Studs and Duds: Wild Card Weekend

Tue Jan 14 8:48am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Henry comes up big once again


Well, that wasn’t very exciting. Of the six playoff games, there was just one that was a one-score game. The games weren’t too entertaining, seeing many teams dominant throughout the games. There weren’t even that many big-time fantasy performances. We had a few but fantasy scores weren’t off the charts with just two teams topping 30 points. Let’s hope the games are better next week.

Texans 32, Chargers 12

Fantasy Stud: Ladd McConkey. His team lost but McConkey had a monster game. He finished with nine receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown on 14 targets. His receptions, yards and targets were all season highs. McConkey is going to be a top receiver in this offense for years to come. He is just coming into his own.

Fantasy Dud: Justin Herbert. Herbert had a tremendous regular season but his only playoff game was a huge disappointment. He was 14-of-32 for 242 yards and a touchdown with four interceptions. To put that in perspective, Herbert had just three interceptions all regular season. He had more in this one game than in 17 regular season games. Ouch.

Game Notes: Nico Collins had seven receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He hit the 100-yard mark for the first time since Week 13.

Joe Mion hit the 100-yard mark, rushing 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. This was his eighth 100-yard game of the season.

Ravens 28, Steelers 14

Fantasy Stud: Derrick Henry. Henry had a fitting playoff opener, producing huge once again. He ran 26 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth straight 100-yard rushing performance. He has at least 138-rushing yards four straight. Henry also has touchdowns three straight games, including two straight with multiple scores.

Fantasy Dud: Mark Andrews. Andrews had his streak of six straight games of touchdowns broken. He had a very quiet performance, catching just two passes for 27 yards on three targets. You expected better from Andrews, especially with Zay Flowers out of the lineup this week.

Game Notes: George Pickens had five receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. It was his first game with more than 80 yards since Week 11.

Isaiah Likely led the team in receiving yards. He had three receptions for 53 yards. It was the first time he topped 50 yards since Week 11, which was against this same Steelers team.

Bills 31, Broncos 7

Fantasy Stud: James Cook. Cook had a season high in rushing yards. He ran 23 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. He scored 18 fantasy points. Cooks has 100-yard games three of five and four of seven games. Cook is having another really strong season as the Bills lead back.

Fantasy Dud: Marvin Mims. Mims had been red hot but cooled off this week, catching just two passes for 12 yards. He also ran two times for one yard. Mims had multiple touchdowns two straight before this one. He scored just 3.3 fantasy points, his lowest total since Week 9. But even with that said, Mims had a strong finish to his season and could be a much bigger offense from day one next year.

Game Notes: Josh Allen had a really good showing, going 20-of-26 for 272 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. He also ran eight times for 46 yards.

Curtis Samuel scored a touchdown for just the second time all season. He had three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. He has 10 receptions for 120 yards his last two games.

Eagles 22, Packers 10

Fantasy Stud: Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was nearly the entire offense for the Packers. He ran 18 times for 81 yards and scored the team's only touchdown. He also had three receptions for 40 yards, giving him 121 total yards. Jacobs finishes his season with touchdowns in nine straight games. Needless to say, his move to Green Bay was a good one for his fantasy value.

Fantasy Dud: A.J. Brown. Brown had a bad game despite the win for his team. He caught just a pass for 10 yards. This was a big surprise, considering he is the top receiver for the Eagles and had touchdowns three straight games. He was targeted just three times in the game.

Game Notes: Jordan Love had his struggles, going 20-of-33 for 212 yards without a touchdown and three interceptions. This was his second three-interception game of his season.

Saquon Barkley had another 100-yard rushing game. He ran 25 times for 118 yards, giving him 12 100-yard rushing games. 

Commanders 23, Bucs 20

Fantasy Stud: Mike Evans. Evans continued his great late-season play. He had seven receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown. Evans has 89 or more yards three straight and four of five games. Evans continues to play at a very high level and shows few signs of slowing down.

Fantasy Dud: Jalen McMillan. McMillan was a big factor late in the season but held in check in this one. He caught two passes for 41 yards. He had touchdowns six straight games before this showing. McMillan was quiet in the playoffs but still played well enough down the stretch to likely carve out a big role in the offense from the get go next season.

Game Notes: Dyami Brown had five receptions 89 yards and a touchdown. He had a season high in yards, topping 60 yards for the first time all year.

Jayden Daniels played well in his first ever playoff game. He led the team in rushing with 36 yards and threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

Rams 27, Vikings 9

Fantasy Stud: Rams defense. The Rams defense really put the clamps on the Vikings offense, completely dominating the line of scrimmage. Minnesota had nine sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown. Los Angeles also had an interception in the game. It was quite the fantasy performance, scoring 22 fantasy points in most formats.

Fantasy Dud: Cooper Kupp. Kupp continued his trend of doing little, catching just a pass for 29 yards. His production has been awful down the stretch, failing to top 30 yards in a game since Week 14. You just don’t expect that from a player of Kupp’s caliber. He has really fallen down the stretch, making him a big concern for fantasy owners going forward.

Game Notes: Tyler Higbee was the Rams leading receiver, but had to leave the game early because of a chest injury. He had five receptions for 58 yards before getting hurt.

T.J. Hockenson was one of the few bright spots for the Vikings offense. He found the end zone for the first time this season. Hockenson had five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at [email protected]. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

RTSports Super Bowl Preview

Player Notes
Jared Verse Feb 6 11:20pm ET
Jared Verse

Los Angeles Rams pass-rusher Jared Verse was named the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday night. The rookie out of Florida State made an immediate impact in his first year in the NFL and totaled 37 first-place votes to beat out Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. The 19th overall pick finished with 4.5 sacks and ranked fourth among all pass-rushers with 76 quarterback pressures. In addition, Verse was also one of eight non-linebackers to finish the year with 40-plus run stops. In L.A.'s Divisional Round loss to the Eagles, Verse had a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Verse's teammate, Brandon Fiske, came in third place in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. In addition to his 4.5 sacks on the year, Verse had 66 tackles (36 solo), two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 17 regular-season games.

From RotoBaller

Sam Darnold Feb 6 11:20pm ET
Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was named the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year on Thursday evening. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell finished in second place in the voting. O'Connell led the Vikings to a surprising 14-3 record in 2024, and they narrowly missed out on the NFC's top seed for the postseason after a Week 18 loss to the division-rival Lions. Nobody realistically expected Minnesota to even sniff the playoffs after rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury before the regular season even started. O'Connell and his staff led QB Sam Darnold to a career-best season, as he posted career-highs in passing yards (4,319), passing touchdowns (35) and completion percentage (66.2). In his three years guiding the Vikings, O'Connell has gone 34-17, including leading the team to an NFC North title in 2022.

From RotoBaller

Stephon Gilmore Feb 6 11:10pm ET
Stephon Gilmore

Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II was named the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday night. Surtain tallied 26 first-place votes and became just the second defensive back to win the award since 2010, joining Stephon Gilmore, who won the award as a member of the New England Patriots in 2019. The 24-year-old came just one vote shy of being a unanimous selection for first-team All-Pro honors and recording four interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 11 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 16 regular-season starts. According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain was targeted on only 10.9% of his coverage snaps in 2024, the lowest rate among 83 cornerbacks with 300-plus coverage snaps. He allowed 0.6 yards per coverage snap, giving up only 306 receiving yards as the nearest defender. Surtain is the first Bronco to win the award since linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1978.

From RotoBaller

Josh Allen Feb 6 11:00pm ET
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named Most Valuable Player for the 2024 NFL season on Thursday. Allen barely beat out Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for the first MVP award of his career. Despite losing receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, the 28-year-old signal-caller got even better on his way to completing 64 percent of his pass attempts for 3,731 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions in 17 regular-season games. The three-time Pro Bowler led the league with a 77.3 QBR and also added 531 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 102 rushing attempts for the Bills. Allen becomes the first Bills player to win the award since running back Thurman Thomas did so back in 1991. Allen's 12 rushing scores were second to only the Eagles' Jalen Hurts. He finished as the QB4 in overall fantasy points and will once again be one of the first QBs off the board in fantasy drafts this fall.

From RotoBaller

Joe Burrow Feb 6 10:00pm ET
Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. This is a well deserved win for Burrow who put together a tremendous 2024 campaign. The 28-year-old threw for 4,918 passing yards with 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Burrow was limited to 10 games in 2023, but came back and played like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Sadly, the Bengals struggled as a team and missed the postseason, but they will look to rebound with Burrow as their leader in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Saquon Barkley Feb 6 9:50pm ET
Saquon Barkley

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has been named the Offensive Player of the Year. This appeared to be a three-horse race between Lamar Jackson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Barkley. It's not too shocking to see Barkley winning the award after a historic season. Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards on 345 attempts with 13 touchdowns across 16 regular season games. Now, Barkley has a chance to finish his incredible season at the top with a Super Bowl victory. The expectation is that Barkley will be one of the first players off the boards in fantasy drafts next season.

From RotoBaller

Jayden Daniels Feb 6 9:30pm ET
Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday. This doesn't come as surprise given Daniels had one of the best seasons for a rookie QB. He threw for 3,568 passing yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 17 regular season games. He also got it done on the ground with 891 rushing yards and six additional scores with his legs. Daniels was a huge part of helping the Commanders make the postseason and the NFC title game. The 24-year-old should be in the MVP discussion for years to come.

From RotoBaller

Dallas Goedert Feb 6 9:20pm ET
Dallas Goedert

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session. This is now back-to-back full practices for Goedert ahead of this Sunday's Super Bowl. The expectation is that Goedert is going to be removed from the injury report following Friday's practice. He might still be a little banged up, but at this point in the season who is 100 percent healthy. There is no reason to believe that Goedert won't be a full-go for Sunday's big game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

From RotoBaller

Skyy Moore Feb 6 8:00pm ET
Skyy Moore

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore (abdomen), who remains on Injured Reserve, was listed as limited on Thursday in practice for the second straight day this week. Although the Chiefs opened Moore's practice window to come off IR recently, he has yet to put in a full practice and was listed as doubtful to play in Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of last week. Moore is almost certainly going to have to upgrade to a full practice on Friday to have a realistic chance of coming off IR to be active on Sunday. There's no guarantee that Moore will even see any offensive snaps against the Eagles in the unlikely event that he's even active. The 24-year-old former second-round selection in 2022 out of Western Michigan had no catches on three targets in the six games he played in 2024 before landing on IR.

From RotoBaller

Patrick Mahomes Feb 6 7:50pm ET
Patrick Mahomes

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (illness) was feeling better on Thursday and was listed as a full participant after he was limited on Wednesday. Carter hasn't been at either of the media availabilities for Super Bowl LIX this week because of his illness, although his return to a full practice on Thursday means he shouldn't have any problems playing this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. It was reported on Thursday that several other Eagles players are dealing with similar illnesses, but Carter is the only one that appears on the injury report because of it. Philly is going to need the 23-year-old's pass-rushing skills on Sunday to try and slow down quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Carter has been extremely productive in three playoff games this year, recording nine tackles (three solo), two sacks, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Graham Feb 6 7:50pm ET
Brandon Graham

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham (elbow) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. Since the Eagles opened Graham's practice window to be activated from Injured Reserve last week, he's only been able to put in limited practice sessions. However, he said earlier this week that he remains on track to return from IR to play in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in what is expected to be the final game of his career. The 36-year-old had surgery in November to fix a torn triceps that he suffered in Week 12. Although Graham appears to be planning to play this Sunday, it remains to be seen if the Eagles will actually activate him from IR. If the veteran linebacker is active against KC, expect him to be on a limited snap count given all the time he's missed this year.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Gainwell Feb 6 6:30pm ET
Kenneth Gainwell

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee) upgraded to a full practice on Thursday after he was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Gainwell suffered a concussion in the NFC Championship win over the division-rival Washington Commanders and didn't practice at all last week, putting his status in doubt for the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9, against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 25-year-old could still end up being questionable for the big game, but his return to a full practice on Thursday gives him a much greater chance of clearing the league's concussion protocol and being active on Sunday. He will still need clearance from an independent neurologist, but another full practice on Friday could get him there. Gainwell has only seven carries for 32 yards and three catches for 26 yards in three playoff games, so his role will remain small if he's able to play.

From RotoBaller

DeVonta Smith Feb 6 6:20pm ET
DeVonta Smith

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. After not practicing at all last week, Smith wasn't listed on last Friday's final injury report. It means that he will most likely practice in full on Friday and be cleared to play in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday versus the Kansas City Chiefs. The 26-year-old pass-catcher has been extremely efficient in three postseason games this year, catching all 12 of his targets for 121 yards, although he didn't find the end zone in wins over the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders. Smith did have four touchdowns in his final four regular-season games, though, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if he had a big game in the Super Bowl this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Bub Means Feb 6 6:00pm ET
Bub Means

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bub Means (ankle) said that he was cleared from his ankle injury in late January and is back to full speed as he prepares for his sophomore season in 2025. Means suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 8 and then had a setback that cost him the final nine games in the second half. The 24-year-old fifth-round pick (170th overall) caught nine of his 15 targets for 118 yards (13.1 yards per reception) and one touchdown in his seven games played (one start) in his first year in the NFL for the Saints. The Pittsburgh product emerged as an intriguing downfield threat for New Orleans in his rookie season and won't be hindered by his ankle this offseason as he prepares for what will hopefully be a bigger role in 2025. Means will most likely be a boom/bust receiver for fantasy purposes for a Saints team that still hasn't settled on a new head coach.

From RotoBaller

Michael Wiley Feb 6 6:00pm ET
Michael Wiley

The Washington Commanders announced on Thursday that they re-signed running back Michael Wiley to a Reserve/Futures deal. Wiley was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Arizona but eventually found his way onto the Commanders' practice squad during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old never got brought up to the active 53-man roster for a regular season game, though, and he will now look to continue his development this offseason in Washington before he makes his case for a roster spot in spring training this summer. Wiley stands at 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds and is a native of Houston, Texas.

From RotoBaller

Adam Thielen Feb 6 5:20pm ET
Adam Thielen

ESPN's David Newton reports that Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen plans to play in 2025. Thielen said at the end of the 2024 regular season that he was contemplating retirement, but after hinting toward a return recently, it appears that he will indeed return to the team next season. The 34-year-old veteran pass-catcher has one year left on the three-year, $25 million contract he signed with Carolina before the 2023 campaign. The two-time Pro Bowler had the third 1,000-yard receiving season of his career in his first year with the Panthers but regressed to 615 receiving yards and 48 receptions in 2024, although he also played in a career-low-tying 10 games due to a hamstring injury. Thielen won't be an upside target in fantasy, but his chemistry with young quarterback Bryce Young should not be discounted as a flex option in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Sean McDermott Feb 6 2:30pm ET
Sean McDermott

Former Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is expected to join the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant, according to Bruce Feldman of the Athletic. Nielsen spent the 2017 through 2022 seasons with the New Orleans Saints in various roles before running the Atlanta defense in 2023 and the Jacksonville defense in 2024. Both of his head coaches were fired after his lone season with the respective teams, so he's now set to join Sean McDermott in Buffalo. The Jaguars surrendered the sixth-most points per game in 2024 (25.6).

From RotoBaller

Leonard Williams Feb 6 2:20pm ET
Leonard Williams

The Seattle Seahawks and defensive lineman Leonard Williams have agreed to a restructured contract, according to team beat writer Corbin K. Smith. Seattle is converting $18.745 million of his salary into a bonus and adding two void years to the end of his deal. By doing this, Seattle drops his cap hit for 2025 by nearly $15 million. However, his cap hit will now jump to $29.6 million in 2026, and the Seahawks will carry $9.372 million in dead money in 2027 if he is not extended before the void years kick in. Williams, who was traded from the New York Giants during the 2023 campaign, registered 64 total tackles, 11 sacks, and a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown in 16 games in 2024 for Seattle.

From RotoBaller

Tee Higgins Feb 6 12:30pm ET
Tee Higgins

During an interview on The Pat McAfee Show during Super Bowl week in New Orleans, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson indicated that either a new deal or a trade are the only viable options for him moving forward. Hendrickson is heading into the final year of his deal in 2025 after leading the NFL in sacks (17.5), which earned him an All-Pro selection. This really isn't nothing new, as the 30-year-old star pass-rusher stated his desire for a new contract last year after a failed trade request. He also had 17.5 sacks in 2023. All four of Hendrickson's seasons in Cincy have resulted in Pro Bowl appearances, but he currently ranks 11th in annual salary among edge rushers. The Bengals have said that Hendrickson is a priority this offseason, but they will also be negotiating a bit-time contract extension for receiver Ja'Marr Chase and could be looking to re-sign receiver Tee Higgins as well.

From RotoBaller

Trevor Lawrence Feb 6 12:20pm ET
Trevor Lawrence

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to hire former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, likely as their passing-game coordinator, according to sources. Waldron coached with new Jaguars head coach and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen with the Los Angeles Rams from 2018-20. Before serving as the Bears' offensive coordinator last season, Waldron served as the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator from 2021-23. He didn't make it through a full season in Chicago and was fired after just nine games. With the Rams, Waldron served as tight ends coach, pass-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2017-20. In Jacksonville, Waldron will work closely with first-time offensive coordinator Grant Udinski to hopefully help quarterback Trevor Lawrence bounce back in 2025.

From RotoBaller