NFL Player News

Smith was a primary target of Tua Tagovailoa’s once again this week, trailing Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane by just one look in the passing game. The veteran tight end has at least 40 yards in eight grams games with two 100-yard performances over that stretch. Miami’s descent into the depths of PPR scamming has turned Smith into an every-week TE1 with both an elite floor and ceiling. He will remain a top-five fantasy tight end when the Dolphins take on the Browns in Week 17.

Johnson was waived by the Ravens a few weeks ago. The Texans were awarded him on waivers with a few other teams putting in claims as well. He will likely get a few reps early in the game with the starters before Houston pulls their first-team offense. They have nothing to play for this week and won’t risk more than a handful of drives as their offense tries to find its footing heading into the playoffs.

The Packers listed Watson as questionable last week despite the lanky wide receiver’s inability to practice at all. He still has a chance to suit up for Week 18 but the Packers have already clinched a playoff spot so giving him Watson another week off could in the cards. His availability on Thursday and Friday should clarify the situation.

Conner entered Week 17 with a knee issue and didn’t make it far before being shut down. He re-aggravated the injury after four carries and did not return. His season comes to a close with 236 carries for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns. While it was another strong season for the veteran, he went from averaging 80 rushing yards per game in 2023 to 68 this year. On the other hand, Conner more than made up for the slight downturn in rushing production with 47 receptions for 414 yards and a touchdown through the air, dwarfing his 2023 receiving numbers. Late-season injury aside, Conner showed no signs of slowing in his age-29 season and even earned a two-year contract extension mid-season. He could cede more work to Trey Benson next year, but Conner is still firmly in the RB2 mix heading into 2025.

McVay said Stafford will get a rest week. Other starters will join him on the bench as well. Garoppolo will take his first live snap since Week 8 of the 2023 season during his failed stint in Las Vegas. With Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua presumably among those resting in Week 18, Garoppolo is on the QB2/3 border for fantasy purposes this week.

Jimmy Garoppolo will start. With nothing but a minor change to their playoff seed to play for, the Rams will give their big names the week off. Expect Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams to rest as well. If the Bucs win and the Rams’ backups fail to pull off the upset this week, LA will face the loser of the Lions/Vikings showdown.

Alexander has been attempting to come back from the knee issue for over a month, but it never responded how he and the team wanted it to. The final straw came last week when Alexander went from being listed as a full participant in practice on Wednesday to a DNP on Friday. His season ends with seven pass breakups and two interceptions. Alexander is still a top-flight corner when healthy but has appeared in more than seven games just once in the past four seasons.

Brock Purduy injured his right elbow on Monday and will miss the final week of the season. Brandon Allen will back up Dobbs. Dobbs took over for Purdy on the final drive versus Detroit and looked good, throwing for 35 yards on four attempts while punching in a seven-yard rushing touchdown. He will be in the QB2 mix for the final week of the regular season.

Josh Dobbs will start and Brandon Allen will serve as his backup. Purdy suffered the right elbow injury late in Week 17 against the Lions and did not return. Though there hasn’t been any indication that it’s a major issue, the 49ers have nothing to play for in Week 18, giving them no reason to throw Purdy out there. His season ends with 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks. He also rushed for 323 yards and five scores. Purdy had a reputation as a button-pusher heading into 2024. He excelled within the Kyle Shanahan system, but his ability to create out of structure was modest at best. With injuries to all of his major pass-catchers plus an offensive line that took a step back, Purdy made the most of a bad situation more often than not. That, however, wasn’t always the case. Purdy gave up awful interceptions in the fourth quarter of his final three games, all of which were losses. He will need to clean up the mistakes heading into 2025, but a few bad throws shouldn’t prevent the 49ers from committing to him long-term. He is due for an extension in the offseason and should get it sooner rather than later.

Andy Reid said he expects Pacheco to be available for the playoffs but Week 18 is unlikely. With a first-round bye already locked up, Pacheco will be held out of the team’s regular season finale to get as much rest as possible heading into the Divisional Round. The Chiefs could also rest Kareem Hunt and even Samaje Perine versus Denver.