Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has been named the starting quarterback moving forward, according to head coach Raheem Morris. This news comes a day after the 15-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Kirk Cousins was able to pull together a victory, but has one touchdown and nine interceptions over the last five games. The Falcons playoff hopes are quickly evaporating so they've decided to make a change at quarterback. Penix helped lead the Washington Huskies to an undefeated season and a trip to the National Championship game in 2023. Afterwards, the Falcons used the No. 8 overall selection on Penix in this year's draft. That seemed like an odd decision at the time given they'd just signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. The hope is that a change at quarterback will jumpstart this offense. Penix will get a plus-matchup in his first career start against the New York Giants in Week 16. Although, fantasy managers can't be certain what they'll get right away, which makes Penix a risky streaming choice in the fantasy playoffs.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Sincere McCormick (ankle) said on his personal Instagram account on Tuesday that he plans to "be back next year" after injuring his ankle in Monday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons. It's unclear how serious McCormick's ankle injury actually is, but at 2-12 on the season, the Raiders have little incentive to rush any of their injured players back onto the field for the final three games of the season. For lack of better options and with head coach Antonio Pierce looking for any kind of spark, the 24-year-old was thrust into a starting role with both Zamir White (quadriceps) and Alexander Mattison both recently missing multiple games. The former undrafted free agent out of Texas-San Antonio didn't make his NFL debut until Week 12 but averaged 4.7 yards per carry on 39 rushing attempts in five games. McCormick isn't guaranteed to be back with the Raiders in 2025.

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The Arizona Cardinals and All-Pro safety Budda Baker reached an agreement on a three-year, $54 million contract extension on Tuesday that includes $30 million in guarantees. The $18 million average per year is the biggest third contract for a safety in NFL history. The deal was negotiated by David Mulugheta of Athletes First. The 28-year-old defensive back was taken by Arizona in the second round in 2017 out of Washington and has played all eight of his NFL seasons with the Cardinals, picking up six Pro Bowl nods and three All-Pro honors. He's the only safety in the league to be a Pro Bowler in each of the last five seasons. Since entering the league in 2017, Baker leads all NFL DBs in total tackles (861) and solo tackles (600). He ranks second in the NFL this year with 142 tackles and is a weekly starting option in IDP fantasy leagues.

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The Los Angeles Rams activated tight end Tyler Higbee (knee) from Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Higbee has been practicing in full for the last couple of weeks, but the Rams have been playing it safe with the 31-year-old veteran after he tore both his ACL and MCL in the postseason last year. Now that he's been activated, he's in line to make his 2024 debut this weekend against the New York Jets on Sunday. Higbee is the Rams' best pass-catching option at the tight end position among Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long, but fantasy managers should fully expect Higbee to be on a strict snap count as they ease him back into the fold following such a long layoff. With only two weeks left in most fantasy leagues, it's hard to imagine Higbee being a realistic option for starting lineups at the TE position. In 15 regular-season starts in 2023, Higbee had 47 catches for 495 yards and two touchdowns.

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The Cincinnati Bengals signed kicker Cade York from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster on Tuesday and also signed linebacker Joe Giles-Harris and safety Jaylen Key to their practice squad. York had been elevated to the active roster the last few weeks to fill in for the injured Evan McPherson (groin), who is on Injured Reserve, but now he's officially on the active roster heading into a Week 16 contest against the division-rival Cleveland Browns. With the Bengals potentially being eliminated from postseason contention very soon, they may choose to just roll with York as their placekicker for the final three games of the regular season. McPherson isn't eligible to return until Week 18. In the last two games with Cincy, York has hit all three of his field-goal tries and has missed one of his eight extra-point attempts. He'll be in play as a kicking streamer in deeper leagues this Sunday against the Browns.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) put in a full practice in the first session of Week 16 preparation on Tuesday. Brown injured his left shoulder in the preseason and needed surgery that has kept him from making his Chiefs debut all year. However, now that he's practicing in full, he has a shot to be activated and make his debut this Saturday against the Houston Texans. The 27-year-old was expected to be the team's top wideout when he signed this offseason, but obviously his injury set him back, and the Chiefs have since added DeAndre Hopkins and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Chiefs will almost certainly ease Hollywood back into the fold on offense if he is active in Week 16, so for fantasy purposes, we wouldn't recommend him as a starting option. That will especially be true if two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is unable to play.

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The Tennessee Titans are planning to make a switch at quarterback for the Week 16 contest against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, with Mason Rudolph taking over for second-year signal-caller Will Levis, according to a source. Levis threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in the Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and was benched in favor of Mason Rudolph after going 8-for-12 for 89 yards. The 25-year-old has mostly struggled in 2024 and has also missed several games due to injury. In his 11 starts, Levis completed 63.7% of his pass attempts for 1,916 yards, 12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions (league-high four pick-sixes) and five lost fumbles while being sacked 40 times. While his completion percentage improved slightly over last year, Levis' overall touch and decision-making skills need more improvement. It's a bad sign for his future with the franchise that he's being benched with three weeks left in the regular season.

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When asked if quarterback Kirk Cousins was still the Atlanta Falcons' starter heading into Week 16 against the New York Giants this Sunday, head coach Raheem Morris was non-committal. "We just got back. We still have to go through that process. All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn't play well enough at the quarterback position," Morris said. The Falcons didn't really need the arm of Cousins in their 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, and he went 11-for-17 for 112 yards, one touchdown and a league-high 16th interception of the season. In the four previous games, the 36-year-old veteran failed to throw a TD while tossing eight interceptions. Atlanta could probably get away with another similar game script against New York this weekend, but Cousins' downfall could lead the team to turn to rookie first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. Stay tuned.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle) was listed as a full participant for Tuesday's practice. It's a bit of a surprise after Mahomes suffered a mild right high-ankle sprain in the Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes probably could have gone back into Sunday's game if he needed to. KC listed the 29-year-old two-time MVP as week-to-week on Monday, but there's a chance he'll be able to suit up this Saturday in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. Mahomes still needs to get through a couple more days of practice without a setback, but the fact he's practicing in full to begin the week is a good sign he'll at least have a shot at playing. If Mahomes does play, he'll be more of a QB2 play in fantasy. If the Chiefs play it safe and hold him out, backup Carson Wentz would make his first start of the year.

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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields (abdominal), LB Patrick Queen (rest), S DeShon Elliott (hamstring), CB Donte Jackson (back) and DT Cameron Heyward (rest) did not practice Tuesday, Dec. 17. DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) was limited at practice. The Steelers conducted a walkthrough Tuesday so this is an estimation.

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Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) was a full participant at practice Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Fantasy Spin: A bit of a surprise considering there were reports of this being a potential multi-week injury, Mahomes is on track to play, barring a setback. Mahomes has just three QB1 performances this season, and the Texans have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game (13.6) over the last five weeks. Managers should consider Mahomes as a QB2 option this week.

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Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon (rest) was a limited participant at practice Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Texans conducted a walkthrough so this is an estimation.

Fantasy Spin: It's a bit surprising to see Mixon not listed with an ankle injury, but that should signal that will be ready to go against a tough Kansas City Chiefs run defense. Monitor his status throughout the week, but Mixon is still a starting asset in all formats as long as he's active.

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Baltimore Ravens WR Nelson Agholor (concussion), CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) and WR Diontae Johnson (personal) did not practice Tuesday, Dec. 17. OLB Adisa Isaac (hamstring), S Sanoussi Kane (hamstring) and S Ar'Darius Washington (ankle) were limited at practice. CB T.J. Tampa (ankle) was a full participant. The Ravens held a walkthrough Tuesday so this is an estimation.

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Kansas City Chiefs DB Chamarri Conner (concussion) and OT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Tuesday, Dec. 17. C Creed Humphrey (ankle), PK Harrison Butker (knee) and OT Jawaan Taylor (knee) were full participants at practice.

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Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins may be in danger of losing the starting job after head coach Raheem Morris told reporters 'We still have to go through that process,' when asked about who the starter will be Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Fantasy Spin: This would be a massive shake-up to the Falcons offense, but Cousins hasn't been playing well enough over the last month. With first-round pick Michael Penix waiting in the wings, he could be in line to make his first career start soon. That would likely lead to a slight downgrade for Drake London and Bijan Robinson considering the unknown Penix would bring.

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The Tennessee Titans are expected to start Mason Rudolph at quarterback against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. This means 2023 second-round pick Will Levis is headed to the bench. Levis has committed 14 turnovers in just 11 games this season and has thrown for just 12 touchdowns. Rudolph has played in five games for Tennessee this year, completing 63% of his passes for 1,015 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. The quarterback change does not dramatically affect the fantasy football outlooks for Tennessee's offensive weapons, but the offense could sustain more drives with the veteran under center.

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Free-agent tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is signing with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. The former Denver Bronco and Philadelphia Eagle was a fourth-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft and has hauled in 54 of his 74 targets for 546 yards and four touchdowns in 30 career games. He was once viewed as a future fantasy football producer at the scarce TE spot, but it would be a surprise if he entered the fantasy football radar anytime soon.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder) returned to practice last Friday and could be ready to make his season debut against the Houston Texans on Saturday in Week 16, according to head coach Andy Reid. The former Baltimore Raven and Arizona Cardinal has not played during the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery in the preseason. It's tough to know what to expect from him in fantasy football if he suits up, but he's likely to be eased into action ahead of the postseason push. Additionally, Patrick Mahomes (ankle) could sit out Saturday's contest, meaning veteran Carson Wentz would draw a start. "Hollywood" is worth picking up in deep leagues, but he's too risky to start in critical fantasy football playoff matchups if he gets the green light for Week 16.

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (knee) missed the Monday Night Football contest against the Atlanta Falcons with a knee injury, but head coach Antonio Pierce said the second-year pro is "trending upward to playing" against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. The 26-year-old has completed 86 of his 136 passing attempts for 899 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in six games this season. However, he will draw a juicy matchup against the No. 1 fantasy-friendly defense for QBs if he can suit up on Sunday. That said, with no teams on a bye, fantasy managers can likely find better options in single-QB leagues. He could have a quality spike week for two-QB and Superflex fantasy managers who are depending on him.

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The Washington Commanders signed tight end Tyree Jackson to the practice squad on Tuesday, according to team reporter John Keim. With Zach Ertz (concussion) in the concussion protocol, the team might need another body at the position ahead of the Week 16 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson, who played quarterback in college at Buffalo, last played in 2021. He appeared in nine games for the Philadelphia Eagles and caught three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, he is not expected to be on the fantasy football radar even if he's elevated to the active roster for Sunday's NFC East showdown. Rookie Ben Sinnott will start at tight end if Ertz cannot play.

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