January 12, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
Pat Freiermuth had very limited fantasy football upside in 2025 while sharing TE duties with both
Jonnu Smith and
Darnell Washington (forearm). He finished as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in 16 regular-season games, with 41 catches on 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns. Freiermuth and Smith should have slightly bigger roles going into the playoffs on Wild-Card weekend on Monday night against the Houston Texans with Washington out, but the 27-year-old still isn't an ideal option for fantasy managers in a bad matchup. Freiermuth did finish the regular season strong with six catches on 10 targets for 114 yards in the final two games, but he hasn't scored since Nov. 23. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the league, and they've allowed only 775 receiving yards (seventh-fewest) and eight TDs all year to the tight end position.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Calvin Austin III stepped up with
DK Metcalf on suspension in the team's Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, which helped them win the AFC North division. Austin caught three of his seven targets for 55 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the 26-year-old's third touchdown of the year and his first since back on Sept. 21 in the win over the New England Patriots. The week prior, with Metcalf out due to suspension, Austin caught his only target for an eight-yard gain. His touchdown catch in Week 18 against the Ravens came with help from cornerback Chidobe Awuzie slipping to leave him wide open. Austin had just 31 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season games, so he wasn't really on the radar in 12-team fantasy leagues. With Metcalf returning from his suspension in the Wild-Card game on Monday night against the Houston Texans, we aren't expecting much from Austin against the No. 1 defense in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins comes into Monday night's Wild-Card playoff matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a touchdown in each of his last two games. The matchup against Pittsburgh is a good one, as the Steelers' defense has allowed the eighth-most half-PPR fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts. The 23-year-old second-rounder from Iowa State only caught two passes for 23 yards in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts despite playing a season-high 81% of the offensive snaps with
Nico Collins resting, but the rookie still managed to find the end zone for the second straight week. It's worth noting that he had another long touchdown catch called back due to a penalty. Higgins figures to be the WR2 behind Collins on Monday, where he'll be a boom/bust WR2 for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that it was "precautionary" when asked why tight end
Dalton Kincaid (leg) was in a walking boot following Sunday's Wild-Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. McDermott also said that Kincaid "should be fine" to play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday versus the hosting Denver Broncos. The 26-year-old third-year tight end caught three of his five targets on Sunday for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win. However, he played only 28 offensive snaps after dealing with both knee and hamstring injuries late in the regular season. Fantasy managers would like to see Kincaid on the field more, but that might not happen if he's not 100% the rest of the postseason. Still, he'll be in play as a TE1 in fantasy football lineups if he's active against Denver. Kincaid has a team-high six receiving scores this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that wide receiver
Gabe Davis (knee) suffered a torn left ACL and will be out for the rest of the season, according to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. Before injuring his knee in Sunday's Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Davis caught two of his three targets for 14 yards. The 26-year-old rejoined the Bills this year, but he didn't make his season debut until Week 11, and he played in only six games as WR depth. Davis finished his sixth year in the NFL with a career-low 12 receptions on 18 targets for 129 yards and one touchdown in six regular-season games. It's incredibly bad timing, as he'll be an unrestricted free agent in March. Because Davis could miss at least half of the 2026 season, he probably won't have many suitors on the free-agent market this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
January 12, 2026
The Cleveland Browns requested an interview with Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski for their head-coaching job, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Udinski is only 30 years old but has been rapidly rising through the coaching ranks at the NFL level. He will get his first look for a head-coaching job with Cleveland, which is looking to replace Kevin Stefanski. Udinski just completed his first year as Jacksonville's OC after the team lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs on Sunday. The 30-year-old did not call plays for the Jaguars offense in 2025. Udinski began his NFL coaching career as an assistant with the Carolina Panthers from 2020-21 before joining the Minnesota Vikings' staff in 2022 under head coach Kevin O'Connell. With no play-calling experience yet, Udinski is probably a long shot to land the Browns' job.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 12, 2026
The Baltimore Ravens have requested an interview with Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz for their head-coaching job, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Schwartz has also interviewed for the Browns' head-coaching job, and Cleveland doesn't want to lose him after they fired former head coach Kevin Stefanski. Schwartz was hired by the Browns as their DC back in 2023, and he's been responsible for an elite defensive unit the last couple of years. In addition to being one of the brightest defensive minds in the game, the 59-year-old has previous head-coaching experience. Schwartz was the Detroit Lions' head coach from 2009-13, going 29-52 with one playoff appearance in 2011, three seasons after they were the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. His defense in Cleveland led the NFL in total defense in 2023 and was ranked fourth in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 12, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders are requesting to interview Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter for their head-coaching job, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans are other teams that have already requested to interview Minter for their vacant head-coaching positions. In addition to Minter, the Raiders have also requested interviews with Vance Joseph, Klint Kubiak,
Davis Webb, Matt Nagy, Kevin Stefanski, Jeff Hafley, Nate Scheelhaase, Mike LaFleur, Chris Shula, and Ejiro Evero. Minter has been the Chargers' DC for the last two years, and he has six seasons of NFL coaching experience. He could be a favorite to take over for John Harbaugh in Baltimore, where Minter was an assistant coach for four seasons. In Vegas, Minter would be taking over for Pete Carroll, who lasted just one season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 12, 2026
There is a belief among other coaching candidates that it will be either the New York Giants or Atlanta Falcons for former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, according to Connor Hughes of SNY. The loser of the Harbaugh sweepstakes is expected to land former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Giants are "all-in" on Harbaugh as the culture-first leader the team is seeking with a proven track record. Harbaugh reportedly values the Giants' opening because of the franchise's history and quarterback
Jaxson Dart, but New York has stiff competition around the league. The Falcons could offer Harbaugh influence over the choice of general manager, which is something the Giants are not currently willing to entertain. The Miami Dolphins are also a strong suitor for Harbaugh, but they have already hired a new GM with no real ties to the former Ravens coach.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
January 12, 2026
Green Bay Packers center Sean Rhyan (knee) said that he suffered a bone bruise after getting hit in the side of the knee this year, and tests showed no ligament damage, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Rhyan was consistently on the team's injury report late in the season, but the 25-year-old offensive lineman played the final eight regular-season games and Saturday night's Wild-Card loss to the division-rival Chicago Bears in the playoffs. Other than being scheduled for free agency when the new league year begins in March, Rhyan should have a normal offseason in terms of training. The former third-round pick out of UCLA in 2022 has spent the first four years of his career in Green Bay. Rhyan played in 13 games in his first two years but has started 28 of the 34 games that he's appeared in over the last two seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Tom Silverstein
January 12, 2026
Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (ankle, leg) said he broke his fibula and tore a ligament in his ankle this year, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The ligament injury in Wyatt's ankle is the worst of the two injuries, but he said that he would "definitely be ready for training camp." The 27-year-old defensive lineman was placed on Injured Reserve back on Dec. 5, and he wasn't available to the Packers the rest of the way. When healthy, Wyatt, a former 28th overall pick in 2022 out of Georgia, will be a key interior-line presence for the Packers' defense. He'll be playing on his fifth-year option in 2026. In 10 games before his injury in 2025, Wyatt had 27 tackles (15 solo), four sacks, six tackles for loss, seven QB hits, and two pass breakups. He's had at least four sacks in each of the last three seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Tom Silverstein
January 12, 2026
Green Bay Packers tight end
Tucker Kraft (knee) said on Monday that he's targeting a Week 1 return for the start of the 2026 season this fall, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "By the time Week 1 rolls around, I'll be 10 months post-surgery and hopefully bulletproofed by then. I already feel pretty good. My progress so far has been great. Some would say even ahead of schedule," Kraft said. The 25-year-old tore his ACL in the Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Before the season-ending injury, Kraft was well on his way to a breakout campaign in his third year in the league, as he caught 32 of his 44 targets for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight starts. In 2024, he had a 50-707-7 line in 17 regular-season games. Kraft's 2026 fantasy value will mainly be tied to whether he's ready for the season opener, and if he is, he should be considered a strong TE1 target.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
January 12, 2026
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Monday that he's optimistic that rookie tight end
Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) will play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, according to Gary Klein of The Los Angeles Times. Ferguson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 17 and has missed the last two games, including Saturday's Wild-Card victory over the Carolina Panthers on the road. The 22-year-old rookie tight end scored touchdowns in each of the last two games that he played in against the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks, but that was also when
Tyler Higbee was still on Injured Reserve. Higbee is now back in the fold, and the Rams also have
Colby Parkinson at the position, which will likely leave a very small role for Ferguson if he returns in the Divisional Round this Sunday in Chicago.
--Keith HernandezSource: Los Angeles Times - Gary Klein
January 12, 2026
Houston Texans quarterback
C.J. Stroud averaged 234 passing yards per game in his five full starts since returning from the mid-season concussion that cost him three games. In that time, he threw six touchdowns to two interceptions while adding 169 yards and a score in a Week 18 win over the Colts that saw most of the team's starters pulled early. On Monday night, the Texans travel to Pittsburgh to face a Steelers defense that ranked 30th out of 32 teams against fantasy quarterbacks in the regular season. While Stroud doesn't offer the ceiling of some of the other quarterbacks in the playoff field, he is a smart, reliable passer with an underrated stable of pass catchers. He is RotoBaller's QB10 for the weekend, but given the plus-matchup, he makes for a smart start in any fantasy playoff format that allows players to be used only once.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 12, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers returns to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season, and on Monday night, he faces a Texans defense that has given quarterbacks fits all year long. Houston has held opposing quarterbacks 4.1 fantasy points below their season-long average, topped only by the Minnesota Vikings. The 42-year-old Rodgers started the season strongly but has thrown multiple touchdowns in a game only once since Week 9. While it's unlikely he will see anything on Monday night that he isn't mentally prepared for, his physical shortcomings and lack of a supporting cast could leave the Steelers up against it early. In a Wild Card Weekend with 12 teams in action, Rodgers is RotoBaller's QB12 for fantasy playoff leagues.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
RADIO
