AJ Mass, ESPN Staff Writer December 17, 2023, 11:31 a.m. ET
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- Fantasy football, baseball, and college basketball writer.
- Author of the book “Yes, It’s Hot in Here.”
Who should you start with? Who should you sit on? To help you set your fantasy football lineups and avoid using an offensive player who won't be in the lineup, we'll be posting fantasy-related updates and analysis here as NFL teams release their official inactive lists . All rankings cited in this column come from our ESPN Fantasy staff.
Official inactive players on Sunday should arrive approximately 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff times: approximately 11:30 a.m. ET for early games and 2:30 p.m. ET for late afternoon games.
Update regularly to get the latest information.
Play at 1 p.m. ET
Editor favorites
1 relative
DJ Moore, WR, CHI – Questionable
Impact: He trained fully on Friday, so everyone assumes he will play. Feel free to use him as your WR1.
Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, CHI — OUT OF
Impact: Darnell Mooney is the only Bears wideout (other than Moore) who could potentially have some fantasy value.
Ian Thomas, TE, CAR — OUT OF
Impact: With Hayden Hurst on the IR, it's Tommy Tremble's time to shine, and Stephen Sullivan may also get some looks.
Aaron Jones, RB, GB – Questionable
Impact: With AJ Dillon also questionable due to a broken thumb, if Jones plays – which seems likely – he should be very busy.
Christian Watson, WR, GB – Doubtful
Impact: With no training all week, things aren't looking good. Jayden Reed will see a lot of targets.
Dontayvion Wicks, WR, GB – Questionable
Impact: He tends to be able to play. If so, he should see his share of WR targets.
CJ Stroud, QB, HOU — OUT OF
Impact: Due to a concussion, the Texans will have to struggle to find a replacement QB for at least a week. It looks like they'll turn to Case Keenum instead of Davis Mills.
Nico Collins, WR, HOU – Questionable
Impact: He hasn't trained all week, so you probably shouldn't rely on him. On the bright side, at least TE Dalton Schultz has been taken off the injury report and will play.
Noah Brown, WR, HOU – Questionable
Impact: Brown got some reps this week and could be the No. 1 WR option for the Texans if he can play. However, given the QB situation here, this should be viewed with caution.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, KC — OUT OF
Impact: Shoulder surgery kept Pacheco out of action for at least Week 15. Expect Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon to share the workload.
Justyn Ross, WR, KC — OUT OF
Impact: Although his six-game suspension is over, Ross will not return to the Kansas City team this week. Coach Andy Reid said next week could be different, but he made no promises.
De'Von Achane, RB, MIA – Questionable
Impact: Even if Achane plays, Raheem Mostert will likely still see a much larger share of the backfield touches.
Tyreek Hill, WR, MIA — Inactive
Impact: It might be safer to turn to Jaylen Waddle if you want to be part of Miami's offense.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, NE — OUT OF
Impact: Ezekiel Elliott could potentially see up to 30 touches in this one.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, NE — Inactive
Impact: Demario Douglas is ready to return from his concussion, so Smith-Schuster's value may already be headed for a decline.
DeVante Parker, WR, NE – Active
Impact: Both he and Tyquan Thornton (hamstring injury) will play. Kayshon Boutte is inactive.
Kendre Miller, RB, NR — OUT OF
Impact: Jamaal Williams (groin) will play, but possibly only because there is virtually no one else there to back up Alvin Kamara.
Chris Olave, WR, NR — Inactive
Impact: Rashid Shaheed and AT Perry should both start for the Saints.
Darren Waller, TE, NYG – Questionable
Impact: He has finally been activated from IR and it looks like he will return to his #1 TE duties immediately.
Chris Godwin, WR, TB – Questionable
Impact: He will be deployed during the game and is currently expected to play. However, it can still be useful to have a backup plan.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, TEN – Active
Impact: He struggled with illness. Even if he's actually 100%, there's not much imagination here.
4 p.m. ET games
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Marquise Brown, WR, ARI – Questionable
Impact: Despite not practicing fully this week, the Cardinals are coming off a bye. He should be ready to roll.
Michael Wilson, WR, ARI – Questionable
Impact: Likewise, there's a good chance Wilson will try to play. FYI: The last time he faced the 49ers (Week 4), he scored two touchdowns.
Brandin Cooks, WR, DAL – Questionable
Impact: Although the Cooks will not practice at the end of the week, reports indicate they will play. Jalen Tolbert (illness) also appears to be leaning towards being active.
Tutu Atwell, WR, LAR – Questionable
Impact: He was able to practice this week but is reportedly unlikely to play due to the after-effects of a concussion. Even if he's wearing the suit, he'd probably be way down the target tree.
Elijah Mitchell, RB, SF — OUT OF
Impact: Jordan Mason will once again serve as Christian McCaffrey's replacement.
Brian Robinson Jr., RB, WSH — OUT OF
Impact: Antonio Gibson will start, Chris Rodriguez Jr. will spell him if needed.
Game on Sunday evening
There are no notable fantasy injuries for this game.