December 18, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (chest, shoulder) is officially questionable to play in Week 16 versus the division-rival Chicago Bears in the Windy City on Saturday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Watson injured his chest/shoulder on a hard fall in Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos and was sent to the hospital as a precaution. The 26-year-old was cleared of a major injury and said he was "feeling pretty good" this week, but his status for Week 16 will come down to a medical decision on Saturday. Fantasy managers will need to check back on Saturday for Green Bay's inactives before putting Watson into starting lineups for the week. He has been quarterback
Jordan Love's go-to receiver in his eight games played, catching 28 passes for 481 yards and five touchdowns. If Watson isn't cleared,
Jayden Reed,
Romeo Doubs, and rookie
Matthew Golden would all have higher ceilings in Chicago.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
December 18, 2025
Green Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs (knee, ankle) is officially listed as questionable to play on Saturday night against the division-rival Chicago Bears after missing practice all week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's an injury that dates back to Week 11 for Jacobs. The 27-year-old was held out of Week 12, but he's played in each of the last three games and has maintained his workhorse role at less than 100%. Jacobs was also questionable going into last Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos. He played through the knee injury on his way to 12 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 19 yards and his first receiving TD of the year. Jacobs is expected to gut through his knee injury again versus Chicago, where he'll be a low-end RB1 for fantasy managers. He's found the end zone 14 total times in 2025 in 13 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
December 18, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt (lung) didn't practice again on Thursday and appears unlikely to return for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions in Week 16, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Watt needed surgery for a collapsed lung and was forced to sit out Monday night's win over the Miami Dolphins. The 31-year-old All-Pro linebacker is now headed for a second straight missed game, and it's unclear if he'll be ready to return for a Week 17 date against the division-rival Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh's defense looked much-improved against the hapless Dolphins offense in Week 15, but fantasy managers alive in the playoffs should be looking to fade the Steelers' defense/special teams unit this weekend on the road against Detroit, especially without Watt in the fold.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
December 18, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua apologized for his actions and comments on a recent social-media livestream in which he was asked to perform a specific movement that was antisemitic in nature. " I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry, or hate of another group of people," Nacua wrote in a statement. It's not the only bad off-the-field publicity that Nacua has had recently, as his brother was arrested and accused of stealing a car belonging to a Lakers player. It's not a good look for the 24-year-old superstar, but it seems unlikely that he'll face a suspension for his actions. Nacua has back-to-back games with over 150 receiving yards and should be in for a third straight 100-yard performance on Thursday night versus the division-rival Seahawks, with
Davante Adams (hamstring) expected to be out. Off-field issues aside, Nacua is an elite, must-start WR1 for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
December 18, 2025
Chicago Bears tight end
Cole Kmet (ankle, knee) is officially listed as questionable to play in Week 16 against the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Kmet was limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before upgrading to a full practice on Thursday, so he should be on the right side of questionable for the weekend. If the 26-year-old is active, he could be in line for more targets with both receivers
Rome Odunze (foot) and
Luther Burden III (ankle) being ruled out. However, even in that case, Kmet will be no more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 streamer in a bad matchup against Green Bay. Regardless of whether Kmet plays, rookie tight end
Colston Loveland will have clear TE1 upside in Week 16 with both Odunze and Burden sidelined. Kmet has taken a back seat to Loveland in 2025 and has 24 catches for 301 yards and only two touchdowns in 13 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: Bears Communications
December 18, 2025
Chicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift (groin) popped up on the Week 16 injury report on Wednesday and is now listed as questionable to play in another big divisional game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. Swift was limited on Wednesday and Thursday after not being listed at all on Tuesday. The 26-year-old should be on the right side of questionable this weekend, but if he ends up not playing, rookie
Kyle Monangai would be a must-start, plug-and-play option for fantasy football managers against Green Bay. If Swift does get the green light to play in Week 16, he'll be a more risky RB3/flex option and potentially give up valuable backfield touches to Monangai, who has been more involved in Chicago's backfield in the second half of the season. In the first game against the Packers on Dec. 7, Swift had 13 carries for 63 yards and caught three of his four targets for 19 yards. He's the RB13 on the year with 14.0 half-PPR points per game.
--Keith HernandezSource: Bears Communications
December 18, 2025
Chicago Bears wide receiver
Rome Odunze (foot) did not practice all week and has officially been ruled out for Saturday's divisional rematch against the visiting Green Bay Packers in Week 16, according to the team. Odunze will miss a third straight game while he deals with a stress fracture in his foot, and it's sounding like the Bears will hold him out through the end of the regular season so that they'll have him closer to 100% for the playoffs. In addition to Odunze, Chicago will be without rookie wideout
Luther Burden III (ankle). Running back
D'Andre Swift (groin) and tight end
Cole Kmet (ankle, knee) are also questionable. Quarterback
Caleb Williams will be missing some key weapons against a strong Packers defense, even if they're missing pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee).
DJ Moore,
Olamide Zaccheaus, and
Devin Duvernay figure to be the Bears' top-three receivers on Saturday evening.
--Keith HernandezSource: Bears Communications
December 18, 2025
Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver
Luther Burden III (ankle) has officially been ruled out for Saturday's divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The rookie second-rounder was unable to practice this week and will be forced to miss his second game of the season with an ankle injury. The Bears will be short-handed at receiver for a critical Week 16 game, with
Rome Odunze (foot) ruled out for the third straight week as he manages a stress fracture in his foot. Burden was surging in Odunze's absence, posting his two highest yardage totals since his 101-yard performance in Week 3. He led the Bears in receiving in both games, hauling in four of six targets for 67 yards in Week 14 versus the Packers, and six of seven targets for 84 yards last week against the Browns.
DJ Moore,
Olamide Zaccheaus, and
Devin Duvernay will likely see the bulk of the snaps at wide receiver, with rookie tight end
Colston Loveland also in line for more targets on Saturday.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Bears Communications
December 18, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Tee Higgins (concussion) was not spotted at the beginning of the team's practice on Thursday, according to Ben Baby of ESPN. Higgins suffered his second concussion in two weeks in Week 14 and was held out of the Week 15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He was able to practice on a limited basis on Wednesday, so a DNP on Thursday would be a downgrade and suggest a possible setback as he tries to make his way through the league's concussion protocol. The Bengals have been eliminated from postseason play, so Cincy will most likely err on the side of caution if Higgins is up in the air at all. Fantasy managers should have a better idea of Higgins' status for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins by Friday. Higgins is a must-start in fantasy if he's active. If he's ruled out for a second straight game, though,
Andrei Iosivas and
Mitchell Tinsley would both have some deep-league flex appeal in a favorable matchup.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Ben Baby
December 18, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee) won't practice on Thursday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said he's feeling "much better" and that he still has a chance to play on Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Pearsall aggravated the PCL injury that caused him to miss six games earlier this season and also sprained his ankle during the Week 15 win over the Titans. The 25-year-old will have an extra day to recover this week, but it still seems unlikely that he'll be able to suit up on Monday night. The second-year wideout produced his third game this season with 95 or more yards against the Titans, finishing with six catches for 96 yards on seven targets. If Pearsall ends up being ruled out,
Jauan Jennings would be in line for a larger role, with
Kendrick Bourne also becoming a viable flex option in deeper leagues.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Nick Wagoner
December 18, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Tyquan Thornton (concussion) is absent from Thursday's practice for the second straight day as he remains in the league's concussion protocol, according to senior team reporter Matt McCullen. Thornton exited the Week 15 loss to the Chargers after a 21-yard catch in the fourth quarter. The 25-year-old appears unlikely to suit up for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans unless he can clear the league's concussion protocol. The former New England Patriots wideout wouldn't have much fantasy appeal regardless, with quarterback
Patrick Mahomes (knee) out for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL. Top wideout
Rashee Rice (concussion) is also in concussion protocol with Thornton.
Xavier Worthy,
Marquise Brown, and
JuJu Smith-Schuster could be in line for more opportunities in Week 16 if Thornton and Rice are ruled out.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Matt McMullen
December 18, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Rashee Rice (concussion) won't practice again on Thursday as he remains in the league's concussion protocol, according to Chiefs senior reporter Matt McCullen. Rice is trending towards missing his first game since returning from suspension in Week 7. The 25-year-old's rest-of-the-season outlook is already hurt with quarterback
Patrick Mahomes (knee) out for the year after suffering a torn ACL in last week's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs could be thin at wide receiver for Sunday's matchup against the Tennessee Titans, with
Tyquan Thornton (concussion) also in concussion protocol and missing two practices this week. If Rice and Thornton are ruled out, quarterback
Gardner Minshew will rely on a receiver trio of
Xavier Worthy,
Marquise Brown, and
JuJu Smith-Schuster, along with a heavy dose of tight end
Travis Kelce in the passing game.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Matt McMullen
December 18, 2025
Houston Texans running back
Nick Chubb (rib) is practicing for the second straight day on Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports. The 29-year-old returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday and is trending towards returning on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing last week's win over the Cardinals. With rookie
Woody Marks (ankle) not at practice for the second consecutive day after getting banged up in Week 15, Chubb could be in line to handle the bulk of the touches in Week 16. The veteran hasn't recorded double-digit touches in a game since Week 9, so his workload could be limited in his return from injury. The emergence of
Jawhar Jordan is also a factor, as he was a popular waiver pickup this week after posting the first 100-yard rushing performance of the season for the Texans last week against Arizona. Houston's backfield is still murky at the moment, and fantasy managers should continue to monitor the Texans' injury report on Friday.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Jonathan M. Alexander
December 18, 2025
Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Lamar Jackson (illness) returned to practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday's session with an illness, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Jackson continued an ongoing trend of missing Wednesday practices, but this time it was due to an illness and not a nagging ankle injury. He should be ready to go for Sunday Night Football against the New England Patriots, and there is hope for his fantasy managers that he can be more productive as he puts his nagging lower-body injuries in the rearview mirror. Jackson has not looked like a two-time MVP in 2025, throwing for 2,210 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 games played while adding only two rushing touchdowns. The 28-year-old has multiple touchdown passes just once in the last six games, although the good news is that the one instance came last week. Treat Jackson as a low-end QB1 in Week 16.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jamison Hensley
December 18, 2025
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
Michael Wilson was still leading off individual drills in Thursday's practice despite the return of
Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel), according to Arizona Sports' Tyler Drake. All four of Wilson's games this year with double-digit targets have come with Harrison sitting out due to injuries in the last five weeks. The one game sandwiched in between on Nov. 30 saw Wilson catch just three of seven targets for 36 yards. It's reasonable for fantasy managers to wonder if Wilson will be a dud in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons if Harrison makes his return to the lineup. The 25-year-old Wilson will definitely lose out on some targets if Harrison is active this Sunday after returning to practice this week, but he should still be at least a WR2 for fantasy managers in the Cardinals' pass-heavy attack. In the last two weeks, Wilson has caught 16 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns on 27 targets.
--Keith HernandezSource: Arizona Sports - Tyler Drake
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