January 1, 2026
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love (concussion, shoulder) has cleared the league's concussion protocol, but he will not make the start in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. While Love won't start this weekend, Huber says that he could end up backing up
Clayton Tune versus Minnesota.
Malik Willis (shoulder) is dealing with a right-shoulder injury that he suffered in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For added QB depth, the Packers signed
Desmond Ridder to their practice squad on Wednesday. Love should be ready to rock for the wild-card round of the playoffs next week, but fantasy managers still playing for something will be without him for another game.
--Keith HernandezSource: SI.com - Bill Huber
January 1, 2026
The Green Bay Packers claimed defensive back Trevon Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Diggs will join the Packers as they head into the playoffs this year. Green Bay will take on the remainder of the 27-year-old's five-year, $97 million extension that he signed with the Cowboys back in 2023. Diggs most likely will not make his debut with the team in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, but he could be active in the wild-card round of the postseason next week. He will help make up for the loss of cornerback Nate Hobbs, who was placed on Injured Reserve this week. Injuries have been an issue for Diggs the last few years, but the Packers are hoping he can return to form after he had a league-high 11 interceptions back in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
January 1, 2026
San Francisco 49ers tight end
George Kittle (ankle) said he "absolutely" expects to play on Saturday against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks in Week 18, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "Fabulous. Great position for Saturday night to punch a one seed. So just with that, I'm doing fantastic," Kittle said when asked how he feels this week. The 32-year-old sat out of the Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears with an ankle injury, but he has been limited in two practices this week and fully intends to play this weekend in a game that will decide the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the postseason. Backup TE
Jake Tonges had a career game in the win over Chicago on Sunday night, but he'll revert to a bench role with Kittle expected to play on Saturday. Despite the tough matchup, fantasy managers will want to get Kittle back in their lineups in Week 18.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
January 1, 2026
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Clayton Tune will make the start on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Regular starter
Jordan Love has cleared the league's concussion protocol and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, but with Green Bay already locked into the No. 7 seed for the postseason, they will play it safe and hold both Love and
Malik Willis (shoulder) out this weekend. With the Packers' QB room banged up, the team signed former first-rounder
Desmond Ridder to their practice squad on Wednesday. In addition to Love and Willis, the Packers could be resting other skill players on offense, so fantasy managers may want to stay away entirely. Tune, 26, will be making his first start with the Packers and just the second start of his NFL career on Sunday.
--Keith HernandezSource: Andrew Siciliano
January 1, 2026
Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver
Isaac TeSlaa hauled in three of four targets for 49 yards and a touchdown in the 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Despite the Lions' recent offensive struggles, TeSlaa has played well, totaling three catches for 45+ yards and a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. He is on a historic pace for red-zone efficiency, scoring a touchdown on 40% of his receptions this season, all inside the 20-yard line. He faces a Chicago Bears secondary in Week 18 that has allowed the second-most touchdowns to wide receivers this season, making this a potential smash spot for TeSlaa. While his usage and other metrics underwhelm, the rookie receiver continues to add value to his fantasy profile by scoring touchdowns.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback
Quinn Ewers completed 14 of 22 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns in his first career win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After struggling in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Ewers led the Dolphins to victory, averaging 7.8 yards per attempt and throwing a touchdown on 9% of his pass attempts. With the team deciding to bench quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, all signs point to a new quarterback taking over for the 2026 season, and the 2025 seventh-round pick is making his case. He faces a New England Patriots defense that has ranked among the top five in 2025. While the Dolphins are playing a "meaningless" game this week, this one is anything but for the rookie quarterback, who is currently contending to be the 2026 starter.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
New Orleans Saints wide receiver
Chris Olave (illness) has been ruled out for Week 18's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. According to Saints reporter Nick Underhill, Olave had a blood clot detected in his lung and is currently at the hospital, where he is doing well. Olave's career season ends with 100 receptions on 156 targets for 1163 yards and nine touchdowns, ranking him WR6 in PPR formats. With Olave out, look for Kevin Austin and
Mason Tipton to step up, while tight ends
Juwan Johnson and
Taysom Hill will have big roles as well. While the Saints eye their fifth straight win against the Falcons in Week 18, they'll have to do it without their best offensive weapon.
--Nathan HarveySource: Nick Underhill
January 1, 2026
Chicago Bears rookie tight end
Colston Loveland hauled in six of 10 targets for 94 yards and a touchdown in the 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. After a slow start to his rookie season, Loveland has put together a fantastic second half, averaging 13.0 PPR fantasy points per game, which ranks him TE5 during that span, trailing only
Trey McBride,
Brock Bowers,
George Kittle, and
Kyle Pitts. He also led the Bears' tight ends in snaps last week, playing 81% while veteran
Cole Kmet played 61% (his lowest since Week 9). With receiver
Rome Odunze (foot) not practicing ahead of their Week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions, targets will be vacated, giving Loveland another opportunity to establish himself as a starting tight end option in fantasy this week.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III exploded in Week 17, hauling in eight of nine targets for 138 yards and a touchdown in the 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. After missing a game due to an ankle sprain that he suffered in Week 15, Burden had his breakout game with
Rome Odunze (foot) inactive again. Burden was injured on the last play of the game and was limited in practice on Wednesday, a good sign for his availability for Week 18's game against the Detroit Lions. The Lions' secondary ranks as the second-worst against wide receivers this season, and with the Bears planning to play their starters and potentially quarterback
Caleb Williams targeting a 4,000-yard season (which would be the first in Bears franchise history), Burden is a must-start in Week 18.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Philadelphia Eagles running back
Tank Bigsby could be the starter in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders. Bigsby was traded from the Jaguars to the Eagles after Week 1 and has served as a handcuff to star running back
Saquon Barkley this season. However, with the Eagles planning to rest their starters in Week 18, Bigsby could have a clear path to the RB1 role this week. Bigsby has averaged 6.4 yards per carry with the Eagles this season and has played slightly more snaps than
Will Shipley behind Barkley. The Commanders have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs this season and, just two weeks ago, allowed Barkley to rush for over 130 yards and a touchdown. Bigsby will be a name to monitor on waivers or as a DFS play if the Eagles decide to rest Barkley and the starters.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback
Tyler Shough has proven he is the quarterback of the future during their four-game win streak. During the streak, Shough has completed 91 of 128 passes (72%) for 1,057 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. He has also added 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, making him a dual threat as well. While most didn't expect Shough to be a key piece for fantasy managers in his rookie season, he has delivered, averaging 17.0 fantasy points per game since becoming the starter, which places him as QB11 during that span. In Week 18, Shough faces the Atlanta Falcons, who rank 15th against quarterbacks this season and have caused the sixth-most interceptions as well. While the matchup is relatively difficult, Shough will hope to lead the Saints to their fifth straight win and potentially take control of the offensive rookie of the year race.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
New Orleans Saints running back
Audric Estime carried 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in Week 17's 34-26 victory over the Tennessee Titans. After a confusing Week 16, where tight end Taysom took most of the rushing attempts, Estime took over and had the best game of his young NFL career. With
Alvin Kamara (knee/ankle),
Kendre Miller (ACL), and
Devin Neal (hamstring) all missing significant time, Estime stepped up, playing 80% of the snaps. In comparison, backup
Evan Hull played 18%, and Hill played only 14%. They face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18, who rank middle-of-the-pack against running backs this season. However, this could be Hill's final game as a Saint, and his usage on the goal line and in other key situations could cap Estime's ceiling in Week 18. In a meaningless game for the Saints, look for Hill to have a proper send-off against the Falcons, whom he has dominated in his NFL career.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback
Riley Leonard will make his first career start in Week 18 against the Houston Texans. With the Colts officially eliminated from playoff contention,
Philip Rivers has stepped aside to give the rookie quarterback much-needed reps in Week 18. Leonard played in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars after starter
Daniel Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon. In that game, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 145 yards and one interception. While his passing statistics weren't indicative of a future starting quarterback, his ability to make plays with his legs makes him an intriguing fantasy option. Leonard scored on a six-yard rushing touchdown against the Jaguars, and in his final college season at Notre Dame, he scored 17 rushing touchdowns in 16 games. While the Houston Texans' defense is one of the best in the NFL and has no plans to rest their starters as they chase an AFC South title, Leonard will need to rely on his running ability in Week 18.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver
Konata Mumpfield has stepped up as the team's second option in the Rams' receiver room. In his last two games, Mumpfield has seen 13 targets, ranking second on the team during this span, but has yet to have a solid connection with quarterback
Matthew Stafford. Veteran receiver
Davante Adams (hamstring) has missed the previous two games and is unlikely to play in Week 18. The Saturday game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers could be a factor as well. If the 49ers win, the Rams would be locked into the sixth seed and could very well rest their starters, including Stafford and potentially star receiver
Puka Nacua. Fantasy managers still playing in Week 18 will need to assess this Rams situation, as Mumpfield could be a streaming option if Nacua sits against the Arizona Cardinals.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
January 1, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Michael Mayer had the most productive game of his NFL career in Week 17, hauling in nine of 10 targets for 89 yards in the 34-10 loss to the New York Giants. With star tight end
Brock Bowers (knee) on injured reserve, Mayer will have a full workload for the remainder of the 2025 season. Mayer played 93% of the snaps in Week 17, had a 36% target share, and accounted for over 50% of the team's passing yards. Quarterback
Geno Smith threw for only 176 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions against the Giants, which will cap the tight end's upside if his struggles continue. With a tough matchup upcoming against the Kansas City Chiefs, who rank eighth in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, Mayer will be a safe, high-volume option at the position in Week 18.
--Nathan HarveySource: Pro Football Reference
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