Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) remained sidelined on Wednesday. He's looking unlikely to play against the Bills on Saturday night. We'll see how Allen is listed on the final injury report tomorrow, but we've removed him from the Week 16 Rankings.
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane (toe) missed practice on Wednesday. Achane was questionable with a toe injury ahead of Week 15, then played into the fourth quarter of a blowout win. We’ll see if he’s able to get on the field tomorrow in preparation for a marquee showdown with Dallas. For now, our Week 16 RB rankings find Achane in RB2 range.
Rams WR Tutu Atwell (concussion) is not listed on the final injury report for Thursday night's game vs. the Saints. He was splitting No. 3 WR duties with Demarcus Robinson last time we saw him. Atwell and Robinson are only in play in one-game DFS contests.
Saints WR Chris Olave (ankle) is not listed on the final Week 16 injury report. He was a full-go in Wednesday's practice and should be at least close to 100% for Thursday night's game vs. the Rams. Olave is safe to get back into fantasy lineups.
Saints RB Kendre Miller (ankle) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Rams after getting in a pair of limited practices. The rookie has been out since Week 9 and will likely return to a minimal role if he plays tomorrow night.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday. Hill, of course, sat out Sunday’s blowout win over the Jets after missing three days of practice. We’re tentatively expecting Hill to suit up, but we’ll continue to track his practice participation.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported that Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell spoke firmly about RB Ty Chandler being the team's primary back. "We're kind of building with the mindset that [Chandler] is going to be a guy we're trying to get the ball to a lot, both in the run and the pass," said O'Connell, adding that the potential availability of RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) will "be a huge bonus for the depth" at the position. It doesn't take much reading of the tea leaves to gather that Mattison has lost a grip on leading this backfield in touches whenever he returns from injury. Managers in season-long formats who picked up Chandler off of the waiver wire should be thrilled about his prospects of yielding a significant workload in Week 16 vs. the Lions, and seemingly beyond. See where Chandler lands in our latest RB rankings.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on him returning for this weekend's game vs. the Jets. Washington used RBs Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez, and Jonathan Williams last week -- but Williams is now in the concussion protocol. Gibson's passing-game role makes him the best fantasy bet of the trio, but he's no better than a RB3 or flex play.
Jets HC Robert Saleh said Wednesday that QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) won't play again this season. That's no surprise with the 5-9 Jets eliminated from the postseason picture. Rodgers was activated from IR, though, so that he can continue practicing the rest of the way. He should be able to participate in the offseason program and is on track to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said Wednesday that QB Trevor Lawrence remains in the concussion protocol but is "progressing well." It's still more likely than not that Lawrence misses Sunday's game vs. Bucs, but we'll continue to track his status over the next few days.
Insider Jordan Schultz confirms that Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) won't play vs. the Steelers on Saturday. Schultz adds that "the team is optimistic about his prognosis moving forward" but will "proceed cautiously." There's certainly a chance that Chase also misses Week 17, although he's worth keeping stashed on fantasy benches until we know more.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) is "likely" to miss Sunday's game against the Browns, a source tells ESPN. The team, of course, will continue to monitor Stroud's progress through the concussion protocol before making a final decision on his Week 16 status. But fantasy owners should now assume that it'll be QB Case Keenum at the helm for Houston again this weekend. Keenum did just enough to eke out a win over the Titans last week, completing 64% of his passes at 6.4 yards per attempt with one TD and one INT. This news obviously deals a blow to all of Houston's pass-catchers.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) remained sidelined for Tuesday's practice. We still have no details on his injury, but Allen has little reason to rush back for the 5-9 Chargers. We'll keep tabs on his status leading up to Saturday night's game vs. the Bills, but fantasy owners should be lining up alternatives in case Allen is out again.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (ankle) got in a limited practice on Tuesday. HC Mike Tomlin named QB Mason Rudolph the Week 16 starter on Monday but also didn't rule out Pickett being able to return. We'll keep an eye on his progress over the next few days, but hopefully you're not invested in this situation in fantasy lineups.
Saints WR Chris Olave (ankle) is expected to play vs. the Rams on Thursday night, according to insider Nick Underhill. Olave was limited in Tuesday's practice. We'll see what he does on Wednesday and how he's listed on the final injury report before making a final call on how he stacks up as a Week 16 fantasy play.
The Ravens elevated RB Melvin Gordon from the practice squad. He'll slide in as Baltimore's No. 3 RB behind Gus Edwards and Justice Hill following Keaton Mitchell's season-ending knee injury. Gordon carried 13 times for 53 yards across a pair of appearances back in Weeks 3 and 4, when Hill and Mitchell were hurt. Gordon can be left on fantasy waiver wires.
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Tuesday that he expects QB Geno Smith (groin) to have a full week of practice and play vs. the Titans on Sunday. Smith appeared on track to return for Monday night's game vs. the Eagles but suffered a setback during the week. So he's not a lock to be out there this weekend. But we are projecting it to be Smith under center for the Seahawks in Nashville.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers admitted on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that his Achilles still isn't at 100%. He expects to be there in another few weeks. That's not at all a surprise considering he's just a little more than three months removed from the injury. What would be a surprise is if the 5-9 Jets put Rodgers back on the field this season. With QB Zach Wilson in concussion protocol, QB Trevor Siemian is the favorite to start Sunday's game vs. the Commanders.
The Vikings are opening the 21-day practice window for LB Jordan Hicks this week. Hicks missed the past four games after needing surgery to relieve compartment syndrome following a shin injury on Nov. 12. it's not yet clear whether he'll be able to play this Sunday against the Lions, but that's at least a possibility. "Jordan is the heart and soul ... on our defense," HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday, according to the team website. "We've gotta get him some reps this week and see where he's at ... and if we can have him available, I think it'll be a real bonus for us this week." O'Connell also spoke about how good Hicks is at communicating the calls and ensuring everyone on the defense is in the right spot. That would seem to indicate he'll reclaim the green dot from LB Ivan Pace Jr. and take over calling plays in the defensive huddle. But O'Connell also said Pace has "been great" at filling in for Hicks there and talked about them working side by side. We'd bet the veteran Hicks will reclaim the playing-time lead at the position for a team fighting to reach the playoffs -- assuming he's physically ready to do so. We can't know for sure, of course, how Minnesota will sort out LB playing time until the next game that includes both Hicks and Pace -- or at least until coaches indicate the expected hierarchy. Hicks has scored as a top-10 LB in fantasy points per game this season, so he's worth a look if available on your waiver wire this week. Don't quit on Pace just yet, though, if he has been helpful in your format. And the undrafted rookie remains an upside dynasty asset.
The Falcons will bench QB Desmond Ridder for the second time this season, The Athletic reports. Ridder mustered just 152 passing yards with one TD and one INT in the Week 15 loss to the Panthers. He's at 10 TDs vs. 10 INTs for the season and ranks 32nd among 33 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. This figures to be the end of Ridder's tenure in Atlanta. We'll see where he lands in 2024, but it's likely to be as a backup. QB Taylor Heinicke will take back over for the Falcons vs. the Colts this weekend. He's made three appearances this season, registering a 55.4% completion rate and 6.7 yards per attempt. Those marks are both worse than Ridder's this season.
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