January 5, 2026
Across 17 games in 2025, New England Patriots wide receiver
Stefon Diggs recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on 102 targets. In his first season with the Patriots, the 32-year-old proved he can still be one of the most reliable possession receivers in the NFL. However, just a few days before Week 18, Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. Diggs played in Week 18 and is expected to be active for New England's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, he's scheduled to be arraigned on January 23, so his outlook for later in the playoffs could be murkier. As long as Diggs is on the field, he profiles as one of the top wide receiver options for fantasy managers in PPR-scoring playoff leagues.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Ladd McConkey is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance. McConkey has struggled to put up any consistent numbers during the second half of the season. The 24-year-old has been held to under 40 receiving yards in six of his last seven games. It's not going to get easier for McConkey against the New England Patriots' defense on the road during the Wild-Card round on Sunday night. The Patriots' defense is in the top 10 in terms of limiting passing yards. They've also done an excellent job of holding the WR1 on opposing teams in check all season long. McConkey has been much harder to trust in Year 2 in fantasy, and that will continue to be the case this weekend.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert sat out of the regular-season finale versus the Denver Broncos. It was a smart idea for the Chargers to sit Herbert and give him another week to rest and recover, as he's been playing through a surgically repaired left (non-throwing) hand for the last couple of weeks. The 27-year-old will now head into a tough matchup against a New England Patriots defense that is in the top 10 in terms of passing yards allowed to QBs this season. Herbert hasn't exactly been elite during the second half of the season behind a thin and beat-up offensive line. He has only thrown for multiple scores once over his last four games. Herbert is still a quality QB, but he is looking more like a high-end QB2 for fantasy managers going into the playoffs.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
New England Patriots second-year quarterback
Drake Maye has put together an MVP-type season in 2025. Maye threw for 4,394 passing yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 17 games in his sophomore campaign. The 23-year-old also rushed for an additional 450 yards with four scores on the ground. Maye has been excellent and will now play his first career postseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend. The Chargers' defense has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards coming into this game. They've also allowed only 16 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks, which is the third-lowest in the league. It's certainly a tough test for Maye, but he has been putting up MVP numbers all season long, so fantasy managers should continue to trust him.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Jakobi Meyers has been a strong addition to their wideout group this season. Meyers got off to a slow start with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he turned it around quickly in Jacksonville. The 29-year-old finished with nearly 500 yards during his nine games with his new team. The Jags clearly view Meyers as part of the future, with the two sides already agreeing on a long-term deal. The job isn't done yet, though, as Meyers will head into a tough matchup against the Buffalo Bills' defense during the Wild-Card round this Sunday. The Bills' defense has been elite in terms of yards allowed to wideouts this season. Targets should be there, with Meyers seeing six or more targets in eight straight games. The Bills' defense will likely limit his upside to more of the WR3 range in fantasy football.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Chicago Bears safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after suffering a head injury during the Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN. On a short week going into the Wild-Card round of the playoffs against the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Saturday night, Gardner-Johnson might be fighting an uphill battle to play. Cornerback Kyler Gordon (groin) will resume practicing this week, but he's not guaranteed to be activated from Injured Reserve to provide reinforcements for a banged-up Bears secondary this week. If the 28-year-old defensive back is not cleared to play against Green Bay, Tyrique Stevenson, Nick McCloud, and Jaylon Jones would be forced into bigger roles on defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Courtney Cronin
January 5, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
Pat Freiermuth has seen an expanded role in the offense lately. The loss of
Darnell Washington (forearm) has moved Freiermuth up the depth chart. Over the last four games, Freiermuth has hauled in 13 receptions for 179 yards, but he hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 12. The 27-year-old will head into a playoff matchup against a tough Houston Texans defense this week. The Texans' defense has been generally strong versus opposing tight ends, which isn't good news for Freiermuth. The increased target share will certainly help, but Freiermuth should be viewed as a lower-end option for this difficult Wild-Card matchup. The return of
DK Metcalf from a two-game suspension is also bad news for Freirmuth.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
"The hope" is that Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (groin) can return to practice this week, according to head coach Ben Johnson. If Gordon's 21-day practice window is opened this week, he'll be eligible to come off Injured Reserve to play in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs on Saturday night against the division-rival Green Bay Packers. The 26-year-old missed the final four games of the regular season after landing on IR with a groin injury. How much Gordon can do in practice this week will determine his availability for Saturday evening. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a concussion in the Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday and must now clear the league's concussion protocol later this week. Chicago's defense has been a ball-hawking unit all year long, but they may be a little thin in the secondary for Wild-Card weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Courtney Cronin
January 5, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars running back
Travis Etienne Jr. struggled to find much success on the ground during the regular-season finale. He rushed 14 times for 32 yards in the blowout win over the Tennessee Titans. It was an ugly performance, but it has been a strong season for Etienne so far. He rushed for 1,107 yards on 260 attempts with seven touchdowns in 17 games. The 26-year-old now heads into a plus matchup against the Buffalo Bills' defense for the Wild-Card round of the playoffs. He'll go against a Bills defense that is near the bottom of the league in terms of rushing yards allowed this season. The Bills' defensive unit has allowed an average of 5.1 yards per carry to running backs this season. Etienne is looking like a strong bounce-back candidate for this weekend.
--Andy WebbSource: Pro Football Reference
January 5, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that there are no plans to open the practice window for any players on Injured Reserve this week, which includes defensive tackle Ed Oliver (biceps, knee), according to The Buffalo News' Jay Skurski. It means that Oliver won't be eligible to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff contest versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The 28-year-old defensive lineman was placed on IR back in late October with a torn biceps that he suffered in Week 8. Additionally, Oliver had surgery to fix the meniscus in his knee in late December. Even if the Bills make it past this weekend and go on a long run in the postseason, Oliver won't be guaranteed to be ready to return. Oliver only played in three regular-season games in 2025, recording 12 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and five QB hits.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Jay Skurski
January 5, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that there are no plans to open the practice window for any of the players on Injured Reserve this week, including wide receiver
Curtis Samuel (elbow), per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. Samuel was put on IR in late November, and he won't be eligible to be activated to play in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this Sunday against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. Samuel has battled through injuries for most of the year and has appeared in only six games for Buffalo, catching seven passes for 81 yards and one touchdown. He also returned nine kickoffs for 223 yards on special teams. If the Bills advance and Samuel is activated from IR, he will be off the radar in fantasy playoff leagues as WR depth for the Bills.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Jay Skurski
January 5, 2026
The San Francisco 49ers will open the 21-day practice window for wide receiver
Jacob Cowing (hamstring) this week, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cowing will practice with the team on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 24-year-old is getting closer to returning from Injured Reserve, but he could still be unlikely to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff game this Sunday against the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. If Cowing does end up playing against the Eagles, he will most likely only have a role on special teams after missing the entire 2025 regular season. The former fourth-round selection in 2024 out of Arizona caught four of his six targets for 80 yards in 15 games last year in his first season in the NFL. Cowing will be a long shot to surface as an option in playoff fantasy formats.
--Keith HernandezSource: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
January 5, 2026
The Tennessee Titans will interview former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris for their vacant head-coaching job later this week, sources told Peter Schrager of ESPN. Morris, 49, was the head coach for the Falcons the last two seasons, going 8-9 each year. He also has head-coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009-11, when he went 17-31. The Titans are expected to cast a wide net as they search for their next head coach. General manager Mike Borgonzi will lead the search for a new head coach. Tennessee's top priority will be to bring someone in who they think will take quarterback
Cameron Ward's development to the next level after he struggled mightily in his rookie season. The Titans have reportedly already reached out to the Kansas City Chiefs as they request to interview offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Peter Schrager
January 5, 2026
Former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is expected to speak with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans about their head-coaching vacancies this offseason, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Before the Browns officially fired Stefanski on Black Monday, there were rumors floating around that the Giants had interest in Stefanski as their next head coach. New York fired Brian Daboll early in the season, with offensive coordinator Mike Kafka serving as the interim coach for the rest of the season. Even with all of the failures that Stefanski endured in his time in Cleveland, he figures to be one of the most coveted head-coaching candidates around the league this year because of his offensive mind. Stefanski would be an intriguing fit for young quarterback
Jaxson Dart and young running back
Cam Skattebo with the Giants.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 5, 2026
Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) said on Monday that he is scheduled to have surgery to fix the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot on Jan. 13, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. It's the same bone that Bland hurt before the 2024 season, and that cost him the first 10 games of that season. The 26-year-old played through his foot injury but managed to appear in only 12 games before landing on Injured Reserve in December. Bland emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL in 2023, with nine interceptions and five pick-sixes. However, injuries over the last two years have made it hard for him to stay on the field. Bland finished 2025 with a career-high 73 tackles (45 solo), one interception, and six pass breakups. Hopefully, he will be able to put his foot injury behind him in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Calvin Watkins
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