Cowboys RB Tony Pollard fractured his left fibula in Sunday's Divisional Round loss to the 49ers, ESPN's Todd Archer reports. Pollard also reportedly suffered a high-ankle sprain, but the leg injury is the bigger concern. Archer notes that fractured fibulas normally require a 3-month recovery. That timetable would put Pollard back on the field by the end of April, so Pollard should at least be a full-go by the time training camp rolls around. It's unfortunate timing, though, with Pollard set to hit free agency in March.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon rushed 20 times for 105 yards and 1 score in Sunday’s win over Buffalo. So much for Cincy’s banged up O-line. Playing with backups, Mixon posted his best YPC average since Week 14. The 100-yard outing also marked the most from a postseason Bengal since Cedric Benson in 2010. Next comes a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship game, again in Kansas City.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey totaled 10 carries for 35 yards and a TD in Sunday’s Divisional Round win vs. the Cowboys. He also added 6 receptions for 22 yards as a receiver. Teammate RB Elijah Mitchell had a productive stat line of his own, leading the team with 51 rushing yards on 14 carries. The duo will look to replicate their success in the NFC Championship game against an Eagles defense that ranks as the 14th-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.
49ers QB Brock Purdy completed 19 of 29 attempts for 214 yards in Sunday’s Divisional Round win vs. the Cowboys. The rookie successfully extended his winning streak as a starter to 7 games and will now be preparing for the NFC Championship game against an Eagles defense that ranks as the 11th toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb hauled in 10 of 13 targets for 117 yards in Sunday's Divisional Round loss vs. the 49ers. TE Dalton Schultz also came up big again, catching 5 of 10 targets for 27 yards and 1 TD in the contest. Lamb will be locked into the WR1 conversation again in the coming season. On the other hand, Schultz is staring down free agency with an uncertain future ahead. It would certainly be great to see him return to the Cowboys long-term in hopes of extending his streak of TE1 finishes to 4 seasons and beyond. Add Schultz's name to the list of big question marks for the franchise looking ahead into the offseason.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott tallied 26 yards on 10 carries in Sunday's Divisional Round loss vs. the 49ers. It's difficult to project the veteran's future fantasy value looking ahead into 2023. Elliott has seen his average rushing yards per game drop year-over-year and concluded this season at a career-low 58.4 in 15 games. The Cowboys have an out in Elliott's contract with an $11.86 million dead cap hit that would enable them to move on if they choose to. That may sound like a lot of money to cut, but it's certainly a cheaper option than paying Elliott an average of around $16 million a year for the next 4 seasons. There's also the difficult situation of the franchise figuring out what to do with upcoming free agent RB Tony Pollard, who left Sunday's game with a fractured left fibula in the 2nd quarter. This will certainly be a backfield to watch in the coming months.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott completed 23 of 37 attempts for 206 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs in Sunday's Divisional Round loss vs. the 49ers. The veteran QB also added 22 rushing yards on 4 carries in the contest. Prescott fell back into his ways of throwing risky passes after a stellar performance last week vs. the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, and the resurfacing of this turnover issue couldn't have come at a worse time. He'd had a 7-game INT streak prior to last week's contest. Prescott's 15 INTs in 12 games led the NFL in the regular season, though averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game with a stabilizing plate in his thumb could be worse. We expect Prescott to return to the QB1 conversation in 2023.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard exited Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the 49ers in the 2nd quarter after sustaining a nasty hit and didn't return. ESPN's Todd Archer reports that Pollard sustained a fractured left fibula that will require surgery with an estimated 3-month recovery period. This news certainly explains his emotion and putting a towel over his head while being carted off the field in an air cast during the contest. It remains to be seen how this will affect Pollard's impending free agency or impact his market of potential suitors. Pollard ended Sunday's contest with 6 rushes for 22 yards and 2 receptions for 11 yards.
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase tallied 5 catches, 61 yards and 1 score in Sunday’s win over Buffalo. That makes 5 straight games with a TD for the former LSU star. Chase scored in the 1st quarter on blown coverage. Later, he appeared to score in the back of the end zone, but upon review, refs determined that he didn’t complete the catch. Chase now hits the road to face Kansas City in the AFC Championship game.
Bills QB Josh Allen completed 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards and 1 INT in Sunday’s loss vs. Cincinnati. His pick came late in the 4th with the game already wrapped up. The Bengals mustered only 1 sack, but steady pressure — and snowy conditions — made life tough for Allen. Allen did pop in a rushing score, his 8th of the season. Buffalo should now shift its focus to upgrading the pass catchers and the OL.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard injured his left ankle in the 2nd quarter of Sunday's Divisional Round game vs. the 49ers and will not return. He was carted back to the locker room with an air cast on that left ankle. The FOX broadcast reports that Pollard has a high-ankle sprain. We'll see if he avoided a fracture. Regardless, he's unlikely to be available if Dallas advances to the NFC Championship.
Jags WR Christian Kirk snagged 7 balls for 52 yards and 1 score in the Divisional Round loss to Kansas City. He tied a season-high (and matched last week’s number) with 14 targets. He nearly cracked 100 yards in this one, but a well-thrown deep ball from Trevor Lawrence bounced off Kirk’s hands. The former Cardinal exited the regular season with 84-1,108-8 on 133 targets, enough to make him WR11 in PPR. He’ll enter year 2 in Jacksonville alongside newly acquired WR Calvin Ridley. We’ll see where their ADPs shake out in early drafting.
Jags RB Travis Etienne ripped off 62 yards and 1 score in Saturday’s loss at Kansas City. He did so on only 10 attempts. Backup JaMycal Hasty chipped in with 4 carries, although the bigger story here was Hasty’s involvement as the go-to back when Jacksonville played from behind. On the year, Etienne tallied only 35 catches (2.05 per game) on 45 targets — 5th most on the team. Target competition will remain stiff next fall given the addition of Calvin Ridley. We’ll see if the Jags tinker with the backfield, as Hasty is slated for restricted free agency.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce racked up 14 catches, 98 yards and 2 TDs in Saturday’s win over Jacksonville. He did so despite missing Patrick Mahomes (ankle sprain) for a chunk of the game. Kelce tore up man and zone coverage while continuing his postseason dominance. The 33-year-old has averaged an absurd 27.4 PPR PPG over his last 7 playoff appearances. Next up is either a matchup with the Bills (in Atlanta) or the Bengals (in Kansas City).
Jags QB Trevor Lawrence completed 24 of 39 passes for 217 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT in Saturday’s loss at Kansas City. Lawrence was up and down in this one, throwing a couple of passes (beyond the 1 INT) that should have been intercepted. However, this game could have turned out differently had Christian Kirk hauled in a beautifully thrown deep ball. Overall, Lawrence took a massive step forward in year 2. Future growth isn’t out of the question with newfound coaching stability — plus the impending arrival of Calvin Ridley.
Giants WR Richie James hauled in 7 of 10 targets for 51 yards in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. No other Giants pass-catcher recorded more than 2 receptions in this contest. The Giants' WR corps stands out as a weak spot on their roster when looking back on the season and is likely to look very different in 2023. It's tough to project anyone's future on this roster beyond WR Wan'Dale Robinson, the rookie who saw his season derailed by multiple knee injuries. On top of that, we also don't know if QB Daniel Jones will re-sign with the team. The resurgent, HC Brian Daboll-led Giants will be a fascinating team to follow this offseason as they look to capitalize on this season's success.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley recorded 9 carries for 61 yards and 2 catches for 21 yards in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. Though the Giants' season ended in a disappointing fashion, Barkley has a lot to be happy about entering free agency this offseason. The Pro Bowl back played in 16 games for the 1st time since his rookie season in 2018 and set a career-high in rushing yards (1,312) in 2022. The soon-to-be 26-year-old will be a dynamic fantasy asset regardless of what team he suits up for in 2023 and beyond. He said after Saturday's game that “everyone knows I want to be a Giant for life," taking away any potential mystery around his intentions. We'll see if his desire to return to New York comes to fruition in the coming weeks.
Giants QB Daniel Jones completed 15 of 27 attempts for 135 passing yards with 1 INT in Saturday's Divisional Round loss vs. the Eagles. He also added 24 yards on 9 carries in the ground game. The former 1st round pick is set to become a free agent this offseason after recording the most productive season as a pro. Jones set a career-high in passing yards (3,205) and rushing yards (708) in 2022. When asked about returning to the team, Jones said he'll "cross that bridge when we get there. I’ve really enjoyed playing here. I appreciate all those guys in the locker room. It’s a special group of guys. And I really enjoyed being a part of it," in post-game interviews. His future will be one of great intrigue this offseason.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown roped 3 of 6 targets for 22 yards in Saturday's Divisional Round win vs. the Giants. Teammate WR DeVonta Smith led the team in receiving in this contest, corraling 6 of 10 targets for 61 yards and 1 TD. TE Dallas Goedert also found the end zone in addition to 5 receptions and 58 yards of his own. QB Jalen Hurts was extremely efficient as a passer in this contest, but the game plan was considerably more focused on the rushing attack. Fantasy managers who roster Brown in playoff contests will hope for better luck next week.
Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell tallied 112 yards on 12 carries with a 35-yard TD run in Saturday's Divisional Round win vs. the Giants. Teammate RB Miles Sanders ran the ball 17 times for 90 yards. The Eagles' rushing attack collectively cranked out 3 of the team's 5 total TDs and 268 total rushing yards, their 2nd-highest total in a game all season. The big takeaway here is that Sanders had his first game of over 65 rushing yards since Week 14. Hopefully, this is a sign that the unfortunate skid of production he'd seen over the last month is over. We'll find out who the Eagles' opponent will be in the NFC Championship game tomorrow night.
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