Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens caught three of seven targets for 50 yards in the Christmas game 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Week 17 was Pickens' first game back from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from Weeks 14-16. Pickens and the struggling Steelers offense will look to bounce back with a strong performance in Week 18 as they host the Cincinnati Bengals, who rank middle of the pack against opposing wide receivers. Pickens caught three passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in his previous game against the Bengals in Week 13. The Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot. However, they want to steer the ship in the right direction before the playoffs start, as they are on a three-game losing streak heading into this matchup. Look for Russell Wilson to look Pickens' way often in this one. RotoBallers ranks have him as our WR11 in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has seen his fantasy production dip over the last three weeks. The main reason is that the Steelers have lost all three games by 14 or more points, meaning game flow has not been in Harris's favor. In addition to that, they faced three top-10 defenses against the run. Last week against the Chiefs, Harris accumulated 81 all-purpose yards, which was his best production since Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 18, Harris will get another crack at the same Bengals, and fantasy managers can start Harris as a reliable RB2 this week, as the Bengal's defense has been vulnerable against the run in 2024. Harris comes in as RB18 in the latest RotoBaller running back rankings for Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson saved his Week 17 fantasy stat line on the ground as he rushed for a season-high 55 yards and a touchdown in the Christmas game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilson struggled through the air, only throwing for 205 yards on 37 pass attempts while also throwing an interception and no passing touchdowns. The Steelers are on a three-game losing streak and will look to steer the ship as they head into the playoffs next week as either the division winner or, more likely, a Wild Card team. This week, the Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals, who allow the fifth most points to opposing quarterbacks on the season, making Wilson a low-end QB1 play in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Kansas City Chiefs are designating defensive back Jaylen Watson (ankle) to return from injured reserve, and he will practice on Friday. Watson suffered this injury in Week 7's win over the San Francisco 49ers, leading him to land on the IR. During Weeks 8-14, with Watson out, the Chiefs have ranked 27th in EPA/play as a defense. The Chiefs still rank second in points allowed per game during the season (18 PPG). With the Chiefs locking up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Watson will have a chance to suit up this Sunday against the Denver Broncos to get a few reps before the Chief's next game, the Divisional playoff round, the weekend of the 18th of January.

From RotoBaller

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (ribs) is no longer on the injury report and will suit up against the Cincinnati Bengals for the regular season finale. He logged full practices on Wednesday and Thursday, showing encouraging signs of his availability on Saturday as the Steelers host the Bengals in Week 18. The Steelers are currently on a three-game losing streak and will look to eliminate the Bengals from playoff contention with a win on Saturday. Over the past two games, Warren has accumulated 204 all-purpose years and is one of the more explosive players on this Steelers offense. Fantasy managers can deploy Warren as a low-end RB2/flex play in a plus matchup as he comes in as RB16 in the latest RotoBaller running back rankings.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday. Shepard missed the Week 17 victory over the division-rival Carolina Panthers but will likely need to return to a full practice on Friday to avoid a questionable designation going into the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival New Orleans Saints. If the 31-year-old veteran gets the green light to play in a must-win game this weekend for the Bucs, he'll return to his WR3 duties in Tampa's offense behind Mike Evans and emerging rookie Jalen McMillan, leaving him little fantasy upside in the final regular-season game. In his first year with the Bucs, Shepard has scored only once (back on Oct. 3), has not gone over five catches in a game and has just one game with 60-plus receiving yards despite the team's success through the air in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp (ribs) was upgraded from a limited participant on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday. His counterparts at tight end both went from DNP to limited participants, so Friday's practice statuses will determine a lot heading into their season finale. The rookie saw his biggest snap share of the year in Week 17 with Cade Otton (knee) sidelined. If any of the tight ends are forced to watch from the sidelines, Culp should see some extra snaps again after posting 52 yards and three catches against the Carolina Panthers.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Michael Woods II (knee) is dealing with a knee issue and is considered questionable for the Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. The second-year wideout started seeing some playing time through the last five games and even registered a snap share of 86% in their game against the Dolphins. He has yet to post a finish better than WR56 in half-PPR formats, so he's not a recommended play if he does suit up. If he's sidelined, however, it could mean some more targets for Elijah Moore.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder) will miss his first game of the season due to a shoulder injury. The Browns' season finale comes against their AFC North foe, the Baltimore Ravens, and it doesn't help that their defense is banged up. Ward leads the NFL with 19 passes defended and will finish as the seventh leading tackler on the team with 48 combined (41 solo). He also registered two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one tackle for loss. Cameron Mitchell (knee) is next on the depth chart but he's considered questionable, so Chigozie Anusiem may get some more playing time.

From RotoBaller

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (shoulder) received a questionable tag for the season finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. The team is already expected to start Bailey Zappe, their fourth starting quarterback of the season. Winston led the Browns to two of their three wins this season including one over the Ravens in Week 8. If he's able to suit up, he'll likely be relegated to emergency QB while Dorian Thompson-Robinson would play the backup role.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest) upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an improvement for the veteran receiver after he had been limited on Wednesday. Valdes-Scantling has been the epitome of a boom-or-bust player this season, demonstrating a heavy dependence on big plays. Over his last six games, he has caught just 13 of 26 targets for 347 yards and four touchdowns. To make matters even worse, in two games since Derek Carr (hand) went down, Valdes-Scantling has caught just two of nine targets for 64 yards and zero scores. He should be benched in most fantasy leagues if Carr remains sidelined, as expected, in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (abdomen) was added to the injury report after logging a limited practice on Thursday. The 25-year-old was not previously known to have an injury, so his status warrants monitoring as the Titans' Week 18 contest against the Houston Texans draws closer. Okonkwo has never missed a game through nearly three seasons in the NFL. He has come on quite strong lately, catching 22 of 28 targets for 182 yards over his last three games. If active this Sunday, he'll continue to rank as a fringe top-12 fantasy tight end.

From RotoBaller

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (knee) was a limited participant during practice on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that he had limited involvement. The 28-year-old has not yet missed a game this season, amassing 44 catches, 468 yards, and three touchdowns through 16 contests. His production seemed to be declining with Derek Carr (hand) sidelined, but that changed last week as he caught six of 10 targets for 66 yards through the air. If he can maintain this type of workload in Week 18, Johnson will be a viable low-end TE1 in fantasy football.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd (foot) did not participate in Thursday's practice. Boyd was sidelined for the second day in a row, casting serious doubt about his availability for Week 18 against the Houston Texans. He hasn't been inactive yet this season but could be at risk of missing Sunday's regular-season finale. The veteran receiver has caught 39 passes for 390 yards through 16 games, but he's still searching for his first touchdown as a member of the Titans. If Boyd can't suit up, we'd expect some combination of Mason Kinsey and Bryce Oliver in the No. 3 receiver role behind Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

From RotoBaller

Tennessee Titans kicker Nick Folk (abdomen) was a limited participant during Thursday's practice. This was an improvement for the 40-year-old after being estimated as a non-participant on Wednesday. Folk kicked in each of the Titans' first 14 games this season, but he has missed the last two contests due to injury. His return to practice on Thursday comes one day after the Titans released Matthew Wright from their active roster. All signs point to Folk suiting up for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Houston Texans.

From RotoBaller

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) was limited during practice on Thursday. The rookie had been a full participant on Wednesday, so this latest update does raise some concerns about his availability for Week 18. The 23-year-old has caught 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns while operating behind Adam Thielen this season. He continues to lose some targets to Jalen Coker and David Moore, but he remains an intriguing dynasty target as he wraps up a solid first campaign in the NFL. In the short term, Legette's status for Week 18 remains up in the air, but we should get more clarity on his status when the Panthers release their Friday injury report.

From RotoBaller

The Baltimore Ravens defense/special teams has put up some respectable numbers during the later part of this season. They've played their way to the 11th highest-scoring fantasy unit from Week 13 until now, and they draw quite the favorable matchup. The Ravens are 20.5-point favorites since the Cleveland Browns are starting Bailey Zappe and will be without Nick Chubb (foot), Jerome Ford (ankle), and David Njoku (knee). This is the type of matchup that defenses usually feast on, so fantasy managers can look forward to deploying the Ravens in plenty of lineups.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't get in on the scoring action during the blowout win over the Houston Texans in Week 17. After being the first receiver named to the Pro Bowl in franchise history, Flowers will look to build some momentum going into the playoffs against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. The last time the two teams faced off in Week 8, he finished as a WR2, and they'll be without Denzel Ward (shoulder) while Grant Delpit is playing through shoulder and knee injuries. Flowers holds high-end WR2 value again in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North.

From RotoBaller

Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker registered his second finish in K1 territory in a row. He knocked through his lone field goal attempt of 52 yards and made all four of his extra points. Now, he returns home to face the Cleveland Browns in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North and the third seed for the AFC. With the Browns fielding a mix-and-match roster due to rest and injuries, the Ravens' offense should be able to move the ball into Tucker's range. He remains a solid fantasy start in the season finale.

From RotoBaller

Dynasty | Vikings running back Aaron Jones wants to stay in Minnesota beyond this season. Dynasty Analysis: Jones was signed to a one-year $7 million "prove it" contract and, well, proved it with over 1,000 rushing yards, 46 catches, nearly 400 receiving yards and seven touchdowns with a game to play. The Vikings have some serious decisions to make in regards to their offense as both Jones and Sam Darnold proved to be amazing veteran additions. At this point, it would be surprising to see Minnesota just let him leave in free agency unless he was somehow offered a high-money multi-year deal somewhere else, which seems unlikely given his age. Jones is a solid veteran in dynasty leagues and should retain his value regardless of what happens here moving forward.