Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic on pass-rusher T.J. Watt's (ankle) availability for their Week 16 game this Saturday against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. Tomlin said Watt is walking around comfortably and that the "door is ajar" for him to play. Pittsburgh believes that the ankle sprain that the 30-year-old suffered late in the Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles is a minor one that might not even force him to miss any time. If that's true, it would be big for the Steelers, as Watt is one of the best all-around defensive players in the NFL. However, the Steelers also probably won't take any chances with Watt potentially making his injury worse if he plays through it and he's not completely ready. It all means that fantasy managers in IDP leagues should be prepared for a scenario in which they won't have Watt this weekend on a short week for Pittsburgh.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson reeled in seven of 13 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown in his team's 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. The last time these two met, Chicago held the superstar wideout to 27 yards and two receptions on five targets. However, Jefferson got one over on the Bears in this one, scoring his third TD in the last two games. Jefferson was involved early, catching his touchdown -- a seven-yarder -- on the Vikings' second drive of the game. The LSU product has seven receptions in three straight outings and continues to torment defenses as one of the most dominant pass-catchers in football. He'll get a date with the Seattle Seahawks in the fantasy semi-finals next weekend and is a locked-in elite WR1.

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Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Monday that cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) will have surgery to fix an issue in his articular cartilage, and his recovery could take up to eight months. The expectation is that Diggs won't be ready for the start of training camp, but there's a chance he could be ready for the start of the regular season. Diggs' injury is related to fluid in his knee and subsequent cartilage problems. The 26-year-old defensive back made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022 and was an All-Pro in 2021, but he's had back-to-back injury-plagued years now and has played in a combined 13 games in that span. In 11 starts in 2024, he had 42 tackles (35 solo), two interceptions and 11 pass breakups. Diggs had a league-high 11 picks in 2021 but has six in three years since.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers rushed 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears. He was not targeted in the passing game. The former Florida State Seminole didn't see his first touch until the second quarter -- garnering three on that drive -- and did most of his work with the game comfortably in hand. Akers' long run of the day was a gain of 11, and his TD was a one-yard plunge in the fourth quarter that gave the Vikings a 27-6 lead. The 25-year-old saw his most carries since Week 11, but his efficiency was way down (2.4 yards per carry) against a beatable Bears defense. With backfield mate Aaron Jones exhibiting a stranglehold on the lead-back job, Akers will retain his handcuff status for next weekend's road tilt with the Seattle Seahawks.

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New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi said that it's too soon in the week to guess whether quarterback Derek Carr (concussion, hand) could play in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers next Monday night. However, Rizzi also said it "wouldn't be a reach" to expect that Carr will be cleared to play at some point before the end of the season. The coach also said he will wait to decide which QB will take the first practice reps this week and potentially start if Carr cannot go. However, all signs point to rookie Spencer Rattler getting the nod after the team benched Jake Haener in the one-point loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 15. The 33-year-old Carr suffered a concussion and a fractured left (non-throwing) hand in the Week 14 win over the New York Giants. Fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting him to help them the rest of this year.

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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said he thinks that running back Nick Chubb (foot) won't need surgery on the broken left foot that he suffered in the Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Chubb will still miss the rest of the regular season with only three weeks left, but the 28-year-old should be fully recovered in time for the start of the 2025 campaign. Still, it's been an injury-plagued last two years for Chubb, as he's played in only 10 combined games. He got a late start in 2024 while recovering from his gruesome knee injury and ended up playing in eight contests. Chubb looked sluggish, averaging a career-worst 3.3 yards per carry on 102 rushing attempts for 332 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to coming off another injury, Chubb will be a free agent and may not return to Cleveland, further clouding his fantasy value. Jerome Ford takes over the Browns the rest of the way at RB.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said on Monday that he's going to use the next few days to decide who his starting quarterback will be heading into Week 16 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. Levis threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals before being benched in favor of Mason Rudolph. The struggling Levis went 8-for-12 for 89 yards. Rudolph finished 21-for-26 for 209 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Levis has missed several games due to injury and has been inconsistent when on the field in his second year in the league, completing 63.7% of his 284 pass attempts for 1,916 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 starts. The 25-year-old has improved his accuracy, but it hasn't been enough, and turnovers and poor decision-making have been a problem.

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Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (concussion) and defensive back Jeremy Chinn (concussion) are both in the league's concussion protocol after suffering head injuries in the team's Week 15 win over the New Orleans Saints, according to head coach Dan Quinn. It was a tough day for fantasy managers that started Ertz in the first round of the fantasy playoffs in most leagues, as he only caught two passes for 25 yards before getting hurt in the second quarter and not returning. He'll now be firmly up in the air to play in Week 16 against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Dec. 22. If Ertz is forced to miss time, expect Ben Sinnott and John Bates to split reps at the tight end position for Washington. The two combined for two catches and 13 yards against the Saints, though, and there should be better TE options for fantasy managers.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones piled up 86 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries in his team's 30-12 win against the Chicago Bears. The 30-year-old added 20 yards on 2-of-3 receiving. It was another strong performance from the veteran, who has been an excellent addition to the Vikings' squad in 2024. After sparse TD production earlier this season, he now has one score in four straight games and at least 73 rushing yards in four of his last six. Jones has been a solid RB2 this year and will be as such with upside in Week 16 when Minnesota squares off against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. Seattle has allowed 24.8 fantasy points per game to RBs -- the tenth-most in the league -- through 14 contests.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 24-of-40 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown, and one INT in Monday night's 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears. The Vikings started hot in this one, scoring on their first two possessions to take a quick 10-0 lead against their division rivals. However, they'd slow down from there but essentially controlled the game from start to finish. Darnold was solid, though it likely wasn't the performance fantasy managers who rolled with him were looking for. The 27-year-old's interception came on an early fourth-down heave where he had pressure in his face and was trying to make something out of nothing. Other than that, he played a pretty clean game. It was just his third appearance all season with one or fewer touchdowns, but his ninth in a row with at least 230 passing yards. He and the Vikings will take on the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday during the fantasy semi-finals.

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Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quad) did not suit up for practice on Monday. It's worth noting that this was an estimated practice report, so fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into it. McLaughlin was forced to exit early during Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. That being said, McLaughlin appears to be in danger of sitting out Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. If that happens, Javonte Williams and Audric Estime would see more snaps in the backfield. Between the two, Williams is the more appealing fantasy option. Williams has struggled recently, but had some decent performances earlier in the season.

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Las Vegas Raiders running back Sincere McCormick (ankle) is listed as questionable to return for Monday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. McCormick was forced to exit in the second quarter due to an ankle issue. The team will likely evaluate him at halftime to see if he'll be able to return for the second half. Before exiting, McCormick rushed for eight yards on seven carries and hauled in two receptions for 17 yards. The expectation is that Alexander Mattison will see the bulk of the carries until McCormick returns. Ameer Abdullah could also be in the mix for this Raiders rushing attack that has struggled all season long.

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Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (shoulder) didn't suit up for Monday's practice session. It's worth noting that this just an estimated practice report, so it doesn't mean too much. Dissly suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 and was expected to miss a few weeks. That being said, it's not shocking to see him missing practice time. There's a good chance that Dissly sits out in Week 16 considering it's a short week, so he'd need to get ready to play by Thursday. Stone Smartt started in place of Dissly during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Smartt hauled in five of his six targets for 50 yards in the blowout loss. He could have some TE2 appeal for Week 16 if Dissly misses Thursday's game.

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's estimated injury report. Herbert is dealing with an ankle issue, but was able to play through it during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He looked fine in the pocket, but the ankle issue clearly limited his running ability considering he had zero carries on Sunday. Nonetheless, Herbert figures to be fine for Thursday's Week 16 matchup against the Denver Broncos. The Chargers might limit Herbert in order to keep him fresh, but he should be out there unless he suffers a setback.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated injury report. Fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into that because it basically means he didn't go through walkthrough. Johnston suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That being said, it wouldn't be shocking to see Johnston sit or be limited early in the week. However, the Chargers do have a short week with a matchup against the Denver Broncos on Thursday. The absence of Johnston would mean more targets for Ladd McConkey and Joshua Palmer during Thursday's Week 16 contest.

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Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) had his ankle checked during the Week 15 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday but finished the game. "Joe came out fine, Joe will be fine," head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday. It's good news, but fantasy managers probably weren't fine with Mixon's final stat line in the first round of the playoffs in most leagues. The 28-year-old had 12 carries for only 23 yards but somewhat salvaged his final line by catching five of his six targets for an additional 33 yards. Mixon is still having a fine first year with the Texans -- he's the RB9 in half-PPR scoring -- but his two worst rushing performances have both come within the last three games. It could mean that he's tiring out down the stretch. Because of his involvement on both the ground and as a pass-catcher for Houston, he'll essentially remain a must-start in fantasy despite a tough Week 16 matchup against the Chiefs.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (calf) went through a good workout on Monday and is feeling good, but his status for the Week 16 contest against the Minnesota Vikings is up in the air, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. "We'll see on Wednesday," Macdonald said. Walker has missed each of the last two games, so he's going to need to get back on the practice field this week for the first time since Dec. 4. We'll have a better idea of his availability for next weekend once the Seahawks begin practicing on Wednesday. If the 24-year-old doesn't make much progress and misses a third straight game, Zach Charbonnet would see lead-back duties yet again and would essentially be a must-start in fantasy lineups after going for 30 carries, 188 yards and three rushing TDs the last two weeks with Walker out. Charb has also caught eight of 11 targets for 71 yards.

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Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday that tests on quarterback Geno Smith's right knee came back positive. "Hopefully we'll see him practice throughout the week," Macdonald says. In addition to the team expecting Smith to practice this week, they are optimistic that he will take most of the snaps at practice. Smith was forced from Sunday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers with a knee injury in the third quarter and never returned, but at least as of right now, the Seahawks are expecting him to practice and play in Week 16 versus the Minnesota Vikings. We'll keep a close eye on Smith's status in practices this week, and if he ends up not being ready to play, Sam Howell would be in line for his first start of the year. Howell looked like a deer in headlights in relief, going 5-for-14 for 24 yards and an interception while taking four sacks.

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Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. cleared waivers on Monday and is now officially a free agent. Beckham and the Dolphins mutually agreed to part ways late last week, and now the 32-year-old veteran pass-catcher is free to sign with any team he pleases. He reportedly already had several potential landing spots in mind, and although Beckham probably won't have any kind of significant role with another team down the stretch in 2024, he could find a new home relatively quickly. We'd expect OBJ to try and sign with a contender to provide veteran receiving depth going into the postseason in several weeks. The former 12th overall pick by the New York Giants in 2014 out of LSU has been on the decline for several years now and had only nine catches on 18 targets for 55 yards and no touchdowns in nine games with Miami before being waived.

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The Kansas City Chiefs released running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on Monday. Edwards-Helaire's disappointing tenure in Kansas City officially comes to an end after he didn't play a single down for the team in 2024. The 25-year-old began the regular season on the Non-Football Illness list due to personal issues and was a healthy scratch in each of the team's last nine games. The Chiefs originally selected him as the 32nd overall pick in 2020 out of LSU, but CEH never lived up to his lofty draft stock in his four seasons with the team. In total, he had 441 rushing attempts for 1,845 yards (4.2 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns while catching 89 passes for 765 yards and seven more TDs in 48 games (32 carries). Edwards-Helaire is still rather young and should latch on with another organization, but he's going to need to work his way up and prove that his head is in the right place.

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