NFL Player News

Asked if a call from Tom Brady would change his mind, Gronkowski said he’d take the call, but “I wouldn’t go back to football, no.” Regardless of what Gronkowski says, Drew Rosenhaus’ statement that it wouldn’t surprise him if Gronk returned to the NFL continues to point to the idea that nobody in the NFL really believes he’s done. Gronkowski did seem fairly adamant that this was it for him, but it will remain an open question until he’s on the couch in the playoffs.

Smith ostensibly remained setback-free all week so his knee appears to be reasonably healthy. It is unlikely he scrambles for a season-high rushing stat line but he should be able to plant and drive the ball downfield adequately. His potentially limited mobility likely results in a passing game designed to exploit the Vikings’ aggressive blitz tactics, which could lead to big outings for players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker III. Smith is a borderline QB1/2.

The Browns have curiously listed Garrett with only a back injury this week, perhaps because Garrett is expected to play through the eye issue. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reports that Garrett said “he should be able to line up on both sides of the defensive front after his vision limited him last week.”

In a strange turn of events, London was added to Friday’s injury report with a knee injury but carries no game status in the Falcons’ Week 16 matchup against the Giants. Fantasy managers should expect London to play but following news closely is a recommended course of action.

Dugger closed the week with two limited sessions, putting him on the right side of questionable as Sunday approaches. Fellow starting safety Jabrill Peppers is also listed as questionable for Week 16. Healthy or not, the Patriots will be easy targets for Josh Allen and a red-hot Bills offense. Allen remains the QB1 overall heading into Week 16.

Two of the Giants’ best remaining defenders are questionable to play this week. Burns managed just one limited practice (Friday) while CB Deonte Banks (rib) remained limited all week. Both players are at risk of missing Michael Penix’s first career start, elevating his fantasy-scoring potential.

Prater will remain on injured reserve for at least one more week. Chad Ryland will continue to kick for the Cardinals. Facing a Carolina defense that should allow Arizona to move the ball with ease, Ryland is a solid streaming option this week.

Johnson suffered an MCL injury in Week 15 and could be out for more than just this game against the Panthers. Kelvin Beachum should take his spot in the lineup this week. Beachum started at right tackle earlier this season while Jonah Williams was injured and has years of experience at left tackle under his belt.

Robinson relies on high target volume and reasonable accuracy to produce in fantasy. Both factors have been an issue since Daniel Jones’ Week 11 departure. The shifty slot receiver is earning targets at just a 14.9 percent rate while averaging 0.80 yards per route run over the last five weeks. He is a low-floor WR5/6 with Drew Lock under center.

Turner was added to the injury report on Wednesday with a knee issue. He suffered a knee injury earlier in the year and missed one game. The rookie is good to go for Week 16. He has two sacks plus two TFLs this season.

This is unfortunate. Tracy was unable to graduate to Full Participant status and Devin Singletary significantly ate into Tracy’s workload last week. Tracy can only be started as a volatile RB3. Hopefully, clarifying news will come over the weekend regarding both his ankle and role.