NFL Player News

Head coach Todd Bowles said Otton, along with wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring/foot) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) will also miss Week 17’s contest. The Buccaneers find themselves in a must-win situation against the Panthers if they hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. The absence of Otton and Shepard should lead to an increased target share for Jalen McMillan, who has found the end zone in three straight games, and will also open the door for Payne Durham to make another start. Durham caught 5-of-7 targets for 29 yards in last week’s loss to the Cowboys, but will be hard to trust as anything more than a boom-or-bust TE2 against the Panthers.

Watson didn’t practice at all this week, so the news isn’t much of a surprise. Per head coach Matt LaFleur, Watson is dealing with a bone bruise in his knee. It won’t sideline him for long, but Green Bay is eying a deep playoff run, so holding Watson out for a week or two is likely for the best. Dontayvion Wicks will take his spot in the lineup this week. Wicks will be a boom/bust WR4 once Watson is ruled out.

Waddle got in two limited practices this week before being listed as questionable. The team will likely put him through a pre-game warmup before making a final decision on his status, but fantasy managers need to have a backup plan in place. If Waddle is ruled out, rookie Malik Washington will stay in the No. 2 role for Week 17. Washington caught three passes for 28 yards last week, keeping him deep in the WR5/6 range versus Cleveland.

Hill has been playing through the wrist issue all year, even as it has worsened over the back half of the season. It looks like Week 17 will be no different. His numbers have stagnated in the latest iteration of the Miami offense. Hill has topped 100 yards once in his past seven appearances, although five touchdowns during that stretch have cushioned the blow for fantasy managers. With Tua Tagovailoa expected to miss Week 17, Hill is barely in the WR2 ranks versus Cleveland.

Legette was limited in the final two practices of the week before being listed as questionable. He has been playing through the wrist issue for a while. The hip injury, on the other hand, is an extension of the groin issue he suffered in Week 15. Canales was pessimistic on his odds of suiting up earlier in the week, so fantasy managers will still want to check Carolina’s inactives 90 minutes before kickoff. If active, Legette will be a low-floor WR5 for the final round of the fantasy postseason.

As Schefter notes, there is no way Adams is going to miss a chance to catch Aaron Rodgers’ 500th career touchdown pass. He has already come down with No. 200 and No. 400. Adams was held out of practice on Thursday but returned for a limited session on Friday before being listed as questionable. One practice is typically enough to keep a veteran in the lineup, and that appears to be the case this week. Adams is a low-end WR1 for his Week 17 date with the Bills.

That makes a total of five receptions for Cooper Kupp over the last three games, or half of what Puka Nacua (10-129) did against the Cardinals on Saturday night. Simply put, this has been a massively disappointing fantasy season for Kupp, and he’s been completely unplayable of those last 12 quarters. It could change against Seattle in Week 18, but fantasy managers shouldn’t count on it.

That makes three straight contests where Wilson has been held below 50 yards. Some of that has to do with strong fantasy outings from Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr;, as they combined for 16 catches for 219 yards in the close loss. There’s no reason to think of Wilson as a fantasy factor for Week 18 against the 49ers.

Williams plunged in from short-yardage for the Rams’ only touchdown of the contest. The tailback wasn’t able to break off many long runs with a top gain of 18, but he was able to keep the chains moving just enough. Williams has now scored 14 rushing touchdowns on the year, and he’ll likely get a chance for at least one more in Week 18 against the Seahawks.

The six catches are a season high for Harrison. The fourth-overall selection was able to work on the sidelines, and he and Kyle Murray seemed to be on the same page for the first time a while, if not all year. Fantasy managers who drafted Harrison with a high pick have the right to wonder why this couldn’t have happened more often, and managers who may be considering a draft pick on him for 2025 were given a reminder of what the future could hold. His final game of his rookie campaign will be against the 49ers in Week 18.

After James Conner (knee) left the game, Carter was the bellcow for the Arizona rushing attack, and he handled it well. The 25-year-old was able to find creases between the tackles and used his speed on some of his outside runs. It wasn’t dominating by any means, but effective nevertheless. If Conner and Trey Benson can’t go again, Carter should see a lot of touches again in Week 18.