued more highly here than in the Fuzzy’s leagues I’ll discuss later; 2) all field goals under 50 yards are worth three points, which means we are more concerned about volume of field goals than distance – unless we can find a kicker who regularly converts from 50+; 3) this is a non-PPR format, which obviously favors the big-play threats; and 4) team wins are worth five points, so picking a “winning” defense is worth almost a touchdown and could be worth as much as 3.5 TDs if you pick a defense from this week and that team ends up winning the Super Bowl.

At this point, it becomes pretty clear: pick the player who you believe will perform the best in this game unless you have a player with 2x, 3x or 4x by his name.

Quarterbacks
Colin Kaepernick/Joe Flacco

After a regular season which he couldn’t seem to buy a decent game on the road, Flacco has added to his reputation as a very good playoff quarterback by helping the Ravens defeat two teams Baltimore probably had no shot of beating a month earlier. His supporters will suggest that Flacco simply needed former OC Cam Cameron to leave in order to fulfill his potential. A closer look reveals Baltimore is running more now than it did under Cameron (49% now, 40% under Cameron), which would seem to suggest new OC Jim Caldwell felt Flacco could do more for the team by doing less. Kaepernick has quickly proven he is able to beat defenses as a runner AND passer, so his effectiveness this week (and down the road) will usually come down to whether or not the unblocked defensive end is instructed to charge Kaepernick on the zone-read play, leaving the other 10 defenders to account for Gore.

The call: Colin Kaepernick (x2). Even though I predicted a Niners-Patriots Super Bowl last week, I ultimately went with Kaepernick over Brady because I felt he had a better conference championship matchup than either AFC quarterback. His running ability stabilizes his fantasy value, which makes him something of a safe bet on a weekly basis. Like several other choices we will discuss shortly, this is a call I made last week and still believe in now.

Running Backs
Frank Gore/LaMichael James/Ray Rice/Bernard Pierce

Gore is the unquestioned back in San Francisco and has benefited in a big way from the running threat that Kaepernick provides. Despite my continued displeasure about Rice’s on-again, off-again usage, the fact of the matter is that Pierce is producing. In the AFC title game, it’s not hard to argue that Pierce was the best runner on either side. Still, Rice is averaging just under a touch less per game than Gore in the postseason and is the team’s goal-line back, making him a clear choice.

The call: Frank Gore (x2) and Ray Rice. The 2x multiplier makes Gore a no-brainer (as if he wasn’t already), but Pierce is getting enough playing time now – and doing enough with it – that he could be a sneaky play over Rice as defenses continue to be baffled by the rookie’s deceptive size-speed combination. Still, the time to worry about Pierce’s drain on Rice is next summer. For now, I’m perfectly fine using two top-10 fantasy backs during the regular season in the final week of this competition.

Wide Receivers
Michael Crabtree/Randy Moss/Anquan Boldin/Torrey Smith

At this point of the contest, the multi-selection positions (RB and WR) often come down to selecting the top man on the depth chart from each side. For the Niners, the choice is easy since Crabtree has been the leading fantasy receiver for San Francisco every week since Week 12. But what about the Ravens? Doesn’t a receiver that burns Champ Bailey twice for touchdowns in the same game get the nod over his teammate who has essentially posted two big quarters out of the 13+ Baltimore has played this postseason? Boldin doesn’t get much separation anymore, but his ability to pluck key throws out of the air in tight coverage may be the single biggest reason the Ravens find themselves in the Super Bowl. While many have been quick to praise the changes Caldwell has made to the offense, it has been Baltimore’s inability to get Boldin established earlier and more often which has stuck out to me the most. If the Ravens do not make it a high priority to establish Boldin early and often in this game, they will not have little chance to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.

The call: Michael Crabtree (x2) and Anquan Boldin. Much like Gore above, Crabtree is an obvious choice given the multiplier and his standing as Kaepernick’s favorite receiver. The selection of Boldin is a trickier one given that Boldin has twice entered halftime with zero catches during the postseason. With that said, Boldin has been a huge part of the offense since he was shut out in Week 15 by the Broncos (or the week after Caldwell took over as the play caller). Boldin is an unexciting option, but it has become clear late in the season that Flacco trusts Boldin and Dennis Pitta in the red zone.

Tight Ends
Vernon Davis/Dennis Pitta/Delanie Walker

Perhaps it shouldn’t have been all that surprising that Davis exploded against a Falcons defense that allowed an injured Zach Miller to tear them apart. While it is certainly possible the NFC Championship was the beginning of a long beautiful on-field friendship between Kaepernick and Davis, I’m willing to chalk up Davis’ vintage performance to the complete indifference Atlanta showed to the tight end position over its final two games. I highly doubt the Ravens will let Davis run open as often as he did against the Falcons. Pitta doesn’t excite me a great deal, but like Boldin, he has emerged as one of Flacco’s most trusted receivers in the short passing game – including the red zone.

The call: Dennis Pitta. As far as I’m concerned, this could be a toss-up given that Davis may be on the verge of re-establishing a 1A/1B status with Crabtree. Unfortunately, I need more than one game to make that call and it is not as if Baltimore has been surrendering big games to tight ends lately anyway. Davis’ blocking ability will likely be needed in this game as Terrell Suggs is starting to round into form and Paul Kruger has emerged as the team’s most consistent pass rusher. As a result, it’s entirely possible that Walker has a bigger game than Davis. The Ravens have no such issue with Pitta, understanding he is more slot receiver than blocker.

Kickers
David Akers/Justin Tucker

Surprisingly, Akers and Tucker have combined for four field-goal attempts (two each) and 22 extra points this postseason, making the choice at kicker even more of a coin flip than it usually is. Ultimately, I think the selection boils down to the fact that Tucker is 32-for-35 this season (including playoffs) while Akers is 30-for-43. Perhaps Akers benefits a bit more from kicking indoors, but I have a feeling San Francisco will force Baltimore into more field goals than its previous opponents have.

The call: Justin Tucker. Akers has missed at least one field-goal attempt in four of his last five games while Tucker has missed three attempts all season. When it is put in that context, the rookie is the better choice.

Defense/Special Teams
49ers/Ravens

As one might expect when 12 of the best teams in the league get together, defense has not been a haven for fantasy points during these playoffs. I don’t expect that trend to stop just because John and Jim Harbaugh will line their defensive-minded squads up against one another. San Francisco and Baltimore figure to both stick with the run as long as possible and haven’t shown a penchant to giving their opponents much to work with in the way of sacks and turnovers.

The call: Niners. Perhaps I haven’t given the Ravens nearly enough credit over these last few weeks, but I frankly have not been impressed with them in any of their games. Baltimore has surrendered 400+ yards in two of the three contests and 398 yards in the other, benefiting from a pathetic defensive play by Rahim Moore one game and New England’s refusal to stick with what was working in the first half for the entirety of the AFC Championship. The Niners haven’t exactly set the world on fire with their defensive play, but the case could be made they were able to shut down the Packers and Falcons – two teams with better passing attacks than the Ravens – once they got settled in to each of those games. I expect a relatively low-scoring game and am banking on San Francisco snagging the “team win” bonus.

Fearless predictions for my selected team:
Kaepernick: 230 passing yards, one passing TD, 35 rushing yards, one rushing TD (22 x 2 = 44 fantasy points)
Gore: 70 rushing yards, one rushing TD, 25 receiving yards (15 x 2 = 30 points)
Rice: 60 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards (nine points)
Crabtree: 110 receiving yards, one receiving TD (17 x 2 = 34 points)
Boldin: 75 receiving yards (seven points)
Pitta: 45 receiving yards, one receiving TD (10 points)
Tucker: one extra point, three field goals (10 points)
Niners DST: 16 PA, two sacks, one turnover and a team win (10 points)

Projected Total: 153 fantasy points
Week 1 Total: 73
Week 2 Total: 155
Week 3 Total: 123

Fearless Super Bowl prediction: Niners 24, Ravens 22

Fuzzy’s

Many of the scoring parameters used above apply here as well, with the key differences being that Fuzzy’s uses PPR scoring and there are no bonus point modifiers or team-win points. Kickers get four points for field goals between 40-49 yards and six points for 60+ while all TDs are worth six points. Your goal is to pick the highest-scoring lineup each week with no strings attached. Additionally, each owner is asked to select a tiebreaker every week which will be used to break any ties following the Super Bowl. Fuzzy's leagues contain no more than 50 teams in a league whereas most other major sites employ a one-man-against-the-world approach. As a result, 20% of the entrants into Fuzzy's playoff leagues will - at the very least - recoup their entry fee, with first through ninth place receiving a nice return on investment for their troubles. Follow this link for a complete list of the rules.

Position Requirements: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, 1 Defense/Special Teams

Since I will be playing with several teams with Fuzzy’s this season, I’ll simply list my teams below and present a brief overview on my overall thought process. Depending on how strongly I feel about matchups in a given week, I may use the same lineup in more than one league.

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