Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle) said on Saturday that he has been playing through a left high-ankle sprain and will continue to do so if the Bengals make the playoffs. "I have no choice," Higgins said. The 25-year-old pass-catcher was forced to leave in the second half of Saturday night's win over the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers with his ankle issue and never returned. The Bengals need both the Broncos and Dolphins to lose on Sunday to get into the postseason, but if it all comes to fruition, Higgins will try to continue playing through his injury. Higgins has 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns in the Week 17 win over the Broncos but only had four catches for 53 yards on Saturday before leaving early. If the Bengals advance, Higgins could carry a questionable tag into wild-card weekend.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) was not able to practice this week and will sit out the Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants. Hurts has now missed back-to-back games due to a concussion, but he appears to be making progress. The superstar quarterback is on track to practice this upcoming week. That is great news as the Eagles desperately need Hurts back on the field before the Wild-Card Round next weekend. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) is currently injured and out for Week 18. That could leave Tanner McKee to start a playoff game, so hopefully Hurts is able to practice this week and suit up next weekend. The Eagles injury report is going to be something to monitor throughout the week.

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Washington Commanders RB Austin Ekeler (concussion) will be active for Week 18's game versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Fantasy Spin: Ekeler was a full participant in all three of Washington's practice sessions during the week and was activated from the Reserve/Injured list Saturday, Jan. 4. He will be seeing his first game action since Week 12, which also happened to be against the Cowboys, but should not be viewed as a viable fantasy lineup option playing behind Brian Robinson Jr. this afternoon.

From TheHuddle

Updating a previous report, Tampa Bay Buccaneers SS Jordan Whitehead (neck) will miss the remainder of the season due to a neck injury sustained in a recent car crash, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. However, he is expected to be fine in the long run.

From TheHuddle

Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (forearm) will suit up for the Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Anzalone is back in action after being activated from the injured reserve over the weekend. He has been sidelined since suffering a fractured forearm in Week 11. Anzalone will be on the field but he'll have his snaps monitored during this game. His return to the field is a welcoming sight for this banged up defensive unit. This season, Anzalone has 56 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and four passes defended in nine games. The veteran linebacker will give a boost to this defense even if he's only playing in a limited role.

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch has struggled to make a significant impact on the field throughout the season. Dortch has been mostly quiet outside of a 60-yard performance in Week 16. Since then, Dortch has four receptions for 37 yards over the last two games. Last week, Dortch hauled in three receptions, but it didn't add up to much yardage. He's currently the third wideout on the roster, but is probably the fourth passing option with tight end Trey McBride ahead of him. That being said, Dortch isn't a trustworthy option for the Week 18 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

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Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer has decent upside, but has been stuck as the primary backup to Brock Bowers this season. That being said, Mayer hasn't done much this season outside of a seven-catch performance in Week 14. Since then, Mayer has two receptions for 25 yards over the last three games. The 23-year-old has played over 60 percent of the offensive snaps over the last five games. However, he's unlikely to be a viable fantasy option with Bowers healthy. Mayer might be worth holding in dynasty leagues, but isn't someone worth streaming for the Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely moved into a bigger role partway through the game against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday after Zay Flowers (knee) left the game. The 24-year-old finished with three catches for 38 yards on five targets but wasn't able to find the end zone. In his third season, Likely set career highs in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. He has shown flashes of starting tight end abilities as he finished in the top 20 for fantasy points per game at the position, but remains behind Mark Andrews. He'll likely see some more opportunities during their first playoff game though with Flowers probably sidelined.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Ainias Smith is expected to see more of the field during the Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants. The Eagles are playing a majority of their backups during the regular season finale. That means, Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson, and Smith should all see increased playing time this weekend. Also, third string quarterback Tanner McKee is under center, so none of these wideouts are going to have great value here. The increased reps will be nice for Smith, but he isn't someone worth streaming for Week 18.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews ended the season on a six-game run with at least one touchdown in each matchup, including one against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday to help win the division. He registered four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown on eight targets which pushed him into fourth for the most receiving touchdowns in the NFL. The only three currently ahead of him are Ja'Maar Chase, Terry McLaurin, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Despite his small rough patch this season, he'll likely finish as a top-five fantasy tight end again and awaits a big role in their first-round playoff matchup since Zay Flowers (knee) is likely out.

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Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (back) is currently listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Reynolds seemed fine all week until popping up on the injury report on Friday. As a result, Reynolds gets tagged as questionable for this game with could leave the Lions shorthanded with David Montgomery (knee) already ruled out. That means, Jermar Jefferson would likely serve as the primary backup if Reynolds is unable to play. Last week, Reynolds rushed seven times for 31 yards while hauling in both his targets for 35 yards in the win. Reynolds could be a possible deep league option for fantasy managers still in championship games this weekend. Otherwise, Reynolds can be avoided for this big Sunday night matchup.

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. has seen increased playing time over the last few weeks. Austin has seen 70 percent of the offensive snaps or more during each of the last three games. Sadly, Austin hasn't been able to do much with the extra snaps. The 24-year-old has three receptions for 48 yards over the span. The expectation is Austin will continue seeing plenty of the field during Sunday's regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Austin hasn't done enough on the field lately to be considered a viable fantasy option.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman finished off the best season of his career with another touchdown as the team wrapped up the division with a win over the Cleveland Browns. The Minnesota product finished with five receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. After four touchdowns combined in his first three seasons, Bateman registered nine scores this season to go along with 756 yards and 45 receptions on 72 targets. Before the rest of the Week 18 games kickoff, Bateman is tied for the ninth-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) was forced to exit early during Saturday's game against the Cleveland Browns. Flowers injured his knee while hauling in his lone reception on the game during the second quarter of Saturday's win. He walked off the field under his own power, but Flowers didn't return to the game. The expectation is Flowers will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Right now, the Ravens are preparing to be without Flowers for at least next week. Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace would likely be the primary receiving options if Flowers is forced to miss time.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson led the team to another AFC North title while dismantling the Cleveland Browns by a score of 35-10 on Saturday. The two-time MVP finished the game with 217 yards and two touchdowns on 16-for-32 throwing and nine carries for 63 yards. This game put him over the 4,000 passing-yard mark for the first time in his career and he became the first QB to ever finish with at least 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards. He also leads the league in seven different passing stats according to pro-football-reference. Jackson and company will host a first-round playoff game once the matchups are decided.

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Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox hasn't been able to much on the field this season. In fact, Knox has two receptions or less in each of the last five games. The 28-year-old is now the backup tight end with Dalton Kincaid emerging as the top option in Buffalo. Knox has fallen back on the pecking order with the Bills having a handful of viable receiving options. That being said, Knox won't be much of a fantasy option for the Week 18 matchup against the New England Patriots. Possibly, Knox gets more chances if the Bills rest some starters, but fantasy managers should look elsewhere for help this weekend.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has been fairly quiet outside of his six-catch performance in Week 10. Last week, Mitchell hauled in two of his four targets for 22 yards in the loss to the New York Giants. The rookie wideout has put together a lackluster rookie season with 23 receptions for 312 yards and zero touchdowns heading into the Week 18 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mitchell is too far down on the depth chart to be considered a viable option right now.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry posted a huge game to finish off the regular season and help the team go back-to-back as AFC North champs. The veteran back posted 138 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries to go along with two catches for 23 yards on three targets. He averaged a ridiculous 6.9 yards per carry as he punished the Browns' defense. Henry now has six seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards and fell just 106 yards shy of his career high. The Ravens now wait to see who they will host in the first round of the playoffs.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) has been ruled out ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the New York Giants. Pickett suffered a ribs injury in relief of Jalen Hurts (concussion) in Week 16. Pickett received the start last week, but only made it through three quarters before exiting due to his ribs issue. Pickett hasn't practiced this week and won't suit up for the regular season finale. That means, Tanner McKee will be under center with a majority of the Eagles backups playing on Sunday.

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Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass has a lower floor in Week 18 given the expectation that many of his teammates will play a limited number of snaps. The Bills have already secured the AFC's No. 2 seed, and that won't change with the outcome of Sunday's contest against the New England Patriots. As a result, several key starters, including quarterback Josh Allen, are expected to only play a select number of drives in the regular-season finale. Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White are both in line to earn meaningful snaps against the Patriots, but the Bills' offensive upside is capped given that Trubisky and White have combined for just five pass attempts all year long. If the two veteran quarterbacks have some trouble moving the ball down the field, scoring opportunities will be much harder to come by for Bass. He still ranks as a fringe top-12 fantasy kicker, but both his ceiling and floor have been reduced for Week 18. Managers would be wise to at least explore alternative options before Sunday's games kick off.

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