The Cincinnati Bengals D/ST racked up six sacks and a fumble recovery in the Bengals' 20-18 loss to the Browns.
Fantasy Impact: The Bengals defense started to show some life in the back half of the season, finally picking up some slack where they had been one of the worst, if not the worst, units in the league. They will look to bring in some help and improve around names like DJ Turner and Trey Hendrickson next season and get back in the playoffs.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt carried the ball 13 times for 29 yards in a 24-17 win over the Eagles in Week 18.
Fantasy Impact: Croskey-Merritt played behind Chris Rodriguez Jr., who saw 16 carries. The Washington rookie had an up-and-down debut season, showing flashes of strong play but also failing to overtake Rodriguez on the depth chart. Croskey-Merritt will be an interesting name to monitor heading into the 2026 season, as he could be a solid fantasy running back if he can win the starting role.
Justin Jefferson ended the 2025 season on a high note, catching eight passes for 101 yards in the Vikings' 16-3 win over the Packers on Sunday.
Fantasy Impact: With the 101 yards, Jefferson joined Mike Evans and Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons. It was, however, a bit of a down year for Jefferson, who finished with a career-low 1,048 yards and just two touchdowns. The 100-yard effort on Sunday was just his third of the season and his first since October 5. Jefferson was hurt by inconsistent quarterback play this season, but he still remains one of the best receivers in the NFL and should be a favorite to rebound in 2026.
Harrison Butker connected on 4-of-4 field goals in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders.
Fantasy Impact: Butker connected on field goals from 36, 40, 41, and 47 to account for all of the scoring for the Chiefs Sunday. The veteran kicker remains under contract with the Chiefs for 2026 and should remain one of the top options at the position for fantasy managers.
Travis Kelce caught 3-of-6 targets for 12 yards in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders.
Fantasy Impact: Kelce's performance Sunday was enough to become the fastest tight end to record 13,000 career receiving yards. There have been rumors that Kelce is planning on retiring, which would leave the Chiefs with a major hole in their offense heading into 2026.
Josh Johnson completed 14 of his 22 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while adding nine carries for 45 yards and a rushing score in a 24-17 win over the Eagles in Week 18.
Fantasy Impact: Johnson also lost a fumble but it didn't prevent him from pulling off the upset win over Philly in the regular-season finale. Johnson started the final two games of the season for Washington with both Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota injured. The veteran will look to latch on with an NFL team in a reserve role in the offseason.
JuJu Smith-Schuster caught 2-of-2 targets for 13 yards in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders.
Fantasy Impact: Smith-Schuster and the rest of the Chiefs' offense struggled to get anything consistent going. The veteran wide receiver is set to be a free agent heading into his age 30 season.
Marquise Brown caught 3-of-6 targets for 36 yards in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders.
Fantasy Impact: Brown led the team in receiving yards and was tied for the team lead in targets Sunday. The veteran wide out is set to be a free agent heading into the 2026 season.
J.J. McCarthy (hand) completed 14-of-23 passes for 182 yards before leaving early in the second half with discomfort in his throwing hand.
Fantasy Impact: McCarthy had a roller coaster of a first season as the starter in Minnesota. He started 10 games for the Vikings and threw for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns but also threw 12 interceptions. McCarthy added 181 yards on the ground and four more scores. McCarthy played a bit better down the stretch, throwing five touchdowns to just two picks over his last four games. However, it might be an interesting offseason in Minnesota as rumors are already swirling about bringing a veteran into the QB room.
Brashard Smith rushed for 56 yards on 12 carries in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders. Smith caught 2-of-4 targets for two yards.
Fantasy Impact: Smith saw an increase in playing time for the Chiefs with the team out of playoff contention. The rookie running back should see more looks in training camp to carve out a role for 2026.
Jaxson Dart completed 22 of 32 passes for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, adding 32 yards on five carries in Sunday's 34-17 win over the Cowboys.
Fantasy Impact: Dart wrapped up his rookie campaign with yet another promising performance at the helm of the Giants offense. The former Ole Miss standout has given the Giants plenty of confidence build around him for the future. Over 14 games this season, Dart completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,272 yards and 15-5 TD/INT ratio. He also used his running ability to gain nearly 500 yards and account for another nine touchdowns. Dart is an extremely valuable dynasty or keeper-league piece, and he is sure to have his suitors in 2026 redraft formats as well.
Kareem Hunt rushed for 14 yards on five carries in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders. He caught 3-of-4 targets for 21 yards.
Fantasy Impact: Hunt will finish the 2025 season with 611 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 172 carries. The 30-year-old is set to be a free agent heading into the offseason.
Chris Oladokun completed 11-of-17 passes for 58 yards in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders.
Fantasy Impact: Oladokun and Shane Buechele both got playing time in the loss to the Raiders, with both quarterback struggling to get anything going. The Chiefs will likely look outside of the current quarterback room for a backup to Patrick Mahomes for the 2026 season.
The Rams D/ST allowed 238 passing yards, 79 rushing yards, and 20 points in a 37-20 win over the Cardinals.
Fantasy Impact: The Rams' defense tallied one interception, one fumble, and six sacks in the win. The Rams will head on the road to take on the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.
Devin Singletary rushed for 26 yards and a touchdown on nine carries in Sunday's win over the Cowboys.
Fantasy Impact: Singletary hit paydirt for the second straight week and the fifth time over the last seven games Sunday. The veteran ball carrier has shown that he can still be a capable backup with his work this season.
Harrison Mevis connected on 3-of-3 field goals and 4-of-4 extra points in the Rams 37-20 win over the Cardinals.
Fantasy Impact: Mevis connected on field goals from 34, 40, and 42 yards out in the win. Mevis will end his first season with the Rams 12-of-13 on field goal attempts and 39-of-39 on extra point attempts.
Tyler Higbee caught 5-of-6 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in the Rams 37-20 win over the Cardinals.
Fantasy Impact: Higbee found the end zone on a 22-yard reception in the fourth quarter. Higbee had just returned from injured reserve, so this strong performance will give him some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries, adding 56 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions in Sunday's 34-17 win over the Cowboys.
Fantasy Impact: Tracy ended his second NFL season on a strong note Sunday. His rushing and total yards were both new season highs. Tracy finishes the campaign with 740 rushing yards and 288 receiving yards over 15 games.
Colby Parkinson caught 4-of-7 targets for 36 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams 37-20 win over the Cardinals.
Fantasy Impact: Parkinson found the end zone twice in the second half of Sunday's regular season finale. Parkinson and Tyler Higbee will likely see the bulk of the playing time at tight end for the Rams in the playoffs.
Evan McPherson failed to hit either of his PATs in the Bengals' 20-18 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
Fantasy Impact: McPherson's failed PATs put the Bengals on the backfoot, forcing them to take a 2-PT conversion attempt that ultimately failed. He's been solid and actually finished with the best FGM % of his career. He should be a good bet for fantasy relevance next season.
