The NFL has two prime matchups for the conference championship round. The Cincinnati Bengals have a 10-game winning streak, plus three consecutive wins over the Chiefs. Kansas City’s only losses over their last 12 matchups came at the hands of the Bengals at home. San Francisco has not lost since Kansas City dusted them in Week 7 (44-23). Their win streak sits at 12 games. Philadelphia only lost once all season, with Jalen Hurts behind center.
Here’s a look at any injury news heading into this weekend’s games:
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals don’t have any offensive injuries to their skill players, but they played last week without three starting offensive linemen. The snow in Buffalo led to the Bills’ pass rush having less traction to attack Joe Burrow. The Chiefs must pressure Burrow if they want to go to the Super Bowl.
All eyes in the fantasy and betting world will be following the progress of Patrick Mahomes‘ right high ankle sprain. His lack of mobility will limit his creative plays on the move, forcing the Chiefs to use a quicker passing game in this matchup. Kansas City’s offense takes a hit across the board if he can’t play. Mecole Hardman hasn’t made any progress with his pelvis issue, and I have him listed as out this week. The Chiefs’ defense comes into this week with healthy players.
A.J. Brown came out of last week’s game with a hip issue, but Philadelphia expects him to play on Sunday. Their offense line and defense should have all players ready against San Francisco. The key to their success against the 49ers will be running the ball and their defense, shortening the passing window for Brock Purdy. The Eagles led the NFL with 75 sacks this season.
Christian McCaffrey was on the sidelines late in the game against Dallas due to a lingering calf issue. The 49ers expect him to play vs. Philadelphia, possibly giving Elijah Mitchell more snaps if his groin issue is minor. San Francisco has no other starting player on the injury report heading into Wednesday.
The 2024 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror, so we now have a very clear picture of how NFL rosters will look heading into the summer months. We're almost fully aware of player personnel, training camp battles and coaching moves, so it's time for the next step ... projecting fantasy player values!
Player rankings are a labor of love for me, and I'll be updating these throughout the remainder of the offseason, into training camps and the preseason contests leading up to the 2024 NFL campaign. What I feel right now about a player (ex. I LOVE Jayden Daniels) might change as I hear reports and see what the versatile rookie quarterback does on the NFL gridiron leading up to the new season.
The same goes for potential depth chart battles, like the one that's inevitably going to occur in the Carolina Panthers backfield. Rookie Jonathon Brooks is the easy answer to lead this team in touches, but Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders won't lay down and die. There will be competition, and Brooks is coming off a torn ACL in his final season at Texas. Things change, so keep checking back!
Without further ado, here are the rankings for each position.