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Here are the Lester’s Legends team defense rankings for the  the AFC and NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers easily have the best defense among the remaining playoff teams. They finished the regular season in the top four in total defense, scoring defense, run defense, and pass defense. They are a very physical team and they will challenge Atlanta. I expect they’ll do a much better job than the Seattle Seahawks did in stopping the run. Without that balance, they’ll make it tough on the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan got over the hump by collecting his first playoff win, but he will be challenged by a defense that kept Aaron Rodgers in check.
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2. New England Patriots
The Patriots give up a lot of yards, particularly through the air. They buckle down when it matters. The Pats play the run well. Still, they struggle defending the pass and Joe Flacco seems to shine when the stakes are the highest. Other than the Niners, I don’t really like the defenses this week. The offense are just that good.
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3. Atlanta Falcons
Other than scoring defense, the Falcons were out of the top 20 in most defensive categories. San Francisco had their most productive playoff game ever last week. Considering their history, that is an impressive feat. They have a menacing offensive line that can have their way with just about any team. They had the fourth best rushing attack this year. Colin Kaepernick gives them an added dimension with his ability to produce with his arm and his feet.
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4. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens did a solid job on Peyton Manning, but Tom Brady doesn’t clam up when the playoffs come around. Plus, Bill Belichick isn’t going to take a knee. The Patriots led the league in total offense and scoring offense. They have more balance this year than in year’s past, finishing in the top seven in both rushing and passing. The Baltimore Ravens have been a good story, but I think we’ll see Ray Lewis’ career come to a close. Unfortunately, it will likely be his unit that will share the most blame.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends kicker rankings for the  the AFC and NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1.  Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots
Gostkowski led the NFL in scoring with 29 field goals and 66 extra points. He had a pair of field goals and five extra points. New England is the league’s top scoring offense so Gostkowski should continue to put point on the board. The Baltimore Ravens allowed a league-high 37 field goals during the regular season along with 31 extra points. They have allowed three field goals and five extra points in their two playoff games.
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2.  David Akers, San Francisco 49ers
Akers shrugged off the competition with Billy Cundiff and the 13 missed field goals on the year to make his lone field goal attempt and six extra points in the win over the Green Bay Packers. He will be kicking in a dome this week which, in theory, should help his chances. The Atlanta Falcons allowed 27 field goals and 30 extra points in the regular season.
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3.  Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
Tucker finished the regular season eighth in scoring with 30 field goals and 42 extra points. He has a pair of field goals and eight extra points in two playoff games. The New England Patriots allowed 21 field goals and 38 extra points during the regular season and two field goals and two extra points in the win over the Houston Texans.
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4.  Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons
Perhaps Matt Bryant is the new Matty Ice after he shrugged off Pete Carroll’s attempt to ice him on last week’s game-winning field goal attempt. Bryant drilled it, along with two other field goals and three extra points. On the season he finished third in the NFL in scoring with 33 field goals and 44 extra points. The 49ers allowed 22 field goals and 27 extra points during the regular season.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends tight end rankings for the  the AFC & NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1.  Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots
Aaron Hernandez caught six passes for 85 yards last week. With Rob Gronkowski down, the Patriots will lean heavily on Hernandez. He missed the first meeeting with the Baltimore Ravens, but should be a focal point in the AFC title game.
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2. Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons
Gonzo won his first career playoff game. He caught six passes for 51 yards and a touchdown along the way. The San Francisco 49ers allowed eight tight end touchdowns during the season.
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3. Dennis Pitta, Baltimore Ravens
Pitta caught three passes for 55 yards against the Denver Broncos. He scored a touchdown in the Wild Card win over the Indianapolis Colts. He’ll be leaned on heavily against the Patriots. He had 50 yards and a touchdown against them in Week 3 and 41 yards and a touchdown against them in last year’s AFC title game.
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4. Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers
Davis and Delanie Walker were each targeted five times in the Divisional Round. They each caught one pass. Davis went for 44 yards. While Walker has been more productive down the stretch, Davis still has more upside. Davis has more upside while Walker is probably the safer play.
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5. Delanie Walker, San Francisco 49ers
See Davis, Vernon.
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6. Ed Dickson, Baltimore Ravens
Dickson has started to see a little more work of late, but he’s typically the sixth option for the Ravens in the passing game.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football K Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends wide receiver rankings for the  the AFC & NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1. Wes Welker, New England Patriots
With Rob Gronkowski out, Welker should remain Tom Brady’s go-to-guy. Welker had eight catches for 142 yards in the first meeting with the Baltimore Ravens.
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2. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
Crabtree continues to emerge with Colin Kaepernick at the helm. Crabtree closed out the regular season with a pair of touchdowns and matched that in the win over the Green Bay Packers. Crabtree has six touchdowns in his past four games. He has had 93 or more yards in five of the past six games. The Atlanta Falcons allowed a league-low 14 touchdown passes.
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3. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Smith lit up Champ Bailey last week and destroyed the Patriots for 127 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3.
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4. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Roddy scored last week so it should be Julio’s turn this week. Julio has four touchdowns in his last five games and five in his past seven. Julio’s size and speed will challenge the 49ers’ secondary.
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5. Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
White also has four touchdowns in his past five games and has double-digit targets in seven of the past ten games. He has scored in three of his four playoff games.
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6. Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens
Boldin continues to get the tough yards for Baltimore. He took a back seat to Smith in the first meeting. I expect that trend to continue.
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7. Brandon Lloyd, New England Patriots
The Ravens allowed just 15 touchdown passes this year (18 if you count the two playoff games). Lloyd scored last week, but he’s very inconsistent. He did have 108 yards in the first meeting with Baltimore though.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football K Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends running back rankings for the  the AFC & NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
The Atlanta Falcons had the worst run defense (123.2, 16 rushing touchdowns) of the remaining playoff teams. They allowed 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns to a similarly constructed Seattle Seahawks team. Gore ran for 119 yards and a touchdown last week to go with 48 receiving yards. I give him a slight edge over Ray Rice in the top spot.
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2. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
Rice was a workhorse last week, dropping 131 yards and a touchdown on the Denver Broncos. The Ravens will try to give him another heavy workload against the New England Patriots. Rice didn’t catch a pass last week. I expect he’ll be more active this week. Arian Foster had seven receptions last week against the Pats. Baltimore will try to exploit that as well. Rice had 150 total yards and a touchdown in the first meeting with New England.
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3. Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots
Shane Vereen stole the show with three touchdowns, but Ridley was still the leading runner with 82 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. The Pats mix it up better than anybody, but Ridley has been consistent. The Ravens allowed 122.8 rushing yards per game and 15 scores on the ground.
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4. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
Turner is easily the starting back that I have the least amount of confidence in despite running for 98 yards on 14 carries against the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers have the best run defense (94.2 yards, seven rushing touchdowns) of the playoff teams.
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5. Shane Vereen, New England Patriots
Vereen scored a trio of touchdowns last week, but Bill Belichick loves to mix and match. It’s hard to imagine that Vereen won’t see double-digit touches, but you never know.
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6. Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta Falcons
Rodgers had a 45-yard run, which made his final numbers look respectable (10 carries, 64 yards), but was pretty much bottled up the rest of the day. It was only his fourth time topping 70 total yards. I don’t have a lot of faith going up against San Francisco’s defense.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football K Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends quarterback rankings for the  the AFC & NFC Conference Championship Games of the 2012-13 NFL Playoffs.
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1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Losing Rob Gronkowski hurts, but Brady just keeps on rolling. He lit up the Houston Texans for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Brady had one of his worst playoff performances against the Baltimore Ravens in last year’s AFC Championship game. I expect a stronger performance this time around.
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2. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
Kaepernick’s athleticism was on full display as he set the quarterback rushing record in the Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers. The Atlanta Falcons struggled to contain Cam Newton and Russell Wilson. I think they’ll bottle a heck of a lot better than Green Bay, but his running ability and strong arm makes Kaepernick a strong fantasy football option in the Conference Championship.
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3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Ryan should be breathing easier after finally getting that first playoff win. It wasn’t always pretty, but Ryan threw three touchdown passes. Michael Turner and Jacquizz Rodgers gave him enough of a running game to keep the defenses honest. He’ll need some of that balance against the 49ers’ stout defense. Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez give Ryan the top trio of weapons left in the playoffs.
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4. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Flacco has averaged 306.3 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception in his past three playoff games, including 306 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s meeting with the Patriots. Flacco has the most favorable matchup against New England’s secondary. I have Flacco ranked fourth, but I don’t think there is a big difference between the quarterbacks this week.
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Also check out:

• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football K Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship Fantasy Football DEF Rankings
• 2012-13 Conference Championship NFL Picks

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Here are the Lester’s Legends team defense rankings for the Conference Championship Round of the NFL Playoffs.
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1.  New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers:  The Niners are no pushover on offense, as evidenced by the 36 points they dropped on the Saints. The Giants made life uncomfortable for Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers in their two playoff wins. Alex Smith passed the first test, but will he be up for this challenge? They have the confidence right now and their defensive line is playing out of its mind. The Packers game wouldn’t have been as close as it was without some horrible officiating.
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2.  San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants:  The Niners couldn’t slow the Saints’ offense, but they were able to force them into some uncharacteristic mistakes. They were counted out last week and will likely not get the attention that the #2 seed deserves because the Giants are so hot. If the Giants don’t protect the ball, the Niners will enforce their will.
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3.  New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens:  The Patriots were highly criticized for their defense, but they shut down the Broncos last week. I know the Broncos aren’t on the level that Baltimore is, but like Denver the Broncos’ strength isn’t New England’s primary weakness (pass defense). During their nine-game winning streaks the Patriots are giving up 18.7 ppg.
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4.  Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots:  It’s not that I think the Ravens have lost their edge. The Patriots are on fire right now, averaging 37.3 points in their past three games. Not many teams have three players (Gronk, Welker, Hernandez) that are nearly impossible to account for. The Ravens have their work cut out for them. This isn’t like previous meetings where their physical play will upset the Pats. With Gronk and Hernandez they are built to withstand it.
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Also check out:

• Conference Championship Round Fantasy Football QB Rankings
• Conference Championship Round Fantasy Football RB Rankings
• Conference Championship Round Fantasy Football WR Rankings
• Conference Championship Round Fantasy Football TE Rankings
• Conference Championship Round Fantasy Football K Rankings
• Conference Championship Round NFL Picks