San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (ribs, wrist) has been ruled out for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. Samuel didn't practice at all this week. The 28-year-old veteran likely would have been able to suit up this weekend if the Niners were playing for something, but with San Fran eliminated from postseason contention, he will be rested to close out the year. Jauan Jennings should operate as the team's WR1 on Sunday in a good matchup, with rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing and Chris Conley also seeing additional opportunities with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs running the offense. Especially when considering the injuries to running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Samuel's 51-670-3 line as a receiver in 15 games was a huge disappointment for the 49ers and fantasy managers alike.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (ribs, wrist) picked up his second straight DNP this week after not practicing with the team on Thursday. Samuel is dealing with multiple injuries following Sunday night's loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 17 and is now firmly up in the air to play this Sunday against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals in the Week 18 regular-season finale with nothing on the line for either team. Backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs has already been named the starter with Brock Purdy (elbow) likely to be shut down, so Samuel's already shaky fantasy value will take another hit if he actually suits up this weekend. The 28-year-old has scored in back-to-back weeks, but on Sunday night he only caught one pass for five yards and had three carries for 16 yards. Samuel will be a touchdown-dependent WR3/flex if he faces Arizona in the regular-season finale.

According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (rib/knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Samuel saw his typical snap count during Monday's loss to the Detroit Lions. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status throughout the week, as he may be in danger of missing Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel has found the end zone in each of his past two games but has had an overall disappointing season. Since Week 10, he has just averaged a mere 9.0 PPR points per game. During this span he has seen just 5.3 targets per game. If Samuel is unable to play on Sunday, Jauan Jennings will operate as the top wideout in the offense and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall would slot in as the No.2 option.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is an excellent play in Sunday night's meeting with their division-rival Detroit Lions. The former first-round pick has been a revelation in 2024, working his way to 4,153 yards and 35 passing scores -; obliterating his previous career bests. Those numbers are good enough for fourth and fifth amongst league leaders, respectively, while his 68.1% completion percentage is a hair better than Lamar Jackson's 67.9. Darnold has undoubtedly played himself into another year of starting and will get a chance to put the cherry on top of his sensational season on Sunday Night Football against a vulnerable Detroit Lions pass defense. The Lions have allowed their opponents the second-most passing yards per game (250.4) and have afforded fantasy QBs 20.1 fantasy points per contest -; the eighth-highest in the league. The 27-year-old comes in at RotoBaller's QB5 ahead of this weekend's slate.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 33 of 43 passes for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers. He threw one INT and lost three yards on his three carries. The former USC Trojan was again impressive -- this time in a difficult matchup against a Packers D that entered Week 17 allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to signal-callers. Darnold eclipsed the previous career-high in passing yards he set back in Week 14 and has gone over 300 yards three times in his last six outings after not having done so previously in 2024. The 27-year-old is up to a 35:12 TD:INT ratio while leading his squad to a 14-2 record -- an excellent season. He'll get a shot to capture the NFC North and the top record in his conference in a Week 18 divisional clash with the Detroit Lions.

The Minnesota Vikings want to bring back quarterback Sam Darnold for the 2025 season, and they also hope to extend head coach Kevin O'Connell, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Even with first-round pick J.J. McCarthy (right knee) working to get healthy and make his NFL debut, the Vikings aren't necessarily satisfied with moving on from Darnold. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a career rejuvenation in Minnesota, completing 310 passes for 3,776 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 13-2 record. Having two starting-caliber quarterbacks on the roster can be both difficult and expensive, but a tandem of Darnold and McCarthy could work given that the latter is still rehabbing his injury, developing as a player, and remains on his rookie deal. On the coaching side, extending O'Connell feels like a no-brainer. The Coach of the Year candidate leads a Vikings squad that is lethal on both sides of the football and has a very solid personnel core, both in terms of players and coaches.

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody will assume his placekicking duties in the Week 18 season-finale against the Arizona Cardinals, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. The 25-year-old has struggled since returning from the Injured Reserve list and missed three of his seven kicks in Week 17's loss to the Detroit Lions. Moody has not lived up to his third-round price in the 2023 NFL Draft, so the organization could add kicking competition heading into next season. However, he'll keep his job for at least one more week. It's tough to trust him in DFS or fantasy football based on his recent struggles.

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody went 0-for-2 on field goal attempts and 3-for-4 on extra points during Monday evening's loss to the Detroit Lions. Moody missed field goals from 51 and 58 yards out. This was also his first missed extra point of the campaign. Entering Monday night, he had held a disappointing 76.7% FG conversion rate. He has struggled from 50+ yards out all season, as he has gone 3-for-8 from this range. However, Moody has been perfect from within 40 yards out. This is a stark drop in production compared to the 84.05% FG conversion rate he posted in his rookie campaign last season. Given his struggles, fantasy managers should not view Moody as a viable streaming option in Week 18.

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody will kick off to the Detroit Lions on Monday night in Santa Clara. Last week in Miami, Moody went one of two on field goal attempts, making a 21-yarder in the second quarter before missing from 41 in the third. The missed field goal caused head coach Kyle Shanahan to spike his tablet in frustration, but he later offered comments in support of Moody. The former third-round pick has struggled with accuracy this season, checking in at 76.7% while the league is averaging 83.8% overall. It's worth noting that Moody has pretty extreme splits -- a perfect 15-of-15 at home and a dismal 8-of-15 on the road. He is a perfect 25-for-25 on extra points overall. Detroit's defense is middle-of-the-pack by yardage, so normally San Francisco would be expected to get Moody at least a couple of opportunities, but the Niners are down to their third left tackle, and starting right tackle Colton McKivitz (knee) is questionable. Also, a scenario in which a high-powered Detroit offense builds a lead that incentivizes the 49ers to go for it on fourth down in field goal range is possible. The weather isn't expected to be a factor on Monday night. Moody is RotoBaller's K20 in its Week 17 rankings.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) is listed as doubtful to play in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Jets in New York. Tagovailoa was limited in practice all week but is likely to miss his second straight game as the Dolphins look to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Jets this weekend. Head coach Mike McDaniel said earlier on Friday that Tagovailoa was unlikely to play on Sunday, so his doubtful listing doesn't come as a huge surprise. The 26-year-old former fifth overall pick missed four games earlier in the year with another scary concussion and will wrap up his fifth year in the NFL with only 2,867 passing yards and 19 touchdowns in 11 starts, although he did lead the league with a 72.9% completion percentage. With Tagovailoa likely to miss a second straight game, Miami's playoff hopes will rest on the shoulders of backup Tyler Huntley.

According to Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins are preparing to start quarterback Tyler Huntley on Sunday against the New York Jets as Tua Tagovailoa (hip) is "unlikely to play." This situation frustrates fantasy managers because Tagovailoa logged a few limited practices to start the week. Huntley played admirably in Tagovailoa's absence last week and threw for 225 yards through the air, with a majority (105 yards) going to Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins still have a chance to sneak into the AFC playoffs, but they will need to win on Sunday over the Jets and the Chiefs, who are expected to play backups mostly, to beat the Broncos. If Tagovailoa does not suit up, Huntley will be a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers in Week 18.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (hip) was listed as a limited practice participant for the second straight day this week on Thursday. Tagovailoa was held out of the Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday due to a hip injury and is up in the air to play this Sunday in the another must-win game in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New York Jets. For what it's worth, head coach Mike McDaniel said on Wednesday that the team was preparing for the Jets as though Tyler Huntley will make a second straight start. The 26-year-old's status for Week 18 will likely come down to how much he does in practice on Friday, although he could also end up being a game-time decision on Sunday afternoon. Tagovailoa missed four games earlier this year due to another concussion and is currently the QB14 in half-PPR points per game (17.8). He's a shaky fantasy option this week.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't get in on the scoring action during the blowout win over the Houston Texans in Week 17. After being the first receiver named to the Pro Bowl in franchise history, Flowers will look to build some momentum going into the playoffs against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. The last time the two teams faced off in Week 8, he finished as a WR2, and they'll be without Denzel Ward (shoulder) while Grant Delpit is playing through shoulder and knee injuries. Flowers holds high-end WR2 value again in a game that could decide the winner of the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't quite join in on the fun during the 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans on Christmas. The speedy wideout ended the game with two catches for 31 yards on five targets. While he was the only pass-catcher to see more than two targets, he finished with the second-most yards and no touchdowns. Despite breaking the 1,000-yard mark this year, he's scored one fewer touchdown than all of last season. He'll try to tie his five-touchdown figure in their final game against the Cleveland Browns.

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.

According to the team, Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip/wrist) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie wideout opened the week as a full participant on Wednesday but was downgraded to a limited participant on Thursday and Friday, which caused him to carry a questionable tag. The 23-year-old missed their Week 16 contest with these same injuries but was able to suit up last weekend. In Week 17, the South Carolina Product caught five of his nine targets for just 28 yards. If Legette can turn the corner in time for Sunday, he would slot in as the No.2 WR on the team, behind Adam Thielen. Fantasy managers should view him as a risky flex option, as he has not scored double-digit PPR points over his past five games despite seeing 6.8 targets per game.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip, wrist) was limited during practice on Thursday. The rookie had been a full participant on Wednesday, so this latest update does raise some concerns about his availability for Week 18. The 23-year-old has caught 46 passes for 467 yards and four touchdowns while operating behind Adam Thielen this season. He continues to lose some targets to Jalen Coker and David Moore, but he remains an intriguing dynasty target as he wraps up a solid first campaign in the NFL. In the short term, Legette's status for Week 18 remains up in the air, but we should get more clarity on his status when the Panthers release their Friday injury report.

According to David Newton of ESPN, Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette (hip/wrist) was a full participant during Wednesday's initial practice session. Legette sat out during Week 16 and was listed as questionable for Week 17 but was able to suit up. In this game, the rookie wideout brought in five of his nine targets for 28 yards. During Weeks 1 through 15, Legette saw an average of 5.0 targets per game while tallying 31.4 yards per game. However, during Weeks 4 through 10, Legette found the end zone four times. Fantasy managers should monitor his status during the week in case he faces a setback. However, he should be slated to operate as the No.2 wideout in their final game against the Atlanta Falcons.