NFL Player News

Okonkwo finally failed to catch some targets with his first two incompletions of the season. Josh Whyle also had a catch for five yards. Okonkwo handily outperformed Kyle Pitts this week, you can’t deny it.

Warren is playing very well at the moment, banking RB21 and RB8 finishes over the last two weeks. He practiced in full over the last two days over the last two days so fantasy managers can expect him to handle his typical workload against a Bengals defense that just placed star DT Sheldon Rankins on the reserve/non-football illness list.

After being listed as an estimated DNP on Wednesday, Odunze was a DNP on Thursday due to an illness. We don’t often see players miss games due to illnesses, so we’ll see where things stand on Friday when the team releases its final report. Odunze has caught 52 passes for 716 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie campaign and will look to end the season on a high note against the Packers if he’s active.

Porter missed Week 17 but appears to be in good health now. He practiced in full Tuesday through Thursday. The Steelers are currently jockeying for playoff seeding so Porter’s return is meaningful. He and Ja’Marr Chase should take a fair number of snaps against each other.

According to Fowler, part of this belief stems from what those in the industry consider to be “a weak candidate pool.” Despite the Cowboys’ shortcomings this season, the team has fought its way to a 7-9 season and has a chance to pick up one more win with a victory over the Commanders in Week 18. Under backup quarterback Cooper Rush the Cowboys are 4-4 with notable wins over the Commanders and Buccaneers. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the team’s Week 16 win over the Buccaneers that he is “real, real proud” of the way the team has played for McCarthy amidst a lost season. McCarthy is on the final year of his contract, meaning his return would come with a new deal. It’s unlikely the Cowboys would rush to a decision on the long-time head coach, but we’ll see just how quickly things move when their season concludes on Sunday.

Sanders was designated to return from injured reserve on Wednesday. After being listed as a full participant on Wednesday, Sanders was a limited participant on Thursday, which may create some cause for concern. Whether Thursday’s limited practice is due to load management or a setback is anybody’s guess at this time. We’ll have a better sense of his Week 18 availability when the Panthers’ final injury report is released on Friday.

Higgins was limited in practice throughout the week and will officially carry a questionable tag into the weekend. Fresh off a three-touchdown performance in Week 17 against the Broncos, Higgins should be good to go on Saturday, barring any setbacks in a game that’s a must-win for the Bengals if they hope to have any chance of sneaking into the playoffs.

Ford’s season ends with a rushing line of 104-565-3 and a receiving line of 37-225-0 on 43 targets. He averaged a career-best 5.4 YPC and would have been on to replicate his 2023 numbers before Nick Chubb returned in Week 7 and handled most of the team’s rush attempts until a foot injury he suffered in Week 15 ended his season. Ford is under contract through next season and could have a chance at another premiere role depending on how Chubb’s recovery goes and who else the Browns decide to bring in during the offseason.

Njoku’s production took a massive step back in 2024 after Joe Flacco helped him reach new heights in 2023. Injuries didn’t help the situation, as Njoku was held to just 11 games this season, but his 7.9 YPR marked a new low, while his 505 yards were his fewest since 2021. Njoku will now have all offseason to get right, and will hopefully benefit from an upgrade at quarterback with Deshaun Watson’s future as a starter firmly in doubt. Now ruled out for Week 18, Jordan Akins will likely draw the start in the Browns’ season-finale.

Porter suffered a knee injury in Week 16’s loss to the Ravens and wound up missing last week’s game against the Chiefs. Now, after being a full participant in practice this week, Porter expects to play against the Bengals and said he’ll be on Tee Higgins for most of the game. Porter has allowed 580 receiving yards and one touchdown on 69 targets this season and has also broken up four passes. While the Steelers’ spot in the playoffs is already secured, they are losers of three-straight games and could use a win ahead of the AFC Wild Card round.