December 8, 2025
Carolina Panthers running back
Jonathon Brooks (knee) is exactly a year removed from tearing his right ACL for a second time, but he said that he feels "pretty much almost 100 percent again," according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Brooks is doing straight-line running and hopes to start mixing in full-speed cutting and route running soon. Barring a setback, he could return to the practice field in the spring for organized team activities (OTAs). The 22-year-old was the team's second-round pick back in 2024 out of Texas. Since his injury, the Panthers signed
Rico Dowdle in free agency and took
Trevor Etienne in the fourth round of this year's draft. Dowdle has been one of the best backs in the NFL this year and has formed a dangerous 1-2 punch in Carolina's backfield with
Chuba Hubbard. Any expectations fantasy managers holding Brooks might have in dynasty/keeper leagues must be tempered by concerns of injury risk.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Person
December 8, 2025
ESPN's Rob Demovsky says that both Green Bay Packers wide receivers
Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) and
Matthew Golden (wrist) were limited due to their injuries in the Week 14 win over the Chicago Bears, allowing Bo Melton to move into the No. 4 receiver spot. Melton caught a big 45-yard touchdown pass on his only reception of the day. Wicks only played 11% of the offensive snaps on Sunday, with Golden playing 9% of the snaps. Wicks wasn't targeted at all, while Golden was unable to secure his lone target on the day at Lambeau Field. Both Wicks and Golden figure to be on the field more if they can put their respective injuries behind them, but Green Bay's receiving corps is now as healthy as it has been all year with the return of
Jayden Reed. Wicks' six-catch, 94-yard, two-touchdown performance on Thanksgiving will most likely end up being an outlier performance in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
December 8, 2025
Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) had not been cleared for football activities as of last week, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59. Richardson's status is suddenly worth watching now that the Colts fear that
Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 23-year-old Richardson needed orbital surgery after he was hit in the eye when a resistance band snapped before the team's Oct. 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals. With no timetable for his return, it's looking like Richardson might not be able to return at all this year. Rookie
Riley Leonard was forced into action in Week 14 after Jones' injury, and he went 18-for-29 passing for 145 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. He added five rushing yards and a TD on the ground. The 23-year-old is in line to make his first career NFL start in a tough Week 15 matchup on the road in Seattle.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX 59 - Mike Chappell
December 8, 2025
New York Jets wide receiver
Adonai Mitchell was a hot waiver-wire pickup last week after his eight-catch, 102-yard performance on a season-high 12 targets that included his first touchdown of the season in the Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Fantasy managers who picked him up and started him in Week 14 against the Miami Dolphins were disappointed, though, as he caught just one of six targets for 24 yards in Sunday's 34-10 loss. The 23-year-old wasn't helped by the fact that quarterback
Tyrod Taylor injured his groin early in the game and never returned.
Justin Fields (knee) was inactive, so third-stringer
Brady Cook was forced into action and struggled mightily. Mitchell will continue to get opportunities in New York's offense with
Garrett Wilson (knee) potentially done for the year, but outside of his strong Week 13 performance, Mitchell has caught only four of 19 targets for 76 yards in his other three games for the Jets. He'll be a low-floor WR4/flex in deeper fantasy leagues heading into a Week 15 matchup against the first-place Jaguars with New York's QB situation unsettled.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 8, 2025
Houston Texans tight end
Dalton Schultz corralled 3-of-4 targets for 22 yards in his team's 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. The veteran -- along with the rest of Houston's pass-catchers sans
Nico Collins -- couldn't find much room to operate against the hosting Chiefs in Week 14. In spite of the aerial attack's poor performance, Schultz remained involved, placing second on the team in catches and third in yards and targets. Rookie
Jayden Higgins' ascension caps the former's weekly upside, but there's still some PPR appeal here on a squad that ranks eleventh in overall pass rate (58.23%). Even with Sunday's lowly fantasy output, the 29-year-old had recorded at least five catches and six looks in eight of his last 11 appearances. He's a stable option ahead of Week 15's waivers.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 8, 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie tight end
Harold Fannin Jr. deserves to be rostered in more than 40% of Yahoo leagues, especially after his big eight-catch, 114-yard performance in Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans that included his fourth touchdown of the year, and second in as many weeks. The 21-year-old third-rounder out of Bowling Green led Cleveland in targets (11), catches, and receiving yards in a surprisingly high-scoring game between the Browns and Titans in snowy conditions in Cleveland. Fellow TE
David Njoku also found the end zone on Sunday, but he was injured on the play and never returned due to a knee injury. Fannin hadn't cleared 50 receiving yards in a game before Week 14 since Oct. 26, so it was nice to see him targeted early and often by rookie quarterback
Shedeur Sanders. Even if Njoku can play in Week 15 against the Bears, Fannin will be on the TE1 radar in fantasy football.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
December 8, 2025
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Ryan Flournoy stepped up during Thursday night's loss to the Detroit Lions after
CeeDee Lamb (concussion) exited early due to a concussion. Flournoy collected a team-high nine receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown on a team-leading 13 targets. It marks the 26-year-old's second game this season with over 100 receiving yards, with the other coming back in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers when Lamb was sidelined with an ankle injury. Flournoy's ability to level up with a star teammate out of the lineup is worth paying attention to. His nine receptions and 13 targets in Week 14 are tied for the second-most in a game by a Dallas pass-catcher this season. With Lamb in the concussion protocol, his status for Week 15's game against the Minnesota Vikings is uncertain. If he can't get cleared, Flournoy would be a strong plug-and-play option in Dallas' high-volume passing attack.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
December 8, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end
Brenton Strange could churn out just 27 yards on 3-of-6 receiving in Sunday's 36-19 home win over the Indianapolis Colts. Strange took a slight step back in the yardage department this past weekend, but was still decently involved in Jacksonville's game plan, tying two other pass-catchers for second on the team with his opportunity share. Fantasy managers may quibble with the Penn State product's meager output. However, he's been decently involved all year, quietly ranking third on the team in receiving yards (369) despite missing five complete games. The Jaguars' pass attack features a few too many mouths to feed, but only WR
Jakobi Meyers appears to be separating from the rest of the pack. Fantasy managers with tight end trouble can look to the 24-year-old as a strong option at the position, especially if teammate
Parker Washington (hip) is inactive for a second straight game.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 8, 2025
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday that wide receiver
CeeDee Lamb (concussion) is "doing good and is "progressing nicely," following his head injury in Thursday's 44-30 loss to the hosting Detroit Lions. The former Oklahoma Sooner put up a strong performance in Week 14, notching six catches and 121 yards (eight targets), despite participating in fewer than half of the team's snaps. It's excellent news that the sentiment surrounding him seems to be positive. Still, fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on his status over the coming days, as he'll need to check a few boxes before clearing the league's protocol. If Lamb is forced to miss Sunday night's home bout with the Minnesota Vikings, teammates
Ryan Flournoy,
KaVontae Turpin, and
Jonathan Mingo would comprise the list of pass-catchers operating behind
George Pickens in his stead.
--Alex CiullaSource: Jon Machota
December 8, 2025
Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver
Chimere Dike has earned steady usage in recent weeks and notched his third touchdown of the season in Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns. Dike finished with a team-leading five receptions for 24 yards on eight targets, with no other Titans pass-catcher recording more than two catches or four targets. The rookie fourth-rounder hasn't put up gaudy fantasy numbers in an overall poor Titans offensive environment, but he's emerged as rookie quarterback
Cameron Ward's most reliable target. For the season, Dike has totaled 34 receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns on 55 targets while also being one of the most dynamic kick returners on special teams. Due to the limited upside of the Titans' offense, Dike profiles as a low-end flex option heading into Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
December 8, 2025
Chicago Bears tight end
Colston Loveland hauled in 4-of-5 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-21 divisional loss to the Green Bay Packers. The rookie was again productive, recording his eighth straight outing with at least four targets. There are quite a few mouths to feed in Chicago's offensive attack, and Loveland hasn't exactly overtaken veteran
Cole Kmet in terms of playing time. That said, the former has out-targeted (31-16), out-caught (24-13), and out-gained (319-138) the latter cumulatively since Week 9. It's too early to call for a changing of the guard at the position in Chicago, but fantasy managers in need of help at TE can give the 21-year-old a chance on waivers, particularly if teammate
Rome Odunze (foot) is made to miss another game.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 8, 2025
New Orleans Saints wide receiver
Devaughn Vele led the team in receiving for the second straight game in Week 14's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hauling in three of his five targets for a team-high 40 yards. Rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough totaled just 144 passing yards on 20 attempts, so there wasn't much volume for Vele and the Saints' pass-catchers to work with. Vele matched No. 1 wideout
Chris Olave for the team lead in targets, and he seems to be establishing a connection with Shough over the past three games. The 27-year-old receiver has been the most productive Saints pass-catcher for fantasy during that stretch, averaging 12.3 PPR points per game with 14 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown on 20 targets. In leagues where he is available, Vele is worth targeting as an emerging player in the Saints offense heading into Week 15's matchup against the division-rival Carolina Panthers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Pro Football Reference
December 8, 2025
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was non-committal on who would start at quarterback in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tyrod Taylor (groin) left early during Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins due to a groin injury and did not return. The veteran completed one of four passes for six yards and one interception before leaving. Undrafted rookie
Brady Cook filled in for Taylor and struggled mightily, completing 14 of 30 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions while taking six sacks. Glenn noted that the team will talk to the players and doctors early in the week and that the QB who gives them the best chance to win will have the most reps in practice. If Taylor is ultimately able to be cleared from the injury report by the end of the week, he should be expected to serve as the Jets' starter again in Week 15 versus the Jaguars.
Justin Fields (knee) was inactive on Sunday due to knee soreness, so it's unclear if he'd be an option to start against the Jags if Taylor cannot go.
--Kyle McCarthySource: New York Jets
December 8, 2025
While New York Jets wide receiver
Garrett Wilson (knee) is eligible to return from IR in Week 15, head coach Aaron Glenn has offered no update on his status. Wilson has been shelved since Week 10 after reaggravating a knee injury he picked up back in Week 6. Although he's technically available to be reinstated from injured reserve, Glenn notes that "it will be a medical decision between Wilson and the doctors" that would afford him clearance to return to the field. As it stands, it's no guarantee that the Ohio State alum suits up again this season, particularly with New York's playoff dreams officially quashed. If he's forced to miss a fifth straight game, teammates
John Metchie III and
Adonai Mitchell would continue leading the Jets' pass attack when they square off with the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.
--Alex CiullaSource: Rich Cimini
December 8, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins posted a modest game in his team's Week 14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, recording three catches for 34 yards on five targets. Still, the 22-year-old has established himself as the clear WR2 in Houston alongside
Nico Collins, as he's earned at least five targets in five consecutive games and six out of his last seven contests. For the season overall, Higgins has hauled in 35 catches for 393 yards and four touchdowns on 55 targets across 13 games. With Houston's offense playing better football in recent weeks and its stellar defense consistently providing short fields, Higgins could be on the verge of a breakout game. Higgins profiles as a must-add wide receiver with a stable production floor heading into his Week 15 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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