January 28, 2026
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Sam Darnold (oblique) was listed as a limited participant on the team's Wednesday practice estimation, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Darnold suffered a left-oblique injury in practice leading up to the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, but he ended up playing. The 28-year-old wasn't really needed in the 41-6 blowout win, but he bounced back for fantasy managers in the NFC Championship victory over the Los Angeles Rams to throw for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns on 25-for-36 passing. Darnold has plenty of time to rest his oblique before the Super Bowl showdown against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 8. Seattle is the favorite over New England, and Darnold's oblique injury shouldn't be an issue at all as he looks for his first Super Bowl ring.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
January 28, 2026
New England Patriots wide receiver
Mack Hollins (abdomen), who was activated from Injured Reserve last week, was listed as limited on Wednesday's estimated injury report, according to Patriots.com. The Patriots are bringing Hollins along slowly following his IR stint, but he should have no problem suiting up for the Super Bowl versus the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Feb. 8. The 32-year-old wideout returned in the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos on Sunday for the first time since getting injured in Week 16, and he caught both of his targets for a team-leading 51 yards. Offense was hard to come by on a snowy afternoon in the elevation in Denver, as quarterback
Drake Maye threw for under 100 yards. Hollins had 550 receiving yards and only two touchdowns on 46 receptions during the regular season. He'll be a boom/bust deep threat for Maye in the Super Bowl against a very good Seattle secondary.
--Keith HernandezSource: Patriots.com
January 28, 2026
New England Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant on the team's estimated injury report on Wednesday, according to the team's official website. Maye appeared to injure his right (throwing) shoulder in the AFC Championship game win over the Denver Broncos, but all signs point to him being fine to play in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Feb. 8. Head coach Mike Vrabel downplayed the injury, and the 23-year-old second-year signal-caller will have an extra week to heal up. Maye, who is in the MVP conversation in just his second year in the NFL, has not been as good in his first three playoff games as he was during the regular season, when he threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight picks in 17 games. His completion percentage is down from a league-best 72% to 55.8% in the playoffs, and he's also fumbled six times (three lost) and taken a league-high 15 sacks. Maye should be healthy enough to play on Super Sunday, but he'll be facing another difficult test against a strong Seahawks defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: Patriots.com
January 28, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle) said he will be back to training in four to six weeks after a quick surgery on a simple bone break in his right ankle that he suffered in the Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. The Broncos really missed Nix in their 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. Nix won't end up missing any time in the offseason, though, so he should be fully healed in time for organized team activities this spring. In his second full season in the NFL, the 25-year-old Oregon product completed 63.4% of his pass attempts for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 starts. Nix led the league with 612 pass attempts and also seven game-winning drives. He added 356 rushing yards and five scores on 83 rushing attempts. Nix was the overall QB7 for fantasy managers and will be in play as a midrange QB1 target in 2026 as he heads into his third NFL season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Post - Parker Gabriel
January 28, 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Baker Mayfield will have a third different offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson in 2026 in his third year with the organization. Mayfield had his least productive year in Tampa in 2025, although a midseason left-shoulder injury may have been to blame. The 30-year-old veteran had 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions, and a 63.2 completion percentage in 17 starts. He added 55 carries for 382 yards and a touchdown on the ground to finish as the QB12 in fantasy scoring. Mayfield's passing yards, completion percentage, and touchdowns were his fewest in his three years in Tampa. The two-time Pro Bowler plays with as much passion at the QB position as anyone else in the league, but his reckless playing style leaves him open to injury. Mayfield will have plenty of weapons again in 2026 to make him worth consideration as a low-end QB1/high-end QB2 in fantasy football.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Many fantasy managers were worried about Detroit Lions quarterback
Jared Goff going into the 2025 season since he'd be without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions took a slight step back offensively with Johnson gone and failed to make the playoffs, but it was still a successful fantasy campaign for Goff, who completed 68% of his passes for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions in 17 starts. It was Goff's fourth straight season playing in all 17 games and his fourth straight year with over 4,000 passing yards. The 31-year-old veteran signal-caller has had at least 30 touchdown passes in each of the last three years and in four of his 10 NFL seasons. Goff was the QB6 in fantasy scoring, and should have QB1 upside again in 2026 with Drew Petzing as the new OC. Petzing had a pass-happy approach in Arizona and could be a great fit for Goff.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers talked with former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott to check about joining head coach Todd Bowles' staff, but he's expected to take this year off and reassess his options in 2027, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. McDermott overlapped with Bucs general manager Jason Licht during their time from 2003 to 2007 with the Philadelphia Eagles, and McDermott interviewed for Tampa's head-coaching job back in 2016. Buffalo surprisingly fired McDermott after nine years with the organization. He led the franchise to eight playoff wins during that time, but he was never able to get over the hump in the postseason and lead them to a Super Bowl appearance. Given his success with the Bills, McDermott should be one of the best head-coaching candidates in 2027 for the next coaching carousel.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Greg Auman
January 28, 2026
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson was in the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points in 2025 despite missing the first seven games of the season while recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered late in the 2024 campaign. In 10 regular-season games played, Watson caught 35 of his 55 targets for 611 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The 26-year-old also scored a touchdown in the Wild-Card loss to the Chicago Bears. He finished second on the team behind
Romeo Doubs in catches, targets, and yards. Watson was one of quarterback
Jordan Love's go-to targets down the stretch. Green Bay has a crowded group of wideouts, and tight end
Tucker Kraft (knee) will be back at some point next year, but when healthy, Watson, a former second-rounder, still has plenty of fantasy upside. Watson has 2,264 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in his four NFL seasons, but he's yet to play a full season due to injuries.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a statement when they traded running back
Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles early in the 2025 season, which moved rookie fourth-rounder
Bhayshul Tuten to the RB2 role behind
Travis Etienne Jr. Fantasy managers with stock in Tuten were probably hoping he'd have a bigger role than he did in his first year in the NFL, but the good news is that Etienne is headed for free agency and could be gone in 2026. The 22-year-old Tuten handled 83 carries for 307 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in his first 15 NFL games and added 10 catches for 79 yards and two more TDs. Tuten should have an expanded role, regardless of whether Etienne re-signs, but if Etienne leaves, Tuten will see a huge boost in his fantasy value for a rising Jags team that will return their entire coaching staff. With more volume, Tuten has the potential to be dangerous given his high-end speed and big-play abilities out of the backfield.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Ja'Marr Chase wasn't as dominant in 2025 as he was in 2024, when he led the NFL in catches (127), targets (175), receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17), and yards per game (100.5). Chase had a league-high 185 targets, 125 catches, 1,412 yards, and eight touchdowns in his 16 games played in his fifth year in the league in 2025. Despite the step back, the 25-year-old wideout remains one of the best all-around receivers in the game. Chase was the WR4 in half-PPR scoring, behind only
Puka Nacua,
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and
Amon-Ra St. Brown. He has been a Pro Bowler in all five of his NFL seasons, as well as being named a first-team All-Pro in the last two years. The former fifth overall pick out of LSU is showing no signs of slowing down and has excellent chemistry with quarterback
Joe Burrow. Chase already has a staggering 6,837 receiving yards and 54 touchdowns in his 78 games played for the Bengals.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston took his fantasy managers on a rollercoaster ride in his third year in the league in 2025. The former first-rounder had five touchdown catches in the first four weeks of the season before cooling off and being extremely boom or bust the rest of the way. The 24-year-old was third on the team with 735 receiving yards, which was a new career high for Johnston. He had 51 catches on 84 targets and also scored eight total touchdowns for the second straight season in 14 regular-season contests. Even if it wasn't much of a step forward for Johnston in Year 3, it was encouraging that he showed more chemistry with quarterback
Justin Herbert. The Chargers' entire offense could look much different under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel in 2026, but it could help Johnston be more consistent as a downfield threat.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
In his third season in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Parker Washington had a career year, setting new highs across the board in catches (58), targets (95), receiving yards (847), and touchdowns (five) in 16 regular-season games. All of those marks also led the team in 2025. Washington finished strong as well, hauling in seven of his 12 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 23-year-old pass-catcher developed a strong relationship with quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, who had his best season as a pro under first-year head coach Liam Coen.
Jakobi Meyers and
Brian Thomas Jr. will eat into Washington's targets, but he arguably made a case to open the 2026 campaign as the team's WR1. The former sixth-rounder was the WR31 in half-PPR scoring and had 100 receiving yards in three of the final four games. Washington is on the rise.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
New York Jets running back
Breece Hall quietly recorded his first 1,000-yard season in another forgettable year for the Jets in 2025. Hall had a career-high 243 rushing attempts for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns in 16 starts, adding 36 receptions for 350 yards and another score on 48 targets in the passing game. He finished as the RB19 in half-PPR scoring, averaging 11.8 points per game for fantasy managers. The Jets' offense was miserable in head coach Aaron Glenn's first season at the helm, so it was pretty impressive that Hall reached the 1,000-yard mark. Hall has 3,398 rushing yards in his four NFL seasons, but he has yet to surpass five touchdowns in a single season. New York is believed to be open to re-signing Hall in free agency this offseason, but Hall could have other ideas, and he should have a robust market. Hall's 2026 fantasy value could improve, depending on where he lands.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Romeo Doubs surprisingly led the team in receptions (55), targets (85), and receiving yards (724) in 2025 while tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (six). Doubs' 724 receiving yards were a new season high in his fourth year in the league. The 25-year-old also finished strong, catching eight of his 11 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. Doubs had a career high of 12 catches that went 20-plus yards in 2025. It helped that both
Christian Watson and
Jayden Reed missed substantial time with injuries, which allowed Doubs to maintain a steady target share throughout the season. Tight end
Tucker Kraft (knee) also suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Doubs' numbers probably wouldn't have looked as great if everyone were healthy. Still, he's proven to be a reliable receiver with 2,424 yards and 21 TDs in his four seasons. The best bet for his 2026 fantasy value is for him to sign with another team and get away from Green Bay's crowded WR picture.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Gardner Minshew (knee) didn't tear his ACL as initially feared, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Minshew suffered only a bone bruise and did not require surgery. The veteran signal-caller avoided any long-term damage to his knee and is already back to full strength as he heads into free agency in 2026. Minshew was forced into action late in the season after
Patrick Mahomes (knee) tore his ACL in Week 15. In his first start of the season in Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans, Minshew injured his left knee and missed the final few games of the year. The 29-year-old was initially believed to have a torn ACL before the Chiefs said he had a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture. This news might make it more likely that Minshew returns to KC as QB insurance for Mahomes again. In four appearances in 2025, Minshew went 6-for-13 for 37 yards with one interception.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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