January 23, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin interviewed for the Washington Commanders' defensive-coordinator position, sources told Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Austin has been the Steelers' DC since 2022, and before that, he served in the same role with the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017 and with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018. Pittsburgh's defense was a little shaky under Austin in 2025, but he led the unit to top-10 finishes in points allowed three times and top-15 finishes in yards allowed twice. There's a good chance that Austin won't be back in the Steel City after Mike Tomlin's resignation last week. The Commanders are looking to replace Joe Whitt Jr. Under Whitt in 2025, Washington's D allowed the sixth-most points per game (26.5), the most total yards per game (384), the fifth-most passing yards per game (242.5), and the third-most rushing yards per game (141.8).
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Nicki Jhabvala
January 23, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Troy Franklin (hamstring) was limited in practice all week and is questionable to play in the AFC Championship game on Sunday against the visiting New England Patriots. Franklin played only 13 snaps on offense in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills before suffering a hamstring injury and never returning. The 22-year-old second-year wideout will most likely end up suiting up for the big game this weekend, but we won't know officially until 90 minutes before kickoff. Franklin's role has shrunk near the end of this season, so with rookie
Pat Bryant cleared from a concussion, he'll be a WR to avoid in fantasy playoff leagues while working with backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham. If Franklin is unable to play,
Courtland Sutton, Bryant, and
Marvin Mims Jr. should operate as the top-three WRs, with
Lil'Jordan Humphrey also pitching in.
--Keith HernandezSource: Denver Broncos
January 23, 2026
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver
Pat Bryant (concussion) cleared the league's concussion protocol and was removed from the final injury report on Friday. Bryant will be active for Sunday's AFC Championship tilt against the New England Patriots after suffering a concussion early in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills and never returning. Before leaving last Saturday, the 23-year-old third-rounder from Illinois caught all three of his targets for 32 yards. In his first 15 regular-season NFL games, Bryant had a 31-378-1 line on 49 targets. He has slowly seen more involvement in Denver's offense as the year has gone on, but he'll still be hard to trust for fantasy playoff lineups this weekend with quarterback
Jarrett Stidham taking over for the injured
Bo Nix (ankle). Bryant will be even more risky if second-year wideout
Troy Franklin (hamstring) is active.
--Keith HernandezSource: Denver Broncos
January 23, 2026
Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross (foot) was removed from the team's final injury report on Friday and will be active for Sunday's NFC Championship game against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, according to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar. Cross missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he'll be available this weekend and will protect quarterback
Sam Darnold's blind side. He'll have his work cut out for him against a Rams defense that had the seventh-most sacks (47) during the regular season. In the two previous games against L.A. during the season, Darnold was sacked a total of four times for a loss of 26 yards. Cross being active for the NFC Championship is great news for the Seahawks' offense overall.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 23, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
George Holani (hamstring) was removed from the team's final injury report on Friday and will be active for the NFC Championship game on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Holani was placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 29, but he was activated this week and will help give the Seahawks more backfield depth after
Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in last weekend's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kenneth Walker III should handle a big workload as the team's RB1 against the Rams, but Holani could be the RB2 in his first game back. Fantasy managers shouldn't have high expectations for Holani in his first time back on the field, though, and he could even share touches with
Velus Jones Jr. He had only 22 carries during the regular season for 73 yards and one TD.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 23, 2026
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Sam Darnold (oblique) was removed from Friday's final injury report and is set to take on the division-rival Los Angeles Rams for the third time this year in Sunday's NFC Championship game. Darnold tweaked his oblique in practice last Thursday and was questionable for the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The 28-year-old ended up playing and going 12-for-17 passing for 124 yards with one touchdown in the 41-6 blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks didn't really need Darnold to do much, but that probably won't be the case this weekend against a Rams offense that scored a league-high 30.5 points per game. In the two previous games against L.A. this year, Darnold threw for 549 yards and two touchdowns on 78 total attempts, but he also threw six total interceptions. The volume should be there for Darnold on Sunday, but he'll need to take care of the football if Seattle wants to advance to the Super Bowl.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 23, 2026
Denver Broncos running back
J.K. Dobbins (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots and will remain on Injured Reserve, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. The Broncos opened Dobbins' 21-day practice window this week, and he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. While the 27-year-old is making progress from a Lisfranc foot injury that he suffered in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, he's just not at the point where the Broncos are comfortable putting him back into a game, especially with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. With Dobbins out, rookie
RJ Harvey should handle most of the backfield work against New England, with
Jaleel McLaughlin and
Tyler Badie working in complementary roles. If Denver advances to the Super Bowl, Dobbins should be ready to return with an extra two weeks to recover.
--Keith HernandezSource: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
January 23, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers will be a free agent in March, and the expectation is that he will not return to the Steel City after long-time head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons with the organization. However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero believes that if Rodgers does decide to come back to play for a new Steelers head coach, it would be former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who is a native of Pittsburgh. The Steelers are open to the future Hall of Fame QB returning for another year in 2026, but they wouldn't be hiring McCarthy specifically to lure Rodgers back after he led the team to the postseason in 2025. Pittsburgh's ownership isn't interested in rebuilding, so hiring a veteran coach like McCarthy to lead a veteran roster would make a lot of sense. Retirement is very much on the table for Rodgers this offseason, but if the Steelers hire McCarthy as their next head coach, it could push the 42-year-old to return for one last rodeo.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 23, 2026
The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson writes that the Miami Dolphins "almost assuredly" will release wide receiver
Tyreek Hill (knee) before mid-March. Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 and is due to make $29.9 million in 2026. However, none of that money is guaranteed until mid-March, when $11 million of it becomes guaranteed if he's on the team, in addition to a $5 million roster bonus. His contract carries a $51.9 million salary cap hit, so even if he wasn't injured, Hill wouldn't have returned to Miami on that deal. If the speedy wideout is released, as expected, his 2026 cap hit would drop from $51.9 million to $28.2 million. If he's cut after June 1, the team's cap hit would be just $15.9 million. Hill is entering his age-32 season in 2026, and after tearing multiple ligaments in his knee, his trademark speed could be affected going forward. Ultimately, his fantasy stock will depend on where he's playing next season, but his arrow is definitely pointing down.
--Keith HernandezSource: Miami Herald - Barry Jackson
January 23, 2026
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that wide receiver
Mack Hollins (abdomen), who is still on Injured Reserve, will be questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the hosting Denver Broncos, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Hollins was originally placed on IR back on Dec. 27, and he returned to practice for the first time on Thursday in a limited session. The 32-year-old must be officially activated from IR by Saturday if the Patriots want him active on Sunday. If he returns, he'll merely be a dart throw in fantasy football playoff leagues after his long layoff. During the regular season in his first year with New England, Hollins was a deep threat for quarterback
Drake Maye, catching 46 of 65 targets for 550 yards and two touchdowns. We wouldn't recommend Hollins as a sleeper this weekend in Denver if he's active.
--Keith HernandezSource: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
January 23, 2026
Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Keon Coleman had a rough year in 2025, recording 38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns on 59 targets across 13 games played. Despite his team desperately needing pass-catching help for much of the season, the 22-year-old was a healthy scratch for multiple games and had his maturity called into question by team officials. The Bills moved on from long-time head coach Sean McDermott after losing to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round. McDermott's firing could mean a fresh start for Coleman with a new coaching staff, which could work to his benefit. However, Buffalo retained general manager Brandon Beane, and Bills owner Terry Pegula recently insinuated that Coleman's selection in the 2024 NFL Draft was more McDermott's call than Beane's. Depending on how Buffalo addresses the wide receiver position during the offseason, Coleman's status with the Bills could be in question heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 23, 2026
To this point in his career, Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Lamar Jackson has spent all eight of his NFL seasons playing for head coach John Harbaugh. However, that is set to change in 2026. Baltimore parted ways with Harbaugh at the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, and the team recently announced the hiring of former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. With 2025 Ravens play-caller Todd Monken likely to follow Harbaugh to his new gig as the head coach of the New York Giants, Jackson appears likely to be working with his fourth different offensive coordinator since the start of his time with Baltimore. After back-to-back first-team All-Pro selections in 2023 and 2024, Jackson battled through injuries in a relative down year in 2025. Even still, the 29-year-old averaged over eight yards per pass attempt while rushing for 349 yards and two scores. Jackson may be rejuvenated by a change of leadership in Baltimore, and he remains a high-end quarterback option for fantasy managers heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 23, 2026
By his own lofty standards, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua was held in check by the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Round, hauling in just five catches for 56 yards on 10 targets. Things may not get any easier for Nacua in the NFC Championship Game, as he will face one of the best pass defenses in the NFL in the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0) and fifth in interceptions (18). Still, Nacua remains an elite wide receiver option for fantasy managers. Dating back to the regular season, the 24-year-old has earned double-digit targets in seven straight contests, recording seven touchdowns in that span. Nacua also had success in the regular season against Seattle, recording a combined 19 catches for 300 yards and two touchdowns on 24 targets across two matchups. Even against a tough opponent, Nacua carries high-end upside at the wide receiver position. heading into the NFC Championship Game.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 23, 2026
In snowy conditions in last week's Divisional Round win over the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Davante Adams was quiet, catching only two of his six targets for 24 yards. The week prior in the Wild-Card victory over the Carolina Panthers, the 33-year-old veteran caught five of a season-high 13 targets for 72 yards. Adams hasn't exactly been a beast for fantasy managers in two playoff games, but we must remember that he missed the final three regular-season games due to a balky hamstring. He was briefly examined in the medical tent against the Bears, but he returned to the game. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro wideout had a league-high 14 touchdown catches in 14 regular-season games, but he has only seen double-digit targets in three of 16 games this year. Adams will still be a top-five fantasy WR this weekend, but teammate
Puka Nacua definitely has more upside and a higher floor.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 23, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks activated rookie tight end
Elijah Arroyo (knee) from Injured Reserve ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship contest against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Arroyo missed the last five games due to a knee injury, but he now has a chance to return for this weekend's game against the Rams, where he'll most likely serve in a backup role to
AJ Barner. The 22-year-old second-rounder only caught 15 passes on 26 targets for 179 yards and one touchdown in his first 13 NFL games during the regular season, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting Arroyo to have a big role on Sunday if he suits up. Arroyo's lone touchdown of his rookie campaign came in the Nov. 2 win over the Washington Commanders, when he caught both of his targets for 29 yards. Arroyo's best game was a four-catch, 42-yard performance on Oct. 20 versus the Texans.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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