Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) remained absent during Friday's practice session. Njoku has yet to step on the practice field this week and is trending toward missing his third-straight contest. Managers should monitor his status on Friday's final injury report, but given that he has yet to practice this week, suggests he will face an uphill battle to suit up on Sunday. Before suffering this knee injury, Njoku averaged just 4.3 PPR points per game over his last five games (Week 10 through 14) and caught just 1.2 passes per game. While he has been sidelined, rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has seen his production increase. Over his last three, Fannin has averaged a stellar 19.0 PPR points per game and would profile as a must-start TE1 if Njoku misses his third-straight game.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (teeth) was spotted at Friday's practice, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Brown has been unable to practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to a dental procedure, but seeing him back at practice on Friday puts him back on track to suit up on Sunday. Managers should monitor his status on Friday's final injury report later this afternoon, in case he faces a setback. After averaging just 11.2 PPR points per game over his first eight games of the campaign, the 28-year-old wideout has taken a massive step forward, totaling 19.8 PPR points per game with four touchdowns over his last six contests. If healthy, Brown remains a must-start WR1 in all formats despite facing a tougher Buffalo Bills secondary that has allowed the 10th-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs.

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New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (abdomen) remains absent during Friday's practice, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The team's veteran wideout has been unable to practice all week after suffering this abdominal injury during their victory over the Ravens last weekend. Given that he has yet to step on the practice field, Hollins will likely face a difficult challenge to suit up for Sunday's contest against the Jets. Managers should keep a close eye on his status on Friday's final injury report, but given his current trajectory, he will likely sit out. Over the last two games, Hollins has seen his target share climb sharply, seeing 8.5 targets per game and tallying an average of 55.0 yards per game. If Hollins were to sit out, managers should expect Stefon Diggs to operate as the clear WR1 while tight end Hunter Henry earns an uptick in opportunities.

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New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson (concussion) was spotted at Friday's practice without a red non-contact jersey. This is an excellent sign for the second-round rookie as he appears to be trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's contest against the New York Jets. Henderson exited their Week 16 contest with a concussion and opened the week as a limited participant in each of the first two sessions. However, given that he is now taking contact, suggests he could be in a good position to clear the league's protocol before Sunday. Managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status, as he would carry high-end RB2 upside facing a Jets defense that allows the fifth-most PPR points to opposing RBs. If he is unable to play, Rhamondre Stevenson would carry must-start RB2 value.

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Head coach Jonathan Gannon notes that Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) is steadily progressing while dealing with a lingering heel issue. The Ohio State alum has battled a heel injury for the better part of a month now. After a few weeks of no practice, Harrison returned to the field in Week 16 to log three limited sessions before also having his reps capped in the Cards' 26-19 loss to the Falcons last Sunday, in which the second-year pro recorded his lowest snap total of the campaign. Per Gannon, Harrison "had a good day of work" on Thursday, and appears to be trending toward playing again in Week 17. However, it's unclear if he'll still be on a snap count. As it stands, fantasy managers should continue to monitor the 23-year-old ahead of his outing with Cincinnati this Sunday.

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According to head coach Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (foot) will play in Sunday's home matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Allen suffered a foot injury in Week 16's 23-20 win over the Browns. Despite not missing any time on the field during the game because of it, the fantasy stalwart has been a limited participant for the first two days of practice this week. Regardless, it sounds like Allen won't be in danger of missing any time and should again slot in as a high-end QB1 play, even in an outing against a staunch Eagles' defense. On the off-chance he isn't ready to rock in Week 17, Mitchell Trubisky would lead the Bills against the visiting Eagles.

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According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (neck) will be unavailable for Sunday's divisional clash with the visiting New England Patriots. The rookie is set to miss his third straight game after suffering a neck injury in Week 14's 48-20 loss to the Jaguars. Unfortunately for Taylor, he's yet to log even a limited practice since picking up the issue. With the 21-year-old missing again, teammate Jeremy Ruckert will play a majority of snaps at the position for Gang Green, while Jelani Woods and Stone Smartt mix in behind him. None of them projects to be particularly involved enough to matter for fantasy.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely had some big hopes and expectations entering this season after breaking out in a handful of games last year. He had a bunch of "almost big plays" this season, but ultimately, he's cracked the TE1 level twice and TE2 once. Now, the Ravens are probably operating without Lamar Jackson (doubtful - back), and even Mark Andrews has struggled to produce much over the last few weeks. Likely is riding two straight goose egg weeks into a Week 17 matchup with the Green Bay Packers who are eighth against tight ends in the last four weeks. The fourth-year pro projects as the TE27 on RotoBaller's rankings, which means there are better options on the waiver wire for fantasy managers looking for a streamer in their playoff matchup.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell has seen more and more snaps as each week goes on, but it hasn't exactly turned into enough production for fantasy managers. The past two games, he's seen a season-high 39% and 35% snap share, but has only produced finishes of RB35 and RB64. Derrick Henry should get plenty of work against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 with Tyler Huntley likely taking over for Lamar Jackson (doubtful - back). Mitchell could still see plenty of work mixed in, but the Packers are ranked eighth against opposing backfields, even without Micah Parsons (knee). RotoBaller's rankings project Mitchell as an RB49, which would make him more viable in very deep leagues, but harder to trust in most other leagues.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (shoulder, illness) will be a slightly more volatile fantasy option than usual for Saturday's home matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Watson, like quite a few of his teammates, is dealing with multiple injury designations for their Week 17 tilt with Baltimore. In unfortunate news for the 26-year-old, a late-week illness may keep him from suiting up, as he's been deemed questionable after recording a DNP for Thursday's practice. Even if Watson does eventually play, the uncertainty surrounding who will be the team's starting quarterback hurts his fantasy value. Currently, both Jordan Love (shoulder, concussion) and Malik Willis (shoulder, illness) are questionable, too, meaning Clayton Tune could end up being the one calling signals in a worst-case scenario. Fantasy managers relying on the fourth-year pro should closely monitor his status up until game time. Watson ranks as RotoBaller's PPR WR35 for his outing with Baltimore.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has finished as a WR3 or higher in just two games all year in half-PPR formats. Once in Week 3 as the WR15 and again in Week 9 as the WR36. His average finish this season is the WR78, which firmly puts him outside of the start-worthy options in most fantasy leagues. The Green Bay Packers have been quite generous to opposing receivers (ranked 30th over the last four weeks), but Bateman will most likely have Tyler Huntley behind center in this matchup. In Huntley's other two starts this year, Bateman received one and four targets respectively, with a combined three catches for 59 yards. For fantasy managers in their championship game, Bateman projects as the WR84, which would be very hard to trust in a must-win situation.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (shoulder, concussion) carries a bit of extra risk for this Saturday's outing with the visiting Baltimore Ravens if he's active. Love could only log limited practices this week, leading up to his game with Baltimore after dealing with a few injuries suffered in last Saturday's loss to the Bears. Unfortunately for Green Bay, the team is in danger of being without Love's backup, Malik Willis (shoulder, illness), as he also deals with injury. As it stands, even if the 27-year-old is available to play, he could have a difficult time with a Ravens' defense that's been much improved over the back half of the season. He'll rank as RotoBallers QB20 if he suits up for Week 17's contest.

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Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews hasn't been kind to any fantasy managers that have decided to play him through the fantasy playoffs thus far. The veteran hasn't posted a finish in TE1 territory since Week 11 in half-PPR formats. His Week 17 matchup doesn't make it any easier either, since the Green Bay Packers are ranked eighth against the position over the last four weeks. They only allow 8.65 fantasy points per game to tight ends, and Andrews will more than likely have Tyler Huntley under center, who has targeted Zay Flowers more often. In RotoBaller's projections for Week 17, Andrews is the TE21, which would be a tough start for fantasy managers who are in their championship game.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson finished Thursday's 23-10 victory against the Detroit Lions with four catches on five targets for 30 yards, a modest output despite the Vikings' inability to do much of anything in the passing game. Playing without starter J.J. McCarthy (hand) and already missing backup Carson Wentz (shoulder) for the season, the Vikings turned over the keys to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer, which went as expected. Brosmer threw for 51 yards and lost 48 yards to sacks, leading to just three net passing yards. A heroic performance from the Minnesota defense, which forced a whopping six turnovers, gave the offense a chance, and two rushing touchdowns were just enough. For managers rostering Jefferson, however, it was yet another frustrating outing limited by the offense around him. Of note, the superstar is 53 receiving yards from 1,000 with one game to go. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has made reaching the milestone a stated goal, so the gameplan may heavily feature Jefferson in a Week 18 game against Green Bay.

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The Minnesota Vikings' hampered offense looked helpless for much of Thursday's game against the Detroit Lions, but running back Aaron Jones Sr. was still able to scratch out a solid fantasy day with 53 yards rushing, three catches for 10 yards, and a touchdown in a Vikings win. Playing on a short week, Minnesota was missing its top two quarterbacks, three starting offensive linemen, its starting tight end, and Jones' fellow running back, Jordan Mason (ankle). The Vikings naturally leaned on Jones, who needed 18 carries to gain 53 yards as the Lions loaded the box and put pressure on Brosmer. The Vikings gained a miserable three net passing yards, but the combination of defense and a pair of rushing touchdowns was just enough. Jones has been a reliable fantasy back this year, but he'll need some good news on the injury front as the Vikings prepare for a Week 18 game against Green Bay.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has now followed up one of his worst games in his three-year career with three weeks of 14 or more fantasy points in half-PPR formats. His lowest finish over the last few weeks has been WR15, and he came in as the WR8 last week against the New England Patriots, despite a fumble at the end of the game. The Ravens are still fighting for their playoff lives in Week 17 when they go up against the Green Bay Packers, and they'll likely have Tyler Huntley under center. The good news is that Huntley seems to target Flowers the most in his starts (10 in Week 6, nine in Week 8). In terms of the matchup, the Packers rank 18th on the season against receivers, but are 30th over the last four weeks. He's projected as the WR24 on RotoBaller's rankings, but has quite a high ceiling depending on game script.

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Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has faced some tough times this season in regard to ball security and questionable coaching decisions. While he registered his fourth fumble of the year last week against the New England Patriots, he still accrued 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Tyler Huntley is likely to be under center in Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers, which means Henry should see some more carries. In Weeks 6 and 8, Henry received a combined 45 carries with Huntley as the starter. The Packers, however, are the eighth-toughest team in the league against the position over the last four weeks. They only allow 19.38 fantasy points per game to opposing backfields, but Henry was able to run all over the third-ranked Patriots defense, so he still projects as the RB11 in RotoBaller's rankings.

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A beleaguered Minnesota Vikings offense did very little for most of a Christmas Day showdown against the Detroit Lions, but wide receiver Jordan Addison provided a late-game spark with a 65-yard touchdown run that changed the game in a 23-10 victory. Missing three offensive line starters, their top two quarterbacks, and their starting tight end, the Vikings threw for a miserable 51 yards passing behind undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, which led to one target and no catches for the third-year receiver. The Minnesota defense played an outstanding game by forcing six turnovers, and the offense finally came to life late in the fourth quarter with an end-around to Addison that clinched the game. Routinely a risky fantasy option, Addison came through with one big play this week. He and the Vikings will finish the season by playing host to the Green Bay Packers in Week 18.

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Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal is in a precarious position heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Houston Texans. Vidal is officially questionable after sustaining a neck strain last week. He managed a limited practice on Friday but was largely ineffective before exiting the game, posting just 2.2 yards per carry. He continues to be outshined by rookie Omarion Hampton, who has shown far superior explosiveness and vision. The Texans boast a top-seven rush defense that allows the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the league, making this a brutal environment for a struggling, banged-up back. Even if Vidal is active, his plummeting volume and lack of production make him an impossible start with fantasy titles on the line. He should remain on your bench this week.

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston reminded fantasy managers of his "boom" potential last week, erupting for 104 yards and a touchdown against the league's worst pass defense. However, his historical consistency remains an issue, and the pendulum swings back toward "bust" territory against the Houston Texans. The Texans are a defensive juggernaut, ranking first in EPA/Pass and second in pressure rate. While Johnston has overcome his groin injury, he now faces a secondary that excels at erasing deep threats and minimizing yards after the catch. In a game where Justin Herbert will likely be under constant duress, Johnston's high-variance profile makes him an extremely dangerous start in championship week. Unless you are chasing a miracle, the risk outweighs the reward. He is a touchdown-reliant, low-end WR4.

From RotoBaller