December 19, 2025
Buffalo Bills tight end
Dalton Kincaid (knee) will return to practice on Friday, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills are "just trying to manage the knee injury with reps." The team doesn't think it's something that will keep Kincaid from playing on Sunday against the hosting Cleveland Browns, but they didn't want to commit to it. It sounds like Kincaid will be questionable on Friday's final injury report, but he should be active on Sunday after missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury. The 26-year-old has not had a setback with his knee injury and should be treated as a low-end TE1 in fantasy football unless something changes between now and Sunday. Kincaid's presence this weekend in Cleveland will make
Dawson Knox hard to trust as a touchdown-dependent TE2 streamer despite his two-touchdown performance in last week's big win over the Patriots.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
December 19, 2025
According to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Houston Texans rookie running back
Woody Marks (ankle) has returned for the team's final practice of the week. Alexander notes that Marks and defensive back Derek Stingley Jr. (oblique) will be limited participants as they work with trainers. It's excellent news for the team and fantasy managers, as the USC product played only 15 snaps last Sunday as he dealt with an ankle injury in Houston's 40-20 win over Arizona. As it stands, it's still unclear if he'll be able to suit up for Week 16's home meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders, but it's at least a step in the right direction. Owners should continue monitoring his status over the next 48 hours or so, as it would be some combination of backfield mates
Nick Chubb (ribs),
Dare Ogunbowale, and
Jawhar Jordan working in Marks' stead if he's ruled inactive.
--Alex CiullaSource: Jonathan M Alexander
December 19, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin) has been cleared from the injury report and is good to go for Saturday's divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rodriguez was a game-time decision for last week's contest against the New York Giants and was ultimately ruled out due to a groin injury. It looks like it will only be a one-game absence for the third-year running back, as he was back as a full participant every day in practice this week. The Kentucky product has found the end zone in three of the past five games since taking over as Washington's primary early down back, totalling 54 carries for 253 yards and one reception (two targets) for six yards. He should return to his standard 10-15 carries in a favorable matchup on Saturday against an Eagles' defense that is allowing 4.8 yards per carry over the past four weeks, ranking sixth-worst in the league. However, after rookie
Jacory Croskey-Merritt's big game in Week 15, the Commanders could be looking at more of a split backfield.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
December 19, 2025
ESPN's Rich Cimini reports that New York Jets tight end
Mason Taylor (neck) is expected to return for Week 17's home matchup with the New England Patriots. The 21-year-old has been labeled as a non-participant at practice ever since injuring his neck during New York's 34-10 loss to the Dolphins in Week 14. It's unfortunate news for Taylor, who has been decent in his first season despite a mostly dysfunctional offense around him. With the rookie missing another contest, teammate
Jeremy Ruckert will assume duties as Jets' TE1, and
Jelani Woods,
Andrew Beck, and
Stone Smartt will mix in behind him. As it stands, Ruckert shouldn't be considered for fantasy, even in a decent outing with the hosting New Orleans Saints.
--Alex CiullaSource: Rich Cimini
December 19, 2025
According to head coach Aaron Glenn, New York Jets wide receiver
Garrett Wilson (knee) will be shut down for the remainder of the season as he recovers from a hyper-extended knee. Wilson initially injured his knee in New York's Week 6 loss to the Broncos. After two games and a bye week's worth of rest, the 25-year-old returned to the field. However, he'd reaggravate the ailment, be placed on IR, and is now set to miss the remaining three games. Despite the Jets' offensive woes, Wilson was a bright spot, but he'll now set his sights on 2026. With the news, fantasy managers can expect
Adonai Mitchell and
John Metchie III to continue playing prominent roles in the team's aerial attack.
Isaiah Williams has carved out a role as the third wideout working in behind them.
--Alex CiullaSource: New York Jets
December 19, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal may still be a viable fantasy play in Week 16 if the team continues featuring him as they have, despite teammate
Omarion Hampton's return to the field. Hampton missed a massive chunk of the season with an ankle injury. While he's been back for a few weeks now and saw a modest increase in snaps during his second game, Vidal has handily out-snapped him 93-47 over that time frame. The actual touch distribution has been much closer, with the rookie leading 31-28, although it's possible LA will still lean on the former at times, considering he was an excellent stand-in while Hampton was shelved. Vidal should have some decent flex appeal for fantasy until (unless) he's phased out of the game plan in his backfield mate's favor. They'll get an improved Dallas rush defense on the road this Sunday.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs second-year wide receiver
Xavier Worthy could be in store for an elevated target share in Week 16's road outing with the Tennessee Titans, depending on the health of his running mates. It's been a strange season for the former Texas Longhorn. Worthy essentially missed the first three weeks of the campaign with a shoulder injury, and before he could really get his year on track, teammate
Rashee Rice (concussion) returned from a suspension to act as KC's WR1. In the eight games together since, the 22-year-old has played a clear second fiddle. Still, there's some hope he'll see a substantial uptick in work this weekend, particularly with Rice and
Tyquan Thornton (concussion) in danger of missing the game. For now, the situation is worth monitoring, as Worthy,
Marquise Brown (personal), and
JuJu Smith-Schuster (rib) would operate in three-wide-receiver sets if the duo mentioned above is inactive.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 19, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Gardner Minshew has spent most of 2025 serving as his team's backup QB behind star signal-caller
Patrick Mahomes (knee). However, with Mahomes suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 15, Minshew is in line to finish the 2025 season as the starter in Kansas City. Across 62 career NFL games (46 starts), Minshew has completed 63.3% of his pass attempts for 11,972 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. His most recent run as a starter came in 2024 for the Las Vegas Raiders, where he threw for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions across 10 games (nine starts). With a career average of 6.9 yards per pass attempt, Minshew carries limited upside. Still, he's had competent stretches of NFL quarterback play at various points in his career and will face a favorable matchup in Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans. Given his newfound playing time outlook, Minshew could be a low-end streaming option in two-quarterback fantasy formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 19, 2025
Minnesota Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy's struggles this season have been well-publicized, as the 22-year-old has thrown 11 interceptions across eight starts. However, McCarthy has shown signs of improvement since returning from a concussion that forced him to miss a game in late November. Over his last two starts, McCarthy has completed 66% of his pass attempts for 413 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He also remains a threat with his legs, rushing for 34 yards and a score on 10 attempts over that stretch. McCarthy has had favorable matchups over the past two weeks against the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys. However, his schedule remains on the lighter side over Minnesota's next two games, as they will face the New York Giants in Week 16 and the Detroit Lions in Week 17. If McCarthy can hold some of the gains he's made since returning from the concussion, he profiles as a solid fantasy QB2.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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
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