Kittle has has now not participated in back-to-back practices ahead of the 49ers’ critical Week 17 game against the Bears. The tight end still has a chance to play, but Friday’s practice will be critical. Fantasy managers should be prepared for an alternative.

Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott were disconnected throughout, with the bulk of his receptions going for short yardage. His game-high was only a 24-yard catch, while positive game script against the Commanders allowed Dallas to ride the ground game in the second half. It was a disappointing end to an up-and-down, injury-impacted season for the veteran alpha receiver, who could fall to the tail end of the first round in coming fantasy drafts this offseason.

Ferguson departed in the third quarter with a calf injury and was promptly ruled out for the remainder of the contest. It will be Brevin Spann-Ford operating as the primary tight end for the Cowboys for the final frame. Ferguson caught 1-of-2 targets for a six-yard touchdown prior to departing.

Montgomery was added to the injury report early Thursday morning with an illness but is apparently well enough to play against the Vikings. There is the potential for Jahmyr Gibbs to see a slight uptick in snaps and usage considering the illness. St. Brown saw his practice involvement monitored on the short week but is also active. Inactive for the Lions are OL Trystan Colon, OL Taylor Decker, DL Tyler Lacy, WR Dominic Lovett, S Avonte Maddox, OL Michael Niese, and DL Mekhi Wingo.

Williams departed in the second quarter and was seen grabbing at his shoulder. He was deemed questionable to return by the Cowboys before the half. Malik Davis would be in line to serve as the primary back in a solid matchup should Williams fail to return. Williams gained 54 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries prior to departing.

Rodriguez was a late add to the injury report with an illness and is now officially inactive for the Commanders’ Christmas afternoon game against the Cowboys. Jacory Croskey-Merrit is an RB3 with Rodriguez out. The Commanders also declared QB Jayden Daniels, QB Marcus Mariota, QB Sam Hartman, LT Laremy Tunsil, LB Nick Bellore, and DT Daron Payne out against the Cowboys. Payne did not practice all week with a back issue. Jeff Driskel is Josh Johnson’s backup while Sam Hartman is the emergency third quarterback for Week 17.

The Lions play the afternoon Christmas game and had Montgomery listed as questionable due to an illness. He missed Tuesday’s practice and was limited Wednesday; Garafolo reports he is expected to go Thursday against the Vikings. Montgomery should have more opportunities in the run game this week with a run-heavy game script looking favorable, giving him RB3 upside for Week 17.

As The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McClane points out, Brown told reporters yesterday that he was having his wisdom teeth removed this week. We would assume that won’t prevent him from suiting up on Sunday. Fantasy managers should still keep an eye on the Eagles’ injury report this week, just to be sure. As long as Brown is back at practice by Friday, he will be a high-ceiling WR2 in a potential shootout with the Bills.

With nothing left to play for, it didn’t make any sense for the Chiefs to keep Rice on the field to close out the year. His season is over. Rice missed the first six weeks of the year while serving a suspension for a hit-and-run incident that occurred in March of 2024. He returned to the lineup in Week 7 and never looked back. Rice dominated targets on a Chiefs offense that desperately needed a No. 1 receiver to step up. He amassed 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games. Rice even added five rush attempts for 20 yards and a score by seeing the occasional schemed carry, a handful of which came at the goal line. On a points-per-game basis, Rice finished the season as the WR5 in PPR formats. The Chiefs still need a true downfield threat to complement Rice, but his ability to generate easy completions for Patrick Mahomes and stack up YAC on those looks is almost unmatched in the NFL. Fantasy managers can pencil him in as a WR1 heading into early 2026 drafts.

Mason was carted to the locker room early in Week 16’s contest versus the Giants because of the ankle injury. He did not return and was not able to practice at all this week. With one meaningless game left to play, we suspect his season is over. Aaron Jones was cleared from the injury report and will handle the bulk of the carries for Minnesota this week.