December 15, 2025
The Denver Broncos placed safety Brandon Jones (pectoral) on Injured Reserve on Monday, according to Aric DiLalla of DenverBroncos.com. Jones will be forced to miss the final three regular-season games and the first postseason game for Denver after he was injured in Sunday's 34-26 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers in Week 15. It's a notable loss for the Broncos in their secondary to close out the regular season, but thankfully for Denver, they've already clinched a playoff spot. With Jones out for at least the next four games, Devon Key will be the team's starting free safety, beginning this Sunday against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars. The 27-year-old Jones is in his sixth year in the NFL (second with Denver) in 2025, and he has 78 tackles (43 solo), half a sack, one interception, seven pass breakups, and a fumble recovery in 14 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: DenverBroncos.com - Aric DiLalla
December 15, 2025
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that the 21-day practice window for wide receiver
Mecole Hardman (calf) could be opened this week, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. Hardman is eligible to be activated to the 53-man roster from Injured Reserve for the team's Week 16 contest against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The 27-year-old has been on IR since Nov. 20 and has already missed the required four games. Even if he returns to practice this week, it won't be a lock that Hardman will be active this weekend against the Browns. And when Hardman returns to action, he'll probably only contribute on special teams as a kick returner. He's only been active for one game for the Bills this year and has no catches on one target.
--Keith HernandezSource: BuffaloBills.com - Chris Brown
December 15, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Davante Adams (hamstring), who left Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions with a hamstring injury, is considered week-to-week, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It's an aggravation of a previous injury he was dealing with, but Rapoport writes that it will almost certainly "knock him out" for Thursday night's big divisional clash against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams aren't ruling out the 32-year-old veteran just yet for Week 16, but unfortunately, fantasy managers in their league's semifinal matchup probably won't have him available this week. The six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro currently leads the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions in 14 games in his first year in L.A., so it will be a big loss for the Rams' offense if he's out.
Tutu Atwell and
Jordan Whittington will have bigger roles behind
Puka Nacua, as will tight end
Colby Parkinson, who had two touchdowns in Week 15.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
December 15, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Roman Wilson will be a healthy inactive for the Monday Night Football game against the visiting Miami Dolphins in Week 15, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. It's the second straight game that Wilson will sit on the sidelines without dealing with an injury. It coincides with the team picking up veteran
Adam Thielen for WR depth behind
DK Metcalf and
Calvin Austin III. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2024 has only 12 receptions on the year on 21 targets for 166 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games in his second year in the NFL. In addition to Thielen, the Steelers have added veteran wideout
Marquez Valdes-Scantling to their active roster, pushing Wilson further down the WR depth chart in Pittsburgh.
--Keith HernandezSource: Steelers.com - Teresa Varley
December 15, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers running back
Jaylen Warren (illness), who was a late addition to the Week 15 injury report due to an illness, is officially active for the Monday night game against the visiting Miami Dolphins, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Fantasy managers can leave the 27-year-old in their starting lineups, but Warren may be spelled a bit more by backfield mate
Kenneth Gainwell against Miami. Warren has been Pittsburgh's primary RB all year and is averaging 12.0 half-PPR fantasy points per game on 652 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 159 rushing attempts. He's added 30 receptions for 277 yards and another two scores as a receiver. Warren has a pretty high ceiling as an RB2, as he's had double-digit touches in all 12 of his games in 2025 while averaging 15.8 touches and 77.4 scrimmage yards.
--Keith HernandezSource: Steelers.com - Teresa Varley
December 15, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback
Trevor Lawrence is one of the hottest QBs in the league when it matters most for fantasy football managers. Lawrence took advantage of a great matchup against a bad New York Jets defense in Week 15 to go 20-for-32 passing for a season-high 330 yards and five passing touchdowns on Sunday. He added five carries for 51 yards on the ground and a sixth touchdown on the day. Since Week 12, Lawrence has thrown for 1,059 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions on 119 pass attempts while running for 121 yards and another TD on 17 attempts. In the last five weeks, he's been the QB6 in overall fantasy points as he finally starts to click in head coach Liam Coen's offense. The addition of receiver
Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline has also helped Lawrence. The 26-year-old has become a popular waiver-wire pickup over this stretch. However, he could quickly come back down to Earth with a poor Week 16 matchup on the road in Denver against a strong Broncos defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 15, 2025
At least in deeper fantasy football leagues, New Orleans Saints running back
Audric Estime is worth looking at on waivers going into Week 16 action after rookie RB
Devin Neal injured his hamstring in the Week 15 upset win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Estime played a season-high 36% of the offensive snaps and split backfield work with
Evan Hull after Neal was injured in the second quarter. The 22-year-old handled three carries for 11 yards and also caught all three of his targets for an additional 39 yards. Hull had just one more carry than Estime and wasn't involved at all in the passing game. Estime could be in play as a deep-league RB3/flex option in a great Week 16 matchup against the New York Jets if both
Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee) and Neal are unable to play. Keep in mind that both rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough (team-high eight carries on Sunday) and tight end
Taysom Hill could take valuable carries away from both Estime and Hull if Kamara and Neal are out this weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 15, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins was held to just one target for the fifth time this season in Sunday's 40-20 blowout win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals. He caught one pass for a gain of four yards. The 23-year-old has four receptions on six targets for just 38 yards and no touchdowns in the last two games. The last time that Higgins had only one target came on Nov. 2 against the Denver Broncos. Higgins had a streak of five games with at least five targets from Weeks 9 to 14 before seeing just one look from quarterback
C.J. Stroud on Sunday. The second-rounder from Iowa State ranks third on the team with 397 receiving yards in 14 games this year, adding four touchdowns. While Higgins has been quiet the last two games, he's a good bet to bounce back with a strong game for fantasy managers in deeper leagues as a flex play in an excellent Week 16 matchup against the last-place Raiders. Higgins is rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues, so he's widely available.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 15, 2025
The Arizona Cardinals are unsure if running back
Bam Knight (ankle) will be able to play in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. "Not sure. It's an ankle, though. He was sore today," head coach Jonathan Gannon said when asked if he expects Knight to play this week. The 24-year-old was carted off the field in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans and is believed to be dealing with a "bad sprain." The diagnosis alone should lead fantasy managers to believe that Knight probably won't play in Week 16, especially with the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention. It wouldn't be a surprise if Knight doesn't play in the final three weeks of the season.
James Conner (foot) and
Trey Benson (knee) are out for the season, so the backfield would be split by
Michael Carter and
Emari Demercado if Knight is unable to play against Atlanta. We should have a better idea of Knight's Week 16 status in a few days.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
December 15, 2025
Denver Broncos second-year wide receiver
Troy Franklin went quiet in Weeks 13 and 14, with rookie wideout
Pat Bryant (hamstring) taking on a bigger role in the passing attack. Franklin resurfaced in Sunday's 34-26 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers, though, with Bryant sidelined with a hamstring injury. Although he played only 50% of the offensive snaps, the 22-year-old from Oregon caught all six of his targets for 85 yards and his sixth touchdown of the year. In the previous two games, Franklin had just five catches (seven targets) for 32 yards and no scores. With Bryant out in Week 15, Franklin finished second on the team in catches, targets, and receiving yards. His touchdown was a beautiful 23-yard hookup with quarterback
Bo Nix to end the third quarter. Franklin's Week 16 fantasy value will largely hinge on whether Bryant can return to face the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 15, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers rookie tight end
Oronde Gadsden led the team in receiving in the team's 16-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, with four catches for 61 yards on five targets, posting a 19% target share against a tough defense. However, his route participation dropped to 64%, the first time below 80% since becoming the starter, as the Chargers focused on extra pass protection and a run-heavy approach. Gadsden has now gone four straight games without a red-zone target, limiting his touchdown upside. Week 16 features a matchup against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has struggled significantly against receivers but has only allowed four touchdowns to tight ends all season. Gadsden remains a low-end TE1 or streaming option offering a modest floor but limited scoring upside.
--Don FanelliSource: NFL
December 15, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Ladd McConkey had another quiet game in the team's 16-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, catching just two passes for 20 yards and posting one of his lowest target shares of the season at 11.5%. Despite ranking near the top of the league in routes run, McConkey's production has declined as the Chargers shift to a run-heavy offense to compensate for offensive line issues and an injured
Justin Herbert. Even with
Quentin Johnston out, McConkey saw fewer targets and no red-zone targets, as opportunities were distributed elsewhere. Week 16 offers a potential rebound against a Dallas Cowboys secondary that ranks last in passing yards and touchdowns allowed, but game script remains a concern. McConkey remains a volatile, low-end WR2 with upside in a possibly favorable matchup.
--Don FanelliSource: NFL
December 15, 2025
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (shoulder) will miss the rest of the season with a left-shoulder injury, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. Greenard originally injured his left shoulder in Week 10 and missed two games. Greenard had been playing on a part-time basis in the last three games before aggravating the injury in the 34-26 Sunday night win over the hosting Dallas Cowboys. He will undergo surgery and is expected to be at full strength for the start of next season. The 28-year-old pass-rusher was limited to 12 games this year due to his shoulder injury, and he will finish with three sacks while ranking fifth in the league with a 13.5% pressure rate. Second-year linebacker Dallas Turner should have a full-time role in Minnesota for the final three games with Greenard out. Greenard signed a four-year, $72 million contract in 2024 and recorded 12 sacks in 17 games to earn Pro Bowl honors.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
December 15, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Kimani Vidal led the backfield in snaps, routes, and two-minute offense in the team's 16-13 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but struggled to produce efficiently, rushing 12 times for just 33 yards while being outgained per carry by
Omarion Hampton. Vidal's value continues to come from his role rather than explosiveness, as he remains the preferred back on passing downs. The Chargers' focus on a ground-heavy approach keeps Vidal relevant in fantasy, but his weekly output stays unpredictable. In Week 16, the Cowboys present a mixed matchup, allowing rushing touchdowns at a high rate but limiting overall efficiency. Vidal is seen as a low-end RB2 or flex option, especially in PPR formats, though his ceiling is limited by sharing the backfield.
--Don FanelliSource: NFL
December 15, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) aggravated his PCL injury in the Week 15 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and also sprained his ankle, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he's unsure if Pearsall will practice this week as the team prepares to face the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night in Week 16. The 25-year-old former first-rounder will have an extra day to recover this week, but based on the fact that he missed six games earlier this year after spraining his PCL initially in Week 4, it seems highly unlikely that Pearsall will be cleared to play on Monday. It's really bad timing for Pearsall and his fantasy managers, as he caught six of seven targets for 96 yards in the win over the Titans on Sunday while battling through his knee injury and a low-ankle sprain. If Pearsall misses additional time,
Kendrick Bourne could be on the flex radar again in deeper fantasy leagues behind
Jauan Jennings.
--Keith HernandezSource: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
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