January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos tight end
Evan Engram has continued to occupy a smaller role throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. As a result, he's difficult to trust ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship game. Engram finished the regular season with a modest 50 catches, 461 yards, and one touchdown, ranking as the TE29 in full-PPR leagues despite playing 16 games. He added just one reception for seven yards in the Broncos' playoff win last weekend. Moving forward, we expect Engram to remain in a similarly small and discouraging role against the New England Patriots, who allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to tight ends during the regular season. Denver prefers targeting its very talented receiver room, and we could also see the Broncos run the ball more with
Bo Nix (ankle) out. The quarterback change is perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding Engram's outlook. Although he underperformed while catching passes from Nix, we can't exactly project how he'll play with
Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass all year. As a result, we're continuing to temper our expectations. Engram is the overall TE6 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
Seattle Seahawks tight end
Elijah Arroyo (knee) has been activated from injured reserve, but it's unlikely that he'll have a major role in his return to action against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. In his last five regular-season games before getting hurt, the rookie had caught just two passes for 10 yards, and he played fewer than half of the offensive snaps on all five occasions. Seattle remains encouraged about his long-term value, especially after spending a second-round pick on him, but we don't expect him to be a major threat in the NFC Championship game. Instead, we expect to see a consistently heavier dose of
AJ Barner. Barner had 12 targets and two touchdowns over his final three regular-season games, and in his last outing against the Rams, he exploded for 10 catches and 70 yards. DFS players can avoid Arroyo this week, and bettors can expect him to remain in a minimal role.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams has been playing phenomenally, but the unit will get a tough matchup in the form of the Los Angeles Rams during Sunday's NFC Championship game. It should be an exciting divisional battle between arguably the best offense and the best defense in the NFL. Seattle's defense ranked first in fantasy points during the regular season, allowing the 12th-fewest yards and the fewest points. The Seahawks also intercepted 18 passes, good for the fifth-most. On the other side, the Rams had the most total offense, as well as the most touchdowns and the most total points. This offense has given the Seahawks some trouble in the past, dropping 21 points on them in Week 11 and 37 points in Week 6. Seattle's defense will impose its will, but its trend of allowing 10 or fewer points in each of its last three games may come to an end on Sunday. As it stands, the Seahawks D/ST ranks second among four teams in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
The New England Patriots defense/special teams will be tasked with slowing down a Denver Broncos offense led by backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham during Sunday's AFC Championship game. After
Bo Nix (ankle) was ruled out for the playoffs, Denver named Stidham its starter, even though he didn't attempt a pass during the regular season. By all accounts, Stidham is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL. However, there's no denying that this quarterback change should offer a major boost to the Patriots D/ST in DFS and betting formats. Not only could Stidham be more turnover-prone than Nix, but his lack of NFL game experience this year could weaken his ability to dissect defenses and make adjustments mid-play. We could see a slight uptick in turnovers and, even though
J.K. Dobbins (foot) was ruled out, the Broncos will likely run the ball more. New England's defense is certainly no joke, either. The unit ranked 10th in fantasy points among D/ST units during the regular season, and it picked off
C.J. Stroud four times last weekend. The Patriots D/ST ranks first among four teams in the latest RotoBaller fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks as he recovers from surgery on his broken ankle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Nix suffered the injury during last week's Divisional Round win overthe Buffalo Bills and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. The second-year signal-caller finished the regular season with a 63.4% completion rate, 3,931 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 356 yards and an additional five scores. Nix didn't take a very big leap during his second season in the league, but that was partly because he already had such an impressive rookie year. While he won't be available for the AFC Championship against the Patriots or the Super Bowl, should Denver qualify, Nix will be healthy and ready for training camp. In the meantime, Jarett Stidham will step up as the Broncos' starter.
--Andersen PickardSource: Adam Schefter
January 24, 2026
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Rashid Shaheed was largely responsible for putting last week's Divisional Round rubber match with the 49ers out of hand from the jump, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a game that was never close. The play marked Shaheed's third special teams score since being acquired from the New Orleans Saints via a mid-season trade, but his impact has been felt less on offense. After playing his first half of the season in New Orleans on a 17-game pace of 83 receptions for 943 yards and four touchdowns, that pace has fallen drastically to 26 catches for 320 yards and zero receiving touchdowns since his trade to Seattle. Over the past four games, he's caught two passes for ten yards. Even against a Los Angeles defense that has been beatable through the air, Shaheed carries very little value outside of fantasy playoff leagues that reward return yards and touchdowns.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Denver Broncos running back
Jaleel McLaughlin should continue to be the primary change-of-pace back behind rookie
RJ Harvey, with
J.K. Dobbins remaining on Injured Reserve after a week of limited practices. In Denver's Divisional Round win over a Bills team that came into the playoffs with one of the worst run defenses in the league, McLaughlin was able to turn four carries into 21 yards. In the Conference Championship, he'll face a Patriots defense that has been dominant against the run since Milton Williams' return from an ankle injury that cost him five games. Through two playoff games, New England has allowed a total of 74 yards on designed runs, so if McLaughlin is to find any success on Sunday, it may need to come through screens and checkdowns, though that is a role that's been owned by Harvey for most of the year. McLaughlin is RotoBaller's RB7 for the week, but there is a world where he is entirely phased out of the game script.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off his best performance of the season after leading the team with eight receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's overtime win over the Bills. If the Broncos and backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham are to have any success moving the ball against an attacking Patriots defense, Mims may once again be tasked with carrying a heavy workload. Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III match up well on paper against the bigger bodies of
Courtland Sutton and
Pat Bryant, so it could fall on the smaller, quicker Mims to provide an intermediate outlet for Stidham if New England continues to send extra bodies in the pass rush. Mims is RotoBaller's WR8 for the Conference Championship Round of playoff fantasy leagues, but he could be more valuable in Full-PPR formats.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Los Angeles Rams veteran tight end
Tyler Higbee has seen his usage and productivity decline in each of his three games since returning from an ankle injury in Week 18. In his first game back after missing nearly two months of action, he led the team in receiving yards and scored his third touchdown of the season, but in the team's two playoff games since, he's seen a total of four targets, and he was on the field for only eight offensive snaps in the Rams' Divisional Round win over Chicago. With rookie
Terrance Ferguson returning for that game after missing two weeks of his own with a hamstring injury, Higbee was relegated to the third tight end in passing sets, behind Ferguson and
Colby Parkinson, and was taken off the field for
Davis Allen in more obvious running situations. Higbee is RotoBaller's TE3 for the week, but it should come as no surprise if he continues to run behind Parkinson and Ferguson on Sunday.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Los Angeles Rams rookie tight end
Terrance Ferguson recorded a touchdown in each of his final two regular-season games. After missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, he returned for last week's Divisional Round win over the Bears and was targeted five times. Unfortunately, he was able to collect only one of those looks, finishing his first career playoff game with a single catch for 19 yards. With Los Angeles using a heavy deployment of jumbo packages down the stretch, Ferguson should see the field plenty against a Seahawks defense that has excelled against fantasy running backs and wide receivers while finishing in the middle of the pack against tight ends.
Colby Parkinson is likely the safest bet out of the Rams' crowded tight end room, given his steady usage near the goal line, but Ferguson may be the most talented of the bunch, and he is RotoBaller's TE5 for Conference Championship Weekend.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
The New York Jets were scheduled for an in-person interview with Wink Martindale for their defensive-coordinator job, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. Although the Jets have interviewed seven other candidates for the job, Martindale is considered a favorite for the position. He has previously served as the DC in the NFL with the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, and Denver Broncos, and at the collegiate level at the University of Michigan. Martindale's defenses typically are aggressive at getting after the quarterback, which aligns with head coach Aaron Glenn's philosophy on that side of the ball. The Jets need all kinds of help on the defensive ball after they became the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without recording a single interception in 2025. Hiring Martindale would at least give the Jets some experience and an aggressive mentality as they look to bounce back in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
January 24, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks elevated running backs
Cam Akers and
Velus Jones Jr. from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship contest against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in last weekend's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, so both Akers and Jones will give Seattle more RB depth this weekend behind starter
Kenneth Walker III. The Seahawks also activated
George Holani from Injured Reserve this week, and he will be active as more backfield depth against the Rams. Akers, 26, previously played for L.A. and has more experience than both Jones and Holani. However, he's appeared in only six games this year with the Rams and Vikings and has only five carries for 19 yards. Walker is likely to see the lion's share of touches for the Seahawks on Sunday, leaving few opportunities for Akers, Jones, and Holani.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 24, 2026
The New England Patriots activated wide receiver
Mack Hollins (abdomen) from Injured Reserve on Saturday ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Despite the fact that Hollins was activated, he's still questionable to play against the Broncos. The 32-year-old veteran was put on IR in late December and he hasn't played since Dec. 21. If Hollins returns this weekend, it would give quarterback
Drake Maye another deep threat on the outside, although his snap count would most likely be limited. During the regular season, Hollins had 46 receptions on 65 targets for 550 yards and only two touchdowns. Fantasy managers should probably look elsewhere for a WR sleeper for Sunday's games against a Broncos defense that allowed a league-low six touchdowns to receivers in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 24, 2026
Los Angeles Rams running back
Blake Corum handled only six touches in the team's Divisional Round win over the Bears, and in Sunday's Conference Championship, he faces a Seahawks defense that ranked as the most formidable against fantasy running backs in the regular season. In their Divisional Round thrashing of the 49ers, Seattle held MVP finalist
Christian McCaffrey to 35 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards on 17 total opportunities. Should Corum find himself drastically out-touched by
Kyren Williams as he was against Chicago, he'll need elite efficiency to see any relevance in playoff fantasy leagues -- a tall order, given Seattle's track record. Corum is RotoBaller's RB6 for the week.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Throughout his NFL career, Denver Broncos quarterback
Jarrett Stidham has played at a respectable level from a clean pocket while struggling mightily under pressure, with his completion rate dropping roughly 30% in such situations. Against a mostly healthy Patriots defense that has allowed 74 total yards to running backs through their first two playoff games, Denver may be forced into enough third-and-long looks to keep their offense out of rhythm. New England has employed an aggressive, blitz-heavy approach to great success against
Justin Herbert and
C.J. Stroud. With Denver's running game struggling as a whole since losing
J.K. Dobbins in Week 10, Stidham may find himself battling against the chains for much of Sunday. He is RotoBaller's QB4 for Conference Championship Weekend.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
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