Fantasy Football Today: Divisional Round Fantasy Preview! Players We Love & Hate! (1/16/2026)

Episode Overview

This express episode dives into the upcoming NFL Divisional Round with managers Adam Aizer, Jamie Eisenberg, and crew focusing on DFS strategy, player matchups to target and avoid, and actionable lineup advice for fantasy football players. The hosts analyze all four matchups, identifying top stacks, sleepers, strategic pivots, and injury implications. The conversation is quick, data-driven, and full of DFS tips to help listeners maximize their lineups and fantasy returns during playoff football.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Game Breakdown & Top Stacks (01:50–03:35)

• Main Matchups: Rams at Bears, Bills at Broncos, 49ers at Seahawks, Texans at Patriots.
• Top DFS Stacks
  • Jamie Eisenberg heavily favors the Rams-Bears game for offensive firepower, and also likes the value in 49ers stacks.
  • “You can stack Stafford with either of his receivers; if you want to go a little bit cheaper, you go Devonte Adams. I have a bunch of lineups up on the site… for each day and then the full slate.” (Jamie, 02:23)
• Key Players for Stacking:
  • LAR-Bears: Stafford, Puka Nacua, Devonte Adams, Colby Parkinson; counter with Loveland, Luther Burden, DeAndre Swift.
  • 49ers: Suggests Caleb Williams–Colston Loveland stack (expected production, favorable defense matchup), and notes DJ Moore’s recent playoff form.
  • Caution on Odunze: “Odunze is a little tough to trust, but he did have six targets in his first game back after being out for five games with a foot injury.” (Jamie, 03:01)

2. Running Back Analysis & Values (03:35–05:13)

• Targeted RBs
  • RJ Harvey (DEN): Lead back since J.K. Dobbins injury, involved in pass game, good matchup vs Bills. “Harvey’s a great play. Great price.” (03:42)
  • Christian McCaffrey: Tougher due to price and “Seattle’s defense is playing so well right now.” (Jamie, 04:13)
  • James Cook: Viable, “Clearly one of the best running backs in the league.”
  • Zach Charbonnet (SEA): “If he gets more work than Ken Walker, could be an absolute stud…49ers linebackers have been bad.”
  • Rhamondre Stevenson (NE): “Role in the passing game has been fantastic. Tough matchup against Houston, but I think he’s worth a look.” (Jamie, 04:57)
• Jamie’s Favorite RB Plays: "Harvey, Charbonnet, and Stevenson are three of my favorite plays for this week.” (Jamie, 05:10)

3. Individual Matchup Focus: 49ers vs Seahawks (05:13–06:25)

• Top Options
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) (SEA): “Had a good game…last time these two teams met. San Francisco’s secondary is certainly beatable.” (Jamie, 05:19)
  • Sam Darnold (SF, QB): “If you want to be cheap at quarterback, Sam Darnold is a great option…” (Jamie, 05:24)
  • Jake Tonjas (SF, TE): “On DraftKings, almost a free space…Seattle’s defense…the biggest flaw…has been defending tight ends.” (Jamie, 06:09)
  • George Kittle: Still playable if active, but Tonjas is the top value play at TE.

4. Texans WR Update & Patriots Matchup (07:07–09:29)

• Nico Collins Injury: Out with concussion protocol.
• Triple-Take on Texans WRs
  • Christian Kirk (HOU): “Kirk is somebody I think that’s worth a look based on how C.J. [Stroud] leaned on him.” (Jamie, 08:25)
  • Xavier Hutchinson, Jaden Higgins, Jalen Nil: Deep-league pivots if Collins sits—especially Hutchinson, who “performed well when Nico Collins was out earlier this season.”
• Woody Marks (HOU, RB): “He’s certainly a good option if you’re looking to go cheap at the position…he’s going to get a lot of work.” (Jamie, 07:56)
• Patriots Defense: Noted for being tough on WRs—but some value exists with Christian Kirk.

5. Lineup Guidance and Strategic Pivots (09:29–12:42)

• Jamie’s DFS Advice
  • Stack offenses from Chicago–Rams (Stafford plus Loveland/Burden/Swift or Williams and return fire with Puka or Adams).
  • Sam Darnold as a value/differentiator, stacked with JSN; comeback with Tonjas or McCaffrey.
  • Bills vs Broncos: “If you want to go Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir…he’ll avoid Patrick Surtain almost certainly.” (Jamie, 10:19)
  • Broncos WRs: All Denver receivers viable as dart throws, especially Marvin Mims and Tory Franklin.
  • Patriots: “Stevenson is the guy I would look at… He’s just been so involved in the passing game, just making plays.” (Jamie, 11:13)
• Host Sample Lineups:
  • On FanDuel: Caleb Williams, Blake Corum, RJ Harvey, Puka Nacua, Cortland Sutton, Ricky Pearsall, Luther Burden, Jake Tonjas, and Patriots D/ST. (Host, 11:37)
  • On DraftKings: Stafford, RJ Harvey, Charbonnet, Puka Nacua, Devonte Adams, Xavier Hutchinson, James Cook (flex), Jake Tonjas (TE), 49ers D/ST. (Host, 12:22)
  • Host highlights strategy of using value plays (Tonjas/Hutchinson) for more spending on studs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can stack Stafford with either of his receivers… if you want to go a little bit cheaper, you go Devonte Adams.”
  — Jamie Eisenberg (02:23)

• "Harvey’s a great play. Great price... Harvey, Charbonnet, and Stevenson are three of my favorite plays for this week.”
  — Jamie Eisenberg (03:42, 05:10)

• “If you want to be cheap at quarterback, Sam Darnold is a great option…”
  — Jamie Eisenberg (05:24)

• “On DraftKings, [Jake] Tonjas is almost a free space... Seattle’s defense… has been defending tight ends.”
  — Jamie Eisenberg (06:09)

• "Kirk is somebody I think that's worth a look based on how C.J. [Stroud] leaned on him."
  — Jamie Eisenberg (08:25)

• "[Rhamondre] Stevenson is the guy I would look at because he’s just been so involved in the passing game, just making plays."
  — Jamie Eisenberg (11:13)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• (01:50–03:35): Top stacks for Rams-Bears and 49ers, main slate overview
• (03:35–05:13): In-depth running back recommendations: Harvey, McCaffrey, Cook, Charbonnet, Stevenson
• (05:13–06:25): 49ers-Seahawks picks: JSN, Darnold, Tonjas, and Kittle
• (07:07–09:29): Texans injury fallout, Patriots defense fears, Kirk and deep WR plays
• (09:29–12:42): Jamie’s lineup strategy, host’s sample FanDuel and DraftKings builds
• (11:37–12:22): Host’s lineup reveals, last-minute pivots and substitutions

Summary Takeaway

For the Divisional Round, Fantasy Football Today’s crew leans heavily toward building DFS lineups around the high-powered Rams-Bears and 49ers-Seahawks matchups, targeting value at running back with Harvey, Charbonnet, and Stevenson. Injuries to Nico Collins and WR pricing quirks create pivot opportunities, especially for Christian Kirk. Tight end value spots (mainly Jake Tonjas) let managers pay up for premium assets. The episode offers a tight, strategy-packed preview focused on helping listeners cash in their DFS and fantasy playoff contests.