

Tue Jan 6 8:25pm ET
Field Level Media
John Morton, who was relieved of his play-calling duties eight games into his first season as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, was fired on Tuesday.
The Lions announced they had "parted ways" with Morton, 56, after finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs in a season with championship expectations.
Morton replaced Ben Johnson, who left to be the Chicago Bears' head coach after guiding the Lions to spectacular offensive numbers in 2024.
Under Johnson, Detroit boasted the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense (33.2 points per game) and finished second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) in 2024. Detroit's points (564) and regular-season wins (15) that year were franchise records.
Head coach Dan Campbell took over as offensive play-caller for the Lions this season after a 27-24 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 2 dropped the team to 5-3. Detroit beat the host Washington Commanders 44-22 on Nov. 9.
At the end of the 2025 regular season, the Lions ranked fifth in the league in total offense (373.2 yards per game), third in passing (253.1) and 14th in rushing (120.1). Detroit was tied for fourth with the Buffalo Bills at 28.3 points per game.
Morton returned to the organization after a two-year stint as the pass game coordinator in Denver, where in 2024 the Broncos finished 20th in the NFL in pass offense (212.4) and averaged 25.0 points per game.
He spent the 2022 season with the Lions as a senior offensive assistant before joining the Broncos in 2023. The Michigan native previously worked with Detroit quarterback Jared Goff during Johnson's first season as offensive coordinator.
FantasyLife Postseason Shootout Preview
Across 16 games played in 2025, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 65.7% of his pass attempts for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Rodgers delivered a bit of a vintage performance in Week 18 to help power Pittsburgh into the playoffs, completing 31 of 47 pass attempts for 294 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Baltimore Ravens. Entering Wild Card Weekend, Rodgers will get some much-needed pass-catching help in the form of wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, who missed the final two games of the regular season due to a suspension. However, Rodgers will face one of the league's best defenses in the Houston Texans in the first round of the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Houston ranked seventh among NFL defenses in both passing yards (3,486) and passing touchdowns (20) allowed. Rodgers has played some of his best football of the season in recent weeks, but fantasy managers in playoff leagues may want to be cautious given his matchup against Houston.
From RotoBaller
After missing Week 17 due to a knee injury, Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid returned in Week 18 and recorded three catches for 48 yards on three targets in his team's blowout win over the New York Jets. Multiple injuries limited the 26-year-old to just 12 games played in 2025, and he finished the season with 39 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns on 49 targets. On a per-play basis, Kincaid is a highly efficient and productive tight end. However, playing time and target volume are issues for Kincaid's fantasy outlook. He has not played more than 38% of Buffalo's offensive snaps in any game since Week 5 and has not earned more than five targets in a game since Week 9. Heading into his Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kincaid profiles as a high-ceiling, low-floor tight end option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.
From RotoBaller
The Detroit Lions are kicking off their search for a new offensive coordinator with former Lions quarterback David Blough, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Blough worked as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders in 2025, but he served as the QBs coach after Tavita Pritchard left to become the head coach at Stanford. Detroit let go of Johnny Morton as their offensive coordinator after just one season in the role. Blough last played in the NFL in 2023 and began his coaching career with Washington in 2024. The 30-year-old former undrafted rookie out of Purdue played in just four seasons in the NFL with Detroit and Arizona and completed 57% of his passes for 1,435 yards, six touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The Lions have high expectations for their high-scoring offense after scoring 28.3 points per game in 2025, the fifth-most in the NFL.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington (knee) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated injury report, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Whittington suffered a knee injury in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, and he was reportedly set for an MRI exam early this week. It suggests that the 25-year-old's knee injury could be serious enough to sideline him from the Wild-Card playoff matchup on Saturday versus the Carolina Panthers. The good news is that the Rams have veteran Pro Bowl wideout Davante Adams (hamstring) fully expected to return this weekend for the start of the postseason. Even when active, Whittington isn't a realistic fantasy WR. He had a total of just 18 catches during the regular season for 171 yards and no touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on the team's estimated injury report on Tuesday, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Higbee is managing an ankle injury that caused him to miss six regular-season contests. The 33-year-old veteran came off Injured Reserve to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, though, and he played 64% of the snaps on his way to catching five of his six targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in his first game back. Higbee should be fine to suit up for the Wild-Card playoff game on the road against the Carolina Panthers after not suffering a setback with his ankle injury. The Rams also have Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson (hamstring), and they are expected to get receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) back after a three-game absence. View Higbee as a touchdown-dependent, low-end TE1 in fantasy this weekend.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) was listed as a limited participant for Tuesday's practice session, according to NFL.com's Jason B. Hirschhorn. Wicks suffered a concussion in the Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was held out of the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The fact that the 24-year-old is practicing at all is a good sign, and he could be on pace to clear the league's concussion protocol by later this week and be active for the Wild-Card playoff tilt against the division-rival Chicago Bears on Saturday evening. If Wicks plays this weekend, he'll be a volatile and risky WR4/flex play for those in playoff fantasy leagues. Wicks only caught a career-low 30 passes for 332 yards and two scores on 46 targets in 14 regular-season games. The vast majority of his fantasy production came on Thanksgiving against the Lions, when he went for 94 receiving yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's estimated injury report, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. Ferguson injured his hamstring in practice last Friday and was held out of the Week 18 win over the Arizona Cardinals as a precaution. It's not a great sign that the 22-year-old isn't practicing to begin the week, but he still has a few more days to get back on the practice field. Head coach Sean McVay said he expects Ferguson to return on Saturday for the Wild-Card playoff matchup against the hosting Carolina Panthers. Ferguson took on a bigger role in L.A.'s offense right before his injury, but with Tyler Higbee now back in the fold, it's going to be harder for the rookie TE to make noise in fantasy in the postseason. He finished his first year in the NFL with only 11 catches on 25 targets for 231 yards and three touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden (Achilles) should be good to go for Wild-Card weekend against the division-rival Chicago Bears this Saturday night after being listed as a full participant at Tuesday's practice. Golden played all of the team's offensive snaps in the Week 18 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, with the Packers resting some of their regulars, but the 22-year-old still wasn't able to capitalize with Clayton Tune running the offense. Golden caught one of his three targets for only eight yards to close out what was a disappointing first year in the NFL. The Texas product was a popular rookie breakout candidate in the preseason, but he ended up with only 29 receptions for 361 yards and no touchdowns in 2025. Green Bay's receiving corps is pretty healthy heading into the playoffs, making Golden pretty hard to trust in fantasy lineups.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) was listed as a full-go on the team's estimated injury report on Tuesday, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN. Adams was held out of the final three regular-season games as a way to ensure that he'd be closer to 100% for a postseason run. The 33-year-old should be active for Saturday's Wild-Card matchup against the hosting Carolina Panthers, and he shouldn't have any restrictions in terms of workload. Despite missing time going into the playoffs, the Pro Bowl pass-catcher should be viewed as a top-five fantasy receiver in playoff leagues. Adams finished the 2025 campaign with a league-high 14 touchdown receptions despite missing the final three games, and he added a healthy 60 receptions for 789 yards in his 14 games. Adams is quarterback Matthew Stafford's No. 1 target in the red zone.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) was listed as a limited participant in the first practice of the week on Tuesday, according to Chris Emma of 670 The Score. Odunze missed the final five games of the regular season with a stress fracture in his foot, but the Bears are hoping that he can return for the first round of the playoffs this Saturday night against the division-rival Green Bay Packers. The 23-year-old second-year wideout got off to a hot start with five touchdown catches in the first four games. However, he fizzled out eventually before heading to the sideline due to his foot injury. Odunze finished the regular season with 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns on 90 targets after posting a 54-734-3 line in 17 games as a rookie. If Odunze returns to face the Packers, he'll be pretty volatile for fantasy lineups given his lengthy absence and the emergence of rookie receiver Luther Burden III and rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (knee) was listed as limited in Tuesday's practice due to a knee injury, according to Chris Emma of 670 The Score. It's unclear how serious Moore's knee injury is, but it could help explain why he caught just two passes on seven targets for 18 yards in the final two games of the regular season against the 49ers and Lions, with fellow wideout Rome Odunze (foot) still sidelined by injury. The 28-year-old Moore did have five catches for a season-high 97 yards and a touchdown in the Week 16 victory over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, and he also scored twice the week prior against the Cleveland Browns. If Moore is active on Wild-Card weekend against Green Bay on Saturday night, he'll be a low-floor fantasy option at receiver, especially if Odunze makes his return to Chicago's receiving room.
From RotoBaller
The Buffalo Bills announced on Tuesday that they signed free-agent kicker Matthew Wright to their practice squad. Veteran kicker Matt Prater (quadriceps) aggravated his quad injury in the Week 18 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, which means that Wright will most likely be promoted to the active 53-man roster for this weekend's Wild-Card matchup at the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 29-year-old Wright kicked for three teams in 2025 -- the Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, and Houston Texans -- making all five of his field-goal tries and all four of his extra-point attempts in only four games played. Wright has kicked for eight teams in his six NFL seasons, making 88.2% of his 68 field-goal attempts. He's gone 45-for-47 on extra points. Given Prater's uncertain status for the weekend, fantasy managers would be wise to avoid Buffalo's kicking situation entering the playoffs.
From RotoBaller
The Los Angeles Rams announced on Tuesday that they activated safety Quentin Lake (elbow) from Injured Reserve. In a corresponding move, inside linebacker Shaun Dolac (knee) was sent to IR. Lake has been out for the Rams since he was hurt in Week 11, but he got in several full practices last week and is expected to play in the Wild-Card game this Saturday on the road versus the Carolina Panthers. The 26-year-old defensive back is a big addition to a strong Rams' defense for what they hope will be a deep playoff run. In 10 starts in his fourth NFL season before going on IR, Lake had 61 tackles (37 solo), one sack, one interception, 10 pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. L.A.'s defense/special teams unit will be one of the most popular plays at the position in fantasy playoff leagues this week while taking on an inconsistent Panthers offense.
From RotoBaller
The Green Bay Packers released quarterback Clayton Tune on Tuesday and signed QB Desmond Ridder to the active 53-man roster in a corresponding move, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Tune made the start in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and went 6-for-11 for 34 yards with no touchdowns and an interception, adding 23 rushing yards on four carries. The 26-year-old won't join the team going into the playoffs this Saturday night against the division-rival Chicago Bears. Jordan Love (concussion) will return as the starter, but Ridder could serve as his backup in the Wild-Card round if Malik Willis (shoulder, hamstring) isn't ready to return from a right-shoulder injury that he suffered in the Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Tune's start on Sunday for Green Bay was just the second of his career.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback Will Johnson's (knee) MRI results came back clean on Monday, a source told Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. Johnson is good to go after his injury scare in the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the Los Angeles Rams, and he'll have a full offseason of training. The 22-year-old second-rounder out of Michigan ended up playing in 12 games (10 starts) in his first year in the NFL, recording 37 tackles (27 solo), two tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, and a forced fumble for the Cardinals. Johnson got plenty of playing time in 2025 due to injuries to Sean Murphy-Bunting (knee) and Starling Thomas (knee). Assuming he's fully healthy going into 2026, Johnson should be in line for a starting role in Arizona's secondary.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (concussion) will start on Saturday in the Wild-Card playoff game against the division-rival Chicago Bears after missing more than two and a half games due to a concussion, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "There's nobody else I'd rather have than Jordan," head coach Matt LaFleur said. Love has not played since suffering a concussion in the second half of the Week 16 loss to the Bears. The 27-year-old mostly had a normal week of practice last week before being held out of the Week 18 regular-season loss to the Minnesota Vikings, so he shouldn't have any limitations this weekend on the road. In the first meeting with Chicago on Dec. 7, Love threw for 234 yards, three touchdowns, and one pick. Chicago's defense allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to QBs in 18 weeks, so Love, coming off injury, will be in play as a QB sleeper play in the first round in fantasy playoff leagues.
From RotoBaller
The Chicago Bears announced on Tuesday that they designated cornerback Kyler Gordon (groin) and offensive tackle Braxton Jones (knee) to return from Injured Reserve. Gordon and Jones will have their 21-day practice window opened, which means they will practice this week and will be eligible to come off IR to play on Saturday evening against the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Wild-Card weekend. Gordon, 26, played in only three regular-season games in 2025 due to groin and hamstring ailments. If Gordon is active for the first round of the playoffs, the Bears will likely ease him back in the secondary. Jones, 26, injured his knee in the Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints and has missed the last 11 games. If Jones is activated from IR and is active this weekend, he'll serve as a backup tackle for Chicago's offensive line.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo wide receiver Joshua Palmer took 84% of his team's offensive snaps in a Week 18 win over the Jets that saw most of the Bills' starters rested for the playoffs. He caught his only target for one yard, closing out his first season in Buffalo with 303 receiving yards and no touchdowns. In fantasy playoff leagues, he belongs far down the list of wide receivers worth starting. The obvious counterpoint is that a Josh Allen-led offense with no obvious go-to weapons outside of running back James Cook could potentially make an unexpected playoff hero out of anyone on the roster. Still, with so many other sure things in a wide-open playoff field, Palmer can be left off of fantasy rosters.
From RotoBaller
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox caught his fourth touchdown of the season in a Week 18 win over the Jets, which saw most of the team's starters relegated to the sidelines. He now has three touchdowns in his last four games after a two-score performance against the Patriots in Week 15. Heading into the postseason, he should be viewed as nothing more than a touchdown-dependent dart throw for fantasy playoff leagues. Outside of a Week 14 win over the Bengals that saw him explode for 93 yards, Knox hasn't topped 37 receiving yards in any other game. With Dalton Kincaid able to fight through a knee injury to suit up for the regular season finale, Knox's role also becomes more difficult to predict with both tight ends presumably set to play in a road game against Jacksonville.
From RotoBaller
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir was rested for Buffalo's Week 18 win over the Jets, along with most of the team's starters, officially closing the regular season with 719 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After cracking double-digit fantasy points in four of his first 11 games of the year, he has not hit that mark since a Week 12 loss to the Texans, and he heads into the playoffs having topped 35 receiving yards only once in his final five games. With only one touchdown since Week 9, Shakir is a low-floor, low-ceiling play in fantasy playoff leagues and does not need to be heavily rostered. He is RotoBaller's WR13 in a week with 12 teams in action.
From RotoBaller