January 18, 2026
Chicago Bears tight end
Colston Loveland has been playing some of the best football of his young career lately, and he'll look to carry that momentum into Sunday's Divisional Round contest against the Los Angeles Rams. Loveland caught eight of his 15 targets for 137 yards in last Saturday's Wild Card win, and he now has 24 catches, 322 yards, and two touchdowns over his last three games combined. He has stepped up as
Caleb Williams' favorite target, establishing himself as the alpha receiver in this offense over
DJ Moore,
Luther Burden III, and
Rome Odunze (foot). With Odunze questionable and the other two receivers filling modest roles, Loveland is in line for another big game. The matchup should work in his favor, too, as the Rams rank near the middle of the league in terms of production against tight ends. During the regular season, Los Angeles allowed the 18th-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Loveland's upside is tremendous, and as a result, he ranks as the overall RB1 in RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings for the Divisional round.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 18, 2026
New England Patriots running back
TreVeyon Henderson is getting ready for one of the toughest matchups of his young career. The rookie will be tasked with finding gaps in one of the NFL's strongest run defenses, the Houston Texans, during the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Sunday afternoon. Henderson was impressive during the back half of the regular season, racking up key yardage, earning snaps over
Rhamondre Stevenson, and delivering four different multi-touchdown performances. However, he has started to lose snaps lately, while Stevenson has played incredibly well and is earning more snaps. During the Wild Card Round last week, Henderson had 10 touches for 36 yards on a 41% snap share. Meanwhile, Stevenson had 13 touches for 128 yards on a 63% snap share. Henderson offers a solid change of pace, but he's not a must-start running back this week, especially against a strong run defense. The Texans allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to running backs during the regular season, and they held
Jaylen Warren and
Kenneth Gainwell to a combined 63 rushing yards last Monday. As it stands, Henderson ranks as the overall RB9 in RotoBaller's rankings for the Divisional Round, putting him one spot behind Stevenson and one spot ahead of opponent
Woody Marks.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 18, 2026
Los Angeles Rams running back
Kyren Williams continues to be an appealing play heading into Sunday's Divisional Round contest against the Chicago Bears. Williams is coming off a solid showing in the opening round of the playoffs, during which he totaled 57 rushing yards, 18 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The 25-year-old has 14 touchdowns between the regular season and the playoffs, and he has also taken on an increased workload as a receiver this year. Even though he has lost some carries to
Blake Corum, Williams remains the lead back in Los Angeles and should continue to produce as a top-tier running back. It also works in his favor that the Rams are facing off against the Bears, who ranked near the middle of the league with the 16th-most fantasy points allowed to running backs during the regular season. As it stands, Williams ranks as RotoBaller's RB2 for the Divisional Round.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 17, 2026
Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross (foot) exited during the third quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He was taken to the locker room and is officially listed as questionable to return. Cross has been terrific when healthy, and he was rewarded with a four-year, $104.4 million extension earlier this month, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in Seahawks history. However, the former first-round pick has occasionally struggled to stay on the field. He missed the final three games of the regular season with a hamstring injury, and a knee injury limited him in practice this past Thursday. Amari Kight will likely take over as the Seahawks' primary left tackle until Cross returns to action.
--Andersen PickardSource: Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 17, 2026
San Francisco 49ers running back
Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) exited with a stinger during the third quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He was briefly listed as questionable to return, but he checked back into the game midway through the third quarter. The superstar running back took multiple hits throughout the first 30-plus minutes of game action, and he was seeing testing his injury on the sideline. At the time of his initial departure, McCaffrey had totaled nine carries, 29 rushing yards, five catches, and 39 receiving yards. Bad injury news has plagued the 49ers left and right. In addition to various defensive injuries throughout the regular season, San Francisco lost
George Kittle (Achilles) last week, and
Jake Tonges (foot) is currently listed as questionable to return against Seattle. For the time being, McCaffrey will try to play through his injury with the 49ers' season on the line. However, we wouldn't be surprised to see No. 2 running back
Brian Robinson Jr. earn more snaps while McCaffrey manages his injury.
--Andersen PickardSource: Lindsey Thiry
January 17, 2026
San Francisco 49ers tight end
Jake Tonges (foot) exited during the third quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He is officially listed as questionable to return. Tonges suffered the injury following an incomplete pass, and he was seen trying to test his foot on the sideline. At the time of his departure, he had caught five of six targets for 59 yards. The 26-year-old earned the start at tight end after
George Kittle (Achilles) was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. Throughout the seven games that Kittle has missed between the regular season and playoffs, Tonges has amassed 34 catches, 328 yards, and three touchdowns. It goes without saying that losing both Kittle and Tonges is terrible news for the Niners, who are trying to come back from a three-possession deficit in Seattle.
Luke Farrell should take over as San Francisco's primary tight end for the time being.
--Andersen PickardSource: Lindsay Thiry
January 17, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterback
Jarrett Stidham is expected to start next Sunday's AFC Championship game, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. He takes over for
Bo Nix (ankle), who is done for the playoffs after suffering a broken bone on the second-to-final play of Saturday's Divisional Round victory. Stidham hasn't attempted a regular-season pass since 2023, but now, he'll lead the Broncos as they attempt to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Denver's odds to win the Super Bowl have plummeted to +950 since head coach Sean Payton announced Nix was done for the playoffs. Stidham is a clear downgrade at quarterback, but the Broncos wouldn't have kept him around for three seasons if they didn't think he was a serviceable backup. He'll now be tasked with taking on either the Texans or Patriots on national television. The Texans have one of the league's best defenses, while the Patriots are the current favorite to win the AFC title. If there's any good news here, it's that Denver is the AFC's No. 1 seed and therefore will have home-field advantage next weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: Tom Pelissero
January 17, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet (knee) exited during the second quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He is officially listed as questionable to return. Charbonnet suffered the injury while being tackled by Dee Winters and Eric Kendricks. At the time of his departure, he had five carries for 20 rushing yards. The Seahawks backfield's one-two punch of
Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet is not only quite talented, but it also means that they should continue to run the ball effectively for the duration of Charbonnet's absence. Rather than turning to a depth running back with limited experience, Seattle will now just feed Walker with more opportunities. Walker had eight carries, two receptions, and a touchdown in the first half.
--Andersen PickardSource: Seattle Seahawks PR
January 17, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons are hiring Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Stefanski reportedly flew to Atlanta for his second interview on Saturday, and the team signed him to a contract before he could leave the city. The 43-year-old was recently fired by the Cleveland Browns after six years as their head coach. His tenure in Cleveland produced mixed results. The Browns had two 11-win seasons under his leadership and made the playoffs twice. Stefanski also won Coach of the Year on two different occasions. However, he went just 1-2 in the playoffs and finished with a 45-56 regular-season record. The Browns won only eight games during his final two seasons. Stefanski's hiring represents a fresh start for both himself and the Falcons. Atlanta went 8-9 in each of Raheem Morris' two seasons at the helm, failing to make the playoffs on either occasion. Stefanski, who is a bright offensive mind, will look to help Atlanta emerge as the top team in a wide-open NFC South. The offense has plenty of upside, especially if quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is able to return in time for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
--Andersen PickardSource: Adam Schefter
January 17, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle) suffered a broken bone in his ankle during Saturday's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, according to head coach Sean Payton. Nix has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. This is shocking news out of Denver, as Nix's injury wasn't immediately evident during the Broncos' overtime win. Payton said that the second-year quarterback suffered the injury on the second-to-last play of the game, finishing the contest with a 56.5% completion rate, 279 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. This is a crushing loss for the Broncos, who can credit Nix as one of the main reasons why they finished with the best record in the AFC and advanced to the conference title game. His absence will force the Broncos to start
Jarrett Stidham next Sunday against either the Patriots or Texans. Stidham's last NFL pass attempt came in 2023, when he threw for 272 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a loss to the Raiders. The short-term implications of Nix's broken bone are massive. From a long-term perspective, though, he should make a full recovery in time for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
--Andersen PickardSource: Nick Kosmider
January 17, 2026
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (knee) is questionable to return in Saturday's AFC Divisional Round game against the Denver Broncos. Oliver was activated from the Injured Reserve ahead of Saturday's game after being out since Week 8 with a torn bicep. The 28-year-old did not record a stat before exiting Saturday's game with a knee injury. The Bills' run defense takes a little bit of a hit with Oliver sidelined as they try hold a one-point lead against Denver in the fourth quarter.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Buffalo Bills
January 17, 2026
The Green Bay Packers have signed head coach Matt LaFleur to a multi-year contract extension, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. There had been plenty of speculation about LaFleur's future after Green Bay lost in the Wild Card Round, but this new contract ensures that he'll remain with the Packers for several years to come. Green Bay has been one of the better regular-season teams under LaFleur's leadership, making the playoffs in six of seven seasons during that span. He has at least eight wins every year, and he owns a career 76-40-1 record. However, the playoffs have been a different story. Green Bay hasn't made a Super Bowl in the LaFleur era, and they haven't played in an NFC Championship since 2020. He is 3-6 in the playoffs. Nevertheless, Green Bay has to be encouraged by the trajectory of its organization, even in a crowded NFC North. The Packers have found their franchise quarterback in
Jordan Love, and the defense is trending up after adding Micah Parsons. This LaFleur-led squad should be a playoff contender again in 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: Tom Pelissero
January 17, 2026
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee) is officially active for Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity. Pearsall returns to action following a two-game absence. Injuries bothered him throughout most of the regular season, limiting him to just 36 catches, 528 yards, and zero touchdowns through nine games. His return comes at a perfect time for the Niners, who were in need of pass-catching reinforcements after losing
George Kittle (Achilles) for the rest of the playoffs. Pearsall will step up as the No. 2 receiver alongside
Jauan Jennings against Seattle. The last time he faced the Seahawks, back in Week 1, Pearsall caught four passes for 108 yards.
--Andersen PickardSource: San Francisco 49ers
January 17, 2026
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Sam Darnold (oblique) is officially active for Saturday's NFC Divisional Round game versus the San Francisco 49ers. The 28-year-old injured his oblique during Thursday's practice and hasn't thrown since then. According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, Darnold did not come out for early warmups with the rest of the team. It's also worth noting that Darnold hasn't been seen on the field with about an hour left until kickoff. Darnold has struggled in both games against the 49ers this season, throwing for 348 yards while rushing for 25 yards on eight attempts with no touchdowns and interceptions in both games. With the oblique injury and lack of production versus San Francisco earlier in the year, Darnold is a risky start in playoff leagues and is mainly a GPP play in DFS.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Brady Henderson of ESPN
January 17, 2026
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver
Pat Bryant (concussion) won't return in Saturday's AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills after being diagnosed with a concussion. Bryant took a hit during the team's opening drive and was quickly diagnosed with a concussion by the team's medical staff. The 23-year-old finishes Saturday's playoff game with three catches for 32 yards before exiting.
Troy Franklin,
Marvin Mims Jr., and Lil' Jordan Humphrey should see an uptick in targets with Bryant sidelined. The Broncos' rookie wideout will likely enter the league's concussion protocol and will have to clear it next week in order to have a chance to suit up for the AFC Championship game if Denver advances.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network
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