WILDCARD INJURY PREVIEW FANTASY IMPACT

Site Super Admin • January 10, 2026

Wildcard Injury Preview & Fantasy Impact

Wildcard weekend is here, and football fans have cleared their weekend schedules. Fantasy season is over, but prop betting and daily fantasy are huge in the NFL playoffs, and just like any other week, understanding how each player's injury can impact their performance is critical before you set your lineups and pick yo

Wildcard injury preview

Wildcard weekend is here, and football fans have cleared their weekend schedules. Fantasy season is over, but prop betting and daily fantasy are huge in the NFL playoffs, and just like any other week, understanding how each player's injury can impact their performance is critical before you set your lineups and pick your props. Below, we cover injuries to Josh Allen, Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and many more to help you set the best lineups.

Quarterbacks

Wildcard injury preview

Josh Allen

Injury: Foot injury

Analysis: Having played just one snap last week, Allen has had a full two weeks to rehab his mild foot sprain since the last time we saw him. A right foot sprain can make it difficult for a right-handed passer to drive off the ground and throw, and of course, can cause problems with rushing, but the time off should have all but resolved his issue. At this point, I would expect Josh Allen to look like Josh Allen and possess the ability to take over the game at any given time with either his arm or legs. Allen is a terrific DFS play this week.

Running Backs

Wildcard injury preview

Josh Jacobs

Injury: Knee injury

Analysis: Even while battling a knee bruise, the final stretch of the regular season, Jacobs was still producing at a high level. We have been given numerous reports that two rounds of imaging showed no structural damage, and his issue was purely bruising. This knowledge gives us great confidence that two weeks between games should have Jacobs playing at 100%. Two weeks is usually enough time to flush out all of the bruising and reduce the likelihood of further exacerbation. While we cannot say he is not at risk for a re-injury, the risk has gone down. The thing fantasy managers need to know about knee bruises is that when the bruising is present, it impacts the quad muscles' ability to function, and as soon as the bruising subsides, function returns. Jacobs should be a great DFS play this week.

Omarion Hampton

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Hampton has been spotted with a large brace on his right ankle, not the ankle he fractured earlier this season indicating a new injury that occurred in week 17. Video review suggests this is a lateral ankle sprain. Usually running backs see only an 8% drop-off in fantasy production after a lateral sprain, but Hampton's limitations in practice this week (two DNP's, one LP) and the pure size of the brace he was donning suggest he will be more limited than ideal, and Kimani Vidal will carry more of the load. With daily fantasy being all about upside, Hampton does not appear primed to deliver this week.

Ty Johnson

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Johnson is questionable for the Wildcard after logging just one limited practice due to an ankle injury. Johnson sees a low volume to begin with, and the presence of an injury paves the way for more work for Ray Davis behind starter James Cook. Johnson does not need to be selected in DFS this week.

Wide Receivers

Wildcard injury preview

Davante Adams

Injury: Hamstring strain

Analysis: Adams was absent the final three regular-season games with his fourth documented hamstring strain. The 32-year-old has now had four weeks to rehab, which should have him in a place where he can play well. His hamstring muscle is not likely 100%, and re-injury will be a major risk, but after four weeks, typically a great deal of strength and speed has returned, which should allow Adams to be productive. It would be naive to expect a huge game from Adams coming off injury, and receivers do average a 15% dip in fantasy production. Adams should be a solid but not standout performer for DFS this week.

Rome Odunze

Injury: Foot injury

Analysis: As projected when we learned that Odunze was dealing with a stress fracture, he missed the final five games of the regular season. The simple science is that the only way for a foot stress fracture to heal is with rest, NOT playing football. Five weeks of rest and rehab should have his fracture healed, but how will his performance look? Having significantly reduced loading through the foot for a month and a half, Odunze is unlikely to have the same explosiveness and top-flight speed this week that had propelled him to a year-two breakout. That doesn't mean he can't be productive, but I would expect a significantly reduced snap rate and more difficulty separating. Upside is likely capped this week.

Ricky Pearsall

Injury: Ankle injury and PCL sprain

Analysis: Pearsall continues to miss practice with both an ankle and PCL sprain. It does not appear Pearsall will play, and even if he does, he is not worth rolling the dice in DFS. PCL injuries are very tricky to regain stability; a receiver needs to separate. We've seen Pearsall struggle after returning from his initial PCL sprain this season, and he has since re-injured it twice. Even if San Francisco advances after this week, utilizing Pearsall in DFS will be risky the remainder of the season.

Josh Palmer

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Palmer is questionable with an ankle injury, an injury in which receivers see an average 10% decline in fantasy production after. Palmer has been extremely disappointing this season, and this injury only makes his Wildcard outlook even worse.

Dontayvian Wicks

Injury: Concussion

Analysis: Wicks is still progressing through the concussion protocol and will not play this week.

Kayshon Boutte

Injury: Hamstring strain

Analysis: Boutte appeared to injure his hamstring on Thursday, putting his status for the Wildcard match-up in question. This is his second hamstring injury of the season, and receivers average missing 1.9 games due to injury. Boutte is young (23), meaning his body is healing as efficiently as it ever will, but this is still a quick turnaround. If he does suit up, expect limitations. Receivers average a 15% drop-off in fantasy points.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith

Injury: Hamstring injury

Analysis: Lambert-Smith won't play in the Wildcard round after suffering a hamstring injury last week. Receivers average missing 1.9 games.

Tight Ends

George Kittle

Injury: Ankle injury

Analysis: Kittle is now officially off the injury report. Kittle injured his ankle in what appeared to be a medial ankle sprain mechanism in week 16, missed week 17, and played in week 18 but was not impactful. Medial sprains are tougher to return from compared to lateral sprains and can have a big impact on acceleration and speed. Kittle should be able to play better than he did last week and is still a viable DFS option, but I would be surprised if his full explosiveness is on display this week.

Dalton Kincaid

Injury: Knee injury

Analysis: Kincaid's knee injury appears to be improving as he is now fully off the injury report. Kincaid never dominates the snap count but tends to make the most of a low snap rate as he is a top receiving option on passing downs. Kincaid should be a viable DFS option this week.

Dallas Goedert

Injury: Knee injury

Analysis: Goedert is off the injury report and set to play. He has been playing very well through a mild, undisclosed knee injury for much of the season, and that trend should continue this week.

Terrance Ferguson

Injury: Hamstring strain

Analysis: Ferguson is questionable to return from a week 17 hamstring injury this week. Tight ends average missing two games, which would put Ferguson ahead of the average. Tight ends also average a 10% dip in fantasy production after a hamstring injury. If he does play, he is a risky DFS play.

Grant Calcaterra

Injury: Ankle and knee injuries

Analysis: Despite what looked like a bad injury last week from a hip drop tackle, Calcaterra is set to play this week. As a backup tightend his fantasy value remains limited and random.

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