The Los Angeles Chargers will face the Houston Texans on Wild Card Weekend. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB J.K. Dobbins.
Is J.K. Dobbins Playing vs. the Texans?
Dobbins does not have an injury designation heading into the game this weekend. Barring any setbacks, he is on track to play vs. the Commanders.
We’ll continue to monitor the Chargers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit J.K. Dobbins on Wild Card Weekend?
I think the question with J.K. Dobbins is less about buying him and more about roster construction.
- Tier 1 pricing: Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry
- Tier 2: Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams, Joe Mixon, Bucky Irving, and James Cook
- Tier 3: Dobbins, Aaron Jones, Brian Robinson Jr.
- Tier 4: How lucky do you feel?
Dobbins is one of four running backs to enter the playoffs with at least 18 carries and a catch in both of his last two games (among Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Bucky Irving). Gus Edwards missed both of those contests (ankle), and that has lessened the touch competition, something I’m willing to buy at this cost.
Los Angeles has shown us over the past two weeks that they are willing to feature Dobbins, and that promise in the projected game script puts him on my radar. Rostering Dobbins not only opens up the salary cap but gives you leverage off of what will be a very popular Ladd McConkey.
Dobbins has averaged 12.9 PPR points over the past two weeks, and that’s on the high end of what I’m expecting this week, viable production if you feel good about the pieces you can roster around him.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Wild Card Weekend Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
J.K. Dobbins’ Fantasy Points Projection on Wild Card Weekend
As of Saturday, Dobbins is projected to score 12.6 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 11.7 rushing attempts for 54.6 yards and 0.7 touchdowns. It also includes 1.8 receptions for 11.2 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Texans' Defense
The Texans' defense has become the team's backbone this season, but the unit had faltered in back-to-back losses against the Baltimore Ravens and Chiefs.
In that respect, finishing the season against the Tennessee Titans served as a nice dose of mouthwash ahead of the playoffs. Houston ends the season as a top-10 unit thanks to one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.
Led by the tandem of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, the Texans ended with the fourth-highest sack rate and second-best pass success rate of any defense this year. Houston wasn't shabby on the ground either, ranking eighth in success rate and fifth in EPA per play against the run.
Houston has the lowest Offense+ grade of any team in the playoff field, putting the burden on this unit to carry the team to a win against any meaningful competition. The Texans' playoff ceiling is certainly capped as a result, but this unit is capable of stealing one game at home.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
J.K. Dobbins’ Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 8:30 AM ET on Saturday, January 11. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Wild Card Superflex Rankings.
Wild Card RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. GB)
2) Bucky Irving | TB (vs. WAS)
3) Derrick Henry | BAL (vs. PIT)
4) Kyren Williams | LAR (vs. MIN)
5) Josh Jacobs | GB (at PHI)
6) Joe Mixon | HOU (vs. LAC)
7) Aaron Jones | MIN (at LAR)
8) J.K. Dobbins | LAC (at HOU)
9) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at TB)
10) Jaylen Warren | PIT (at BAL)
11) Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN (at BUF)
12) Najee Harris | PIT (at BAL)
13) Cam Akers | MIN (at LAR)
14) Justice Hill | BAL (vs. PIT)
15) Javonte Williams | DEN (at BUF)
16) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at TB)
17) Gus Edwards | LAC (at HOU)
18) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. GB)
19) Emanuel Wilson | GB (at PHI)
20) Rachaad White | TB (vs. WAS)
21) James Cook | BUF (vs. DEN)
22) Ray Davis | BUF (vs. DEN)
23) Audric Estimé | DEN (at BUF)
24) Ty Johnson | BUF (vs. DEN)
25) Kimani Vidal | LAC (at HOU)
26) Dameon Pierce | HOU (vs. LAC)
27) Dare Ogunbowale | HOU (vs. LAC)
28) Cordarrelle Patterson | PIT (at BAL)
29) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at TB)
30) Chris Brooks | GB (at PHI)
31) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. GB)
32) Sean Tucker | TB (vs. WAS)
33) Hassan Haskins | LAC (at HOU)
34) Ronnie Rivers | LAR (vs. MIN)
35) Keaton Mitchell | BAL (vs. PIT)
36) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at TB)
37) C.J. Ham | MIN (at LAR)
38) Michael Burton | DEN (at BUF)
39) Rasheen Ali | BAL (vs. PIT)
40) Patrick Ricard | BAL (vs. PIT)
41) Ty Chandler | MIN (at LAR)
42) Tyrion Davis-Price | PHI (vs. GB)
43) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (vs. DEN)
44) Tyler Badie | DEN (at BUF)
45) Ellis Merriweather | GB (at PHI)
46) Michael Wiley | WAS (at TB)
47) Cody Schrader | LAR (vs. MIN)
48) Blake Watson | DEN (at BUF)
49) J.J. Taylor | HOU (vs. LAC)
50) Aaron Shampklin | PIT (at BAL)
51) Jaret Patterson | LAC (at HOU)
52) Khari Blasingame | CHI ()
53) Jonathan Ward | PIT (at BAL)
54) Frank Gore Jr. | BUF (vs. DEN)
Chargers at Texans Trends and Insights
Los Angeles Chargers
Team: The +101 point differential posted by the Chargers this season is their best since outscoring the opposition by 119 points in 2010.
QB: Justin Herbert is the first Chargers player to complete two-thirds of his passes with 280 yards and multiple scores through the air in three straight games (prior to him, it had been in consecutive games nine times in franchise history).
Offense: Los Angeles has averaged over 3.0 points per drive three times this season … Weeks 16-17-18.
Defense: Opponents have converted just nine of 32 third downs over the past three weeks (28.1%).
Fantasy: Ladd McConkey finishes his rookie season with three straight games north of 85 receiving yards. His six such games match the franchise record for a rookie (2013 Keenan Allen).
Betting: The Texans finished the regular season 3-5 ATS at home, with unders going 6-1-1.
Houston Texans
Team: The Texans are 1-6 in their last seven games with C.J. Stroud under center against a winning team and have been outscored 196-106 in those contests.
QB: C.J. Stroud threw 116 deep passes (15+ air yards) last season and 122 this season. The attempt count was similar, but the success rate was very different.
- 2023: 9 touchdowns and 0 interceptions
- 2024: 5 touchdowns and 7 interceptions
Offense: Houston averages 1.81 points per drive this season. When they reach that number, they are 7-2 (3-5 otherwise).
Defense: The Texans are 9-1 this season when stopping the opposition on over 60% of their third down opportunities (1-6 otherwise).
Fantasy: Nico Collins has appeared in eight Texan victories this season, and in those games, he’s produced 41.7% over PPR expectations.
Betting: Unders are 4-1 in Houston’s past five games.