Texans QB C.J. Stroud has cleared concussion protocol and will play vs. the Titans on Sunday, barring a setback between now and then, insider Aaron Wilson reports. With Stroud out the past two weeks, Houston has totaled just 41 points and 370 passing yards. The rookie's return is a big boost for the entire offense, particularly WR Nico Collins, WR Noah Brown, and TE Dalton Schultz. See where all the Texans sit in the Week 17 Rankings.
The Vikings have announced that QB Jaren Hall will start over Nick Mullens this Sunday night against the Packers. That comes after Mullens tossed 4 INTs in a 6-point Week 16 loss to Detroit. HC Kevin O'Connell originally had Hall as the backup to Kirk Cousins and started the fifth-round rookie in the first game after Cousins' season-ending injury. But O'Connell then stuck with QB Joshua Dobbs even after Hall returned from his concussion, and then rolled out Mullens after Dobbs' 4-INT turn against Chicago. This week's move says O'Connell believes Hall to be a better option than Mullens. But the rookie clearly remains unproven. He has thrown just 10 regular-season passes. The preseason found him completing just 54.2% of his passes at 5.5 yards per attempt. Hall does bring above-average speed for the position and topped 300 rushing yards in each of his final two seasons at BYU. But starting a QB in what would be his first full NFL game would obviously be very risky. The bigger question is what the switch does to WR outlooks. We'd still start Justin Jefferson comfortably. K.J. Osborn, meanwhile, is tougher to like inside WR3 territory. (He already landed as a WR4 in our Week 17 rankings.)
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said he'd be surprised if Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) played against the Chiefs this weekend. Chase is dealing with a 2-4 week injury, according to Rapoport, and has missed just one game so far. We'll continue to monitor Chase's progress but are removing him from the Week 17 Rankings for now. His absence would be good news/bad news for WR Tee Higgins, who would get a target boost but also see more of Chiefs stud CB L'Jarius Sneed.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) missed practice again on Thursday. HC Doug Pederson was non-committal on Lawrence's availability for this weekend's game vs. the Panthers. “If Trevor plays, we’re all-in on that. If C.J. (Beathard) plays, we’re all in on that," Pederson said. "It’s a tough decision.” We'll see what Lawrence does on Friday and how he's listed on the final injury report.
The Commanders placed RB Chris Rodriguez (ankle) on IR, ending his 2023 season. The rookie flashed with a 10-58-2 rushing line last week but remains a long shot for tangible fantasy value in 2024 and beyond. Washington looks set to get RB Brian Robinson back from his hamstring injury for Sunday's game vs. the 49ers.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (heel) is "hopeful" he can play vs. the Jets tonight, but "his status remains up in the air," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "The short week is tough," Pelissero adds. "Cooper knows his body well. They’ll get a better sense closer to kickoff." We'll look for further updates on Cooper and get Cleveland's inactives around 6:45 pm ET tonight. It's clear that Cooper won't be at 100% if he ends up playing. Toss in the matchup against the Jets' top-ranked WR defense, and Cooper is a much shakier Week 17 fantasy play than his big Week 16 would suggest. See where he currently sits in the Week 17 WR Rankings.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport labeled him "week-to-week" on Monday, so the rookie seems unlikely to play vs. the Packers on Sunday night. Addison's absence would leave K.J. Osborn as Minnesota's No. 2 WR -- and a solid target bet with TE T.J. Hockenson also out.
Packers WR Jayden Reed (toe, chest) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. It's an upgrade over last week, when he missed all three practices. We're tentatively expecting Reed back for Sunday night's game vs. the Vikings, but we'll keep you updated on his status. WRs Christian Watson (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (chest, ankle) did not practice on Wednesday.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco (concussion, shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday. He's unlikely to be cleared for this weekend's game vs. the Bengals. With RB Jerick McKinnon (groin) on IR, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is in for a hefty workload against Cincinnati's leaky run defense.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday. He was spotted stretching with the team and getting in some work on a rehab field. Chase's availability for this weekend's game vs. the Chiefs remains up in the air. Check back tomorrow for another update on his status.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. He's unlikely to be cleared in time to play vs. the Chargers this weekend, but we'll keep you updated on his progress through the protocol.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) did not practice on Wednesday. We'll keep tabs on his status over the next few days, but fantasy owners should not be banking on Allen playing vs. the Broncos this weekend. WR Josh Palmer (concussion) also missed Wednesday's practice and is in danger of missing Sunday's game. The Chargers could be down to WRs Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Alex Erickson, and Derius Davis.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson (hamstring) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. RB Chris Rodriguez (ankle) did not practice. We'll see how this backfield shapes up over the next few days, but it's a situation to try to avoid with Washington sporting an 18.25-point implied total vs. the 49ers.
49ers QB Brock Purdy (left shoulder) was a full-go in Wednesday's practice. He was reportedly cleared to return to Monday night's game and will be ready for this weekend's game vs. the Commanders' 32nd-ranked QB defense.
Cardinals WR Marquise Brown (heel) did not practice on Wednesday. We're not expecting him to play vs. the Eagles this weekend but will keep you updated on his status. Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, and Greg Dortch operated as Arizona's top three WRs with Wilson out last week.
Jaguars WR Zay Jones (knee, hamstring) was limited in Wednesday's practice. We're currently projecting him to play vs. the Panthers on Sunday but will track his status over the next few days.
Colts RB Zack Moss (forearm) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He's not a Week 17 fantasy option, but his return could put a dent in RB Jonathan Taylor's workload vs. the Raiders.
Colts WR Michael Pittman (concussion, shoulder) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He was originally cleared to play last week before experiencing concussion symptoms after the team arrived in Atlanta. Pittman has a shot to return for this weekend's game vs. the Raiders, but we'll keep you updated on his status over the next few days.
Raiders TE Michael Mayer (toe) remained sidelined on Wednesday. Fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on the rookie in Week 17 fantasy lineups. Austin Hooper stepped in as Vegas' lead TE last week, catching two of three targets for 13 yards.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (quad) did not practice on Wednesday. He was limited last Friday but has missed two practices since, so he might have suffered a setback. We'll keep tabs on Jacobs' status over the next few days, leading up to Sunday's game vs. the Colts. Zamir White will be in the RB2 mix if Jacobs sits again.
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