January 25, 2026
The Tennessee Titans have requested to interview Atlanta Falcons defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Rutenberg for their defensive-coordinator position, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Rutenberg has a long history working with new Titans head coach Robert Saleh, most recently coaching the linebackers with the New York Jets when Saleh was the head coach there. Rutenberg also worked with Saleh in San Francisco with the Niners before he brought him along with him to New York. He should be considered a favorite for the job in Tennessee because of his history with Saleh. Additionally, the Falcons' defense ranked 13th in EPA per drop back allowed and 12th in passing yards allowed per game during the 2025 season under Rutenberg.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
January 25, 2026
The Tennessee Titans are interviewing Houston Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso for their vacant defensive-coordinator job, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Vasso's mentors, Texans DC Matt Burke and Cleveland Browns DC Jim Schwart, have been pushing hard for Vasso behind the scenes. Vasso has held various coaching roles around the NFL, but he's never called plays or been a defensive coordinator. He began his coaching career in the NFL in 2013 under head coach Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs. If Vasso were to be hired by Tennessee, he might not be calling plays with defensive-minded coach Robert Saleh getting the job as the team's new head coach. The 38-year-old began coaching with the Texans in 2021 and has built up their secondary as one of the best units in the league.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 25, 2026
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Seattle Seahawks running backs
George Holani and
Cam Akers are expected to be used in backup roles in Sunday's NFC Championship game against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, with some work expected for each player.
Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, so
Kenneth Walker III will become Seattle's workhorse RB. Holani was just activated from Injured Reserve this week and last played in Week 12, so he most likely won't have a big change-of-pace role this weekend behind Walker. In 11 games during the regular season, Holani had only 22 rushing attempts for 73 yards and one touchdown. Akers didn't join the Seahawks until midseason, and he's still looking for his first carry with the team. Neither Holani nor Akers should be in fantasy playoff lineups.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 25, 2026
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Las Vegas Raiders' head-coaching search should come into focus after Sunday. Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is a prime candidate to become the Raiders' next head coach after a strong first interview, according to multiple league sources. Denver Broncos pass-game coordinator
Davis Webb is also mentioned in league circles as a viable option. Los Angeles Rams assistant coaches Mike LaFleur, Chris Shula, and Nate Scheelhaase have also interviewed virtually for the job. The Seahawks had the No. 3 scoring offense this year under Kubiak, and he's an attractive offensive mind with ties to San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. After firing Pete Carroll following his lone season with the team, the Raiders are reportedly looking to hire a young offensive-minded coach who will be able to develop quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be selected by Vegas with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
January 25, 2026
Washington Commanders run-game coordinator Anthony Lynn interviewed on Saturday night in Florida for the Cleveland Browns' head-coaching job, league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Lynn met earlier in the day with the Buffalo Bills for their head-coaching job as well. Former Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is working for the Browns as a consultant during their coaching search, and Telesco and Lynn worked together in Los Angeles when Lynn was the head coach. Lynn was also the Browns' running backs coach from 2007 to 2008. In his four years as the head coach for the Chargers, Lynn went 33-31 and won one playoff game. He also worked as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions the year after he was fired as the Bolts' head coach. Although Lynn is a respected offensive mind in the NFL, he'd be an underwhelming hire as head coach for Cleveland.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 25, 2026
The Green Bay Packers are hiring former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon as their next defensive coordinator on Sunday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Cardinals fired Gannon following the 2025 season after three years at the helm. He will take a step back as defensive coordinator and will have big shoes to fill, replacing Jeff Hafley, who has taken the head-coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. In his three years in Arizona, the Cardinals' defense ranked 31st, 15th, and 29th in points allowed under Gannon. The good news for Gannon is that he'll have better talent on the defensive side of the ball in his new home in Green Bay, starting with All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee). Gannon will be head coach Matt LaFleur's fourth defensive coordinator in his eight seasons with the Packers.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos tight end
Evan Engram has continued to occupy a smaller role throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. As a result, he's difficult to trust ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship game. Engram finished the regular season with a modest 50 catches, 461 yards, and one touchdown, ranking as the TE29 in full-PPR leagues despite playing 16 games. He added just one reception for seven yards in the Broncos' playoff win last weekend. Moving forward, we expect Engram to remain in a similarly small and discouraging role against the New England Patriots, who allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to tight ends during the regular season. Denver prefers targeting its very talented receiver room, and we could also see the Broncos run the ball more with
Bo Nix (ankle) out. The quarterback change is perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding Engram's outlook. Although he underperformed while catching passes from Nix, we can't exactly project how he'll play with
Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass all year. As a result, we're continuing to temper our expectations. Engram is the overall TE6 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
Seattle Seahawks tight end
Elijah Arroyo (knee) has been activated from injured reserve, but it's unlikely that he'll have a major role in his return to action against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. In his last five regular-season games before getting hurt, the rookie had caught just two passes for 10 yards, and he played fewer than half of the offensive snaps on all five occasions. Seattle remains encouraged about his long-term value, especially after spending a second-round pick on him, but we don't expect him to be a major threat in the NFC Championship game. Instead, we expect to see a consistently heavier dose of
AJ Barner. Barner had 12 targets and two touchdowns over his final three regular-season games, and in his last outing against the Rams, he exploded for 10 catches and 70 yards. DFS players can avoid Arroyo this week, and bettors can expect him to remain in a minimal role.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams has been playing phenomenally, but the unit will get a tough matchup in the form of the Los Angeles Rams during Sunday's NFC Championship game. It should be an exciting divisional battle between arguably the best offense and the best defense in the NFL. Seattle's defense ranked first in fantasy points during the regular season, allowing the 12th-fewest yards and the fewest points. The Seahawks also intercepted 18 passes, good for the fifth-most. On the other side, the Rams had the most total offense, as well as the most touchdowns and the most total points. This offense has given the Seahawks some trouble in the past, dropping 21 points on them in Week 11 and 37 points in Week 6. Seattle's defense will impose its will, but its trend of allowing 10 or fewer points in each of its last three games may come to an end on Sunday. As it stands, the Seahawks D/ST ranks second among four teams in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
The New England Patriots defense/special teams will be tasked with slowing down a Denver Broncos offense led by backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham during Sunday's AFC Championship game. After
Bo Nix (ankle) was ruled out for the playoffs, Denver named Stidham its starter, even though he didn't attempt a pass during the regular season. By all accounts, Stidham is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL. However, there's no denying that this quarterback change should offer a major boost to the Patriots D/ST in DFS and betting formats. Not only could Stidham be more turnover-prone than Nix, but his lack of NFL game experience this year could weaken his ability to dissect defenses and make adjustments mid-play. We could see a slight uptick in turnovers and, even though
J.K. Dobbins (foot) was ruled out, the Broncos will likely run the ball more. New England's defense is certainly no joke, either. The unit ranked 10th in fantasy points among D/ST units during the regular season, and it picked off
C.J. Stroud four times last weekend. The Patriots D/ST ranks first among four teams in the latest RotoBaller fantasy football rankings for this weekend.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
January 25, 2026
Denver Broncos quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks as he recovers from surgery on his broken ankle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Nix suffered the injury during last week's Divisional Round win overthe Buffalo Bills and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. The second-year signal-caller finished the regular season with a 63.4% completion rate, 3,931 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 356 yards and an additional five scores. Nix didn't take a very big leap during his second season in the league, but that was partly because he already had such an impressive rookie year. While he won't be available for the AFC Championship against the Patriots or the Super Bowl, should Denver qualify, Nix will be healthy and ready for training camp. In the meantime, Jarett Stidham will step up as the Broncos' starter.
--Andersen PickardSource: Adam Schefter
January 24, 2026
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Rashid Shaheed was largely responsible for putting last week's Divisional Round rubber match with the 49ers out of hand from the jump, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a game that was never close. The play marked Shaheed's third special teams score since being acquired from the New Orleans Saints via a mid-season trade, but his impact has been felt less on offense. After playing his first half of the season in New Orleans on a 17-game pace of 83 receptions for 943 yards and four touchdowns, that pace has fallen drastically to 26 catches for 320 yards and zero receiving touchdowns since his trade to Seattle. Over the past four games, he's caught two passes for ten yards. Even against a Los Angeles defense that has been beatable through the air, Shaheed carries very little value outside of fantasy playoff leagues that reward return yards and touchdowns.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Denver Broncos running back
Jaleel McLaughlin should continue to be the primary change-of-pace back behind rookie
RJ Harvey, with
J.K. Dobbins remaining on Injured Reserve after a week of limited practices. In Denver's Divisional Round win over a Bills team that came into the playoffs with one of the worst run defenses in the league, McLaughlin was able to turn four carries into 21 yards. In the Conference Championship, he'll face a Patriots defense that has been dominant against the run since Milton Williams' return from an ankle injury that cost him five games. Through two playoff games, New England has allowed a total of 74 yards on designed runs, so if McLaughlin is to find any success on Sunday, it may need to come through screens and checkdowns, though that is a role that's been owned by Harvey for most of the year. McLaughlin is RotoBaller's RB7 for the week, but there is a world where he is entirely phased out of the game script.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off his best performance of the season after leading the team with eight receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's overtime win over the Bills. If the Broncos and backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham are to have any success moving the ball against an attacking Patriots defense, Mims may once again be tasked with carrying a heavy workload. Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III match up well on paper against the bigger bodies of
Courtland Sutton and
Pat Bryant, so it could fall on the smaller, quicker Mims to provide an intermediate outlet for Stidham if New England continues to send extra bodies in the pass rush. Mims is RotoBaller's WR8 for the Conference Championship Round of playoff fantasy leagues, but he could be more valuable in Full-PPR formats.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
January 24, 2026
Los Angeles Rams veteran tight end
Tyler Higbee has seen his usage and productivity decline in each of his three games since returning from an ankle injury in Week 18. In his first game back after missing nearly two months of action, he led the team in receiving yards and scored his third touchdown of the season, but in the team's two playoff games since, he's seen a total of four targets, and he was on the field for only eight offensive snaps in the Rams' Divisional Round win over Chicago. With rookie
Terrance Ferguson returning for that game after missing two weeks of his own with a hamstring injury, Higbee was relegated to the third tight end in passing sets, behind Ferguson and
Colby Parkinson, and was taken off the field for
Davis Allen in more obvious running situations. Higbee is RotoBaller's TE3 for the week, but it should come as no surprise if he continues to run behind Parkinson and Ferguson on Sunday.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
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