The NFL playoff picture is in heavy contention, and Week 12 put an exclamation point on that. In the AFC, the playoff picture is as tight as ever while the NFC leaders are extending their leads.

Below is the entire NFL playoff picture following Week 12’s action.

AFC Playoff Picture:

1. Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-3)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-3)
4. Miami Dolphins (8-3)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)
6. Cleveland Browns (7-4)
7. Indianapolis Colts (6-5)

In the hunt: Houston Texans (6-5), Buffalo Bills (6-6), Denver Broncos (6-5), Las Vegas Raiders (5-7), Cincinnati Bengals (5-6), Los Angeles Chargers (4-7), Tennessee Titans (4-7), New York Jets (4-7), New England Patriots (2-9)

The Jaguars’ victory over the red-hot Texans pushed them into first place in the AFC and cemented a two-game lead inside the AFC South. The game was a battle to the finish, with the 24-21 win coming off of a Matt Ammendola missed 58-yard field goal. The Texans’ loss, however, dropped them out of the playoffs and behind Indianapolis.

Pittsburgh moved into the fifth seed thanks to a divisional victory over the Burrow-less Bengals. The win keeps Pittsburgh’s AFC North hopes alive and keeps them safely in the playoffs for another week.

The Ravens will head into their bye week atop the AFC. They defeated the Los Angeles Chargers thanks to a plethora of turnovers. The loss drops the Chargers all the way down to 13th in the AFC, giving them an unlikely chance to make the playoffs.

The Colts kept their playoff hopes alive in Week 12, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The win pushed them into the seventh seed and gave them life heading into the final stretch.

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The Dolphins’ victory on Black Friday kept their one-seed aspirations alive. They beat up a struggling Jets team, led by backup Tim Boyle. The Jets’ loss pushed them further down the seeding and made their playoff hopes significantly slimmer.

The Cleveland Browns dropped to the Denver Broncos, dropping back to the sixth seed. In the loss, they got more beat up. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with a concussion and superstar defensive end Myles Garrett was seen in a sling post-game. The Broncos, however, continued to stay hot with their fifth win in a row.

The Steelers earned another gritty division win over the Bengals, who are without Joe Burrow for the rest of the season. The win kept them in the AFC North race and kept them in the playoffs for another week. The Bengals’ loss drops them even further back in the standings.

NFC Playoff Picture:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-3)
3. Detroit Lions (8-3)
4. Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
6. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
7. Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

In the hunt: Green Bay Packers (5-6), New Orleans Saints (5-6), Los Angeles Rams (5-6), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7), New York Giants (4-8), Washington Commanders (4-8), Chicago Bears (4-8), Arizona Cardinals (2-10), Carolina Panthers (1-10)

The 49ers continued their season of dominance when they ran all over the Seahawks on Thanksgiving night. The 18-point win moved them into the NFC’s second seed, thanks to a Lions loss. Additionally, the loss pushed Seattle down to the bottom seed.

The Eagles made it to 10-1 in comeback fashion. After being down 24-14 with 1:40 left in the third, the Eagles rallied back and earned a 37-34 win in overtime over the Bills. The Rams also defeated the Cardinals in dominant fashion, 37-14, to keep their playoff hopes alive, sitting in the nine seed.

The Packers started Thanksgiving with a major victory, defeating the Lions 29-22. The win extended their win streak to three and kept their playoff aspirations alive. They’re the first team out of the playoffs. They’ll face Kansas City next.

The Falcons earned arguably their biggest game of the season in Week 12. They took down the previously division-leading Saints, 24-15. With the win, they moved into first place in the NFC South and sit as the fourth seed. The Buccaneers and Panthers both lost, setting up for a Falcons and Saints race to the finish.

The Cowboys kept their foot on the gas, defeating the Commanders in dominating fashion on Thanksgiving afternoon. The win led to the firing of the Commanders’ defensive coordinator, Jack Del Rio. Additionally, the win kept the Cowboys within range of the Eagles for the NFC East and kept them in the driver’s seat for the fifth seed.

Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!

Many fantasy football managers expected Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert to be the team’s leading back once he returned from injured reserve in Week 11. However, in a game where D’Onta Foreman was inactive, it was rookie RB Roschon Johnson who saw the most work in the Chicago backfield by a wide margin against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

How aggressively should you target Johnson on your waiver wire in Week 13?

Should Roschon Johnson Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?

The Bears’ backfield has been tough to predict on a weekly basis throughout the majority of the 2023 season. Need proof? Here is the highest-scoring fantasy back in Chicago through their first 12 games of the season in PPR formats.

Highest Scoring Bears RB in PPR Formats

Week 1: Roschon Johnson
Week 2: Khalil Herbert
Week 3: Roschon Johnson
Week 4: Khalil Herbert
Week 5: Khalil Herbert
Week 6: D’Onta Foreman
Week 7: D’Onta Foreman
Week 8: Darrynton Evans
Week 9: D’Onta Foreman
Week 10: D’Onta Foreman
Week 11: D’Onta Foreman
Week 12: Roschon Johnson

For those of you keeping count, Foreman leads the team with five games as the highest-scoring Bears fantasy back, while both Johnson and Herbert have three games as the top scorer.

After Foreman was deemed inactive against the Vikings while dealing with both an ankle and knee injury, it was Johnson who finished with a season-high 10 carries to go with five receptions for a total of 75 yards in this contest. In comparison, Herbert finished with just six carries and two receptions for 38 total yards.

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The Bears are heading into their bye in Week 13, which should give Foreman plenty of time to get his ailing knee and ankle healthy heading into their matchup against the Detroit Lions.

This could make this entire backfield a big fantasy headache as we approach the fantasy playoffs. Here are the cumulative stats for each back through the first 12 weeks of the 2023 season.

2023 Bears RB Stats

Khalil Herbert: 87 total touches for 434 yards and a TD
Roschon Johnson: 78 total touches for 363 yards and a TD
D’Onta Foreman: 101 total touches for 436 yards and five TDs

Foreman has been the most fantasy-productive option when on the field this season, but he is on just a one-year deal with the team. Both Herbert and Johnson are under contract with the team through the 2024 season.

Could the Bears continue to feed Foreman when he returns to the lineup? Sure, it’s definitely within the range of outcomes. However, if the Bears are truly to get a closer look at who can be a big part of this offense past the final five games of the 2023 season, it would make a lot more sense for them to get a closer look at Johnson and Herbert to finish the season.

Johnson provides the most well-rounded skill set of all three players with his reliability as a pass catcher — leading the backfield with 24 receptions on the season — and pass blocker. He is intriguing as a stash in PPR leagues to see if the rookie’s role expands after the bye.

Herbert and Foreman will certainly continue to be involved in some capacity through the rest of the season, which definitely makes this a potential running back committee moving forward.

However, my money is on the rookie getting more involved after seeing a career-high 15 total touches against the Vikings in Week 12, which makes Johnson a priority waiver wire add in your league this week.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

Every year in fantasy football, there is a guy who becomes a fantasy hero in the final couple weeks of the season. A couple of years ago, Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown went crazy down the stretch, knocked people (myself included) out of the playoffs, and won championships.

Last year, Kansas City Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon had eight receiving touchdowns in the final six weeks of the season to help people win championships.

Could Buffalo Bills RB Latavius Murray be that guy this year?

Should Latavius Murray Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 13?

Murray has become more involved in the Buffalo offense the last three weeks, as he has had nine, 10, and nine carries the past three weeks. The Bills have been much better running the ball recently, as they are showing they can truly pound the rock late in games. That hasn’t always been the case for the Bills, but it could be a huge factor for the team if they are going to go on a nice run and make the playoffs.

With that in mind, should Murray be signed off the waiver wire and brought to your team?

While it is nice to see him put up those numbers, you shouldn’t pick him up off the waiver wire. First off, the Bills have a bye this week, so there is no point in getting him on your team. If you are signing a guy off the waiver wire, you need someone who can contribute immediately.

Right now, the Bills are in a tough situation to make the playoffs. They are currently the No. 10 seed in the AFC, and they have two difficult games coming up. After the bye, the Bills will travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs and then host the Dallas Cowboys. Those are two of the best defenses in the league.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

If they are going to beat those teams, it will be because of QB Josh Allen and the passing game. If they are going to get anything from the running back in this game, it will be James Cook.

This season, Cook has 33 catches, while Murray has only 16. That versatility from the running back position will be huge in this game, and I expect Cook to be one of the most used running backs during that two-week stretch.

If you are going with a waiver wire running back right now, you are going for a Hail Mary type of situation — a guy who is capable of exploding for a 25-30 fantasy point performance in any given game with a high ceiling. That is the biggest issue with Murray right now. He is a solid running back who plays a big role on the team in real life, but his fantasy ceiling just isn’t high enough to sign him.

Trust the players you have on your roster, or look at someone other than Murray.

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!