December 19, 2025
Duke quarterback Darian Mensah will return to the program in 2026, according to On3's Pete Nakos. The 20-year-old led the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship as a redshirt sophomore while completing 67.1% of his passes for 3,646 yards, 30 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Mensah transferred to Duke following a strong freshman season at Tulane. In just two seasons as a starter, he's totaled 54 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. Mensah could be a hot prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft if he takes another step forward, and Duke could be a program to watch again in the wide-open ACC with him at the helm.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: On3 on X
December 19, 2025
Since taking over as his team's starting quarterback in Week 9, New Orleans Saints signal-caller
Tyler Shough has shown flashes of production upside. The 26-year-old is averaging 226 passing yards per start and is coming off a 272-yard performance in his team's Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers. Shough has also shown a willingness to use his legs, as he's collected 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 attempts over his last four games. The Saints as a team have been far more competitive since he took over under center, posting a 3-3 record with Shough as the starter after opening the season by losing nine out of their first 10 games. New Orleans should have an opportunity to do more damage down the stretch of the season, as they will host the New York Jets in Week 16 before a trip to Tennessee to take on the Titans in Week 17. Shough profiles as a solid fantasy QB2 given the favorable matchups and his recent run of improved play.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Kirk Cousins has struggled for much of the 2025 season, completing 62.6% of his pass attempts for 1,218 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions across seven games (five starts). However, the 37-year-old posted a monster performance in his team's Week 15 upset of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, throwing for 373 yards and three scores. At this point in his career, Cousins should not be expected to post big numbers every week. Still, his showing against Tampa Bay proves that the veteran still carries some production upside in the right matchups. The Falcons will face another favorable opponent in Week 16 against the Arizona Cardinals, followed by a far more difficult test in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Rams. For fantasy managers in two-quarterback formats, Cousins could be a solid streamer at the position, particularly in Week 16.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
San Francisco 49ers quarterback
Brock Purdy's season-long numbers don't jump off the page, as he's completed 67.9% of his pass attempts for 1,442 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across six starts. However, the 25-year-old is coming off one of his best performances of the season, throwing for 295 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 15 win over the Tennessee Titans. Purdy also rushed for a season-high 44 yards against Tennessee, which may be an indication he's finally regaining full health after missing nearly two full months in the middle of the year with a lingering toe injury. The 49ers travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts in Week 16 before returning home to host the Chicago Bears in Week 17. Purdy has solid fantasy QB1 upside for the final weeks of the season, particularly if he continues to weaponize his rushing ability.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Across 11 starts this season, Houston Texans quarterback
C.J. Stroud has completed 65.3% of his pass attempts for 2,441 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Since returning from a concussion that forced him to miss three games from Week 10 through Week 12, the 24-year-old has played some of his best football. Over his last three outings, Stroud is averaging 246.3 passing yards per game and has thrown four touchdowns to just one interception. The Houston offense as a whole is coming off one of its best performances in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals, putting up close to 400 yards of total offense and 40 points. The Texans host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 before a more challenging matchup in Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Stroud could have an opportunity to extend his recent run of solid play and profiles as a borderline fantasy QB1 down the stretch of the season.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end
Oronde Gadsden has been a bit of a roller coaster for fantasy managers the past few weeks, scoring five or fewer fantasy points in four of his last five games after splashing onto the scene in Week 6 and looking like a top-five tight end in some fantasy rankings up until his recent cold stretch. However, in Week 15, he bounced back nicely, with four receptions for 61 yards.
Quentin Johnston was ruled out in that contest, opening some opportunities for Gadsden in the passing game, especially down the seams and in the middle of the field. In Week 16, he's got the Dallas Cowboys, who rank middle-of-the-pack against opposing tight ends, and the Chargers offense as a whole will look to get right after being fairly down the last handful of games.
Justin Herbert's hand injury, which he has been playing through, has also not helped the production of a lot of the receivers. Gadsden profiles as a low-end TE 1 for Week 16.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
TCU quarterback Josh Hoover is set to enter the transfer portal, and Chris Hummer of 247 Sports and CBS says Indiana is a school to watch during his portal recruitment, according to his sources. Hoover has played in 36 games over the last three seasons with the Horned Frogs, passing for over 9,600 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions. He's mostly a traditional pocket passer, but he has rushed for eight scores in his career. The Hoosiers likely expect Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft at season's end, so the program has its eye on the next starting quarterback under the Curt Cignetti tenure. Hoover fits the bill of a win-now quarterback thanks to his experience and productivity, so the fit would make sense.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Chris Hummer - CBS/247Sports
December 19, 2025
Chicago Bears wide receiver
Olamide Zaccheaus could be in line for an expanded role on Saturday as the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers in a pivotal NFC North showdown. The Bears have ruled out rookie
Luther Burden III and
Rome Odunze, leaving
DJ Moore operating as the team's WR1 and Zaccheaus as the WR2. Over the past two weeks, Zaccheaus has played 80% of the team's snaps; however, had only earned six targets over those two games.
Colston Loveland and Moore will likely be the two top pass-catching options for
Caleb Williams in this contest, but Zaccheaus could be a look in deeper 14-team leagues if your team is in a bind for the fantasy football playoffs. Zaccheauss has had some decent fantasy production a few times this year, scoring five or more fantasy points in six of his 14 games played. This will also be the first time all season the Bears are without both Odunze and Burden, opening the door for Zaccheaus in this matchup.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver out of Texas, and first-round pick in 2025,
Matthew Golden, earned four targets and caught three of them for 55 yards in Week 15's loss to the Denver Broncos. The four targets were the most that Golden has seen since Week 7, and with the injury to
Christian Watson (chest, shoulder), Golden was thrust into duties and played more snaps than he has since the return of Watson's ACL injury and the return of
Jayden Reed from the Injured Reserve. Although Golden's fantasy value is on the rise due to the injury situation, he is still hard to trust in any format this week against the Chicago Bears. On the season, he has 27 receptions for 341 yards and no touchdowns, for a total of 52 fantasy points in 11 games played.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has agreed to take a smaller piece of the team's House settlement revenue sharing pool in 2026, according to On3Sports.com. This does not impact his individual NIL deals, but he'll take less money from the $20.5 million revenue-sharing cap permitted under the House case settlement. This freed-up money can help Texas attract more players in the winter transfer portal as they look to retool the roster in hopes of competing for the College Football Playoff National Championship next season. After a mostly-rocky first five games of the 2025 campaign, Manning settled in and finished with 2,942 passing yards, 244 rushing yards, and 32 total touchdowns to seven interceptions. It wasn't a perfect first year as a starter, but he showed flashes of why he was a big-time recruit, and if he takes a step forward in what could be his last collegiate season, Texas should be in the thick of the SEC and National Championship race.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: On3.com
December 19, 2025
Dallas Cowboys running back
Malik Davis played 53 percent of the snaps in Week 15 and earned 11 touches (eight rushes and three receptions) for 37 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. As far as the 2025 season goes, that was season-highs for Davis in all categories: snaps, touches, yards, and fantasy points. The reason he played and got the volume is that
Javonte Williams (neck) missed most of the second quarter, allowing Davis to see the majority of the work. Important to note that rookie running back out of Texas,
Jaydon Blue, was a healthy scratch, so it's clear that the Cowboys view Davis as the top option behind Williams, which makes him a top handcuff option for the last few weeks of the fantasy football season. Davis does not have standalone fantasy value at this time, but if Williams were to miss time, he would immediately enter the rankings as a low-end RB2 based on projected volume.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
New York Giants second-year running back out of Purdue, Tyron Tracy Jr., piled up 97 total yards (70 rushing and 27 receiving) in Week 15 and punched in two touchdowns, good for 23.20 points in half PPR formats. Since the injury to
Cam Skattebo (ankle) in Week 8, the backfield snaps have been relatively split between Tracy and
Devin Singletary. However, in Week 15 we saw Tracy take a majority of the snaps for the first time since Skattebo's injury (76% compared to Singletary's 24%), and out touch him 19 to six, which is an excellent sign for Tracy fantasy managers as we head into the semi-finals of the fantasy football playoffs, as he now provides managers with the confidence to start him as an RB2/flex option against the Minnesota Vikings due to his projected opportunities. The Vikings have been middle-of-the-pack against opposing running backs, allowing the 15th fewest points to the position; however, given Tracy's projected volume after what he earned in Week 15, he can be started in most 12-team or larger formats.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski wrote his name into the history books on Thursday night, becoming the first blue-liner in franchise history with back-to-back multi-goal games. He was Columbus' lone scorer in a 5-2 home loss to the Minnesota Wild. In the entire league, only three defensemen in the past 10 years had scored multiple goals in consecutive games. Werenski recorded his second career 20-goal campaign last term and is currently on track for a 30-goal year. In 34 outings, Werenski has lit the lamp 13 times, ranking second among defensemen in scoring with 38 points.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson kept Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs at bay on Thursday night, stopping 22 shots in a 4-0 victory. Thompson has been in impressive form throughout the season, but this marks only his second shutout of the campaign. The 28-year-old is second in the league with a 2.00 goals-against average and also holds second place among all goalies with his .925 save percentage. In December, Thompson has been a bit inconsistent, going the entire month without back-to-back wins. He will look to rectify it this weekend during a home-and-home set against the Detroit Red Wings.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark recorded his first shutout of the season in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, finishing with 24 saves. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner won his third consecutive start and improved to 13-8-4 for the season. He has registered a 2.89 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. Ullmark currently has the worst save percentage of his NHL career, which shows that it has not been smooth sailing for him this season. However, he has improved it to .913 this month, offering fantasy managers hope that the Swedish veteran could have a strong second half of the campaign.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Buffalo Sabres center Tyson Kozak (upper body) played only a handful of minutes in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Starting on the fourth line, Kozak recorded one shot and one hit with a minus-one rating in 4:46 of ice time, but an upper-body injury forced him to leave the game in the second period. The 22-year-old made his 24th appearance of the season. Kozak ranks third on his team with 62 hits but has been anonymous offensively. So far, he has tallied only two goals and four points in 2025-26. Josh Dunne is likely to fill the gap on the fourth line if Kozak isn't ready to play on Saturday against the New York Islanders.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins broke his left leg in Thursday's 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres and will miss 6-8 weeks of action. The Sabres had a great night, with five different skaters lighting the lamp, but it was dampened by Timmins' injury late in the third period. The recovery timeline indicates that Timmins definitely won't be ready to play before February, and he will probably remain sidelined until after the Olympic break. Timmins doesn't do much on the offensive end but leads Buffalo with 70 blocks this season. He has gone goalless with 33 efforts on the net and has registered six assists in 33 games. Jacob Bryson is likely to replace Timmins in the lineup, but he doesn't have any fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry (lower body) exited Thursday's 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins in the second period. Jarry made his third appearance with the Oilers, but a lower-body injury cut his night at the office short. The former Penguin allowed one goal on 13 shots to continue his strong start with his new team. Calvin Pickard replaced Jarry and helped Edmonton to a 3-1 victory. Pickard could now see more action going forward if Jarry has to miss additional time. Jarry has begun his career in Canada with a 3-0-0 run, allowing 3.08 goals with a .887 save percentage.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
December 19, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (undisclosed) left Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the third period. The Lightning were without Nikita Kucherov (illness) and Brandon Hagel (upper body) for the contest and lost Cirelli after he had collected a power-play assist. The team may now be missing half of its top-six group in this week's final game, a matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Cirelli is third on the Lightning roster with a plus-15 rating and has amassed 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 30 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
December 19, 2025
Seattle Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet had nine carries for 32 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown during Thursday's Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. He also caught all four of his targets for an additional 22 receiving yards. Charbonnet was outperformed by
Kenneth Walker III in terms of touches, yards, and fantasy points, but he did still lead the backfield with his 56% snap share on Thursday night. Managers should expect the two backs to continue splitting work roughly 50/50 in this backfield from now on. That lowers the floor for both players, but if Seattle's offense plays well over the final two weeks, Charbonnet and Walker could each carve out standalone fantasy value as low-end RB2 or high-end RB3/flex options. Charbonnet should be a top-36 fantasy running back in Week 17, when he takes on a well-rounded Carolina Panthers squad.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Sam Darnold completed 22 of his 34 pass attempts for 270 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions during Thursday's Week 16 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. He also rushed for seven yards and took four sacks in the victory. It wasn't exactly the cleanest game for Darnold, who has now been picked off by the Rams six times during two meetings in 2025. He was just 4-for-6 passing in the first half, but he cleaned things up in the second half and overtime, ultimately leading the Seahawks to a comeback victory that erased Los Angeles' 16-point lead. The 28-year-old is a borderline top-12 fantasy quarterback (with undeniable risk) heading into a Week 17 clash with his old team, the Carolina Panthers.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight of his 13 targets for 96 yards and one touchdown during Thursday's Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. Smith-Njigba didn't have a single catch during the entire first half, sending managers into a panic as the fantasy playoffs continue in most leagues. However, he was highly explosive throughout the second half and overtime, during which he scored the game-winning touchdown. The 23-year-old is the second-highest-scoring fantasy receiver (full-PPR) in 2025, trailing only
Puka Nacua. He has been one of the biggest risers in the NFL this season, and he should continue to be started as an elite WR1 option in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III had 11 carries for 100 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown during Thursday's Week 16 win over the Los Angeles Rams in overtime. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 64 receiving yards. The highlight of Walker's game was a 55-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter that temporarily gave Seattle the lead. The 25-year-old bounced back in a huge way after posting fewer than 4.0 fantasy points in each of his last two games. Walker only played 44% of the snaps on Thursday night, while teammate
Zach Charbonnet played 56%. However, Walker was more productive than his backfield-mate, and he also handled more total touches. Managers should expect the fourth-year back to remain in the low-end RB2 tier for fantasy football ahead of a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 17.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford completed 29 of his 49 pass attempts for 457 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 16 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also rushed for six yards and didn't take a sack. Although the Rams came up short, Stafford delivered a fantastic final stat line for his fantasy managers. Not only did he set a new season-high in fantasy points, but he also delivered his highest passing yards total since 2013, more than a dozen years ago. As a result, this was also his highest passing yards total as a Ram. The veteran quarterback managed to have such a spectacular performance despite being without
Davante Adams (hamstring) against a strong Seahawks defense. Instead, he found
Puka Nacua for 12 completions, 225 yards, and two touchdowns, while the rest of his pass-catchers accounted for the remaining volume. Stafford remains a high-end QB1 heading into a very favorable Week 17 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua caught 12 of his 16 targets for 225 yards and two touchdowns during Thursday's Week 16 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He played 78.3% of the offensive snaps, which was his highest mark since Week 12. In the effort, he set new career-highs in receiving yards and fantasy points. He also surpassed
Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the highest-scoring fantasy receiver in 2025, despite playing one fewer game than the Seahawks' superstar. All in all, Nacua gave his managers a huge early advantage as the second round of the fantasy playoffs kicked off in most leagues on Thursday night. If his big game ends up being enough to get managers into the championship, he'll look for an opportunity to stay hot during next week's favorable matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 18, 2025
The San Diego Padres re-signed right-hander
Michael King on a three-year, $75 million deal on Thursday night, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The deal includes a $12 million signing bonus, and then salaries of $5 million next year, a $28 million player option in 2027 ($5 million buyout), and a $30 million player option in 2028 (no buyout). It will either be worth $22 million for one year, $45 million for two seasons, or $75 million for three years. The 26-year-old was excellent in his first year in SD, sporting a 2.95 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with a career-high 201 strikeouts in 30 regular-season starts (173 2/3 frames). However, right-shoulder and knee injuries limited him to just 15 starts in 2025. King demonstrated in 2024 that he has the stuff to be a high-end fantasy starter in a good spot in SD, but that was also his only full season in the big leagues. It makes him a high-risk, high-reward pitching target in fantasy in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
December 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end
Cade Otton (knee) practiced in full on Thursday ahead of Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers. This was an upgraded status for Otton after he was limited on Wednesday. The 26-year-old missed last week's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but barring a setback, he will return to action this upcoming Sunday. It's been an underwhelming year for Otton, who ranks as the overall TE26 in PPR leagues with 46 catches, 430 yards, and zero touchdowns. He typically struggles when
Mike Evans and
Chris Godwin Jr. are healthy, which should be the case this week. As a result, managers can bench Otton in their Week 16 matchups. He currently ranks as the TE24 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy rankings.
--Andersen PickardSource: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
December 18, 2025
Free-agent left-hander
John Means (Achilles) announced on his Instagram account on Thursday that he suffered a ruptured Achilles earlier this week, according to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Means also said that he was close to signing with a team before suffering the devastating injury that will almost certainly knock him out for the entire 2026 season. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw had his second Tommy John surgery in June of 2024 and didn't pitch at all in the big leagues in 2025. He was set to be fully recovered by Opening Day before his unfortunate Achilles injury. Means has had terrible injury luck recently and has made only 10 starts since the start of 2022. In 26 2/3 innings during his rehab in the minors with Cleveland this year, Means had a rough 6.41 ERA. Means will now be fighting an uphill battle for a big-league roster spot when he's able to return in 2027.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Banner - Andy Kostka
December 18, 2025
Tennessee Titans wide receiver
Van Jefferson (back) practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday ahead of Week 16 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Jefferson's status improved after he missed practice altogether on Wednesday. The veteran receiver played at least 73% of the snaps in every game from Week 6 through Week 14, but his snap share dropped to 58% when he injured his back in Week 15. In nine games since Week 6, Jefferson has 43 targets, 20 catches, 256 yards, and one touchdown. During that span, he ranks as the overall WR71 in PPR leagues. Even if he manages to suit up this week, Jefferson won't be a worthwhile fantasy option while operating behind
Chimere Dike and
Elic Ayomanor in the Titans' struggling offense.
--Andersen PickardSource: Titans PR
December 18, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Tre' Harris (hip) remained limited during practice for a second consecutive day on Thursday. The rookie is coming off an impressive showing against the Kansas City Chiefs in which he played a career-high 85% of the snaps, leading to five targets, three catches, and 49 receiving yards. Harris' increased workload was the direct result of
Quentin Johnston (groin) being inactive, and he could see similar opportunities against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, depending on whether Johnston suits up. Johnston has mirrored Harris' availability so far this week, practicing in a limited capacity on Wednesday and Thursday. Harris has long-term WR2 or WR3 upside in dynasty leagues, but he remains tougher to trust in Week 16 lineups if Johnston, Allen, and
Ladd McConkey are all active. On the other hand, if Johnston is inactive, Harris could be a WR3/flex in deeper leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: Los Angeles Chargers
RADIO
