San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. Purdy suffered a right-elbow contusion at the tail end of the Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night. While the injury isn't considered serious and Purdy should have a normal offseason, the Niners will hold him out in a meaningless game to close out the year. With Purdy sidelined, backup Joshua Dobbs will make his first start under center this year. The 25-year-old Purdy wasn't able to replicate his breakout 2023 season for San Fran, but he was still solid for fantasy purposes (QB10 overall heading into Week 18), especially when considering he was without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) and receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) for most of the year.

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said it was a medical decision to sit quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) for the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals this Sunday and also downplayed the signal-caller's injury. "It's nothing more than when you hit your funny bone. When you get an NFL helmet in the wrong place it irritates the nerve. Brock is going to be fine. It's going to quiet down," Lynch said. The 25-year-old injured his elbow late in the Monday night loss to the Detroit Lions and hasn't practiced yet this week. With the Niners already eliminated from the playoffs, there's just no reason for the team to throw Purdy out there against Arizona. Veteran Joshua Dobbs will get the start instead. Entering Week 18, Purdy is the QB10 in overall fantasy points, although his 2024 was a step down from his breakout in 2023.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday after suffering a right-elbow injury at the end of the Sunday night loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Although Purdy's injury is considered minor and he hasn't officially been ruled out yet, the Niners have already announced that backup Joshua Dobbs will get the start in a meaningless Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Expect the 25-year-old Purdy to be officially ruled out on Friday's final Week 18 injury report. If the former seventh-rounder has played his last game of the 2024 season, he'll finish with a career-low 65.9% completion percentage with 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 starts. It was a step back from his breakout in 2023, but Purdy was also missing key weapons on offense for most of the year due to injury.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed for 53 yards and scored a touchdown in the team's blowout win over the New York Jets. Buffalo's top running back saw 15 opportunities again, but all came on the ground. He wasn't targeted for the second time this season. Thankfully, a touchdown pushed him up to double-digit PPR points. Cook's one-yard plunge in the third quarter extended Buffalo's lead to 26 points. They led by even more entering the fourth quarter, allowing Cook to take the rest of the game off. The Bills secured the number two seed in the AFC and face the New England Patriots in Week 18.

Outside of the 42-44 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has seen consistent usage in November and December. Cook has averaged 14.4 touches per game since Week 9 and has 14 or 15 touches in four of the last five games. While fantasy managers would like that number to be higher, the 25-year-old has been efficient with his opportunities. He's topped triple-digit rushing yards in three of the last four games and draws a Jets defense that is weaker against the run than the pass. Cook's ranked as a high-end RB2 and should be a lineup lock for fantasy championship weekend.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed 11 times for an even 100 yards and one touchdown in the team's 24-21 victory over the New England Patriots. He scored a second time on one of his three receptions. The 25-year-old totaled 26 yards through the air. Cook scored Buffalo's first touchdown on a 46-yard sprint past defenders in the second quarter. In the third quarter, he found paydirt on a four-yard swing pass from Josh Allen. Cook continues to make the most of his touches and will be in the RB1/2 range when the Bills host the New York Jets in Week 17.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (wrist) were both held out of practice on Thursday for the second straight day this week. Both Brown and Smith have played through their respective injuries of late and are just getting additional maintenance heading into a meaningless Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. The Eagles are already locked into the NFC's No. 2 seed, so they have nothing to gain by playing their starters this weekend. As such, head coach Nick Sirianni has already confirmed the team plans to rest starts against the Giants. Brown and Smith will most likely be rested as well, meaning fantasy managers in DFS should avoid them on Sunday. Philly's offense could be led by third-string QB Tanner McKee, so avoiding the Eagles entirely in Week 18 is probably the best play.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receivers A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (wrist) were both held out of practice on Wednesday. Both Brown and Smith played in the Week 17 blowout win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, and they combined for three touchdowns. Brown and Smith are both likely fine from a health perspective heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival New York Giants. However, with the Eagles having already locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC for the postseason, they are planning to rest key starters this weekend. If Brown and Smith are even active against New York, there's a good chance they won't see the field much, if at all. Fantasy managers would be wise to avoid Philly's offense altogether, but Jahan Dotson and rookies Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith should see much larger roles.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith caught six of his seven targets for 120 yards and two touchdowns in their decisive victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. Smith left the game for a brief window with a wrist injury. However, that did not seem to alter his performance as he paced all Philadelphia pass catchers in yards and receptions. He caught his first score of the game from Kenny Pickett on a 22-yard pass. He found the end zone again, this time on a 25-yard strike from Tanner McKee. His longest reception of the afternoon went for 49 yards. Despite catching passes from a multiple backup quarterbacks, Smith showcased his elite upside with his first multi-touchdown performance of the season. Smith will look to stay hot in a divisional tilt in Week 18 against the New York Giants.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (ribs) is no longer on the injury report and will suit up against the Cincinnati Bengals for the regular season finale. He logged full practices on Wednesday and Thursday, showing encouraging signs of his availability on Saturday as the Steelers host the Bengals in Week 18. The Steelers are currently on a three-game losing streak and will look to eliminate the Bengals from playoff contention with a win on Saturday. Over the past two games, Warren has accumulated 204 all-purpose years and is one of the more explosive players on this Steelers offense. Fantasy managers can deploy Warren as a low-end RB2/flex play in a plus matchup as he comes in as RB16 in the latest RotoBaller running back rankings.

According to the team, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (ribs) upgraded to full participation during Wednesday's practice session. This is a great sign, as Warren was listed as limited participation during Tuesday's initial session. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status on Thursday in case he faces a setback. Over the past two weeks, Warren has logged more offensive snaps than the presumed No.1 option in the backfield, Najee Harris. Warren has averaged 11.5 attempts and 5.5 targets per game during this two-game stretch. If Warren is off the injury report on Thursday, he should be viewed as a solid RB2 in PPR formats facing the Cincinnati Bengals, given his elite receiving ability.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (ribs) was limited on Tuesday due to a rib injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout the week in case he remains limited during practice. During their Week 17 tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs, Warren logged 11 attempts and brought in five passes for 112 total yards. This was his second straight game, logging at least double-digit rushing attempts. In addition, Warren saw more offensive snaps than Najee Harris for the second straight contest as well. Before this two-game stretch, Warren averaged 8.6 attempts per game since Week 6, while Harris dominated the snaps. Going forward, fantasy managers should expect Warren to have a slightly higher ceiling than Harris, especially in PPR formats, given his elite pass-catching abilities.

According to Turron Davenport of ESPN, Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis will start in Week 18 against the Houston Texans. While Levis will start the game, it was reported earlier this week that the Titans would give both him and Mason Rudolph snaps in this contest. As a result, this makes them difficult to project from a fantasy standpoint. However, seeing Levis get the start may suggest he sees a slight edge in opportunities. Over the past two weeks, the team has given starting duties to Mason Rudolph. Over Levis' past four complete games, he averaged 225.6 passing yards per contest with a 7:2 TD:INT ratio. Fantasy managers should look for an alternative option this weekend, as both will carry a limited ceiling given their unknown snap count on Sunday.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that both quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Will Levis will play in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Houston Texans this coming Sunday. It means that fantasy managers still playing for something in two-QB superflex leagues should ignore both Rudolph and Levis this weekend. Tennessee chose to bench Levis after their Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in favor of Levis, who hasn't been a noticeable upgrade. Rudolph has completed 64.62% of his 65 pass attempts with 445 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions in two losses to the Colts and Jaguars. Levis, the team's second-round pick in 2023, has been too inconsistent in his second NFL season, tossing 12 TDs and 12 interceptions while also being sacked 40 times in 11 starts. There will obviously be very little upside for both QBs to close out the year.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (shoulder), who was listed as questionable for the Week 16 tilt on Sunday against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, is active and will serve as the backup to starter Mason Rudolph. After another poor showing in the Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which he threw three more interceptions, the Titans made the move to bench Levis in favor of Rudolph in Week 16. It's unclear if Rudolph will start all three of the final three games of the regular season, but Levis' fantasy stock in superflex and dynasty/keeper leagues is obviously trending down toward the end of the year. In 11 starts in his sophomore season, Levis has completed 63.7% of his passes for 1,916 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Heading into his third season in the NFL, he could be battling for a backup job in 2025.

According to the team, Atlanta Falcons wide receivers Drake London (knee) and Darnell Mooney (shoulder) were both added to the injury report following Thursday's practice. Both wideouts practiced on Thursday in a limited capacity. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status on Friday. If they cannot return to full participation, they could carry a questionable tag into Sunday's regular season finale against the Carolina Panthers. Last weekend, London was Michael Penix Jr.'s go-to target in the passing game as he saw an impressive 13 targets during their loss to the Washington Commanders. In this game, Mooney saw five targets but was only able to bring in two of them. If either wide receiver were to miss Sunday's game, Ray-Ray McCloud would see an increase in opportunities.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London led the Falcons in receiving in Sunday's 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders, hauling in seven of 13 targets for 106 yards, although he was unable to find the end zone. Michael Penix Jr. frequently looked London's way, with no other receiver getting more than five targets, but the lefty QB missed London streaking across the end zone late in the game with an off-target throw. Still, it was a strong showing from the former first-round draft pick, with the yardage total putting him over 1,000 yards receiving on the season, the first 1,000-yard season of his three-year career. The 6-foot-4 wideout gets a favorable home matchup against the Panthers in Week 18, a defense he put a 6-74-1 line on earlier this season.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (knee) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 17 matchup against the Washington Commanders. London was limited during the first two practices of the week before getting in a full session on Friday. Now, London has been cleared to play after he suffered a knee injury during last week's game against the New York Giants. He hauled in five of his eight targets for 59 yards last week. The change at quarterback doesn't seem to have hindered London's fantasy value, so fantasy managers can go ahead and plug him in as a WR2.