One of the primary reasons former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh agreed to become the New York Giants' next head coach was the presence of young quarterback Jaxson Dart, who was drafted late in the first round in 2025. "I'm excited about Jaxson Dart," Harbaugh said. The veteran head coach likes Dart's talent and skills, but more than that, he likes "what he is about," according to Dan Salomone of Giants.com. The 22-year-old took over the starting gig in his first NFL season by Week 4 and displayed elite athleticism and dual-threat ability despite the Giants going 4-10 in games he appeared in. Overall, Dart completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five picks in 14 games (12 starts), adding 86 carries for 487 yards and nine more scores on the ground. With Harbaugh now in the mix to help develop him, Dart's fantasy football arrow is pointed straight up with high-end QB1 potential.

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San Francisco 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams (knee), who tore his ACL and lateral meniscus in his right knee on Nov. 2, said on Monday that he "should" be back in time for the start of training camp at the end of July, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows. Williams, a first-rounder in 2025, said he's been leaning on advice from position mate Nick Bosa (knee), who tore his ACL six weeks before Williams did. The 21-year-old Williams missed the final 10 games of his first season in the NFL. Before his season-ending knee injury, Williams only had 20 tackles (11 solo), one sack, and a fumble recovery in nine games played. Getting both Williams and Bosa back healthy for the 2026 season will be big as the Niners look to bounce back from a health perspective on both sides of the football.

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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) said on Monday that he expects to return from his torn Achilles "well before November" while also saying he could play close to the 2026 regular-season opener, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Kittle tore his Achilles tendon in the Wild-Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Jan. 11 and had successful surgery last week. Kittle's Achilles tear was a best-case scenario because he suffered a "clean tear." "They didn't have to drill into my heel," Kittle said. "And where the repair was, there's more blood flow. And so it takes some time off the recovery time." The 32-year-old only played in 11 regular-season games due to injuries in 2025, although he was the TE3 in half-PPR fantasy points per game (12.1), catching 57 passes for 628 yards and seven TDs. While Kittle is optimistic about his recovery, fantasy managers should expect him to miss potentially half the 2026 season.

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Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half of the Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots, becoming just the second QB since 1991 to throw four picks in a playoff half. The No. 2 pick in the 2023 NFL draft has rapidly regressed since his impressive rookie season. The Texans are expected to pick up his fifth-year option, but so far, the Texans are non-committal on a long-term contract extension for Stroud. Under first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley in 2025, Stroud completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Despite having three playoff wins in his three seasons, Stroud has just five TDs with six interceptions and seven fumbles (two lost) in the postseason. Stroud said he was still "getting adjusted" to the new offense this year. Perhaps he'll be better in 2026 if Caley sticks around as the OC, but for fantasy purposes, Stroud has become a QB2 instead of a legitimate QB1 option.

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) is optimistic about his recovery from a fractured and dislocated ankle and was confident that he would have been able to play in Sunday's NFC Championship game had the 49ers beaten the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round last weekend, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "Which gives me the ultimate confidence going forward into the offseason, to just attack things as hard as I can," Warner said. "Because there are no limitations." Warner didn't need any follow-up surgeries for the ankle he injured on Oct. 12, so barring any setbacks, he should be all systems go for the start of the 2026 campaign this fall. The 29-year-old had 51 total tackles, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles on 329 defensive snaps this year before his injury. Warner will be a high-end linebacker target in IDP fantasy leagues once he's fully recovered.

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Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (knee) is likely to be released and designated a post-June 1 cut, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, who writes it remains 'unclear' when he'll be able to return after dislocating his knee. Louis-Jacques adds that this would be the 'most fiscally reasonable solution.'

Fantasy Spin: Hill has been hugely productive in his NFL career, but he posted a modest 81-959-6 line in 2023 (his worst since an injury-shortened 2019 campaign), and will turn 32 in March. Hill, an undersized wideout whose game is built around his speed, will need to prove he hasn't lost a step coming off a devastating knee injury.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had some clutch catches to move the chains in Sunday's snowy Divisional Round win over the Chicago Bears, but he didn't exactly go off for fantasy managers in playoff leagues. Nacua caught five of his 10 targets for 56 yards while rushing the ball twice for six yards in the overtime victory. It was the 24-year-old's third-lowest yardage total of the year, and he failed to find the end zone for the first time since Dec. 14 against the Detroit Lions. Nacua had 10 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown in last week's Wild-Card win over the Carolina Panthers. He's one of the best all-around players in the NFL and will take on the division-rival Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship this Sunday. The last time he faced Seattle in Week 16, Nacua went off for 12 catches, a season-high 225 yards, and two touchdowns. Nacua will most likely bounce back against Seattle.

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San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner (ankle) had healed up so well that he planned to suit up for the NFC Championship Game, had his team advanced past the NFC Divisional Round against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold (oblique) will be day-to-day this week, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. 'Balancing making sure we get enough reps at the proper tempo, with the proper looks, you know, and getting Sam the reps he needs,' Macdonald said Monday, Jan. 19.

Fantasy Spin: Darnold completed 12-of-17 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while he was sacked two times, in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers despite dealing with an oblique injury. It gets worse for Darnold, as he lost Zach Charbonnet for the season, so he might be asked to do more in the AFC Championship Game, if he can, physically.

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Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday that he's "excited" to see wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) back on the field for the 2026 season, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Sports. Dell missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL, MCL, and LCL in Week 16 of 2024. The 26-year-old spent all of 2025 rehabbing after having multiple surgeries to fix his knee. Dell's timeline to return to football activities is unknown, so we don't know exactly yet whether he'll be ready for training camp in the summer, preseason, or the start of the 2026 campaign in the fall. The former third-round pick is fortunate to even have the chance to play football again after his devastating knee injury, so expecting him to become fantasy relevant in his final year under contract might be a stretch, especially after the Texans added wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said that running back George Holani (hamstring) could come off Injured Reserve to join the team this week as they prepare to face the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, according to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar. "George is an option, yeah. We'll see how it goes this week," Macdonald said. The Seahawks could use Holani the rest of the playoffs after it was announced on Monday that Zach Charbonnet (knee) tore his ACL in Saturday's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. Velus Jones Jr. saw six carries for 10 yards after Charbonnet was injured, but he was sent back to the practice squad on Monday. If Holani isn't available to play this weekend, the Seahawks will have the option of elevating either Jones or Cam Akers to serve as Kenneth Walker III's backup against the Rams.

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When asked whether he expects a future with running back Joe Mixon (foot, ankle) on Monday, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said, "As of right now, I don't know that," according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. Mixon didn't play at all during the 2025 season, yet the Texans managed to make the playoffs for the third straight year without him. The 29-year-old's future in Houston depends entirely on the health of his foot/ankle going into next season. From a contractual perspective, Mixon is with the team through the 2026 season. Veteran Nick Chubb opened the year as Houston's primary running back before rookie Woody Marks took over in the second half. Even if Mixon recovers this offseason and is ready to go for the season opener this fall, he won't be guaranteed to get the RB1 job back with Marks around.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the plan with quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) this week will be day-to-day to see how he's doing, according to Curtis Crabtree of FOX 13 Seattle. "Balancing making sure we get enough reps at the proper tempo, with the proper looks, you know, and getting Sam the reps that he needs," Macdonald said. Darnold played through a questionable tag in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers after injuring his left oblique in practice on Thursday. The 28-year-old wasn't needed all that much in the 41-6 blowout win, and he finished 12-for-17 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown. He will most likely be on the practice report this week and may not be full go, but it would be a surprise if he's not ready to play this Sunday in the NFC Championship versus the division-rival Rams. Darnold will most likely have to throw the ball much more in that one to keep up with L.A.'s potent offense.

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San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (Achilles) said be believes he will return to the lineup before November and hopes to be able play closer to the start of the 2026 regular season.

Fantasy Spin: Kittle suffered the injury during the playoffs, so there is a good chance that he will miss some regular season games in 2026. Fantasy players should monitor the situation during training camp to have a better idea of his timetable. He is a No. 1 fantasy tight end when healthy, but players may need a short-term replacement at the position until Kittle returns.

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When asked about quarterback C.J. Stroud and a potential long-term contract extension, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said, "I'm not getting into that right now." Stroud will most likely have his fifth-year option picked up by Houston, but all bets are off as far as long-term extension talks go after a rough two-game performance in the playoffs this year. The 24-year-old former second overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State threw an interception and fumbled five times (two lost) in the Wild-Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers before going 20-for-47 for 212 yards, one touchdown, and a season-high four interceptions in the loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday in the Divisional Round. Stroud burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2023, but since then, he's had two disappointing campaigns that raise questions in Houston about whether he's actually the long-term answer under center.

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The Denver Broncos are opening the 21-day practice window for running back J.K. Dobbins (foot), who suffered what was thought to be a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Depending on how he looks and feels in practice this week, Dobbins has a chance to play in Sunday's AFC Championship game against the visiting New England Patriots. It would be great news for a Broncos team that received the devastating news shortly after Saturday's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills that star quarterback Bo Nix is out for the rest of the playoffs with a broken ankle. Still, Dobbins might have a better chance to return if the Broncos pull off the upset over the Pats to reach the Super Bowl. If he does return this weekend, we'd expect a limited role for Dobbins alongside rookie RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin.

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Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) reiterated that he will not need offseason surgery on his foot, according to Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times. Odunze had a stress fracture in his foot that caused him to miss the final five games of the regular season. He returned for Chicago's two playoff games to catch exactly two passes for 44 yards in both contests. The 23-year-old second-year wideout was a popular breakout candidate in fantasy going into the 2025 season, and he was well on his way to fulfilling that with five touchdown catches in the first four games. However, Odunze quickly cooled off and scored only one more time in his final 10 games. His foot injury likely had something to do with that. Odunze will look to bounce back in 2026 with better health, but his fantasy ceiling could be capped with the emergence of young receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland.

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Updating a previous report, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a torn ACL in his knee in Saturday's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Charbonnet will require surgery and will not only miss the rest of the playoffs, but he'll most likely miss most of the 2026 season as well, given the timing of his injury. Before tearing his ACL, the 25-year-old third-year back ran the ball five times for 20 yards. Kenneth Walker had 19 carries for a season-high 116 yards and three touchdowns with Charbonnet out. It's a tough ending to Charbonnet's best season in the NFL, as he set career highs across the board during the regular season in carries (184), rushing yards (730), and rushing touchdowns (12). Walker should see a bigger workload the rest of the way in the postseason, with Velus Jones Jr. being elevated to the RB2 role.

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New England Patriots WR Mack Hollins' (abdomen) availability for the AFC Championship game is uncertain at this point, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. Hollins is currently on the Reserve/Injured list.

Fantasy Spin: Hollins had a decent role in the passing game before the injury, so he should see a few targets in the passing game if he is available for the championship game. He can be a possible flex option if active.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald doesn't believe that quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) suffered a setback with his oblique injury during Saturday's 41-6 blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, according to The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar. "To my knowledge, he's good. Didn't make it worse or anything," Macdonald said. However, Darnold said on Saturday night that his oblique is "something they'll have to keep managing." The 28-year-old went 12-for-17 passing for 124 yards with a touchdown in the win over the Niners after suffering an oblique injury in practice last Thursday. The Seahawks didn't need Darnold to throw the ball much in the rout, but that probably won't be the case this weekend against L.A. Darnold might be on the injury report, but he should be fine to take the field against the Rams next Sunday.

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