Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) will return to the field for Sunday's Wild-Card matchup against the Washington Commanders. Winfield has been practicing in full this week and will play for the first time since Week 14. That is a huge lift for this secondary as Winfield is one of the better safeties in the league. He has 60 tackles, two sacks, and three passes defended across nine games with the Bucs this season. It's also worth noting that defensive back Jamel Dean (knee) has been cleared to play after missing the regular season finale. Both players will give this secondary and immediate boost heading into this playoff contest.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (back) was held out of practice on Friday with back tightness, but he is still expected to play on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers on wild-card weekend. Smith had been battling a wrist injury late in the year and was rested in the Week 18 regular-season finale with the No. 2 seed in the NFC already locked up. He was not on the injury report earlier this week but is now battling what appears to be a minor back injury. Both Smith and A.J. Brown (knee) should be ready to play on Sunday, and they'll also be getting quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) back, making them both WR1 option in fantasy playoff lineups despite the fact that the Packers defense allowed the fifth-fewest half-PPR points per game to WRs in 2024. Smith had seven catches on eight targets for 84 yards in the Week 1 win over the Packers.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) is back at practice on Friday after he was held out of Thursday's session as a precaution. Brown battled through a knee issue at the end of the regular season and was held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale for rest purposes with the Eagles already locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC for the postseason. Along with Brown, DeVonta Smith (back) should be fully ready for Sunday's wild-card contest against the visiting Green Bay Packers. Brown finished the regular season as the WR18 in half-PPR scoring, but he's riding into the playoffs on a hot streak, having scored in each of his last three games while catching 19 of 31 targets for 243 yards. Despite the fact that the Packers defense was stingy against wideouts in 2024 in terms of fantasy points, Brown should be on the WR1 radar in fantasy playoff leagues.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has re-torn his Achilles tendon. Dynasty Analysis: Oh boy. Watson may not play at all in 2025 now and his career has to be considered to be in jeopardy at this point. Remarkably ineffective since being traded from Houston, Watson is now damaged good and on the biggest boat anchor of a contract in NFL history. The Browns swung for the fences and struck out in the bottom of the ninth on this one. Watson's dynasty value is gone and he actually belongs on waiver wires at this point.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Friday that cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) is good to go for Sunday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on wild-card weekend. Lattimore has missed plenty of time this year due to hamstring issues, including the final two games of the regular season, but the 28-year-old veteran cornerback will be available this weekend and is expected to try and shut down Bucs future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans in this matchup. It's worth noting that Lattimore held Evans to only two catches on six targets for 34 yards back in Week 6 when Lattimore was still with the New Orleans Saints. Evans will still be a top-five fantasy wideout on Sunday, but he could have more bust potential with Lattimore covering him. Even with Lattimore back, fantasy managers should avoid Washington's defense/special teams unit.

From RotoBaller

In his debut with the Houston Texans in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Tennessee Titans in the regular-season finale, wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards and also returned a punt for zero yards. He played 37 percent of the offensive snaps, but the Texans plan on using him more for the upcoming wild-card playoff game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite being on his third team this season, Johnson is fitting in well with Houston so far. "We were able to get him a little involved in the game as well. I thought he handled himself really well. We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. The Texans could really use someone to step up behind Nico Collins with both Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee) out for the year. It could be Johnson, but he'll still be a risky boom/bust flex play in fantasy this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) returned to the practice field on Friday, according to head coach Andy Reid. It's not an official practice for the Chiefs since they are on bye for the wild-card round of the playoffs this week, but it's a good sign for Pacheco's availability next week for the Divisional Round. Along with most of the Chiefs regulars, the 25-year-old was held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos so that he could rest up for the postseason. The extra rest should help Pacheco get back on the field for the Divisional Round, but we'll have a better idea of his status once the Chiefs resume official practices next week. If he's active next weekend, Pacheco could share more work with backfield mate Kareem Hunt. Pacheco played in a career-low seven games in 2024 due to a broken leg and may not be back to full speed until next season.

From RotoBaller

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson has been charged with one count of misdemeanor DUI, according to the Office of the Los Angeles Attorney. Robinson was arrested on suspicion of DUI on Nov. 25 after police officers saw him driving more than 100 mph. He will be arraigned in late February. The Rams didn't suspend Robinson after he was arrested in November, with head coach Sean McVay saying the team would "let the legal process take place." The 30-year-old started all 17 games in 2024 and surprisingly led the team with seven touchdowns despite finishing fourth with 31 catches and 505 receiving yards. With the charges coming out for Robinson just days before the Rams take on the Minnesota Vikings in Arizona on Monday night, it remains to be seen if LA will suspend Robinson. If Robinson is active, he'll be a touchdown/dependent WR3/flex for playoff lineups.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (Achilles) suffered a re-tear of his Achilles tendon and had another surgery on Thursday to fix it, according to sources informed of the situation. The re-tear comes less than three months after his original tear, and Watson could now miss the entire 2025 season. General manager Andrew Berry announced on Monday that Watson had suffered a setback in his rehab, but now we know that it's a pretty serious setback. Even if Watson can make it back at some point this year, there's an even bigger question about how he would perform after dual Achilles injuries. Since the Browns acquired Watson, he's played in just 19 of a possible 51 regular-season games due to injury and suspension -- he was suspended 11 games in 2022 following allegations of sexual misconduct. If he misses all of 2025, he will have played in just 19 of a possible 85 regular-season games.

From RotoBaller

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) has cleared the league's concussion protocol, according to head coach Nick Sirianni. Hurts is now ready to go for the wild-card playoff game this Sunday against the visiting Green Bay Packers. This was the expectation after Hurts upgraded from a limited practice on Wednesday to a full practice on Thursday. He should be officially cleared from the final injury report for the week on Friday and start under center on Sunday. Fantasy managers setting DFS lineups or in playoff leagues might be a little more hesitant to use the 26-year-old as their QB this weekend after he missed the final two games of the regular season due to his concussion, but his rushing prowess alone -- he had a league-high 14 rushing TDs in 2024 -- make him a top-five option at the position.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) will not require surgery for the fractured back that he played through late in the 2024 season. "One tough dude. Example of what you want," Ballard said. It's a testament to Pittman's toughness that he missed just one game due to his back injury. But the 27-year-old's back issues and inconsistent play from the quarterback position in Indianapolis in 2024 led to Pittman posting only 808 receiving yards -- his fewest since his rookie season in 2020 -- to go with 69 receptions (also his lowest mark since 2020) and only three touchdowns in 16 games. Better health will give him a chance to rebound in 2025, but his overall upside might be dependent on quarterback Anthony Richardson's health and his ability to improve as a passer.

From RotoBaller

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team will add competition to the quarterback room in 2025, in part because Anthony Richardson (back) hasn't been able to stay healthy for a full season yet early on in his career. In addition to injury issues, Richardson's accuracy concerns continue to be a problem. "We knew when we took him it was going to be a roller coaster," Ballard said of Richardson. "The number one thing we have to figure out and have to work through is he's got to stay healthy. That, to me, is the biggest question. We have to have competition at the position because competition makes you better and because he's not proven he can stay healthy for 17 games," Ballard said. The 22-year-old has started 15 of a possible 34 games in his first two NFL seasons. While his rushing ability is top tier, Richardson needs to stay healthy and improve as a passer to maintain his starting role in Indy.

From RotoBaller

Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said he would be 'very confident' in retaining QB Kirk Cousins to be the team's backup for the 2025 season. Fontenot also indicated that reports saying Cousins would be released before a $10 million roster bonus was due on March 17 were unfounded.

Fantasy Spin: While the Falcons GM made some points about the low cap hit of Michael Penix Jr. and the allure of having an experienced backup behind this season's first-round pick, it's probably little more than posturing as NFL teams are notoriously coy about tipping future plans. Obviously, if the Falcons do retain Cousins as QB2, he'd hold zero fantasy appeal. If he is released and resurfaces somewhere else with a shot at a starting job (Cleveland, perhaps?), the veteran would be worth tracking in case another offseason of recovery allows him to rediscover his pre-injury form.

From TheHuddle

Los Angeles Rams WR Demarcus Robinson was charged with one count of misdemeanor DUI on Thursday, Jan. 9, stemming from an arrest on Nov. 25, 2024. The team elected not to suspend Robinson following his arrest, but he could face discipline from the NFL down the line.

From TheHuddle

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free-agent DT Adam Gotsis (Colts) to the practice squad on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

From TheHuddle

Los Angeles Chargers CB Eli Apple (hamstring) was designated to return from the Reserve/Injured list on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

From TheHuddle

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth was incredibly productive over the last two weeks of the regular season and will carry some positive momentum into a Wild-Card Round bout with the Baltimore Ravens. Freiermuth had his best showing of the year in Week 18, hauling in eight of 11 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown. It is worth noting that Freiermuth was hardly utilized in either of his two meetings with the Ravens in 2024 and was held to three or fewer receptions in both contests. On paper, however, this is a favorable matchup for the 26-year-old as Baltimore struggled against the pass and opposing tight ends throughout the campaign. There are more reliable options for fantasy purposes this weekend, but Freiermuth is a solid value and offers upside in PPR formats.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has had his well-documented issues this season but has been a bit more reliable since their bye week in Week 14. In that span, he's gone 18-for-18 in extra points and 3-for-3 in his field goal tries. His rough season can't be forgotten, which is what makes him more of a mid-level option rather than the elite fantasy asset that he used to be. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Tucker has a solid ceiling but a lower floor.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens failed to make an impact in the team's final game of the regular season but will need to step up against the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Pickens was injured for Pittsburgh's most recent meeting with Baltimore, but back in Week 11, he earned 12 targets and logged eight receptions for 89 yards against his division rival. The Ravens allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wideouts this season, so this is certainly a matchup that Pickens can find success in. Unfortunately, quarterback Russell Wilson and the Steelers' offense as a whole have been wildly inconsistent, making it extremely difficult to rely on Pickens' production. That said, he has a high ceiling this weekend and can be considered a low-end WR1 or high-end WR2 in fantasy contests.

From RotoBaller

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill's 3.5 yards after catch and 1.75 yards per route run were both the lowest totals of his career.

Fantasy Spin: To be fair, Hill battled a wrist injury and played six games without Tua Tagovailoa under center. After quieting the speculation that he wants out of Miami, Hill should still be in the WR1 mix next season, although not necessarily a lock for the first round of fantasy drafts.

From TheHuddle