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Dynasty $125 - FFL: Offseason | NFL: Week 18

Cowboys QB Trey Lance to start vs. Commanders

Sun Jan 5 12:16pm ET
Field Level Media

Trey Lance will receive his first start as the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, NFL Network reported.

Lance will be under center as the Cowboys (7-9) play their season finale against the visiting Washington Commanders (11-5). It will mark his first NFL start since Sept. 18, 2022, while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

Lance has played in just three games this season, completing 5 of 7 passes for 22 yards with an interception.

The 49ers traded up into the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft to select Lance out of North Dakota State, and he was lined up to be their starter in 2022 before fracturing his right ankle in the second game of the season. The injury, which included ligament damage, required two surgeries -- the second to remove hardware from the first that was causing irritation in the ankle.

The Cowboys acquired Lance from the 49ers on Aug. 25, 2023, in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Lance, 24, has appeared in just 11 games (four starts) over his NFL career, completing 61 of 109 passes for 819 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 18

Player Notes
Curtis Samuel Jan 5 11:10am CT
Curtis Samuel

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (rib) is officially active on Sunday for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New England Patriots. Samuel will make his return after missing the last two weeks due to a rib injury. The 28-year-old hasn't had much of a role on offense for Buffalo in 2024, although he could get more run this weekend with Buffalo expected to sit their starters on both sides of the ball after a series or two. Amari Cooper (personal) was already ruled out. The Bills are locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the postseason, so there is no benefit to them playing all their key players in this one. However, if Samuel sees a season-high in snaps on Sunday in New England, he'd mostly be working with backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Samuel could be busier than usual, but it's hard to put any fantasy faith in a player with only 201 receiving yards and one TD in 13 games.

From RotoBaller

Christian Watson Jan 5 11:10am CT
Christian Watson

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable. The 25-year-old returns from a one-game absence to play in the Packers' regular-season finale. Watson's highest yardage total of the season came against the Bears back in Week 11 when he caught all four of his passes for a whopping 150 yards through the air. While he'll hope to replicate that performance this Sunday, that's far from guaranteed. He's averaging just 1.8 catches, 27.4 yards, and zero touchdowns over his last five contests, and he's not a dependable option for fantasy lineups in leagues with 12 or fewer teams.

From RotoBaller

Romeo Doubs Jan 5 11:10am CT
Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (illness) is inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable after his late addition to the injury report on Saturday. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season as the overall WR52 in PPR leagues, catching 46 passes for 601 yards and four touchdowns over the course of 16 games. He has been one of several impactful pass-catchers in the Packers' offense, commanding targets amidst a committee of low-end fantasy receivers. His absence in Week 18 leaves Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Dontayvion Wicks as the Packers' top healthy wide receivers.

From RotoBaller

Hunter Henry Jan 5 11:10am CT
Hunter Henry

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (foot) has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Henry was limited in practice all week but will end his 2024 season a week early. With the 30-year-old officially out against a Bills defense that will be taking it easy with the No. 2 seed already locked up for the playoffs, Austin Hooper could be a sneaky DFS play this weekend with a starting workload on tap. Henry will be back with New England next year after wrapping up his fourth season with the Pats. The former second-rounder by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016 out of Arkansas finishes with a career-high 674 receiving yards on a career-high 66 receptions (97 targets), although he only found the end zone two times in 16 games, limiting his value as a low-end TE1 option on a weekly basis in fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Travis Homer Jan 5 11:10am CT
Travis Homer

Chicago Bears running back Travis Homer (hamstring) and left guard Teven Jenkins (calf) are inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Green Bay Packers. Both players had been listed as questionable. Homer has operated as the Bears' No. 3 running back for most of this season, amassing just nine touches for 34 yards through 10 games. He was far more involved on special teams than on offense in 2024, leaving most of the backfield work to D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Meanwhile, Jenkins is headed for his third absence of the year, including his second in a row. He'll be replaced by Jake Curhan at left guard for Sunday's season finale.

From RotoBaller

Xavier Legette Jan 5 11:10am CT
Xavier Legette

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie had been listed as questionable after finishing last week with back-to-back limited practices. Legette has appeared in 15 contests this season, catching 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns. He typically operates as the No. 2 receiver behind Adam Thielen, and last week, he led the team with nine targets. He should remain heavily involved on Sunday afternoon, but the Panthers' subpar offensive production leaves the rookie pass-catcher as a low-end WR3/FLEX option, at best.

From RotoBaller

Alvin Kamara Jan 5 11:00am CT
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This news does not come as much of a surprise given that Kamara had been listed as doubtful and did not practice this past week. The 29-year-old finishes the 2024 season with 950 rushing yards, 543 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns through 14 games. He was well on his way to his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season before suffering a season-ending groin injury in Week 15. He'll come up 50 yards shy of that mark but still finishes 2024 as the overall RB8 in PPR leagues. With Kendre Miller (concussion) also sidelined, the Saints will rely on a combination of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jamaal Williams, and Jordan Mims out of the backfield in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Austin Ekeler Jan 5 11:00am CT
Austin Ekeler

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. He had been listed as questionable but was widely expected to play after the Commanders activated him from injured reserve on Saturday. The 29-year-old spent the minimum of four games on injured reserve after suffering a scary head injury on special teams. He returns to his role as the No. 2 running back in Washington behind Brian Robinson Jr., but he'll still be able to carve out a significant workload. Through 11 games when healthy, Ekeler tallied 355 rushing yards, 346 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Notably, he has scored a receiving touchdown in every season except 2024, so he'll have one last chance to extend that streak on Sunday. Ekeler will rank as a mid-range RB3 thanks to his pass-catching upside and Robinson's recent struggles.

From RotoBaller

Cade Otton Jan 5 11:00am CT
Cade Otton

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (knee) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as doubtful despite logging a limited practice on Friday. Otton finishes the 2024 regular season as the overall TE14 in PPR leagues, amassing 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns through 14 games. He was one of the best tight ends in fantasy football when Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (ankle) were both sidelined, but his productivity dwindled as soon as Evans returned to the mix. Payne Durham will step up as the Buccaneers' top tight end in Week 18, ranking as a mid-range TE2 for fantasy purposes. Devin Culp, a rookie tight end out of Washington who saw his first career target last week and ended up catching three passes for 52 yards, should also remain involved.

From RotoBaller

Chigoziem Okonkwo Jan 5 11:00am CT
Chigoziem Okonkwo

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo (abdomen) is officially active for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Houston Texans on Sunday. Okonkwo popped up on this week's injury report after putting in a limited practice on Thursday before sitting out on Friday. The 25-year-old will end up giving it a go in the team's final game of the season. He's been on a decent run of production of late with 22 catches on 28 targets for 182 yards and no touchdowns in the last three games, although that also coincided with Mason Rudolph taking over under center for the Titans. Tennessee is going back to quarterback Will Levis (at least to start) in Week 18, which should give fantasy managers some pause when considering Okonkwo as a TE streamer. He has 52 total catches on the year for 479 yards and only two touchdowns in 16 games.

From RotoBaller

Sterling Shepard Jan 5 11:00am CT
Sterling Shepard

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (hamstring) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 game against the New Orleans Saints. He had been listed as questionable. The veteran receiver has been productive through 13 games in a depth role this season, catching 31 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown. He has served as a reliable target for Baker Mayfield, especially after Chris Godwin (ankle) suffered a season-ending injury. With that said, Shepard is off the fantasy radar as long as he remains behind Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan on the depth chart.

From RotoBaller

Juwan Johnson Jan 5 11:00am CT
Juwan Johnson

New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been listed as questionable after logging three consecutive limited practices. Johnson has operated alongside Foster Moreau all season long, catching a career-high 44 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns through 16 games. He ranks as the overall TE22 in PPR leagues this season, making him a mid-to-low TE2 option for the final week of the 2024 regular season.

From RotoBaller

K.J. Osborn Jan 5 11:00am CT
K.J. Osborn

Washington Commanders wide receiver K.J. Osborn (illness) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. Osborn had been listed as questionable with an illness, but it's also possible that his absence is non-injury-related and merely a coach's decision, as has been the case most weeks since Washington claimed him off waivers from New England. Terry McLaurin remains the Commanders' primary receiver with Olamide Zacchaeus thriving in a complementary role. Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and Jamison Crowder are depth pass-catching options for Sunday's regular-season finale.

From RotoBaller

Will Shipley Jan 5 10:50am CT
Will Shipley

Philadelphia Eagles running backWill Shipley(concussion) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the New York Giants. He had been listed as questionable but was trending in the right direction after he logged a full practice on Friday. Shipley has taken a backseat toSaquon BarkleyandKenneth Gainwellthis season, but with Barkley inactive for Week 18, the rookie out of Clemson has a chance to earn increased opportunities. The 22-year-old has been mostly used as a ball carrier this season, rushing 20 times while failing to command a single target. He's likely headed for a change-of-pace role in Week 18, but with his exact involvement unknown, Shipley is tough to trust in fantasy football. He ranks as a low-end RB4 and should be avoided in most leagues.

From RotoBaller

Tanner McKee Jan 5 10:50am CT
Tanner McKee

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee will start against the New York Giants in Week 18 despite Kenny Pickett (ribs) being active, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pickett and Ian Book will handle depth roles for the Eagles on Sunday, though it's unclear which quarterback is the backup and which is the third-string. McKee got his first taste of NFL action last weekend, coming off the bench to throw three completions for 54 yards and two touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia fed Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell in that contest, but they might let McKee throw a little more this weekend with Barkley (coach's decision) inactive. Of course, A.J. Brown (coach's decision) and DeVonta Smith (coach's decision) are also resting, leaving Dallas Goedert, Jahan Dotson, and Johnny Wilson as McKee's top targets. The second-year signal-caller out of Stanford ranks as a mid-range QB3 for fantasy purposes.

From RotoBaller

Tony Pollard Jan 5 10:50am CT
Tony Pollard

As expected, Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) is officially active on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Houston Texans. After practicing on a limited basis all week, Pollard will return for the final game of the season after he sat out the Week 17 loss to the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Tyjae Spears (concussion) was ruled out, so Pollard could see a near full workload in his return as the Titans close out a disappointing season. The 27-year-old can earn an extra $250,000 if he racks up 83 rushing yards on the year for 1,100 yards on the season. If he scores twice on Sunday, he'd earn an extra $200,000, so Pollard could be busy and has plenty at stake for fantasy managers debating on whether to throw him into their starting lineups. He has clear RB2 upside for Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Miles Sanders Jan 5 10:50am CT
Miles Sanders

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (ankle) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. He had been listed as questionable but was widely expected to play after being activated from injured reserve on Saturday. The 27-year-old will lead Carolina's backfield with Chuba Hubbard (calf, knee) on injured reserve. Sanders, who totaled 237 yards and one touchdown through 10 games earlier this season, will take over the backfield from Raheem Blackshear. He ranks as a mid-to-low RB3 in fantasy football against the Falcons.

From RotoBaller

Darnell Mooney Jan 5 10:50am CT
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He had been listed as questionable but had an unfavorable outlook after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted that Mooney faced an uphill battle to suit up this weekend. His absence should lead to an increased role for Ray-Ray McCloud III, who is the overall WR54 in PPR leagues with 58 catches, 620 yards, and one touchdown through 16 games. McCloud has quietly put together the best season of his career and possesses WR3/FLEX upside in his increased role Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Darius Slay Jan 5 10:43am CT
Darius Slay

The Philadelphia Eagles have declared WR A.J. Brown, OG Landon Dickerson, QB Jalen Hurts, OT Lane Johnson, DL Jalen Carter, CB Darius Slay, RB Saquon Barkley, WR DeVonta Smith, OT Jordan Mailata, LB Nakobe Dean and LB Zack Baun inactive for Week 18.

From TheHuddle

Ronald Darby Jan 5 10:43am CT
Ronald Darby

The Jacksonville Jaguars have declared CB Ronald Darby, DE Tyler Lacy, LB Ventrell Miller, DE Esezi Otomewo, DE Josh Hines-Allen and OT Walker Little inactive for Week 18.

From TheHuddle