Fantasy Football News

New Chargers OC Joe Lombardi compared RB Austin Ekeler to Alvin Kamara, Reggie Bush, and Darren Sproles. (Source: Los Angeles Chargers on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Lombardi comes from the Saints, who have historically gotten their running backs involved in the passing game better than almost any other team. The fact that he's comparing Ekeler to these players is a good sign for how he wants to utilize his versatile, new RB. With prized rookie Justin Herbert set to enter his second year as the starter, it's looking as if the sky is the limit for this Chargers offense. Ekeler is currently priced as RB10 in the very early 0.5 PPR rankings.

The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed restricted free agent RB Jeff Wilson Jr. to a one-year deal. (Source: San Francisco 49ers on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Wilson appeared in 12 games this season for the 49ers, leading all running backs with 733 total yards and 10 touchdowns. When given the opportunity to shoulder the load, Wilson performed admirably, particularly down the stretch. He saw 25 red zone carries this season compared to just 11 (in 8 games) for backfield teammate Raheem Mostert. With Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon both likely gone, the 49ers could choose to roll with Mostert and Wilson in tandem in 2021, but don’t be surprised if Wilson ends up leading the team in rushing again.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that teams are already reaching out to the Detroit Lions to initiate trade talks surrounding Matthew Stafford. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Over the weekend Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Lions and Stafford were mutually agreeing to part ways this offseason. Understandably, many teams are expected to be interested in the 32-year-old franchise quarterback. There's a plethora of QB-needy teams around the league, which means things could move quickly on the trade front. Stay tuned.

Bucs WR Antonio Brown (knee) is expected to return for the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Brown was inactive for Sunday's NFC Championship game after injuring his knee the week prior. Scotty Miller would likely see a decrease in opportunities if Brown is indeed able to return. We'll monitor the practice reports leading up to the big game.

Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins (calf) is expected to play in the Super Bowl against the Bucs. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Watkins hasn't played since going down in Week 16. Mecole Hardman should still receive a handful of touches and targets despite his return, but Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle would once again be non-factors. We'll still monitor the injury report for both teams leading up to the big game.

QB Nick Mullens underwent successful surgery on his right elbow in December and is expected to be ready by the start of training camp. (Source: Mike Garafolo on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Mullens avoided Tommy John surgery and is expected to be ready by the start of training camp. “The damage was not as extensive as initially feared and did not require Tommy John surgery,” per Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network. He will be an unrestricted free agent and look to latch onto a team this offseason. Mullens threw for 2,437 yards and a 12:12 TD:INT ratio over 10 games for the 49ers in 2020.

Chiefs RB Le'Veon Bell (knee) is expected to play in the Super Bowl against the Bucs. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Bell was inactive for Sunday's AFC Championship game after injuring his knee in practice last week. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams are both expected to see more touches than Bell, assuming all three are active.

The Packers signed RB Dexter Williams to a reserve/futures contract. (Source: Rob Demovsky on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Williams was the team's sixth round pick from 2019. He could have a role in Green Bay if the Packers move on from both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams this offseason. However, he only received playing time in one game this season so fantasy managers shouldn't expect much of a workload even if a role materializes.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid says he isn't optimistic that OL Mitchell Schwartz (back) will be available for the Super Bowl against the Bucs. (Source: Nate Taylor on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: This isn't ideal after the Chiefs lost LT Eric Fisher to an Achilles injury on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes should still be able to work his magic against the Bucs' pass defense, but the team might need to place more of an emphasis on protecting him due to the state of the offensive line.

Bills WR Cole Beasley said he played through a broken fibula during the postseason. (Source: Marcel Louis-Jacques on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Beasley was on the injury report with a "knee" injury for most of the playoffs. He suffered it in Week 16 and was apparently more impacted by it during the Wild Card Round and Divisional Round. He hauled in 7-of-9 targets for 88 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, however. Beasley could undergo offseason surgery at some point, depending on how bad the break is.

Chiefs offensive lineman Eric Fisher tore his Achilles tendon in Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Bills. He will not play in the Super Bowl and faces a long road to recovery. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: 2013's first overall pick inked a 4-year/$48M extension a few years ago that will expire after 2021. At 30 years old, his recovery may cause Fisher to miss some time next season, a crucial contract year for the standout offensive lineman. The Chiefs will likely promote Martinas Rankin into the starting lineup for the Super Bowl. We'll be sure to keep you updated on Fisher's status and recovery throughout the offseason.

The Buffalo Bills D/ST gave up 38 points and had one sack in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: The Bills D/ST got healthy down the stretch and proved to be the formidable opponent experts thought they would be heading into 2020. Unfortunately, they ran into the buzz saw that is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills D/ST finished as a top-12 scoring defense in fantasy and there is no reason to believe they can't do it again in 2021.

Bills K Tyler Bass connected on all four of his field-goals and missed an extra-point attempt in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: As long as Bass remains the kicker for the Bills, he'll be fantasy gold. Look for him to be one of the first kickers off the board in 2021 drafts.

Bills RB T.J. Yeldon rushed three times for 15 yards and had four receptions for 41 yards in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Yeldon had a solid game but doesn't seem to have a long-term role in Buffalo. With Devin Singletary back and Zack Moss healthy, Yeldon remains buried on the depth chart, and barring injury won't be fantasy-relevant in 2021.

Bills WR John Brown had two receptions for 24 yards in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Brown had a tough end to his 2020 season. He missed significant time with an ankle injury and never seemed to get all the way back from it. If healthy, Brown should be a WR3/WR4 heading into the 2021 season.

Bills WR Isaiah McKenzie caught one pass for a six-yard touchdown in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: McKenzie remains the 6th option for QB Josh Allen and at this time and is not currently on the fantasy radar.

Bills RB Devin Singletary rushed six times for 17 yards and added two receptions for nine yards in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Singletary continued to be underwhelming in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. Neither Singletary nor rookie Zack Moss was able to take over this backfield when given the opportunity in 2020, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if more competition is brought in for the 2021 season. Singletary may be nothing more than a low-end FLEX option moving forward.

Bills TE Dawson Knox caught 6-of-8 targets for 42 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Knox had a solid 2020 campaign but remains very touchdown-dependant for fantasy relevance. If he can manage to take another step in 2021, he may be a steal in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

Bills WR Stefon Diggs caught 6-of-11 targets for 77 yards in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Diggs had a quiet end to what was a spectacular 2020 season. Josh Allen's favorite target finished the season with 147 receptions, over 1,500 yards, and 10 touchdowns (including post-season). The amount of targets Diggs saw this season puts him in Davante Adams territory and he should be one of the first WRs off the board in 2021 fantasy drafts.

Buffalo QB Josh Allen was 28/48 for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception and added seven rushes for 88 yards in Sunday's Championship round loss to the Chiefs.

Fantasy Impact: Allen played admirably on Sunday but ultimately came up short to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. His 2020 campaign was beyond impressive as the third-year QB finished with 5,361 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions and added 566 yards and nine TDs on the ground (including post-season). He'll likely be one of the first five QBs off the board in 2021 drafts.