The New England Patriots will head to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. This will be a very interesting AFC Championship Game and it will start at 3:00 ET. The game will include a significant battle between arguably the two best quarterbacks of the league, Tom Brady from the Patriots and Peyton Manning from the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos broke the all-time NFL record for passing yards, going for 5,477 and they also set a new scoring record with 606 points. Denver led the league in first downs and also passer rating. Of course, Peyton Manning had a big contribution in all these record settings. In fact, Manning is recording the best statistical season by a quarterback in league history.

The Broncos have several receivers for Manning to combine. Demaryius Thomas is one of them. He had 1,430 yards in 2013 while Eric Decker recorded 1,288 yards. Julius Thomas and receiver Wes Welker also performed really well in the season. Knowshon Moreno ran for 1,043 yards in the season and he also had 548 receiving yards. The Broncos’ offense has been superb this year. They gave up a league-best 20 sacks this season. Denver’s offense was not as good as usual against the San Diego Chargers last week. They had just 363 total yards in their 24-17 victory.

The New England Patriots have one of the NFL’s top scoring offenses. Although they didn’t have Rob Gronkowski available for the biggest chunk of the season due to injury and despite losing Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez through free agency and jail they continued to stay at the top of their game. Stevan Ridley and LaGarrette Blount both played very well against the Colts, recording several touchdowns.

Tom Brady has been delivering with consistency this season, too. He posted another 4,000-passing yard season. Of course, his numbers across the board are not he is accustomed to deliver. When the Pats play on the road, Brady has an 82.3 passer rating this season, in contrast to 92.8 when New England is playing at home.

On defense, New England has the slight advantage. The Pats held regular season opponents to just 21.1 points per game, ranking 10^th in the league. The Broncos on the other hand rank 22^nd with 24.9 points. Denver has one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses and also an above average run defense. Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton has been playing with consistency this season while for New England, Rob Ninkovich and Chandler Jones have been also delivering combining for 19.5 sacks in 2013.

So what will it take for each team to win?

Denver will have to dominate the line of scrimmage and focus on defense. They will have to try and contain Tom Brady and force incompletions. In addition, they should not allow LaGarrette Blount running over them like he did during against Indianapolis. Peyton Manning should get things started early on.

New England should quickly establish the run game thus opening holes for the Pats to attack from the air. Tom Brady will need to avoid getting sacked and he will also have to be quick getting rid of the ball. On defense, New England should try and force Denver to run the ball. If New England allows Denver to develop passing plays, Manning will most probably score.

This year’s NFC Championship will feature two teams from the NFC West division, a vision in which the third place team, the Arizona Cardinals, finished 10-6 and did not make the playoffs. This Sunday at 6:30 ET, the two top NFC West teams, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks will face off at CenturyLink field in Seattle.  Both the 49ers and the Seahawks feature dual threat quarterbacks and elite power running backs. Both teams also feature a top ranked defense. Both teams are on the West Coast. They really are similar, almost evenly matched teams. Read on for the complete playoff preview.

Seattle brings a solid passer to the table in quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson has been excellent at keeping plays alive and finding the open receiver, with 26 passing touchdowns this season (even more than Tom Brady) to just 9 interceptions, for a 101.2 passer rating, which is fifth among passers with at least 300 pass attempts. Not bad for a 5’11” running quarterback. Wilson didn’t get where he is now without the help of his receiving corp. Golden Tate (898 yards, 5 TDs) and Doug Baldwin (778 yards, 5 TDs) have been staples on the offense.

Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch has been a force for the Seahawks for a while now; this season hasn’t changed that. Lynch ran for 1,257 yards this season with 12 touchdowns. In last week’s Saints game, he racked up 140 yards on 28 carries with a couple of scores. Russell Wilson threw for just 103 yards in the game.

On paper, the Seahawks boast the NFL’s best defense. Safety Earl Thomas (105 tackles, 5 INTs), corner Richard Sherman (8 INTs), and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (120 tackles, 5 sacks) have all played very well this season. Having three players in key positions playing at a high level does a lot for a defensive unit. Defensive end Cliff Avril is also worth noting, as he has 8 sacks on the year while only starting 2 games.

The 49ers counter Wilson with their own young star in Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick is arguably a better runner than Wilson, but it’s no question who the better passer is, but Kaepernick’s advantage is his set of offensive weapons. San Francisco features multiple Pro-Bowl caliber players on offense, including Frank Gore (1,128 yards, 9 TDs), Anquan Boldin (1,179 yards, 7 TDs), and Vernon Davis (850 yards, 13 TDs). Davis averaged 16.3 yards per catch in 2013, tops in the NFL among tight ends.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman has been one of the best linebackers in the game since 2011. In 2013, the former Penn State Nittany Lion racked up 145 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles. Put Bowman together with fellow ILB Patrick Willis, (104 tackles, 2 FF) and you have yourself a solid front seven already. Throw in Justin (6.5 sacks) and Aldon Smith (8.5 sacks), and that makes for the fourth best run defense in the NFL.

What does each team have to do to win?

Seattle must make sure they can run the ball effectively with Marshawn Lynch. Historically, the playoffs have seen more running action than in the regular season, so establishing the run against a defense like San Francisco’s is necessary. If the Seahawks have little success on the ground, Russell Wilson must be able to keep the play alive long enough for his receivers to get open.

The Seahawks have the league’s best defense, including a pass defense that gave up only 30 plays of 20 or more yards during the regular season. It’s unlikely that will change during this game, so look for 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh to call a lot of running plays, including some read options. This should be a low scoring game that comes down to the wire.

The four best teams (that most will agree on) in the NFL have moved on to the Championship round of the NFL playoffs. Nobody won that we didn’t expect to win, which doesn’t happen very often, although a few of the games weren’t the tight battles we expected them to be. Here is a quick recap of what took place during every game last weekend.

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks

Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch ran wild. “Beast Mode” rushed for 140 yards on 28 attempts for 2 touchdowns; one 15 yard score, and the other a 31 yard run for six. Russell Wilson was held in check, with 103 passing yards and 16 rushing yards for no touchdowns for the Seahawks.

Saints QB Drew Brees was held to just 34 passing yards in the first half, but exploded in the second half for 275 yards and a touchdown. The Saints’ run game couldn’t get anything going, totaling 108 yards to the Seahawks’ 174. In the end, Seattle’s defense held the Saints to 0 points until the fourth quarter, sealing the win for the #1 seed in the NFC, 23-15.

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

LaGarrette Blount almost single-handedly dominated the Colts. Blount totaled 166 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Patriots 43-22 win over Indy. Patriots QB Tom Brady was kept fairly quiet, going 13-25 for 198 yards without a touchdown or interception.

If anyone other than LaGarrette Blount can be given credit for the Patriots’ win, it’s Andrew Luck. The second year quarterback threw 4 interceptions with a completion percentage of 49%, just one week after leading a 28 point comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs. From watching the tape, it is evident that Luck tried to force far too many throws into tight coverage and didn’t look very comfortable at all in the pocket for most of the game.

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers

Colin Kaepernick’s numbers don’t always look good, but he gets the job done. In a game that was surprisingly one-sided, Kaepernick both threw and ran for a touchdown in the 49ers 23-10 win over Carolina. Anquan Boldin caught 8 passes for 136 yards.

The 49ers defense shut down star QB Cam Newton, sacking him 5 times and picking him off twice. The Panthers (other than Newton) rushers ran for just 39 yards. Linebacker Patrick Willis racked up 5 tackles and an interception.

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos

The Broncos seemed in control of the game until the fourth quarter, when Chargers QB Philip Rivers drove up and down the field. The Chargers scored all of their points in the last quarter. Knowshon Moreno racked up 82 yards and a touchdown, while Broncos QB Peyton Manning threw for another two scores in the 24-17 Denver victory.

Give credit to Philip Rivers and WR Keenan Allen. Down 17 to nothing, Rivers rallied his team in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. Rivers was sacked 4 times in the game, Manning wasn’t sacked once. Allen had six receptions for 142 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Michael Carter-Williams- Carter-Williams has been on fantastic this season he’s missed 11 games due to injury but he has still put up great fantasy numbers. 17.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.8 RPG has to be much higher then what anyone expected add in 2.7 Steals per game and you really have a valuable player. Although his shooting numbers have not been very good he is producing in enough areas to make him a great asset with a high upside. Definitely the front runner for rookie of the year.

Victor Oladipo- The number 2 pick in last year’s draft has had a solid year for the Magic. With a very respectable line of 13.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 3.6 APG. He’s played in every game this season and is averaging 30 minutes per game. Like Carter-Williams though his shooting numbers leave a lot to be desired with only 29 percent from three point range and 40.7 percent from the field. Oladipo is still developing his game but it looks like he will be a solid NBA starter soon, and a dependable fantasy player. Keep an eye on him to be a sleeper in next year’s draft.

Trey Burke- Burke got a late start to the season with a hand injury and was dealt a tough hand with the Jazz starting 1-10, but they have gone 11-14 with him in their lineup. The Rotoguys thought that Burke was going to be a much better shooter and way more efficient from the field. With only a 38.8 field goal percentage he is doing you no favors in that category. On the other hand he is shooting 92 percent from the free throw line so there is some promise there. His numbers don’t jump off the sheet but 13.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 5.3 APG aren’t too shabby. We would like to see some more assists from the young Burke as he was an excellent floor general in college and a good passer. We have a good feeling that he will be heating up soon.

The 2013 draft class was what most thought it would be, not very deep at all. Many of the top picks are either struggling very badly, or not even seeing the floor at all. While too early to label any a bust these 3 are head and shoulders above everyone else.

 
If you are looking for the top power play scorers in the NHL; one doesn’t have to look further than the usual suspects, and their top tier teams in the league. Nicholas Backstrom is your current league leader in power play points. The team of Backstrom (23 assist) Marcus Johansson (6 goals) and Alex Ovechkin (12 goals) has been giving team fits all season.
 

 
Not far behind that trio is another made up of two of the undeniably most talented players in the league. The Pittsburgh Penguins have parlayed their luck of having both Sidney Crosby and Evegeni Malkin into an incredibly potent attack with the man advantage. But it’s their line mates who has been really lighting the lamp. Chris Kunitz has 11 power play goals on the year; also on the line with them James Neal has 8 power play goals. The Penguins have obviously been scoring machines as all of their players make each other better. You would be lucky to have any of these players on your team to help with your power play production.
 

 
Other excellent producers have been Patrick Kane playing for the powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks with 21 Points, and John Tavares from the surprising New York Islanders also with 21 points.
 

 
A player that should also be available in your league that we really like for power play production is Mats Zuccarello. He has 15 points on the power play this year and played very well recently. We want to call him our short-term NHL fantasy sleeper.
 

Since the start of the 2013-2014 season we’ve seen several significant changes in the NBA. After a bunch of significant trades and moves, the balances around the league have somehow changed. Let’s analyze the case of 5 players whose fantasy value is changed after the latest trades around the league.

Isaiah Thomas

The Sacramento Kings shook things up when they decided to trade away Greivis Vasquez along with three other players in exchange for Rudy Gay and two more assets. One of the main reasons the Kings wanted Vasquez out was Isaiah Thomas. The 24-yeard old emerging guard needed more minutes to prove that he can be very productive and he did. Thomas is averaging 19.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 2.9 RPG, 45.3 FG% and 41.5 3P%. Those numbers are simply amazing when it comes to a second-year youngster. Of course, Thomas’s minutes also increased to a 32.4 per game. He is continuing to play big for the Kings and he is expected to continue to do so till the end of the season. Fantasy owners should already be aware of his presence.

Greivis Vasquez

Of course, Vasquez was also affected by this trade but in the opposite way. His role was degraded from a starter to a reserve, as the Toronto Raptors have Kyle Lowry in their starting point guard position. His minute dropped, too. Until the Raptors find a team to trade Lowry away, Vasquez will not be able to contribute much. He is averaging 8.2 PPG, 4.3 APG and 39.1 FG% this season.

Taj Gibson

The Chicago Bulls have only been winning since they traded away their superstar forward Luol Deng. Of course, due to the absence of his production, the team had to find other scoring options. It seems that Taj Gibson is one of them. The 28-year old veteran is averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 48.4 FG% up to now in the season but he does all that in 27.9 MPG. We can expect all his numbers going up now that the Bulls don’t have Deng onboard. On top of that, there are lots of reports stating that Chicago is looking to amnesty Carlos Boozer, a move that will force Gibson’s fantasy value to skyrocket.

Iman Shumpert

Shumpert is averaging 28.4 minutes per game this season and yet during the past few games he is playing much more than that. Mike Woodson is clearly dissatisfied with J.R. Smith’s lack of productivity and will to contribute. That’s a great opportunity for Shumpert to see more minutes and get more involved on the offensive end for the New York Knicks. The Knicks are also reported to have interest in shopping Smith, which would further push Shumpert’s value up.

Jordan Hill

Now, the Los Angeles Lakers have been searching for ways to trade away Pau Gasol for quite some time now. Since that happens, Jordan Hill is not to make much of an impact to the team. Nonetheless, there are many chances the Lakers agree on a deal prior to the trade deadline on February. Such a move will boost Hill’s value in the fantasy leagues. The 6’10” center is averaging 9.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 55.4 FG% in 20.2 MPG.