XFL 2023 Playoff Fantasy Rankings, Schedule, Live Stream and Odds

While much of the football world is focused on this weekend's NFL draft, fans can also catch some playoff action. The 2023 XFL playoffs kick off this weekend, and by Sunday evening, the XFL championship matchup will be set.

On Saturday, the Houston Roughnecks will host the Arlington Renegades in the XFL South divisional championship. The D.C. Defenders will host the Seattle Sea Dragons in an XFL North showdown on Sunday.

The Defenders-Battlehawks matchup promises to be particularly entertaining. D.C. finished the regular season with the league's best record, but few teams have been as hot as the Sea Dragons, which have gone 7-1 since an 0-2 start.

Two of Seattle's losses came against the Defenders by a combined five points.

Here's a look at everything you need to know for the opening playoff slate, including scheduling information, odds and updated fantasy rankings.

XFL North

D.C. Defenders 9-1

Seattle Sea Dragons 7-3

St. Louis Battlehawks 7-3

Vegas Vipers 2-8

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XFL South

Houston Roughnecks 7-3

Arlington Renegades 4-6

San Antonio Brahmas 3-7

Orlando Guardians 1-9

South Division Championship

Arlington Renegades at Houston Roughnecks

When: Saturday, April 29 at 7 p.m. ET

Line, Over/Under: Houston -6.5, 41.5

TV and Livestream: ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

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North Division Championship

Seattle Sea Dragons at D.C. Defenders

When: Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m. ET

Line, Over/Under: D.C. -3, 48.5

TV and Livestream: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+

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*Odds via FanDuel

Quarterback

1. Ben DiNucci, Seattle Sea Dragons

2. Jordan Ta'amu, D.C. Defenders

3. Luis Perez, Arlington Renegades

4. Brandon Silvers/Cole McDonald, Houston Roughnecks

5. D'Eriq King, D.C. Defenders

Running Back

1. Abram Smith, D.C. Defenders

2. De'Veon Smith, Arlington Renegades

3. Max Borghi, Houston Roughnecks

4 Phillip Lindsay, Seattle Sea Dragons

5. Brycen Alleyne, Huston Roughnecks

6. T.J. Hammonds, Seattle Sea Dragons

7. Leddy Brown, Arlington Renegades

8. Ryquell Armstead, D.C. Defenders

Wide Receiver

1. Jahcour Pearson, Seattle Sea Dragons

2. Lucky Jackson, D.C. Defenders

3. Blake Jackson, Seattle Sea Dragons

4. Juwan Green, Seattle Sea Dragons

5. Brandon Smith, D.C. Defenders

6. Josh Gordon, Seattle Sea Dragons

7. Tyler Vaughns, Arlington Renegades

8. Josh Hammond, D.C. Defenders

Tight End

1. Sal Cannella, Arlington Renegades

2. Ethan Wolf, D.C. Defenders

3. Alex Ellis, D.C. Defenders

4. Garrett Owens, Houston Roughnecks

5. Nate Becker, Arlington Renegades

The Roughnecks are heavy favorites over the Renegades, and they should win handily. These two teams faced off in Week 10 with Houston resting a few key players, and the Roughnecks still won by 16 points.

Quarterback Brandon Silvers will likely return to Houston's starting lineup after Cole McDonald got the Week 10 start. McDonald did get some run in Weeks 6 and 7, but Silvers was dealing with an elbow injury and was back in the lineup by Week 8.

It's a situation worth watching, but regardless of who starts, Houston's passing attack has simply been underwhelming this season. Neither quarterback is worth an investment in daily fantasy sports (DFS) games unless managers are seeking a true budget sleeper—the Arlington defense isn't spectacular, after all.

Sea Dragons quarterback Ben DiNucci and Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta'amu are the two strong plays in the divisional round. DiNucci steers the league's most explosive passing attack, while Ta'amu has emerged as a quality dual-threat for the league's best team.

And while D.C. has the league's best record, Seattle feels like a strong play, getting three points. Both of the regular-season matchups were extremely close, and it wouldn't be a shock to see the Sea Dragons win outright.

Seattle can put points on the board, and its defense is one of the stronger ones in the XFL.

Unsurprisingly, D.C. and Seattle players top the rankings at wide receiver. The Sea Dragons and Defenders had two of the top passing attacks in the league during the regular season—along with AJ McCarron and the St. Louis Battlehawks, who are out of the postseason.

Look to the Roughnecks-Renegades matchup for running backs. De'Veon Smith and Max Borghi have become reliable starters. Smith and Borghi ranked fourth in fifth, respectively, in regular-season rushing yards but first (tied) and second (tied) in rushing touchdowns.

D.C.'s Abram Smith, who topped the league in both categories, remains the best play at running back.

Arlington's Sal Cannella is really the only tight end worth a play in DFS. Ethan Wolf was the second-most productive tight end on a playoff roster, and he had just 106 yards and a touchdown in the regular season.

Alex Ellis is a very touchdown-dependent option, but he did have four scores on five receptions during the season.

The Roughnecks' passing attack is too inconsistent to lean heavily on Garrett Owens, and the Sea Dragons tend to utilize receivers Jahcour Pearson, Blake Jackson, Juwan Green and Josh Gordon while largely ignoring the tight end position.

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