This week's best divisional round line-up

Are you competing in any fantasy football playoff challenges this weekend? Looking for some tips? Chances are you have a lot of good players to choose from. The trick in a playoff challenge is that since you're managing the cream-of-the-crop then you must consider the matchup first and player talent second. Below are my personal top picks for fantasy performers in the divisional round.

QB - Aaron Rodgers
There a lot of good quarterbacks playing this weekend but Aaron is at home against a so-so NYG pass defense and the Pack are not going to mess around. Rodgers will throw all over the place and I doubt that GB's running game will be the main thing. Brees at SF will have a tougher challenge. The Patriots are likely to mix in more of their running game; they usually do in the playoffs.

WRs - Jordy Nelson, Victor Cruz & Demaryius Thomas
Greg Jennings should be back but he'll be rusty. His biggest contribution will be drawing the defense from Nelson who has become Rodgers #1 target and these two will connect. The Cruz and Eli Manning relationship is one of the main stories of the season. GBs DEF won't keep up and Victor will do plenty of work. The unsung hero of the Broncos, DT, is a matchup problem for NE. Belichick focused on the DEF during the bye and they will step up but won't be able to shut-out DEN. It's likely that the Pats will end up with a large lead in this game and I expect DEN to continue to play hard to score and not let the hype die down too much.

RBs - Ray Rice & Frank Gore
BAL will go to Rice all day. HOU is a great DEF but tougher against the WRs. It's Ray's house and he'll do the scoring here. Gore gets a rest and plays at home against a so-so NO run DEF. I like SF's chances to set the pace of this game. There will be points but I see this game staying even until the 4th qtr. Arian Forster is good for plenty of yards and a possible TD but the upside in the BAL/HOU game is that the Ravens dominate and protect the house. It could be a low-scoring departure for the Texans.

TE - Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez
NE's TEs are a cut above the rest. They are targeted more than the WRs. I noticed a lot of zone DEF by DEN in the game vs PIT last week, which I think is smart but it did leave Heath Miller open for some big plays, rare for him. I think the Bronco's will play the same way tonight, which will result in even production from these two. Each is guaranteed to score. Flip a coin on these guys. Jimmy Graham is a big part of NO's offense but I think the upside here is Jim Harbaugh's respect for the big guy and he'll go with bracket coverage, which could stop Graham from getting a TD.

K - John Kasay
The team that scores a lot of points and who will face a tough DEF on the road and may have to settle for feild goals is NO. Their K is John Kasay, who was very reliable during the season. Nuff said.

DEF - Ravens
HOU starts a third-string rookie QB at BAL in the playoffs against a rested Ravens DEF, "No, no, no!" says Terrell Suggs. This is the moment Ravens fans have been waiting for. The likely upside here is that the Ravens DEF dominates. I like them for multiple takeaways and a TD. "Hello Ed Reed. Where've ya been?" The 12th man in BAL will show up and be loud, "Oh, oh, aah, oh, oh, oh, oooooh!" All-in-all, this could be the biggest blow-out in the divisional round. You want the DEF that's gonna have the feild-day and that's the Ravens.

If this is your line-up then your chances of going to the next round are good, very good!