Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon managed only 39 total yards as the Houston offense failed to score in a 31-2 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day. The veteran back rushed only nine times, picking up 26 yards, and caught two of his three targets for another 13 yards. The Texans' offense was awful in the game, gaining only 211 total yards and one rushing first down while putting up their lowest scoring output of the year. Mixon was not alone in having a bad day, but the performance was a far cry from what managers in the championship round were hoping to see, even against a solid Ravens run defense. He and the Texans will conclude the regular season on Jan. 5 at Tennessee.

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Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's estimated practice participation report. Njoku sustained a knee injury in the Week 16 matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals. He underwent an MRI on Monday and has not been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins. The results of Monday's MRI have not been released yet. After missing Week 15 with a hamstring injury, Njoku returned last Sunday and caught eight passes for 66 yards in the Week 16 loss to the Bengals. The 28-year-old will have a few more chances to practice this week in order to have a chance to suit up against the Dolphins. If Njoku does get ruled out in Week 17, look for Jordan Akins and Blake Whiteheart to see an uptick in snaps, but neither is an option for fantasy championship week.

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Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Rasheen Ali (hip) won't return in Wednesday's game against the Houston Texans due to a hip injury. Ali suffered a hip injury during the Christmas game versus Houston and has been ruled out. He lost three yards on his only carry of the game. Ali also had a kickoff return for 23 yards. Justice Hill (concussion) was inactive, leaving Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell as the only healthy Ravens running back with both Ali and Hill sidelined. Ali's next chance to return will be the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns.

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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (toe) was listed as a non participant in Wednesday's estimated injury report. He is dealing with a toe injury and would have missed Wednesday's session if the Giants had practiced on Wednesday. The 21-year-old has dealt with various injuries throughout the year but has only missed two games (Week 5 and Week 6) due to a concussion. Despite poor quarterback play from the Giants, Nabers is having a great rookie season. The No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has caught 97 passes for 969 yards and four touchdowns over 13 games this season. He will have a few more days to try to practice, with the chance of being able to suit up against the Indianapolis Colts. Nabers is a mid-range WR2 and should be in all lineups if active for fantasy championship week.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett is once again not on the fantasy radar in Week 17 when Seattle travels to Chicago to play the Bears. Lockett has received very little target volume since Week 7. Even in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, Lockett could only earn two targets despite quarterback Geno Smith throwing the ball 43 times. The Seahawks have consolidated their targets among the running backs and their top two wide receivers. Lockett is a great veteran presence for this team, but he is not integral to the game plan at all. Despite the Bears being a solid matchup for opposing wide receivers in recent weeks, Lockett should remain on waivers.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (elbow) looks to be in line to receive the majority of the running back workload in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. With Kenneth Walker III (ankle) dealing with another injury, Charbonnet should step in as a high-end RB2 or even an RB1 against a Bears team with issues stopping the run. Charbonnet has delivered high-end fantasy output in each of his four starts in relief of Walker this season. The highlight of those starts was a 38.3 PPR fantasy point outburst in Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals. Despite only logging four starts and receiving limited volume in his other games this season, Charbonnet is the RB26 on the season. Charbonnet should have solid running lanes all night long and will continue to be a significant factor in the passing game as well. Charbonnet has been banged up this week with an elbow injury. However, he has been practicing fully and appears to be in good shape to receive a heavy workload in a must-win game for Seattle.

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Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (knee) is not a player you can trust to lead your team to a fantasy championship this week. The Seahawks play the Chicago Bears in Week 17 who are middle-of-the-road against opposing tight ends in fantasy. Fant receives solid target volume in Seattle's offense, but his yardage is often capped, and his touchdown upside is limited. Rookie tight end AJ Barner seems to be the team's preferred tight end target in the red zone. Fant has not scored a touchdown since 2022. Fant has earned at least four targets in seven straight games. However, he has only exceeded 26 yards in three of those games. If their yardage is limited and touchdowns are scarce, then it is difficult to trust a tight end in fantasy football. Leave Fant on waivers this week.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (finger, concussion) did not practice in Wednesday's estimated injury report. Hurts exited Sunday's loss against the Washington Commanders early with a concussion and did not return. The 26-year-old is also dealing with a broken finger. He is in concussion protocol and will need to be cleared by Saturday to have a chance to suit up in Sunday's contest versus the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are banged up at quarterback as Kenny Pickett (ribs) was also limited Wednesday with a rib injury. Philadelphia did bring in former quarterback Ian Book for a team visit on Wednesday. Hurts will need to be cleared and practice in some fashion in order to be active against Dallas. Fantasy managers will need to monitor Hurts' status for the week but should have a backup plan in case the star quarterback is ruled out for fantasy championship week.

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New Orleans Saints Chris Olave (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. Olave was ruled out for Monday's game against the Green Bay Packers and has been sidelined since Week 9 due to a concussion. The 24-year-old was designated to return from injured reserve last week and is trending in the right direction toward playing in Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He will need to be officially activated later this week in order to have a chance to suit up in Week 17. Olave would give the banged-up Saints wide receiver corps a boost after catching 32 passes for 400 yards and a touchdown over eight games. The former first-round pick would be a low-end WR3 this week if active. The Saints were recently shut out, and New Orleans' offense has been downgraded, with Derek Carr (hand) sidelined. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the situation and hope Olave can return to action for fantasy championship week.

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Chicago Bears running back Travis Homer (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Homer will miss his second consecutive game after injuring his practice in last Friday's practice, missing the Week 16 game versus the Detroit Lions. The 26-year-old did not practice this week and was eventually ruled out. Homer hasn't had much of a role as Chicago's No. 3 back, with three carries and three catches over his last two games. D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Darrynton Evans will lead Chicago's backfield with Homer sidelined. Swift is the only realistic fantasy option this week, while Johnson is more of a deep-league flier in Week 17.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Chicago Bears. Walker was not able to practice this after injuring his ankle during the Week 16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. With the short turnaround, the Seahawks are deciding to play it safe and rest Walker for Week 17. Zach Charbonnet (elbow) should see the bulk of the carries, while Kenny McIntosh will back him up. Charbonnet has played well in the last two games with Walker was inactive, rushing for 188 yards on 30 attempts and three touchdowns while catching eight of 11 targets for 71 yards. The 23-year-old becomes a must-start against Chicago and a borderline RB1 for fantasy championship week.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) is questionable to return in Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pacheco injured his ribs during Wednesday's contest and exited in the second half. With just under six minutes to go and a 19-point lead, Pacheco will likely be done for the day. The 25-year-old rushed for 18 yards on six carries and wasn't targeted in the Christmas game. Pacheco has been outplayed by Kareem Hunt recently, but the Chiefs continue to use a backfield by the committee. Hunt should see the majority of touches with Pacheco sidelined. The 29-year-old has already found the end zone and is currently the team's leading rusher with 20 rushing yards. If Pacheco doesn't return on Wednesday, his next chance to return will be the regular season finale against the Denver Broncos.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor (concussion) is officially inactive for Wednesday's game against the Houston Texans. Agholor was placed in concussion protocol on December 15th and still hasn't been cleared heading into the Christmas game. The 31-year-old will miss his second consecutive game. Agholor has caught 14 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games in 2024. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace, and Devontez Walker will lead Baltimore's wide receiver crew against Houston. Wallace should see an uptick in targets with Agholor out but is not on the fantasy radar with Flowers active for Wednesday's contest.

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (shoulder) is officially active for the Christmas game against the Houston Texans. Flowers was initially listed as questionable, heading into Wednesday's contest after logging a limited practice on Tuesday. The 24-year-old will suit up after dealing with a shoulder injury during the week. Flowers caught five of eight targets for 100 yards in Week 16's 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Overall, he has been excellent for the Ravens this season, catching 71 passes for 1,016 yards and four touchdowns over 15 games in 2024. Fantasy managers can safely start Flowers as a low-end WR2 for the fantasy championships. Flowers is the 25th-ranked wideout in the latest RotoBaller rankings and can be started in all leagues.

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The Seattle Seahawks defense/special teams is a solid streaming option in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. The Bears' offense has been notoriously bad in the first half of games this season. Additionally, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has been sacked a staggering 60 times this season. He has only turned the ball over ten times, but the constant sacks are a great way for opposing D/STs to rack up fantasy points. The Seahawks have experienced solid defensive success lately. They are causing turnovers and finding ways to get to the quarterback in the backfield. Expect this unit to push for three or more sacks in this game. If they can force a turnover, they will certainly end up with a solid day in fantasy. Additionally, the Bears have only scored more than 20 points once over their past nine games. It is part of the reason why they are on a nine-game losing streak. The Seahawks should be a fine start in Week 17.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith checks in as a QB2 in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. Smith has a chance to put up solid numbers against a Bears defense that just got torched by Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. The Bears have not played particularly well over the second half of the season given the turmoil in the organization and the multiple coaching changes. The Seahawks must win on Thursday to keep their playoff hopes alive. The offense should be aggressive both on the ground and through the air as a result. Smith should reach 200 yards passing without issue. The question is whether the touchdowns will flow for him. He has only thrown multiple touchdowns in a game on three occasions this year. That has limited him to the QB2 range despite being third in the league in passing yards. He is a great option for two-quarterback leagues, but he should remain on benches in leagues that only start a single quarterback.

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Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers is a solid option in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears. The Seahawks should be in plenty of great positions to score this week. In Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, Myers missed his first field goal since Week 5. That came on a 60-yard attempt. Myers has been primarily reliable when given the chance. The Seahawks should not have any issues moving the ball against the Bears on Thursday. That should give Myers plenty of chances to kick field goals and extra points. With the Seahawks in desperation mode, they will likely be aggressive on offense. Look for Myers to push for double-digit fantasy points this week. He could be a key piece to your championship lineup.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in another great position to succeed in Week 17. The Seahawks will travel to Chicago to face the Bears this week. The Bears started the season as one of the best passing defenses, but they have faltered lately. This matchup is a lot better than the raw numbers would suggest. JSN has been a target hog for several weeks and that should not change in a must-win game for the Seahawks. Smith-Njigba has racked up 1,089 receiving yards and six touchdowns this season. He has scored 18.3 or more PPR fantasy points in six of his last seven games. He is on a complete tear and should be a valuable addition to championship lineups this week.

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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf has been a difficult fantasy asset to trust lately. In Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings, Metcalf scored his first touchdown since Week 7. His target volume has been solid lately, but his production has not flowed. The Seahawks face the Chicago Bears in Week 17. The Bears have not been a scary matchup for opposing passing games in recent weeks. Still, Metcalf is a risky play. His catch rate of 60% is primarily contributing to his poor production. His downfield targets are a high-risk, high-reward. Additionally, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a true No. 1 wide receiver in the offense is not helping Metcalf's case. The Seahawks are in desperation mode and must win on Thursday to have any chance of advancing to the playoffs. As such, expect them to be aggressive offensively. That could play to Metcalf's advantage. He checks in as a high-end flex play with upside this week.

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Kansas City Chiefs star defensive lineman Chris Jones (calf) is officially inactive for Wednesday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This comes as no surprise, as the Chiefs announced this morning that Jones was not expected to play. The 30-year-old injured his calf during Saturday's win over the Texans and only logged a limited session on Tuesday. Jones has been a defensive force for the Chiefs, racking up 37 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble over 15 games in 2024. Jones' next chance to suit up will be the regular season finale against the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs DST without Jones takes a slight hit, but fantasy managers can start Kansas City's defense in most leagues, as they are currently ranked ninth among all DSTs for Week 17.

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