December 29, 2025
Washington Commanders running back
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) was a late inactive for the team's Week 17 Christmas loss to the Cowboys, clearing the path for rookie
Jacory Croskey-Merritt to put up 105 yards and two scores on the ground. With roster crunches ratcheting up during the fantasy playoffs, there's a real chance that Rodriguez may be available on some waiver wires this week, making him a must-add in any league with a Week 18 championship game. While Croskey-Merritt has looked brilliant at times this year, Washington has repeatedly shown that, when healthy, they prefer Rodriguez to handle the majority of their groundwork. Rodriguez has cracked double-digit points in Half-PPR formats in three of his last six games played, and should slot in as a low-end RB2/flex in a plus matchup with the Eagles in Week 18.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver
Isaac TeSlaa has caught touchdowns in four of his last five games, and he needs to be rostered in any leagues with a Week 18 fantasy championship. With the Lions now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and
Amon-Ra St. Brown seemingly banged up late in the team's Christmas Day loss to the Vikings, TeSlaa should see additional run against a Bears defense that just allowed almost 500 yards in a Monday Night loss to the 49ers. On the season, Chicago has been the fourth most favorable fantasy matchup for opposing wide receivers, and with TeSlaa currently rostered in less than a quarter of redraft leagues, he is one of the first names fantasy managers should be checking the waiver wire for ahead of any meaningful Week 18 games.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jayden Higgins got things started in Saturday's Week 17 win over the Chargers with a 75-yard touchdown strike from
C.J. Stroud less than two minutes into the game. Four minutes later, it was Higgins' college teammate and fellow rookie
Jaylin Noel on the receiving end of a 43-yard touchdown. While neither contributed much during a second half that saw the Texans struggle to maintain drives, Higgins, who finished the day with two catches for 88 yards and the aforementioned score, is still the player to roster heading into any Week 18 fantasy championships. While Saturday was easily his best performance of the season, he has strung together usable weeks in the past, including a stretch from Weeks 8-12 that saw him finish with double-digit points in Half-PPR formats in three of five games. Against a reeling Indianapolis defense in Week 18, Higgins has the potential for one more meaningful flex performance as a plug-and-play option available on most waiver wires.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Houston Texans rookie wide receiver
Jaylin Noel caught three of four targets for 54 yards in a Week 17 win over the Chargers, while hauling in his first touchdown since Week 5. The Texans' offense came out of the gates looking unstoppable, as
C.J. Stroud connected with both Noel and fellow Iowa State rookie
Jayden Higgins on long first-quarter touchdowns. Unfortunately, things stalled after that, and they managed only two field goals the rest of the way, casting into doubt how things will look in a Week 18 divisional matchup with the Colts. Noel's 14% target share on Saturday marked the first time he cracked double digits since Week 8, but against a Colts defense that has struggled to defend the pass, he could be in play as a desperation flex start that is readily available on most waiver wires.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
Minnesota Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy (hand) is progressing in his injury recovery, and the swelling has come down in his throwing hand, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. McCarthy has a hairline fracture in his right hand that kept him out of the team's Week 17 win over the Lions. Still, there remains a possibility that he could return for the final game of the season, a Week 18 divisional matchup with the Packers. McCarthy has had a rough showing in his first year as a starter, making
Justin Jefferson one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy this season. That said, in any leagues with a Week 18 championship, the return of McCarthy is the only way fantasy managers should consider starting Jefferson one last time. In the two games started by undrafted rookie
Max Brosmer, Minnesota has averaged 161.5 total offensive yards, with Jefferson finishing as the WR94 and WR48.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Kevin Seifert
December 29, 2025
Houston Texans running back
Joe Mixon (foot, ankle) will not return this season, league sources told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. The expectation all along has been that Mixon would not return at all in 2025, but now it's official. The Texans haven't released many details on the nature of Mixon's foot/ankle injury, but we know that he hasn't played since back in the spring. The 29-year-old remains on the Non-Football Injury list. At this point, it's fair to wonder if he'll be effective at all if he's able to make it back and play in 2026. The Texans will continue to move forward with rookie
Woody Marks as their primary ball-carrier, with veteran
Nick Chubb and rookie
Jawhar Jordan backing him up heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts.
--Keith HernandezSource: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
December 29, 2025
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said he thinks rookie first-round left tackle Will Campbell (knee) will resume practicing this week, which is the first week he's eligible to have his 21-day practice window opened, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The 21-year-old probably will not be activated from Injured Reserve to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Miami Dolphins this Sunday, but the Patriots could get him back during the playoffs. The fourth overall pick out of LSU made 12 starts for New England in his first year in the NFL before landing on IR. Getting Campbell back for the postseason would be great news for a Patriots offense that is clicking on all cylinders.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
December 29, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt (lung) is considered a "long shot" to play in Week 18 against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night with the AFC North title on the line, a source with knowledge of the situation told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "Never say never, but not an ideal timeline to be fully cleared," the source said. Head coach Mike Tomlin said Watt won't play until he has a full week of practice as a full participant. Watt had surgery on Dec. 12 to fix a partially collapsed lung and has missed the last three games. The 31-year-old pass-rusher's lung was punctured during a defective dry-needle procedure. A report on Sunday suggested that Watt would make it back for Week 18 or the first round of the playoffs if Pittsburgh qualifies, but that might not be the case now. Not having one of the most disruptive defensive players available against Baltimore would be a huge loss for the Steelers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
December 29, 2025
Chicago Bears linebacker Noah Sewell (Achilles), who has been a key part of Chicago's defense this year, is believed to have suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday night's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Sewell is undergoing an MRI exam on Monday to confirm. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder from Oregon was carted off the field in Santa Clara in Week 17 after he suffered a non-contact injury in the third quarter. It's a key loss for a ball-hawking Bears defense, and Amen Ogbongbemiga will need to take on a bigger role in the middle of the defense for Chicago the rest of the way. Sewell will finish his third year in the NFL with a career-high 59 tackles (33 solo), three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in his 13 games played (nine starts). He had just 13 combined tackles in 22 games in his first two years in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
December 29, 2025
The Green Bay Packers are unsure who will be starting under center for the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but head coach Matt LaFleur has made it clear that
Jordan Love (concussion) is the team's starting quarterback when healthy. When Love clears the league's concussion protocol,
Malik Willis (shoulder), who threw for 288 yards and a touchdown and ran for two TDs in Saturday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, will return to his backup role. "Certainly have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but it's clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he is healthy, he's going to be our starter. So, just want to squash all that," LaFleur said. Willis injured his right shoulder on Saturday night, but he's expected to be fine to play in Week 18 if the Packers decide to hold Love out or if he doesn't clear the concussion protocol. The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed for the NFC playoffs, so it remains to be seen if Green Bay wants to give Love more time off if he's able to clear the concussion protocol later this week.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
December 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers standout pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee) announced on his Instagram account on Monday that he's undergoing surgery on his torn ACL, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. "See y'all soon, love y'all," Parsons wrote. The 26-year-old All-Pro defensive end suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the loss to the Denver Broncos on Dec. 14, ending his first season in Green Bay early. Given the timing of his injury, Parsons isn't expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, which will put pressure on the likes of Lukas Van Ness, Rashan Gary, and Kingsley Enagbare to step up for the Packers' defense early on next season. When fully healthy, Parsons, a five-time Pro Bowler, is one of the best pass-rushers in football. In his 14 games in 2025, he had 41 tackles (19 solo), 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 26 QB hits, and two forced fumbles in 14 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
December 29, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
Joe Burrow will play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Cleveland Browns on Sunday, according to head coach Zac Taylor. Although both teams are eliminated from the playoffs, Taylor said starting Burrow gives the team the best chance to win, and the Bengals are trying to close out a disappointing 2025 season with a three-game winning streak. Since Week 11, Cincy's offense ranks fourth in the league in third-down conversions and is sixth in red-zone efficiency. On the defensive side of things, the Bengals rank eighth in the NFL in third-down conversions and are 12th in red-zone efficiency. In the Week 17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Burrow went 24-for-31 passing for 305 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks. Burrow has made only seven starts in 2025 due to a turf-toe injury that required surgery, but he's now gone over 300 passing yards in back-to-back games with six TDs and no picks. Burrow will have a challenge to make it three straight 300-yard games to close out the year in Week 18 against a stout Browns defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Ben Baby
December 29, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
Jalen McMillan exploded for seven catches and 114 yards in the team's 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. The 24-year-old's target (nine) and yardage totals were team-highs, setting personal bests across the board. Coincidentally, McMillan did not see a significant rise in snap share, hovering around the same figure he's recorded since returning from an injury. Regardless, he and
Chris Godwin Jr. were the only other pass-catchers to eclipse 40 receiving yards (108). With a myriad of mouths to feed in Tampa Bay's attack, it's unlikely McMillan would have another performance such as this when they square off with the Panthers in Week 18. That said, he sports solid athleticism and offers fantasy managers big-play ability for one of the few meaningful games in the campaign's final week.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Tennessee Titans rookie wide receiver
Chimere Dike has carved out a steady role in the team's passing game over the back half of the season, offering PPR appeal for fantasy managers in Week 18. Dike notched his fourth straight appearance with at least five targets on Sunday. While fantasy managers may gripe about his yardage totals, the 24-year-old has been a helpful asset for most of 2025, ranking as the WR31 since Week 7. Perhaps more importantly, he played only behind teammate
Elic Ayomanor in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Saints. If that trend holds, a consolidated target share to the duo and tight end
Chig Okonkwo is a strong possibility in the season's final week. Furthermore, rookie quarterback
Cameron Ward's improved play has been a boon to the offense overall recently.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
December 29, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Parker Washington posted another superb performance in Week 17, notching back-to-back ten-target, 100-plus-yard outings as the team beat out their division-rival Colts 23-17. Jacksonville has been on a roll, and the Penn State alum has been a big part of it, leading his squad in receiving in consecutive games. Moreover, Washington ranked second at his position in snaps on Sunday, eking out teammate
Brian Thomas Jr. 56-54, with only
Jakobi Meyers playing ahead of him (65). While it's unclear if this signals an official change in the Jags' passing game hierarchy, fantasy managers should scoop up the 23-year-old anywhere he's unowned, as it appears he'll remain heavily involved despite the corps being at full strength. He's set career-highs across the board in 2025.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
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