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ADELMAN FANTASY II PLAYOFFS Est. 2012
NFL Playoffs League - FFL: Preseason | NFL: Week 1

Lineup Prep: Championship Games

Wed Jan 24 8:44am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

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Gibbs can produce big this week


Last week was sure entertaining. Let’s hope the games this week are just as good. I sure think it is possible. The matchups seems pretty even to me. I know the 49ers are pretty good favorites against the Lions at home, but I think Detroit can keep it close. And the Chiefs/Ravens game is setup to be fantastic. These teams are both rolling right now. We get to see two of the greatest quarterbacks in football battle it out to make the Super Bowl. This should be fun.

Now for my random thoughts for the week. . . . 

Those were some games last week. It was fun to watch, especially that Chiefs/Bills game. You have to feel for Josh Allen. He had a great run in the playoffs, but just can’t get over that Kansas City hump. It was there for the taking last week for Allen, but his field goal kicker let him down. I still think Allen is an elite level quarterback than can win the big game. It will come for him sooner than later. He is just running into a buzz saw with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs right now.

I don’t think Brock Purdy silenced the doubters after last week’s game. He was not great until that last game-winning drive. He still looked a little shaky to me most of that game. And the loss of Deebo Samuel could be huge for him and the offense. Samuel seems to be a calming influence for Purdy. I am interested to see him play this week. This could be make or break for him.

Aaron Jones sure is a difference maker when healthy. He was unbelievable for the Packers down the stretch, having five straight 100-yard rushing games. The issue is Jones is hard to trust because of his injury history and age. He is 29 years old and missed five games each of the last two seasons and played a full season just once the last five years. I love his talent, but have a hard time taking him on draft day - even after his huge finish to this season.

I’m happy for Baker Mayfield. He seems to have found a home after a rocky start to his career. He was terrific for the Bucs with that great group of receivers. And he almost played that team into the NFC Championship game last week, throwing three more touchdown passes. I don’t see the Bucs letting him loose and I think he could be a top-10 fantasy quarterback once again next season in Tampa. I don’t think it was a fluke this year.

I am really hoping the Texans make a run at Saquon Barkley this offseason. Could you imagine him in that offense? I think he would be a great fit and a huge spark for that running game in Houston. I think this would just be an ideal landing spot for Barkley when it comes to his fantasy value. Let’s make this happen!

The Ravens have a great team and are the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, but can you imagine that offense with a healthy JK Dobbins or Keaton Mitchell all season. Both these backs are difference makers in my eyes and big upgrades over what they are using right now. I still think Dobbins can be a star in this league. Just something to keep in mind next season when these guys are back playing.

I like the Titans hire of Brian Callahan as their next head coach. He should be a positive for that offense, especially quarterback Will Levis. Hopefully, he can take this offense to a new level and give us a bunch of fantasy relevant players. Callahan is a bright, young offensive mind that has been integral in the development of Joe Burrow. Let’s hope he can do the same for Levis.

News and Notes: The Lions signed tight end Zach Ertz to their practice squad on Monday. Ertz gives the Lions depth at the position after an injury to Brock Wright.

HOT PLAYS

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers. With Deebo Samuel very iffy to play, Aiyuk should be the top target at receiver for the 49ers this week. He didn’t do much last week, but was targeted six times in the game, which was encouraging. He gets a much better matchup this week against the Lions, a team that has allowed five straight 300-yard passing games. Aiyuk can have a big showing in this matchup.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions. Gibbs had a big game last week, topping 100 total yards while scoring a touchdown. He has touchdowns each of the first two playoff games for the Lions. He has 16-plus fantasy points each of those games. Gibbs is playing well and should be heavily involved in the offense again this week. The 49ers have been great against the run much of the year, but shown some issues stopping the run lately. San Francisco allowed 136-rushing yards last week and given up 100-plus rushing yards four of five games.

COLD PLAYS 

Jared Goff, QB, Lions. Goff had a great overall season, but his fantasy numbers haven’t been too off the charts. He has fewer than 20 fantasy points three of five games. He is getting his yards, but the Lions tend to run the ball in more for scores than pass. He might be an iffy fantasy play this week against the 49ers. San Francisco allowed the ninth fewest fantasy points to quarterback during the regular season.

Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens. Edwards has failed to score each of his last two games, giving him really poor fantasy numbers. He has fewer than six fantasy points each of his last two games, failing to hit 50-rushing yards each of those games. Edwards could have a similar showing this week against the Chiefs, a team that allowed the 10th fewest fantasy points to running backs. Kansas City allowed just 10-rushing touchdowns all season.

SLEEPERS

Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens. Bateman had three receptions for 39 yards on three targets last week. He had a solid game but failed to hit double-digit fantasy points once again. The good news is he got his looks once again. The Chiefs have a very good pass defense, but Bateman could have more favorable coverages than Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham. Those guys should draw the tougher assignments, leaving Bateman a chance to make some big plays in the passing game. He could surprise this week.

Justice Hill, RB, Ravens. Hill led the Ravens in rushing last week, including rushing attempts. He got more work than starter Gus Edwards. Hill had 15 touches for 77 total yards. He could be setup for a similar workload in what could be a high-scoring fantasy teams. This means Hill could have a big fantasy showing. At this point, we might trust Hill more than Edwards, who is a more touchdown dependent player.

High/Low Scoring Games

Each week we will take a look at some of the high and low scoring games for the coming week. In high scoring affairs, get your marginal players on those teams in your lineup to take advantage of the possible points barrage. And in the low scoring games, keep those marginal players on the bench and make sure to have your defenses involved in those contests.

High Scoring Games: Chiefs/Ravens, Lions/49ers.

Low Scoring Games: None.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Player Notes
Miles Sanders May 17 2:00pm ET
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The Carolina Panthers were saying there was still room for running back Miles Sanders in the RB room after trading up in the second round of last month's NFL draft to take Jonathon Brooks as the first RB off the board. But that was before the team signed former Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny, who was with Panthers head coach Dave Canales in Seattle. Sanders lost the starting job to Chuba Hubbard last year amid the worst season of his career. It's hard to envision another team wanting to trade for Sanders and his contract, although the Panthers showed this offseason that they're willing to eat money to move on from underperforming players. The 27-year-old Sanders is now listed as third on the team's RB depth chart behind Hubbard and Brooks, making him undraftable in standard 12-team leagues this fall.

From RotoBaller

Ty Summers May 17 1:40pm ET
Ty Summers

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free-agent defensive back Tre Flowers and linebacker Ty Summers to undisclosed deals on Thursday. In corresponding moves, the team waived linebacker Dequan Jackson after waiving undrafted free-agent receiver Wayne Ruby on Wednesday. Flowers, who was a former fifth-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018, lasted played for Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen in Atlanta in 2023. In 90 career games (44 starts), he's had 283 tackles, 22 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and four interceptions. Flowers will give Jacksonville more depth in their secondary in 2024. Summers, 28, was taken in the seventh round in 2019 by the Packers. He was with Green Bay for three seasons before being waived. Summers has started only one game in his career.

From RotoBaller

Dane Jackson May 17 1:40pm ET
Dane Jackson

Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson will get a chance to compete for a starting spot with his new team after mostly playing as a backup and special teams ace with the Buffalo Bills. The 27-year-old will reunite with general manager Dan Morgan after Morgan famously pounded the table for the Bills to draft Jackson in the seventh round in 2020. Jackson's size (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) makes him susceptible to over-the-top throws, but he has a competitive spirit and is a good tackler. The Panthers could add another cornerback on the open market, but Jackson is going to have a much bigger role in his first year in Carolina in 2024. He has 152 combined tackles (129 solo), three interceptions, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his four years in the NFL.

From RotoBaller

Dre Greenlaw May 17 1:30pm ET
Dre Greenlaw

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) said he recently ditched the walking boot he'd been wearing since suffering a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in early February. It's a big step for Greenlaw, but he still has a lot of boxes to check off if he wants to be ready for the Week 1 regular season opener this fall. The 26-year-old is a remarkable athlete, but expecting him to be full-go for the start of the 2024 season seems like a long shot given the severity of his injury. When healthy, the former fifth-round pick in 2019 out of Arkansas is a staple in IDP fantasy formats at the linebacker position. Greenlaw has had 100-plus combined tackles in each of the last two seasons. In 15 regular-season games for the Niners last year, he totaled 120 tackles (75 solo), a career-high 1.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and four passes defended.

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Najee Harris May 17 1:20pm ET
Najee Harris

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris changed his diet this offseason in an effort to slim down. "He's motivated, to say the least," his offseason trainer Josh Scott said. It makes sense for Harris, who had his fifth-year option declined by the Steelers recently. "It's all fueling his fire to have an even better season than last year and prove a lot of people wrong," Scott said. The former first-rounder in 2021, who is listed at 242 pounds on the team's roster, looks closer to his listed college weight of 230. Harris has been eating a lot of fish and vegetables and has avoided processed foods. "He's looking really, really springy; really, really light off the ground; and more agile," Scott said. Harris averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in his first two NFL seasons but has gone over 1,000 yards rushing in all three of his campaigns. He had a career-high eight rushing TDs in 2023, but his fantasy ceiling could be capped as an RB2 with Jaylen Warren commanding his share of backfield touches.

From RotoBaller

Tua Tagovailoa May 17 1:10pm ET
Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has skipped most of the team's voluntary organized team activities in the past month as the team prepares for him to play on his fifth-year option in 2024, according to sources close to the situation. In his first four years in the league, Tagovailoa was present for most of the voluntary work. Sources think his absence is related to his contract status. The fifth overall pick in 2020 is currently set to make $23.171 million on his fifth-year option, but he's hoped for a long-term contract extension, especially after playing all 17 regular-season games in 2023 while throwing for a career-high 4,624 yards. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time and started in his first playoff game, although his 14 interceptions were tied for fourth-most in the NFL. It's unlikely that Tagovailoa will conduct a full-fledged holdout this summer. Contract issues aside, Tagovailoa is in the QB1 ranks in fantasy, but his ceiling isn't as high as the elite names because of his lack of rushing.

From RotoBaller

Jared Goff May 17 12:33am ET
Jared Goff

Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff officially signed his four-year extension on Thursday, May 16, which included an NFL record $73 million signing bonus, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

From TheHuddle

Cameron Heyward May 16 6:03pm ET
Cameron Heyward

Pittsburgh Steelers DE Cameron Heyward plans to play several more seasons and has recovered from his core muscle injury, a source told ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler.

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Sean McKeon May 16 4:50pm ET
Sean McKeon

The Detroit Lions signed veteran free-agent tight end Sean McKeon on Thursday, according to NFL.com. McKeon spent the last four years with the Dallas Cowboys after being undrafted out of Michigan. He appeared in 45 games over the last three seasons, collecting six receptions for 38 yards and one touchdown. Needless to say, the 26-year-old doesn't figure to be a factor in fantasy football, but he could compete for a roster spot with James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra behind Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.

From RotoBaller

Tyquan Thornton May 16 4:40pm ET
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New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has not gotten out to a great start since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Through his first 22 regular season games, he's racked up just 35 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns and rushed six times for 67 yards and a score. This offseason, the Baylor product is focused on adding muscle in hopes of turning his career around and staying healthy. "I'm putting in work. I feel like I've put on a lot of muscle in a lot of areas that need it. I'm just continuing to get bigger," Thornton said. "It's just so I can take more impacts. I feel like all my injuries came from the ground -; me hitting the ground. So, it's so I can be able to bounce back up when I do hit the ground." The 23-year-old weighed in at just 181 pounds at the 2022 NFL Combine and has missed 12 games in just two seasons due to injury. Although this could be promising for his future outlook, he could be a cut or trade candidate this offseason after New England re-signed Kendrick Bourne, signed K.J. Osborn, and selected Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the 2024 NFL Draft.

From RotoBaller

Kevin Byard May 16 4:20pm ET
Kevin Byard

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran safety Terrell Edmunds on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The 2018 first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles before being traded to the Tennessee Titans in a package for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. Through six NFL seasons with three teams, he has accumulated 458 tackles (310 solo), 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six interceptions, and 28 passes defended in 95 games. Edmunds has not lived up to his hype as a prospect coming out of Virginia Tech, but he's a solid depth piece in the secondary and will likely play meaningful snaps as a reserve safety in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Quintez Cephus May 16 3:00pm ET
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To make room on the roster for the signing of safety Dee Delaney on an undisclosed one-year contract, the Buffalo Bills released wide receiver Quintez Cephus on Thursday. The Bills added Cephus in free agency in April, but he's now back on the open market after missing all of last year due to a suspension for violating the league's policy on gambling. The 26-year-old was originally a fifth-round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2020 NFL draft out of Wisconsin. All three of his NFL seasons have come with the Lions, and Cephus has recorded just 37 catches on 60 targets for 568 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 22 total games (six starts). If Cephus ends up being picked up by another team, he'll merely be attempting to make the active roster out of training camp this summer.

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Terrell Edmunds May 16 2:53pm ET
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Free-agent S Terrell Edmunds (Titans), DB Tre Flowers (Falcons) and LB Ty Summers (Saints) signed undisclosed contracts with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, May 16.

From TheHuddle

Damiere Byrd May 16 2:43pm ET
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Free-agent WR Damiere Byrd (Texans) officially signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders on Thursday, May 16. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.

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Micah Hyde May 16 2:43pm ET
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Free-agent S Micah Hyde (Bills) told reporters on Thursday, May 16, that he will either re-sign with the Buffalo Bills or retire this offseason.

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Micah Hyde May 16 2:30pm ET
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Free-agent safety Micah Hyde said he will either re-sign with the Buffalo Bills or choose retirement. Hyde has played in just 16 total games the last two years in Buffalo due to injuries, although he managed to play in 14 regular-season games in 2023 and recorded 54 tackles (37 solo), two interceptions and seven passes defended. The 33-year-old has been with the Bills since 2017 after spending the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers took him in the fifth round in 2013 out of Iowa. Hyde's lone Pro Bowl season came in his first year in Buffalo, when he recorded a career-high 82 tackles (65 solo), a career-high-tying five interceptions, and a career-high 13 passes defended in 16 starts. If he returns to Buffalo and plays one more season, he'll bring a veteran presence to the Bills' secondary.

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MarShawn Lloyd May 16 2:20pm ET
MarShawn Lloyd

The Green Bay Packers signed rookie third-round running back MarShawn Lloyd to a four-year, $5.688 million rookie deal on Thursday. The contract includes a $959,284 signing bonus and a $50,000 workout bonus annually from 2025 to 2027. Even though Josh Jacobs is the Packers' unquestioned lead back and AJ Dillon re-signed for a complementary role, the Packers have plans to incorporate Lloyd right away in his rookie season in 2024. The 23-year-old is explosive and versatile out of the backfield, but he's going to need to hang onto the football tighter at the next level if he wants to see consistent touches as a handcuff for fantasy managers that draft Jacobs early this fall. In addition to being worth a late-round flier in deeper redraft leagues in 2024, Lloyd is an attractive dynasty/keeper stash.

From RotoBaller

Quentin Johnston May 16 2:20pm ET
Quentin Johnston

The Los Angeles Chargers passed on drafting a wide receiver with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, which puts second-year wideout and former first-rounder Quentin Johnston in a spot to be the team's No. 1 entering the 2024 campaign. "We believe in it. He's a great kid, he's a great worker. Everyone here has a high opinion of him. I believe he's really going to launch. I really do. His skill set is great. We're gonna work with him, make him better and better," general manager Joe Hortiz said. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams left this offseason, leaving Johnson, who struggled with 38 catches on 67 targets for 431 yards and two touchdowns in his first NFL season, with a much larger role in 2024. Johnston is certainly going to have more opportunities to produce for the Chargers and fantasy managers, but the 22-year-old is going to need to gain more separation and clear up his issues with drops.

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Robert Tonyan May 16 2:10pm ET
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Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan signed an undisclosed deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. Tonyan will stay in the NFC North after playing in all 17 regular-season games with the Chicago Bears in 2203, catching just 11 of 17 targets for 107 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The 30-year-old's addition in Minnesota will give the Vikings a little more depth at the position with T.J. Hockenson (knee) trying to return this fall from a serious knee injury. If Hockenson isn't ready to go for Week 1, Tonyan, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt would be competing for playing time. Even if Hockenson is delayed to start the 2024 campaign, Tonyan probably won't be anything more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 option in fantasy for a short period of time. He has a total of 148 catches (193 targets) for 1,549 yards and 17 touchdowns (11 in 2020) in his six years in the NFL.

From RotoBaller

Dak Prescott May 16 11:03am ET
Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has experienced no progress in talks about an extension, according to sources.

Fantasy Spin: Prescott was great for fantasy purposes as the QB3 last year. That might be a little high of a ceiling for this year, but if it's in fact a contract year, he's definitely in the discussion among the top 5 signal callers.

From TheHuddle