Studs and Duds: Week 18

Mon Jan 5 12:13am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Stevenson scores three times


That was quite the finish to the regular season, capped off by an epic Sunday night game between the Ravens and Steelers. But this week showed why Week 18 can be so uncertain for fantasy owners. Several teams rested starters and others pulled players after opening the game in the starting lineup. It caused plenty of fantasy headaches. The good news is we still had some huge fantasy games this last week. Hopefully, you had some of those players on your roster if you were still playing this week.

Bucs 16, Panthers 14

Fantasy Stud: Cade Otton. Otton was the surprise leading receiver for the Bucs. He had seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. His yardage total was a season high. Otton had a season-high 22.4 fantasy points in the game. It was the first time he hit double-digit fantasy points since Week 10.

Fantasy Dud: Rico Dowdle. There were a lot of fantasy duds in this one but we’ll give it to Dowdle, who most thought would get a heavy workload in this matchup. He ran seven times for just 10 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards. He also lost a fumble, finishing with four fantasy points. It was Dowdle’s worst game since Week 2 of the season.

Game Notes: With Ja’Tavion Sanders out, Tommy Tremble had a much bigger role in the game. He had three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Seahawks 13, 49ers 3

Fantasy Stud: Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet had 17 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. He also had three receptions for 23 yards. He has found the end zone three straight games for the Seahawks. Charbonnet finishes the season with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Fantasy Dud: Brock Purdy. There were a lot of bad fantasy performances from the 49ers but Purdy might have been the most disappointing. He had been red hot but was just 19-of-27 for 127 yards with an interception. He scored just 7.45 fantasy points. Purdy had 30-plus points three straight games before this poor showing.

Game Notes: Kenneth Walker topped 100 total yards, finishing with 133 total yards. He ran 16 times for 97 yards and caught four passes for 36 yards.

Jaguars 41, Titans 7

Fantasy Stud: Parker Washington. Washington continued his red-hot ways, catching five passes for 87 yard and a touchdown. He scored 19.7 fantasy points, giving him three straight games with 19-plus points. Washington has been the go-to target for the Jaguars passing game down the stretch.

Fantasy Dud: Tony Pollard. Pollard had really picked up his play in recent weeks but struggled in this one. He ran 15 times for just 48 yards and caught two passes for 18 yards. Pollard failed to hit double-digit fantasy points for the first time since Week 13. He had four straight games with double-digit fantasy points before this showing.

Game Notes: Trevor Lawrence didn’t even play the full game but had his usual great numbers. He was 22-of-30 for 255 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.

Vikings 16, Packers 3

Fantasy Stud: Justin Jefferson. Jefferson had his third 100-yard game of the season and first since Week 5. He had eight receptions for 101 yards on 11 targets. He went over 1,000 yards for the season with his big performance to end his season.

Fantasy Dud: Matthew Golden. Golden got the start and was expected to serve as the top receiver for the Packers this week with the team resting starters. This didn’t lead to a big game, though. He had just a catch for eight yards. It was almost a fitting finish to his disappointing rookie season.

Game Notes: J.J. McCarthy was unable to finish the game because of a hand injury. He was playing well before leaving, going 14-of-23 for 182 yards.

Browns 20, Bengals 18

Fantasy Stud: Ja’Marr Chase. Chase had another one of his big games. He caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. He found the end zone for the second straight game. He had a huge finish to his season, scoring 20-plus points three of his last four games. And he had 19.9 fantasy points in the game he failed to reach 20.

Fantasy Dud: Shedeur Sanders. Sanders struggled to do much in this one, which looked like a favorable matchup for him. He finished just 11-of-22 for 111 yards without a touchdown or an interception. Sanders scored just 7.15 fantasy points. He didn’t exactly cement himself as the franchise starter with his play this year. It will be interesting to see who is under center for the Browns in 2026.

Game Notes: Chase Brown scored a touchdown for the third straight game. He ran 13 times for 72 yards and caught four passes for 18 yards and a touchdown.

Giants 34, Cowboys 17

Fantasy Stud: Tyrone Tracy. Tracy had a huge dual-threat performance to end his season. He ran 18 times for 103 yards. Tracy also had eight receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. He finished with 159 total yards and a score. Tracy scored a season-high 28.9 fantasy points.

Fantasy Dud: Dak Prescott. He didn’t play the full game with the Cowboys playing for nothing, but you still expected Prescott to produce a little better. He failed to score a touchdown in this game, going 7-of-11 for just 70 yards. He still had a great year but his finish was a little disappointing for any fantasy team that used him in Week 18.

Game Notes: Jaydon Blue got his most work as a pro, getting a chance to start. He ran pretty well, rushing 16 times for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Falcons 19, Saints 17

Fantasy Stud: Drake London. London had four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown. It was good to see London get it going again since doing little the last several weeks. He had not reached double-digit fantasy points since Week 11. London had 17.8 points in this one. Injuries derailed what looked like a career-best season for London.

Fantasy Dud: Bijan Robinson. Robinson was really quiet in a game he got plenty of work. He ran 15 times for just 33 yards and caught three passes for 10 yards. It was an unexpected showing, especially after his huge game the previous week. Robinson still had a monster season and is likely to be the top overall pick for many fantasy owners next season.

Game Notes: Tyler Shough was 23-of-35 for 259 yards and a touchdown with an interception. He also ran in a score, finishing with 25.35 fantasy points.

Texans 38, Colts 30

Fantasy Stud: Alec Pierce. Pierce had a huge game, catching four passes for 132 yards. And he missed much of the second half after getting ejected for making contact with an official. He could have posted even better numbers. Pierce scored 29.2 fantasy points, which was a season best for him. He had 24-plus points two of his last three games.

Fantasy Dud: Michael Pittman. Pittman played his usual snaps and his team had plenty of success throwing the ball, but Pittman didn’t do much. He had just two receptions for 20 yards. You expected better from the Colts No. 1 receiver with the team having so much success throwing the ball.

Game Notes: Riley Leonard got his first NFL start and played a solid game. He was 21-of-34 for 281 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. 

Bills 35, Jets 8

Fantasy Stud: Mitchell Trubisky. Trubsiky had a huge game, getting a chance to serve as the Bills starter. He was 22-of-29 for 259 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. It was an impressive performance from the backup quarterback. Maybe this gets him a chance to start again next season.

Fantasy Dud: Adonai Mitchell. There was some hope for Mitchell to have a decent game, getting a chance to serve as the top target for the Jets again against the backups for the Bills. Well, Mitchell didn’t catch a pass in this game. He was targeted three times but was unable to connect on any of them.  

Game Notes: Ray Davis had a monster game, rushing 21 times for 151 yards. He also had two receptions for 23 yards and another touchdown.

Patriots 38, Dolphins 10

Fantasy Stud: Rhamondre  Stevenson. Stevenson is red hot right now for the Patriots. He found the end zone three times in this game on just nine touches. He ran seven times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 22 yards and another score. Stevenson scored 35.3 fantasy points and has found the end zone three straight games.

Fantasy Dud: Drake Maye. Maye played his usual good game but didn’t help fantasy teams with his team scoring four rushing touchdowns. Maye was 14-of-18 for 191 yards and a touchdown without a turnover. Maye scored 17.65 fantasy points, his lowest total since Week 5.

Game Notes: TreVeyon Henderson scored multiple touchdowns for the fourth time this season. He ran 13 times for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

Rams 37, Cardinals 20

Fantasy Stud: Puka Nacua. Nacua had another one of his game-changing performances. He had 10 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Nacua scored 26 fantasy points. He has 26-plus points four of his last five games to end his season. Nacua had a monster season.

Fantasy Dud: Kyren Williams. Williams played fine but had a pretty quiet fantasy performance in a game that the Rams racked up the fantasy points. Williams ran 12 times for 60 yards and caught three passes for 21 yards. It was a ho-hum performance from the Rams top back.  

Game Notes: Matthew Stafford was back to his MVP ways this week. He was 25-of-40 for 259 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover. 

Lions 19, Bears 16

Fantasy Stud: Colston Loveland. Loveland had a monster game and was the clear top target for the Bears passing game. He had 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown 13 targets. He has been targeted double-digit fantasy times each of his last two games. He has 21-plus fantasy points each of those two games.

Fantasy Dud: Luther Burden. There were some high expectations for Burden but he was not much of a factor. Burden had three receptions for 35 yards. It was his lowest catch total since Week 12. He just wasn’t a huge part of the passing game as the Bears struggled to get their receivers involved. 

Game Notes: Amon-Ra St. Brown had double-digit receptions for the second game this season. He had 11 catches for 139 yards on 15 targets.

Commanders 24, Eagles 17

Fantasy Stud: Tank Bigsby. Bigsby looked good as the lead back for the Eagles. He ran 16 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 31-yard reception, giving him 106 total yards. Bigsby scored a season-high 17.6 fantasy points.

Fantasy Dud: Jacory Croskey-Merritt. With the Eagles resting many of their starters, Croskey-Merritt was an intriguing fantasy option with his recent solid play. But he didn’t even lead the Commanders in carries in this game. He ran 13 times for just 29 yards and didn’t catch a pass. He had his ups and downs his rookie season but showed some promise at times, so he could be a part of their plans next year.

Game Notes: Tanner McKee got the start and played pretty well. He was 21-of-40 for 241 yards and a touchdown with an interception.

Raiders 14, Chiefs 12

Fantasy Stud: Daniel Carlson. There were few offensive bright spots in this game, so we’ll give the stud honors to Daniel Carlson. He made four field goals, including the 60-yarder to win the game. He put up 17.7 fantasy points in most fantasy formats. It was quite the showing for Carlson.

Fantasy Dud: Travis Kelce. We really thought the Chiefs might force-feed Kelce the ball in what might be his NFL game. That didn’t happen with the Chiefs passing game struggling much of the game. Kelce finished with just three receptions for seven yards. Kelce had another great season at tight end but you would have liked to see him end on a high note.

Game Notes: Ashton Jeanty ran the ball 26 times and had three receptions. He had 29 total touches for 94 yards.

Broncos 19, Chargers 3

Fantasy Stud: Broncos defense. The offenses were almost nonexistent in this game. Denver’s defense had a dominating performance, holding the Chargers to just three points and 217 yards of total offense. Denver also had four sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. It was a fitting finish for a defense that was very good much of the year.

Fantasy Dud: RJ Harvey. There were a ton of poor offensive showings for both teams but Harvey gets the nod for us. He ran 15 times for just 28 yards and caught a pass for five yards. Harvey had touchdowns five straight games before this showing. He also scored just 4.3 fantasy points, his lowest total since Week 10.

Game Notes: Trey Lance got the start of the Chargers and didn’t show a whole lot. He did lead the team in rushing, running nine times for 69 yards. But he threw for just 136 yards and failed to score a touchdown.

Steelers 26, Ravens 24

Fantasy Stud: Zay Flowers. Flowers made two huge plays, leading to a big fantasy performance. He had four receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Flowers scored a season-high 29.8 fantasy points. He finishes the season scoring touchdowns four straight games.

Fantasy Dud: Jonnu Smith. With Darnell Washington out for the season, there was some thought Smith would see an uptick in playing time and targets. Well, that didn’t happen this week. He had just a catch for two yards and ran once for two yards. It was more of the same for Smith in Week 18, posting inconsistent numbers.

Game Notes: Derrick Henry had his fourth straight 100-yard game. He ran 20 times for 126 yards and finished with 1,595-rushing yards.

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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Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Championship Games

Player Notes
Davante Adams Jan 26 6:20pm ET
Davante Adams

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams lost for the fifth time in his career in the NFC Championship game on Sunday to the division-rival Seattle Seahawks -- four of his losses in the NFC title game came as a member of the Green Bay Packers. In the back-and-forth 31-27 loss to Seattle, Adams played well, though, catching four of his six targets for 89 yards and his 15th touchdown of the year. The 33-year-old veteran has built a Hall of Fame resume in his 12 years in the NFL, earning six Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro nods, and producing 12,633 receiving yards and 117 touchdowns. Adams has led the league in receiving touchdowns, including in 2025, three times in his career. However, he has been unable to reach the promised land of the Super Bowl. Two of his five NFC title-game losses have come against Seattle.

From RotoBaller

Shedeur Sanders Jan 26 5:20pm ET
Shedeur Sanders

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been added to this year's Pro Bowl Games as a replacement for New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, a source told Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Sanders, who slipped to the 144th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, ended up starting the final seven games for the Browns in his first year in the NFL. The 23-year-old completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. He added 169 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries while going 3-4 as the starter. Sanders did enough in training camp and the preseason last summer to earn a roster spot going into 2025, and although he had his moments as the starter late in the year, he most definitely will need to show more improvement and will be involved in a QB competition during training camp in 2026.

From RotoBaller

J.K. Dobbins Jan 26 4:50pm ET
J.K. Dobbins

When asked if he wants to re-sign with the Denver Broncos in 2026, running back J.K. Dobbins said, "Yeah, I'm a Bronco... I wasn't drafted here, but I'm a Buckeye, and I'm a Bronco." Dobbins suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders that required surgery, and he never played again in 2025. The 27-year-old resumed practicing last week, though, and said he was "very close" to playing in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots on Sunday. After the year Dobbins had before his foot injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if the two sides reached an agreement on a two- or three-year deal in free agency. He played for the Broncos on a one-year deal this season and was on his way to a career year before his injury, totaling 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries. Fantasy managers take on considerable injury risk with Dobbins, and if he stays in Denver, he'll be splitting the backfield with RJ Harvey.

From RotoBaller

Hunter Henry Jan 26 4:40pm ET
Hunter Henry

Offense was hard to come by in the AFC Championship game on Sunday in snowy Denver for the Broncos and New England Patriots, and tight end Hunter Henry finished with just two catches on three targets for 12 yards in the 10-7 low-scoring win over the Broncos. Henry has been a huge disappointment for fantasy managers who have used him the last two weeks in the postseason, as the 31-year-old veteran had just one grab for five yards in the Divisional Round victory over the Houston Texans. In the Wild-Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, his former team, Henry caught three passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. Henry didn't have much of a chance to do anything against Denver's strong defense in adverse conditions, as quarterback Drake Maye threw for only 86 total yards. Henry and the Pats will have another difficult matchup against the Seahawks' defense in the Super Bowl, but he'll still be the TE with the most upside in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Kayshon Boutte Jan 26 4:40pm ET
Kayshon Boutte

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, along with the rest of the offense, struggled to do much in poor conditions during a snowstorm in the 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday in the AFC Championship. Boutte was tied with receiver Stefon Diggs for the team lead in targets (six), but he hauled in just one of them for six yards. Mack Hollins, who came off Injured Reserve last week, led the Patriots with 51 receiving yards on only two catches. Quarterback Drake Maye went 10-for-21 passing for only 86 yards, with neither team really able to move the ball much in the second half after snow started to fall heavily. In the first two playoff games, the 23-year-old Boutte caught seven of his nine targets for 141 yards and a touchdown in wins over the Chargers and Texans. He was a disappointment against Denver, but he should be able to bounce back nicely in the Super Bowl in two weeks versus the Seahawks.

From RotoBaller

Jake Bobo Jan 26 4:30pm ET
Jake Bobo

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo, who caught just two passes for 20 yards during 11 games in the regular season, caught one of quarterback Sam Darnold's three touchdown passes in Sunday's NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams. Bobo was targeted just once in the 31-27 victory to advance to the Super Bowl, and he capitalized on that one target to score from 17 yards out. It was the 27-year-old pass-catcher's first touchdown of the year and only his fourth TD since debuting in the NFL in 2023 with Seattle. After catching only two passes for 20 yards during the regular season, Bobo has stepped up to produce two receptions for 33 yards and one touchdown on his three targets in two playoff games. He only played 19% of the snaps on Sunday and hasn't played more than 33% of the snaps in a single game. Fantasy managers should look to avoid Bobo in the Super Bowl in two weeks against the Patriots.

From RotoBaller

Odafe Oweh Jan 26 3:00pm ET
Odafe Oweh

The Los Angeles Chargers and defensive tackle Teair Tart agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension on Monday, a source told Kris Rhim of ESPN. Tart's deal includes $20 million in guarantees. General manager Joe Hortiz and the Bolts have gone to work quickly this offseason to begin patching up what was one of the team's biggest weaknesses in 2025. Tart emerged as one of L.A.'s most important players this past season, and he came away with the best year of his career. His 12 run stops ranked seventh in the NFL and first on the team. In the Wild-Card loss to the New England Patriots, Tart deflected a pass that led to an interception, had his first sack since 2024, and had two tackles for loss. The Chargers are expected to look into contracts to retain outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack next.

From RotoBaller

Kyler Murray Jan 26 2:50pm ET
Kyler Murray

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss writes that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray's trade value has increased after Oregon QB Dante Moore announced on Jan. 14 that he would return to school for his junior season in 2026. Moore was projected to go second overall, behind Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. "One less quarterback on the market makes desperation increase," a source said. There isn't another clear-cut first-round signal-caller in this year's draft behind Mendoza, now that Moore is going back to school. An NFC source said they think the starting price for Murray, if Arizona is interested in moving him, could begin with a second-round pick. A league source believes Murray's market starts with a third-rounder. Murray is still a talented player, but he never played in 2025 after a foot injury in Week 5, putting his future in Arizona in question after another frustrating campaign. A final decision on whether the Cardinals decide to trade Murray this offseason might not be reached until the team hires a new head coach.

From RotoBaller

Travis Hunter Jan 26 2:40pm ET
Travis Hunter

ESPN's Michael DiRocco writes that "early indications" are that Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star and former Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is "primarily going to be a cornerback and have a package of plays on offense." Hunter's rookie season in the NFL was cut short by a season-ending knee injury, but he finished the year as more of a receiver than a cornerback. He played 67% of the offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps before his non-contact knee injury in practice on Oct. 30. The Jaguars will continue to use Hunter on offense, but they have more of a need at defensive back going into next season. Hunter could start across from Jourdan Lewis while also playing in nickel situations. What general manager James Gladstone does in free agency will help clarify what exactly the Jags will do with Hunter, but right now, it looks like his fantasy football stock will drop drastically.

From RotoBaller

Kenneth Walker III Jan 26 1:20pm ET
Kenneth Walker III

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III blew up for a season-high 116 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 19 carries in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers last weekend. While Walker didn't have that big of a game in the NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, he did score his fourth rushing touchdown in the last two weeks. The 25-year-old continued to be a catalyst for Seattle's high-scoring offense and finished with 19 carries for the second straight week for 62 yards and the score. He also caught all four of his targets for 49 yards. Walker was the clear workhorse for Seattle -- with no other RB seeing more than three carries -- after Zach Charbonnet's (knee) season-ending tore ACL last week. He'll be the clear workhorse again in the Super Bowl in two weeks against the Patriots.

From RotoBaller

TreVeyon Henderson Jan 26 1:10pm ET
TreVeyon Henderson

New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson played a season-low 6% of the offensive snaps in Sunday's win over the hosting Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. Meanwhile, backfield mate Rhamondre Stevenson played a season-high 94% of the snaps, carrying the ball 25 times for 71 yards in the 10-7 snowy victory. Henderson once again took a back seat to Stevenson, rushing the pigskin only three times for five yards. He was not targeted in the passing game. There was little offense to come by for either team in bad conditions in the second half in the Mile High City on Sunday, as the Patriots only mustered 206 yards of total offense. The 23-year-old from Ohio State had 23 total touches in the team's first two playoff wins, and he'll head into the Super Bowl in two weeks against a tough Seattle Seahawks defense as New England's clear No. 2 RB behind Stevenson.

From RotoBaller

Cooper Kupp Jan 26 1:00pm ET
Cooper Kupp

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp found the end zone in a revenge game on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams in Seattle's NFC Championship victory. Kupp, who played for the Rams for the first eight seasons of his career, caught four of his six targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in the 31-27 win. The 32-year-old veteran's touchdown grab came in the fourth quarter to put Seattle up for good in the back-and-forth affair. Kupp is no longer in the prime of his career, and he was more of a low-upside role player for the Seahawks in 2025, but he has been more of a factor on offense during two postseason contests. In wins over the Rams and San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs, Kupp has nine catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. He'll look to keep it going in two weeks in the Super Bowl against a New England Patriots defense that allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards (2,014) during the regular season.

From RotoBaller

AJ Barner Jan 26 1:00pm ET
AJ Barner

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has been very quiet in the team's two playoff wins, as he caught just two of his three targets for 13 yards in Sunday's 31-27 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. It was better than Barner's donut for fantasy managers in the blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, but it still was a disappointment. Quarterback Sam Darnold targeted Barner only three times among his 36 pass attempts on the day in a game that featured plenty of offense on both sides. The 23-year-old second-year tight end was the TE14 in half-PPR scoring during the regular season, catching 52 of his 68 targets for 519 yards and six touchdowns, and he remains mostly reliant on finding the end zone for fantasy production. For the Super Bowl in two weeks, Barner could face competition for targets from rookie Elijah Arroyo, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday after coming off Injured Reserve last week.

From RotoBaller

Josh Allen Jan 26 11:40am ET
Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills are expected to reach out to Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Davis Webb for their head-coaching job, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Webb, a former QB with the Bills, is a quick riser in the coaching ranks in the NFL and is also a strong candidate for the head-coaching job this cycle for the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite having no previous play-calling experience in the NFL, Webb could be an option in Buffalo because of his relationship with QB Josh Allen. Webb was a backup for the Bills from 2019 to 2021 before getting his start in coaching in 2023 with the Broncos. It remains to be seen if Webb will get a head-coaching job this cycle, but there's no question that he's quickly become one of the best young, rising offensive-minded coaches in the league.

From RotoBaller

Jarrett Stidham Jan 26 11:32am ET
Jarrett Stidham

Dynasty | Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham completed 17-of-31 passes for 133 yards with one touchdown and one interception in an AFC Championship loss to the Patriots. Dynasty Analysis: Stidham connected with Marvin Mims on a 52-yard play early but was otherwise ineffective on the day. Much of the blame can be placed on the snowy weather conditions but Stidham just wasn't able to provide the plays Denver needed to reach the Super Bowl. With Bo Nix getting ready for the start of next season, Stidham has no dynasty value.

Rhamondre Stevenson Jan 26 11:10am ET
Rhamondre Stevenson

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson took on a workhorse role in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, recording 71 rushing yards on 25 carries. While Stevenson averaged a highly inefficient 2.8 yards per touch for the game, he was still a crucial piece in helping New England game-manage its way to a victory in snowy conditions in Denver. The Patriots finished the game with just 206 yards of total offense, so Stevenson accounted for over a third of his team's output. Stevenson also appears to have completely taken over the lead role in New England's backfield from rookie back TreVeyon Henderson. After playing over 60% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in each of their first two postseason games, Stevenson played 94% of the team's snaps against Denver. Both New England backs now face a difficult matchup in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per carry allowed (3.7). Still, Stevenson appears better positioned than Henderson to take on a high-volume role and should have his chances for production.

From RotoBaller

Sam Darnold Jan 26 10:50am ET
Sam Darnold

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had one of the best games of his career in his team's NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams, completing 25 of 36 pass attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns without committing a turnover. The 28-year-old shook off his past demons against the Rams defense, which forced him into six interceptions across two regular-season matchups. Darnold will now have a chance to lead Seattle in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. New England's pass defense has been elite so far this postseason, holding opponents to just 415 total passing yards across three games. However, the Patriots have also been aided by some bad weather and faced backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham in their AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos. If Darnold plays the way he played in the NFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl, he should have a chance to post another stellar stat line.

From RotoBaller

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Jan 26 10:40am ET
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of the stars of his team's NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams, recording 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. The 23-year-old bounced back from a relatively disappointing performance in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, in which he was held to just three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown on four targets. In the Super Bowl, Smith-Njigba will face the New England Patriots. New England's pass defense has been completely dominant so far this postseason, allowing a total of 415 passing yards through three games. However, the Patriots have not exactly faced a murderer's row of opposing offenses, including the backup quarterback-led Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Regardless of opponent, Smith-Njigba has been arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL this season and carries elite production upside into the Super Bowl.

From RotoBaller

Drake Maye Jan 26 10:30am ET
Drake Maye

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye certainly did not have his best game as a passer in his team's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, completing 10 of 21 pass attempts for 86 yards and taking five sacks. However, the 23-year-old rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts and did not commit a turnover after coughing up five turnovers over New England's first two postseason games. Given the snowy conditions in Denver and the fact that the Broncos' offense was without QB1 Bo Nix (ankle), it made sense for Maye and the Patriots to opt for a more conservative approach. He will likely be forced to take a few more chances in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who have scored a combined 72 points across two games so far this postseason. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0), so Maye has a difficult task ahead of him.

From RotoBaller

Stefon Diggs Jan 26 10:30am ET
Stefon Diggs

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs recorded a team-high five receptions on six targets in the AFC Championship Game, but was held to just 17 receiving yards in a win over the Denver Broncos. In fairness to Diggs, there was very little pass-game success for any player on either team in the snowy conditions in Denver on Sunday. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished the game with just 86 passing yards on 21 attempts. Still, Diggs has had a relatively quiet postseason so far, recording 11 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets across three games played. He also played just 47% of New England's offensive snaps against Denver, fewer than fellow Patriots wideouts Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte. Diggs will face another tough matchup in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, who finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0). The veteran wide receiver should get his chances to contribute, but his production ceiling appears to be somewhat limited heading into the Super Bowl.

From RotoBaller