Fantasy News

Kirk Cousins has cleared COVID protocols.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer says that Cousins is back in the building, so that means he’s being taken off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Minnesota is unfortunately now out of playoff contention, but Cousins should be leading his team in the regular season finale this week versus the Bears.

1/5/22 - 11:34 AM ET

Washington activated Antonio Gibson from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Gibson missed one game while on the COVID list, but he’s back for the regular season finale this Sunday against the Giants. While Gibson has been banged up this season, we expect he’ll play in Week 18. The second-year running back is 109 yards away from 1,000 rushing yards on the year.

1/5/22 - 11:32 AM ET

The Panthers have placed Terrace Marshall Jr. (foot) on injured reserve.

Marshall was injured last week against the Saints, and his rookie campaign is now over. Shaky quarterback play/changes were a factor, but Marshall didn’t make much of an impact in Year 1—catching 17 passes for 181 scoreless yards in 12 games—which is a disappointment considering former offensive coordinator Joe Brady coached him at LSU. It might take a big swing by Carolina to acquire a top-end franchise quarterback this offseason if Marshall is going to reach his potential behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson.

1/5/22 - 11:02 AM ET

Joe Mixon tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Mixon is reportedly out for Week 18 (he’s presumably unvaccinated), but at least he can rest up and hopefully be fresh for the postseason after the Bengals clinched the AFC North last week. Mixon’s excellent 2021 regular season ends with 292 carries for 1,205 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns along with 42 receptions for 314 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. The star running back set career highs across the board and will turn just 26 this offseason while playing on an ascending team.

Via: Adam Schefter 1/5/22 - 10:46 AM ET

The Seahawks placed Alex Collins (abdomen) on injured reserve.

Collins had been dealing with an abdomen issue for a while, and he officially will not play in Week 18. The veteran running back stepped in for the Seahawks when they needed it after Chris Carson (neck) went down at running back, making six starts and playing pretty well. Overall, Collins had 108 carries for 411 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games this season.

1/4/22 - 04:53 PM ET

Golden Tate has been released from the practice squad.

It seemed like Tate was primed to get a chance in Tennessee due to all their injuries when he signed with the practice squad, but that never happened, and the offense is getting healthier as the playoffs near. Tate will hope to land with another team this month, though it’s unlikely barring some crazy string of injuries and/or COVID-19 issues.

1/4/22 - 04:16 PM ET

Baker Mayfield will not play in Week 18.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski just announced the news. This is not a surprise, as Mayfield has been banged up for most of this season and needs surgery on his left shoulder, so he’ll sit out the regular season finale and get the procedure as soon as possible with an eye toward next season. A year after a breakout playoff season for Cleveland, Mayfield’s disappointing 2021 campaign ends with 3,010 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 14 games. There’s a feeling that the Browns might attempt to go in another direction at quarterback this offseason, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens with the former No. 1 overall pick.

1/4/22 - 01:32 PM ET