January 7, 2026
Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end
Elijah Arroyo (knee) has been designated for return to practice on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Arroyo is now eligible to be activated from Injured Reserve at any time now that his 21-day practice window has been opened. The Seahawks secured the top seed in the NFC, so they are on bye for Wild-Card weekend, and Arroyo will have another full week to practice before the Seahawks decide if he's ready to return for the Divisional Round of the postseason. The 22-year-old second-rounder would merely play a depth role for Seattle's offense if he returns for their first playoff game, making him hard to trust in fantasy playoff leagues. In his first year in the NFL, Arroyo took a back seat to
AJ Barner and caught 15 of his 26 targets for 179 yards and only one touchdown.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 7, 2026
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) will not practice on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Pearsall aggravated a PCL sprain in his right knee and was held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks last Saturday. The 25-year-old former first-rounder missed a good chunk of the 2025 season due to his knee injury, so he could be fighting an uphill battle to play on Wild-Card weekend in Philadelphia against the Eagles on Sunday. If Pearsall cannot get cleared to play in the opening round of the playoffs, it will open up targets for receivers
Jauan Jennings,
Demarcus Robinson, and
Kendrick Bourne, as well as tight end
George Kittle. In the Week 18 loss to Seattle, Jennings led the team with four catches for only 35 yards. As of right now, Pearsall is likely on the wrong side of questionable to play against Philly.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Vic Tafur
January 7, 2026
San Francisco 49ers running back
Christian McCaffrey finished 2025 as the RB1 in almost all fantasy formats, and he carries the same projection into most fantasy playoff leagues. San Francisco opens the playoffs against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and a defensive front that scarcely resembles the one that gave
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs fits in Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles were the 10th most generous fantasy defense to opposing running backs, and McCaffrey comes into the matchup having finished as the RB12 or better in 14 of 17 starts in Full-PPR formats. He is RotoBaller's RB1 for Wild Card Weekend and, given San Francisco's status as 4.5-point road underdogs, an obvious must-start in formats that allow players to be started only once.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Rams tight end
Colby Parkinson was pegged as an obvious beneficiary of the Week 15 injury to teammate
Davante Adams (hamstring), given his usage around the goal line. Unfortunately, after being one of the most popular waiver adds of Week 16, he opened the fantasy playoffs with a two-catch, 21-yard performance with zero touchdowns against the Seahawks. Parkinson was able to string together two strong performances to close the year, but heading into the NFL playoffs, Adams is expected to return to action after being listed as a full participant on Tuesday's estimated injury report, and
Tyler Higbee (ankle) is another week removed from the ankle injury that landed him on Injured Reserve for nearly two months. Working in Parkinson's favor is that rookie tight end
Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) began the week with an estimated DNP after missing the season finale with a hamstring injury. However, with so much uncertainty lingering about his usage, Parkinson is best left out of starting lineups or simply undrafted in fantasy playoff leagues.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Davante Adams (hamstring) missed the final three games of the regular season after pulling up lame with a hamstring injury in a Week 15 win over the Lions, but he was a full participant on Tuesday's estimated injury report, and the team is optimistic they will have him back for Saturday's Wild Card opener in Carolina. Adams led all players with 14 receiving touchdowns, despite playing in only 14 games, and if active, he is a must-start in fantasy playoff leagues. The Rams are 10.5-point road favorites and have the highest implied team total of the weekend. Adams is RotoBaller's WR2 for Wild Card Weekend, behind only teammate
Puka Nacua.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Green Bay running back
Josh Jacobs was rested for the team's Week 18 loss to the Vikings, along with most of the Packers' starters, and fantasy managers are hoping the extended time off will help him get back on track after a disappointing, injury-plagued close to the season. Bothered by ankle and knee injuries down the stretch, he was held to 51 total yards over his last two starts, including a three-yard performance in Week 17. In opening the playoffs on the road in Chicago, Jacobs faces a Bears defense that has allowed over 190 rushing yards in two of their last three games. However, an obvious caveat is that one of those games came against the Packers in Week 16, in which a clearly limited Jacobs accounted for only 36 yards while fumbling once. After a week of rest, Jacobs is RotoBaller's RB7 for Wild Card Weekend.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua finished the 2025 season as the WR1 in full-PPR formats, and he should be viewed through a similar lens in all fantasy playoff leagues. Nacua is RotoBaller's WR1 for Wild Card Weekend, and with the Rams sitting as a double-digit favorite over the Panthers, he's as safe a bet as any to see multiple starting opportunities in leagues with cumulative scoring. Carolina has been a top-8 fantasy defense in terms of limiting opposing wide receivers, but Nacua has faced two other top-8 defenses over the past three weeks in the Seahawks and Cardinals, totaling 22 receptions, 301 yards, and three touchdowns across those two games. With
Davante Adams also trending in the right direction, Nacua should face softer coverages while staying right in line for a target share north of 30 percent.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 7, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that tight end
Dalton Kincaid (knee) will be limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to Maddy Glab of BuffaloBills.com. Kincaid played through a questionable tag in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets, but he ended up playing only 10 snaps and catching three passes for 48 yards with the Bills resting most of their regulars. The 26-year-old missed some time with a hamstring injury late in the year, too, but he's trending towards being a full-go for Wild-Card weekend against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Kincaid is one of quarterback
Josh Allen's most trusted weapons. He finished second on the team with 571 receiving yards while reaching the end zone a team-high five times in 12 games. Kincaid will be a solid midrange TE1 for those competing in fantasy playoff leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: BuffaloBills.com - Maddy Glab
January 7, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that quarterback
Josh Allen (foot) will be a full-go at Wednesday's practice, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Allen took the first snap of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets to extend his streak of consecutive starts to 127 regular-season games, and then the Bills pulled him from the game on Sunday. The 29-year-old dealt with a nagging foot injury late in the year, but it's nothing serious and won't keep him from playing in Sunday's Wild-Card playoff game on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Allen finished the regular season as the top overall fantasy QB with 3,668 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 17 games. He added a league-high 579 rushing yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns on the ground to separate himself at the position. Allen has the most fantasy upside at QB for the Wild-Card round.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
January 7, 2026
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Wednesday that re-signing running back
Javonte Williams is at the top of the team's list of offseason priorities, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "We want to bring him back and sign him to a multiple-year deal," Jones said. It's not the first time the Cowboys have said this after the 25-year-old Williams exceeded expectations in his first year in Dallas in 2025. The former Denver Broncos RB had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, gaining 1,210 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns on the ground on 252 carries over 16 games. Williams added 35 receptions on 51 targets for 137 yards and two more scores to finish as the RB11 in half-PPR scoring. He finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a nagging shoulder injury, but he should be ready in plenty of time for Week 1 of the 2026 season. If he returns to Dallas, Williams should be the clear RB1 option out of the backfield.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jon Machota
January 7, 2026
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has confirmed head-coaching interviews in the next week with the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Despite the Falcons' turnaround late in the season -- they finished with a four-game winning streak -- Atlanta's brass chose to fire Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday. In his two seasons with the Falcons, Morris went 16-18. Although the Falcons disappointed in his two years at the helm, Morris is still an attractive head-coaching candidate around the league, given his experience coaching both sides of the ball in his career. Morris won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive coordinator, which catapulted him to the Falcons' head-coaching gig.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 7, 2026
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said the team will discuss a contract extension for wide receiver
Chris Olave this offseason, according to Erin Summers of NFL Network. "Chris is obviously an important player to us and had a really good season... had a couple of conversations with his agent, that will be part of this offseason," Loomis said. Olave didn't play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons due to a blood clot in his lung, but the 25-year-old former first-rounder should be ready to roll for the start of next season as the Saints' clear WR1. Despite missing the last game of the year, Olave was money for fantasy managers in 2025, finishing as the WR6 in half-PPR scoring with 100 catches (156 targets) for 1,163 yards, and nine touchdowns in 16 games. It was a career year for Olave, and he'll be an early-round WR1 target in 2026 fantasy drafts, especially with rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough showing plenty of promise in his first season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Erin Summers
January 7, 2026
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is optimistic about the team's future based on quarterback
Dak Prescott's impressive 2025 season. "I think I've seen Dak at the best he's ever been," Jones said. Prescott certainly had one of the best seasons of his 10-year NFL career, completing 67.3% of his 600 pass attempts for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 17 starts. His 404 completions were a league-high, and he finished as the QB5 in terms of overall fantasy points. The 32-year-old veteran entered Week 18 action with the most passing yards, completions, and pass attempts in the NFL, but he wasn't able to add much to those totals after the Cowboys pulled him in a meaningless game. Dallas' failure to make the postseason this year shouldn't rest on the shoulders of Prescott and the offense. Going into 2026, he'll be a strong QB1 target if the Cowboys bring receiver
George Pickens back to work with
CeeDee Lamb.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
January 7, 2026
Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Riley Leonard was impressive in his first career start in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Houston Texans, going 39-for-67 passing for 415 yards and two touchdowns, although he did throw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Leonard displayed second- and third-level touch and accuracy from the pocket, which was one of his biggest question marks coming into the NFL. Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan thinks it's unfair to wonder if Leonard can be the next
Brock Purdy, but it's realistic to ask if he could be the team's long-term backup behind the oft-injured
Daniel Jones (Achilles). Bowen believes Leonard's performance against the top defense in the league in the regular-season finale proves that he should be considered as QB insurance for the Colts if they run it back with Jones in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: 107.5 The Fan - Kevin Bowen
January 7, 2026
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said that wide receiver
Ja'Lynn Polk's (shoulder) rehab has gone well and that he's fitting in with the group well, according to Erin Summers of NFL Network. Head coach Kellen Moore said that Polk will "be able to fill a very beneficial role here." The Saints acquired Polk and a seventh-round draft pick in 2028 from the New England Patriots back in September in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2027. The 23-year-old former second-rounder missed all of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury. Polk struggled in his rookie campaign in 2024, catching 12 passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 33 targets. He'll have another opportunity to make noise in 2026 behind
Chris Olave, making him one to watch in training camp and the preseason in deeper fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Erin Summers
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