Fantasy News
Sam Darnold | Seahawks QB
Sam Darnold will start in Week 17.
After getting playing time last week, Darnold will now start for Carolina over Cam Newton this Sunday. The Panthers understandably want to see more of Darnold over the final two games after dealing a second-round pick for him last offseason.
Travis Kelce | Chiefs TE
Travis Kelce is being activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Kelce reportedly was close to getting cleared last week, so this is not surprising. The All-Pro tight end is back after missing one game while on the COVID list, and he’s immediately a top-flight TE1 option for Week 17.
Adam Thielen | Panthers WR
The Vikings have placed Adam Thielen (ankle) on injured reserve.
Thielen aggravated his ankle injury last week in his return to the lineup, so his season is unfortunately over unless Minnesota is able to make a deep playoff run. The injury derailed another strong campaign for Thielen, but he still finished with ten touchdowns (after 14 last season) along with 67 receptions and 726 yards in 13 games—the final two of which he left because of the ankle injury. Although he’ll turn 32 in August, Thielen has shown no signs of slowing down, and he still has three more years left on his deal with the Vikings. The bigger question will be what potential changes there are at quarterback and perhaps even head coach, but Thielen will have a decent case for low-end WR2 value next summer.
D'Andre Swift | Bears RB
D’Andre Swift (shoulder) is expected to play in Week 17.
Swift missed the past four games with his shoulder injury, but Lions head coach Dan Campbell expects him to return to the lineup this Sunday. Some felt Swift might be shut down for the rest of this season, but Campbell says the shut down will happen after this season—i.e. there are two more games to be played, and Detroit is looking to get more wins. Swift probably won’t get a massive workload in his return to the lineup, but he’s a high-upside option for fantasy championships.
Dalvin Cook | Free Agent RB
The Vikings activated Dalvin Cook from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Cook is unvaccinated, but the NFL’s new COVID protocols allows him to return after missing just one game. You can immediately fire up Cook as a strong RB1 for fantasy championships in Week 17.