Ravens TE Mark Andrews snagged 5 of 10 targets for 73 yards in Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. He tallied chunk gains of 29 and 25 yards alongside a less-than-100% Tyler Huntley. Andrews, 28 in September, is under contract for 3 more seasons. We’ll see if the Ravens can lock up Lamar Jackson long-term.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins rushed 13 times for 62 yards in Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati. He saw only 1 more attempt than Gus Edwards (12-39) and added 4-43-1 as a receiver. Afterwords, Dobbins expressed frustration with the lack of carries. "I'm a guy who feels like I should be on the field all the time," Dobbins said. "It's the playoffs. Why am I not out there?” The 24-year-old was specifically referring to QB Tyler Huntley’s 4th-quarter fumble on a goal line sneak. 2023 turns up a contract year for Dobbins.
Bills RB James Cook tallied 12 carries for 39 yards and 1 score in Sunday’s win over Miami. He out-carried Devin Singletary by 2, although neither guy saw a target on 39 Josh Allen attempts. It was Cook who found the end zone in the 1st quarter, though. The explosive rookie will look for more next weekend, likely against the Bengals. Cincy exited the regular season 6th toughest in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson led the team in receiving with 10 catches on 11 targets for 109 yards in Sunday's Wild Card loss vs. the Giants. This explosion comes only a few weeks after his 13-109, 2 TD performance against the Giants in Week 16. WR Justin Jefferson totaled 47 receiving yards, hauling in 7 of his 9 targets on the day. Both Hockenson and Jefferson figure to be big contributors to this Vikings' offense moving forward into 2023.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook tallied 15 carries for 60 rushing yards and 6 receptions on 7 targets for 10 yards in Sunday's Wild Card loss vs. the Giants. This inefficient outing is undoubtedly disappointing for fantasy managers who enlisted the help of Cook for points. It's worth noting that the Vikings have an out in Cook's contract that could make him a free agent in 2023 should they choose to exercise it. Such a move would carry a dead cap hit just north of $6 million and is merely hypothetical at this point. He'll be a name to watch this offseason just in case.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 31 of 39 attempts for 273 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's Wild Card loss vs. the Giants. He also punched in a 1-yard rushing TD in the contest. The veteran put forth about as valiant of an effort as one can ask for, but the Giants ultimately proved to be too big a challenge. It'll be interesting to see how HC Kevin O'Connell and company rebound from this upset loss in 2023. It's fair to say the effort should start with bolstering their defense that ranked 28th in Football Outsiders' DVOA this season.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle posted an empty 3-catch, 44-yard line against Buffalo. Waddle mishandled a couple of potentially game-changing deep balls. He was also tackled inside the 1 on a rush attempt. Prior to that, the young WR picked up a shoulder injury that he quickly returned from. His 2nd season ends with 80-1400-8 in 18 games. Going forward, his value is closely tied to the health of Tua Tagovailoa.
Bills QB Josh Allen put up a monster 352-3-2 passing line in a Wild Card win over Miami. We wouldn’t put either INT on Allen, although he was to blame for a lost fumble in the pocket. Credit Miami for only allowing 20 rushing yards on 4 Allen runs. As a passer, though, Allen’s rare arm talent showed up in several key spots. His scores went to Gabe Davis, Cole Beasley and Dawson Knox. Allen will likely face the Bengals — at home — next weekend.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs popped off for 7 catches for 114 yards against Miami. He tied Gabe Davis for the team lead in targets (9). The highlight here was a beautifully thrown Josh Allen deep ball for 52 yards — the duo’s 2nd longest gain of this season. Diggs will likely face the Bengals in the Divisional Round. It would be the first showdown between Buffalo and Cincinnati this season.
Giants WR Isaiah Hodgins led all pass-catchers in receiving with 8 receptions on 9 targets with 105 yards and 1 TD in Sunday's Wild Card win vs. the Vikings. Fellow WR Darius Slayton hauled in 4 of his 8 targets for 88 yards. This duo of WRs performed admirably for fantasy purposes but will face a considerably stricter matchup next week vs. the Eagles. The Eagles rank as the 10th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs this season.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley totaled 9 carries for 53 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's Wild Card win vs. the Giants. The savvy vet also caught 5 passes on 6 targets for 56 yards as a receiver in the contest. Fantasy managers who pegged the Giants as an upset victor with Barkley in their playoff lineups are feeling pretty good about themselves after this one. Up next for Barkley and the Giants is a showdown vs. an Eagles defense that ranks as the 13th-best matchup for RBs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season.
Giants QB Daniel Jones completed 24 of 35 passes for 301 yards and 2 TDs in Sunday's Wild Card win vs. the Vikings. The fourth-year QB also led the team in rushing, tallying 78 yards on 17 carries on the ground. This remarkable performance from Jones will be worth keeping in the back of fantasy managers' minds when filling out DFS lineups moving forward in this NFL postseason. Jones is building a strong case for a sizeable contract as he approaches free agency.
Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf had a monster day in Saturday's Wild Card loss vs. the 49ers, posting 10 catches on 13 targets with 136 receiving yards and 2 TDs. Teammate WR Tyler Lockett ended the contest with 6 catches on 8 targets for 39 yards. The fantasy value of this pair of pass-catchers will be tied to the uncertainty surrounding the future of QB Geno Smith. Assuming Smith is brought back on a new contract, both Metcalf and Lockett will be top-20 considerations in drafts this summer.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker carried the ball 15 times for 63 yards with 1 TD in Saturday's loss to the 49ers. Considering how tough of a matchup the 49ers' defense presented, the rookie back's production is certainly admirable. Walker ended the 2022 season with over 1,000 rushing yards and 9 TDs and will certainly be in RB1 conversation in drafts come summertime.
Ravens QB Tyler Huntley (shoulder, wrist) is active for tonight's Wild Card game vs. the Bengals. NFL Network reported this morning that Huntley is expected to start but that Baltimore might also use QB Anthony Brown. It's a situation to avoid in fantasy lineups.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith tallied 25 completions on 35 attempts with 2 TDs and 1 INT in Saturday's Wild Card loss vs. the 49ers. The veteran led a stout effort all game but unfortunately came up short. WR DK Metcalf found himself on the receiving end of both of Smith's scoring passes in addition to 10 catches for 136 yards. Smith expressed his desire to return to Seattle in post-game comments. After leading a Seahawks team to a postseason bid in the aftermath of a trade that sent QB Russell Wilson to the Broncos, it would be a great story should Smith return.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel led the team in receiving with 6 catches on 9 targets for 133 yards and 1 TD in Saturday's Wild Card win vs. the Seahawks. The crafty wideout also handled 3 carries for 22 yards on the ground in the contest. Samuel was seldom used in Week 18 after returning from a 3-game absence due to injury, so it's good to see his body hold up to a more significant workload. It's also worth noting that teammate WR Brandon Aiyuk is the only other 49ers' pass-catcher who logged more than 2 receptions.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey tallied 119 rushing yards on 15 carries in addition to 2 receptions for 17 yards and 1 TD in Saturday's victory over the Seahawks. The veteran back led the 49ers' backfield in touches by some distance and showed precisely why the 49ers were so aggressive in acquiring him from the Panthers via trade in October. McCaffrey will assuredly be ranked highly as playoff fantasy contests continue.
49ers QB Brock Purdy completed 18 of 30 attempts for 332 yards and 3 TDs in Saturday's Wild Card win vs. the Seahawks. The rookie signal-caller looked shaky entering halftime but turned things around and led a winning effort in his 5th career start. Purdy dispersed a pair of TDs into the hands of RBs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell in the contest. His strongest connection was with WR Deebo Samuel, who logged 6 receptions for 133 yards and a score on Saturday. Purdy and the 49ers are looking strong headed into the next round of the NFL playoffs.
Vikings S Harrison Smith (knee) is active for today's game against the Giants. CB Cameron Dantzler (ankle, personal matter) is out. Both entered the day questionable.
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