After recently missing time with a hamstring injury, the NFL’s
leader in touchdown receptions, Davante Adams, appears poised
to return to the Rams lineup just in time for a Wild Card matchup
with the 8-win Panthers.
While Carolina has been fairly tough against opposing wide receivers
— surrendering just 11 touchdowns to the position —
that did not stop Adams from reaching the end zone twice against
them earlier this season. With four multi-touchdown games in 2025
and three more in 11 career postseason contests, Adams carries
clear WR1 upside this weekend.
Despite some summer speculation surrounding Kyren Williams, the
Rams once again leaned on him as their decisive lead back. Even
with pressure from an emerging Blake Corum, Williams produced
at RB1 levels, finishing the regular season with 1,252 rushing
yards, 36 receptions, and 13 total touchdowns.
Williams failed to find the end zone during the season’s
final three games, but that drought appears fluky. He still averaged
19 touches per game during that stretch and maintained a snap
rate consistent with his season-long average (68%).
There’s little reason to question Williams’ usage
as the postseason begins, and he draws a favorable matchup against
a Panthers defense that has shown vulnerability against the run.
Williams rushed for 72 yards and a score on 13 carries the last
time these teams met, and unlike that earlier contest, this game
could tilt heavily in the Rams’ favor — an ideal script
for Williams to approach his ceiling.
The Panthers have allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to
opposing quarterbacks, and much of that damage has not come through
the air. Carolina has limited opposing passers to a 20–15
TD/INT ratio on the season.
Stafford himself had one of his worst outings of the year when
he faced the Panthers in late November, throwing two interceptions
and losing a fumble in a 31–28 defeat. While he’s likely to play
cleaner this time around, Carolina being at home and having not
allowed a quarterback to reach 20 FPts since Week 8 (Josh Allen)
makes Stafford far from a lock — despite his remarkable 46-touchdown
season. He’s best viewed as a back-end QB1 this weekend.
Veteran safety valve Tyler Higbee returned from injury last week
and made an immediate impact, hauling in five catches for 91 yards
and a score. His teammate Colby Parkinson also found the end zone
twice, even with Higbee back in the lineup.
However, with Davante Adams expected to return and facing a Panthers
defense that has allowed just seven touchdowns to opposing tight
ends, there may simply be too many mouths to feed. Betting on
either Higbee or Parkinson as a TE1 this weekend is risky.
LAR FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.20
LAR FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.23
LAR FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.10
LAR FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.19
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards
in his rookie season, and Carolina’s 6'4", 219-pound
alpha already looks the part. McMillan has thrived both downfield
and in the red zone, averaging 14.5 yards per reception while
leading the team with seven touchdown catches.
While he was largely held in check by the Rams in November, McMillan
did burn them for a 43-yard touchdown. With five scores in his
last seven games and a pair of 100-yard performances on the season,
his upside is evident. Quarterback limitations have created some
volatility — including a pair of one-catch outings —
but the Rams have surrendered the 11th-most fantasy points to
the position, and anticipated negative game script works in McMillan’s
favor. He profiles as a WR2 with upside on Wild Card Weekend.
After a breakout 200-yard performance and a stretch where he
averaged 18 FPts/G, Rico Dowdle faded badly down the stretch.
Over the final five weeks, he averaged just 7.5 FPts/G while managing
only 3.5 yards per touch, delivering RB4-level production.
Now only marginally holding onto the lead role in a committee
with Chuba Hubbard — playing 53% of the snaps in Week 18 — Dowdle
draws a difficult matchup against a Rams defense that allowed
the 10th-fewest fantasy points to running backs, including just
six rushing touchdowns. He’s a fringe RB3 in this spot.
Winning a division title — albeit with a significant asterisk
as an 8–9 team — may have earned Bryce Young another
season as Carolina’s starter, but he has yet to establish
himself as a reliable fantasy option through three pro seasons.
Young barely cleared 3,000 passing yards for the first time while
averaging just 15.4 FPts/G, nearly identical to last season’s
output, despite the addition of McMillan. He did throw three touchdowns
against the Rams earlier this year and flashes occasionally, but
the floor remains dangerously low. Performances like his 54-yard
outing against Seattle in Week 17 highlight the risk. With fewer
than 10 FPts in 12 of his 46 career starts, Young should remain
out of fantasy lineups this weekend.
While Green Bay’s Week 16 collapse in Chicago was a team
effort, the two players that wore it more than anyone were Keisean
Nixon and Doubs. Both have their shot at some redemption this
Saturday night. While Doubs’ muffed onside kick opened the
door, he had played well to that point, leading the team with
a 5-84-1 line that featured Green Bay’s only touchdown.
It’s debatable whether he’ll lead the way again this
week -- keep in mind that Watson, who has emerged as the team’s
WR1, had been hospitalized six days before the Chicago game and
was not at full health -- but expect him to get some chances to
make plays, and for him to take advantage. No other playoff team
gave up more passing TDs than the Bears (32), and they’re
third-worst among yards allowed (227.2 per game). There’s
decent upside for Doubs as a possible WR3/flex.
Love could also be on the redemption train this week after being
knocked from the previous game with a concussion suffered on a
helmet-to-helmet hit. He hasn’t played since. A year ago,
Love played a half in a meaningless finale and ended up suffering
an elbow injury that affected him in a Wild Card round loss to
the Eagles. There could be some modest concerns about rust after
missing the last two games, but the team clearly felt the opportunity
to get healthy far outweighed taking any snaps in Week 18. In
his first meeting with the Bears, Love threw for 234 yards, 3
TDs, and 1 INT. He should have plenty of motivation for the third
meeting. Love was exceptional two years ago in the playoffs. If
he can avoid turnovers, his ceiling is high.
Injuries limited Reed to just seven games in 2025, and that includes
a game where he was injured early on as well as Week 18 in Minnesota
where he played a few snaps. Despite playing in five full games,
he appeared in both Chicago matchups, averaging 47 total yards
per game without a touchdown. Reed is as talented as anyone the
Packers have at the position, but his numbers have been modest,
and he feels like the third-best option this Saturday. Consider
Reed useable as no more than a flex.
GB FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.23
GB FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.20
GB FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.14
GB FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.23
With both Rome Odunze (foot) and DJ Moore (knee) battling injuries,
Burden could be the go-to guy on the outside this Saturday. The
rookie had 70 yards in Green Bay before missing the rematch with
an injury of his own. He had his best game of the season upon
returning in Week 17 (8-138-1 against the 49ers), and he has the
skill set to be effective with both quick hitters and deep shots.
Granted, playoff football can be a different beast, and the Bears
are light on experience in that department, but Burden looks like
a player on the rise. Against a middling Packers secondary there’s
WR3 value with the upside to deliver as a WR2.
In two games against the Packers this year, Williams was decent,
averaging 218 yards, 2 TDs, and 0.5 INTs per game (he added 45
total yards as a runner). It was about on par for what the USC
product did over the course of the 2025 campaign: 232 yards passing,
23 yards rushing, and 1.8 total TDs across 17 starts. There’s
a bit of an asterisk with his Week 16 outing, though. Prior to
the fumbled onside kick, the Bears had scored nine points, and
Williams had fewer than 200 yards and no TDs. All credit to him
for stepping through when the Packers opened the door, but Chicago
totaled three points combined in the first halves of their games
with Green Bay, so it has not been smooth sailing. The Bears have
made a living with comebacks, but they fell short versus San Francisco
and Detroit to close the season, and you wonder if that will have
any effect. Add it all up, and Williams is an iffy choice here.
It remains unclear if Odunze will return this Saturday, but that
certainly appears to be the plan. While it should be a boost to
that offense, let’s remember a couple of key points: 1)
Odunze hasn’t played since Black Friday, and in that time,
Burden has grown into his role, and 2) over his last eight games
before the injury, Odunze averaged just 46 yards per outing with
one total touchdown -- that after scoring five times in the season’s
first month. A player of Odunze’s talent always has upside,
but you’re talking about overcoming a lot of question marks
to deliver. Proceed at your own risk.
Cook is typically in the No-Brainer category but the Jaguars
have been stingy against the position (3rd fewest fantasy points
allowed) and haven’t allowed a 100-yard rushing performance this
season, so we’ll bump him down a notch to a Favorite this week.
Cook topped 100 rushing yards in nine games on his way to finishing
as the RB6 in fantasy points per game (half-PPR), but Jacksonville
allowed the fewest rushing yards to RBs, so there is some cause
for concern. Cook has averaged 20.6 touches in five playoff games
over the last two seasons so workload shouldn’t be an issue. In
Cook’s favor is the game total (51.5), and the fact that he’s
is the best offensive weapon on the team outside of Josh Allen.
Also, Ty Johnson (ankle) has missed practice this week and could
be limited which might help Cook in the receiving game. I wouldn’t
shy away from the Bills starting RB in playoff leagues and contests
this week, but just know the matchup is not in his favor.
Kincaid (knee) was back in action Week 18 but played sparingly
(10 snaps) like most Bills starters. He did get the 3 catches
in his short time on the field and should be a full-go for Wildcard
Weekend despite being limited in practice on Wednesday. Kincaid’s
high-water mark for targets is just 6 this season, so he’ll
need efficiency in order to post a difference making fantasy score.
That could be in the cards as the Jaguars are more vulnerable
against the pass than the run, giving up the 10th most fantasy
points to the position.
With just one 100-yard game and 4 TDs on the season, it’s
difficult to get excited about Shakir’s fantasy prospects.
He was the WR46 in fantasy points per game (half-ppr) in a run-first
offense that spreads the ball around when they do decide to throw.
However, the reduced player pool, a middling matchup and a potential
negative game script this week do make him viable as a WR2. Brandin
Cooks appears to have worked himself into the team’s No.2
wideout role with a 4-101-0 line in Week 17. He also sat last
week… a sign he’ll be out there with Shakir and the
starters this weekend.
Fade: N/A
BUF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.28
BUF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.6
BUF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.25
BUF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.31
Trevor Lawrence has been on a serious heater, especially the
last four weeks where he’s finished no worse than the QB5. A lot
of the damage Lawrence has done has been on the ground, which
has impacted Etienne’s production. He has zero rushing TDs during
that span, but does have four receiving scores included a 3-73-3
receiving line in Week 15. While Etienne has just two 100-yard
rushing days this season, he gets a great matchup against a Bills
defense that’s given up 18 rushing TDs to the position… the most
in the league, tied with the Cardinals. Bhayshul Tuten is back
in the mix after missing time with a finger injury but Etienne’s
role is well defined and he should push for 18-20 touches on Sunday.
Paker Washington has been the most reliable Jacksonville receiver
over the last three weeks with 29 targets, 2 TDs and two 100-yard
performances in that span. He, along with Jakobi Meyers have demoted
Brian Thomas Jr. to third in the pecking order among wideouts
and perhaps the 4th in the offense if you include tight end Brenton
Strange. The Bills are one of five teams that have given up less
than 2000 receiving yards to wideouts, partly because they invite
teams to drive the field by running the ball and hope you make
a mistake along the way. Meyers and Washington are the preferred
options here as Buffalo is best in the league against fantasy
tight ends.
QB Brock Purdy’s recent surge was halted by the Seahawks
last week, as he was held to just 127 passing yards with no touchdowns
and one interception — a result that helped Seattle secure
the NFC’s top seed. Despite that stumble, Purdy still finished
the year behind only Josh Allen in FPts/G (22.2) among quarterbacks
with at least nine starts.
Rebounding won’t be easy. Purdy could again be without Ricky
Pearsall (knee), while George Kittle appears both limited and
likely to be closely defended (see below). Philadelphia has been
elite against the pass, allowing just 14 touchdown throws all
season — fewest in the league.
If there’s an opening in the matchup, it’s on the
ground. The Eagles have been vulnerable to mobile quarterbacks,
surrendering 400 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. While
Purdy isn’t a dynamic runner, he’s averaged roughly
20 rushing yards per game and a rushing touchdown every three
games over the past two seasons. With limited weapons, he may
need to lean on that aspect of his game, and rushing production
remains the clearest path to QB1 fantasy output.
Purdy is truly on the fence this week, but his rushing floor
gives him a plausible — if far from guaranteed — route
to low-end QB1 production.
There are few situations where George Kittle isn’t a no-brainer,
and when he isn’t, injury is almost always a major factor.
That’s again the case this weekend. Kittle is coming off
a modest 5-29-0 performance against Seattle while dealing with
an ankle injury, and he remains limited in practice.
Playing at less than full strength is particularly concerning
against an Eagles defense that has suffocated tight ends all season.
Brock Bowers’ 6-target, 28-yard outing in Week 15 was one of the
more notable examples. No tight end has topped 61 yards against
Philadelphia, and just four have scored all year.
Likely to be limited and facing a defense allowing just 4.8 yards
per target to tight ends, Kittle is a surprisingly risky TE1 play
on Wild Card Weekend.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings also saw his five-game touchdown
streak snapped by Seattle, managing just a 4-35-0 line on six
targets. Jennings has topped 60 receiving yards only three times
this season and has largely relied on touchdowns for fantasy relevance.
That reliance is problematic against an Eagles defense that has
allowed just six wide receiver touchdowns all season and has limited
all but three wideouts to single-digit fantasy performances over
the last 10 games. The one appeal for Jennings is potential volume
if the 49ers fall behind and Purdy is forced to throw. That keeps
him in the flex conversation, but his ceiling is fairly limited.
Fade: N/A
SF FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.14
SF FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.14
SF FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.13
SF FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.7
After finishing QB7 in FPts/G (19.9), Jalen Hurts begins Philadelphia’s
title defense at home against the 49ers. San Francisco has been
middling against opposing quarterbacks overall, but has done a
strong job limiting mobility, allowing just 224 rushing yards
and one rushing touchdown.
Hurts, however, enjoyed the most prolific passing season of his
career, throwing a career-high 25 touchdowns and posting eight
multi-touchdown games. The 49ers have allowed multiple passing
touchdowns in 10 games this year — including nine of their
last 13 — and with San Francisco’s defense dealing
with injuries, Hurts profiles as a solid QB1 this weekend.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown narrowly cleared 1,000 yards after a
slow start, finishing with his sixth career 1,000-yard season.
He averaged 81 yards per game over the final nine contests, including
four 100-yard performances, following very public frustration
earlier in the year.
Brown was also quiet at times during Philadelphia’s Super
Bowl run, so some volatility remains — especially considering
the Eagles went just 1-3 this season when Brown topped 100 yards.
Still, few receivers can match his ceiling, and against a banged-up
49ers secondary, Brown carries clear WR1 upside.
While Saquon Barkley’s 2025 season fell short of expectations
overall, he began to resemble his old self down the stretch, producing
two 100-yard games and three touchdowns over his final four outings.
The extra rest in Week 18 should benefit Barkley as well, particularly
after the wear and tear of nearly 500 touches in 2024. San Francisco’s
run defense has collapsed late in the year, culminating in strong
performances from Zach Charbonnet (17.2 FPts) and Kenneth Walker
(15.3 FPts) in Week 18. Five different running backs topped 15
FPts against the 49ers over their final four games, with no obvious
fix in sight.
In a favorable home matchup and coming off what amounted to a
bye week, Barkley is a viable RB1 this weekend.
Tight end Dallas Goedert nearly matched his previous four-season
touchdown total with 11 scores in 2025, as Jalen Hurts and offensive
coordinator Kevin Patullo repeatedly exploited defenses expecting
targets elsewhere near the goal line. Outside of touchdowns, Goedert’s
production was consistent with past seasons (60 catches for 592
yards in 15 games), providing a stable floor.
Against a 49ers defense that allowed 10 tight end touchdowns,
Goedert profiles as a mid-tier TE1. Given the lack of reliable
tight end options this postseason, he may be one of the safest
plays at the position.
Devonta Smith recorded his third career 1,000-yard season and
actually finished with five more receiving yards than A.J. Brown,
though it came in two additional games. His season trended downward,
however, as Smith topped 52 receiving yards just once over the
final eight games and finished with a career-low four touchdowns
— largely a byproduct of Goedert’s red zone emergence.
Smith’s talent remains undeniable — as evidenced
by his 183-yard performance against Minnesota in October —
but Philadelphia’s efforts to force-feed Brown have introduced
week-to-week volatility. At this point, Smith is a risky flex
option, even against the 49ers.
The Chargers’ passing game struggled down the stretch, but if
there’s any hope for them to walk away with a win in the Wild
Card round, then they’ll need their pass-catchers to step up.
A case could be made that Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and
Keenan Allen could all be considered the top receiver on the Chargers’
roster for the 2025 season—all three of them finished with over
700 yards but under 800 yards on the season—however, the one who
seemingly has the highest ceiling right now is Johnston.
Allen surpassed McConkey and Johnston in receptions for the season
due to him actually being active in Week 18. Allen would catch
seven passes for 36 yards, albeit without Justin Herbert throwing
him the ball, so his stats might feel the “freshest” in the eyes
of fantasy managers. However, a closer look at the Chargers’ post-Week-10-bye
numbers gives a better picture as to what has been happening in
Los Angeles—and it’s been the Quentin Johnston show. Johnston
may have been banged up in the Chargers’ Week 14 game against
the Eagles and he would go on to miss Week 15 entirely, but otherwise
he’s been the Chargers’ most productive pass-catcher down the
stretch. Despite seeing just 19 total targets over his past four
starts since the bye, Johnston out-produced both Allen (six games)
and McConkey (five games).
This is probably the most equally split WR group in the league,
but Johnston might be flying under the radar despite being the
one who provides the greatest upside. Keep in mind, that Patriots’
standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez is likely to be matched
up with McConkey, so there’s a good chance that Johnston
will be left in more favorable matchups. Take a chance on him
if you’re looking to differentiate from the pack and shoot
for upside.
Hampton’s rookie season was cut down by numerous injuries,
so it should come as no surprise that he’s now listed as
questionable heading into the playoffs. Hampton, who injured his
ankle back in Week 17, was one of many starters who sat out for
the Chargers in Week 18 and he’s been nursing this ankle
injury for nearly two weeks. He missed practice on Thursday and
fantasy managers will need to keep an eye on his practice status
for Friday as well as the news coming out of Chargers’ camp
heading into the game.
If he’s even active, Hampton will likely be physically
limited. That could mean fewer total opportunities than usual
and it could also mean that he’s simply less effective with
whatever touches he does get. Add in a tough matchup against a
good New England run defense and this doesn’t seem like
a great situation on paper.
However, if Hampton has simply been resting and ends up being
fully ready to go, then he is one of the few running backs playing
on Wild Card weekend who has legitimate 20-touch upside. We saw
it in Week 17 when he touched the ball 22 times against the Texans,
including a career-high eight receptions. Hampton has quietly
caught the ball at least five times in four of the nine games
he’s played in as a rookie, so he’s got some serious
PPR upside, particularly against a Patriots defense that gave
up 84 receptions to opposing running backs during the regular
season—fifth-most in the league.
Managers will need to be cautious with this one, but Hampton
could play a big role this week, assuming he’s active and ready
to go. If he’s out, then managers should look to pivot to Kimani
Vidal as a cheap, sneaky option.
There are a number of reasons why Justin Herbert has been “good,
not great” this season, but unfortunately none of them are
likely to change heading into this difficult road playoff game
in New England. The Patriots finished in the bottom-10 in the
league in sacks this season, but that hasn’t stopped them
from being a top-10 unit in preventing opposing quarterbacks from
scoring fantasy points. No QB has reached the 300-yard mark against
them since Week 2, and they conceded the second-fewest fantasy
points to opposing QBs over the final five weeks of the regular
season.
With Herbert still nursing a hand injury and this being a road
game in a cold environment, this is probably a good time to look
elsewhere for fantasy QB production. We may have better opportunities
for Herbert later in the playoffs if the Chargers pull off the
upset, but this is about as bad as it gets.
LAC FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.29
LAC FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.29
LAC FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.24
LAC FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.28
What more is there to say than, “Wow!,” regarding Rhamondre Stevenson’s
end to the 2025 regular season. Only Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson,
Chase Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs scored more fantasy points than
Stevenson did over the final five weeks -- and Stevenson only
carried the ball 41 times over that stretch. Sure, he contributed
in the passing game as well, but he didn’t have any crazy outlier
PPR performances that would seem to be unrepeatable going forward.
What we’re seeing from him is tremendous efficiency in a high-octane
offense led by a quarterback who just might win MVP. This would
be an absolute smash play if Stevenson had a better matchup, but
unfortunately, he’s facing a Chargers defense that was quietly
elite against opposing running backs, having conceded the league’s
second-fewest fantasy points to the position during the regular
season. Still, this is a “ride the hot hand” type of situation
and there’s no reason to believe that Stevenson won’t get more
opportunities to get into the end zone in this matchup.
Tight end Hunter Henry was a quiet producer this season, but
his performances down the stretch should not go overlooked. Henry
caught 26 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns over the final
six weeks of the regular season, resulting in five double-digit
PPR fantasy performances. With players like Trey McBride, Kyle
Pitts, Travis Kelce and Brock Bowers now out of the picture, Henry
is an under-the-radar elite fantasy tight end for the playoffs.
Sure, he’s got a tough matchup against a good Chargers defense,
but there’s a good chance for him to see some volume in this one,
especially if Los Angeles sells out to stop the run.
While it’s been Rhamondre Stevenson who’s been stealing
the headlines, rookie TreVeyon Henderson is actually probably
the safer option—he just hasn’t been quite as explosive
as Stevenson.
Henderson has significantly out-touched Stevenson despite being
utilized much less often in the passing game and while he’s
struggled a bit with inconsistency, he also delivered two multi-touchdown
performances over the final four games of the regular season.
He also carried the ball at least 10 times in all but one of the
Patriots’ final 10 games.
The matchup here is tough with the Chargers having a very stout
run defense, but both Henderson and Stevenson are in play at the
moment.
While he rarely seemed to register as more than a blip on fantasy
radars, Schultz quietly put together his best season since his
breakout year of 2021, leading the Texans in receptions (82),
and finishing second in yards (777). His three touchdowns were
less than ideal from a big target, but with Christian Kirk disappointing
in his first year with the club and Jayden Higgins and Jaylin
Noel both rookies getting their first taste of playoff football,
Schultz could be relied on heavily in Pittsburgh. The Steelers
finished 29th in pass defense, and that included all kinds of
trouble giving up big plays to the Ravens this past Sunday night.
By fantasy scoring, Schultz finished 10th among tight ends during
the regular season, but he’s third among ones that are playing
this weekend, so he’s worth a spot in your lineup.
After an excellent rookie season, Stroud has trended in the wrong
direction, and even though the Texans have won six straight games
since he returned from injury, it often feels like he’s
along for the ride. Take the Chargers game in Week 17 for example.
He started red hot, connecting on a pair of long TD passes, but
he struggled after that, tossing two interceptions and basically
being shelved -- after racking up 156 yards on their first two
drives, the Texans managed 206 over their remaining 11, managing
just a pair of field goals. Pittsburgh’s 29th-ranked pass
defense certainly provides Stroud with a chance to deliver, but
unless the Steelers jump out to a lead, it feels like a conservative
approach from Houston’s offense is more likely.
Higgins has been the best of Houston’s other receivers,
finishing ahead of both Noel and Kirk with a 41-525-6 line. Those
six touchdowns tied him with Collins for team-high honors, and
he enters the postseason on a modest two-game scoring streak.
While there is some big-play capability, something the Ravens
exploited in Week 18, Higgins would be a risky option. He hasn’t
had more than two receptions in a game since Dec. 7, and he only
topped 50 yards in a game three times as a rookie. That makes
him no more than a high-risk lottery ticket.
HOU FPts Allowed vs. QBs: No.30
HOU FPts Allowed vs. RBs: No.25
HOU FPts Allowed vs. WRs: No.32
HOU FPts Allowed vs. TEs: No.20
The return of Metcalf severely undercuts the appeal of the trio
of Calvin Austin III, Adam Theilen, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling,
who were counted on to varying degrees during Metcalf’s two-game
suspension. Houston will doubtless focus their efforts on slowing
down Pittsburgh’s star wideout, though, and the Steelers will
need someone else to step up to move the offense. While Gainwell
is the most likely choice, Freiermuth seems like the next in line.
The tight end matched Gainwell for second on the club with 486
yards, and his role should continue to be magnified following
the loss of Darnell Washington (forearm), who posted a 31-364-1
line before breaking his forearm in Week 17. Even among the limited
options at tight end, Freiermuth feels like a gamble on Wild Card
weekend relative to someone like Schultz, Colston Loveland, or
Dalton Kincaid, but he should cost a fraction of the amount in
DFS formats. So, if you’re investing heavily in other areas, Freiermuth
offers decent potential.
Give Rodgers some credit. The veteran delivered with the season
on the line this past Sunday night, throwing for a season-high
294 yards with a 26-yard touchdown to Austin going down as his
final pass attempt of the regular season. To put it mildly, the
Texans are not the Ravens. Baltimore struggled to generate a pass
rush, and their defense suffered a devastating in-game blow when
Kyle Hamilton (concussion) was ruled out. Houston can get after
the quarterback. They ranked sixth in pass defense, and only the
Chargers posted a better opponent’s TD:INT ratio. Rodgers
is going to protect the ball, but it’s hard to envision
him putting up big-time numbers against this defense.
