Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship. Atwell is a healthy scratch for the second game in a row after he did not appear on the Rams' injury report all week long. The 26-year-old had an underwhelming regular season and also dealt with a six-week injury absence. He finished the year with six catches, 192 yards, and one touchdown, and he was not targeted in the Rams' Wild Card win over Carolina. In his absence last week, Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield both stepped up with two catches apiece. With Atwell inactive again, we expect Whittington and Mumpfield to continue to handle increased involvement behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) exited during the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship against the New England Patriots. He was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to out. He finishes the game with one catch for two yards. It has been a rough two weeks for Bryant, who also left last week's game early due to a concussion. This time around, he reportedly injured his hamstring on the opening drive and initially tried to play through it before exiting the game. His absence leaves the Broncos short-staffed at wide receiver, as they're also without Troy Franklin (hamstring) on Sunday. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Elijah Moore will continue to earn more snaps behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. The good news for the Broncos is that, if they advance to the Super Bowl, Bryant will have a full two weeks to recover.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo (coach's decision) is officially inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle activated Arroyo from injured reserve on Saturday, and the fact that he didn't have an injury designation seemed to indicate that he would play. In the end, though, he'll be a healthy scratch as the Seahawks look to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Arroyo was held to a modest 15 catches and 179 yards during the regular season, and it's been more than a month since he last played in an NFL game, so his absence on Sunday is not necessarily surprising. AJ Barner will continue to lead the tight end room against the Rams, while Eric Saubert and Nick Kallerup round out the depth chart.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford "does believe he has some good football left" and plans to return for the 2026 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport notes that he expressed this desire before the Rams clinched an NFC Championship berth, so it's possible that he could change his mind if Los Angeles wins the Super Bowl. However, at the very least, the veteran quarterback feels that he has plenty left in the tank and is trending towards playing next year. Indeed, he has shown no signs of slowing down, completing 65% of his pass attempts for a league-best 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns in his age-37 season. He also threw just eight interceptions. Stafford appears to be the MVP front-runner and has supported huge seasons for both of his top receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) exited during the first half of Sunday's AFC Championship against the New England Patriots. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had one catch for two yards. Bryant, who cleared concussion protocol in time to play on Sunday, reportedly injured his hamstring on the opening drive and initially tried to play through it before exiting the game. His absence, even if temporary, leaves the Broncos short-staffed at wide receiver, as they're also without Troy Franklin (hamstring) for today's game. Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Elijah Moore should now earn snaps alongside Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.

From RotoBaller

New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) exited during the first quarter of Sunday's AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos. He is officially listed as questionable to return. At the time of his departure, he had amassed two tackles. Spillane has been a major contributor during his first season with the Patriots. Through 13 regular-season games, he had 97 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. He was a major reason why the Patriots' defense performed like a top-10 unit this season, and he helped the Patriots secure an AFC East title. Jack Gibbens entered the game in his absence and will wear the green dot.

From RotoBaller

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (abdomen), who was listed as questionable going into Sunday's AFC Championship in Denver versus the Broncos, is officially active. The Patriots activated Hollins from Injured Reserve on Saturday, paving the way for him to make his first appearance since injuring his abdomen in the Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The 32-year-old will provide quarterback Drake Maye as an extra deep threat on the outside, although fantasy managers should view him as a boom/bust sleeper for playoff lineups. During the regular season in his first year with the Pats, eight-year pro caught 46 of 65 targets for 550 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Efton Chism III is a healthy scratch with Hollins returning. Rookie Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas could have fewer opportunities on the field with Hollins coming back as well.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (hamstring) is officially inactive for the AFC Championship game on Sunday against the visiting New England Patriots, according to Mike Klis of 9 News. Franklin injured his hamstring early in the Divisional Round win against the Buffalo Bills and never returned. He was limited in practice all week, but the Broncos weren't comfortable making him active. Although Franklin saw his role decline late in the year, it's a notable loss for a Denver offense that is forced to start backup quarterback Jarrett Stidman against New England with Bo Nix (ankle) out for the rest of the season. The second-year wideout from Oregon was the Broncos' second leading receiver during the regular season with 65 catches, 709 yards, and six touchdowns on 104 targets. Marvin Mims Jr., rookie Pat Bryant, and Lil'Jordan Humphrey will need to step up behind Courtland Sutton against a solid Patriots defense on Sunday.

From RotoBaller

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Seattle Seahawks running backs George Holani and Cam Akers are expected to be used in backup roles in Sunday's NFC Championship game against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, with some work expected for each player. Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, so Kenneth Walker III will become Seattle's workhorse RB. Holani was just activated from Injured Reserve this week and last played in Week 12, so he most likely won't have a big change-of-pace role this weekend behind Walker. In 11 games during the regular season, Holani had only 22 rushing attempts for 73 yards and one touchdown. Akers didn't join the Seahawks until midseason, and he's still looking for his first carry with the team. Neither Holani nor Akers should be in fantasy playoff lineups.

From RotoBaller

Buffalo Bills CB Tre'Davious White was fined $14,222 by the National Football League for his outburst at an official who had flagged him for pass interference during overtime of the AFC Divisional Round game against the Denver Broncos. He was charged with unsportsmanlike conduct for removing his helmet to yell at the official and was penalized on the play, which moved the football half the distance to the goal and made it easier for the Broncos to kick a game-winning field goal.

From TheHuddle

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram has continued to occupy a smaller role throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. As a result, he's difficult to trust ahead of Sunday's AFC Championship game. Engram finished the regular season with a modest 50 catches, 461 yards, and one touchdown, ranking as the TE29 in full-PPR leagues despite playing 16 games. He added just one reception for seven yards in the Broncos' playoff win last weekend. Moving forward, we expect Engram to remain in a similarly small and discouraging role against the New England Patriots, who allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to tight ends during the regular season. Denver prefers targeting its very talented receiver room, and we could also see the Broncos run the ball more with Bo Nix (ankle) out. The quarterback change is perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding Engram's outlook. Although he underperformed while catching passes from Nix, we can't exactly project how he'll play with Jarrett Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass all year. As a result, we're continuing to temper our expectations. Engram is the overall TE6 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (knee) has been activated from injured reserve, but it's unlikely that he'll have a major role in his return to action against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. In his last five regular-season games before getting hurt, the rookie had caught just two passes for 10 yards, and he played fewer than half of the offensive snaps on all five occasions. Seattle remains encouraged about his long-term value, especially after spending a second-round pick on him, but we don't expect him to be a major threat in the NFC Championship game. Instead, we expect to see a consistently heavier dose of AJ Barner. Barner had 12 targets and two touchdowns over his final three regular-season games, and in his last outing against the Rams, he exploded for 10 catches and 70 yards. DFS players can avoid Arroyo this week, and bettors can expect him to remain in a minimal role.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks as he recovers from surgery on his broken ankle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Nix suffered the injury during last week's Divisional Round win overthe Buffalo Bills and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. The second-year signal-caller finished the regular season with a 63.4% completion rate, 3,931 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 356 yards and an additional five scores. Nix didn't take a very big leap during his second season in the league, but that was partly because he already had such an impressive rookie year. While he won't be available for the AFC Championship against the Patriots or the Super Bowl, should Denver qualify, Nix will be healthy and ready for training camp. In the meantime, Jarett Stidham will step up as the Broncos' starter.

From RotoBaller

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was largely responsible for putting last week's Divisional Round rubber match with the 49ers out of hand from the jump, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown in a game that was never close. The play marked Shaheed's third special teams score since being acquired from the New Orleans Saints via a mid-season trade, but his impact has been felt less on offense. After playing his first half of the season in New Orleans on a 17-game pace of 83 receptions for 943 yards and four touchdowns, that pace has fallen drastically to 26 catches for 320 yards and zero receiving touchdowns since his trade to Seattle. Over the past four games, he's caught two passes for ten yards. Even against a Los Angeles defense that has been beatable through the air, Shaheed carries very little value outside of fantasy playoff leagues that reward return yards and touchdowns.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin should continue to be the primary change-of-pace back behind rookie RJ Harvey, with J.K. Dobbins remaining on Injured Reserve after a week of limited practices. In Denver's Divisional Round win over a Bills team that came into the playoffs with one of the worst run defenses in the league, McLaughlin was able to turn four carries into 21 yards. In the Conference Championship, he'll face a Patriots defense that has been dominant against the run since Milton Williams' return from an ankle injury that cost him five games. Through two playoff games, New England has allowed a total of 74 yards on designed runs, so if McLaughlin is to find any success on Sunday, it may need to come through screens and checkdowns, though that is a role that's been owned by Harvey for most of the year. McLaughlin is RotoBaller's RB7 for the week, but there is a world where he is entirely phased out of the game script.

From RotoBaller

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. is coming off his best performance of the season, after leading the team with eight receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in last Sunday's overtime win over the Bills. If the Broncos and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham are to have any success moving the ball against an attacking Patriots defense, Mims may once again be tasked with carrying a heavy workload. Patriots cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III match up well on paper against the bigger bodies of Courtland Sutton and Pat Bryant, so it could fall on the smaller, quicker Mims to provide an intermediate outlet for Stidham if New England continues to send extra bodies in the pass rush. Mims is RotoBaller's WR8 for the Conference Championship Round of playoff fantasy leagues, but he could be more valuable in Full-PPR formats.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Rams veteran tight end Tyler Higbee has seen his usage and productivity decline in each of his three games since returning from an ankle injury in Week 18. In his first game back after missing nearly two months of action, he led the team in receiving yards and scored his third touchdown of the season, but in the team's two playoff games since, he's seen a total of four targets, and he was on the field for only eight offensive snaps in the Rams' Divisional Round win over Chicago. With rookie Terrance Ferguson returning for that game after missing two weeks of his own with a hamstring injury, Higbee was relegated to the third tight end in passing sets, behind Ferguson and Colby Parkinson, and was taken off the field for Davis Allen in more obvious running situations. Higbee is RotoBaller's TE3 for the week, but it should come as no surprise if he continues to run behind Parkinson and Ferguson on Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Rams rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson recorded a touchdown in each of his final two regular-season games. After missing two weeks with a hamstring injury, he returned for last week's Divisional Round win over the Bears and was targeted five times. Unfortunately, he was able to collect only one of those looks, finishing his first career playoff game with a single catch for 19 yards. With Los Angeles using a heavy deployment of jumbo packages down the stretch, Ferguson should see the field plenty against a Seahawks defense that has excelled against fantasy running backs and wide receivers while finishing in the middle of the pack against tight ends. Colby Parkinson is likely the safest bet out of the Rams' crowded tight end room, given his steady usage near the goal line, but Ferguson may be the most talented of the bunch, and he is RotoBaller's TE5 for Conference Championship Weekend.

From RotoBaller

Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers are agreeing on a five-year deal to be the next head coach of the organization. Financial terms of the deal are undisclosed.

From TheHuddle

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris are considered as the three leading candidates for the organization's head-coaching vacancy, according to sources.

From TheHuddle