NFL Divisional Round Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for 49ers vs Packers in NFL Playoffs

The San Francisco 49ers will travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers in a rematch of the 2019 NFC Championship. San Francisco came out with the victory in that one, but it's Green Bay favored here, as FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Packers as 5.5-point favorites.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's some start 'em, sit 'em advice for this Divisional Round matchup.

Elijah Mitchell Fantasy

Start Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco's biggest advantage in this game is its prolific rushing attack. It should be a serious problem for Green Bay. The Packers have a bottom-five rush defense by DVOA, as that group surrenders a whopping 4.7 yards per carry (T-No. 30). Expect San Francisco to take advantage of this mismatch by pounding the rock with Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel. Mitchell was nothing short of spectacular over his last five regular-season games, turning 23.6 carries into 98.8 rushing yards per game. He followed that up with 27 carries for 96 yards and a score against the Dallas Cowboys last week. Mitchell should have no problem carving up this weak run defense.

Aaron Rodgers Fantasy

Start Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are easy starts every week, but this matchup really sticks out. San Francisco has the league's second-best run defense by DVOA and just held Ezekiel Elliott to 12 carries for 31 yards. Green Bay's best shot at moving the rock is through the air and that should set Rodgers up for a nice day. The 49ers pass defense is nothing special, sitting No. 16 by DVOA. Look for the presumptive league MVP to have another big day – especially if the disruptive Nick Bosa can't suit up this weekend.

Brandon Aiyuk Fantasy

Sit Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers: After a rough start to the year, Brandon Aiyuk has really started to come on. He was on an 1,140-yard pace from Week 11-18 and led the 49ers in targets (6), catches (5) and yards (66) in their first playoff game. But, as mentioned above, San Francisco is not going to win this game by airing it out. When these two met in the NFC Championship in 2019, Jimmy Garoppolo attempted just 8 passes in a 37-20 rout. It shouldn't be nearly as pronounced this time, but the game plan will remain the same. Aiyuk could easily be the odd man out behind George Kittle and Samuel, and this offense won't throw enough to support three fantasy-relevant receivers.

AJ Dillon Fantasy

Sit AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers: AJ Dillon is the No. 2 back on this offense, but he doesn't offer much as a receiver. Aaron Jones averaged 4.3 targets for 3.5 receptions and 26.1 receiving yards per game, while Dillon put up 2.2 targets for 2.0 receptions and 18.4 yards per game. He's a pure power back who could struggle against the league's second-best run defense as he fights for carries behind Jones.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.