December 29, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a big showing in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. The 24-year-old has played some of his best football of late, logging 226 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries over his last three games. Croskey-Merritt has benefited from the absence of Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness), who has missed two out of the last three weeks with various ailments. Croskey-Merritt played 64% of Washington's offensive snaps in Week 17 with Rodriguez Jr. sidelined, but just 20% of the snaps in Week 16 with Rodriguez Jr. active. Still, Croskey-Merritt's improved performance of late could lead the team to shift more carries his way even if Rodriguez Jr. returns. Croskey-Merritt may be worth targeting in all fantasy leagues with 10 or more teams heading into his Week 18 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
New Orleans Saints running back
Audric Estime had a breakout game in Week 17, recording 14 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Tennessee Titans. With Saints running backs
Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle),
Kendre Miller (knee), and
Devin Neal (hamstring) all sidelined, the team has an opportunity for backfield contributors to emerge. Estime appeared to step into that void in Week 17, as his 14 rush attempts were nearly triple that of running back
Evan Hull and tight end
Taysom Hill combined (5). Estime also dominated running back playing time against Tennessee, playing 76% of the Saints' offensive snaps. Miller and Neal are on Injured Reserve, while Kamara has a chance to return in Week 18. However, Kamara has missed five straight games, and there's not a ton of incentive for the 6-10 Saints to bring him back this season. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Estime should be a waiver-wire target heading into his Week 18 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston has had a rollercoaster 2025 season. After averaging 84.3 receiving yards per game and scoring four touchdowns over the first four weeks of the season, the 24-year-old averaged just 24.5 yards per game and scored two touchdowns over his next eight contests. However, Johnston appears to be re-emerging in recent weeks. Over his last two games, he's recorded nine receptions for 202 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. Johnston remains a big-play threat, averaging 14.4 yards per reception for the season and 22.4 yards per reception over the last two weeks. In fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams where he remains available, Johnston could be a player to target on the waiver wire heading into his Week 18 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Across eight healthy games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
Chris Godwin Jr. has recorded 32 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns on 50 targets. The 29-year-old broke out in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins, hauling in seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. It was Godwin Jr.'s first game with more than five catches or 78 receiving yards this season, and it may be a sign that the veteran wideout is finally working his way back to full strength from the lower leg injuries that have bothered him since the middle of 2024. Godwin Jr. also played 79% of Tampa Bay's offensive snaps in Week 17, the most among all Buccaneers wide receivers. In all PPR fantasy leagues with 10 or more teams, Godwin Jr. is a player to target on the waiver wire heading into his Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers backup quarterback
Malik Willis dominated on Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17. He completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 60 yards and scoring twice on the ground, good for 31.52 fantasy points, making him worth a look on the waiver wire if he is scheduled to start again. Willis stepped in for the injured
Jordan Love (left shoulder/concussion) and has made the most of his opportunities. Because of his recent performance, he should be on the fantasy radar in Week 18 if he starts against the Minnesota Vikings. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was non-committal after Saturday's 41-24 loss. Mainly because the Packers have locked up the seven seed in the NFC and can no longer move up or down. In Week 18, they also take on the Minnesota Vikings, who have been dominant against opposing quarterbacks, allowing the fewest fantasy points to the position on the season.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
San Francisco 49ers fourth-year player out of California,
Jake Tonges, stepped in for the injured
George Kittle (ankle) on Sunday Night Football and made the most of it. He earned himself an impressive nine targets, hauled in seven of them for 60 yards, and scored a touchdown. When given the opportunity in 2025, considering Kittle has now missed seven games this season, Tonges has made the most of it. On the season, he now has five touchdowns and 293 yards on 34 receptions. The key thing to monitor here will clearly be the status of Kittle's ankle, as Tonges is the clear backup to the superstar. If Kittle remains out, Tonges will be in the low-end TE1 rankings in a crucial Week 18 matchup with the No. 1 seed for the NFC and the division on the line when the 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Las Vegas Raiders third-year player out of Notre Dame,
Michael Mayer, stepped in for the injured
Brock Bowers (knee) on Sunday, and dominated, hauling in nine of his 10 targets for 89 yards. The 10 targets were the most on the team, with
Tre Tucker with the second most at six targets. With Bowers landing on the Injured Reserve and set to miss the rest of the 2025 season, Mayer will have an opportunity to continue to showcase his skill set for one more game before the regular season is over. Entering Week 18, Mayer will be in the low-end TE1 conversation against the Kansas City Chiefs, who also have had their fair share of injuries. The biggest question to monitor with Mayer would be whether
Geno Smith (ankle) or
Kenny Pickett will be throwing him passes. Regardless, Mayer should dominate target share, and because of that, find himself as a valuable fantasy asset in most 12-team or larger leagues.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Dallas Cowboys' fourth-year running back out of Florida,
Malik Davis, led the backfield in running back touches in the Cowboys' Week 17 30-23 win on Christmas Day over the Washington Commanders. He stepped in for the injured
Javonte Williams (shoulder) and ended the game with 20 rush attempts (5.15 YPC) for 103 yards. Additionally, over the past two games, he has earned 54 percent and 34 percent of the snaps, respectively. He is starting to see an increased workload as the season comes to an end for the eliminated-from-the-playoffs Cowboys. With a strong Week 18 matchup looming against the New York Giants in Week 18, Davis is a must-add off the waivers for those fantasy managers still competing for a championship. If Williams were to sit out, Davis would immediately become a plug-and-play RB2.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III (quad), who was carted off the field after Sunday night's game, suffered a quad injury that is not thought to be serious. He will undergo additional testing today, ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports. The very last play of the game, with the Bears down 42-38, they had the ball inside the red zone, and while quarterback
Caleb Williams was scrambling, trying to find an open receiver in the end zone to win the game, Burden was crunched between a few defenders and was down on the field. After the incomplete pass, the game ended so abruptly, and the 49ers team stormed the field. We saw a quick mention of Burden being down on the field; however, on television, it was never further discussed. The additional testing on Monday morning will provide further clarity into the severity of his injury. Fantasy managers who are still competing in Week 18 will want to keep their eyes on this, as
Rome Odunze(foot) has missed the last few games and Burden has taken advantage of his opportunities.
Olamide Zaccheaus and
Jahdae Walker would likely see an increased amount of playing time should Burden miss any time. At the same time,
DJ Moore and
Colston Loveland would likely be the biggest beneficiaries.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Adam Schefter
December 28, 2025
The Los Angeles Rams defense/special teams has played at a high level all season long, and they'll aim to remain highly effective against an Atlanta Falcons offense led by quarterback
Kirk Cousins during Monday Night Football in Week 17. Cousins is starting in place of the injured
Michael Penix Jr. (knee), and he has produced inconsistent results so far. He upset the Buccaneers in Week 15 and has six touchdowns over his last two games, but he also turned the ball over twice last Sunday in Arizona. He'll now run into another challenging matchup against the Rams, whose D/ST unit has 23 turnovers and ranks eighth in fantasy scoring this year. Meanwhile, Atlanta's offense has surrendered the 14th-most fantasy points to opposing defenses in 2025. The Rams rank #11 in RotoBaller's latest D/ST rankings for Week 17.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams kicker
Harrison Mevis posted double-digit fantasy points in his last outing, but he still didn't reach his full potential after missing a late field goal. Mevis ultimately went 4-for-4 on extra points and 3-for-4 on field goals in the loss to Seattle. He is the sixth-highest-scoring fantasy kicker over his last three games but could have ranked even higher if not for the miss. The Missouri product gets an opportunity to bounce back on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. Kicking in a dome bodes well for Mevis, and he has a very high ceiling given that Atlanta has allowed the third-most fantasy points to kickers in 2025. Between the recent track record, his role in a high-scoring offense, and an extremely favorable matchup, it appears that the stars have aligned for Mevis to have another big game on Monday night. He's a top-eight kicker for Week 17 fantasy football.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams tight end
Colby Parkinson will look to bounce back during Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. Parkinson had six touchdowns over his previous six games coming into last week, but then he produced somewhat of a dud with just two catches for 21 yards on Thursday Night Football against the Seahawks. That result was particularly disappointing given that fantasy managers expected Parkinson to excel around the goal line with
Davante Adams (hamstring) sidelined. Adams is doubtful for Week 17, too, and while managers are optimistic about Parkinson bouncing back, that's far from guaranteed. This matchup is a bit worrisome given that Atlanta has allowed the fewest touchdowns and third-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2025. The 26-year-old is a fringe top-12 tight end with top-five upside, but his floor could also place him outside the top 25. He's a high-risk option heading into Week 17.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Konata Mumpfield is expected to remain in a larger role during Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. Mumpfield stepped up as the No. 2 receiver alongside
Puka Nacua last week when
Davante Adams (hamstring) was sidelined. Adams remains doubtful for Week 17, leaving Mumpfield in line to start alongside Nacua. In the loss to Seattle, the 23-year-old commanded eight targets but finished with a modest total of three catches for 40 yards. That was enough to put him on the WR3/flex radar in deep leagues, but he could have produced at an even higher level if he had caught more of his targets. Perhaps he'll make that leap on Monday night in a softer matchup against the Falcons, who have allowed the fourth-most receiving touchdowns and ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2025. Mumpfield's floor is pretty low, but he has top-36 wide receiver upside on Monday night if he can catch more passes than last week.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua is coming off an elite performance against the Seattle Seahawks in which he caught 12 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He has a whopping 573 yards and four scores over his last three games. Nacua will look to maintain this momentum against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 17. Maybe he won't replicate last week's showing, but he should still put up otherworldly numbers. He'll continue to handle an abnormally high workload on Monday night with
Davante Adams (hamstring) sidelined for the second consecutive week. The 24-year-old has been the highest-scoring receiver in fantasy football this year and should feast against a Falcons defense that has allowed the fourth-most receiving touchdowns and ninth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2025. Nobody would be surprised if Nacua finishes this week as the overall WR1 in all leagues. That's where he ranks in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 17.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
December 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams running back
Kyren Williams earned a season-high 26 touches last week, leaving fantasy managers wondering if he might handle a similar workload against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 17. It was previously reported that the Rams were trying to limit Williams' volume to keep him fresh for the playoffs, so it was a bit surprising to see him touch the ball 26 times on a 71% snap share on Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. On the other hand, that game was comparable to a playoff game, so it makes sense that Los Angeles brought out all of the stops. Going forward, we can expect Williams' workload to be managed when the Rams have a very favorable game script. That should be the case on Monday night as the Rams are seven-point favorites against the Falcons. Williams probably won't be quite as involved as last week, but he should remain the Rams' primary ball-carrier while also carving out a role in the receiving game. He ranks as a low-end RB1 against the Falcons, who have allowed the 11th-most rushing yards to running backs in 2025.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
RADIO
