.jpg)
Welcome to the best weekend of football all season as we approach the Divisional Round of the playoffs. There are eight teams left vying for an opportunity to win the Super Bowl and of course injuries could play a major factor in the outcomes of these games. If you are involved in fantasy postseason leagues or games, then be sure to closely follow the injury reports because there are some key players on this list which could directly or indirectly affect the results of your games. So, without further ado, here is the next edition of the fantasy football emergency room for the Divisional Round.
.jpg)
Antonio Brown (WR-PIT) – To the surprise of no one, Brown is back to practicing in a full capacity and will absolutely be on the field against the Jaguars this Sunday afternoon. He has worked his way back from a calf injury and returns at the most important time for the Steelers as they seek another appearance in the AFC Championship. Brown is clearly a difference-maker but will be lined up against the great Jalen Ramsey so it should be a fascinating matchup to follow all game. Look for Brown to still put up his typically impressive stat line no matter how well Ramsey plays against him.
Julio Jones (WR-ATL) – Jones missed a few days of practice earlier this week before returning on Thursday and will be ready to go against the Eagles on Saturday. There was never really any doubt he would be on the field but the ankle injury has been lingering for a while now. Atlanta is the rare road favorite in this NFC Division matchup and should be able to throw against the Eagles defense which is better against the run. Many fantasy GMs were disappointed with the lack of scoring Jones had during the season, but he did find the end zone in last week’s Wild Card win over the Rams and is a good candidate to do it again this weekend.
Devonta Freeman (RB-ATL) – Freeman has been dealing with a knee injury which limited him in practice this week. However, he is fully expected to play and look to build off his performance last week against the Rams when he scored a touchdown helping the Falcons advance to the NFC Divisional Round. Freeman will face a tough Eagles defense which only surrendered one 100-yard game against an opposing running back all season.
.jpg)
DeMarco Murray (RB-TEN) – The Titans have already ruled Murray out for this weekend’s AFC Divisional Round showdown with the Patriots. Murray has a torn MCL and will miss his second straight playoff game. If Tennessee can pull off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history and defeat the reigning champions, then we can start speculating whether Murray can play again. For now, the job is Derrick Henry’s and he will once again be the featured running back for the Titans. You can expect Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to focus their defense on stopping Henry and forcing Marcus Mariota to try and make plays.
Rex Burkhead (RB-NE) – Burkhead is working his way back from a knee injury which cost him the final two games of the regular season. Reports out of New England indicated that Burkhead is progressing well in practice and has a good chance of playing this weekend against Tennessee. He had a very productive season in fantasy leagues with five rushing touchdowns and three receiving scores, and if he plays he will be a significant factor near the goal line. Burkhead is the best candidate to spell Dion Lewis and all signs point to his return in the AFC Divisional Round.
Mike Gillislee (RB-NE) – If you had Mike Gillislee on your fantasy team beyond Week 2 of the season, then you wasted a roster spot. After scoring four touchdowns in the first two weeks, he descended into obscurity and only played once over the last nine weeks of the regular season. He is still dealing with a knee injury and his status for this weekend’s game against the Titans is very questionable. Even if he was healthy enough to play, he likely wouldn’t see much action behind Dion Lewis and a returning Rex Burkhead.
Mohamed Sanu (WR-ATL) – Atlanta heads into Philadelphia as the favorite to unseat the number one seed in the NFC and Mohamed Sanu could be a big factor in that outcome. He has been limited in practice this week with a knee injury but will certainly be ready to go this weekend. Sanu had 75 yards receiving against the Rams in the Wild Card game last week and could be a popular target for Matt Ryan as the Eagles focus on shutting down Julio Jones. The Falcons could have a difficult time running the ball against Philadelphia’s stingy defense so look for the aerial attack to take precedence.
Ryan Shazier (LB-PIT) – We all remember the scary sight of seeing Ryan Shazier laying on the field in Cincinnati unable to move his legs. Fortunately, he has made great progress in the past couple weeks as he regains feelings in his lower extremities. He has managed to show up at the Steelers’ practice facility this week in a wheelchair and inspire the entire team. His playing career is very much in jeopardy, but the inspiration he is giving to his teammates is invaluable and will serve Pittsburgh well as they look to exact revenge against a Jacksonville team that decimated them earlier in the season.
Andrus Peat (T-NO) – The Saints placed Peat on season-ending injured reserve due to the broken fibula and high-ankle sprain he suffered last week against Carolina. Peat is expected to fully recover and be ready for training camp next summer. However, his loss weakens the offensive line which is so important for the Saints to be able to run the ball and protect Drew Brees from the Vikings tenacious defense. New Orleans has achieved great success this season with the backfield combination of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, but that success is also hinged on solid offensive line work. You can expect the Vikings to try and exploit the left side of the Saints’ offensive line which will be without Peat the rest of the year.
Michael A. Stein, Esq. is the Chief Justice of Fantasy Judgment, the industry's premier dispute resolution service. You can contact him at michael.stein@fantasyjudgment.com or on Facebook and Twitter (@FantasyJudgment).
Player News
Bears coach Ben Johnson said Luther Burden missed Wednesday’s practice with a soft tissue injury.
Johnson didn’t give a timeline for his return, only saying “it remains to be seen” when Burden will be back. Burden landed on the ball during a practice at the end of rookie minicamp and was checked out by trainers to close the session. The current soft tissue injury is presumably related to that incident. While it’s early in the summer and we fully expect Burden to be back sooner rather than later, it’s not a great start to the offseason for the rookie. Burden is entering a crowded receiver room with a quarterback learning his second offense in as many seasons. Even OTA reps are valuable for the newcomer. Burden will likely open the year as the Bears’ WR3, making him a bet on late-season production for fantasy purposes.
Garrett Wilson said he is hopeful to be “a Jet for life” when asked about contract discussions between him and the Jets.
Wilson told reporters he has had contract talks “here and there” with the team. It doesn’t sound like anything is imminent, but at least some progress has been made. The Jets picked up Wilson’s fifth-year option this offseason, keeping him under contract through 2026 with a $16.8 million cap hit for the final year. Wilson has yet to have a true breakout season, peaking at 1,104 yards on 101 grabs last year. On the other hand, he has been plagued by subpar to downright awful quarterback play for three seasons, depressing his counting stats. It’s possible things turn around in that department with Justin Fields under center this year, though Fields has been an erratic, run-first passer for much of his career.
The Buffalo Bills will be featured on the 2025 edition of Hard Knocks.
All eyes will remain on Buffalo to start the 2025 offseason program with Hard Knocks coming to town. Coming off a year that saw Josh Allen nab his first MVP, only to be bounced from the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes once again, Buffalo was a natural choice to the the focal point of the HBO show. The NFC East will be featured division for the in-season edition of Hard Knocks. With both NFC Championship participants residing in the division, it was another easy choice for the producers of the show.
The Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski beleives the Eagles are confident RB Will Shipley “can fill Kenny Gainwell’s role as the two-minute offense back/RB2.”
Kempski said his understanding is the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Shipley as a rookie. Shipley played sparingly as the team’s RB3 last year and turned 30 carries into a measly 82 yards. He was, however, playing exclusively in the fourth quarter of decided games, so it’s hard to take much away from his limited reps. The Eagles let Gainwell walk in free agency and only added AJ Dillon during the offseason, all but guranteeing Shipley’s spot as Saquon Barkley’s backup. Though that isn’t enough of a role to put him on the redraft radar, Shipley is a solid last-round pick in deeper formats.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the proposed ban of the tush push did not receive enough votes at the NFL owners’ meeting.
It was widely believed that the play was on the chopping block this week, but the Eagles pulled out all the stops, including flying in Jason Kelce for the meetings, to save their free touchdown play. Even after taking things to a second, more private session for further discussion, the ban did not receive the required 24 votes to pass. The ban could have shifted a few touchdowns from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley, but the Eagles were always going to be the league’s best team in short-yardage situations. Hurts has at least 13 rushing touchdowns in each of the past three seasons. He remains a top-five fantasy quarterback with the tush push still in the playbook.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports “the league’s competition and players’ health and safety committees have voted to ban” the tush push.
The NFL’s owners are currently discussing the play and will eventually vote on whether to ban the tush push or not. Russini noted that her sources expect the vote to pass. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is also on record saying he believes it will be banned. The new rule would seemingly only ban the push element of the play. Philly still has the best offensive line in football and a quarterback who can squat as much as a lineman. Even without a player giving him a boost from behind, we fully expect Jalen Hurts to be the league’s best quarterback in short-yardage situations.