Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) is not expected to play in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero notes that Hurts missed practice on Thursday, which means that he's in one of the earlier portions of the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. The star quarterback would need to clear all five phases before being permitted to play in Week 17. Such progress is possible between now and Sunday, but the expectation is that Hurts will be inactive while Kenny Pickett (rib) draws his first start of the 2024 season. Notably, Pickett is dealing with an injury of his own but expects to have no limitations this weekend against Dallas.

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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will look to remain a fringe top-12 fantasy option as his team returns home for the first time since Week 13. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, putting the No. 3 pick up against a Bolts defense that has allowed the 11th-most rushing yards but 14th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2024. Maye himself has been solid lately, averaging 37.7 rushing yards per game as a starter while amassing four total touchdowns over his last two contests. The one drawback with Maye has been his tendency to lose the football; the UNC product has 12 turnovers over his last seven games. If Maye can clean up the turnovers while remaining productive on the ground and near the end zone, he could sneak into the top-12 quarterback range. For the time being, he ranks as a mid-to-high QB2.

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Cleveland Browns wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (knee, shin) and Cedric Tillman (concussion) were both limited during practice again on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that the Browns' top two receivers logged limited sessions, which suggests they have a real chance to suit up in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. Jeudy has not yet missed a game this season, catching 72 passes for 1,072 yards and four touchdowns while ranking as the overall WR12 in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, Tillman was coming on strong before suffering a serious head injury. The second-year receiver has missed four consecutive games. Ever since Amari Cooper was traded, Tillman had been averaging 5.2 catches, 66 yards, and 0.6 touchdowns per game. While both pass-catchers have garnered significant fantasy appeal at points throughout this season, their intrigue has dwindled ahead of Week 17. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been less than inspiring under center, linking up with Jeudy just twice for 20 yards last week. Both Jeudy and Tillman have decent upside, but they'll drop to the bottom of the WR3/FLEX tier as long as Thompson-Robinson remains under center.

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) is done for the remainder of the 2024 season, according to Cam Inman of The Athletic. Greenlaw had come back from a devastating Achilles injury recently, but with the 49ers eliminated from playoff contention, the team has decided to keep him off the field and avoid potential re-injury. The veteran linebacker will now get a few extra weeks to rest and recover before preparing for a full return in 2025. The 27-year-old finishes this season having registered nine tackles through parts of two games, including just four snaps last week against Miami.

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (right shoulder) remained limited in practice on Thursday. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey revealed that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at quarterback in Week 17, and he also acknowledged that Bailey Zappe could back him up if Winston isn't healthy yet. In such a scenario, Winston would be inactive for the second consecutive week, serving as Cleveland's emergency third quarterback. Regardless of whether Winston enters Sunday as the Browns' No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback, the bottom line is that he remains off the fantasy radar with Thompson-Robinson getting another chance as the starting quarterback.

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Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will look to get back into the end zone in Week 17 when the team travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in a game with massive playoff implications on both sides. The Bengals defense has allowed 26.2 points per game (fifth-most in the league), but they've also allowed the fifth-fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing wideouts in the last five weeks. An ascending Broncos offense should be able to move the ball and put up points in this one. Sutton has played some of his best ball of the year of late, too, as he develops more chemistry with rookie QB Bo Nix. In the last five weeks, Sutton ranks as the WR15 in half-PPR points with 22 catches on 34 targets for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Sutton has also been a top-15 receiver this year in terms of targets (119), giving him WR1 upside if this game ends up being a shootout.

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Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams will have even less upside in a good matchup in Week 17 on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road with backfield mate Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) returning after a one-game absence. Although Williams averaged 6.0 yards per carry on the ground last week with McLaughlin sidelined in the loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, he only had four carries for 24 yards. He did benefit, however, in the passing game with a season-high seven receptions for 29 yards. The Broncos offense shouldn't have a tough time moving the ball against a Bengals defense that has allowed 26.2 points per game (fifth-most in the league), but Williams will merely be a low-upside, touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in fantasy lineups with McLaughlin back in the fold. Williams hasn't seen double-digit touches since Nov. 3 and has only scored double-digit half-PPR points three times in 2024.

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Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday and has been cleared to play in Week 17 for the big game on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. McLaughlin was inactive for the Week 16 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday. He was Denver's leading rusher the previous two weeks, but even though he's back in a good matchup against Cincy's porous defense this weekend, fantasy managers in championship matchups shouldn't feel comfortable relying on McLaughlin as a low-upside flex play. Denver's offense has improved since the start of the season under rookie QB Bo Nix, but their ground game here merely been mediocre all year. Not to mention, McLaughlin looked like the RB3 some four weeks ago in the Broncos' backfield. There's no guarantee he'll see more than a handful of touches in his return on Saturday.

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Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix is in the QB1 picture for a Week 17 showdown on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. After a slow start to his rookie season, Nix has come on strong in the second half and is currently the QB11 in overall fantasy points thanks to 3,235 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while also rushing for 352 yards and four additional touchdowns. Nix has been the QB14 in the last five weeks in terms of fantasy points per game (21.4). The 24-year-old is in a situation this weekend to put up strong numbers once again in a big contest with playoff implications for both Denver and Cincy. The matchup is an excellent one for Nix also, as the Bengals defense has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to QBs this year and the seventh-most passing yards per game (231.6). Nix should be considered a top-10 fantasy QB.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks (knee) was upgraded to a limited participant during Thursday's practice session. Brooks sat out of practice to begin the week after missing last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Normally, the status of Brooks isn't too important, but he could be in line for a larger workload with fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) done for the season. The 24-year-old hasn't done much this season with 11 receptions for 165 yards and a touchdown in 12 games. He's too risky of a streaming choice to trust in important fantasy championship games this weekend.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (finger) was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day on Thursday. It appears Tolbert is still dealing with the finger injury that forced him to exit early during last week's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tolbert is likely to see an increased role going forward with fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) done for the season. The 25-year-old has been quiet lately with two receptions or less in each of his last six games. There's some flex appeal here if Tolbert is able to suit up for this weekend's matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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The Los Angeles Rams defense/special teams unit will look to continue its recent improvement this week as the team welcomes the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. Last week, they held the Jets to just nine points in the cold of New York with one sack and two fumble recoveries. The previous week, they held the 49ers to just six points in another low-scoring road game. While they have held opponents to a total of 29 points in their last three road games, they allowed 42 and 37 points in their two most recent home games. They also gave up 41 points to the Cardinals when they met in Week 2. While Kyler Murray's Cards have turned the ball over six times in the last four weeks, they have only allowed six sacks. This could be a tougher matchup than many think, leaving the Rams ranked as the DEF17 this week, right in the middle of the pack. There are worse options to start this week, but there are also plenty of better ones to consider.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) has been designated to return from the injured reserve on Thursday. Raymond has been out of action since suffering a foot injury in late-November. He returned to practice as a full participant on Thursday. It appears the 30-year-old is trending in the right direction ahead of Monday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. He'll likely need to get through a few more practice sessions before the Lions decide to clear him for game action. If active, Raymond won't be a recommended streaming option as he has basically been depth throughout the season. He doesn't offer enough upside to start in any formats in Week 17.

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Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (foot) was a full participant during Thursday's practice session. This is good news after Smith sat out of practice to open the week, but a full session puts him in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers. The veteran safety sat out of last week's game due to a foot issue, but could return this weekend. His return to the field would be a huge lift to this secondary. Smith has 79 tackles, nine passes defended, and two interceptions in 14 games this season. If he sits, Jay Ward would likely be asked to start at strong safety.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas is having the best season of his young career. In 15 games, the 25-year-old has 31 catches for 408 yards. He also has six touchdowns, with one occurring in the Week 16 victory over the Cleveland Browns. However, Iosivas has been far from consistent, so he hasn't seen much attention from fantasy managers throughout most of the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, Tee Higgins (ankle, knee) may not play in Saturday's game against the Broncos. If that's the case, Iosivas could find himself in the flex conversation, although his presence in fantasy lineups wouldn't be without risk.

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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is the best wideout in the National Football League, catching 108 passes for 1,510 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. With the Bengals hoping to secure a spot in the postseason, Cincinnati needs a victory over Denver on Saturday. Without question, the Broncos defense could be a challenge for Chase and the rest of the offense. However, he should remain the preferred target for Joe Burrow (knee, wrist) in the pivotal matchup. Chase could be even more involved if Tee Higgins (ankle, knee) doesn't play.

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki had only two catches for 14 yards in the Week 16 win over the Browns. That type of production has been the norm for the 29-year-old for most of the 2024-25 campaign. However, Tee Higgins (ankle, knee) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Broncos, meaning Gesicki and others may need to step up. Considering Gesicki has 26 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns in five games without Higgins this season, he's worth considering in deeper fantasy setups in Week 17. But Higgins will need to be ruled out first.

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Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown didn't score in the Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns. However, he's still had a quality year, amassing 923 yards off 209 carries and catching 50 passes for 336 yards. The 24-year-old has also found the end zone 11 times. With the Bengals still looking for a postseason spot, the team needs a win over the Broncos in Week 17. The Denver defense is one of the best units in the National Football League. But Brown should continue to get plenty of work as a runner and receiver, even more so if Tee Higgins (ankle, knee) isn't on the field. Fantasy managers must keep Brown starting in all formats.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist, knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. However, he doesn't carry an injury designation heading into the Saturday's showdown with Denver. With the Bengals still barely alive for a postseason spot, it would take a lot to keep Burrow off the field for the pivotal game against the Broncos. The signal-caller is coming off another quality outing, throwing for 252 yards off 76.7% passing against the Browns. He also tossed three touchdowns for the fifth time in as many weeks. While the Denver defense possesses more of a challenge to Burrow, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League, keeping him a starting fantasy option for Week 17.

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Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker will look for another strong game in a Week 17 matchup against the New England Patriots. Dicker has been a top-five fantasy kicker this season and there's no reason to think he won't end up with a top-10 finish in this game. With the Chargers favored over the Patriots, Dicker should see several chances to put up points, although he's not likely to get another chance at Week 16's exciting fair catch free kick.

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