Demarcus Robinson, Christian Kirk and 8 Other Surprising Wild Card Performances

These players came up huge in Wild Card Weekend. We find their Fantasy Football, and Playoff Outlooks adjust accordingly so.

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (5) celebrates a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Wild Card Weekend has wrapped itself up and we are on to the Divisonal Round. Congratulations to the Rams, Bears, Bills, 49ers, Patriots, and Texans. In the world of Fantasy Football, we saw many surprising performances in the Wild Card Round. This surely leads us to wonder if they are one hit wonders, or if they will command future value both in the playoffs, and into 2026. This is who went off in their Wild Card matchups.

Chuba Hubbard, RB (CAR)

The Panthers surprised many people by nearly defeating the Rams. Much of this was thanks to Hubbard. He has been the RB2 much of the year, behind Rico Dowdle. On Saturday, they flipped the script and favored the hot-hand of Hubbard. He out-rushed Dowdle 13-to-5 and went for 46 Yards and 2 Touchdowns. In 2026, this will likely be a Training Camp Battle between the two, and I would actually favor Hubbard to get his job back.

Jalen Coker, WR (CAR)

The Panthers also give thanks to Coker for keeping them in that game. He went 9 Targets for 134 Yards and 1 Touchdown. Despite the loss, I think the Panthers have their secured WR2. Coker has only impressed when healthy across his first two NFL seasons. He will be a Flex consideration in 2026.

Jordan Love, QB (GB)

Anytime a Quarterback throws (4) Touchdowns, it is very impressive. It looks like the Packers are keeping Matt LaFleur, and that gives Love Top-10 status in 2026 Fantasy Football.

Matthew Golden, WR (GB)

Many people have called Golden a bust. I say that he is not. The Packers have failed to use Golden to his skillset, and this is largely due to the fact that they must support so many Wide Receivers. In 2026, LaFleur must prioritize Golden because he is one of the best players on this offense, at his best. Golden went for 4 Receptions, 84 Yards, and 1 Touchdown.

Colston Loveland, TE (CHI)

The Bears have Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and Luther Burden III. I am thinking that Loveland may actually be their #1 pass-catcher. He went 8 Receptions for 137 Yards. He has only impressed in his rookie year, and Loveland has Top-5 ability in 2026.

Khalil Shakir, WR (BUF)

We know that he is a slot-god, but Shakir exceeded expectation against the Jaguars. Shakir had 12 Receptions for 82 Yards. At one point, we thought that he could pace to set a playoff record in receptions, which sits with James White at (15). He was a key to victory in this very thin receiving core. Shakir will be a Flex in 2026.

Demarcus Robinson, WR (SF)

DEMARCUS ROBINSON PICKS UP 58 YARDS

SFvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/N4B5wM6tZu

— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026

The 49ers offense continued to impress as arguably the best offense in the NFL. Per the FPI, the 49ers are the #2 offense in the league. Nonetheless, Robinson was their unexpected leading receiver. A fun fact for you — Robinson is in his 9th NFL season with his 3rd team, and he has never missed the playoffs. He has also won a Super Bowl twice (Chiefs, Rams). He went 6 Receptions for 111 Yards and 1 Touchdown. Ricky Pearsall out? No problem... His 2026 value will remain very uncertain.

Rhamondre Stevenson, RB (NE)

The Patriots run a style of offense that just favors Stevenson over Henderson. That is how it goes. They run north-to-south, and that favors Stevenson. He had (10) Rushes to (9) by Henderson. Stevenson also doubled up Henderson in yards. I wonder how this will playout in the Divisional Round. I would suspect that they are a 50-50 split.

Christian Kirk, WR (HOU)

Christian Kirk just had the most receiving yards in a playoff game in Texans history. pic.twitter.com/vrYEHiYGOZ

— Real App (@realapp) January 13, 2026

A veteran always comes up clutch in the playoffs. Kirk was one of them. With Nico Collins shutdown by Joey Porter Jr., then hurt in the 2nd half, Kirk provided what the Texans needed. He had 8 Receptions for 144 Yards and 1 Touchdowns. The next best receiver was Jayden Higgins with (39) Yards. Against the Patriots, I suspect that Kirk is still borderline WR2 with Higgins. This was more of a situational one-off.