NFL Player News

Mattison is new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison’s son. He played college ball at Iowa. Harper was Baltimore’s seventh-round pick in 2008.

Although Kittle missed his standard two games with injury, he sailed by his 2023 marks of 65/1,020/6 with 78/1,106/8. Brandon Aiyuk’s knee injury had a lot to do with that, but Kittle was stacking scores even before Aiyuk’s absence. The true spiked weeks did not arrive until after, however, with Kittle erupting for four 100-yard performances, including a 151-yarder in Week 14 against the Bears. Although he’s going on 32 with a lengthy injury history, Kittle has shown zero signs of decline when active on Sundays. One of the league’s best all-around players who could be headed for another All-Pro designation, Kittle should remain a fantasy monster in 2025. Aiyuk (knee) and Deebo Samuel (potential release) both have uncertain Niners futures. Kittle himself is angling for an extension heading into his walk year.

Perine played just 13 offensive snaps total while Carson Steele led the way with 23. Perine’s playoff role following the Chiefs’ first-round bye is tough to fully identify. Isiah Pacheco is dealing with a rib injury and the team has seemingly elevated Kareem Hunt to the No. 2 role. Perine’s pass-catching talents should keep him somewhat involved in a rotational capacity though, even if both Pacheco and Hunt are active.

The two-score outing was the first of Dortch’s career. A summer hype darling as the Cardinals’ expected No. 3 wideout/slot man, Dortch caught six balls for 47 yards in Week 1. He then caught more than three passes just one more time all season before today, totaling 18 receptions after Week 6. Older than you would think (27 in May), Dortch now heads to restricted free agency, where he could be a non-tender candidate considering the way he fell out of favor this season. It’s also possible the Cardinals bring him back on a lesser deal. Were he to reach the open market, Dortch could still end up regarded as something of a diamond in the rough by a rival front office. He has 113 catches over the past three years.

Smith-Schuster was both ineffective and on-field throughout a Week 18 loss in which the Chiefs rested all valued players. Both factors bode negatively for Smith-Schuster’s potential playoff role. He should not be relied upon for fantasy purposes against whichever team the Chiefs face after their first-round playoff bye.

Herbert added 42 yards on four attempts. Nearly all of his rushing output came on a 41-yard scramble that ended less than five yards shy of the end zone. Playing for the No. 5 seed and a chance to face the Texans in the Wild Card Round instead of the Ravens, Herbert made quick work of the Raiders, piling up 17 points in the first half before burying them with another 17 in the second. He routinely made high-quality throws with ease, many of which went to Quentin Johnston. The second-year wideout had a career day, catching 13 passes for 186 yards. Rookie Ladd McConkey also crossed 1,100 yards with 95 on the day. The last time Herbert made the playoffs, LA melted down versus the Jaguars and blew a 27-point lead. Herbert will look to avenge that loss with a win over the Texans next week.

Juszczyk leaked out and was left uncovered on his 36-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. It was only his third score of the year in a season he finishes with 226 yards from scrimmage. Juszczyk’s 19 receptions were a disappointing total considering the 49ers’ injury issues at both running back and receiver. Heading into the final year of his contract, Juszczyk is out of guaranteed money as he goes on age 34. There’s little chance he’s back at his currently scheduled $4.1 million salary, but a restructure is a strong possibility.

A shoulder injury knocked Dissly out of the lineup in Week 14 and cost him a pair of games. He returned for a quiet performance, catching two passes for 21 yards. He split the tight end targets with Stone Smartt and Tucker Fisk. No other tight end saw a look in the passing game this week, solidifying Dissly as the team’s primary pass-catching tight end heading into the playoffs. He will be a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option for LA’s Wild Card Round date with Houston.

Taylor’s second spot start of the season went a lot better than his first in Week 16. With his long run going for “just” 29 yards, the first 100-yard outing of Taylor’s career wasn’t about only one big run. He more than doubled his previous personal best of 53 yards rushing from Week 18 2021. Good stuff, but not the sort of thing that is going to be a career-maker for a soon-to-be 27-year-old at this point. “PTJ” is headed back to unrestricted free agency, where the 49ers should be light favorites to re-sign him.

Wentz unfortunately delivered an unforgettably frustrating performance as the Broncos shut out the Chiefs. The Broncos’ elite pass rush dominated from start to finish, pressuring Wentz on a Week 18-high 43.5 percent of dropbacks while tacking 5.0 NFL sacks onto their league-leading 60.0 NFL-sack total. Wentz does not appear capable of leading the Chiefs offense if Patrick Mahomes were to miss time. The Chiefs are on bye next week, having secured the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Haskins saw most of his work when the Chargers went into clock-killing mode. He ran eight times for 27 yards and a touchdown on LA’s final full drive. He was otherwise uninvolved in the game-plan and J.K. Dobbins saw the bulk of the touches. The good news for Haskins is that Kimani Vidal didn’t touch the ball on offense. If Gus Edwards remains out for the opening round of the playoffs, Haskins appears to have taken over as the team’s No. 2 back.