New England Patriots rookie wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder) did not practice at all this week and has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, fellow wideout Kayshon Boutte (illness) was cleared to play. The 22-year-old Polk will finish off what has been a bad rookie season early due to a shoulder injury. The second-round selection just never had much of a chance to excel in 2024 in a bad offense with rookie quarterback Drake Maye struggling to find his footing with limited weapons around him. Polk will finish his first year in the NFL with only 12 catches on 33 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games (seven starts). The Patriots will surely look to bring in upgraded receiving options this offseason, giving Polk and others even more competition.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (knee) returned to a limited practice on Friday and is listed as questionable to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday at Lambeau Field against the division-rival Chicago Bears. Friday's practice session was the first Watson was able to attend since suffering a bruised left knee in the 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. "It was good, it really was," said head coach Matt LaFleur of Watson's return. "It was good to get him back out there, kind of get him back in the flow of things. So that was, that was encouraging." The 25-year-old's return to practice on Friday means he's making progress, but we still expect the Packers to play it safe and hold the oft-injured receiver out in the regular-season finale so that he'll be ready to go for the playoffs next week. It's unclear how long Green Bay might play their starters on Sunday, giving them all considerably more risk in fantasy lineups.

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New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (foot) was a limited participant in practice all week and is listed as questionable to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Henry will enter the final week of the regular season as a shaky fantasy TE on the TE1/2 borderline. Aside from his injury, the Patriots and Bills have nothing on the line on Sunday besides draft positioning, so there's a chance that Henry doesn't see the field all that much if he's active. If he's ruled out on Sunday morning, Austin Hooper would be a TE sleeper in DFS lineups. Henry has been a low-ceiling, low-floor fantasy TE in 2024 in the low-scoring Patriots offense with rookie quarterback Drake Maye leading the show. He currently ranks as the TE19 in half-PPR points per game (5.0) with 66 catches for 674 yards and only two touchdowns in 16 games played.

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Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he's optimistic about the status of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (knee) for Sunday's game against the division-rival New York Jets in the Week 18 regular-season finale despite Waddle being listed as questionable. Waddle has missed the last two games due to his knee injury but upgraded to a full practice session on Friday after two limited showings earlier this week. As things stand right now, Waddle is more likely to return than not for a must-win game against the Jets. It's good news for the Dolphins offense, but Waddle should still be considered a volatile WR4/flex play in fantasy this weekend if he's active on Sunday. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) is expected to miss his second straight game, so Waddle could be taking passes from backup Tyler Huntley while potentially dealing with a limited snap count.

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The New Orleans Saints have listed wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion) as questionable to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi said the decision on whether Olave plays will be "all-encompassing." Olave has been practicing in full for the last two weeks, but Saints have already been eliminated from the playoffs, and NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill says he'd be surprised if the 24-year-old is allowed to suit up. The former first-round pass-catcher hasn't played since suffering his second concussion of the season back in Week 9, so even if he were to return this weekend, he probably wouldn't see his usual number of snaps on offense. He'll need to come off Injured Reserve on Saturday if the Saints want to let him play. Olave had a 32-400-1 line in eight games before suffering his second concussion.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (illness, wrist) did not practice on Friday and is questionable to play in Week 18 versus the division-rival New York Jets in the regular-season finale. Hill was limited in practice on Wednesday before upgrading to full on Thursday. The 30-year-old likely didn't practice on Friday while being under the weather. He's been managing a wrist injury for most of the year but hasn't missed a game, so as long as he's not still sick on Sunday, we'd expect the Cheetah to suit up for a must-win contest on the road. Fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle (knee) could return after missing a few games to pull targets away from Hill, but Tyreek should be considered a must-start in fantasy lineups if he's active, even with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) expected to miss a second straight game. Backup Tyler Huntley connected with Hill nine times (on nine targets) for 105 yards last week.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) did not practice all week but is listed as questionable to play on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants in the Week 18 regular-season finale. The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC postseason picture, so their main priority this weekend is getting their QB room healthy. Starter Jalen Hurts (concussion, finger) will miss his second straight game, so if Pickett is unavailable, the Eagles will be down to third-stringer Tanner McKee. McKee is planning to make the start, so if the 26-year-old Pickett ends up being active on Sunday, it will likely be in a backup role. Fantasy managers still playing for a championship in Week 18 should just avoid Philly's offense as a whole. If Pickett is ruled out, Ian Book would be the backup for McKee.

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The Philadelphia Eagles are resting key players on both sides of the football for their Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival New York Giants. With the No. 2 seed in the NFC postseason already locked up, linebacker Zack Baun and cornerback Darius Slay are both listed as doubtful to play. In addition, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and linebacker Nakobe Dean (abdomen) are doubtful. Baun is the No. 2 fantasy linebacker in IDP formats thanks to his 93 tackles, 3.5 sacks and interception, so fantasy managers in those formats will need to make sure to bench him if they are still playing for a championship. Philadelphia's defense obviously won't be at full strength this weekend as they rest up for the playoffs, but they'll still be a top-10 fantasy defense against the lowly Giants offense and turnover-prone quarterback Drew Lock.

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After initially being listed as doubtful, the Las Vegas Raiders have downgraded running back Ameer Abdullah (foot) to out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers after he missed practice all week. Abdullah injured his foot in the Week 17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in which he had the first 100-yard rushing day of the season. With the 31-year-old getting an early start to the offseason, the Raiders will use Alexander Mattison as their lead back against LA at Allegiant Stadium, with rookie Dylan Laube and Chris Collier also seeing action in a change-of-pace role. Abdullah saw additional opportunities in the second half of this season due to injuries to Mattison and Zamir White, but he'll finish his third season in Sin City with only 311 rushing yards and two TDs on 66 carries over 16 games. He added a career-high 40 catches for 261 yards and three more TDs.

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Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) practiced in full all week and has been removed from the Week 18 injury report on Friday. The Eagles opened Goedert's 21-day practice window to return from Injured Reserve on Wednesday, and it appears he'll be officially activated by Saturday and return to action on Sunday when the team faces the division-rival New York Giants in the Week 18 regular-season finale. The 30-year-old will be returning for the first time since injuring his knee back in Week 13. However, for fantasy purposes, managers should be looking elsewhere. Philly will almost certainly cap Goedert's playing time in his return as they look to get him up to speed heading into the postseason. On top of that, third-string quarterback Tanner McKee is in line to make his first career start with both Jalen Hurts (concussion, finger) and Kenny Pickett (ribs) banged up.

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Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz is coming off the best performance of his season and will look to stay hot against a struggling Dallas defense. Last weekend in their playoff-clinching victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Ertz caught six of his seven targets for 72 yards and two touchdowns. This was his second-highest yardage total this season and first multi-touchdown game of the campaign. This was also a nice breakout game for Ertz, as he caught just three passes during Weeks 15 and 16. However, before this minor slump, he averaged a solid 13.0 PPR points during Weeks 10 through 13. Since Week 10, Ertz has seen at least six targets in all but two contests. Given his reliable target share and ability to gain high-value targets in the red zone, he remains a high-floor, low-end TE1 in PPR formats against the Cowboys.

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Washington Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez remains a risky streaming option heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Gonzalez has been filling in for the injured Austin Seibert (groin). Across five games this season, Gonzalez has gone 4-for-6 on attempts and a perfect 17-for-17 on extra points. Last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, he went 1-for-1 on his lone field goal attempt. While Gonzalez has struggled at times, he plays on a high-octane offense that continues to put him in scoring opportunities. Facing a Dallas defense that has allowed the sixth-most PPR points to opposing kickers this season, makes the 29-year-old a risky streaming option with upside in deeper 14+ team formats in the final week of the regular season.

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The Washington Commanders defense is worth a look as a low-end streaming option when they face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. Last weekend, the Cowboys struggled to move down the field all afternoon against a tough Philadelphia defense. In this game, they scored just seven points, and quarterback Cooper Rush threw two interceptions and was sacked once. However, in Week 16, they scored 26 points in an upset victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last weekend, the Washington defense tallied two sacks and an interception while allowing 24 points against Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons. While top defensive back Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) will miss his second-straight contest, they will face a Dallas offense without CeeDee Lamb (shoulder), which should provide a much easier matchup. Given Dallas' struggles last weekend, the Commanders defense should be viewed as a low-end option in deeper formats.

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The Los Angeles Chargers ruled out wide receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. The Chargers still have a shot to move up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture if the Steelers lose to the Bengals on Saturday, but they will rest Palmer for this one and hope he's ready to go for the wild-card round next weekend. The 25-year-old has been the Chargers' No. 3 receiver in 2024 behind rookie Ladd McConkey and second-year pass-catcher Quentin Johnston. The role hasn't made him much more than a WR4/5 flex play in deeper fantasy formats on a weekly basis. Palmer will finish the regular season with 39 receptions on 65 targets for 584 yards and just one TD. Either DJ Chark or Derius Davis will step into the WR3 role for the Bolts against the Raiders.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (wrist) both missed practice all week and are considered doubtful to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New York Giants on Sunday. The Eagles will also rest quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion, finger) and running back Saquon Barkley this weekend since they are already locked into the No. 2 seed in the NFC for the postseason. Key offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata are also in line to be rested. Both Brown and Smith should be fully ready to rock for the wild-card round of the playoffs next week, and hopefully they'll be getting Hurts back under center. With both Brown and Smith set to rest against the G-Men, Jahan Dotson and rookies Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith should start, but they could be working with third-string QB Tanner McKee.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin had a disappointing showing last weekend as he brought in just one of his seven targets during their playoff-clinching victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Despite the poor showing, fantasy managers should continue to view McLaurin as a low-end WR1 heading into a Week 18 tilt against the Dallas Cowboys. Before Week 17, McLaurin was riding a four-game touchdown streak. Over this four-game stretch, McLaurin tallied six total touchdowns while seeing 7.5 targets per game and averaging 77.0 yards per game. Given his role as Jayden Daniels' go-to option in the passing game, McLaurin remains a must-start option in all formats. Facing the Cowboys, who have allowed the sixth-most PPR points to opposing wideouts, should put him in prime position to bounce back.

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The Minnesota Vikings have an exciting meeting with the Detroit Lions on tap for Sunday Night Football in Week 18. Minnesota's defense has been stellar in 2024, allowing the fourth-fewest points per game (18.8) while notching 31 turnovers -; tied for the most in the league. The Vikings have intercepted at least one pass in all but four games this season and have registered multiple sacks in 12-of-17 outings. However, they'll square off against a Lions squad that's racked up the second-most yards (410.5) and the most points (33.3) per game in the NFL. Quarterback Jared Goff has been superb -; completing 71.7% of his passes -; and Detroit is doing well protecting him (31 sacks [tenth-fewest]). Despite their excellence this season, the Vikings D/ST will be a risky option against the high-powered division rivals. They'll come in at RotoBaller's D/ST13 for this week's slate of action.

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus carries solid WR3 upside in a Week 18 tilt against the Dallas Cowboys. With Noah Brown (kidney) and Dyami Brown (hamstring) sidelined over the past two weeks, Zaccheaus has emerged as the new No.2 option in the Washington passing attack. Over the past two weeks, the 27-year-old has seen at least eight targets per game and tallied 77.5 yards per game. During this span, he has found the back of the end zone three times. With Noah Brown still on the IR, fantasy managers should feel confident locking Zaccheaus into their lineup in deeper 3WR formats. He also carries solid upside, given the favorable matchup against the Cowboys, who have allowed the sixth-most PPR points to opposing wide receivers this season.

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The Los Angeles Chargers ruled out running back Gus Edwards (ankle) didn't practice at all this week and has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Edwards was also inactive for last week's blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 17, which was also the first game back for J.K. Dobbins off Injured Reserve. The Chargers are already in the playoffs, although they could move up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture if the Steelers lose to the Bengals on Saturday and the Chargers beat the Raiders on Sunday. It's unclear if Edwards would have been available this weekend if it were a must-win scenario for LA. Regardless, the Chargers will now have him rest up with hopes that he can return for the wild-card round next weekend as the backup to Dobbins. Rookie Kimani Vidal should be the No. 2 behind Dobbins on Sunday.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion, finger) missed practice all week and has officially been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New York Giants on Sunday. In addition to a concussion that he suffered in the Week 16 loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders, Hurts is dealing with a fractured finger on his left (non-throwing hand). Hurts will now miss his second straight game, although he's reportedly progressing through the concussion protocol and will hopefully have a shot to be cleared to play in the wild-card round of the playoffs next weekend. With Kenny Pickett questionable to play this weekend due to broken ribs, the Eagles are preparing for Tanner McKee to make his first career NFL start in Week 18. Entering Week 18, Hurts is the QB8 in overall fantasy points thanks to 2,903 passing yards and 32 total TDs (18 passing, 14 rushing).

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