NFL Player News

It’s that time of year again, where Watkins pops up out of obscurity to perhaps join an NFL team late in the season. Watkins was signed off of waivers by the Ravens last December after being released by the Packers and totaled 16 receptions for 325 yards in 12 games. The veteran receiver could provide added depth to a Colts receiver room that’s thin behind Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, but won’t be on the fantasy radar any time soon.

Ertz was still in concussion protocol when the Commanders released their final injury report, earning him the questionable designation. He was cleared over the weekend and is good to go for Week 16. Ertz has served as the team’s de facto No. 2 receiver this year and will do so again versus the Eagles, keeping him on the TE1 outskirts for the fantasy semifinals.

Higbee is finally ready to make his 2024 debut after suffering a torn ACL in the playoffs in January. He underwent surgery on his knee and, per Garafolo, also needed shoulder surgery in the offseason. The Rams have slow-played his return so far. Higbee has been practicing in full for multiple weeks but has been held out on Sundays as he gets up to full speed. They will continue to ease him back into action with a pitch count this week, keeping him off the fantasy radar entirely.

Players typically played through illness-related questionable tags, but Froholdt was obviously added to the injury report very late. The Cardinals are already without left tackle Paris Johnson while left guard Evan Brown is listed as questionable with a neck injury. Arizona could be down three starting linemen for their matchup with Carolina if Brown and Froholdt both sit.

Allen was limited for the first two practices of the week because of the back injury before being upgraded to a full session on Friday. He was still listed as questionable on the final injury report, though the rookie never appeared to be at risk of missing Week 16. Breece Hall was off the injury report entirely this week, suggesting he’s as healthy as he has been since tweaking his knee a month ago. With Isaiah Davis also in the mix for touches, only Hall is worth starting in the fantasy semifinals.

Williams was listed as questionable on the final injury report after interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters the team was hopeful he would suit up this week. Per Garafolo, Williams will test out his hamstring this morning before the team makes a final decision. The stud interior pass-rusher has six sacks and eight TFLs this year, impressive numbers for a defensive tackle. Losing him would be a notable blow to a struggling Jets defense.

Allen was on the team’s injury report as a full participant for months after landing on his hand during a touchdown run in a Week 1 win over Arizona. He checked out his hand after slamming it into the ground while being tackled but told reporters after the game he was fine. “Fine” is putting it lightly as Allen would go on to post MVP-caliber numbers and is now the front-runner to take home the award. He was removed from the injury report entirely after Buffalo’s Week 12 bye. The injury obviously never put Allen at risk of missing time and he remains the top fantasy option in the game heading into Week 16.

Winston is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Bailey Zappe will serve as the backup to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Browns will list Winston as inactive, meaning he can only enter the game if both Zappe and DTR get hurt. For fantasy managers praying for a Winston takeover in the second half, garbage time will not be your salvation this week. The quarterback situation takes Jerry Jeudy from a borderline WR1 ranking to a measly WR3 projection for his date with Cincinnati.

Parsons was a late addition to the injury report, being listed as questionable after missing Friday’s practice with the illness. Rapoport described it as a stomach bug. While a Friday DNP is always a bit concerning, players rarely miss time with illnesses, and this appears to be no exception. Parsons should be able to add to his sack total in a potentially high-volume game with the Bucs.

Moore suffered a concussion in the Panthers’ Week 15 loss to the Cowboys. He was practicing in full by Friday, putting him in the final steps of the league’s concussion protocol as of the last practice report. With Xavier Legette out this week, Moore will remain a fixture of the team’s three-receiver sets. With his target totals cooling lately, Moore is deep in the FLEX ranks for Carolina’s matchup with the Cardinals.

Coker seemingly got past his quad issue last week and broke out with 110 yards plus a touchdown versus Dallas. He was not on the injury report on Wednesday but was downgraded to limited sessions on Thursday and Friday before being listed as questionable. It seems like the light workloads to close the week may have been precautionary. If he suits up, Coker will be a boom/bust WR5 for his matchup with Arizona.