NFL Player News

The lede to the story starts: “Saying he was ‘bored’ not playing football,” which feels like the most Rob Gronkowski way to think about unretiring. Gronkowski is only 33 and still likely capable of being a top-5 fantasy tight end if he wanted to pursue it, but the state of the Bucs is ... well, not ring chasing so much as praying to make the playoffs. Perhaps Gronkowski will be amenable to following Tom Brady again in 2023, though.

The Seahawks smartly allowed Walker to take two games off after suffering a Week 13 calf strain. Fantasy managers should expect the explosive RB to return to his starting role despite Zach Charbonnet’s recent successes. Walker is a borderline RB1/2 for the occasion.

Allen was upgraded to a full session to close the week, meaning he should play through this back issue on Sunday. Fellow backup running back Isaiah Davis was dealing with a back injury of his own this week. He was removed from the injury report entirely. Breece Hall, who never made an appearance on the injury report this week, should see an uptick in touches as he gets healthier. Neither Allen nor Davis will escape the RB4/5 border this week.

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.