Carolina Panthers vs Los Angeles Rams
Jalen Coker
What a hard fought game from my Panthers and what a game from Jalen Coker! The Coke heads had to love this one. When the lights were the brightest he showed up and continued to show the connection he has been steadily building with QB Bryce Young. Compared to other receivers in the playoffs from the 2024 NFL draft, Coker stands out.
Shout out Jeff Mueller (@jmthrivept) for pulling these stats ⬇️
2024 WR Draft Class in the 2025 Playoffs:
Keon Coleman 1-36
BTJ 2-21-1
Xavier Legette 1-8
Rome Odunze 2-44
Ladd McConkey 3-32
Ricky Pearsall OUT
Combined: 9-141-1 receiving
Four 1st rounders
Two 2nd rounders
Undrafted:
Jalen Coker 9-134-1
Unless the Panthers make any offseason signings or trades at his position, I fully expect to see Coker as this teams WR 2. I’m not saying that he is all of a sudden going to be a fantasy monster after posting 134 and 2 touchdowns on 12 targets against the Rams. What I’m envisioning is more of a flex option depending on the week. His regular season stats would support this as well as his utilization score.
Xavier Legette
In that same breath, man oh man, what to do with Xavier Legette? The first round pick out of South Carolina has not been able to find his footing in Carolina with a lack of production and questionable being the highlights of his second year. Looking ahead to fantasy next year, I don’t see a world where Legette should be drafted. Especially with Coker climbing up the depth chart to end the season.
Rico Dowdle
I think it is pretty safe to say that Dowdle won’t be around in Carolina next year. In their most important game of the year, Dowdle was only on the field for 36% of the Panthers offensive snaps compared to Chuba Hubbard’s 61%. That only translated to 5 carries for 9 yards. That felt pretty predictable based on how the team came out of the BYE week. Dowdle continued to see his usage decrease week over week but was honestly unproductive with the opportunities he was being given. It is also worth mentioning that Jonathan Brooks is waiting in the wings after having sat out the entirety of the 2025 campaign with a torn ACL. It’s not too long ago that the Panthers drafted Brooks as the first RB off the board in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. It stands to reason they will utilize him alongside Chuba next year and let Dowdle walk. It’s still too early to know where Dowdle will end up but I’m only taking a swing on him later in drafts depending on the team he ends up on.
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams
I’m on the record as a certified Chicago Bears hater. Especially when it comes to Caleb Williams. Most of it stems from the trade between the Panthers and the Bears and the commentary I have to listen to every season from sports talking heads. All that aside, it is impossible for me to ignore the performance Williams put on against the Packers. A comeback of that magnitude is insane, especially when you consider it was against a division rival. I will be hard pressed in 2026 not to target Williams in drafts. Especially with the weapons around him and his ability to extend plays.
Colston Loveland
Speaking of weapons, Loveland is turning into what the Bears hoped for when they drafted him with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2025 draft. 134 yards and 15 targets is crazy to watch in real time. In what was still the Cole Kmet show early on in the season, things slowly transitioned to the Loveland experience in the back half of the year. I’ll be hard pressed to keep him out of my top 10 tight ends next year. Right now the only guys I’m taking ahead of him are Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren, Jake Ferguson and maybe Harold Fannin. The Rams are middle of the pack against fantasy points allowed to tight ends so it will be interesting to see how he performs.
Jordan Love
Through the first half, this guy was money against the Bears throwing for 3 touchdowns and holding a commanding 21-3 lead. Love would go on to finish the game with 4 touchdowns, 323 yards and a devastating loss to a divisional opponent. Looking ahead to next year, it is hard for me to place Love. On one hand he has tons of weapons at his disposal in Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and Romeo Doubs. On the other hand, none of those guys can all stay healthy at one time. For 2026 I’ll probably have him in the QB 9-15 range. He just has too much talent and options on offense to ignore when it comes to fantasy.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Buffalo Bills
Parker Washington
I had to sit and think about this one quite a bit as I’m not quite sure how to properly view Washington’s potential fantasy relevance in 2026. On one hand there is a ton of competition in Jacksonville at the wide receiver position and all are utilized at about the same rate..Starting with the glaring one, BTJ has been one of the bigger let downs for fantasy managers this year and his future is cloudy due to his lack of production in year 2. There is a world where he continues to fall down the depth chart but also one where he rebounds or is a trade target. Jakobi Meyers is also locked firmly into this Jags offense after being traded from the Raiders. In 9 games with the Jags, Meyers posted a 42-483-3 receiving line on 61 targets. We also can’t forget about the 2 way prospect the Jags traded up to draft in Travis Hunter who sat out a good portion of the year with a knee injury. All that being said, it is hard to ignore the connection Lawrence and Washington displayed on and off throughout the year but really put on display those last few weeks of the season and in the loss to the Bills. Over the course of those games, Washington averaged just over 10 targets, 113.5 yards a game and caught a touchdown in 3 of those games. In 2026, which is a contract year for him, I’m betting on that connection continuing to thrive. Will definitely feel comfortable throwing Washington out as a flex option to start the year.
Josh Allen
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Josh Allen is arguably the best fantasy football QB out there. His ability to sling the ball and pick up yards with his legs makes him invaluable. Sunday’s performance against the Jaguars should tell you all that you need to know on top of a QB 1 finish during the regular season. Josh Allen should be the first QB off the board in 2026
James Cook
A lot can be said about James Cook and it is all good things. I remember seeing talks of regression after a touchdown heavy 2024 season. He proved a lot of people wrong this year with another dominant showing. While his Sunday against the Jags was fairly quite considering what he has been doing all season, I expect his 2026 season to be another positive one especially after signing a four-year, $48 million contract extension in August 2025 and running behind one of the better o-lines in the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers
A.J. Brown
Let’s start with the bad here. In Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, Brown did not live up to the caliber of player he is known to be. His season ended with just 3 catches for 25 yards on 7 targets and a fiery argument with his head coach. I think people will be quick to judge him based on that performance and the underlying drama that has seemed to exist all season long. With that being said, I’m not really turned off by much of that as I look for players to draft next year. Even in a “down year”, Brown still managed to finish the regular season as the WR 13. His fantasy output matched just about what he finished with last year. If he is able to return to his peak like he had during his first 2 years in Philly he would be a home run play next year as you might be able to get him at a slight discount. Of course things can always change but I believe he will still be with the Eagles come next season. His contract runs through the 2029 season and moving him would set the team back quite a bit financially. Not really something a team with a Superbowl window is likely to take on. It’s also worth mentioning Kevin Patullo has been fired which should do great things for this offense who will aim to get back on track in 2026.
Saquon Barkley
I don’t have much to say here other than the similar sentiment that with the Kevin Patullo firing, I hope the Eagles offense will be able to get back on track next year. If you drafted Barkley this season expecting another repeat hall of fame performance, I’m sure you feel scorned. I know I do. Barkley is currently 28 but still rocks behind one of the better o-lines in football. Right now I would snag him in the second round of drafts next year.
Jalen Hurts
I know there are a lot of Hurts haters out there. A lot of them being from his own fan base. Against the 49ers he threw for 168 yards and 1 touchdown while adding almost nothing on the ground. Not quite the performance you usually expect from Hurts but not one that I’m taking to hard looking ahead to next year. I really do think Kevin Patullo was not the right option in Philly. Nothing ever seemed to click even with the level of talent that team has offensively. Next year’s offensive coordinator will be lucky number 7 for Hurts. Hopefully they can help get everything back on track. I still like Hurts for his rushing ability and goal line work. Assuming AJ Brown doesn’t get traded, him and Devonta Smith are one of the best WR duos in football. May drop Hurts down a bit but he should still be a top 10 guy next year.
Christian McCaffrey
What a season for Christian McCaffrey. A player I feel like many thought would not make it through another season without injury and certainly one who wouldn’t finish as the RB 1 (His third btw). Against the Eagles, he had a standout performance fitting of his regular season performance. 100+ all purpose yards and 2 touchdowns to send the birds packing. Repeat RB 1 performances barely ever happen but McCaffrey is primed to land back in the first round of drafts. I’ll find it very hard to say no to the RB who can do it all plus one in an offense that will be missing George Kittle to start the season.
George Kittle
An injury in the playoffs is always a tough way to go out and one of this magnitude certainly puts a damper on things. We all know how great of a fantasy option Kittle is but he will likely miss a portion of next season/if not the majority of it. Still too early to tell. All this means for fantasy is that Jake Tonges will get more looks next year should the 49ers bring him back. Wishing Kittle a speedy recovery.
Brock Purdy
I’ve talked a lot about players from this game and for good reason. Both teams have top tier players and Brock Purdy is no different. This guy knocked me out of the playoffs with a career 5 TD game so maybe my bias to his fantasy production is still fresh but he has been nothing but great for the 49ers during his tenure. Against the Eagles, he didn’t have the best game as he threw 2 picks but he did what he needed to do to help his team advance. That included a clutch TD later on to Christian McCaffrey. I think he is easily a top 10 or 12 QB next year. You may even be able to get him at a discount due to the time he missed this year to injury and the potential beat down Seattle could give him next week.
Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Treveyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson
I’m feeling mildly optimistic about both of these guys in 2026. Despite the final outcome, the Chargers defense was pretty stout in the first half. Not so much the rest of the game. Stevenson was able to rip off 53 yards rushing and 75 yards receiving while Henderson, who had 36 total yards, was mostly shut down by the Chargers. For Stevenson, this is obviously a boost to an already stellar end of regular season performance. For Henderson, the optimism revolves around the second half of the regular season as he was pretty dominant with Stevenson missing a handful of games starting in week 9. It will be hard to navigate this backfield next year so both of these guys will get dropped down a bit for me but I’d be happy to end up with either one or both on my roster depending on the situation.
Drake Maye
This can’t be real right? The Patriots were supposed to be bad longer. Some of us have been grinding out a rebuild for too long and they get back in a handful of years! Whatever your feelings about the Pats aside and the records of the teams they played, this is one of the top teams in the NFL. Vrabel took the reins from Mayo in a big way. This team is thriving with Drake Maye on offense and the defense is clicking when needed. I mean, anytime you have a QB in the MVP conversation you know you are doing pretty well. He is able to make plays with his legs and his passing ability certainly took a jump in year 2. I’m excited to see how he continues to improve in year 3. He will certainly be one of the first QBs off draft boards in 2026. I would like to see some more offensive fire power but they certainly have some underrated guys. Who knows maybe the Pats make a splash and reunite AJ Brown and Vrabel in New England. 👀
Justin Herbert
Brutal game for Herbie and company. Real life performance aside, Herbert is one of the better QBs in the league and definitely a pretty good fantasy QB. This year’s QB 10, Herbert was pretty up and down week to week which is a fair gripe for those that drafted him. However, in my minds eye, I see this as an issue along the offensive line. Bold take, I know. What if I told you through weeks 1-9, he was the fantasy QB 2? How about if I said that in weeks 10 – 19 (Including playoff game) he was QB 18? Injuries up front derailed a great fantasy season plain and simple. While you may be out on him as a real QB, I’m sticking with him in 2026. The offense just has too many weapons and he can throw the ball quite well.
Omarion Hampton
Despite only getting 1 carry in the brutal loss to the Patriots, I like Hampton heading into 2026. Of course a lot of that depends on the o-line and its ability to stay healthy and rebuild in the offseason. However, when given opportunities this guy performed. In the 9 regular season games he played in, he surpassed double digit points 6 times and saw 12+ carries in 8 of those 9 games. I need to think more on where he should be drafted but the future should be bright.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Houston Texans
The entire Pittsburgh offense
I mean I don’t even know what to say here. Between the Steelers and the Chargers, it is hard to pick which had the worse playoff appearance. At least the Steelers scored 3 more points. With the news of Mike Tomlin’s voluntary departure from the team, I don’t have a high outlook for this squad in 2026. In fact, I’m tempted to add it to the list of teams that I won’t even consider drafting from. I’ll go on the record saying that Mike Tomlin is a Hall of Fame coach and the sole reason this team has been able to have any ounce of success in the last 5ish years. The teams they have fielded have always been overrated talent wise and I place blame on the ownership and GM. The choice to hamstring the QB position, the questionable draft choices and the trades this team have made have made little to no sense. Without the guiding hand of Tomlin, I don’t see this team winning much in 2026 as things stand right now. Aaron Rodgers may have played his last game and with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as the only other QBs on the roster at the moment, I don’t have much hope for solid fantasy production there. Obviously DK Metcalf is worth considering. Outside of that, the wide receiver position is ROUGH. Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren are likely the only other players I would consider drafting which really depends on what happens with the rest of the offense. If opposing teams are just able to stack the box every play if the passing attack flops, I’ll be out.
CJ Stroud
Heading into the season, Stroud was ranked as my QB 16. I wasn’t the highest on him but in the same breadth, I don’t think he is devoid of talent and the Texans offense has a lot of offensive weapons at his disposal. I’d like to see them all stay healthy but that is another conversation. Overall I wasn’t that far off and he finished as QB 21. He missed 3 games, there were a couple duds and a couple of standout performances. Anchored by arguably the best defense in football, that is kinda the outcome to be expected. He had an atrocious game against the Steelers but they still dominated due to that defense. It will be interesting to see how they matchup against the Patriots who have more versatility at their QB position. For fantasy next year, I’ll probably have Stroud ranked around the same I did in 2025. If the 2 young receivers they have in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel can take a year 2 jump he should be on track to finish around that 16 spot. With that being said, I’m not drafting him in 10-12 team leagues. Will be more of a BYE week fill in or injury replacement.
Nico Collins
I think all of us know by now how to look at Nico Collins ahead of 2026 drafts. A crazy talented player who is highly utilized in the Texans offense but one that can’t seem to kick the injury bug. You can’t let potential injuries dictate your drafts though and I’ll be looking at Nico again as one of my top 5 receivers again in 2026.