Cardinals WRs Marquise Brown (heel) and Greg Dortch (shoulder) missed their second straight practices on Thursday. They're both in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Bears, which would leave Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, and Zach Pascal as Arizona's likely top three WRs. TE Trey McBride is the only Arizona pass catcher that can be trusted in Week 16 fantasy lineups.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle, concussion) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice. He's now a major long shot to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Bucs. Look for QB C.J. Beathard to get the start in that one -- an obvious downgrade for Jacksonville's offense.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker (shoulder) missed practice again on Thursday. It's possible that the team is taking it easy on him on a short week, but it's also possible that Walker's status for Sunday's game vs. the Titans is in doubt. We'll learn more when we get Seattle's final injury report on Friday afternoon.
Colts WR Michael Pittman (concussion) progressed to a full practice on Thursday. He's now on track to be cleared for Sunday's game vs. the Falcons. Pittman can be penciled into Week 16 fantasy lineups, but check back tomorrow for another update on his status.
Saints RB Kendre Miller (ankle) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Rams. He got in two limited practices this week, so we'll see if he can make it back for Week 17. New Orleans will continue to roll with RBs Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams tonight.
Multiple reports have indicated that Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) has been ruled out for Saturday's Week 16 contest vs. the Bills. The veteran wideout also sat out in Week 15 due to this ailment and hasn't practiced at any point in the past two weeks. Fortunately, fantasy managers have the advanced notice to be able to make alternative lineup choices. Allen's next opportunity to play comes on New Year's Eve for Week 17's showdown vs. the Broncos.
The Giants placed K Randy Bullock on IR with a hamstring injury he suffered last week. Cade York will handle kicking duties for the G-Men the rest of the way. Hopefully this news doesn't impact your fantasy plans.
Packers TE Luke Musgrave (kidney) has been designated to return from IR. He won't practice on Thursday, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, so Musgrave seems unlikely to play vs. the Panthers this weekend. But we'll keep tabs on his return from a lacerated kidney suffered back in Week 11.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday afternoon that Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (ankle) has been officially ruled out for Week 16 vs. the Bengals. Although Pickett had been able to log limited practice participation on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was widely anticipated that he would not make his return this week. HC Mike Tomlin had already named Mason Rudolph as the team's starter for Saturday several days ago, which lines up with our projections. Unless you are in desperation mode, it's best to leave Rudolph out of fantasy lineups. See where he lands in our current QB rankings.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (shoulder) has been ruled out for Week 16 vs. the Steelers. The star wideout suffered a sprained AC joint against the Vikings last week and is expected to be handled carefully by the team, so this news shouldn't come as much of a shock to fantasy managers. Without Chase in tow, there'll be increased opportunities for fellow WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd to stand out against a Steelers secondary that'll likely be missing their top safeties (namely Minkah Fitzpatrick) on Saturday. See where the Bengals duo sits in our current WR rankings.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor will test his right thumb in practice on Wednesday before determining whether he can play vs. the Falcons this weekend, according to insider Mike Chappell. Taylor is expected to wear a wrap or brace on the thumb if he does play, Chappell adds. We'll keep you updated on his status. Taylor would carry some added risk but be tough to keep out of Week 16 fantasy lineups if he plays on Sunday.
The Steelers announced Thursday that DL Cameron Heyward has cleared the concussion protocol. Rather than publicly ponder whether Pittsburgh's concussion process should get league review after Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Alex HIghsmith all cleared in time for the game following their injuries ... we'll just go ahead and get Heyward into the Week 16 DL rankings. He's a decent IDP option against a Bengals team that did allow him a sack last time. But Heyward hasn't generated more than 2 pressures in a game this year. He's a solid bet for tackles -- including a tackle for loss -- but a less-good bet for sack production.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday. He seemed to come out of Monday night's win over the Eagles okay, so this is likely more of a rest day. We'll see if Walker gets back on the practice field tomorrow.
Raiders interim HC Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that RB Josh Jacobs (quad) is likely to return for Monday's game vs. the Chiefs. "I think he was close to last week," Pierce said. "That was a decision we all made for the best interest of him. If I had to be a betting man, I would think he would play this game." We'll track Jacobs' practice participation over the next few days. We currently have him projected to play against Kansas City. See where Jacobs lands in the Week 16 RB Rankings.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. He never returned to last week's game after going down and is certainly in danger of missing Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. That'd leave New England with TEs Mike Gesicki and Pharaoh Brown. Neither would be a viable fantasy play.
Cardinals WR Marquise Brown (heel) did not practice on Wednesday. He's been dealing with this heel injury for a few weeks now and aggravated it last week. We're projecting Brown to miss Sunday's game vs. the Bears.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle, concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Doug Pederson said earlier in the day that Lawrence is "progressing well," but the fact that he didn't practice today means that he still has a lot of progressing to do. Fantasy owners should not be banking on Lawrence playing vs. the Bucs this weekend.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith (groin) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. That puts him on track to return for this weekend's game vs. the Titans' 15th-ranked QB defense. See where Smith sits in the Week 16 QB Rankings.
Titans QB Will Levis (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. We're not expecting him to play vs. the Seahawks this weekend, which would presumably put QB Ryan Tannehill back at the controls for Tennessee. We're treating that as a wash for WR DeAndre Hopkins and the Titans' other pass-catchers.
Texans WR Nico Collins (calf) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. He has a chance to return for this weekend's game vs. the Browns. But Collins is obviously a less exciting fantasy play with QB Case Keenum expected to be under center again.
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