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.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker III logged 19 carries for 86 yards and a TD in Week 15’s win vs. the Eagles. The second-year back also added 3 receptions for 26 yards as a receiver in the contest. Since returning in Week 14 after a three-game absence with an oblique injury, Walker III is firmly running ahead of rookie teammate Zach Charbonnet as Seattle’s lead back. In their last two games, he’s out-touched (carries + receptions) Charbonnet 34 to 14 and accounted for an 85.2% snap share of the Seahawks’ early downs in that span. Walker III should again see a hefty amount of work in Week 16 vs. the Titans.
Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba hauled in all 4 of his targets for 48 yards and scored the eventual game-winning TD in Week 15 vs. the Eagles. The rookie has started to heat up over the past three weeks, leading the team in receptions (15) and ranking second in target share (21.8%) and PPR points per game (11.5). Season-long managers should still treat JSN as a deeper league flex option at best, especially as long as QB Geno Smith continues to miss time due to a groin injury. Still, this late-season trend in which he’s pacing teammate Tyler Lockett in usage is an encouraging sign for Smith-Njigba’s dynasty prospects. We'll see if he can maintain this success in a prime Week 16 spot vs. the Titans (fifth-best WR matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed).
Eagles RB D’Andre Swift had a nice bounce-back game in Week 15 vs. the Seahawks, finishing with 18 carries for 74 rushing yards with 2 catches for 1 yard as a pass-catcher. The veteran had only handled 18 combined touches in the past two weeks due to negative game scripts against the 49ers and Cowboys. The closer nature of Monday night’s game helped Swift see more involvement and should be encouraging for fantasy managers looking ahead. Week 16’s matchup against a Giants defense that allows the fourth-most rushing yards per game (131.6) this season sets up as a good spot for Swift to build upon this success and be treated as a strong RB2 candidate in lineups.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts completed 17 of 31 passes for 143 yards with 2 INTs in Week 15 vs. the Seahawks. He’d entered the game listed as ‘Questionable’ due to an illness and certainly struggled as a passer on Monday night. Fortunately, Hurts’ 82 rushing yards and pair of scores as a runner helped to mask those deficiencies and elevate his fantasy performance. Managers should feel comfortable rolling out Hurts again in Week 16 in a soft matchup vs. the Giants (25th in total defense DVOA in 2023).
The Chiefs placed WR Skyy Moore on IR with a knee injury. He'll miss at least the final three games of the regular season and Kansas City's playoff opener. Moore was somehow even worse in 2023 than he was during his 2022 rookie campaign, averaging just 6.4 yards per target and 0.84 yards per route. Those are both bottom-15 marks among 100 WRs with 30+ targets through Week 15. Moore is speeding rapidly toward bust status.
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