Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (hip) practiced fully on Friday and doesn't appear on the final injury report ahead of Week 18 vs. the Browns. Though the veteran has scored nary a TD this season, Johnson's team-high 26.2% target share (8.5 targets per game) makes him a quality WR3/flex option on volume alone. This should serve as a good counterbalance to the Browns' defense ranking as the 6th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.
Saints TE Taysom Hill (back) and Juwan Johnson (quadriceps) finished the practice week with limited participation and are both officially questionable for Week 18 vs. the Panthers. Should either receive the green light to play, Johnson is the player worthy of most consideration in fantasy lineups. Though the Panthers' defense ranks as the 8th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs, Johnson's 26.8% target share over the last 3 weeks is tied for the team lead with WR Rashid Shaheed. Johnson is a high-end TE2/streaming candidate in Week 18.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (shoulder) practiced fully on Friday and doesn't carry an injury tag ahead of Week 18 vs. the Jets. The second-year wideout isn't as appealing of a fantasy option this week as he usually is. With rookie QB Skylar Thompson set to be the starter and the Jets' defense being the single-toughest matchup for WRs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season, we feel Waddle is more of a high-end WR3/flex option in lineups.
To no one's surprise, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) has been ruled out for Week 18 vs. the Bengals. HC John Harbaugh said on Friday that "Lamar's working as hard as he can. The trainers are working as hard as they can... That's where we're at. He won't be playing in this game, we're hopeful for next week," signaling a chance we see the former MVP in the playoffs. It's also worth noting that QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder, wrist) only managed limited practice all week and is listed as questionable. Separate quotes from Harbaugh indicate that Huntley will be good to go, however. We don't feel Huntley is worth much fantasy consideration this week as he's scored less than 13 fantasy points in 4 consecutive games.
Bills TE Dawson Knox (hip) practiced fully on Friday and doesn't appear on the team's final injury report ahead of Week 18 vs. the Patriots. Though Knox put up a zero in a Week 13 last time these teams faced off, the Pats' defense has allowed 10 TE scores this season, tied for 2nd-most in the NFL. We feel Knox is a mid-TE2/streaming consideration in fantasy lineups this weekend.
Bills QB Josh Allen (ankle, right elbow) upgraded to full practice again on Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Week 18 vs. the Patriots. With AFC playoff seeding still being a factor in this game, it stands to reason that Allen and all other key starters will play the full compliment of snaps. Fire up Allen as a no-doubt QB1, per usual.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) is officially listed as questionable for Week 18 vs. the Bills after limited practice all week. Fellow WR DeVante Parker (concussion) logged full practice on Friday and has been removed from the final injury report. It seems as though we'll see Parker on the field on Sunday for the first time since Week 14 vs. the Cardinals. That said, Meyers is the player of the two who carries the most fantasy value. He's played through this shoulder injury for a few weeks now and we feel pretty confident that he'll suit up. The Bills' defense ranks as the 11th-best matchup for WRs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season, and Meyers carries a team-leading 27% target share over the last 2 weeks. Consider Meyers a solid WR2 in Week 18.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur believes there's a "good chance [Raiders RB Zamir] White will get his first serious action of the season" vs. the Chiefs on Saturday. RB Josh Jacobs is listed as questionable with hip and oblique injuries and missed Wednesday and Thursday's practices due to a personal issue. The Raiders have nothing to play for in the finale, so it'd make sense for them to get a look at White -- especially with Jacobs set to hit free agency in March. White is only worth considering in Saturday DFS contests, but Jacobs' floor and ceiling is lower in Week 18 than it's been all season.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Friday that his regulars will start this weekend's game vs. the Bears but that there's a plan to potentially pull them early to get backups some reps, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The Vikings can't get the NFC's #1 seed and can only climb from #3 to #2 with a 49ers loss to the Cardinals. QB Kirk Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and TE T.J. Hockenson are candidates to leave Sunday's game early.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson had surgery on Thursday to repair a fractured foot, HC Ron Rivera said. Gibson was on the injury report with a foot from Week 13 on, although it's unclear exactly when the fracture occurred. Rivera said the "hope" is that Gibson will be ready for the start of offseason workouts. We'll track his rehab.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said Friday morning that QB Jalen Hurts is "trending in the right direction" for playing Sunday against the Giants. Don't be surprised if he carries a "questionable" tag on the final practice report. We'll certainly be watching Hurts' status right up until his game's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Let's hope fantasy football managers get clarity before then, though.
The Jets have ruled QB Mike White out for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. He went from a full Wednesday practice to limited Thursday and then this, so the rib injury clearly remains a significant issue. He played as though that was the case at Seattle in Week 17. QB Joe Flacco will start, with Zach Wilson backing up, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. A healthy Flacco instead of a hurting White is probably better for the fantasy outlook of WR Garrett Wilson and the rest of the Jets' pass-catchers. Check our Week 18 fantasy football rankings to see where everyone sits.
The New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy reports that the Giants are expected to sit "key starters" in Sunday's regular-season finale vs. the Eagles. New York is locked into the NFC's #6 seed and has nothing to play for. We've been projecting QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley to sit all week. Look for QB Tyrod Taylor to get the start and for RBs Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell to handle backfield duties. WRs Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and Richie James could also be held out or be pulled early in Sunday's game.
The NFL announced that the Bills-Bengals game will not be rescheduled. It's officially a no-contest and players do not receive any stats for the game. Commissioner Roger Goodell is also recommending that the AFC Championship Game be played at a neutral site if the Bills or Bengals make it there as the road team. All 32 teams will vote on that proposal on Friday.
Update: The NFL owners have approved these changes to the playoff setup.
Seahawks TE Noah Fant (knee) practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday. This is certainly good news considering Fant didn't practice on Wednesday. We'll keep an eye on his status ahead of Week 18 vs. the Rams. Tomorrow's injury report will shed more light on his availability.
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett (shin) didn't practice on Thursday ahead of Week 18 vs. the Rams. Hopefully, the veteran can log limited participation tomorrow and increase his chances of getting the green light for action. Circle back tomorrow once we have more clarity.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker (illness, ankle) missed Thursday's practice. Teammates DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer also didn't practice, both with ankle injuries of their own. We'll need to see Friday's report before giving any sort of fantasy advice regarding Week 18 vs. the Rams.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (ankle, knee) practiced in a limited capacity for the 2nd straight day. We'll see if this persistent injury prevents Jones from suiting up in Week 18 vs. the Lions. Be sure to check back again tomorrow once we have additional information.
Packers WR Christian Watson (hip) logged limited participation in practice again on Thursday. The rookie was able to beat this same ailment and suit up last week. We'll know more tomorrow about his status in anticipation of Week 18 vs. the Lions.
Chiefs K Harrison Butker (back) is listed as questionable for Week 18 vs. the Raiders. The team worked out K Matthew Wright on Thursday, a player who filled in for the injured Butker earlier in the season. It's possible that Wright will get another opportunity on Saturday if Butker is ultimately ruled out. We'll let you know if anything definitive occurs.
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