The Detroit Lions D/ST continues to be a top fantasy option as their 2024 playoff run gets underway. The Lions take on the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, fresh off a bye week that allowed them to get healthy on both sides of the football. While Detroit's defense is still dealing with some key ailments, the unit is making progress. Alex Anzalone returned to the mix in Week 18, and Terrion Arnold (foot) is expected to play on Saturday after avoiding a serious injury. Plus, while the Commanders' offense is no joke, Washington is technically the weakest team left in the playoffs strictly based on seeding. The Lions' intimidating defense and relatively favorable matchup give them significant fantasy appeal for the Divisional Round. RotoBaller's latest fantasy rankings place the Lions second among D/ST units this week, only behind the Kansas City Chiefs.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is a big-play threat who remains a solid fantasy option for Saturday's playoff game against the Washington Commanders. Williams spent this season occupying the No. 2 receiver slot on the depth chart behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, but that didn't stop him from breaking out for 58 catches, 1,001 yards, and seven touchdowns through 15 games. He was the overall WR19 in half-PPR leagues during the 2024 season, though his low floor and high ceiling often meant that he was finishing inside the top 10 receivers or outside the top 25. This weekend, he'll get a chance to make his playoff presence felt against a Commanders defense that ranks near the middle of the league in terms of production allowed to opposing receivers. They've fared equally well against slot and perimeter receivers, so the fact that Williams is capable of playing both roles doesn't give him much of an edge this weekend. Instead, he'll simply have to use his game-changing speed and athleticism to dismantle a solid Washington secondary. He has shown that he can be matchup-proof at times in the past, so managers shouldn't be surprised if he finishes the Divisional Round as a top-six fantasy receiver. His upside makes him an intriguing option for fantasy managers and bettors.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick delivered a solid four-game stretch where he looked like one of the best No. 3 receivers in the NFL, but a subpar finish to the regular season has stripped him of some fantasy appeal as the Divisional Round gets underway. This week, Patrick gets ready for a matchup with the Washington Commanders, who have ranked near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. They've also fared equally well against both slot and perimeter weapons, so Patrick's tendency to operate out wide doesn't give him much of an advantage. The veteran receiver caught two passes on three targets over his final three games during the regular season, consistently playing between 55 and 65 percent of the offensive snaps. His experience and veteran status do give him a slight boost in the playoffs, but he's still tough to trust given his reduced volume to end the regular season. Look for him to rank as a fringe top-24 fantasy receiver this week.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has never appeared in an NFL playoff game before, but he already ranks as the No. 1 overall kicker in RotoBaller's Divisional Round fantasy rankings. His highly anticipated performance against the Washington Commanders on Saturday is the result of an impressive regular season in which he scored the seventh-most fantasy points among kickers. He missed just three field-goal attempts, and the Lions' incredibly potent offense put him in position to make a whopping 64 extra points. Also working in his favor is a somewhat favorable matchup against the Commanders, who surrendered two field goals to Chase McLaughlin last week, including one from 50 yards out. All in all, Bates is this week's top fantasy kicker thanks to his accuracy, power, and role on a dominant Lions team.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta remains a top option for fantasy managers and bettors ahead of Saturday's playoff game against the Washington Commanders. The second-year tight end exploded down the stretch, finishing as the overall TE3 in half-PPR leagues. He had two touchdowns over his final three games, and he amassed 24 catches for 281 yards over his last four contests. The Commanders have performed in a peculiar fashion against tight ends this year, surrendering the third-fewest catches and fifth-fewest receiving yards to opposing tight ends in 2024. Most important, however, is that Washington surrendered the fifth-most touchdowns to the position. LaPorta has a very strong chance to feast, especially as he continues to carve out an even larger role around the goal line.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has the potential to lead his position in fantasy points during Saturday's playoff game against the Washington Commanders. St. Brown was the overall WR1 in two different games during the 2024 regular season, and now, he has a chance to replicate that finish in an exciting playoff battle against the Commanders. The path to more fantasy glory could face some adversity, of course, against a Washington defense that has been under the radar this year. The Commanders have allowed the fewest receptions to opposing wide receivers, and they also rank in the top half of the league in terms of points allowed. St. Brown has repeatedly shown that he can overcome tough matchups, but his path to doing so may be a little tougher than for someone like Puka Nacua, who takes on the Philadelphia Eagles. As a result, Nacua is the overall WR1 and St. Brown is the overall WR2 in fantasy rankings, but the latter has an equally strong chance to finish this season as the highest-scoring fantasy receiver.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff remains an appealing fantasy option as he prepares for the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Washington Commanders. The veteran quarterback has never been a very mobile player, but he has been able to maintain high upside thanks to his sharp passing skills and strong group of weapons. Throwing passes to players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs in 2024, Goff was able to rank as the overall QB6. This week, he should crack the top five fantasy quarterbacks as he takes on a suspect Washington Commanders defense. The Commanders have shown real potential, allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. However, their defense is typically regarded as mediocre at best, and they just surrendered two passing touchdowns to Baker Mayfield in the Wild Card Round. Furthermore, they failed to pick off Mayfield, despite the Buccaneers' quarterback leading the NFL in interceptions during the regular season. Goff may not post an absurdly high yardage total, but he should still be relied upon for a couple of touchdowns and potentially turnover-free football. He continues to be a top option for fantasy and betting purposes.

From RotoBaller

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs remains a top option for fantasy managers and bettors ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Washington Commanders. Gibbs delivered otherworldly production near the end of the season, picking up 396 rushing yards, 205 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns over a four-game span to end the year. Much of the credit for his productivity can be given to the absence of David Montgomery (knee), who was no longer healthy enough to handle short-yardage situations. However, after four weeks with the backfield all to himself, Gibbs welcomes Montgomery back to the mix for the Divisional Round. Fortunately for Gibbs, he doesn't have to worry too much about opportunities slipping away. Not only did he assert himself as the Lions' undisputed No. 1 running back near the end of the season, but he also gets to face a subpar Commanders defense. In fact, Washington allowed the 12th-most fantasy points, fourth-most rushing yards, and fifth-most rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs last season. Even if he loses some touches to Montgomery, Gibbs remains a top-three fantasy running back ahead of his favorable matchup against the Commanders.

From RotoBaller

According to SI.com's Drae Harris' sources, the Cincinnati Bengals have two finalists for their defensive-coordinator job, and Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is one of them. Graham, a former Yale defensive lineman, interviewed with the Bengals last week. He's also interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head-coaching position this offseason and has spent time coaching in the NFL with the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. In addition to Graham, Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is considered the other finalist to run Cincy's defense in 2025. The former Penn State tight end played for the New England Patriots in the NFL and was on Bengals head coach Zac Taylor's staff as the team's linebackers coach in 2020 and 2021. Harris believes Golden will end up getting the job.

From RotoBaller

The Chicago Bears have reportedly limited down their head coaching search down to two candidates. At the moment, Mike McCarthy and Ben Johnson are the two favorites for the head coaching gig in Chicago. Johnson is probably the most coveted coach available right now after his work as the offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions. Somehow, Super Bowl winning McCarthy appears to be the underdog in this race. To be fair, McCarthy won the Super Bowl in 2010, but he's still a well accomplished coach. His days in Dallas appear to be over after a 7-10 finish, but they didn't have quarterback Dak Prescott for a majority of the year. Both Johnson and McCarthy seem like they would be upgrades for the Bears organization.

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Green Bay Packers defensive back Jaire Alexander (knee) rocked the boat a bit after he declined to talk with the media because he had nothing good to say after the team lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on wild-card weekend. Afterwards, there were rumors that Alexander and the Packers might split this offseason. The organization would save nearly $7 million by releasing Alexander. That doesn't seem like an impossible outcome given Alexander only played seven games this year and ended the season on Injured Reserve. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst downplayed the situation and said there is no disconnect between Alexander and the organization. For now, Alexander remains with the Packers, but he could cut later if the organization wants to save money down the road.

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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said he expects tight end Tyler Higbee (chest) to play versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in a Divisional Round clash. Higbee was limited in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday after leaving the wild-card win over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night with a chest injury that was serious enough to send him to the hospital. However, the 32-year-old was quickly discharged, and the Rams are optimistic that Higbee won't miss the Divisional Round tilt this Sunday against the Eagles in Philadelphia. If he can return to a full practice by Friday, he could even be removed from the final injury report for the weekend. Before hurting his chest on Monday, Higbee was being peppered with targets and caught all five of them for a season-high 58 yards. He also have five catches on seven targets for 46 yards and a TD in Week 18. Coming off his injury, Higbee will be a risk/reward, low-cost TE for DFS lineups in the Divisional Round if he's active.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins continues to be a top-flight option with the underdog Texans set to travel to Kansas City in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs on Saturday. Kansas City has been excellent at creating pressure and stopping the run, but was a middling 17th against PPR receivers. In the first meeting between these two teams last month, Houston threw the ball 39 times and targeted their top receiver on 10 of them, completing seven for 60 yards. Without compatriot Tank Dell (knee) for the rest of the season, Collins has very little competition for targets within Houston's passing game. Against a stingy Chiefs defense, the Texans likely will need to rely upon big plays through the air like they did last week, which is good news for Collins and managers who roster him in playoff or DFS formats.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud should be considered the lowest-ranked option out of all eight starting quarterback options with his team set to take on the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. The 23-year-old faces a Chiefs defense that ranked third among playoff teams in air yards allowed, fourth overall in blitz rate, fifth in pressure percentage, and held Houston to 19 points in a Week 16 Kansas City victory. The sophomore quarterback led Houston to a Wild Card win against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Houston's offense has averaged roughly 19 points per game since the beginning of December. Managers in playoff leagues or DFS should attempt for a better option than Stroud is a tough road matchup.

From RotoBaller

Coming off 12 points in the Wild Card round, Ka'imi Fairbairn faces what is likely the toughest matchup for any starting kicker this weekend when the underdog Houston Texans travel to Kansas City in the Divisional Round. The Chiefs were one of the worst draws for fantasy kickers during the regular season, ranking No. 2 overall against them, while Houston's offense is averaging just 19 offensive points per game since the start of December. Additionally, temperatures are expected to be well below freezing on Saturday, a poor setting for field-goal kicking. All together, Fairbairn is attached to an average offense as a road underdog in bad conditions, which means managers in DFS formats should try for another option if possible.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz is a fringe TE1 with the underdog Texans set to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs. The 28-year old is now Houston's second option in the passing game with Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee) out for the year, and he has a plus matchup against a Chiefs defense that ranked 28th against fantasy tight ends. But for the majority of the season, the production just hasn't been there for the veteran tight end or the Houston offense as a whole, which is averaging just 19 offensive points since the start of December. Schultz did manage five catches for 45 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting against Kansas City, but a road game attached to a so-so offense while playing the defending champs aren't exactly favorable settings.

From RotoBaller

The Houston Texans D/ST is among the bottom rung of teams still alive in the NFL playoffs when they take on the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round on Saturday. Already without top safeties Jalen Pitre (shoulder) and Jimmie Ward (foot) for the season, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) is questionable to face a 15-win Chiefs offense that had the past two weeks to rest. The Texans were excellent in picking off L.A. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert four times last week, but a similar performance against three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes would qualify as an all-time upset. The Chiefs' offense certainly has left something to be desired at times this season, but managers setting DFS lineups shouldn't feel great betting against them, either.

From RotoBaller

The Kansas City Chiefs have listed wide receiver Mecole Hardman (knee) as doubtful to play in the Divisional Round contest on Saturday at home against the visiting Houston Texans. Despite being designated to return from Injured Reserve back on Jan. 1, Hardman has yet to be officially activated and is unlikely to return this weekend for the team's first playoff game of the year. Even if the 26-year-old were activated from IR on Friday, he'd be in line for a very limited role on offense after having not played since Week 13. However, if the Chiefs advance past Houston this weekend and to the AFC Championship next weekend, perhaps Hardman will have made enough progress to return to the field. Before injuring his knee, Hardman was targeted only 14 times and caught 12 passes for 90 yards and no touchdowns in 14 games played.

From RotoBaller

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) is officially listed as questionable to play in the Divisional Round on Saturday against the hosting Kansas City Chiefs. Al-Shaair did not practice on Tuesday but was limited on both Wednesday and Thursday, giving him a chance to suit up this weekend. The 27-year-old injured his knee in the wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday. Given the fact that he was able to practice two days this week, albeit limited, he appears to be on the right side of questionable for the Texans. In his first year with Houston, Al-Shaair recorded 70 tackles (45 solo), two sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven QB hits, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 11 regular-season starts. The Texans defense/special teams rewarded fantasy managers with a big game last week and will be a sleeper option in KC again for the Divisional Round.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf) practiced in full all week and was removed from the final injury report on Thursday. Jones will be active when the Chiefs take on the visiting Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the postseason on Saturday. A calf injury kept the 30-year-old veteran All-Pro from playing in the final two regular-season games, but after three weeks of rest -- the Chiefs had a bye in the wild-card round of the playoffs -- he's ready to return to action as the team seeks an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl championship. It's good news for KC's pass rush and bad news for the Texans offense and quarterback C.J. Stroud. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman only had five sacks in 15 games in 2024 after recording 26 over the previous two seasons, but he's still an integral part of a defense that will be a top fantasy play this weekend.

From RotoBaller