We are now down to the NFL’s Final Four and this year’s league championship games are unquestionably comprised of the league’s best teams. It only took 19 weeks but we finally have a weekend where injuries will not play a major role in setting fantasy lineups as the Patriots, Chiefs, Rams and Saints are all relatively healthy and there are no star players dealing with any serious maladies. So without any further ado, let’s delve into the next edition of the 2019 postseason fantasy football emergency room.
Keith Kirkwood (WR-NO)
Michael Thomas is playing out of his mind right now and he is certainly the one wide receiver everyone should be targeting in postseason fantasy leagues. However, Drew Brees will need his full complement of receivers to keep pace with the Rams and Keith Kirkwood is emerging as one of those viable targets. The rookie wide receiver only played in eight games this season and caught 13 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. However, he played a major factor in last week’s dramatic win against the Eagles when he caught the Saints’ first touchdown of the day on a fourth down. He has missed a few days of practice this week with a calf injury but he is fully expected to be play in the NFC Championship. The Rams will have their hands full trying to cover Michael Thomas , so Kirkwood could play a huge role as the other receiver and has a lot of upside for fantasy purposes.
Sammy Watkins (WR-KC)
Watkins returned in last week’s Division Round game against the Colts after missing the past several weeks with a foot injury. He played almost all of the Chiefs snaps and came out of the game without any injuries. The further good news is that he has been practicing in a full capacity this week which means that he was completely unscathed and avoided any setbacks. Watkins could play a huge role in this week’s matchup against the Patriots since we can expect New England to do everything it can to neutralize Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce . This should give Watkins plenty of one-on-one matchups to try and take advantage of in what should be a shootout at Arrowhead Stadium.
Spencer Ware (RB-KC)
Ware has been out since Week 14 with a hamstring injury but finally practiced in a full capacity on Thursday. This puts him in line to return this weekend against the Patriots in the AFC Championship. Ware was expected to be the Chiefs primary running back after they released Kareem Hunt , but his hamstring injury and the emergence of Damien Williams has relegated him to a backup role. Ware does not have a lot of value heading into the weekend as he would only be providing Williams with some rest.
Eric Berry (DB-KC)
It was a long road back for Eric Berry who played in two games late in the season for Kansas City. However, his heel injury flared up and he was forced to sit out of the Divisional Round win over Indianapolis. Berry has returned to practice in a full capacity this week and is in line to return to the field against New England. This is good news for the Chiefs who will have their hands full trying to limit the Patriots offense which exploded for 41 points against the Chargers last week.
Sheldon Rankins (DL-NO)
The euphoria of last week’s win over Philadelphia was slightly tarnished by the unfortunate news that Sheldon Rankins suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Rankins was a key piece of the Saints surprisingly dominant run defense and pass rush this season as he collected eight sacks. His absence could potentially open the door for huge games from Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson who both destroyed the Cowboys in last week’s Division Round victory. Rankins will have a long recovery ahead of him for one of the worst injuries an athlete can suffer.
Andrus Peat (T-NO)
The Saints offensive line is a little beaten up as well as Andrus Peat is currently dealing with a broken hand. He has been playing with it recently, but he has been limited in practice this week as a means of minimizing contact and exposure. He will need to be as close to full strength as possible this weekend against the Rams superior pass rush led by Aaron Donald . If Peat or fellow injured lineman Max Unger and Ryan Ramczyk are not at their best, then the Rams defensive line could be in Drew Brees ’ face all day.
Player News
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports there are “multiple people in the league who believe the new regime is not so high on Travis Etienne.”
Fowler also noted Tank Bigsby’s fumbling issue but didn’t directly relate that to the feelings of the new brain trust in Jacksonville. The Jags clearly felt they were lacking at running back this offseason and addressed that opening via the draft with Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round and LeQuint Allen in the seventh. The pair of additions complicate an already-messy backfield by committee. Etienne is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is a long-shot to be brought back in 2026. The Jags could opt to move on early by trading him, clearing $6.1 million in cap space in the process. If the team does trade Etienne, Tuten would likely be the team’s top back in the long run, making him a high-upside bet in early fantasy drafts.
Broncos signed third-round pick WR Pat Bryant to a four-year contract.
The deal includes $1.4 million guaranteed and is worth $6.6 million in total. Sean Payton compared aspects of Bryant’s game to those of Michael Thomas in his post-draft press conference and there are at least a few similarities in their profiles. Bryant stands at 6'2/204 and ran a 4.61-second Forty at the combine. Thomas measured in at 6'3/212 and clocked a 4.57-second Forty. Though the two have similar physical characteristics, Thomas was known for his proficiency from the slot while Bryant primarily played on the outside as a field-stretcher at Illinois. Bryant’s transition to slot duties may take some time, but third-round draft capital makes him worth a shot in dynasty leagues.
Colts EDGE Samson Ebukam (Achilles) said he is expected to be cleared for training camp.
Ebukam suffered a torn Achilles in training camp last year and did not play in the 2024 season. He broke out in 2023 with a career-high 9.5 sacks in his first season with the Colts. He now has one year left on his deal and will be looking for a rebound season as he stares down free agency in 2026
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Steelers are “counting on” a 2025 jump for WR Roman Wilson.
Wilson, per Fowler, “looks like a different player than from his injury riddled rookie campaign.” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said in February that the team has “a lot of confidence” in Wilson, the 84th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who played just five offensive snaps as a rookie after suffering a serious hamstring injury in October. Wilson, entering his age-24 season, had 789 yards and 12 touchdowns on 49 catches in his final season at Michigan. He was 19th among all college wideouts in yards per route run in 2023. An injury-free offseason could position Wilson as the clear No. 2 receiver behind DK Metcalf in 2025.