Fantasy Football News

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown got off to a slow start to the 2025 season, recording just one game with double-digit PPR fantasy points through Week 5. However, the 28-year-old closed the season looking like his old self. From Week 12 onwards, Brown hauled in 40 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns on 56 targets across six games played. In the Wild Card round, Philadelphia is set to host the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers' defense struggled to defend the pass for much of the regular season, finishing the year ranked 23rd among NFL defenses in total passing yards allowed (4,110) and tied for 21st in passing touchdowns allowed (29). San Francisco also recorded the fewest sacks (20) of any team in the NFL, so Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts should have time to target Brown down the field. Between the matchup and his strong finish to the regular season, Brown profiles as a high-end wide receiver option for fantasy managers in the Wild Card round.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) has been ruled out for the remainder of his team's Wild Card round matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 26-year-old was carted off after taking a big hit going over the middle of the field. Before getting injured, Davis recorded two receptions for 14 yards on three targets. His absence further depletes a Bills wide receiver corps that was already quite thin. Without Davis, Buffalo will likely rely on wideouts Khalil Shakir, Tyrell Shavers, and Brandin Cooks for the remainder of Wild Card Weekend. Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid could see an uptick in targets as well.

Carolina Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (knee) was forced to exit early from his team's Wild Card Weekend loss to the Los Angeles Rams after suffering a knee injury. According to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said on Sunday that Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee and will require surgery. While Ekwonu's return timeline is not yet clear, he could be at risk of missing training camp and possibly even the start of the 2026 regular season. Pro Football Focus graded Ekwonu as the 37th-best tackle in the NFL out of 89 qualified players at the position for his work in 2025. With Ekwonu's health in question, the Panthers may need to prioritize acquiring depth at the tackle position over the offseason.

San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) is officially active for his team's Wild Card round matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Williams missed his team's regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks due to a hamstring injury and entered the weekend listed as questionable to play against Philadelphia. Pro Football Focus graded Williams as the third-best tackle in the NFL out of 89 qualified players at the position for his work in the regular season. His absence against Seattle was a big part of the reason why San Francisco scored just three points in Week 18 after averaging over 40 points per game from Weeks 15 through 17. With Williams back in the lineup, fantasy managers should feel comfortable upgrading the outlooks for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, and tight end George Kittle.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) will remain sidelined for his team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pearsall re-aggravated an existing PCL injury in his knee in Week 17 and has not played since. The 25-year-old battled injuries throughout the regular season, recording 36 receptions for 528 yards on 53 targets across nine games played. Without him, San Francisco will likely turn to veteran wide receivers Demarcus Robinson and Kendrick Bourne for pass-catching snaps alongside WR1 Jauan Jennings. Robinson was the more heavily utilized wideout of the two in Week 18, playing 88% of the 49ers' offensive snaps and hauling in three receptions for 24 yards on four targets.

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) is inactive for his team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Johnson has not played since suffering a Lisfranc injury in his foot in Week 11. The 35-year-old was able to return to practice in a limited capacity this week, but it appears Philadelphia will need to advance to the Divisional round at least before it gets Johnson back in the lineup. Johnson is a six-time Pro-Bowler and five-time All-Pro who is widely considered one of the best right tackles in football. Without him, Philadelphia will likely turn to reserve tackle Fred Johnson for the eighth straight game. Pro Football Focus graded Fred Johnson as the 69th-best tackle out of 89 qualified players at the position in 2025.

Across 11 games played during the 2025 regular season, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle recorded 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 69 targets. After an injury-marred start to the year, Kittle closed the season strong. Across seven games from Week 10 onwards, Kittle recorded at least 13.8 PPR fantasy points five times. In the Wild Card round, Kittle and the 49ers will face a tough test against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles' defense finished the regular season ranked fifth in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.4) and allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (14) of any team in the NFL. However, Kittle has proven throughout his nine-year NFL career that he's capable of producing against any opponent. He profiles as the number one tight end option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues in the Wild Card round.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a performance to forget in his team's regular-season finale, throwing for 127 yards and an interception in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. However, the 26-year-old was playing excellent football before running into Seattle, throwing for 893 yards and 11 touchdowns across a three-game stretch between Week 15 and Week 17. In the Wild Card Round, San Francisco will take on a tough matchup in the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles' defense finished the regular season ranked fifth in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.4) and allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (14) of any team in the NFL. On the plus side for Purdy, 49ers superstar left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) is expected to play against the Eagles after missing Week 18 with a hamstring injury. All in all, RotoBaller ranks Purdy as the QB7 for fantasy managers in playoff leagues heading into Wild Card Weekend.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) is officially questionable for his team's Wild Card round matchup against the New England Patriots on Sunday night due to an ankle injury. However, the rookie back has said he expects to play. Hampton missed a significant chunk of the regular season with a fractured ankle, so he's been battling ankle ailments since early October. When on the field, the 22-year-old has been productive. Across nine games played in the regular season, Hampton racked up 545 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 124 carries. However, he faces a tough matchup against New England. The Patriots finished the regular season ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (1,729) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed (11). Between the injury question marks and the tough matchup, Hampton profiles as a tough running back to trust for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson ended the regular season with a bang, recording 153 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on nine touches in Week 18. Although Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson surpassed Stevenson as the lead back in New England over the course of the season, Stevenson proved he could still be productive in a secondary role. Over his final five games of 2025, the 27-year-old racked up 490 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns on 56 touches. Stevenson may have trouble being quite as efficient in New England's Wild Card round matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. In the regular season, Los Angeles ranked eighth in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,791) and tied for 16th in rushing touchdowns allowed (16). Stevenson profiles as a touchdown-dependent RB2 option for fantasy managers against the Chargers.

Across 17 games as a rookie, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson recorded 1,132 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns on 215 touches. The 23-year-old recorded four games with multiple touchdowns from Week 10 onwards, establishing himself as the highest-upside back in the New England backfield. The Patriots are now set to host the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the AFC on Sunday night. Los Angeles fielded a solid run defense in the regular season, ranking eighth in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed (1,791) and tied for 16th in rushing touchdowns allowed (16). The Chargers also allowed just seven rushes of 20-plus yards, which was tied for the sixth-fewest among all NFL defenses. Still, Henderson has proven the ability to be efficient throughout the year, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. RotoBaller ranks Henderson as the RB9 in full PPR fantasy leagues for his Wild Card round matchup against Los Angeles.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and kick returner Parker Washington (head) was cleared to return after being evaluated for a concussion during Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. The third-year receiver took a hit on a play in the first half and was walked back to the Jacksonville locker room, but passed the evaluation and earned the all-clear to return to action. Washington had a breakout finish to the regular season in which he averaged more than 100 yards and finished as a top-10 PPR receiver in each of the final three weeks. He should continue to be a pass-catching option while working alongside Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr.

The Jacksonville Jaguars said wide receiver Parker Washington (head) is being evaluated for a possible concussion during Sunday's AFC Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. The 23-year-old did not catch either of his two targets and carried the ball once for a loss of three in the opening quarter, but headed back to the locker room after a collision. Washington had a superb finish to the regular season with 19 catches for 347 yards and a pair of touchdowns during the final three weeks, during which the Jags secured the AFC South and a home playoff game. If Washington is unable to return, Tim Patrick and Tim Jones likely will get chances as Jacksonville's third receiver behind Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who will be a free agent in March, said his decreased number of carries at the end of the season will impact his thinking in free agency, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Dowdle said he wants to go somewhere "where he can get the bulk of the carries." The 27-year-old was an unquestioned RB1 during the 2025 season when Chuba Hubbard missed time with an injury. However, Dowdle was involved in more of a timeshare late in the year following Hubbard's return, and he watched Hubbard score twice in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. He had only five rushing attempts for nine yards while adding one catch on two targets for six yards. In the final four regular-season games, Dowdle averaged only 3.3 yards per carry as his role shrank. It sounds as though Dowdle doesn't plan on signing in Carolina, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to land a lead-back role elsewhere in free agency.

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (glute) was a full participant in practice on Saturday and was cleared from the final injury report, according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio. Smith will be active for the Wild-Card matchup against the visiting Houston Texans on Monday night. Even though Darnell Washington (forearm) is done for the year due to injury, Smith is a hard sell for starting fantasy football lineups in playoff formats, especially with receiver DK Metcalf returning from a two-game suspension. The 30-year-old Smith had only one catch on two targets for two yards in the team's Week 18 regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, and he caught only 38 passes during the regular season for 222 yards and two touchdowns. If you are going to use a TE from Pittsburgh this weekend, it should be Pat Freiermuth.

Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday night's Wild-Card contest against the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio. Jordan suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday and was unable to practice all week. If the Texans advance past the Steelers and to the Divisional Round next weekend, the 26-year-old Jordan still might not be ready to go. With Jordan sidelined against the Steelers, veteran Nick Chubb should be active to help give the Texans some backfield depth behind rookie Woody Marks. Before Jordan's injury in the season finale, he had taken over RB2 duties from Chubb, with Chubb being a healthy scratch last Sunday. Chubb shouldn't be in any starting fantasy lineups on Wild-Card weekend.

The Buffalo Bills announced on Saturday that they placed wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) on Injured Reserve. Palmer will not play in Sunday's Wild-Card playoff tilt against the Jacksonville Jaguars and will not be available for the rest of the postseason if the Bills advance. The 26-year-old did not practice at all this week and will end what has been a disappointing first season in Buffalo in 2025. In 12 games, Palmer caught only 22 of 37 targets for 303 yards and no touchdowns. His absence on Sunday might mean more involvement from the likes of Brandin Cooks, Gabe Davis, and Tyrell Shavers, although all three of the receivers should still be considered deep sleepers in fantasy football playoff formats.

As expected, Buffalo Bills kicker Matt Prater (quadriceps) is officially active on Sunday to take on the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars on Wild-Card weekend, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. Prater aggravated a right-quad injury last weekend that had sidelined him for a few games late in the season, but he will give it a go in the first round of the playoffs. The 41-year-old veteran won't be a great kicking option in fantasy playoff formats while likely operating at less than 100 percent. During 15 games in the regular season for the Bills while filling in for the injured Tyler Bass (hip, groin), Prater made 18 of his 20 field-goal attempts and 46 of his 49 extra-point opportunities. The Jaguars' defense allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing kickers during the 2025 regular season.

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (ankle) is officially inactive for Sunday's Wild-Card matchup against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Johnson injured his ankle in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets last Sunday and will not be available for the first round of the postseason. The 28-year-old wouldn't have been on the fantasy football radar as the RB3 if he was active, but his absence means that Ray Davis should see a bigger complementary role behind starter James Cook in a tough matchup against the Jaguars, a team that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game in 2025. The 28-year-old Johnson had 50 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns while adding 24 catches for 263 yards and two more scores as a pass-catcher in 17 regular-season games for the Bills.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington emerged as one of the top fantasy threats over the final three weeks of the regular season, and he'll look to carry that momentum into the opening round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Even though Washington is listed as the Jaguars' No. 3 receiver behind Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers, he was their most productive pass-catcher from Week 16 through Week 18. During that span, he ranked as the overall WR3 in full-PPR leagues, trailing only Puka Nacua and Ja'Marr Chase. That three-week window saw him catch 19 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Still, Washington's path to success on Sunday won't come without some difficulty. The Bills have allowed the third-fewest receiving yards and seventh-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. Fortunately, the threat of Thomas and Meyers gives the Jaguars three impressive receiving threats, allowing them to create mismatches against Buffalo's secondary. As it stands, Washington remains capable of handling double-digit targets while pushing for close to 100 yards. Plus, he's as much of a touchdown threat as any other pass-catcher on this team. Bettors and DFS players should remain excited about his upside in a potential pass-heavy game against Buffalo.