Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (wrist, knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. However, he doesn't carry an injury designation heading into the Saturday's showdown with Denver. With the Bengals still barely alive for a postseason spot, it would take a lot to keep Burrow off the field for the pivotal game against the Broncos. The signal-caller is coming off another quality outing, throwing for 252 yards off 76.7% passing against the Browns. He also tossed three touchdowns for the fifth time in as many weeks. While the Denver defense possesses more of a challenge to Burrow, he's one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League, keeping him a starting fantasy option for Week 17.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (right wrist/knee) was limited in practice on Tuesday. Burrow has been on the injury report with the wrist injury throughout the season. He has also been limited with the knee injury for the past several weeks. As such, his limited participation on Tuesday is not concerning. Burrow is amid one of the best stretches of his career. He has thrown for three or more touchdown passes in every game since Week 9. He has also not thrown for less than 251 passing yards since Week 8. He has racked up 4,229 passing yards and 39 touchdowns in 15 games this season. He is the reason why many fantasy managers are in their championship games. The Bengals face a tough matchup with the Denver Broncos in Week 17. However, this team has been unstoppable lately and they are playing for their playoff lives. A win this weekend would go a long way toward their playoff hopes.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow went 23-for-30 with 252 passing yards and three scores during their victory over the Cleveland Browns. He added 19 yards on two rushing attempts. Burrow found Tee Higgins in the opening quarter on a two-yard TD pass. Then in the second, he found Andrei Iosivas on a six-yard TD strike. Later in the fourth, he connected with his top wideout Ja'Marr Chase on a 32-yard TD pass to put the game out of reach. Joe Burrow has now thrown at least three passing scores in each of his past seven contests. During this span he has tallied an impressive 24 TD passes. The former No.1 overall pick remains a high-end QB1 heading into his Week 17 tilt against a tough Denver Broncos defense that has allowed the tenth-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs this season.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams will have even less upside in a good matchup in Week 17 on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road with backfield mate Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) returning after a one-game absence. Although Williams averaged 6.0 yards per carry on the ground last week with McLaughlin sidelined in the loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, he only had four carries for 24 yards. He did benefit, however, in the passing game with a season-high seven receptions for 29 yards. The Broncos offense shouldn't have a tough time moving the ball against a Bengals defense that has allowed 26.2 points per game (fifth-most in the league), but Williams will merely be a low-upside, touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in fantasy lineups with McLaughlin back in the fold. Williams hasn't seen double-digit touches since Nov. 3 and has only scored double-digit half-PPR points three times in 2024.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams certainly had a bigger role in the offense with Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) out in the Thursday night loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, but not in the way that many would have predicted. Williams took a back seat to rookie Audric Estime on the ground in the 34-27 loss with only four carries for 24 yards (6.0 yards per tote), but he surprisingly led the team in targets (11), securing a team-high and season-high seven catches for 29 yards through the air. Rookie QB Bo Nix was content to check it down most of the night, with Williams benefitting. The 24-year-old came into Thursday's game with a disappointing 3.5 yard-per-carry average on the ground, although he was much more efficient on limited touches against LA. It's unlikely he'll be this involved in the passing game again, but if McLaughlin misses another game, Williams will have RB3/flex appeal in a plus matchup against Cincinnati in Week 17.

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams could very well lead Denver's backfield in the Week 16 divisional game on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 after Jaleel McLaughlin (quadriceps) being ruled out. However, Williams could be splitting touches pretty evenly with rookie Audric Estime, and the matchup is not a friendly one on a short week. On top of it, the 24-year-old has done very little all year for fantasy managers to give him the benefit of the doubt. His ineffectiveness (career-low 3.5 yards per carry) led the Broncos to go with more of a committee backfield that had favored McLaughlin in recent weeks. The Chargers defense isn't afraid to give up yards to opposing ground games, but they've allowed the sixth-fewest half-PPR points to RBs, including only five total TDs. If Denver is going to have success in this matchup, it's more likely to come via Bo Nix's arm.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley hauled in three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown in a Week 16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The looks of these stats can be a bit deceiving. However, Ridley's 38-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter did a lot of the heavy lifting for his final numbers. He saw just five targets for the game-;which was second-most for Tennessee, but still an underwhelming amount for an offense's WR1. Nevertheless, it was Ridley's first time finding the end zone in six weeks, revitalizing some hope for fantasy managers. He's a WR2/WR3 for Week 17 as the Titans head to Jacksonville.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley enters the Week 15 matchup against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals as the WR28 in half-PPR points through 14 weeks of the season. He's coming off a seven-catch, 59-yard performance in last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he had 12 targets, just the second time all season he's seen double-digit looks. The efficiency has not been there (50.5% catch rate) in Tennessee's low-volume passing offense, which can make Ridley a very frustrating fantasy play. The 29-year-old is averaging 9.7 half-PPR points a game, which ranks 43rd among wideouts. The good news is he could have a boom week for fantasy managers on Sunday against a porous Bengals defense that has allowed 235.2 passing yards per game (sixth-most in the NFL). Ridley has opportunity, but he's also had fewer than 60 yards in three of his last four games. It's why he's a volatile WR2 for fantasy managers.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. finally broke out of a five-game slump during a 29-17 defeat to the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. Samuel Sr. caught seven of a co-team-high nine targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. He added five rushing attempts for 25 yards. Samuel Sr. looked angry and determined with his touches for the first time in weeks, scoring his 16-yard touchdown by running through three defenders. It's probably too little, too late for Samuel Sr.'s fantasy managers who suffered through five consecutive weeks of sub-five-point half-PPR performances, but anyone still rostering Samuel Sr. now has to at least consider him for a start in Week 17 coming off his most productive game of the season. San Francisco gets the offensive powerhouse Detroit Lions in Santa Clara on Monday night, which should force the 49ers into a pass-heavy game script, with a similar amount of carries to Sunday if rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) misses another game.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will bring the least productive five-game stretch of his career into a Week 16 matchup in Miami on Sunday. He is averaging 3.3 half-PPR points over that stretch, including a 3.4-point performance last Thursday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. Samuel Sr. reached a low point when he dropped an important 3rd-down pass in LA territory to a chorus of boos from the home fans. He'll have better days ahead -- he's certainly a better player than this -- but at this point, Samuel Sr. is untrustable in fantasy. In addition, Miami's tough pass defense has limited fantasy receivers to the second-lowest total in the league. Perhaps Samuel Sr. sees an increase in carries, with the 49ers down to their fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-string running backs due to a deluge of injuries. It might not matter much, though, as he's only averaging 2.7 yards per carry this year with one rushing touchdown, way back in Week 1. He's projected as a WR4 this week, and most Samuel Sr. managers still in the fantasy playoffs probably benched him long ago.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy came up short in a 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. With the team down to its fifth-string option at running back, Purdy led the team in rushing with 26 yards on four scrambles and threw the football a career-high 40 times. He completed 26 passes for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Purdy's touchdowns included a 16-yard Deebo Samuel Sr. catch-and-run through three tacklers and a two-yard toss to second tight end Eric Saubert. Late in the fourth quarter with San Francisco needing a touchdown for a chance to win, Purdy was hit as he threw to wideout Jauan Jennings and the football ended up in the hands of Miami nickelback Kader Kohou. Over his last four games, Purdy has alternated between two sub-five-point bad-weather games and two 20-plus-point performances in good weather. He'll get the Detroit Lions home in Santa Clara on Monday night in Week 17.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is in Miami for a Week 16 contest against the Dolphins. In Week 15's Thursday night game with San Francisco clinging to playoff hopes against the Rams, Purdy did not play well, completing 14-of-31 passes for 142 yards, no touchdowns, an interception, and three yards rushing. The weather in Miami is expected to be mild and dry, which is ideal for Purdy as he has struggled mightily in precipitation, but that's where the good news ends. Jalen Ramsey and the Dolphins' pass defense have allowed the NFL's fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (13.4). Purdy is the 12th-ranked fantasy quarterback in points per game this season, and projections this week are congruent with that number. Consider Purdy a suboptimal play on the QB1/QB2 fence for the fantasy playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier logged 11 carries in Sunday's 34-7 win over the Giants as the offense leaned heavily on the run game in Michael Penix Jr.'s first start, however, the 24-year-old managed to gain just 22 scoreless yards (2.0 YPR) on those opportunities. Meanwhile, backfield mate Bijan Robinson was able to gain 94 yards on 22 attempts (4.3 YPR) and found paydirt twice. Allgeier added one catch for nine yards in the contest, but overall it was a bland performance so hopefully managers still alive in the fantasy playoffs were able to find other worthy substitutes if needed. The BYU product gets a juicy matchup versus the Commanders' rush defense that is one of the worst in the league in yielding fantasy production to running backs, but the third-year pro is likely no better than a low-end flex play in Week 17.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier has been the recipient of double-digit carries just four times all season and has yet to record those outings in back-to-back weeks. In Week 15, the 24-year-old carried the ball 12 times, so is he due for a return to single digits? With rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. under center on Sunday, the Falcons may need to rely on the run game more than usual. The team is favored by nine points in this game against the Giants, so they could be looking to kill the clock late as well, meaning more action for the running backs. New York has yielded the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs, and the Falcons haven't been shy about giving goal line carries to Allgeier, so the 8:3 TD split for Bijan Robinson and Allgeier doesn't tell the whole story. Allgeier has received six carries inside the five while Robinson has received eight, so it's a near-even split. Nevertheless, fantasy managers still alive in the playoffs won't be using the BYU product as an RB1 or RB2, but one could make the case for an RB3/Flex play this week, albeit a risky one.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier carried the ball 12 times for 43 yards in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. Bijan Robinson was given 22 carries, so Allgeier was spelling his backfield mate at times throughout the game and helping to kill the clock late when it seemed clear that the Falcons did not want Kirk Cousins throwing the ball if he didn't need to. It was the first time since Week 10 that the 24-year-old earned double-digit carries, but without finding paydirt, it was an unremarkable fantasy performance. Without a consistent workload or goal line role, the former fifth-round draft pick is hard to justify as even a flex option, more so now that we're in the fantasy playoffs. The Falcons get the Giants at home next Sunday and Allgeier will probably again only be used sporadically, especially given how good Robinson has looked this season.

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele scored his second touchdown of the year in last Thursday night's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, but fantasy managers should have more reliable options to choose from for their flex spot this Saturday when the Broncos take on the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. The Bengals defense is ripe for the picking -- they allow 26.2 points per game -- but Vele's lack of consistent opportunities in Denver's passing attack make him far too risky to rely on with championships on the line in most fantasy leagues in Week 17. While the 27-year-old seventh-round selection did find paydirt in LA last week, he only caught two passes for 21 yards. The previous week in the win over the Colts, Vele failed to catch his lone target, and the week before that against Cleveland he caught only one pass for 16 yards.

Denver Broncos rookie seventh-round wide receiver Devaughn Vele found the end zone for just the second time in his NFL career in Thursday night's loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, but he didn't contribute much else. Vele was targeted only three times on the night and caught two passes for 21 yards and an easy six-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. The 27-year-old built steam in Weeks 10-12, catching 14 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, but in three games since then, he has only three catches on eight targets for 37 yards and one score. Although the Broncos' passing game will be set up nicely against a porous Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 17 as they look to clinch a playoff spot, Vele will still be a hard-to-trust WR4/5 in deeper fantasy leagues with limited upside as Nix continues to spread the ball around outside out WR1 Courtland Sutton.

Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele was starting to slowly become Denver's No. 2 wideout behind Courtland Sutton with 14 receptions on 18 targets for 185 yards and a touchdown in Weeks 10-12, but in two games since then, he's completely disappeared. In wins over the Browns and Colts in Weeks 13 and 15, Vele has disappeared, catching one of five targets for 16 yards. The seventh-round pass-catcher has a bright future if he remains paired with quarterback Bo Nix for years to come in Denver, but the last two games were a reminder that it's hard to trust anyone not named Sutton in this offense. In Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night, Vele won't come recommended as a flex play for fantasy managers in the playoffs. Vele had four catches on six targets for 78 yards against the Bolts in the Week 6 loss. That might be his ceiling on Thursday evening.

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was marginally involved during a 29-17 loss to the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. The first-round pick caught all four of his targets for 37 yards. After missing the early part of the year due to a gunshot wound, Pearsall's production escalated each game from Week 7 to Week 10, culminating in a 17.3 half-PPR performance at Tampa Bay. Any fantasy optimism quickly fizzled out though, as Pearsall then recorded three straight goose eggs. Sunday's modest performance was the most productive Pearsall has been since the aforementioned Bucs game. The 49ers will almost certainly need to make full use of their passing attack in Week 17 when the Detroit Lions bring an elite offense to Levi's Stadium, but Pearsall will be nothing more than a deep-league prayer, barring an injury ahead of him.