December 19, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) has "looked pretty good" in his return to practice this week, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. "Getting his wind back a little bit. That's a tough injury, but particularly (for) a skill guy that runs fast and has to decelerate and accelerate. Our staff has done a good job with him. He's done a good job pushing through. We'll see how he does today," Gannon said. The head coach added that the team "will have a plan for him" when asked about any extra concern about getting his conditioning back for a return this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. After missing the last two weeks with a heel injury and four of the last five weeks due to an appendectomy, Harrison looks primed to return in Week 16. However, he could take a back seat to
Michael Wilson, who has gone nuclear for fantasy managers in Harrison's absence. If Harrison is active, treat him as a low-end WR2 in fantasy football.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Tyler Drake
December 19, 2025
Carolina Panthers rookie first-round wide receiver
Tetairoa McMillan (ankle, foot) has been cleared from the final Week 16 injury report and will suit up on Sunday for a big divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McMillan sat out of Wednesday's practice with ankle and foot injuries, but he returned to a full practice a day later and is ready to roll this weekend. The 22-year-old from Arizona has been the Panthers' clear WR1 all year after being selected in the first round back in April, and he's produced 59 receptions, 851 receiving yards, and six touchdowns on his 102 targets through 14 games. McMillan doesn't have more than two catches in any of the last three games, but he's also scored twice and has four total touchdowns in the last four games. Coming off a two-catch, 25-yard dud last week against the Saints, fantasy managers are counting on a bounce-back performance in a big contest in Week 16.
--Keith HernandezSource: Carolina Panthers
December 19, 2025
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Friday that cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) will likely need surgery and miss the rest of the 2025 season, according to Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News. Bland injured his foot in the Sunday night loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15 and will now miss the final three games of the regular season. The Cowboys have an extremely slim chance of making the postseason, but losing the 26-year-old defensive back is a big loss for the Cowboys as they head into a Week 16 matchup this Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. If Bland is officially ruled out for the year, he'll finish his fourth year in the NFL with a career-high 73 tackles (45 solo), three tackles for loss, one interception returned for a touchdown, and six pass breakups in his 12 starts.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Joseph Hoyt
December 19, 2025
Miami Dolphins kicker
Jason Sanders (hip) is unlikely to return in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but it's possible that he could come off Injured Reserve to kick in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or for the regular-season finale in Week 18 against the division-rival New England Patriots, according to Travis Wingfield of MiamiDolphins.com. The 30-year-old's 21-day practice window was opened on Wednesday, but he's not ready to return yet from a hip injury that has kept him out all season. With only two games left after this week and the Dolphins eliminated from the playoffs, it's unclear why Miami would even consider bringing Sanders back, but it appears that's still a possibility.
Riley Patterson will kick for at least one more week against Cincy on Sunday, and he'll be a deep-league streaming option at the position in a plus matchup.
--Keith HernandezSource: MiamiDolphins.com - Travis Wingfield
December 19, 2025
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton hinted earlier this week that more work could be on the way for running back
Jaleel McLaughlin, according to Jon Heath of Broncos Wire. "We're doing it in third-down situations with
Tyler Badie and
Adam Prentice," Payton said. "Jaleel, I probably need to get him a little bit more touches. I made that note after the game. Again,
RJ Harvey is built in a way where he can handle a good dose of running." Harvey injured his ribs late in Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers, but he's fine and ready to go for Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Harvey has had as many as 23 touches in a game since
J.K. Dobbins' season-ending injury, while McLaughlin has had a high of seven. He had only two carries in Week 15. McLaughlin will probably be a little more involved to close out the season, but make no mistake, Harvey is Denver's RB1.
--Keith HernandezSource: Broncos Wire - Jon Heath
December 19, 2025
As expected, Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Friday that running back
Michael Carter will be the starting RB in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons with
Bam Knight (ankle) done for the season, according to Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic. After Knight was carted off with a season-ending ankle injury in last week's loss to the Houston Texans, Carter had 18 touches for a season-high 94 scrimmage yards. The 26-year-old will be Arizona's lead back for the final three games of the 2025 season, and he'll have immediate RB2 upside this weekend as the primary RB in the desert against the visiting Falcons. However,
Emari Demercado should see plenty of work as well as the expected passing-down back in an offense that loves to throw the football. Carter has averaged a mediocre 3.3 yards per carry on 67 rushing attempts for 221 yards and one rushing touchdown in his 10 games played for the Cards this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Theo Mackie
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
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
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
RADIO
