NFL Player News

Wide receiver Victor Cruz (knee, concussion) and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder) were among the Giants' inactives for Week 16 at Detroit. Other players listed inactive for New York were: Ryan Nassib, Cooper Taylor, Peyton Hillis, Allen Bradford and David Diehl.

As expected, Texans quarterback Case Keenum is inactive for Week 16 against the Broncos. He was ruled out for the contest Wednesday because of a torn ligament in his thumb.

Matt Schaub will start at quarterback for the Texans.

Four Texans offensive players have been ruled out or deemed questionable for Sunday against visiting Denver. None is a surprise, including quarterback Case Keenum (thumb), who won't play. Also out is wide receiver DeVier Posey (ankle).

Tight end Garrett Graham (hamstring) and fullback Brad Smelley (back) are questionable.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been ruled out Week 16 against the Steelers.

Rodgers was able to take part in practice, but took a back seat to Matt Flynn the entire week. Despite the reps, Rodgers has still not been cleared by team doctors. He won't play until that happens. Flynn will start again in Rodgers' place.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not taking first-string reps during practice Friday.

Rodgers again took a back seat to Matt Flynn in practice. Rodgers is expected to be re-evaluated Friday, but there have already been reports that the team doesn't expect him to play. 

The Packers are not expecting to have Aaron Rodgers Week 16 against the Steelers, according to ESPN.

Rodgers has been able to practice recently, but has yet to be cleared by team doctors. Unless "something significantly changes" with the doctor, Rodgers will not play. He's missed the last six games due to a broken collarbone. Matt Flynn would start in his place.

Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins could have a big game Week 16 against the Cowboys.

Dallas has been the worst team against opposing quarterbacks, allowing them to average 25.43 Fantasy points per game. Through 14 games, the team has allowed 30 passing touchdowns. That figure is second worst in the league. The first time the two teams met this season, Dallas actually held Washington without a passing touchdown, but that was with Robert Griffin III at quarterback. 

Cousins has shown promise in his two career starts. He's thrown for over 300 yards in both games, and has tossed at least two touchdowns. Given how bad Dallas has been against quarterbacks this season, he's likely to reach those numbers in his third career start. At the same time, Cousins is clearly inexperienced, making him a huge risk. He's the perfect high-risk, high-reward bet for Week 16.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters he thought quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked good at practice Thursday, and thinks he might be able to play in Week 16 against the Steelers Sunday. Of course, that all depends on whether Rodgers can be cleared by doctors to return from a six-game absence due to a broken collarbone.

"Rodgers practiced well today," McCarthy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Thursday. "Will have a conversation tomorrow about him. Looked very good at practice."

Rodgers still needs to be medically cleared, and the team will make an announcement as to his status Friday. Matt Flynn still took the majority of the snaps in practice Thursday, but McCarthy did say he thought Rodgers looks nearly ready to return.

"He looks better this week," McCarthy said. "He looks ready to play."

Week 7 against the Bills proved to be a turning point for Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as he put up the first three-touchdown game of his career, launching a stretch that has seen him toss multiple scores in six of the last nine games. He will look for continued success against the Bills in Week 16, in an important game for the Dolphins' playoff chances.

Tannehill has been exquisite in the last nine games, starting with that loss to the Bills. He has 18 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in that span, while passing for 249.3 yards per game and completing 62.2 percent of his passes. He does face a somewhat stiff test if he wants to avenge that earlier loss, as the Bills remain a top-10 defense in terms of Fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.

Over the last six games, no quarterback has reached 20 Fantasy points against the Bills. Given the strength of the Bills' defense, Tannehill remains more of a low-end starting option, despite his recent success. 

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford may be in line for a bounce back performance in Week 16 against the Giants.

Stafford threw three second-half interceptions and a late-game touchdown against the Ravens in Week 15. He was limited to 235 yards in an 18-16 loss. 13 of Stafford's 17 interceptions have come at home this season. Stafford has still managed to average 329.4 passing yards through seven games at Ford Field.

The Giants have allowed only one 300-yard passer over the last nine games. New York has yielded 229.0 passing yards per game this season. Opposing quarterbacks have averaged 18.57 Fantasy points per game this season against the Giants.

Our Fantasy experts still have Stafford ranked in their Top 5 for Week 16. Consider him a must-start Fantasy option against the Giants.