Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford Among Conference Championship Fantasy Winners
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The Conference Championships of the NFL Playoffs gave us some interesting fantasy results for those still plugging away in a variety of formats. Yes, the final four are now down to two but the memories are never forgotten.
Let us see who brought the receipts for all the positive reasons.
Sam Darnold -- Seattle Seahawks
Last week, there were some unfounded concerns with an oblique injury. Now, that is all but a muted footnote. Sam Darnold topped the 300-yard mark, threw for three touchdowns, and guided the Seahawks to a spot in Super Bowl LX.
Darnold only had 11 incompletions compared to Matthew Stafford's 13. The first three quarters were basically an offensive show as the defenses bent but did not break in the fourth. Anyway, the quarterback got the ball to his star receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the tune of 10 times and 153 yards. Smith-Njigba found the endzone too.
Darnold also picked up a couple of critical first downs to help move the clock in the fourth quarter. Proving all the naysayers wrong was priceless. Boosting fantasy bottom lines never hurts either.
Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
It will be intriguing to see what Matthew Stafford does in the offseason. However, he delivered quite a performance IF this is his swan song with the Rams. Stafford tossed three touchdowns and 376 yards on Sunday night in Seattle. There was that controversial fourth down play but this game was tight throughout. Stafford kept it that way.
There were no turnovers aside from a few errors. From a fantasy standpoint, about the only thing Stafford could have done more was get that elusive fourth touchdown. He was close a couple of times but came up short.
Matthew Stafford looking for Cooper Kupp to congratulate him after the game is wholesome. 🥹pic.twitter.com/rGZo5Sp14z
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 26, 2026
Someone was going to lose this game and it was Stafford. However, his numbers were stellar. Again, it was nice to see quarterbacks with almost pristine lines err numbers.
Now, we get to the toughest decision of them all.
Puka Nacua -- Los Angeles Rams
Yes, we had to get the abacus and 20th century adding machines on this one. Puka Nacua racked up 31.9 fantasy points using a full PPR format on Sunday. That included four rushing yards and 165 receiving yards. Also, he scored one touchdown. It is fun to watch talented wide receivers battle secondaries and opposition defensive strategies geared to stop them.
When they thrive so well, it is impressive. Nacua found ways to get open and maybe nine catches on 14 targets does not sound otherworldly but it got the job more than done. The link shows what Nacua will do to get a win (from the Panthers game). It is essential to show that for all who mention the word injuries.
The one thing anyone cannot take away from Nacua is his desire to do anything for the victory. Maybe, that is harmful to his overall health but fantasy football owners have to be grateful. Like we said, he edged out Jaxon Smith-Njigba (31.3 fantasy points). That was not easy to do here.
While no one is sure what will happen in Super Bowl LX, hopefully get a fantasy football sendoff worthy of all the accolades.
