Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (concussion) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. That gives him a shot to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Panthers. QBs Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph reportedly split reps in Wednesday's practice, so it's unclear who will start this weekend if Pickett can't.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (ankle) was upgraded to full participation in Wednesday's practice. He'll be ready to rock for Saturday night's game vs. the Bills.
Dolphins RB Jeff Wilson (hip) remained sidelined on Wednesday. We'll see if he's able to practice tomorrow, but we're not expecting Wilson to play vs. the Bills on Saturday night.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (hip) missed practice again on Wednesday. He battled through this injury (mostly ineffectively) last week but is looking iffy for Saturday night's game vs. the Ravens. We'll get another update on his status tomorrow.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) remained sidelined on Wednesday, but QB Tyler Huntley (concussion) was listed as a full participant. So it looks like Huntley is on track to be cleared for Saturday's game vs. the Browns. He's a downgrade from Jackson -- but an upgrade from 3rd-stringer Anthony Brown. Huntley's presence would be especially good news for TE Mark Andrews.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (oblique, rib) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Seahawks. He was listed as a limited participant in practice all week. We're expecting Purdy to play tomorrow night. If he can't, the 'Niners will turn to veteran QB Josh Johnson.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (ankle, knee) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Seahawks. It sounds like he'll be back in either Week 17 or 18. Samuel's absence elevates Jauan Jennings to the #2 WR role and frees up targets for RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Brandon Aiyuk and TE George Kittle.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker (ankle) is not listed on the final injury report for Thursday night's game vs. the 49ers. He was a full-go in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. It all suggests that Walker should be ready for at least something close to his normal workload -- but the matchup against San Francisco's 3rd-ranked RB defense leaves Walker as a lower-end RB2 this week. RB DeeJay Dallas (ankle) is listed as questionable but is obviously off the fantasy radar with Walker back.
Panthers WR D.J. Moore (ankle) was a full-go in Wednesday's practice. So he'll be available for this weekend's game vs. the Steelers. But Moore looks like a shaky WR3 with Carolina going super run-heavy under QB Sam Darnold.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. He told ESPN's Brooke Pryor that he hurt his foot on his 1st catch last weekend. He was able to fight through it the rest of that game and expects to play vs. the Panthers on Sunday. We'll keep an eye on Freiermuth over the next few days.
The Raiders designated TE Darren Waller (hamstring) and WR Hunter Renfrow (oblique) to return from IR. Both guys will return to practice this week and are eligible to be activated for Sunday's game vs. the Patriots. Waller averaged 6.0 targets, 4.0 catches, 44 yards and .3 TDs over the first 4 weeks of the season, ranking 12th among TEs in half-PPR points during that stretch. Renfrow has played in 6 games so far this season and averaged 4.8 targets, 3.5 catches, 32 yards and 0 TDs. His half-PPR scoring average in those games lands him 102nd among WRs. We wouldn't use Renfrow in Week 15 fantasy lineups. Waller will be a risk/reward, low-end TE1 if he plays this weekend.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (abdomen) has been designated to return from IR. He'll be back at practice today, and we'll see if he's able to play vs. the Texans on Sunday. Hardman racked up 17 catches on 22 targets for 226 yards and 3 TDs in his last 4 games before landing on IR.
Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) admitted that he's not yet back to 100%. “It’s still not me all the way yet, and I’m going to continue to get better,” Dobbins said. “Hopefully those 100-yard games will turn into 200-yard games. I’m going to keep getting healthier.” As a reminder of his upside and talent: Per SI’s Albert Breer, the Ravens believed Dobbins would “contend” for the rushing title prior to his 2021 ACL tear. An excellent schedule makes him a potential difference-maker down the stretch.
SI’s Albert Breer believes Bucs QB Tom Brady is unlikely to return to Tampa Bay next season. While Breer doesn’t shut the door on a return to Tampa, note that Brady will enter free agency in a few months. The 45-year-old has shown signs of decline this year. Through 13 games, he’s posted career-lows in YPA (6.2) and TD rate (2.9%). He’s currently the QB13 in fantasy thanks in large part to a league-leading 579 attempts. See where he sits in our Week 15 rankings.
"Expectations" are that Eagles TE Dallas Goedert (shoulder) will return for Sunday's game vs. the Bears, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. "And if not, almost certainly Christmas Eve at the Cowboys," McLane adds. So it sounds like Goedert isn't quite a lock to make it back for Week 15 fantasy lineups. We'll keep you updated on his status throughout the week.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker (ankle) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. That puts him on track to return for Thursday night's showdown vs. the 49ers. It's a brutal matchup against the 3rd toughest defense in terms of adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. But Walker's projected volume keeps him in the RB2 mix.
Texans HC Lovie Smith wouldn't say for sure whether both QB Davis Mills and QB Jeff Driskel would play vs. the Chiefs this weekend, but it sure sounds like he's leaning in that direction. “I thought it was effective,” Smith said. “Two different flavors, and that’s always tough for a defense to prepare with what we were doing with them. As far as what we’re going to do this week going forward, we started evaluating and seeing what we need to do against another good division-leading Kansas City football team. We’ll see how that goes, but both quarterbacks were productive." Mills and Driskel split snaps right down the middle in last week's loss to the Cowboys. Mills completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT. Driskel was more Taysom-Hill lite, going just 4-for-6 for 38 yards and a TD passing but running it 7 times for 36 yards. Of course, neither guy is an option at QB in any fantasy setup. But Driskel has TE eligibility on some platforms, putting him in play as a Week 15 flier.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (oblique) was listed as a limited participant in what was a light practice on Tuesday. HC Kyle Shanahan wouldn't say for sure whether Purdy will start Thursday night's game vs. the Seahawks but did say that the oblique injury is more of a pain-tolerance issue. Purdy told the media that he's able to run but hasn't tried to throw since Sunday. We'll get another update on his status tomorrow. QB Josh Johnson would start against Seattle if Purdy can't.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he's been told WR Deebo Samuel (knee, ankle) is expected to be out "three-ish" weeks. Missing 3 weeks would put Samuel back for Week 18. The Score's Jordan Schultz reportedly on Monday that Samuel has a chance to return for Week 17. That seems to be the range we're looking at for Samuel's return, which means he might be back for the championship game for most fantasy leagues.
Rams HC Sean McVay admitted Tuesday that he'd be "hard-pressed" to envision WR Cooper Kupp (ankle) playing again this season. There's no reason for the 4-9 Rams to push Kupp back from a significant high-ankle sprain that required surgery. You can cut Kupp from redraft rosters if you've been hanging on.
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