Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that there are no plans to open the practice window for any of the players on Injured Reserve this week, including wide receiver Curtis Samuel (elbow), per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. Samuel was put on IR in late November, and he won't be eligible to be activated to play in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this Sunday against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. Samuel has battled through injuries for most of the year and has appeared in only six games for Buffalo, catching seven passes for 81 yards and one touchdown. He also returned nine kickoffs for 223 yards on special teams. If the Bills advance and Samuel is activated from IR, he will be off the radar in fantasy playoff leagues as WR depth for the Bills.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday that there are no plans to open the practice window for any players on Injured Reserve this week, which includes defensive tackle Ed Oliver (biceps, knee), according to The Buffalo News' Jay Skurski. It means that Oliver won't be eligible to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff contest versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The 28-year-old defensive lineman was placed on IR back in late October with a torn biceps that he suffered in Week 8. Additionally, Oliver had surgery to fix the meniscus in his knee in late December. Even if the Bills make it past this weekend and go on a long run in the postseason, Oliver won't be guaranteed to be ready to return. Oliver only played in three regular-season games in 2025, recording 12 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and five QB hits.

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The San Francisco 49ers will open the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Jacob Cowing (hamstring) this week, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Cowing will practice with the team on Wednesday, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 24-year-old is getting closer to returning from Injured Reserve, but he could still be unlikely to be activated to play in the Wild-Card playoff game this Sunday against the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. If Cowing does end up playing against the Eagles, he will most likely only have a role on special teams after missing the entire 2025 regular season. The former fourth-round selection in 2024 out of Arizona caught four of his six targets for 80 yards in 15 games last year in his first season in the NFL. Cowing will be a long shot to surface as an option in playoff fantasy formats.

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) said on Monday that he is scheduled to have surgery to fix the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot on Jan. 13, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. It's the same bone that Bland hurt before the 2024 season, and that cost him the first 10 games of that season. The 26-year-old played through his foot injury but managed to appear in only 12 games before landing on Injured Reserve in December. Bland emerged as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL in 2023, with nine interceptions and five pick-sixes. However, injuries over the last two years have made it hard for him to stay on the field. Bland finished 2025 with a career-high 73 tackles (45 solo), one interception, and six pass breakups. Hopefully, he will be able to put his foot injury behind him in 2026.

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker Tatum Bethune (groin) is out for the rest of the season with a groin tear that might require surgery, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. With Fred Warner (ankle) still on Injured Reserve, the 49ers will turn to Eric Kendricks, their fourth different middle linebacker used this year. In addition to Bethune, Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quadriceps) were also injured in Saturday's Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and they will be iffy to play in the Wild-Card round on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. If Winters is unavailable this weekend, Curtis Robinson or Garret Wallow would step in at the weakside linebacker spot. It all adds up to the Niners being extremely short-handed on defense to start the playoffs against the reigning Super Bowl champions.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who will be a free agent in March, said he wants to continue playing but hasn't talked to the team about a potential return, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Bridgewater only appeared in four games (zero starts) in his first year with Tampa in 2025, going 8-for-15 passing for 62 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The 33-year-old veteran would be backing up Baker Mayfield again if he re-signs with the team for the 2026 season. Bridgewater isn't a terrible backup option for teams looking for QB depth this offseason, but he probably isn't going to get any realistic looks to compete for a starting gig. The 11-year pro will be a long shot for any fantasy value if he comes back next season. Bridgewater hasn't started a game in the NFL since 2022 with the Miami Dolphins.

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that it's possible that linebacker Fred Warner (ankle), who had surgery on his ankle in October, returns from Injured Reserve in January, but the 49ers would have to win a couple of playoff games for that to happen, per The Athletic's Matt Barrows. "I think it's too far off right now," Shanahan said on Monday. "It is a possibility as we get closer to a possible third game here, a championship game. But it's not something we're thinking about right now." Tatum Bethune (groin) is now out for the rest of the year with a torn groin, so the 49ers will now have to turn to their fourth middle linebacker of the year in Eric Kendricks. The 29-year-old Warner has not played since injuring his ankle in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Getting the All-Pro linebacker back would be huge for this banged-up Niners defense, but it's not a guarantee, even if San Fran makes it all the way to the Super Bowl.

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The Los Angeles Rams "erred on the side of caution" with rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but he is expected to play against the hosting Carolina Panthers in the Wild-Card playoff game this Saturday, according to head coach Sean McVay. Ferguson saw more involvement in the offense in Weeks 16 and 17 with Tyler Higbee still on Injured Reserve, catching five of eight targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns. However, his momentum was stopped after tweaking his hamstring in practice last Friday and being held out of the regular-season finale against the Cardinals. Now that Higbee is back from IR, Ferguson will find it more difficult to contribute while also battling for targets with Colby Parkinson. In his first 11 NFL games in 2025, Ferguson caught 11 of 25 targets for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

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Buffalo Bills kicker Matt Prater (quadriceps) suffered "a little bit of an injury" in the Week 18 blowout win over the New York Jets on Sunday and is day-to-day, according to Matthew Bove. The Bills will bring in kickers on Tuesday for workouts if Prater cannot play on Wild-Card weekend of the playoffs this Sunday versus the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. The 41-year-old veteran did not return to Sunday's regular-season finale after missing the previous two games with a similar injury. Prater has been solid for the Bills this year while filling in for Tyler Bass, who has missed the entire year due to a hip injury. Prater has gone 18-for-20 on his field-goal attempts (1-for-2 from 50-plus yards out) and 46-for-49 on his extra-point tries in 15 games in his first year in Buffalo. Because of his injury heading into the postseason, fantasy managers competing in playoff leagues should consider him pretty risky.

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Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day coming out of the team's Week 18 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, according to Matthew Bove. Johnson and Ray Davis saw much more work in the season finale against the Jets, with the Bills resting James Cook after he got the first two touches of the game. Johnson played 33% of the offensive snaps, carrying the ball a season-high 13 times for 36 yards and a touchdown. He added two catches on his two targets for 20 yards and another touchdown through the air. Davis touched the ball a team-high 23 times for 174 scrimmage yards and a touchdown as Buffalo's primary back. The 28-year-old Johnson finished the 2025 regular season with 50 carries for 200 yards and three TDs, adding 263 receiving yards and two more scores. It's unclear if he'll be ready for the Wild-Card round of the playoffs on Sunday against the Jags, but if he is, Johnson will be the RB3 behind Cook and Davis.

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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward (head) is considering retirement due to debilitating migraine headaches, according to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. Ward suffered a concussion in the Week 14 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and ended up missing the final four games of the season as a result. It was the 29-year-old's third concussion of the year, prompting him to consider his future going into the offseason. In total, Ward missed 10 games in 2025 due to his concussions. "If I walk away, I won't regret it," Ward said. He finished with only 25 tackles (17 solo), seven pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in his eight starts in his first year in Indy. Over eight NFL seasons, Ward has a total of 460 tackles (338 solo), one sack, 10 interceptions, 77 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 109 regular-season games (96 starts).

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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (neck) "checked out good" after suffering a stinger on the final play of the game on Saturday night in the Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and should be full-go for Wild-Card weekend on Sunday versus the Philadelphia Eagles, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that he expects Purdy to practice in full this week and play on Sunday in Philly. The 26-year-old finished the year strong for his fantasy managers with 11 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in Weeks 15-18, but he was shut down by Seattle last weekend and threw for just 127 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Purdy played in only nine games in 2025 due to a turf-toe injury, but he was incredibly efficient when on the field. He'll have another tough challenge on his hands in the first round of the playoffs against an Eagles defense that allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs over the final five weeks.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington (knee) will undergo an MRI exam on Monday, according to head coach Sean McVay. Whittington injured his knee in Sunday's Week 18 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the regular-season finale and was unable to return. The 25-year-old pass-catcher was not targeted at all before getting injured, and he doesn't have more than one catch in a game since Nov. 23 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when he caught all three of his targets for 17 yards. Even if Whittington's knee injury ends up being minor and he's able to play on Wild-Card weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, he won't be a realistic DFS play with Davante Adames (hamstring) expected to return to the lineup. In 17 games in 2025, Whittington caught just 18 passes for 171 yards and no touchdowns.

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When asked if he was hoping for a "fresh start," Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said on Monday, "That would be dope. I would be good with it." Although Tagovailoa avoided another concussion this year, the 27-year-old former fifth overall pick struggled to take the next step for the Dolphins' offense in his sixth year in the NFL. Tagovailoa completed 67.7% of his 384 pass attempts for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in his 14 starts, a year after leading the league with a 72.9 completion percentage. After the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention, the team benched Tagovailoa in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers for the final two weeks of the season. As of right now, head coach Mike McDaniel has not been fired, and if he returns for next season, it's unlikely that Tagovailoa will join him in South Beach. Tagovailoa is owed $54 million guaranteed next year, but he could be released with a post-June 1 designation to split his $99.2 million salary cap charge over two seasons.

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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) aggravated his PCL injury last week, which is why he was inactive for the Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night despite practicing all week before the game, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. The 25-year-old former first-rounder is also dealing with an ankle sprain, which makes him questionable to play in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this Sunday versus the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. When healthy, Pearsall is one of quarterback Brock Purdy's top targets, but he's played in just nine games in 2025 due to injuries after playing in 11 games in his rookie campaign. If Pearsall misses a second straight game this weekend, Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Kendrick Bourne would all be in line for more targets.

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Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Monday that he thinks quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) will want to run it back with the team in 2026, and that the team would like to have him back, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. The Colts were well on their way to a playoff spot and were battling for the top seed in the AFC until Jones suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 28-year-old did more than enough for the Colts to want him back next year as their starting QB after he completed a career-best 68% of his 384 pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 starts. Jones added 164 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground. Barring a setback with his rehab from an Achilles tear, Jones figures to be ready right around the start of training camp in late July.

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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has multiple years remaining on the contract extension he signed in 2022, as pointed out by general manager Monti Ossenfort when asked about the future of his one-time franchise player. The Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon on Monday, and when asked how Murray might fit in with a new coach, Ossenfort said, "All options are on the table," and that those discussions would come at a later time. Both Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis are also under contract heading into 2026, and the Cardinals have the third overall pick in April's Rookie Draft, so the team is not without options at the position. Figuring out the most important spot on the roster will be priority number one for whoever is hired as the next head coach, following another disappointing season in which Murray started only five games.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has rejoined the team following his two-game suspension in Weeks 17 and 18 for an altercation with a fan during the team's Week 16 contest in Detroit against the Lions. Pittsburgh's offense really struggled the final two weeks of the regular season, but they did just enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night to clinch the NFC North title and a spot in the postseason. Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen tried to help pick up the slack in the passing attack with Metcalf out, and it also helped that the Steelers got Calvin Austin III back from an injury in Week 18. Metcalf's return will help the Steelers stretch the field, but he'll be a volatile DFS play during Wild-Card weekend against the Houston Texans and their top-ranked defense. In 15 regular-season games, Metcalf was tied for 25th among wideouts with 10.5 half-PPR points per game.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had been ceding touches to Kenneth Gainwell in recent weeks, but in Sunday night's division-clinching win over the Ravens, he carried the ball 14 times for 66 yards, while catching all five of his targets for an additional 33 yards through the air. The 19 total opportunities were his most since a Week 7 loss to the Bengals, and his reliability in the passing game could again be on display in a Wild Card matchup with the Texans. Houston's front seven has been one of the league's toughest fronts to run against, but with Warren and Gainwell, the Steelers can essentially move their running game into space with short passes, putting both in line for favorable PPR stat lines. With Warren also first in line to handle the bulk of carries, he makes for a sneaky start in the first week of fantasy playoff leagues.

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Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) missed the team's Week 18 loss to the Broncos that secured a trip to New England to open the playoffs. Hampton spent time on Injured Reserve earlier this season with a fractured ankle, and he did not practice at all leading up to the regular season finale. However, with multiple starters held out of the game, the sense is that his absence was precautionary. In traveling to New England for a Sunday Night primetime affair, the Chargers will face a Patriots defense that is returning to health at the right time. After opening the season as one of the stingiest run defenses in the league, the Patriots have struggled of late to contain the running game but seem to be trending in the right direction. With Milton Williams back in the fold in Week 18, New England held Miami to 2.5 yards per carry. They are also expected to have leading tackler Robert Spillane back for the playoffs, while the status of run-stuffer Khyiris Tonga is still up in the air.

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