January 15, 2026
Buffalo Bills tight end
Dalton Kincaid (knee, calf) was limited in practice all week with knee and calf injuries, but he was cleared from the final injury report on Thursday and will be active on Saturday against the hosting Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round. Kincaid might not be 100% healthy this weekend, but he'll be available and should be one of quarterback
Josh Allen's top targets, especially with receivers
Gabe Davis (knee) and
Tyrell Shavers (knee) out. The Broncos' defense was pretty stingy all year against opposing offenses, but they were around the middle of the pack in terms of half-PPR points allowed per game to the TE position. Given the lack of aerial weapons for Allen, he'll be forced to use both Kincaid and TE
Dawson Knox. Kincaid is coming off a touchdown in the Wild-Card win over the Jaguars and should be considered a top-three TE in fantasy lineups this weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: Buffalo Bills PR
January 15, 2026
Buffalo Bills quarterback
Josh Allen (foot, knee, finger) was listed with foot, knee, and finger injuries this week, but he practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday and has been cleared to play in the Divisional Round of the playoffs this Saturday against the Denver Broncos. Allen is heading into a less-than-ideal matchup on the road with two of his receivers (
Gabe Davis and
Tyrell Shavers) out for the rest of the year with torn ACLs. However, he should still be considered one of the top-two QB plays in fantasy football playoff leagues because of his dual-threat abilities. Denver's strong defense allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs during the regular season, but Allen is a different breed. He was the top fantasy QB in 2025 and led the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns -- the next closest was
Trevor Lawrence with nine.
--Keith HernandezSource: Buffalo Bills PR
January 15, 2026
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (concussion) shed his non-contact jersey in practice on Thursday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. It suggests that Gonzalez is trending in the right direction to clear the league's concussion protocol to play on Sunday in the Divisional Round versus the visiting Houston Texans. Gonzalez could be a full participant in practice after being limited on Wednesday, but even if he is, he'd still need clearance from an independent neurologist to play on Sunday. The 23-year-old former first-rounder is one of the top cornerbacks in the league, so not having him this weekend would be a big blow to the Patriots' defense. The good news for New England is that it's looking like Houston will be without top receiver
Nico Collins (concussion). If Gonzalez plays, he could be locked up against rookie wideout
Jayden Higgins for most of the day.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
January 15, 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers have requested to interview Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for their vacant head-coaching position, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Hafley has now been contacted by six teams about their head-coaching job, and he's considered one of the favorites to land the gig with the Miami Dolphins. So far, the Steelers are focusing their attention on defensive-minded head-coaching candidates as they look to replace Mike Tomlin, who resigned on Tuesday. Hafley has run the Packers' defense the last two seasons under head coach Matt LaFleur. In addition to searching for a new head coach, Pittsburgh will most likely be trying to figure out what to do at quarterback, with veteran
Aaron Rodgers unlikely to re-sign as a free agent now that Tomlin is gone.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 15, 2026
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins (concussion) is not at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday as he remains in the league's concussion protocol, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Collins is a "long shot" to play on Sunday against the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round, considering the steps he must still clear to be allowed to play this weekend. The 26-year-old suffered a concussion on Monday night in the Wild-Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and never returned. He was seen being carted off the field with a towel over his head. He has one more day to return to practice, but this late in the week, Collins' chances aren't great. It's looking like the Texans will ask rookie receivers
Jayden Higgins and
Jaylin Noel,
Christian Kirk, and
Xavier Hutchinson to step up on Sunday, with Collins likely unavailable.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
January 15, 2026
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (biceps, knee) was limited in practice all week and will be listed as questionable for Saturday's Divisional Round game versus the hosting Denver Broncos, according to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. The Bills will be without two starters on defense in cornerback Maxwell Hairston (ankle) and safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring), so the Bills would certainly welcome Oliver back if he is ready. The 28-year-old interior defensive lineman has been on Injured Reserve for most of the year due to biceps and knee injuries. In just three games before being shut down, Oliver was very effective, recording 12 total tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble for the Bills. If the Bills officially activate Oliver off IR on Friday, he'll almost certainly be active on Saturday.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
January 15, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that running back
Ty Johnson (ankle) will be limited in practice on Thursday and will be listed as questionable on the final injury report for the Divisional Round on Saturday in Denver against the Broncos, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Johnson injured his ankle in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets and was inactive last Sunday for the Wild-Card victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 28-year-old could be a game-time decision in Denver on Saturday, but even if he suits up, he won't be recommended for fantasy playoff lineups against a stout Broncos defense. Johnson has mostly operated as the RB3 this year behind starter
James Cook and
Ray Davis, carrying the ball 50 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson added two receiving TDs in 17 regular-season games.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
January 15, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver
Curtis Samuel (elbow) will practice in full again on Thursday and will be listed as questionable for the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday against the Denver Broncos, according to Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. Samuel is still on Injured Reserve and missed the last eight games with an elbow injury, but he's been practicing in full this week and looks ready to return. Although the 29-year-old probably won't have a big role on offense if he's active in Denver, the Bills will welcome Samuel's return after losing both
Gabe Davis (knee) and
Tyrell Shavers (knee) to torn ACLs in the Wild-Card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Samuel has appeared in only six games for the Bills this year, catching seven of his nine targets for 81 yards and a touchdown.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Buffalo News - Katherine Fitzgerald
January 15, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet enters the playoffs as one of the hottest RBs in the league, having scored four rushing touchdowns in his last three games combined. In the Week 18 regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, who the Seahawks will play for a third time this Saturday night, Charbonnet had 17 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. He added three catches for 23 yards. The 25-year-old's touchdown was a 27-yard scamper, which ended up being the only TD of the game on either side. The previous week, he saw a season-high 18 rushing attempts for a season-high 110 yards and two rushing scores in a win over the Carolina Panthers. In Week 1 against San Fran, Charb had 12 carries for 47 yards and a TD. He will continue to split touches with
Kenneth Walker III, but Charbonnet isn't a bad RB option in fantasy leagues this week against a banged-up 49ers defense that has allowed the sixth-most half-PPR points per game to RBs in the last five weeks.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 15, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has been requested by the Detroit Lions to interview for their offensive-coordinator position, a source told the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith is also still in the mix for multiple head-coaching jobs and has significant interest around the league as an OC. Even though the Lions offense was still pretty formidable in 2025, the team chose to part ways with OC Johnny Morton after just one year. Head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties late in the year, but it wasn't enough to help the Lions get back to the playoffs. Depending on who the team hires as the next OC, Campbell is expected to give up play-calling duties. Smith has developed a reputation as an OC who prefers to run the ball and who uses a lot of two-tight-end sets. It would be a stark change for the Lions' offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 15, 2026
Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who was the OC for Baltimore the last three years under former head coach John Harbaugh, is among the leading candidates to follow Harbaugh to New York to become the Giants' OC, sources told Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The Giants will still go through a formal search, but Monken is the early leader. Harbaugh is expected to officially become New York's new head coach on Thursday after meeting with the team on Wednesday. If Monken follows Harbaugh to the Big Apple, he'll be tasked with helping first-round quarterback
Jaxson Dart develop as he heads into his sophomore season. Dart showed impressive dual-threat abilities in his first year in the NFL, but durability will continue to be an issue if he doesn't get better at protecting himself as a runner. In addition to Dart, the Giants have strong building blocks around him on offense in wide receiver
Malik Nabers (knee) and running back
Cam Skattebo.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
January 15, 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers have requested to interview Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for their open head coaching job, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The Steelers are beginning to create a list of head-coaching candidates after long-time head coach Mike Tomlin announced his resignation on Tuesday. Evero has been running the Panthers' defense for the last three seasons. Before that, he was the DC for the Denver Broncos in 2022. In addition to the Steelers, Evero is in the running for the head-coaching jobs this cycle for the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders. Steelers owner Art Rooney II said the organization isn't putting a timeframe on when it expects to have a new head coach, and he shot down suggestions that the Steelers would be in a "rebuild" phase after the departure of Tomlin, who has been with the team for 19 years.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 15, 2026
Denver Broncos running back
R.J. Harvey finished his rookie season with 896 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns, helping the Broncos win their first division title since 2015. Harvey began the season as a backup to starter
J.K. Dobbins, but after Dobbins went down with a foot injury in Week 10, Harvey took over. Since the injury, Harvey has ranked as the RB13, averaging 15.2 PPR points per game. He faces a Buffalo Bills run defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points this season. The Jaguars were productive on the ground against the Bills in the Wild Card Round, with
Travis Etienne and
Bhayshul Tuten totaling 118 rushing yards on just 14 carries. With the Bills boasting one of the NFL's strongest pass defenses, the Broncos will need to rely on Harvey and the run game to advance to the AFC Championship.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 15, 2026
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III hauled in three of seven targets for 42 yards in the 31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers. Despite the wild victory over the division-rival Packers, Burden struggled, posting his worst statistical game since Week 13 and stopping on a route that led to an interception. The second-round pick has become a key part of the Bears' passing game, and he has an opportunity to explode in the Divisional Round. He faces a Los Angeles Rams defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season and has struggled as of late, allowing big games to
Amon-Ra St. Brown,
Michael Wilson, and
Jalen Coker in the last six weeks. Burden is a high-ceiling option at the wide receiver position who could be a game-changer in what should be a high-scoring affair.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 15, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III finished his fourth NFL season with 221 carries for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, adding 31 receptions for 282 yards as a pass-catcher. Walker posted a career-high in scrimmage yards (1309) but scored only five touchdowns, while backup
Zach Charbonnet scored 12 rushing touchdowns this season. Since Week 4, Walker has scored two touchdowns, which ranks 48th in the NFL during that span. He faces a San Francisco 49ers defense that has given up the tenth-most fantasy points to running backs and the second-most receptions to the position this season. While Walker was productive in the Week 18 contest against the 49ers, totaling 133 scrimmage yards on 20 touches, if he can't find the end zone, his ceiling will be limited.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
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