Team news | Page 2

Commanders RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) has been added to the injury report and is questionable for today's game.

Related Players: Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols

Do we really want to start Croskey-Merritt on Christmas with Josh Johnson at quarterback? Bill would be a fine RB3 if Rodriguez is unable to go.

Chiefs now have placed WR Rashee Rice, WR Tyquan Thornton and CBs Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson on season-ending injured reserve.

Related Players: Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster

With Chris Oladokun taking snaps this week, and potentially next, it'd be hard to trust any of these Chiefs pass-catchers in the most pivotal of pivotal fantasy weeks. Kelce can be considered a top-15 option, but not much more.

Vikings ruled out RB Jordan Mason and TE T.J. Hockenson, amongst others, for the Christmas Day game against Detroit.

Related Players: Aaron Jones, Zavier Scott, Ty Johnson, Josh Oliver

We'd like to think this would equate to a massive workload for Jones, but with no Playoff implications for the Vikings on the line, we could see a rotation with Scott and Johnson. Jones can still be considered an RB2, just closer to the RB3 fringe than the top-12.

Oliver is techincally in the TE streaming realm, but you can probably find yourself a better option on the WW.

Browns RB Dylan Sampson returned to practice today after being sidelined with a hand injury.

Related Players: Trayveon Williams, Raheim Sanders

With Jerome Ford and now Quinshon Judkins sidelined, we could end up seeing a lot of run out of Sampson if he's cleared by the weekend. The offensive environment obviously isn't perfect, but he would very much be in play as a volume-based RB3 should he suit up.

Packers QB Jordan Love (concussion) limited for a second straight day, while backup Malik Willis (right shoulder/illness) did not participate.

Related Players: Clayton Tune

Tune is the only other quarterback on the roster or practice squad, but if we had to guess, Love is the most likely option to take the field this weekend. If he or Willis ends up getting the start and playing the whole game, they would be in the QB2 middleground for fantasy.

The Raiders are placing star TE Brock Bowers on injured reserve today, officially ending his season, per sources.

Bowers has dealt with a knee injury since Week 1. With playoffs long out of reach, the decision was made to get it taken care of now and focus on being 100% in 2026.

Related Players: Michael Mayer

An absolutely cursed season for the Las Vegas Raiders. Mayer is closer to streaming territory over the last two weeks of the season, but there are better options on the waiver wire.

In the least surprising development of the month, the NFL has upheld the two-game suspension the NFL imposed on Steelers receiver DK Metcalf.

Metcalf will miss Week 17 at Cleveland and Week 18 vs. Baltimore. The story goes on to say he’ll lose $555,555 in base salary, with the Steelers also able (if they choose) to recover $1.5 million in signing bonus money and to void $25 million in fully guaranteed pay for 2026, along with $20 million in injury guarantees in 2027. As the story points out, that doesn’t mean the Steelers will do it, but it does give them an easy out from Metcalf’s deal after only one year.

The Ravens held only a walk-through practice on Tuesday, but Lamar Jackson did not participate. The quarterback has a back contusion that kept him sidelined.

Coach John Harbaugh called Jackson day-to-day on Monday, a day after Jackson was kneed in the back.

Related players: Tyler Hundley

Jackson was the only Ravens player listed as out of practice as the team began preparations for Saturday’s game against the Packers, the story said. The Ravens and Lamar are hopeful he can go in Week 17, after saying he couldn't return to the game in Week 16. While this isn't a great sign, there is still time for Jackson to get back on the practice field so be sure to monitor.

Justin Fields’ first season with the Jets has come to an end.

The Jets are putting Fields on injured reserve with a knee injury, ending his season.

Related players: Brady Cook, Tyrod Taylor

Cook will start at quarterback for the Jets, with Taylor backing him up. As the story said: the decision to give Fields a two-year, $40 million contract in March is looking like a costly mistake. Fields has a $20 million base salary next season, of which $10 million is guaranteed. It’s unclear at this point whether Fields will be back next year, but the Jets are on the hook for at least that $10 million either way.

49ers tight end George Kittle is dealing with a “mid-to-low ankle sprain,” per source.

Kittle said, and we reported it this morning, he believed he avoided a high ankle sprain. While that's the case, his status is at least up in the air for now for Week 17. As we also said this morning, the Niners play the Sunday night game, so things could get tricky for Kittle owners in what is likely their fantasy finals.