January 5, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Brian Thomas Jr. had a disappointing year relative to preseason expectations in 2025, recording 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. Down the stretch of the regular season, Thomas Jr. appeared to slide down the pass-catcher pecking order in Jacksonville. The 23-year-old recorded just nine catches for 106 yards and zero touchdowns on 15 targets over his final three contests. Thomas Jr. also played fewer than 80% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps in five out of his team's six final games. The Jaguars are now set to face the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Buffalo allowed the fewest passing yards (2,894) of any defense in the NFL. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues may find Thomas Jr. tough to trust given his difficult matchup and diminished role in Jacksonville.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 5, 2026
New England Patriots rookie wide receiver
Kyle Williams struggled to carve out a consistent role in his team's offense in 2025, recording 10 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 21 targets across 17 games. Williams saw more involvement over the second half of the season, with all but two of his receptions coming from Week 10 onward. However, he went without a target or a reception in New England's final game of the regular season in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots will remain without veteran wideout
Mack Hollins (abdomen) for their Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, which could mean continued playing time for Williams. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.9 yards per reception, so he offers clear big-play upside. Still, Williams' role as a downfield target will likely lead to some boom/bust variance for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to be aware of entering the postseason.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 5, 2026
Across 17 games this season, New England Patriots tight end
Hunter Henry recorded 60 receptions for 768 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 targets. While Henry may not offer explosive upside, he's proven to be a trusted security blanket for Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye. Henry also ended the regular season well, hauling in 14 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets over his last three games played. New England's first playoff matchup will be against a tough defense in the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, Henry's role as a consistent target-earner and red zone threat provides a relatively stable production floor. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues should view Henry as a solid TE1 this weekend against Los Angeles.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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
RADIO
