2026 NFL Playoff Preview

Fantasy sports news, analysis, and waiver wire advice.

By Fantasy Roundup · January 10, 2026 · Updated October 12, 2026

By: Matthew Barnhill The 2025 season is in the books. Now, it’s time to turn the page to the climactic clashes we know and love: the NFL playoffs. AFC Denver Broncos Securing the bye week is huge for this Broncos team. They have been incredibly inconsistent, especially against teams that are far below them in talent and in the win column. Denver has squeezed away with a one possession win in eleven of eighteen games this season, and it feels like the rug will be pulled from underneath them at any time now that the pressure of playoffs has begun. However, Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind, and an extra week of planning could be plenty of time to fine tune his squad for the divisional round. New England Patriots Mike Vrabel has done an outstanding job of restoring this organization to former glory. A lot of the credit is due to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ ability to craft a plan around now MVP candidate Drake Maye. Maye looks so calm and collected in any moment this year, and has made the most of a supporting cast that is largely the same as last year. NE is +3 in turnover differential, 10th in the league, and their rushing defense is 6th in yards against and 4th in TDs. Expect New England to be well prepared by Vrabel, and to follow their unfazed QB into a competitive playoff push. Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence is finally reaching his potential under new head coach Liam Coen, and the league feels better for it. Coen learning how to better call plays for T-Law has been apparent as the season has gone on, and finding consistency in the passing game with Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington tremendously improved their attack. Brian Thomas Jr being taken out of focus for the Jags has also been a revelation - his ten drops in just 14 games played is an abomination, and after a hot start to his career it seems Icarus has flown too close to the sun. Jacksonville is second in the NFL with 22 interceptions, but 26th in sacks. Watch out for this gap in stats during the playoffs; if the Jags can’t make timely interceptions, opponents could have all day to pick them apart in the passing game. Pittsburgh Steelers Tomlin and the Steelers made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth with their win against Baltimore, but now that they’re in the big dance anything can happen. Tomlin and QB Aaron Rodgers have a ton of experience they bring to the table, and starting off with at least one home game is huge for TJ Watt and an elite defensive line. The potential winning formula here is nothing new to the Steel City: stay ahead of the chains with the run game, reward that with complimentary passes and a stiff defense. Yet, the Steelers’ defense has been incredibly inconsistent. Which side of the coin will we see in this years’ playoffs? Houston Texans TEXANS SWARM. The rallying cry for the best defense this year, this group feels different. There are no weaknesses; the secondary is full of headhunters and assassins with the ball in the air, and the bookends of the D line, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, are absolute savages. This defense doesn’t want to simply stop you, it wants to hit its opponents so hard that it breaks their will. This shows on the stat sheet as well, as they are top five in nearly every major category, including first in yards allowed per game and second (by .2) in points allowed. The problem? Houston’s offense is mediocre on their best days. The offensive line has improved from last years disaster, but OC Nick Caley has struggled in his first year calling plays. Will this hinder “the H” from making a run? Buffalo Bills A common narrative around the Bills in the playoffs this year is an obvious one: if not now, when else will Josh Allen get to the Super Bowl? QB rivals such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow didn’t make the cut, and the time to strike has come. James Cook won the 2025 rushing title, and Joe Brady’s offense focuses on the Bills’ strength of running the ball and letting Josh be a superhuman when needed. But the receiving attack has no obvious X factor, and the defense while strong against the pass is fifth worse in rushing yards allowed per game. Ed Oliver is desperately needed in the middle of the D line, but has been out for two months after having a couple of surgeries, and now Jordan Phillips is out for the year. Los Angeles Chargers The Chargers have a great coaching staff and franchise QB, but as usual for this franchise, they have been decimated by injuries. Credit to Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, they have not used this as an excuse, and have elevated this team into a scrappy bunch each week, but it will be a steep climb to the Super Bowl. Losing superstar tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater early this year has crippled pass protection, LA is 29th in sacks allowed and have lost even backups to injury. Now, Justin Herbert has a broken hand, but he has played admirably well through the pain. He will have to continue to find ways to move the ball through the air and with his feet to help a great defense that is led by Derwin James. They are top ten in rush defense and top five in pass defense. NFC Seattle Seahawks The NFC has to go through Seattle and the 12th man again, no easy feat for any opponent. Mike Macdonald has revitalized the strength of the Seahawks during their early 2010s dynasty: this defense is a force to be reckoned with. They are third in rushing yards allowed and second in rushing TDs, only allowing 9 all year. The secondary also came up with the fifth most interceptions, 18. That takes a ton of pressure off of the offense, who have also been amazing in one year under Kliff Kubiak’s play calling. Jaxon Smith Njigba has seemed unstoppable, leading the NFL with 1,793 yards and tallying 10 TDs to go with it, now that Sam Darnold is under center. If Darnold can continue to feed JSN and avoid the costly sacks and turnovers that doomed Minnesota late last year, the Hawks can cruise into San Francisco with a title on their mind. Chicago Bears It turns out good coaching goes a long way in pro football- who would’ve thought? Ben Johnson has set a standard early on for Chicago, and while some of the ups and downs have been dramatic, this team found ways to win enough to navigate the NFC North gauntlet and earn the 2 seed. Caleb Williams looks like the number one pick, limiting turnovers and making big plays, but he needs to stay in rhythm and have less cold stretches to assist a defense that is a clear chink in Chicago’s armor. While leading the league in interceptions, Chicago doesn’t have a strong defensive front, meaning the sixth most yards allowed per game on the ground, and 227 yards through the air per game. They’ll have to come up with more stops that have been missing the last two weeks, both losses entering the playoffs. Philadelphia Eagles The reigning champs have been extremely difficult to nail down. Their defense is extremely strong, and can limit some of the best teams' attacks into bad games. Yet, the offense hasn’t had a twenty point game against a playoff team since September 21st, against the Rams. There are a lot of factors that could be the root cause of the disaster that is Philly’s offense. Bad play calling, offensive line injuries and woes, and Jalen Hurts still not having touch or anticipation necessary in a professional passer. But on paper, their talent is evident. Lane Johnson returning may be just what the offense needs to limit sacks and give Jalen more time for explosive plays. Carolina Panthers Let’s be honest, this is the worst team to make the playoffs. By winning the NFC South on a divisional tie breaker, they edge out some other squads that could’ve done more damage, but Carolina has some bright spots, and notably a win versus their wild card opponent, the Rams. Dave Canales has done a good job of helping Bryce Young grow as a QB, and Tetairoa McMillan broke the team single season record for receiving yards in his rookie year (he had 1,014 and 7 TD). They seem to be building something for the future, but don’t count on this 8-9 team making noise like the magical 7-9 “Beastquake” Seahawks. Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay have lit defenses on fire all year, and don’t show signs of slowing down now that they’ve reached the playoffs. Stafford has 4,707 passing yards, second only to Dak Prescott, and his 46 TD passes are ten more than the next QB. Puka Nacua and the returning Davante Adams are the best WR duo out there, but McVay’s newest innovation of using “13 personnel” means defenses have to account for a strong run game behind a good O line and three tight ends. On the other side of the ball, Jared Verse leads the defense that has 47 sacks and 16 interceptions. There aren’t many weaknesses here, but the way to beat them might be to limit turnovers and having a stout aerial attack- the Rams are average at best in coverage. San Francisco 49ers Kyle Shanahan has probably had his best season of coaching, and has navigated so many roadblocks in front of San Fran. The problem is a sadly familiar one: injury after injury plagued the Niners in 2025. The good news? Brock Purdy is healthy and has been on a hot streak, complimented by Christian McCaffrey who has put the team on his back à la Greg Jennings over and over again. Run blocking hasn’t been as strong as in the past, but the line is fourth in sack %, allowing a sack on only 4.31% of pass attempts. The bad news? No Nick Bosa + no Fred Warner = only 20 sacks, league worst, and 232 passing yards allowed per game. The defense is in shambles, and help is not on the way. Green Bay Packers The Pack enters the playoffs licking its wounds, missing some big names at the worst time. Micah Parsons going down for the year was critical, they will sorely miss him, but they’ve had a few weeks to adjust their scheme without him. It’s a tall task, but they still have stars like Edgerrin Cooper and Xavier McKinney to give cheeseheads hope. LaFleur’s offense is the major area of concern at this point in the season. Josh Jacobs has been banged up and hasn’t looked himself the past few weeks, offensive tackle Zach Tom is questionable, and Tucker Kraft’s absence has left a big hole in the pass game. PREDICTIONS Wild Card LAC @ NE A tight battle, but at the end of the day New England wins by terrorizing the Chargers trenches. Maye doesn’t have playoff experience, but Herbert doesn’t have a home win. I take the home team. BUF @ JAX Josh Allen and the Bills control the ball, despite the Jaguars strong run defense. Allen can do plenty in the pass game with little opposing pass rush. The Jags can’t take advantage of the Bills weak run D with their mediocre line, and Trevor starts making mistakes. HOU @ PIT The Texans can’t run the ball, but Stroud has a few good drives throwing the ball and scoring. Pittsburgh has a better time running, but takes too many negative plays when attempting to air it out. Texans pull away late. GB @ CHI The Packers stiffen up against the run, and force the Bears to pass. A few erratic plays from Caleb, and a methodical Green Bay attack finally starts chipping away at Chicago’s defense. Despite the injuries, the Packers still have Chicago’s number on the biggest stage. SF @ PHI Philly finally starts finding answers offensively, because of how terribly the Niner defense is playing. They strangle CMC and the run game, and Purdy doesn’t do much better. Eagles take an early lead and don’t let it go. LAR @ CAR Early fireworks from the Rams, and Stafford and co. curb stomp Carolina in a revenge game. DIVISIONAL ROUND BUF @ DEN Once again, the Bills’ opponent can’t capitalize on their weak run defense. Bo Nix folds under pressure, making bad mistakes, and Josh Allen doesn’t return the favor. Buffalo stuns Mile High Stadium. HOU @ NE The Texans pass rush finally finds ways to rattle Maye. Stroud and running back Woody Marks look comfortable, scoring more than they do against Pittsburgh. Houston heads on to their first AFC Championship. GB @ SEA The Packers offense doesn’t stand a chance against a truly elite defense like Seattle’s. While they sputter, JSN and the Seahawks soar. LAR @ PHI This year, McVay has a deeper bag of tricks at his disposal to throw at Eagles’ DC Vic Fangio. The Eagles compete, but can’t keep up with LA’s offensive efficiency now that Saquon isn’t breaking off with his signature explosive plays anymore. CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS BUF @ HOU The Texan Swarm and Davis Mills shut down the Bills last time around, and it’s more of the same here in a Houston home game. This time, CJ cements his legacy by hitting explosive plays Mills couldn’t, and taking the Texans to the promised land. LAR @ SEA In one of the best games of the year, Seattle came back to beat the Rams in OT after being jumpstarted by a Rashid Shaheed return TD. The Rams won’t make the same mistakes in January. Sam Darnold has a tougher time against his divisional foe, and is simply out dueled by the veteran Stafford, who has one Super Bowl ring already on his finger. SUPER BOWL

HOU vs LAR The season ends how it started in week one: Rams vs Texans. It’s been a long journey since that slugfest, and it shapes up to be a huge battle again. For Houston, Demeco Ryans coaches the team he played for at a stadium he coached in for several season; Levi’s is a familiar place for him. But Sean McVay has been on this stage twice now, and has the upper hand. Aaron Donald is not wrecking offenses for this LA team, and the Texans offense could make some plays, but it will be tough to sustain drives and settle for field goals against an offense on the other side of the field that will score their points. Rams take home another Lombardi, and Stafford and Davante Adams contemplate whether they should end their Hall of Fame careers on a high note.