Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III finished his rookie season with 47 catches (60 targets) for 652 yards and two touchdowns while adding six carries for 37 yards in 15 games. Burden posted an elite 2.71 yards per route run, which only trails Odell Beckham Jr. among rookie wideouts since 2013. The rookie second-rounder caught at least three balls in his final eight games and had his best game of the season in Week 17 at San Francisco with 138 yards and a touchdown. The Missouri product has seen his opportunities increase with Rome Odunze (foot) sidelined for the past five games with a stress fracture in his foot, and Odunze's potential return in the Wild-Card round could limit Burden's fantasy appeal. However, Burden looks like a future star and should be viewed as a high-upside WR2 on Saturday against the division-rival Green Bay Packers.

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Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland is fresh off his best game of the season in Week 18 against the Lions, catching 10 of his 13 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. The 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft ends his rookie campaign as the Bears' leading receiver, compiling 58 catches (82 targets) for 713 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. Since Week 9, Loveland scored the second-most PPR points among all tight ends, trailing only Trey McBride. He recorded at least four receptions in seven of those 10 games and has emerged as one of quarterback Caleb Williams' go-to targets down the stretch, with receiver Rome Odunze (foot) sidelined. Loveland profiles as one of the best tight ends to roster for fantasy managers in playoff leagues. He'll have a tougher matchup in the Wild-Card round against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, who have allowed the sixth-fewest yards per game (44.9) to tight ends this season. In two games against Green Bay this season, Loveland hauled in seven of his 10 targets for 59 yards and a touchdown.

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Houston Texans rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel showed flashes at times this season, ending with 26 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns while playing all 17 games. Noel's snap share never climbed above 50% in a game this season, though, and he only cleared 30% in six contests. The rookie third-rounder doesn't project to be a significant piece of Houston's passing game heading into Monday night's Wild-Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Noel's role in the offense not expanding, he doesn't profile as a reliable option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) has missed five consecutive games due to a stress fracture in his foot. The 23-year-old wideout was able to practice in a limited capacity on Friday ahead of Week 18's regular-season finale against the Lions, which signals some optimism for his status heading into the Wild-Card matchup versus the division-rival Green Bay Packers. Odunze has totalled 44 catches (90 targets) for 661 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games during his sophomore campaign. He was inconsistent after the team's Week 5 bye, however, recording three receptions or fewer in six of eight games with one touchdown. The emergence of rookies Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland muddy the outlook for Odunze heading into the playoffs if he can return. With the game being played on a short week on Saturday, more clarity should emerge regarding Odunze's status in the next few days.

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Across 16 games in his rookie campaign, Houston Texans running back Woody Marks has recorded 196 carries for 703 yards and two touchdowns while adding 24 catches for 208 yards and three scores on 36 targets. Marks has operated as Houston's lead back for most of the season, but he's been one of the least efficient runners in the league, averaging 3.59 yards per carry, which ranks 48th out of 49 RBs with at least 100 carries. The rookie fourth-rounder hasn't been very dynamic on his high volume of touches, and he will now face a stout Pittsburgh Steelers defense that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (73.3) over the final four weeks of the season. Marks profiles as a risky RB3/flex for the Wild-Card round matchup on Monday night.

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The Carolina Panthers activated wide receiver David Moore (elbow) from Injured Reserve on Tuesday and waived wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in a corresponding move, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Moore played in only four games with Carolina to begin the year before suffering a serious elbow injury that landed him on IR in late September. The 30-year-old has been practicing in full for several weeks and now appears ready to contribute as WR depth for the Panthers going into the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. Moore will take Renfrow's spot on the active 53-man roster. In his four games played early this season, Moore had just one catch for five yards on one target. If Moore is active this weekend, he'll be a long shot to return any fantasy value in playoff leagues.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III has compiled 31 receptions (55 targets) for 372 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games this season. The 26-year-old came up huge in the regular-season finale win over the Baltimore Ravens, catching a 26-yard touchdown to give the Steelers the lead with less than a minute remaining. With D.K. Metcalf (suspension) set to return for the playoffs after missing the last two games, Austin offers minimal upside in a brutal matchup against the Houston Texans on Monday night. He's scored double-digit PPR points in only four of 14 games, and the Texans have allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (183.5) and the seventh-fewest receiving touchdowns (20) this season. Austin is tough to trust for fantasy managers in playoff leagues, given the return of Metcalf and the challenging matchup.

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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud rested in the second half of the season finale versus the Colts after completing 14 of 23 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Once it was known that the Jaguars were up big in their game against the Titans, thus eliminating the Texans from winning the division, the team decided to give Stroud the rest of the day off with a playoff spot already locked up. Houston will travel on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild-Card round. The 24-year-old signal-caller has had another solid season, completing a career-high 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while adding 48 carries for 209 yards and another score on the ground in 14 games. The Ohio State product has posted 7.0 yards per attempt or higher in 10 of 14 games this season. The Steelers sit in the middle of the pack against the pass in most metrics, ranking 14th in net yards per pass attempt (6.3) and 16th in dropback EPA (0.060). Stroud and the Texans may need to air it out more often Monday night, with how dominant Pittsburgh has been against the run recently, allowing a league-low 73.3 rushing yards per game over the final four weeks. In one career game versus Pittsburgh in Week 4 of the 2023 season, Stroud threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns, posting the second-highest yards per attempt (10.2) in a game of his career. Stroud projects as a quality option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues and can be trusted as a borderline QB1/QB2.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins has put together another excellent season as the team's top target, hauling in 71 of his 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. The 26-year-old wideout rested in Week 18 with a playoff spot already locked up, and he should be ready to roll in the Wild-Card round against the Steelers. Collins has scored at least 14.2 PPR points in nine of 15 games this season and projects favorably against a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed the fourth-most catches per game (5.4) and the 12th-most receiving yards (63) to opposing WR1s this season. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues should fire up Collins with confidence on Monday night.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins scored in back-to-back weeks to close out his rookie campaign. The 34th overall pick in the 2025 draft has had an impressive season, recording 41 catches (68 targets) for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games. Higgins should continue to operate as Houston's WR2 heading into the Wild-Card round versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have allowed the seventh-most touchdowns and eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this year. While Higgins has seen his role increase as the season has progressed, the rookie is still tough to trust as anything more than a touchdown-dependent option heading into the playoffs, as he has recorded two catches or fewer in four straight games.

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Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz has had a strong season, catching a career-high 82 passes (106 targets) for 777 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. Schultz posted 10 games with at least five receptions this season, tied with Jake Ferguson for the second-most among tight ends, trailing only Trey McBride, who had 16. The 29-year-old should be in line for another busy day as the No. 2 target behind receiver Nico Collins in the Wild-Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have allowed the fourth-most catches (6.3) and third-most receiving yards (66.8) to tight ends this season. Schultz has a projectable floor for receptions and will remain a solid TE1 option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

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Carolina Panthers WR David Moore (elbow) was activated from the Reserve/Injured list Tuesday, Jan. 6. WR Hunter Renfrow was waived.

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Los Angeles Chargers LB Denzel Perryman was removed from the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list on Monday, Jan. 5.

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Across 12 games played in 2025, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange hauled in 46 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns on 60 targets. The 25-year-old ended the regular season strong, recording 14 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets over his last three contests. Strange may not offer tremendous production upside, but he has established himself as a low-risk tight end option for fantasy managers. Strange recorded at least 9.9 PPR fantasy points in seven out of the 12 games he was active for this season. The Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs on Sunday. Buffalo's pass defense has been one of the strongest in the NFL this season, allowing the fewest total passing yards (2,894) of any unit. Still, given his projectable role, Strange profiles as a solid TE1 option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a disappointing year relative to preseason expectations in 2025, recording 48 receptions for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games played. Down the stretch of the regular season, Thomas Jr. appeared to slide down the pass-catcher pecking order in Jacksonville. The 23-year-old recorded just nine catches for 106 yards and zero touchdowns on 15 targets over his final three contests. Thomas Jr. also played fewer than 80% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps in five out of his team's six final games. The Jaguars are now set to face the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Buffalo allowed the fewest passing yards (2,894) of any defense in the NFL. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues may find Thomas Jr. tough to trust given his difficult matchup and diminished role in Jacksonville.

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New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams struggled to carve out a consistent role in his team's offense in 2025, recording 10 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 21 targets across 17 games. Williams saw more involvement over the second half of the season, with all but two of his receptions coming from Week 10 onward. However, he went without a target or a reception in New England's final game of the regular season in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots will remain without veteran wideout Mack Hollins (abdomen) for their Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, which could mean continued playing time for Williams. The 23-year-old is averaging 20.9 yards per reception, so he offers clear big-play upside. Still, Williams' role as a downfield target will likely lead to some boom/bust variance for fantasy managers in playoff leagues to be aware of entering the postseason.

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Across 17 games this season, New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry recorded 60 receptions for 768 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 targets. While Henry may not offer explosive upside, he's proven to be a trusted security blanket for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Henry also ended the regular season well, hauling in 14 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets over his last three games played. New England's first playoff matchup will be against a tough defense in the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, Henry's role as a consistent target-earner and red zone threat provides a relatively stable production floor. Fantasy managers in playoff leagues should view Henry as a solid TE1 this weekend against Los Angeles.

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sat out of the regular-season finale versus the Denver Broncos. It was a smart idea for the Chargers to sit Herbert and give him another week to rest and recover, as he's been playing through a surgically repaired left (non-throwing) hand for the last couple of weeks. The 27-year-old will now head into a tough matchup against a New England Patriots defense that is in the top 10 in terms of passing yards allowed to QBs this season. Herbert hasn't exactly been elite during the second half of the season behind a thin and beat-up offensive line. He has only thrown for multiple scores once over his last four games. Herbert is still a quality QB, but he is looking more like a high-end QB2 for fantasy managers going into the playoffs.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey is in desperate need of a bounce-back performance. McConkey has struggled to put up any consistent numbers during the second half of the season. The 24-year-old has been held to under 40 receiving yards in six of his last seven games. It's not going to get easier for McConkey against the New England Patriots' defense on the road during the Wild-Card round on Sunday night. The Patriots' defense is in the top 10 in terms of limiting passing yards. They've also done an excellent job of holding the WR1 on opposing teams in check all season long. McConkey has been much harder to trust in Year 2 in fantasy, and that will continue to be the case this weekend.

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Across 17 games in 2025, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on 102 targets. In his first season with the Patriots, the 32-year-old proved he can still be one of the most reliable possession receivers in the NFL. However, just a few days before Week 18, Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. Diggs played in Week 18 and is expected to be active for New England's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, he's scheduled to be arraigned on January 23, so his outlook for later in the playoffs could be murkier. As long as Diggs is on the field, he profiles as one of the top wide receiver options for fantasy managers in PPR-scoring playoff leagues.

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