FanDuel Conference Championship Lineup: Julian Edelman, Carson Palmer Among Best Picks

Fantasy football enthusiasts looking for some action during championship weekend can turn to FanDuel for one-week games.

Here’s our FanDuel lineup for the AFC and NFC title games Sunday.

Quarterback: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals ($7,700)
Palmer is the best value play this week. Sure, the Carolina Panthers have a great defense, but they did allow 403 total yards, 23 first downs and 24 second-half points to the Seattle Seahawks last week. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Palmer posted similar numbers, especially if Arizona is trailing early.

Running Backs: Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers ($7,000); Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos ($5,700)
Stewart ran all over the Seahawks defense last week and found the end zone twice. He could be in line for another strong performance against a Cardinals defense that allowed 135 yards and 6.1 yards per carry to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.

Hillman was the better Broncos running back this season, finishing with 4.2 yards per carry and seven touchdowns, in addition to four 100-yard games. He wasn’t much of a factor against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but he should be more effective against a New England Patriots defense with a banged-up linebacker corps.

Wide Receivers: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots ($7,800); Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals ($7,500); Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos ($8,000)
Edelman returned from injury last week and it was like he never left. The Patriots’ top receiver tallied 10 receptions on 16 targets for 100 yards. We should expect more of the same from a player who averaged more than nine targets and almost one touchdown per game during the regular season.

Floyd had five 100-yard games this season to cement himself as the Cardinals’ No. 2 receiver. He had only three receptions in the divisional round, but two of them went for touchdowns. Floyd should be fantasy relevant even if he doesn’t catch many passes because he averaged 16.3 yards per reception in the regular season.

Fantasy football is all about opportunity, and Thomas is targeted often. He averaged more than 10 targets per game during the regular season and received eight of them in last week’s win over the Steelers. His 40 yards against Pittsburgh weren’t much, but it would have been much higher if not for a few drops. Thomas also should be motivated against a Patriots defense that limited him to one catch for 13 yards in Week 12.

Tight End: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers ($7,000)
Olsen caught six passes on six targets for 77 yards and a touchdown last week. He is Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s most reliable target, and his excellent catching ability and size make him a beast in the red zone.

Kicker: Chandler Catanzaro, Arizona Cardinals ($4,600)
Catanzaro is the cheapest of four kickers this weekend, and he went 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points last week.

Defense: New England Patriots ($4,600)
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw 17 interceptions in the regular season and his offense struggled for most of last week’s game against an inferior Steelers defense. The Patriots also are a great value play as the cheapest of the four defenses this week.

Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images