NFL Player News

“He’s one of the guys that when the ball went up, it seemed like he came down with it, or he found a way to get open,” said Munchak. “His routes were sharp ... He was fun to watch.” Mariani’s strong showing will certainly help in his quest to nail down a roster spot, but he’s not going to be higher than fifth on the depth chart at receiver.

Henry had a back-breaking fantasy day, seeing two shaky targets in a blowout loss. After being the Patriots’ leading receiver all season long, Henry deals a blow to fantasy managers during championship week as the TE1 floor fell out. Henry splits looks with Austin Hooper and will be a TE2 for Week 18.

Hooper continues to be a key part of the Pats’ short-yardage rotations. He worked in tandem with Hunter Henry and caught all of Drake Maye’s tight end targets, tallying three catches for 19 yards. He’s quietly been productive this season, and ranks in the TE2 mix for Week 18.

Bourne’s role as the veteran of the Pats’ wideout group does not allow for much fantasy production. He caught just two passes in a blowout loss. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker came into the game late, but neither caught a pass. Bourne should remain off fantasy radars while Polk and Baker have had disappointing rookie seasons.

Pace missed the minimum four games before proving healthy enough to make a return from injured reserve, immediately boosting a Minnesota defense that has slipped a bit of late. Expect Pace to immediately see his normal allotment of defensive snaps as the team pushes for the No. 1 seed out of the NFC.

Guerendo will return from a one-game absence and should immediately reclaim a starting role in one of fantasy’s most valuable backfields. Even with a matchup on deck against a Lions team ceding just 16.9 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields, Guerendo’s expected volume should be enough to serve as a back-end RB2 for championship week.

Douglas continued to operate in his slot role for screens, swing passes, and end-arounds. A botched first half exchange on a pitch from Drake Maye led to a fumble, but he came back the next drive to catch a 36-yard touchdown. Douglas has been a regular contributor for Drake Maye and company and should stick around as a WR4/5 heading into Week 18.

Raymond saw his 21-day practice window opened earlier in the week but will ultimately be held out for the fifth consecutive game as he tends to a foot injury. He appears to be nearing a return in time for the postseason run.

No surprise here after Montgomery is reportedly attempting to rehab his knee and return at some point in the playoffs. The Lions control their own destiny for the top playoff seed and the only bye out of the NFC, but will need to keep stringing together wins with the Vikings nipping at their heels.

Boutte was tied for most targets on the team after a fruitful Week 16 saw him get 95 yards and a touchdown. The Pats’ offensive struggles led to a low output for him, but Boutte has become a larger part of the receiving group as the season has gone on. He is a volatile WR5 heading into Week 18 against the Bills.

Gibson also did not catch his sole target. After head coach Jerod Mayo said before the game that Gibson would start, Rhamondre Stevenson wound up starting in what Mayo called a “coach’s decision” after the game. Despite Mayo’s uncertainty over his running backs, Gibson out-touched Stevenson 12 to two on the day, with a few carries coming down 33 points on the final drive of the game. Gibson gets FLEX consideration in a shaky Pats offense for Week 18 against the Bills.