Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (back, foot) is missing his second straight practice of the week on Thursday and was not seen stretching with the other QBs. Richardson still has one more day to get back on the practice field on Friday, but two DNPs to open the week put him at risk of not being available to play this Sunday in a great matchup against the two-win New York Giants. If the 22-year-old second-year signal-caller is not able to gain clearance to play this weekend, veteran Joe Flacco would once again step in to lead the Colts' offense. Richardson's accuracy issues are well-documented at this point in his second NFL season, but he does offer clear QB1 potential in Week 17 if he's active against the Giants because of his rushing abilities. Fantasy managers will want to check back on his status on Friday. If Flacco ends up starting on Sunday, he'll be a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.

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New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (toe) is missing another practice on Thursday, according to head coach Brian Daboll. "See where we're at (Friday)," Daboll said. Nabers isn't officially ruled out for Week 17 on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, but two DNPs to open the week isn't a good sign. Nabers will need to get back onto the practice field on Friday to avoid being ruled out this weekend. The 21-year-old missed two games earlier in his rookie campaign due to a concussion but has played through several other minor injuries. We'd be a bit surprised if this toe injury keeps him out against the Colts, but fantasy managers will need to keep a close eye on Nabers' status going into the weekend. Even with quarterback Drew Lock now running the offense, Nabers has remained a strong WR1 for fantasy managers. Wan'Dale Robinson would be the team's WR1 if Nabers ends up being ruled out.

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Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) has been making "good" progress since suffering a knee injury in last week's overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. However, Gannon said he's unsure if he'll know the statuses of both Conner and rookie Trey Benson (ankle) by Thursday or if they'll be game-time decisions for Saturday night's divisional clash against the Los Angeles Rams. Both Conner and Benson have been limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, which is a good sign, but with the Cardinals eliminated from postseason contention, they may choose to play it on the safe side and either hold them both out or keep them limited if they suit up on Sunday. Conner should serve as Arizona's lead back if he's active in Week 17, but right now he should be considered more of a shaky RB3/flex for fantasy lineups.

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Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said on Thursday that the offense is preparing for their Week 17 game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins as if quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (calf) will start. Thompson-Robinson was estimated as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice. Jameis Winston (shoulder) was inactive for last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, so the Browns would be down to Bailey Zappe as their starter if both Thompson-Robinson and Winston were unavailable this week. It sounds like Thompson-Robinson will be good to go in Week 17, although he won't be much of a fantasy option outside of deep superflex leagues after struggling by going 20-for-34 for 157 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against a suspect Bengals defense last weekend. At best, DTR is a low-end QB2 option for those desperate in two-QB formats.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) remains in the league's concussion protocol on Thursday, according to head coach Nick Sirianni. Hurts was estimated as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice report and could pick up another DNP on Wednesday, which clouds his status for the Week 17 game against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. Additionally, the Eagles signed QB Ian Book to their practice squad on Thursday, which is another sign that the Eagles are preparing for Hurts potentially not being available to play this weekend. It would obviously be a disaster for fantasy managers in championship matchups this weekend, and it would also be bad news for running back Saquon Barkley and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Check back on Hurts' status on Friday. If he can clear protocols, he'll be a must-start QB1 against Dallas.

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The Philadelphia Eagles signed free-agent quarterback Ian Book to their practice squad on Thursday after he visited with the team on Wednesday, according to sources. Jalen Hurts (concussion) was listed as a DNP on Wednesday's estimated practice report, while backup Kenny Pickett (ribs) was limited. With Philly's QB room banged up heading into their Week 17 tilt versus the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Eagles now have extra QB insurance with Tanner McKee and Book. Fantasy managers that have been riding Hurts all year should be a bit worried that he won't be cleared to play this weekend. You should have a backup plan in place in case Hurts doesn't gain clearance from an independent neurologist later this week. If anyone but Hurts is under center on Sunday leading the Eagles' offense, it will be bad news for running back Saquon Barkley and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson caught two passes for 60 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. The 28-year-old grew up just outside of Pittsburgh, so he got to score in his homecoming game. Watson received just two targets in this game but ended up third on the team in receiving yardage due to a 49-yard chunk play. Despite finding the endzone in this contest, Watson is typically the fourth or fifth option on any given play. His lack of volume in the passing game leads to volatility, but Watson has proven he can break off a big play in any game. The Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC with their Christmas Day win, meaning they no longer need to start their stars in the regular season. Watson and the rest of the supporting cast could see more playing time in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco handled six carries for 18 yards in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17. Pacheco was forced out of the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury and did not return. The severity of Pacheco's rib injury is not yet known. The 25-year-old once again played second fiddle to veteran Kareem Hunt, but both backs were inefficient on the ground. Pacheco also did not receive any work in the passing game this week. With Hunt receiving more work every week and Pacheco picking up a rib injury, the Chiefs likely lean in Hunt's direction the next time both backs are active. The Chiefs have nothing left to play for in the regular season since they clinched the top seed in the AFC with this win. Pacheco should be expected to rest in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy caught eight passes for 79 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. Worthy started the scoring in the first quarter and was only up from there. The rookie set new career highs in receptions and receiving yards against the strong Steelers defense in Week 17. Worthy has been the Chiefs WR1 over the last few weeks, and that usage has translated into valuable fantasy production. The 21-year-old contributed to this win and helped the Chiefs clinch the top seed in the AFC. Kansas City no longer has any incentive to win in the regular season, given they have already guaranteed themselves home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Worthy and the rest of the starters should be expected to rest in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt handled nine carries for 20 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunt found himself with the most carries out of the backfield for another week and got into the endzone despite being inefficient on the ground. The 29-year-old averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in this contest against a formidable defense, but his rushing score saved his fantasy day. Fellow running back Isiah Pacheco split work with Hunt before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. Neither back saw any work in the passing game this week, with all the receiving work going to Samaje Perine. The Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC with this Christmas Day win, meaning they have nothing left to play for in the regular season. Hunt and the rest of the starters should be expected to sit out Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. The veteran tight end had not scored a touchdown in six straight games coming into this contest but passed Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs franchise touchdown record when he found the endzone in the fourth quarter. Despite not scoring double-digit fantasy points in Weeks 14 through 16, Kelce pulled off a vintage performance in Week 17. The 35-year-old led the team in catches, receiving yards, and targets against the Steelers. The Chiefs officially clinched the top seed in the AFC with this win, guaranteeing them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With nothing left to play for in the regular season, Kelce should be expected to rest in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 38 pass attempts (76%) for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mahomes passed for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns for the first time this year in Week 17. The veteran quarterback also rushed once for 12 yards in this game. After leading the league in interceptions to begin the year, Mahomes has now gone six straight games without a turnover. With this win, the Chiefs have officially locked up the top seed in the AFC. Given that the team has nothing to gain by playing their starters next week, it should be assumed that we have seen the last of Mahomes in the regular season. That said, Mahomes did tell the media that he will prepare to start in Week 18 against the Broncos until Coach Andy Reid says otherwise.

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Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was successful on both his lone field goal attempt and lone extra-point try of a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Boswell was good from 36 yards out in the third quarter but was otherwise not asked to do much as Pittsburgh's offense struggled to move the ball on Wednesday. While it is unfortunate that Boswell underwhelmed throughout the fantasy playoffs, the 33-year-old was incredibly impactful for much of the regular season and has cemented himself as one of the best kickers in the NFL. He'll close out the campaign with a divisional showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III posted four receptions for 31 yards on five targets in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Although Austin was quiet for fantasy purposes, it was encouraging to see him remain involved in the offense despite the return of fellow wideout George Pickens. Austin has now earned five opportunities in three straight contests and is clearly the WR2 in Pittsburgh ahead of Mike Williams and Van Jefferson. He is worth rostering in dynasty formats and will hope to close out the regular season on a high note against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in just three of his seven targets for 50 yards in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers struggled to get much of anything going on offense in this one, but Pickens didn't appear to be hampered by his hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from Weeks 14 through 16. He made an impressive catch for a 41-yard gain on a deep ball from quarterback Russell Wilson and had an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter called back due to an offside penalty. Although fantasy managers that deployed Pickens in his return were likely let down by this performance, he should still be viewed as a solid WR2 against the Cincinnati Bengals in any leagues that compete in Week 18.

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with seven receptions for 60 yards on eight targets in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Freiermuth operated as quarterback Russell Wilson's go-to guy for much of the contest, but he unfortunately lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter with Kansas City's lead still within reach. It was his second lost fumble of the season and just the third of his four-year career. Nonetheless, Freiermuth was solid for fantasy purposes and led the Steelers in targets, catches, and receiving yards. He'll look to turn in another strong showing in next week's regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews keeps adding to the franchise-leading receiving touchdown number as he scored in his fifth consecutive game. During the 31-2 Christmas victory, he finished with two receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown on two targets. Almost all of his yards came on his 67-yard catch while his touchdown came on a goal-line throw in the third quarter which put them up by 29. After not finding the end zone in the team's first five games, Andrews is up to 10 touchdowns with one game left against the Cleveland Browns.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't quite join in on the fun during the 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans on Christmas. The speedy wideout ended the game with two catches for 31 yards on five targets. While he was the only pass-catcher to see more than two targets, he finished with the second-most yards and no touchdowns. Despite breaking the 1,000-yard mark this year, he's scored one fewer touchdown than all of last season. He'll try to tie his five-touchdown figure in their final game against the Cleveland Browns.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely was incredibly efficient with his only target of the night on Christmas. He registered one reception for a nine-yard touchdown on one target during the 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans. The game script called for a lot more carries on the ground (43) compared to pass attempts (17). While both tight ends continue to be viable options for Lamar Jackson, they don't always produce fantasy-relevant games at the same time. Likely will look to find the end zone again in their regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren turned 11 carries into 71 yards and six targets into five catches and 41 receiving yards in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Warren was one of the few bright spots for the Steelers' offensive attack on Wednesday and consistently looked explosive with the ball in his hands. He saw more opportunities than backfield mate Najee Harris, who was ineffective for most of the contest. Warren's solid performance early in the first quarter earned him a few opportunities in the red zone, one of which he took in for an eight-yard score that was unfortunately nullified by a holding penalty. The 26-year-old has logged at least 92 total yards in each of his past two games and will look to end the campaign on a hot streak against the Cincinnati Bengals next week.

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