New Orleans Saints wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling (chest, illness) and rookie Bub Means (ankle) missed practice for the second straight day this week on Friday. On top of a chest injury, Valdes-Scantling is now dealing with an illness, putting his status in question for the Monday night game at the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. Both MVS and Means will need to practice in some capacity on Saturday to avoid being ruled out entirely this week. Means hasn't played since Week 8 and remains on Injured Reserve, so he's almost certainly going to be ruled out. First-rounder Chris Olave (head) has resumed practicing but also remains on IR and is unlikely to play Monday. If Valdes-Scantling doesn't get cleared to play, the Saints will be down to Cedrick Wilson Jr., Kevin Austin Jr. and rookie Mason Tipton as their top three receivers. It's a situation to avoid in fantasy.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (hand) was listed as a non-participant in practice on Friday for the second straight day this week. Carr has been cleared from the league's concussion protocol but he remains out of practice due to a left-hand fracture that he suffered in the Week 14 win over the New York Giants. The 33-year-old veteran signal-caller hasn't been put on Injured Reserve yet, which would officially end his season, and he's doing everything in his power to try and play again in 2024. However, with the Saints barely clinging onto slim playoff hopes, it's unlikely we'll see Carr back on the field again in the final three weeks for the Saints. When/if Carr is officially ruled out for Week 16 on Monday night against the Green Bay Packers, rookie Spencer Rattler is expected to make his fourth start of the year. Look for Carr to be officially ruled out on Saturday's final injury report.

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New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (head) was limited for the second straight day this week on Friday as he tries to work his way back from Injured Reserve. Olave had his 21-day practice window to return from IR opened on Thursday. The 24-year-old is making progress after suffering multiple concussions earlier this season, but interim head coach Darren Rizzi already stated that the former first-rounder is "probably doubtful" to make his return in Week 16 on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Fantasy managers stashing Olave that are still alive in the playoffs shouldn't have been considering Olave as a realistic starting option anyways on Monday night. If Olave is able to make his return in Week 17 (fantasy championships in most leagues) versus the Las Vegas Raiders, he'll likely be on a snap count with rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler most likely running the offense.

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The Detroit Lions are still deciding on whether to place running back David Montgomery (knee) on Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games. Head coach Dan Campbell said the team is "optimistic" about Montgomery's ability to return in the playoffs despite suffering an MCL injury in last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, the team still has a decision to make on whether to put Monty on IR. "It certainly sounds more optimistic, that's the best way to say it," Campbell said. If Detroit puts him on IR before their game this Sunday against the division-rival Chicago Bears, Montgomery would not be available to play in the Lions' first playoff game, which might not be until the Divisional Round if the team secures the top overall seed in the NFC. The 27-year-old is out of play in fantasy leagues for the rest of the year, though, with Jahmyr Gibbs now set to take on an even bigger role.

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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Friday. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said on Thursday that Kamara is unlikely to play on Monday night against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, and with the Saints barely clinging to faint playoff hopes, there's a chance we don't see Kamara again this season over the final three weeks. Fantasy managers still battling for a championship will unfortunately be without the 29-year-old back this weekend. Second-year RB Kendre Miller has had a tough time staying healthy in his year plus in the NFL, but he's healthy now and should serve as New Orleans' primary backfield option at Lambeau Field on Monday night, giving him at least RB3/flex value in fantasy lineups this week. Veteran Jamaal Williams will serve as his backup.

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Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard is a fringe top option in Week 16 when his team lines up against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. The rookie was excellent in last weekend's 30-12 win over the Chicago Bears, knocking in all six of his kicks (three extra points), including his first field goals since returning from a quad injury that forced him to injured reserve. Despite his monster Week 15 outing, he'll be tougher to trust against a Seahawks unit that's allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to kickers in 2024 (6.8). Even with a potent Minnesota offense behind him, fantasy managers can likely find a better kicking option in the fantasy semi-finals. Reichard is RotoBaller's K14 ahead of this week's slate of action.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring) didn't officially practice this week and was ruled out for Saturday's game against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens for the third straight game, but he is running and did make an effort to be cleared this week. The Steelers are optimistic that Pickens will be ready to go next Wednesday on Christmas Day to face the Kansas City Chiefs. The 23-year-old picked the worst possible time to miss games for fantasy managers relying on him in the postseason, but he could be back next week to resume his role as Pittsburgh's No. 1 wideout. If Pickens is active next week, fantasy managers will be hard-pressed not to throw him back in their starting lineups, even in a tough matchup against the Chiefs' stingy defense. Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson and Mike Williams have done little in Pickens' absence, with tight end Pat Freiermuth being the biggest beneficiary.

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox (hip) and wide receiver Ashton Dulin (ankle) are both considered questionable to play on Sunday in Week 16 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans. Alie-Cox didn't practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was a full-go in practice on Friday. The 31-year-old is mostly a blocker for the Colts and has only 11 receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown on 18 targets in all 14 games this year, so even if he's active on Sunday, he should remain off the fantasy radar. If Alie-Cox is inactive, Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory will vie for more snaps on offense. The Colts already ruled out Alec Pierce (concussion), so Dulin would be competing for targets with rookie Adonai Mitchell as the WR3 in Week 16 if he's active. Dulin has missed the last two games and hasn't caught a pass since Week 2.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson gets an exploitable matchup this Sunday in a meeting with the Seattle Seahawks. The 27-year-old has been fine -; albeit unspectacular -; over the last few weeks as he rounds into form. Hockenson has had a few nice performances but has mostly been a third option in the Vikes' pass attack behind wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Still, since Week 10, he's been the TE11 in PPR formats. He'll have a sound chance to stay involved against a Seattle defense, allowing 12.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends -; the thirteenth-most in the league. While the ceiling games have yet to be consistent, the Iowa alum is a top option at his position -; clocking in at RotoBaller's PPR TE5 in Week 16's ranks.

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The Kansas City Chiefs officially activated wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) from Injured Reserve on Friday ahead of his regular-season debut for the team in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Hollywood practiced in full this week and was removed from the final injury report on Thursday, ensuring that he will be active for the first time all year on Saturday. The 27-year-old signed with KC in the offseason to be a top wideout alongside Rashee Rice (knee), but a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason that required surgery has kept him out until this point. Rice is done for the season, but the Chiefs have also added DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster to the fold, so Brown won't necessarily be the unquestioned pass-catcher now that he's back. The Chiefs are fully expected to take it slow and ease Brown in, making him much too risky for fantasy lineups in Week 16.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Payne Durham could have an expanded role during the Week 16 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. The 24-year-old hasn't done much this season, but he could be asked to start this weekend with fellow tight end Cade Otton (knee) listed as doubtful for Sunday. Durham has hauled in both his targets for 34 yards this season, so his sample size is extremely small. The absence of Otton will likely just lead to more targets for wide receivers Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, and possibly Sterling Shepard. Fantasy managers shouldn't risk starting Durham in an important fantasy playoff week.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers remains strictly a handcuff option for this Sunday's road clash with the Seattle Seahawks. Akers scored a touchdown on ten carries (his most in a game since Week 11), rushing for 24 yards in last weekend's 30-12 rout of the Bears. Still, he picked up most of his work on the Vikings' final few drives and was inefficient with his touches. The 25-year-old hasn't garnered a target since Week 12 and hasn't played more than 32% of snaps since joining the team. With lead-back Aaron Jones dominating backfield touches, the Florida State product will not be a recommended option in Week 16. Akers comes in as RotoBaller's PPR RB48 in this week's rankings.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has been a second-half MVP in fantasy leagues. He caught 11 passes for 108 yards in his most recent game, a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. Jeudy and the Browns now draw an excellent matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 16. The Bengals have struggled against opposing passing attacks this season, allowing the 13th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. That being said, the Browns benched Jameis Winston earlier this week and will turn to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, a move that significantly downgrades the entire Cleveland passing attack. Jeudy is still playable in fantasy but he settles in as more of a flex option/WR3-type as opposed to the high-end WR2 that he had been in fantasy over the past month or so.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin turned in a great performance for fantasy managers during last week's game. McLaughlin connected on all eight of his kicks in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old made four field goals and four extra point attempts in what was a busy day for him. The expectation is that McLaughlin is going to be busy once again versus the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. The Cowboys have a banged up defense that should give the Bucs plenty of scoring chances this weekend. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable starting McLaughlin in Week 16.

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Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay (neck) is listed as questionable to kick for the Colts in a Week 16 divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Gay did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday but returned to a full practice on Friday, giving him a shot to be available this weekend in a must-win game for Indy. The fact that he was a full-go on Friday probably puts him on the right side of questionable for this one, but fantasy managers probably should be looking in another direction in semifinal matchups in most leagues. The 30-year-old veteran booter has gone 24-for-27 on his field-goal attempts in 2024 while also knocking down all 23 of his extra-point tries. The Colts don't have another kicker on roster, and the fact that haven't added one as insurance this week likely means they are expecting Gay to be ready to roll on Sunday.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has offered fantasy managers fairly decent value over the last month or so. The expectation was that this unit would struggle last week, but they held the Los Angeles Chargers offense to 17 points. They also sacked quarterback Justin Herbert three times while recovering a fumble and snagging an interception in the win. Fantasy managers should expect this Bucs defense to once again be a viable option in Week 16. They head into a plus-matchup against the Dallas Cowboys offense that is lead by backup quarterback Cooper Rush. The Bucs defense hasn't been an elite option, but they will offer above average value for this weekend.

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore struggled in a Week 15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, losing one yard on two catches. He will look to bounce back on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16. The Bengals have been a good matchup for receivers in fantasy this season as they are allowing the 13th-most fantasy points per game to the position. That being said, the Browns have chosen to bench Jameis Winston and insert quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson as their starter this week, a move that is a significant downgrade for all of the Cleveland pass catchers. Moore was barely hanging onto flex status in PPR leagues even with Winston slinging it and can't be started in any fantasy formats moving forward now that DTR is under center.

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San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (hip, oblique), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles, knee) and defensive end Robert Beal (ankle) are all questionable for Week 16 in Miami against the Dolphins on Sunday. NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco points out that around 70% of the players the 49ers designate as questionable this year end up playing on game day. Bosa, who returned in the Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday after a three-game absence, was limited on Wednesday before being downgraded to a DNP on Thursday. Although he didn't record a sack in his return last week, he did play 72% of the defensive snaps and had two solo tackles and three QB hits. Given the fact that Bosa probably won't be 100% the rest of the year and with the Niners on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs, Bosa will be extra risky in starting IDP fantasy lineups the rest of the way if he's active.

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Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford found the end zone on a 62-yard rush in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. He will take over as the Browns' starting running back after Nick Chubb (foot) was lost for the remainder of the season with a broken foot. Ford will take on a Cincinnati defense that is allowing the 17th-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. With the Browns slated to give quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson his first start of the season, there's a chance they could lean on the run a bit more than usual against the Bengals. That, plus his ability in the passing game, puts Ford in play as a solid RB2 in fantasy heading into Week 16.

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Arizona Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) has been ruled out for the team's Week 16 contest this Sunday at the Carolina Panthers, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon. With Johnson sidelined, offensive lineman Kelvin Beachum will slide into the starting left tackle spot and protect quarterback Kyler Murray's blind side this weekend. Johnson, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Ohio State, started all 17 games in his rookie campaign last year and had started all 14 games this year before injuring his knee in the Week 15 win over the New England Patriots. Fantasy managers should still be starting Murray in the fantasy playoffs in a plus matchup, but Johnson being out is definitely a downgrade for the Cardinals' offense overall in Week 16.

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