NFL Player News

O’Connell went down with a bone bruise in his knee in the Raiders’ Week 14 loss to the Bucs. He missed Week 15, but even a limited practice today puts him on track to return this week. Desmond Ridder drew the start last week and threw for 208 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. He also took three sacks. O’Connell would be an immediate upgrade over Ridder, bringing back the PPR floor and ceiling for Brock Bowers, who has been held under 50 yards in consecutive weeks. O’Connell will be a fringe-QB2 if he suits up to face the Jags this week.

Irving has been limited in both practices this week, but these are injuries he has been playing through. Irving was solid in last week’s game against the Chargers, rushing 15 times for 117 yards against one of the league’s top defenses. Assuming he is active for Week 16’s game against the Cowboys, Irving will be a fringe RB1/RB2 in what should be a plus matchup.

After being listed as a DNP on Wednesday, Mayfield was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. His upgrade with one practice left to go in the week should remove any concern for fantasy managers who thought his Week 16 availability might be in doubt, as we can safely assume that Mayfield will be ready to go on Sunday while hoping to lead the Buccaneers to a playoff berth. The Buccaneers will release their final injury report on Friday, but it sounds like Mayfield’s knee injury is a minor issue at this time.

The Jaguars frequently listed injured players as limited all week before allowing them to play on Sunday so Strange’s continued limitation is not necessarily concerning. Unless actionable, negative information is provided by the team, fantasy managers should expect their streaming TE1 to suit up against the Raiders this week.

Meyers has been limited in both practices to start the week, but this is presumably the same ankle injury he’s played through the last two weeks. Barring an unexpected setback, we would expect Meyers to suit up for Week 16 against the Jaguars, although we should have more clarity on his situation on Friday.

Gonzalez remains truly questionable until otherwise stated. He appeared to be ready to play last week but was ultimately ruled inactive despite practicing in full. The Commanders’ Week 16 game against the Eagles should be a fantasy-friendly environment.

Agholor was a DNP all week, but head coach John Harbaugh said he still has a chance to clear concussion protocol before Saturday’s game against the Steelers. If he is cleared, Agholor could see a bigger role than usual, with Rashod Bateman (foot, questionable) trending in the wrong direction. Even if he’s active, Agholor won’t have any fantasy upside this week.

Bateman’s Week 16 outlook doesn’t look great despite his questionable status. The veteran receiver popped up on Wednesday’s injury report and was a DNP on Thursday. On top of all of that, he was also spotted in the facility wearing a boot. The Ravens will probably give Bateman until Saturday to see whether or not he can suit up, but the early signs suggest he’s in line to miss this week’s game. His status will be one to monitor in the coming days.

Ertz still has multiple NFL concussion protocol phases he must clear in order to return but this is a big step in the right direction. He remains questionable to play but could be available for Week 16 against his former Eagles squad.

Barmore opened the year on the NFI list after being treated for blood clots in the offseason. In a statement released by the Patriots, the team said Barmore “experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation,” which led to the decision to return him to the NFI list. Barmore, 25, appeared in four games for the Patriots this season, totaling six tackles and one sack. He signed a four-year, $92 million contract extension in April and will hopefully be back in time for the start of next season.

Beat reporter Nick Underhill reports “Kamara’s injury is more significant than believed,” labeling him “week to week.” News broke earlier this week that Kamara needed to undergo additional testing for his groin injury. It appears as though those tests brought undesirable results. Fantasy managers should rush to add Kendre Miller wherever he is available. He is RB2-viable against the Packers on Monday night.