NFL Quick Hits: Who's taking Sunday off?

By John Halpin
Published

Does your fantasy football league continue through Week 17? If so:


    Cowboys: As they’ve clinched the NFC’s top seed, they have nothing to play for. We might not see Ezekiel Elliott at Philly on Sunday, while teammates Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten could be in line for limited snaps as well. You’re up, Darren McFadden!

    Giants: Locked into the NFC’s fifth playoff slot heading into a 4:25 p.m. ET game at Washington. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. might play gin rummy on the sidelines for most of this game, even though Manning wants to play. Of course, they all say that.

    Steelers: Will be the AFC’s No. 3 seed, and seem likely to rest their stars. Does anyone still own DeAngelo Williams?

    Texans: The AFC’s No. 4 seed might be wise to rest injured RB Lamar Miller (ankle) for one more week.

    In other news ...

    The Broncos might start rookie QB Paxton Lynch against the Raiders. A Lynch-Matt McGloin matchup would be ratings gold.

    Bengals TE Tyler Eifert has been placed on injured reserve due to a back injury. A.J. Green’s status for Week 17 is TBD after his late scratch on Saturday.

    49ers RB Carlos Hyde will miss the season finale against the Seahawks due to a sprained knee. Look for a DuJuan Harris/Shaun Draughn combo in the Niners’ backfield. With Hyde sidelined in Weeks 7 and 9, Harris had 28 touches to Mike Davis’ 10 and Draughn’s six.

    Chargers RB Kenneth Farrow (shoulder) is headed to IR, while Melvin Gordon (hip, knee) is still day-to-day. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, we could see a Ronnie Hillman/Andre Williams tandem against the Chiefs. Really, if you ever wanted to play for an NFL team, show up at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday and tell them you’re a running back. You’ll have a 50-50 shot at getting a uniform.

    If you look beyond the Cowboys’ Monday night dominance over the Lions, Zach Zenner was the most interesting fantasy story, carrying 12 times for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

    Weird situation in Tampa, where Doug Martin is expected to be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive week. Look for Jacquizz Rodgers to carry the load against the Panthers.

    Redskins head coach Jay Gruden is calling both WR DeSean Jackson (jaw) and TE Jordan Reed (shoulder) day-to-day. With the Redskins needing a win to reach the playoff, these guys will play if at all possible.

    Weird stat of the week:


























    With Bryce Petty (torn labrum) on injured reserve, the Jets need to choose between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Christian Hackenberg for Sunday. If it’s Hackenberg, check on the availability of the Bills’ defense, which is owned in 57.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.

    Did anyone win a fantasy championship on the shoulders of Vikings WR Adam Thielen, who caught 12 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to the Packers? That big game vaulted Thielen into the No. 20 spot for the season among PPR wideouts.

    In case you missed it, Marcus Mariota and Derek Carr are done for the season with broken legs.

    The Jaguars placed RB T.J. Yeldon (ankle) on injured reserve. If Chris Ivory’s hamstring injury lingers this week, Corey Grant could be the Jags’ lead back at Indy on Sunday. And maybe Allen Robinson will have another big day.

    With Robert Griffin III in the concussion protocol, Cody Kessler could be back under center when the Browns visit the resting Steelers.

    We’ll be back with another fantasy news update on Friday to help you prep for the weekend. Tweet me (@jhalpin37) if you have any questions in the meantime.