December 17, 2025
Dallas Cowboys running back
Javonte Williams (neck) was listed as a limited participant due to a neck injury on Wednesday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Williams suffered a neck/shoulder injury in the Sunday night loss to the Minnesota Vikings shortly after a touchdown plunge on the team's first drive of the game in the first quarter. The 25-year-old sat out the rest of the first half, but he eventually returned in the second half and finished with 15 carries for 91 yards and the one touchdown while playing only 28% of the snaps. Williams should be able to play this weekend against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, but fantasy managers will want to continue monitoring his status leading up to Sunday's game. If Williams is limited at all or out,
Malik Davis, who had 10 touches for 37 yards and a touchdown in Week 15, would become Dallas' lead back.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jon Machota
December 17, 2025
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver
Pat Bryant (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. A hamstring issue kept Bryant from playing in the Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Sean Payton said the 23-year-old could have played if it were a playoff game. Now that Bryant is back to practicing in full, he should be active this Sunday versus the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, barring a setback in the next two days. Bryant's impending return is bad news for second-year wideout
Troy Franklin, who caught all six of his targets for 85 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay. Before his hamstring injury, Bryant was seeing more involvement in Denver's passing attack, catching 12 of 17 targets for 156 yards in Weeks 11, 13, and 14. If he's back this weekend, Bryant profiles as a WR4/flex option in deeper fantasy formats. He has just one trip to the end zone in his first 13 NFL contests.
--Keith HernandezSource: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
December 17, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Jayden Reed (personal) was not present at the team's practice on Wednesday due to a personal matter, according to the team's official website. Reed should be back at practice on Thursday and play on Saturday against the division-rival Chicago Bears in Week 16. The 25-year-old has played in just four games in 2025 due to a fractured foot and broken collarbone. Since returning in Week 14, Reed has nine catches on 10 targets for 86 yards while also having two rushing attempts for 22 yards. Quarterback
Jordan Love continues to spread the ball around to Green Bay's many receiving options, but Reed will remain an integral part of the offense in the final three weeks of the season. It looks like fellow wideout
Christian Watson (chest) will play on Saturday, but Reed will still have high-end WR3/flex value for fantasy managers against the Bears.
--Keith HernandezSource: Packers.com
December 17, 2025
New Orleans Saints running back
Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) was listed as a non-participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday, according to the team's official website. Kamara still has not practiced since spraining his MCL in Week 12. Additionally, rookie
Devin Neal injured his hamstring in the Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers and has already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the visiting New York Jets. It means that if Kamara doesn't make rapid progress over the next two days,
Audric Estime and
Evan Hull figure to split backfield duties for the Saints in Week 16. The fact that the Saints ruled Neal out so early in the week could be a sign that Kamara is nearing a return, but he will need to return to practice in the next few days. Estime handled 36% of the snaps to Hull's 32% last week and had three carries for 11 yards and three catches for 39 yards. Estime is the better waiver-wire pickup with Neal injured, but at best, he'll profile as a low-upside RB3/flex in fantasy this weekend if Kamara misses another game.
--Keith HernandezSource: NewOrleansSaints.com
December 17, 2025
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that quarterback
Lamar Jackson (illness) was kept at home on Wednesday due to flu-like symptoms, according to Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan. Jackson has been a regular DNP in Wednesday practices this year, but mainly due to nagging lower-body injuries. This week, he's under the weather. The 28-year-old two-time MVP has been held out of practice early in the week in recent weeks with an ankle injury, but he said last week that he has been improving. He should be ready to go by Sunday night for a showdown against the New England Patriots, where he'll be more of a low-end QB1 in fantasy football. Jackson looked a little more like himself in last week's shutout win over the Bengals, but he completed only eight passes and ran the ball twice. He hasn't thrown for over 300 yards at all in 2025 and has had more than one touchdown pass just once in his last six contests. On top of that, Jackson only has two rushing touchdowns this season.
--Keith HernandezSource: 105.7 The Fan - Cordell Woodland
December 17, 2025
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
CeeDee Lamb (illness) was under the weather on Wednesday and did not practice, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of All City Dallas. Lamb isn't feeling well to begin the practice week, but he should be just fine for Sunday's Week 16 game against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, where he'll remain a must-start fantasy football receiver. The 26-year-old four-time Pro Bowler hasn't been quite as good as teammate
George Pickens in 2025, but he's been a top-10 fantasy wideout in terms of half-PPR points per game (14.7). In his 10 games played, Lamb has 63 receptions on 99 targets for 976 yards and three touchdowns. He's had over 100 receiving yards in each of the last three games and should reach the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth straight season.
--Keith HernandezSource: All City DLLS - Clarence Hill Jr.
December 17, 2025
Buffalo Bills tight end
Dalton Kincaid (knee) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice session, according to the team. Kincaid played in each of the past two games after dealing with knee and hamstring injuries in prior weeks, but he will begin this week with a DNP. The Bills could be managing his workload during the practice week to ensure he is ready to go on gameday. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status in practice on Thursday and Friday in case he suffered a setback that would cause him to miss some time. Injuries seem to be a lingering issue for the 26-year-old tight end, as he played only 36% of the snaps in the Week 15 win against the New England Patriots, catching three of four targets for 34 yards. If Kincaid is unable to play on Sunday versus the Cleveland Browns,
Dawson Knox would be in line for an expanded receiving role and could continue his recent stretch of production.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Buffalo Bills PR
December 17, 2025
Denver Broncos rookie running back
R.J. Harvey (ribs) is participating in practice on Wednesday, according to Romi Bean of CBS Colorado. Harvey picked up a rib injury late in Denver's Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers, but he seems to have avoided a major injury that would cost him any time. Head coach Sean Payton wasn't concerned with the injury, saying that "he's doing good" and should be good to go for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Payton noted to himself after the Packers game to get
Jaleel McLaughlin more touches to manage Harvey's workload, but it's promising news that the rookie won't miss any time. He's been one of the best running backs in fantasy football since taking over lead duties with
J.K. Dobbins (foot) out for the year, ranking as the RB6 in PPR points per game over the past four games. Harvey will project favorably again in Week 16 versus the Jaguars.
UPDATE: Harvey was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.--Kyle McCarthySource: Romi Bean
December 17, 2025
The Dallas Cowboys announced on Wednesday that they have opened the 21-day practice window for rookie running back
Phil Mafah (shoulder). Mafah has missed his entire first season in the NFL so far due to a shoulder injury that landed him on Injured Reserve in August. The 23-year-old will return to practice this week, though, and he could be in play to join the Cowboys offense in the final three weeks of the season. The Clemson product would provide insurance in Dallas' backfield, but he probably wouldn't be anything more than the RB3 behind
Javonte Williams and
Malik Davis if he plays to close out the 2025 campaign. The Cowboys must officially activate Mafah from IR if they want him active this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Mafah had 1,115 rushing yards, 103 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns in his final year in college in 2024.
--Keith HernandezSource: Dallas Cowboys Public Relations
December 17, 2025
New Orleans Saints wide receiver
Devaughn Vele (shoulder) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News reports. Vele has been considered week-to-week after suffering a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. He caught five of six targets for 69 yards up until that point. The 28-year-old reportedly avoided a major injury, but he could still end up missing the rest of the regular season with only three games remaining. Vele had been establishing a solid connection with rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough, recording 16 catches for 202 yards and a touchdown over the past three games. His absence will lead to more opportunities for top wideout
Chris Olave, in addition to
Kevin Austin Jr. and
Mason Tipton against the Jets in Week 16.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Sara Palczewski
December 17, 2025
New Orleans Saints rookie running back
Devin Neal (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets, according to Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News. Neal left early during the Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers due to a hamstring injury, and he'll be forced to miss at least one game. The rookie sixth-rounder had started three straight games for the Saints in place of an injured
Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle) and totaled 32 yards and a touchdown on eight touches before exiting. With Kamara still not practicing on Wednesday, the Saints will rely on the duo of
Audric Estime and
Evan Hull to lead the backfield. Estime would be the preferred option in fantasy football, having totalled three carries for 11 yards and three catches (three targets) for 39 yards in Neal's absence last week, compared to Hull's four carries for 12 yards. Keep in mind, though, that rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough could continue to take away valuable rushing attempts in this Saints offense.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Sara Palczewski
December 17, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (chest, shoulder), who returned to a limited practice on Wednesday, said he should be able to play in Week 16 on Saturday night in the divisional rematch against the hosting Chicago Bears, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "It's feeling pretty good for everything considered, so I think it'll be alright for the game. We're at the point in the season where you gotta fight through some stuff, so should be good," Watson said. The 26-year-old landed hard on a play in the second half in Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos and was sent to the hospital after the game as a precaution. Doctors ruled out a major injury, thankfully, and now it looks like Watson will have a good chance to play this weekend after returning to practice on Wednesday. He has been quarterback
Jordan Love's go-to receiver in the eight games he's played in 2025, and he had 89 receiving yards and two TDs two weeks ago against Chicago. If Watson is active, he should be considered a WR2 in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
December 17, 2025
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that he plans to play quarterback
Dak Prescott when asked if he would want to see backup quarterback
Joe Milton III play if the Cowboys are eliminated from playoff contention. "I want to win, so the plan would be to play Dak," Schottenheimer said. It's not a surprising development to hear that Prescott will remain the starter for the final three games of the regular season, even with Dallas' playoff odds at less than 1%. The 32-year-old has put together one of the best seasons of his career, completing 68.4% of his passes for a league-leading 3,931 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while adding 45 carries for 140 yards and two more scores on the ground. He remains a top-five QB option in fantasy for the Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Tommy Yarrish
December 17, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said on Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday that there's "a good chance" that quarterback
Geno Smith (shoulder, back) returns to start this Sunday against the Houston Texans in Week 16, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Smith suffered a right-shoulder injury in the Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos and did not play in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Backup
Kenny Pickett couldn't lead the Raiders to any points, and thus the 35-year-old Smith will get his starting gig back this weekend in an extremely difficult matchup on the road against the Texans, who have the best defense in the NFL. It's good news for the Raiders' offensive skill players, but for fantasy football, Smith will be a low-end QB2, at best, in superflex leagues in Week 16 if he returns. Smith has led one of the worst offenses in the league in 2025 in his first year in Vegas, throwing for 2,648 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in his 13 starts.
UPDATE: Smith returned to Wednesday's practice.--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
December 17, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles running back
Saquon Barkley (stinger) is back at practice on Wednesday after he was listed as a non-participant due to a stinger on Tuesday, according to Cayden Steele of NJ Advance Media. Barkley suffered a stinger in Sunday's blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but his return to practice on Wednesday bodes well for his chances of playing on Saturday versus the division-rival Washington Commanders. Although the 28-year-old wasn't quite as good as he was in the Monday night overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14, he scored a rushing touchdown for the second straight week and had 20-plus carries for the fifth time in 2025. Barkley has had 20-plus rushing attempts in four of six games since the team's bye, as the Eagles make a point to involve last year's leading rusher more to spark their struggling offense. As long as Barkley is active in Week 16, which he should be, he will be a must-start in all fantasy football lineups against a poor Washington defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: NJ Advance Media - Cayden Steele
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