Chiefs WRs JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kadarius Toney and Mecole Hardman were all knocked out of Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. It was a knee for Smith-Schuster, which HC Andy Reid called a "re-aggravation" of an issue he dealt with in practice leading up to this game. (Smith-Schuster was added to the injury report with a knee on Friday.). Toney hurt his ankle in the 1st quarter and didn't return. Hardman seemingly tweaked the pelvis injury that had him sidelined since Week 9. The Chiefs get a much-needed week off before squaring off with the Eagles in the Super Bowl. We'll keep a close eye on these WRs when Kansas City officially gets back to work next week.
Eagles RB Miles Sanders tallied 11 carries for 42 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's NFC Championship win vs. the 49ers. Teammate Kenneth Gainwell led the team with 48 rushing yards. Sanders, QB Jalen Hurts, and RB Boston Scott combined for 4 rushing TDs in a game against a 49ers' defense that ranked as the single-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. Eagles OC Shane Steichen and company deserve a great deal of credit for this momentous victory. The Eagles will now be preparing to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 25 attempts for 121 passing yards in addition to rushing for 39 yards and scoring a TD on the ground in Sunday's NFC Championship win vs. the 49ers. Next for Hurts is a showdown against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs' defense ranks as the 2nd-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey logged 15 carries for 84 yards and a TD in Sunday's NFC Championship loss vs. the Eagles. He also added 4 catches for 22 yards as a receiver in the contest. The early injury to QB Brock Purdy forced the 49ers to dramatically shift their offensive game plan to a predictable, run-heavy attack. McCaffrey and company ultimately suffered as a result, though 106 total yards and a score is no small feat for the veteran RB all things considered. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is under contract through 2025 and figures to be a major focal point of this offense in the near future. McCaffrey will once again be in the RB1 overall discussion in 2023 regardless of who's under center at QB.
49ers QB Brock Purdy completed 4 attempts for a mere 23 yards in Sunday's NFC Championship loss vs. the Eagles. The rookie left the game early in the 1st quarter with an elbow injury and was replaced by QB Josh Johnson. Johnson was later forced to exit the contest due to a concussion, ultimately leading to Purdy re-entering the game. HC Kyle Shanahan shared after the game that Purdy "wouldn’t have gone back in if we hadn’t had to" make that decision. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported later Sunday evening that Purdy injured his ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo an MRI on Monday. If his UCL isn't ruptured, it's expected to be a 6-week recovery. Anything more severe would require surgery and put dynasty managers who recently made aggressive pushes to acquire the QB in a tough spot. We should know more tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates.
Several outlets reported on Sunday evening that the Dallas Cowboys and OC Kellen more have mutually agreed to part ways after 4 seasons. HC Mike McCarthy is expected to take over play-calling duties in 2023. The Cowboys' offense ranked top-10 in scoring in 3 of Moore's 4 seasons at the helm. Moore will be a highly sought-after candidate whether as an OC or head coach. The former QB has interviewed for several head coach openings over the years, including an interview for the Carolina Panthers' vacancy that was ultimately filled by HC Frank Reich. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sunday that the newly-available Moore is expected to speak with the Los Angeles Chargers about their vacant OC position. Where he ultimately lands will have ripple effects for fantasy purposes. We'll keep our eyes out for any updates that come up regarding Moore's future employment status.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert underwent surgery on January 25 to repair the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, the team announced. He was on the injury report with a left shoulder in Week 18 but was removed for the opening round of the playoffs. Herbert is expected to be cleared to participate in the offseason program, but we'll keep a close eye on his rehab. At this point, we're not adjusting our 2023 fantasy outlook for Herbert.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) is active for today's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. It'll be his first action since Week 9. WR Justin Watson (illness) is inactive.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (back) is active for today's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. He reportedly injured his back on Friday and was a legitimate game-time decision for this one, so Kelce brings more risk than usual in fantasy lineups.
49ers QB Brock Purdy left Sunday’s game against the Eagles with a right elbow injury. He’s officially questionable to return. Veteran Josh Johnson would take over for San Francisco if Purdy is unable to return.
UPDATE: Purdy entered in the 3rd quarter following a concussion check for Josh Johnson.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that there's "true uncertainty" about how Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' injured ankle will hold up in today's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. The ankle didn't swell up as much as the team thought it would, and Mahomes looked better in practice than expected, per Rapoport. But Mahomes didn't sprint at all this week, and it's unclear how the ankle will respond when Mahomes gets hit. There's clearly elevated risk to Mahomes in fantasy lineups today.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) is inactive for today's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. RB Tevin Coleman was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday and is active for this one. He joins Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason in San Francisco's backfield. RB Ty Davis-Price is a healthy scratch. Check out the updated projections for the 49ers backfield.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor had arthroscopic surgery recently on his right ankle, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, and it was about more than just the high-ankle sprain that ended his 2022 season. "That thing had a bunch of junk in it from a bunch of years," Rapoport relayed from Taylor on Sunday morning. The RB is reportedly on track to be fully ready ahead of the coming season, and we just might get a healthier Taylor in 2023 than we got at any point in 2022. Taylor should remain in your Round 1 plans for 2023 fantasy football drafts.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Cardinals QB Kyler Murray won't rush his return to the field and will focus on getting back to 100% following the ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee. "Do not be surprised if we don't see him to start the season, or maybe even by the midway point," Rapoport said Sunday morning. We'll obviously be tracking Murray's recovery throughout the offseason. This latest news should give you hesitation in best-ball drafts, though. It's tough to like the Cardinals QB inside the position's top 12 in the earliest drafts. On top of the knee, Murray also faces the challenge of learning a new system when Arizona selects its next coach. And WR DeAndre Hopkins has been discussed as a trade candidate.
Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) isn't listed on the final injury report for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. He put in a full practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday. Hurst should be ready for his usual role this weekend.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practiced fully all week and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. Mahomes still tossed 2 TDs and 195 yards while looking visibly slowed by this ankle issue last week vs. the Jaguars. Even if his mobility is limited, his full practice participation every day this week should instill confidence in fantasy managers this weekend. It's hard to bet against a dominant player like Mahomes despite the fact that the Bengals' defense ranks as the 2nd-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (ankle) upgraded to full practice on Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. Samuel has been targeted 16 times over the last 2 games with 7 carries as a runner. His high involvement makes him a quality fantasy option again this weekend despite the Eagles' defense ranking as the 10th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. It's also worth noting that RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) is listed as questionable for this contest. Samuel could possibly pick up a couple extra carries in the event that Mitchell misses this game.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) upgraded to full practice participation on Friday and doesn't carry an official injury designation for Sunday's NFC Championship vs. the Eagles. Teammate RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) didn't practice at all this week and is listed as questionable. A potential Mitchell absence would be a slight boost to McCaffrey's fantasy appeal, but not by a ton. McCaffrey has logged 15+ touches in every playoff game with an average of 19.6 PPR points per game. If anything, WR Deebo Samuel would gain some value with additional touches out of the backfield possibly. The Eagles' defense ranks as the 14th-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) logged limited practice participation all week and is officially listed as questionable for the AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. The speedster didn't practice last week, eventually leading to him not playing vs. the Jaguars in the Divisional Round. Teammate WR Justin Watson (illness) popped up on the injury report last minute and is also questionable for Sunday's game. The lack of health in the WR room makes us feel even better about Kadarius Toney in this fairly neutral matchup vs. the Bengals. Toney totaled 50 yards on 6 touches last week and stands to possibly be in line for another good opportunity for involvement if Hardman doesn't suit up.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (back) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. It's tough to say one way or another how concerned fantasy managers should be about this development. Considering he practiced fully and didn't appear on the report before Friday, we feel cautiously optimistic about his fantasy appeal in playoff contests. We'll keep an eye out for any reports that shed more light on the situation.
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