The NFL’s stranglehold on the American holiday schedule continues to expand, with more action on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2026.

Let’s dive into the Christmas slate around the NFL with the 2026 schedule officially released, along with key fantasy players to watch, accompanied by their consensus 0.5-PPR fantasy football rankings.

RELATED: 2026 NFL Thanksgiving Games Schedule

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2026 NFL Christmas Schedule

Houston Texans @ Philadelphia Eagles (-2.5) - Christmas Eve

The Texans and Eagles kick off the Christmas NFL slate as the sole game on Christmas Eve in one of the rarer matchups across the history of the NFL. These two teams have only met six times, with the Eagles sporting a perfect 6-0 record in the series. Let’s hope that the Texans look better towards the end of this season than how last season ended for them, with C.J. Stroud finishing the season with a four-interception performance in the 2026 Divisional Round.

Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Jalen Hurts (QB6), Saquon Barkley (RB8), David Montgomery (RB21), A.J. Brown (WR11), DeVonta Smith (WR13), Makai Lemon (WR42), Nico Collins (WR9), Jayden Higgins (WR56), Dallas Goedert (TE13)

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (-1.5) - Christmas Day

From one game with very few matchups in the history of the NFL to one of, if not the most storied, rivalries in the sport, Christmas Day kicks off between the Packers and Bears, who have played each other a whopping 213 times. The last time we saw these two teams meet, the Bears toppled the Packers in the 2026 Wild Card Round on the back of some miraculous Caleb Williams throws. This game is sure to start the slate with a bang and has plenty of fantasy-relevant players that could be big factors on the playoff slate. 

Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Caleb Williams (QB7), Jordan Love (QB17), Josh Jacobs (RB13), D’Andre Swift (RB25), Kyle Monangai (RB33), Christian Watson (WR31), Jayden Reed (WR39), Luther Burden (WR18), Rome Odunze (WR29), Tucker Kraft (TE6), Colston Loveland (TE3)

Buffalo Bills (-1.5) @ Denver Broncos - Christmas Day

The Bills and Broncos have met 43 times prior to this season, with their last meeting resulting in a 33-30 Broncos win in an overtime thriller last January. This should be a pivotal game in the AFC playoff picture, given the time of year and expectations for both teams coming into this matchup, so fireworks could be expected with some high-powered assets on both offense and defense.

Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Josh Allen (QB1), Bo Nix (QB14), James Cook (RB4), RJ Harvey (RB29), J.K. Dobbins (RB34), DJ Moore (WR25), Khalil Shakir (WR53), Jaylen Waddle (WR19), Courtland Sutton (WR33), Dalton Kincaid (TE11)

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-1.5) - Christmas Day

The Christmas Day slate caps off with a rematch of the 2026 NFC Championship game and two high-powered offenses positioned as prime Super Bowl contenders entering the 2026 NFL season. With the Seahawks getting the better of the Rams en route to a Super Bowl 60 victory last winter, the Rams will likely have this (as well as their first matchup) circled on their calendars.

Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Matthew Stafford (QB15), Sam Darnold (QB23), Kyren Williams (RB17), Blake Corum (RB35), Jadarian Price (RB26), Zach Charbonnet (RB41), Puka Nacua (WR2), Davante Adams (WR20), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR3)

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