Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (quadriceps) put in a full practice on Wednesday. Daniels was pulled as a precaution in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with quadriceps soreness, but his full availability at practice on Wednesday means he's not really in any danger of missing his playoff debut in the wild-card round on Sunday night versus the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 24-year-old second overall pick only had 184 passing yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his NFL debut in the Week 1 loss to the Bucs, but he also added 88 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Daniels really impressed in his first year in the NFL and was the QB5 in overall fantasy scoring, finishing only second to Lamar Jackson with 891 rushing yards. Against a suspect Tampa secondary, Daniels will be a top-five fantasy QB for those setting DFS lineups.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday and was listed as a limited participant. It's good news for Otton after he missed the final three games of the regular season due to his knee injury, although he might need to upgrade to a full practice in the next two days to avoid taking a questionable designation into Sunday night's wild-card playoff game against the visiting Washington Commanders. Head coach Todd Bowles said that Otton is "trending in the right direction" to return this weekend, for what it's worth. The 25-year-old has been a low-end, touchdown-dependent TE1 for fantasy managers when healthy, but if he is a game-time decision on Sunday night, it would be wise to go in another direction at the position for starting lineups during wild-card weekend. Payne Durham and rookie Devin Culp saw more snaps with Otton sidelined to close out the regular season.

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The Los Angeles Chargers designated cornerback Eli Apple (hamstring) to return from Injured Reserve on Wednesday by opening his 21-day practice window. Apple was put on IR back on Nov. 27 but is now eligible to return to practice with the team this week. Despite Apple's return to practice for the Bolts, the 29-year-old isn't guaranteed to play this Saturday against the Houston Texans to get wild-card weekend kicked off. Before injuring his hamstring and landing on IR, the former first-round pick by the New York Giants in 2016 out of Ohio State played in only four games for LA and had two solo tackles and one pass breakup. If Apple is active this weekend, he'll most likely operate in a reserve role for the Chargers' secondary. The Chargers defense allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL in 2024 and will be a popular fantasy play on Saturday against a struggling Texans offense.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (concussion, illness) was upgraded to a full practice on Wednesday after he kicked off the week on Tuesday with a limited practice. Hill missed the final two games of the regular season due to a concussion that he suffered in Week 16 while also dealing with an illness. It appears the 27-year-old is feeling much better, although he still will need clearance from an independent neurologist later this week to return to play on Saturday night when the team hosts the visiting division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the postseason. When healthy, the pass-catching specialist has limited fantasy upside as the change-of-pace option behind lead back Derrick Henry. However, the Ravens were the highest-scoring offense in the NFL in 2024, and Hill did set career-highs in receptions (42) and receiving yards (383) in 15 games.

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Washington Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign for his chances of playing on Sunday night in the wild-card round of the playoffs versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Lattimore does indeed suit up, he'll likely draw a lot of veteran receiver Mike Evans, Tampa's top offensive weapon. The Commanders acquired Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints at the trade deadline, but he sat out Weeks 9-13 with a hamstring injury and missed the Week 18 regular-season finale as well with the same injury in the win over the Dallas Cowboys. Evans' fantasy upside might take a hit if Lattimore returns for the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Commanders defense/special teams unit should be faded this week against a Bucs offense that was among the best in the NFL in 2024.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Joshua Palmer (heel) remained out of the team's practice session on Wednesday. The Chargers kept Palmer out of the Week 18 win over the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders in the season finale, and after two missed practices already this week, it's not looking good for his availability on Saturday in Houston against the Texans for the wild-card playoff round. If the 25-year-old pass-catcher misses a second straight game, look for DJ Chark and Derius Davis to get more snaps on offense behind wideouts Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. If active against the Texans, Palmer will be a touchdown-dependent, low-upside fantasy flex, at best. In his fourth year in the NFL in 2024, Palmer had only 39 receptions on 65 targets for 584 yards and a career-low one touchdown. Check back for his final injury status on Thursday.

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The New York Jets requested an interview with Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for their head-coaching spot, according to a source. Spagnuolo has also served as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator and interim head coach and is a candidate to return to New York after the team fired former head coach Robert Saleh way back in Week 5. In addition to the Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders requested to interview Spags after firing head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday. The 65-year-old has been working for the Chiefs since 2019 and has reached three Super Bowls (winning two) with KC. Spagnuolo also won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII and served as their interim head coach in 2017. He went 10-38 in three seasons as the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams from 2009-11.

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday that passing-game coordinator Klay Kubiak will officially be named the team's new offensive coordinator, although Shanahan will continue to call offensive plays. Kubiak called plays during the preseason and in the Week 18 loss to the division-rival Arizona Cardinals in the season finale. Kubiak will become just the second offensive coordinator with Shanahan as the head coach in San Francisco, with the first being current Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel back in 2021. Kubiak, the son of former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak, began his NFL coaching career with the 49ers in 2021 as a quality-control coach. After a disappointing and injury-riddled year in 2024 on the offensive side of the ball, both Kubiak and Shanahan will try to turn things around in 2025 and get San Fran back to the postseason.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (illness) is feeling better this week and returned to the practice field on Wednesday as the team begins preparing to face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the wild-card playoff game this Sunday. Doubs popped up on the team's Week 18 injury report on Saturday with an illness and was held out of Sunday's loss to the division-rival Chicago Bears with the Packers already locked into a playoff spot. Now that the 24-year-old has had time to rest up, he should be good to go for Sunday's contest in Philly, where Doubs will be a more attractive fantasy sleeper play with teammate Christian Watson (knee) done for the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in Week 18. The third-year pass-catcher has scored only four TDs in 13 games this year, but his trips to the end zone came in bunches with a pair of two-touchdown performances.

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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the plan is to bring wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. back for the 2025 season. After signing receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to a hefty extension before the start of the 2024 season, it was assumed that the Niners would likely move on from Samuel heading into 2025 given his significant salary-cap hit. In addition to the decision regarding the future of Samuel, who missed the Week 18 regular-season finale due to rib and wrist injuries, the 49ers will also be navigating a long-term extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. If the Niners change their mind on the 28-year-old Samuel, he could be a trade candidate with one year left on his deal. In 15 games in 2024, he had 51 catches for 670 yards and only three touchdowns despite Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) missing significant time with injuries.

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Green Bay Packers quarterbacks Jordan Love (elbow) and Malik Willis (undisclosed) were both limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Love injured his right elbow in the Week 18 loss to the division-rival Chicago Bears and never returned to the game as a precaution. The 26-year-old lost feeling in his hand, but he was seen warming up on the sidelines late in the game and is expected to be fine for the wild-card playoff game on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Love has the feeling back in his hand but has lingering soreness in his elbow, which is something to keep an eye on heading into the weekend. In addition to his injury, he lost his best deep threat in receiver Christian Watson (knee) for the rest of the year due to a torn ACL. That combined with Love's injury will make him a low-end QB for fantasy lineups during wild-card weekend.

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The San Francisco 49ers, who are searching for their third defensive coordinator in three years, are interested in bringing former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh back to run their defense, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson. Saleh served as San Francisco's defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020. The organization enjoyed top-five total defenses during his last two seasons, which propelled him into the New York head coaching role. However, Saleh is also interviewing for the Jacksonville Jaguars head-coaching position, which is a more lucrative role if he wants to step back into a lead role right away. Saleh posted a 20-36 record as the head man in New York, but the Jets flashed elite defenses at times throughout his tenure.

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Byron Young (hamstring) has been cleared to practice and is being designated to return from Injured Reserve on Wednesday. Young was a third-round selection by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 and logged just four tackles in six games as a rookie last season. He was released in August and picked up by Philadelphia but has not appeared in a game this season. The 24-year-old could provide depth for the strong Eagles' defensive line in the postseason, but it would be a surprise if he's a meaningful contributor even if he is active moving forward.

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Houston Texans wide receiver John Metchie III (shoulder) was back on the practice field on Wednesday after missing Tuesday's session due to a shoulder injury. The 2022 second-round pick out of Alabama could play a meaningful role in the postseason after season-ending injuries to Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee). In Houston's final three regular-season contests, he totaled 16 targets, nine receptions, and 89 yards. Pro Bowl wideout Nico Collins is the clear No. 1 option in C.J. Stroud's passing attack, but assuming Metchie is ready to go against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday, he's a candidate to see several opportunities through the air.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) is not practicing on Wednesday due to a knee injury, according to team reporter Jameson Hensley. It was reported earlier on Wednesday that Flowers is unlikely to play in Saturday's AFC Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so this comes as no surprise. The second-year pro out of Boston College suffered a knee sprain in the Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns. Needless to say, the timing of the injury is unfortunate, but Baltimore will still be significant favorites to defeat Pittsburgh, a team coming off four consecutive losses. Assuming Flowers does not play, Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, Isaiah Likely, and Justice Hill (concussion) are candidates to see extra looks in the passing attack led by Lamar Jackson.

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The Philadelphia Eagles signed safety Lewis Cine from the Buffalo Bills practice squad on Wednesday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. Cine is a former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 out of Georgia. The 25-year-old has played in just 11 games over the last three seasons, including one game this year with Buffalo. Overall, he has tallied just one tackle. Cine joins former Bulldog teammates Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean, and Kelee Ringo on Philadelphia's stop unit. It would be a surprise if he plays meaningful snaps in the secondary, but he could contribute on special teams in the postseason.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver Amari Cooper (personal) will practice in some capacity during the team's walkthrough practice on Wednesday as they get set to prepare to take on the visiting Denver Broncos in the wild-card round of the playoffs this Sunday. Cooper did not travel with the Bills to New England in their loss against the division-rival Patriots in the Week 18 regular-season finale due to personal reasons, but the 30-year-old veteran is now back with the team and figures to be active this weekend. However, for fantasy purposes, Cooper will be avoided by most, especially going up against a top-five defense in the Broncos. In eight games with Buffalo in 2024 after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns, the five-time Pro Bowler caught only 20 passes for 297 yards and two TDs. Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman are both better upside plays.

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According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, multiple NFL teams have inquired about whether former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick would reconsider his move to coach college football at the University of North Carolina, including the Las Vegas Raiders, whose minority owner Tom Brady recently spoke with the legendary coach. Belichick agreed on a five-year deal on Dec. 11 to head to the college ranks to coach the Tar Heels. The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after just one season as the full-time head coach. The connection would be obvious in Vegas, as Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowls together with the Patriots, and sources are saying Brady thinks the situation in the desert requires a coach with Belichick's expertise. Belichick's contract at UNC includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves before June 1, although it's unclear if it would apply in this situation.

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Buffalo Bills WR Amari Cooper (personal) has rejoined the team, head coach Sean McDermott said on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Fantasy Spin: Cooper sat out Week 18 while attending to a personal matter, but his return suggests he'll play this week. Even with that, Cooper is a shaky DFS play, at best, thanks to his inconsistent production since joining Buffalo.

From TheHuddle

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) is expected to be at the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to sources. It's a notable step forward as Hurts works his way out of the league's concussion protocol and prepares to start on Sunday in the wild-card round of the postseason versus the visiting Green Bay Packers. Hurts suffered a concussion in the Week 16 loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders and did not play in the final two games of the regular season. He's also dealing with a fracture to a finger on his left (non-throwing) hand, but his concussion is the much bigger issue. The 26-year-old was a top-10 fantasy QB in 2024 and led the league with 14 rushing touchdowns, but that's where the root of his value lies. The Eagles passing attack left a lot to be desired all year. Given the potential rust factor heading into the playoffs, Hurts carries a lot more DFS risk this weekend.

From RotoBaller