NFL Player News

Herndon will return for a fifth season with Jacksonville as a special teams player an occasional secondary contributor. Herndon, 26, hasn’t recorded an interception since 2019, when he had three picks for the Jags.

Olave has now been listed as a full participant in both practices this week and is trending toward a return in Week 17 against the Raiders. The third-year receiver has dealt with multiple concussions this season but will try to salvage what’s left of 2024 with two games left on the schedule. If he’s active, Olave would profile as a fringe WR2/WR3 with Spencer Rattler under center.

MVS missed last week’s game against the Packers with the same injury, but the fact he’s been a limited participant in both practices to start the week is a good sign. The Saints are short on receiver talent as they limp their way to the finish line of a disappointing season. Valdes-Scantling returning to the lineup would at least give Spencer Rattler a “known commodity” at the position to throw to.

Kraft and fellow tight end Luke Musgrave (ankle) have both been limited in practices to start the week. Kraft saw only four targets in last week’s win over the Saints, but still managed to turn that limited volume into 63 receiving yards. Musgrave has played behind Kraft this season and won’t have any fantasy viability if Kraft is active on Sunday against the Vikings.

Tyler Badie (back, questionable) is the only player carrying an injury designation into Saturday’s game against the Bengals, and he is currently on injured reserve. The Broncos enter Week 17 with a fully healthy roster, with McLaughlin expected to resume his role as part of the three-man running back rotation. McLaughlin had back-to-back games with double-digit touches before missing last week’s game due to his injury. Playing like one of Denver’s better backs, there’s a chance he could be in line for similar work against a lousy Bengals defense.

After missing last week’s game against the Panthers with an ankle injury, Benson returned to log three limited practices this week and will officially be listed as questionable heading into the game. If active, Benson could make for an interesting streaming option if James Conner (knee, questionable) cannot play, but Benson wouldn’t have any standalone value if both backs are active.

It was reported earlier that Conner was making “good” progress on his rehab from a knee injury he suffered in last week’s loss to the Panthers. After being limited in all three practices this week, Conner will have a chance to play in Week 17’s game against the Rams, but fantasy managers will want to have other backup plans in place. Conner should be a strong volume play against the Rams if he suits up, but it’s hard to know how much this knee issue may hinder his on-field performance.

Higgins was limited in practice throughout the week and will now carry a questionable status into a pivotal matchup against the Broncos. Higgins exited Week 16’s game with an apparent ankle injury but returned a few plays later and finished out the game. Assuming this is the same injury, we would expect him to be on the field Saturday, but his status will be one to monitor when teams announce inactives 90 minutes before kickoff.

This news comes from Pickett, who spoke with the media after practice. The third-year quarterback is dealing with a rib injury he picked up in last week’s loss to the Commanders but said the injury is something he will “have to deal with.” Jalen Hurts (concussion) appears unlikely to start Week 17 against the Cowboys after missing his second-straight practice. Pickett drawing the start against the Cowboys means both A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith will receive significant downgrades for the fantasy football championships.

Dean was a healthy participant on Wednesday before worryingly showing up with “knees” in the injury column on Thursday. We need more information to concretely project him to miss Week 17 but the development is certainly a net negative. The Panthers’ passing attack would have a far easier time moving the ball downfield if the Buccaneers’ No. 1 CB is sidelined.

Shepard is trending toward a Week 17 absence though he does still have Friday to participate in some capacity. The Buccaneers’ pass-catching corps is short-staffed with Cade Otton (knee) also sidelined through two practices. Should both players sit, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan would dominate targets against the Panthers.