Fantasy Football News

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for just 160 yards and no touchdowns in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. Seattle's offense only scored six points on the day as a result. Smith was 17/23 passing, but three and outs and short drives characterized Seattle's day. Smith also missed several easy throws throughout the game that would have moved the chains. The output was surprising considering Smith came into Week 17 at No. 3 in passing yards in the league. Smith's dud also significantly affected Seattle's pass catchers. No one on the Seahawks surpassed four receptions or 43 receiving yards. Seattle managed to come out of the week with a much-needed win. However, it was an ugly win at that. Smith will look to lead the Seahawks to the playoffs with better numbers in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba recorded a huge dud in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. JSN caught three of six targets for 32 yards. The Seahawks could not get anything going on offense, and JSN suffered as a result. Quarterback Geno Smith only threw for 160 passing yards which limited the output of Seattle's pass catchers. He also missed Smith-Njigba on a couple of easy throws across the middle that would have boosted JSN's output. Smith-Njigba still led the team in targets this week as he continues to operate as the No. 1 in this offense. The dud is not concerning considering how well he had been playing recently and that the Seahawks' offense struggled as a whole. It is disappointing timing in the middle of the fantasy playoffs. For fantasy managers with championships in Week 18, Smith-Njigba should be able to bounce back against the Los Angeles Rams next week.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf did not carry his momentum from Week 16 into Week 17. Metcalf caught three passes for 42 yards on Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. In Metcalf's defense, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith did not play well in this game. The offense only scored six points, and Smith only threw for 160 yards. It continued a tough stretch for Metcalf which includes one touchdown since Week 7 and no 100-yard receiving games over that same span. Seattle should generate more fantasy output in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams for fantasy managers whose championships go into next week. The conversation about Metcalf is sure to be interesting next season. He started the year hot as a top-10 wide receiver. Upon returning from his sprained MCL in Week 11, Metcalf has been borderline unplayable. The emergence of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has tempered Metcalf's output. However, there is plenty of volume in this offense to go around. Perhaps the knee injury hampered Metcalf more than it seemed.

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant led the team in receiving on Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. Fant was a considerable safety valve for quarterback Geno Smith all game long. The Seahawks only scored six points en route to an ugly win over the Bears. Fant was the lone bright spot. He delivered near double-digit fantasy points for any fantasy managers that threw a dart at Fant. Even so, throughout this season, Fant has been far more important to the success of the Seahawks as opposed to fantasy managers. It was nice to see him break loose a couple of times in Week 17. However, his final stat line of four receptions for 43 yards was nothing to write home about. Look for Fant's role to remain significant in Week 18. Still, Fant's touchdown upside is severely capped and Week 17 marked just his fifth-highest yardage total on the season.

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet delivered a solid floor in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. Seattle could not get much going on offense all night long. After a fast start from Charbonnet, the Bears started to figure out Seattle's running game and limited him to just 57 rushing yards on 3.8 yards per carry. Charbonnet salvaged his fantasy day by adding three receptions for 19 yards. It was not the day many fantasy managers were hoping for. Charbonnet was in a great position to deliver RB1 value this week. His struggles were a microcosm of The Seahawks' struggle as a whole. Despite the offensive struggles, Charbonnet was the lone bright spot of the Seahawks offensive players who were likely to start in fantasy lineups this week. None of either quarterback Geno Smith or wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba or DK Metcalf were usable fantasy assets this week. Charbonnet projects to remain heavily involved in Week 18 against the Rams. If running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) were to miss another game, Charbonnet could bounce back in a big way next week.

New England Patriots kicker Joey Slye should be avoided in fantasy football ahead of Saturday's Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Slye ranks 24th among kickers in fantasy points this year, and he has gone just 1-for-2 on field goals over his last two contests. Opportunities have been somewhat hard to come by for the veteran kicker as New England isn't a major scoring threat. He does have impressive leg power, but as long as the Patriots' offense lacks dependability, its veteran kicker will stay off the fantasy radar. That's especially true this week against a Chargers squad allowing the eight-fewest fantasy points to kickers in 2024.

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry remains a reliable fantasy option heading into Saturday's Week 17 matchup against his old team, the Los Angeles Chargers. Henry has been quite productive in his age-30 season, ranking as the overall TE9 ever since Drake Maye took over as the starting quarterback in Week 6. Even as he shares some opportunities with Austin Hooper, Henry has remained a startable tight end in most fantasy leagues. That trend should continue this week as he's coming off an impressive four-catch, 39-yard, and one-touchdown showing against the Buffalo Bills. Henry ranks as a low-end TE1 for this week's revenge game, despite Los Angeles surrendering the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper remains a viable streaming option heading into Saturday's Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hooper has been one of the NFL's better backup tight ends this season, totaling 22 catches, 293 yards, and two touchdowns over his last six contests. In each of those six games, he has finished with at least three catches and at least 35 receiving yards. Since Week 10, he ranks 10th among tight ends in fantasy points per game (half-PPR), which is actually six slots higher than teammate Hunter Henry. Hooper's floor is a little lower against a Chargers defense allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends, but his track record and usage will keep him in the mid-range TE2 tier for Week 17. Managers could justify plucking him off waivers and starting him in leagues with at least 12 teams.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has maintained a steady role within the offense, but he remains off the fantasy radar heading into Saturday's Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Bourne has just 11 catches for 131 yards over his last four games, and he hasn't found the end zone since Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. He and DeMario Douglas have played a similar number of snaps lately, but they both rank a significant distance behind Kayshon Boutte in terms of usage. That's particularly unfortunate for Bourne because he operates out wide, which is where Boutte has played 89.9 percent of his snaps. Therefore, even against a Bolts defense allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to perimeter wide receivers, Bourne can't be trusted in lineups as long as Boutte remains a top option in New England's passing attack.

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is a high-ceiling option for Saturday's Week 17 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. The second-year receiver is coming off the best game of his career, catching five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills while playing 88 percent of the offensive snaps. Boutte continues to lead all Patriots wide receivers in snaps ever since Drake Maye took over as the starting quarterback, emphasizing the coaching staff's interest in developing (or perhaps forcing) a Maye-Boutte rapport. This approach has produced mixed results in 2024, but it worked last Sunday, and it could pay off again this week against Los Angeles. The Bolts' defense has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to receivers who operate out wide, which is where Boutte has played 89.9 percent of his snaps. Managers must remain aware that Boutte will still have to compete for targets with Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne this week. However, last week's big showing and this week's favorable matchup bode well for the LSU product as he teeters on the border of WR3/FLEX territory in fantasy football.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas remains on the fringe of the fantasy radar heading into Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Douglas is the overall WR48 in PPR leagues this year, but he has seen reduced opportunities lately with just 11 catches for 64 yards over his last three games. He did salvage his Week 15 showing with a touchdown, and his last three performances have represented his floors. Still, though, he doesn't inspire much confidence for the fantasy playoffs. If there's one factor to be excited about, however, it's his matchup. Douglas is set to face a Chargers defense that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to slot receivers. Douglas takes 73.1 percent of his snaps from the slot (fifth-most in the NFL), so perhaps this is a matchup made in heaven. Still, he'll need to fight for targets in an offense that has seen increased productivity from Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte. As a result, Douglas remains in the WR4 tier for fantasy purposes.

New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson could draw the start over Rhamondre Stevenson during Saturday's Week 17 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Still, he would rank in the RB3/FLEX tier for fantasy football. Stevenson is coming off a tough performance in which he lost a costly fumble, mishandled a backward pass that led to a Bills touchdown, and finished with his second-lowest snap percentage of the season. All of these poor outcomes from Stevenson's Week 16 could put Gibson in line to draw his second start of the 2024 campaign. Last week, Gibson himself played 59 percent of the snaps, totaling just 36 yards. He was held to 2.8 yards per carry in the contest but still boasts an impressive 4.52 yards per carry on 96 rush attempts this year. Even if Gibson draws the start against Los Angeles, he'll likely see around 10 to 14 touches, meaning he'll need to be efficient and get involved as a pass-catcher in order to have much fantasy relevance. He ranks as a mid-to-low RB3 against a Chargers defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has lost some of his fantasy appeal heading into Week 17 against the Los Angeles Chargers. While Stevenson does rank as the overall RB24 in PPR leagues this year, he has been quite inconsistent and does not inspire much confidence for Week 17. This reduced faith stems from his performance last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in which he lost a crucial fumble and also dropped a toss from Drake Maye that turned into a defensive touchdown for the other team. Stevenson did manage to score 13.3 fantasy points against the Bills, but nearly half of those points came from his touchdown. The 26-year-old played just 44 percent of snaps in the contest, which was his second-lowest mark of the year. His career-low 3.9 yards per carry coupled with last Sunday's costly fumble may have put Stevenson in the doghouse, prompting the Patriots to rely on Antonio Gibson more. There's even a chance that Gibson, who played 59 percent of the snaps last Sunday, draws the start in Week 17. Stevenson will sneak into the RB2 or RB3 tier if he finds the end zone, but that's a relatively big ask. Otherwise, he'll rank as a mid-range RB4 and can be benched in most leagues with 14 or fewer teams. That's especially true against a Chargers defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will look to remain a fringe top-12 fantasy option as his team returns home for the first time since Week 13. The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, putting the No. 3 pick up against a Bolts defense that has allowed the 11th-most rushing yards but 14th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2024. Maye himself has been solid lately, averaging 37.7 rushing yards per game as a starter while amassing four total touchdowns over his last two contests. The one drawback with Maye has been his tendency to lose the football; the UNC product has 12 turnovers over his last seven games. If Maye can clean up the turnovers while remaining productive on the ground and near the end zone, he could sneak into the top-12 quarterback range. For the time being, he ranks as a mid-to-high QB2.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) is not expected to play in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pelissero notes that Hurts missed practice on Thursday, which means that he's in one of the earlier portions of the NFL's five-step concussion protocol. The star quarterback would need to clear all five phases before being permitted to play in Week 17. Such progress is possible between now and Sunday, but the expectation is that Hurts will be inactive while Kenny Pickett (rib) draws his first start of the 2024 season. Notably, Pickett is dealing with an injury of his own but expects to have no limitations this weekend against Dallas.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) is done for the remainder of the 2024 season, according to Cam Inman of The Athletic. Greenlaw had come back from a devastating Achilles injury recently, but with the 49ers eliminated from playoff contention, the team has decided to keep him off the field and avoid potential re-injury. The veteran linebacker will now get a few extra weeks to rest and recover before preparing for a full return in 2025. The 27-year-old finishes this season having registered nine tackles through parts of two games, including just four snaps last week against Miami.

Cleveland Browns wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (knee, shin) and Cedric Tillman (concussion) were both limited during practice again on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that the Browns' top two receivers logged limited sessions, which suggests they have a real chance to suit up in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. Jeudy has not yet missed a game this season, catching 72 passes for 1,072 yards and four touchdowns while ranking as the overall WR12 in PPR leagues. Meanwhile, Tillman was coming on strong before suffering a serious head injury. The second-year receiver has missed four consecutive games. Ever since Amari Cooper was traded, Tillman had been averaging 5.2 catches, 66 yards, and 0.6 touchdowns per game. While both pass-catchers have garnered significant fantasy appeal at points throughout this season, their intrigue has dwindled ahead of Week 17. Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been less than inspiring under center, linking up with Jeudy just twice for 20 yards last week. Both Jeudy and Tillman have decent upside, but they'll drop to the bottom of the WR3/FLEX tier as long as Thompson-Robinson remains under center.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (right shoulder) remained limited in practice on Thursday. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey revealed that Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start at quarterback in Week 17, and he also acknowledged that Bailey Zappe could back him up if Winston isn't healthy yet. In such a scenario, Winston would be inactive for the second consecutive week, serving as Cleveland's emergency third quarterback. Regardless of whether Winston enters Sunday as the Browns' No. 2 or No. 3 quarterback, the bottom line is that he remains off the fantasy radar with Thompson-Robinson getting another chance as the starting quarterback.

Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore was heavily involved within the offense in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The former Carolina Panther receiver had six catches on eight targets for 54 yards receiving while adding eight yards rushing on two carries. However, he could not find the end zone for the fourth consecutive game. Despite his scoring drought, Moore continues to be a focal point for the Bears, as he has had at least six receptions for the seventh consecutive game -- the second-longest active streak in the NFL. Overall, he has caught 89 passes for 880 yards and five touchdowns over 16 games in 2024. Moore will likely continue to be heavily involved in the regular season finale against the Green Bay Packers.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will look to get back into the end zone in Week 17 when the team travels to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in a game with massive playoff implications on both sides. The Bengals defense has allowed 26.2 points per game (fifth-most in the league), but they've also allowed the fifth-fewest half-PPR points per game to opposing wideouts in the last five weeks. An ascending Broncos offense should be able to move the ball and put up points in this one. Sutton has played some of his best ball of the year of late, too, as he develops more chemistry with rookie QB Bo Nix. In the last five weeks, Sutton ranks as the WR15 in half-PPR points with 22 catches on 34 targets for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Sutton has also been a top-15 receiver this year in terms of targets (119), giving him WR1 upside if this game ends up being a shootout.