Fantasy Football Conference Championship QB Rankings
Breaking down the top fantasy quarterback options for Championship Weekend.
The NFL's Conference Championship Games are closing in, so it's time to start going over the top fantasy options for those two games. We'll begin by looking over quarterbacks.
Check back later for rankings at running back, wide receiver and tight end. Also be sure to check out the matchups article, and check back for a story on projections and more start/sit content as the week moves on.
Use the FantasySP start/sit tool to help determine the best options for the Conference Championships.
1. Drake Maye
Maye is my top fantasy quarterback for the upcoming round of the playoffs.
He has a tougher test coming against Denver. The Broncos allowed 15 fantasy points per game this season.
Maye has been solid in two tougher tests so far this postseason. Against the LA Chargers, Maye had 268 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, while rushing for 66 yards - he also lost a fumble in that game. Maye had 179 passing yards, three touchdowns and a pick against Houston last round, plus had 10 rushing yards and two fumbles.
He's taken good care of the ball this season, so those turnovers have held him back a bit, and doesn't make him the slam dunk fantasy option he was all regular season.
While Denver's defense is tough, I believe in Maye and the Patriots' offense to get the job done. If nothing else, having Bo Nix out for Denver should mean plenty of offensive possessions, giving Maye a chance to eventually turn in enough good stats for a good fantasy showing.
He was the top fantasy QB this season of any remaining option, and I'm going to trust Maye to get the job done this week.
Stafford gets the No. 2 fantasy QB spot for the week. He and Maye are the top candidates for MVP, but I'd switch the order if I was voting on that honor.
Anyways, Stafford has a tougher test against Seattle. The Seahawks allowed 14 fantasy points per game this season. They are the toughest matchup of the week on paper, which is why Stafford falls after Maye.
Stafford faced Seattle twice in the regular season, and had two very different showings. He needed two touchdown passes in the first game to get to a respectable score - Stafford finished with 130 passing yards, no turnovers and no rushing stats. Stafford erupted for 457 passing yards and three scores in the last meeting - he had no turnovers and six rushing yards.
So while the matchup is tougher, Stafford is capable of still delivering big. He's coming off a so-so performance (258 passing yards, no scores and no turnovers), so I'm most confident putting him after Maye. Stafford had 304 passing yards, three scores and a pick against Carolina in the first round of the playoffs.
Stafford has been there and done that over his career, so it's a bit easier to trust the veteran in these tougher tests. Really, the gap between him and Maye for the top spot is razor thin - I think both will post a similar score.
3. Sam Darnold
Darnold gets my No. 3 ranking for the week.
He has the best fantasy matchup of the week. It's still a below-average test, as Los Angeles allowed just 16 fantasy points per game this year.
Darnold combined for just two touchdown passes and six interceptions in the two regular season games against LA, which is why I wouldn't take him higher than third despite the nice matchup.
Darnold had 279 passing yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions and 11 rushing yards in the first matchup against the Rams this season. He had 270 passing yards, two scores and two picks in the second game - Darnold rushed for seven yards.
Darnold is just too risky to trust anymore than at the third spot, and it's possible he ends up fourth if he's turnover prone in this upcoming game. He could surprise, but I'm not expecting him to finish as a better fantasy asset than Maye or Stafford.
Stidham appears to be in line to start for the injured Nix, and he gets my No. 4 ranking.
His matchup against the Patriots is also tougher. New England allowed 14 fantasy points per game.
Stidham did not throw a pass during the 2025 regular season. The same was true in 2024. So the last pass he threw in a regular season game was in the 2023 season - he started for Denver against the Raiders, attempting 34 passes. Stidham started two games that season.
Over his six-year career, Stidham has appeared in 20 games, starting four of them. He's completed 59.4% of his passes and thrown eight touchdowns and as many interceptions. Stidham has 101 rushing yards and no scores on 37 attempts.
In other words, Stidham doesn't have a ton of NFL experience, especially recently. Denver's defense is good enough to keep this game close, and the offense has enough playmakers to help Stidham out.
I don't expect Stidham to be asked to do too much, as Denver looks to muddy the game up. It should lead to a very low fantasy output, unless he accounts for a few touchdowns.
I'd be trying to avoid Stidham if I could.
