Ravens WR Willie Snead (ankle) is listed as questionable for this weekend's Wild Card game vs. the Titans after getting in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. We'll get his game status around 11:30 am ET on Sunday.
Steelers TE Eric Ebron has been activated from the COVID list. So he'll be back for Sunday night's Wild Card game vs. Cleveland's 31st-ranked TE defense.
Browns LG Joel Bitonio and WR KhaDarel Hodge have tested positive for COVID and are out for Sunday's Wild Card game vs. the Steelers. Bitonio, one of the best Gs in the league, is the big loss. Hodge's absence locks Donovan Peoples-Jones in as Cleveland's #3 WR for this one. HC Kevin Stefanski also has COVID and won't be available for the Steelers game. The Browns offense is in an extremely tough spot.
Browns CB Denzel Ward landed on the COVID list this week, and Cleveland.com reports that he tested positive. That means Ward will not only miss Sunday's game against the Steelers but might also not be back in time for a playoff opener next weekend. We'll see about his status for that contest next week.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed on Monday that "key starters" won't play in Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Chargers. Kansas City has the AFC's #1 seed locked up. Don't expect to see QB Patrick Mahomes, WR Tyreek Hill or TE Travis Kelce on the field at all. WR Sammy Watkins and RB Le'Veon Bell also figure to be limited or sit out entirely. QB Chad Henne will draw the start for Kansas City. We'll look for clues on who the RB and WR snaps will go to.
As expected, Jaguars RB James Robinson (ankle) is inactive for today's game against the Bears. His absence leaves Jacksonville's backfield to Devine Ozigbo and Dare Ogunbowale. Neither is a bankable fantasy play.
The forecast for tonight's Titans-Packers game calls for temperatures in the low 30s with snow and winds of 10-15 mph with gusts of 25-30 mph. Those are less-than-ideal conditions for the passing games, but we're still expecting plenty of points in this one. The game still has a big 53.5-point over/under. We'd stick with all the regulars from these teams in fantasy lineups.
Browns WRs Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge have been placed on the COVID list as high-risk close contacts and are out for Sunday's game against the Jets. Those are Cleveland's top 4 WRs. Marvin Hall is the only other WR on the active roster. Ja'Marcus Bradley and Derrick Willies are on the practice squad. We wouldn't mess with that situation in Week 16 fantasy lineups. TEs Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant and David Njoku should be busy tomorrow. Baker Mayfield, meanwhile, goes from a solid QB1 play to a shaky QB2. Expect a run-heavy game plan from Cleveland.
Update: Bradley and Willies have been promoted from the practice squad.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cowboys after a limited week of practice. We're expecting the rookie to play. But between the hammy and Cincinnati's QB play, Higgins isn't a recommended Week 14 fantasy starter.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is expected to be activated from the COVID list and start Tuesday's game against the Cowboys, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Jackson carries elevated risk in Week 13 fantasy lineups coming off the illness -- but the matchup is sweet vs. Dallas' 22nd-ranked QB defense.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is expected to see "increased playing time" at QB against the Seahawks on Monday night, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. QB Carson Wentz reportedly won't be on the field for at least some of those snaps, so it sounds like Hurts will be in a more traditional QB role than he's played so far this season. "It's unlikely that Hurts, the second-round Heisman finalist from Oklahoma and Alabama, will get to take an entire series," Rapoport writes. "More likely, it will be two or three plays at a time. But, based on the game plan and the week of practice, he should see his most significant snaps yet." We don't know exactly how much Hurts will end up playing, but this is obviously a knock against Wentz's Week 12 fantasy value. Despite the dream matchup vs. Seattle, we'd look elsewhere in 1-QB leagues.
Seahawks TE Greg Olsen ruptured the plantar fascia in his left foot in Thursday night's win over the Cardinals, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Olsen is expected to miss about 2 months. That means he's done for at least the regular season and can be dropped from all fantasy rosters. Olsen's absence leaves Seattle with TEs Jacob Hollister and Will Dissly. Hollister out-targeted Dissly 3 to 1 on Thursday night and 16 to 9 over the last 5 games. Neither guy figures to emerge as a reliable fantasy play.
Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Friday he expects to activate RB Christian McCaffrey over the weekend and have him available for Sunday's game at Kansas City, according to multiple reports. That goes along with the general feeling during the week. Expect to get McCaffrey back into starting fantasy football lineups. That means Mike Davis should no longer be in there, but we'd try not to drop him if you can help it. Davis has proved his value as a handcuff, and McCaffrey has been out since Week 2 because of a high-ankle sprain.
The forecast for today's Titans-Bengals game calls for winds of 20-30 mph. That's just past the threshold of when we start to worry about the passing and kicking games. We're lowering our projections for both passing games a tad and would avoid both kickers in this game. Note that the Bengals will be without all 5 of their starting offensive linemen from Week 1 today. Their implied total has sunk from 25.75 to 21.5.
The forecast for today's Patriots-Bills game calls for a chance of rain and 20 mph sustained winds with gusts over 30. That certainly puts a damper on the passing games. New England figured to go run-heavy anyway, so the bigger impact is on Josh Allen and Co. We'd also avoid both kickers in this game.
The forecast for today's Vikings-Packers game calls for 25 mph sustained winds with gusts close to 40 mph. The wind is expected to die down a bit throughout the game. Temperatures will be in the 30s with a wind chill in the 20s. Those are tough conditions for the passing and kicking games. We've lowered our passing projections a bit for both teams and would avoid both kickers in this game.
Packers K Mason Crosby missed Wednesday's practice with left calf and back injuries. If you're a Crosby owner, you might want to line up an alternative for Week 8. We'll continue to monitor his status.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed that RB Nick Chubb (knee) won't play against the Raiders this weekend. Stefanski added that Chubb is "on schedule" in his rehab and "they'll see" if he's ready to go after the Week 9 bye. We'll continue to monitor his progress. Kareem Hunt gets at least 1 more game as Cleveland's feature back on Sunday.
49ers RB Jeff Wilson (calf) is expected to play against the Patriots today, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He'll join Jerick McKinnon and JaMycal Hasty in San Francisco's backfield. Wilson isn't a bankable fantasy play but could handle goal-line work for the 'Niners today.
Colts WRs Michael Pittman (toe) and Zach Pascal (ankle) are questionable for this weekend’s game against the Vikings. Pittman was limited in practice all week, while Pascal got in a full practice on Friday. Neither guy is a fantasy option, but their absences would mean more targets for WRs T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell.
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