January 2, 2026
Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver
Tory Horton (shin) is not expected to return for the rest of the season, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. Horton was placed on Injured Reserve on Nov. 22 with a shin injury. "It just needs time and rest. It's unfortunate, but these things happen. We're with him, he's doing a great job. We're just not going to have him right now," Macdonald said. In his last game played in the Week 9 win over the Washington Commanders, the 23-year-old fifth-rounder had his best game of the year, catching all four of his targets for 48 yards and two touchdowns with
Cooper Kupp out due to injury.
Rashid Shaheed has replaced Horton as an electric kick returner on special teams and as a deep threat down the field on offense after being acquired in a midseason trade with the New Orleans Saints. Horton should be fully recovered for offseason workouts.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Talk - Charean Williams
January 2, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll refused to name a starting quarterback for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, according to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. "You'll see on Sunday," Carroll said. The head coach added that there is "a rotation in mind" between
Kenny Pickett and
Aidan O'Connell.
Geno Smith (ankle) has already been ruled out. Pickett is expected to make the start against the Chiefs, but he may not play the entire game before giving way to O'Connell, who has yet to play a snap this year. In Pickett's lone start against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15, Pickett went 15-for-25 passing for only 64 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Fantasy managers should definitely be staying away from the Raiders' QB situation in Week 18 in a meaningless game.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Paul Gutierrez
January 2, 2026
Green Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs (knee, ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Jacobs was limited during the first two practices of the week before getting in a full session on Friday. He has been battling multiple lingering injuries for several weeks now. The Packers aren't playing for anything this weekend and are already locked in the seventh seed. They've already named
Clayton Tune as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game. The expectation is that the rest of the starting unit will sit out or play limited roles. There's a good chance the Packers sit Jacobs and let him rest up for the postseason. If he does play, his workload is uncertain, which makes him a risky fantasy option.
--Andy WebbSource: packers.com
January 2, 2026
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Jayden Reed (illness) won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Reed was limited in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday due to an illness, but he was able to get in a full session on Friday. Reed is cleared to play, but it's unclear how much he'll actually play in this game. Third-string quarterback
Clayton Tune will be under center as well, with the team choosing to rest
Jordan Love (concussion, shoulder). The Packers are already locked into the seventh seed, so there's little incentive for them to play their starters. Reed will probably see limited snaps and won't be a reliable fantasy option with Tune throwing the passes on Sunday.
--Andy WebbSource: packers.com
January 2, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Hassan Haskins (concussion) is listed as questionable ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Haskins was able to finish the week with a full practice session, which is good news. He still needs to get fully cleared by the league before he's eligible to play. Rookie
Omarion Hampton (ankle) has already been ruled out for this game.
Kimani Vidal (neck) is listed as questionable as well for Sunday's regular-season finale, so the Bolts' backfield is in flux. The Chargers have little incentive to play their starters, so it wouldn't be shocking if some practice-squad players saw increased looks. Haskins is unlikely to be an appealing fantasy option, even if he's active and Vidal is out. Remember, backup quarterback
Trey Lance is running the offense against one of the best defenses in the league.
--Andy WebbSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 2, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal (neck) is officially listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Denver Broncos. Vidal is trending in the right direction after getting in two straight full practice sessions to end the week. There seems to be a decent chance that he'll return from his one-game absence this weekend. He'd likely take over as the lead back with rookie
Omarion Hampton (ankle) ruled out for this game. Fellow back
Hassan Haskins (concussion) carries a questionable tag into this game as well. Backup quarterback
Trey Lance is starting, which could lead to a run-heavy game plan for this offense. Vidal could be looking at a 20-plus carry game, assuming he's able to suit up. Without Vidal or Haskins, the Chargers would likely lean on
Jaret Patterson or
Amar Johnson. The Chargers' backfield is a situation to avoid in a game where the offense is expected to have a tough time moving the ball with a backup QB.
--Andy WebbSource: Los Angeles Chargers
January 2, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback
Justin Herbert (hand) was removed from the Week 18 injury report on Friday, but he will not play in the regular-season finale against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sunday, according to Eric Smith of Chargers.com. Herbert was limited in practice on Wednesday before being held out on Thursday and Friday. The Chargers announced early in the week that they would be resting Herbert with a playoff spot already locked up. Backup
Trey Lance will make his first start of the year in a bad matchup against a team trying to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs and a first-round bye. Despite a suspect offensive line protecting him, Herbert enters Week 18 action as the QB7 in overall fantasy points. In 16 regular-season games, he threw for 3,727 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Herbert added 498 rushing yards and two TDs on the ground.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chargers.com - Eric Smith
January 2, 2026
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III (quadriceps) has been cleared to suit up for Sunday's Week 18 matchup versus the Detroit Lions. Burden was limited in practice to begin the week, but he has been cleared to play after getting through two full practice sessions to end the week. The rookie wideout is seeing a larger workload with
Rome Odunze (foot) being sidelined since Week 13. Odunze carries a questionable tag heading into Week 18, but he's not expected to play. During that span, Burden has seen six or more targets in each of those games. He's coming off his best performance of the season, where he hauled in eight receptions for 138 yards and one touchdown in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. Fantasy managers should consider Burden a high-end WR2 for this weekend, assuming Odunze remains out.
--Andy WebbSource: Chicago Bears PR
January 2, 2026
Chicago Bears wide receiver
Rome Odunze (foot) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup versus the Detroit Lions. Odunze has been sidelined since Week 13, but he has a chance at playing in the regular-season finale. He missed the first two days of practice, but he was able to get through a limited session on Friday. He still seems like a long shot to suit up, given the Bears have little incentive to play Odunze at less than 100 percent health, and Chris Emma even mentions it seems more likely that he won't return until the playoffs next week. The Bears have already locked up the NFC North, so they're only playing for seeding right now. The absence of Odunze would mean increased looks for
DJ Moore,
Luther Burden III, and
Olamide Zaccheaus.
--Andy WebbSource: Chris Emma
January 2, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs running back
Kareem Hunt (illness) was under the weather this week and missed the first two practices. He returned to a full session on Friday, though, and has been removed from the Week 18 injury report. The Chiefs could opt to rest
Isiah Pacheco in the regular-season finale against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, which would put Hunt in line for lead-back duties to close things out. Hunt should only realistically be considered for starting fantasy lineups this weekend if Pacheco is ruled out on Sunday. The 30-year-old has taken on more of a secondary role in the Chiefs' backfield of late, having not seen double-digit carries in any of the last three games. He was the team's preferred option in the backfield for most of the season, though. Hunt has 158 carries for 597 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games, adding 15 receptions for 122 more yards and a TD through the air.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chiefs.com
January 2, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Xavier Worthy (illness) missed practice all week and is considered doubtful to play in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Worthy likely would have been ready to play had this game meant something, but with the Chiefs out of playoff contention, they are expected to rest the speedy Worthy. KC's offense is limping to the finish line this year, with quarterback
Patrick Mahomes (knee) and receivers
Rashee Rice (concussion) and
Tyquan Thornton (concussion) unavailable due to injuries.
Marquise Brown,
JuJu Smith-Schuster, and rookie
Jalen Royals should operate in three-wide sets on Sunday for starting quarterback
Chris Oladokun. Worthy, who missed time early in the year with a shoulder injury, took a step back in Year 2 and finished with a disappointing 42-532-1 line in 14 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chiefs.com
January 2, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs running back
Isiah Pacheco (rest) is officially listed as questionable for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders after being limited in practice all week. Meanwhile, fellow RB
Kareem Hunt (illness) practiced in full on Friday and was removed from the final injury report. Hunt missed the first two practices of the week. The Chiefs have nothing left to play for, so they could opt to rest Pacheco in the final game of the season. Pacheco began to see more work than Hunt in recent weeks, but with him potentially being rested in Week 18, fantasy managers would be smart to stay away. If Pacheco doesn't play this weekend, he'll finish his fourth year in the NFL with 118 carries for 462 yards and one touchdown on the ground in 13 games, adding 19 receptions for 101 yards and one more TD on 16 targets.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chiefs.com
January 2, 2026
Detroit Lions wide receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown is listed as questionable for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Bears, but he's trending in the right direction to play after being limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. The 26-year-old has been battling through knee irritation in recent weeks, but he hasn't missed any time, and he should be active to close out the regular season. St. Brown caught eight of 13 targets for 68 yards while playing over 80% of the offensive snaps in the Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Vikings that eliminated the Lions from the postseason. Even though Detroit isn't playing for anything themselves this weekend, St. Brown should have a normal role against the Bears and should be started in all fantasy lineups. He's the WR3 in half-PPR points this year with 106 catches, 1,262 yards, and 11 touchdowns in 16 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: Detroit Lions
January 2, 2026
Miami Dolphins running back
De'Von Achane (shoulder) is listed as doubtful to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New England Patriots on Sunday, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Head coach Mike McDaniel left the door open slightly for Achane to play this weekend, but fantasy managers shouldn't be holding out hope. Miami is likely to play it safe in a game that doesn't mean anything for them.
Jaylen Wright should be in line to lead the team's backfield in touches on Sunday, with Achane unlikely to play, and rookie
Ollie Gordon II should also have an elevated role. Achane was easily Miami's most consistent offensive weapon in 2025. He'll finish the 2025 campaign as a top-10 fantasy RB with 1,350 rushing yards, eight touchdowns, and a league-leading 5.7 yards per carry on 238 rushing attempts. He added 67 catches for 488 yards and another four TDs on 85 targets in the passing game.
--Keith HernandezSource: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - David Furones
January 2, 2026
Minnesota Vikings tight end
T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) will not play in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. Hockenson was unable to practice at all this week and will miss a second straight game to close out the 2025 season. The 28-year-old was highly inconsistent this year for fantasy managers as a starting tight end option, primarily because of the inconsistent play that the Vikings got out of quarterback
J.J. McCarthy. Going into Week 18, Hockenson ranks as the TE23 overall in half-PPR scoring with 51 catches on 65 targets for 438 yards and only three touchdowns in 15 games played. With Hockenson out again this weekend,
Josh Oliver will be the team's TE1, but he'll be a risky, touchdown-dependent TE2 streaming option for fantasy managers with McCarthy returning in Week 18.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pioneer Press - Dane Mizutani
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