Fantasy football championship week is here in the majority of leagues and Chris Godwin's timing of getting injured won't help the WR rankings. DeAndre Hopkins, DJ Chark, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Christian Kirk could also influence wide receiver start 'em, sit 'em decisions. At QB, the same goes for Dak Prescott, who's dealing with a shoulder injury ahead of Week 16's showdown with the Eagles. We'll have updates on all of these players below.
For news on banged-up RBs Dalvin Cook, Jordan Howard, Kerryon Johnson and more, go here; for an update on Julian Edelman, click here; for the latest on Jameis Winston, go here; for Greg Zuerlein news, go here. For more news and fantasy advice, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
WEEK 16 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Dak Prescott injury update
For the first time in his career, Prescott was limited in a practice on Wednesday. Cooper Rush took most of the first-team reps for the Cowboys as Prescott deals with what his teammate Ezekiel Elliott called an "AC joint" injury. Rush told reporters that he had the same injury in college and didn't miss a game. Cowboys owners Jerry Jones said he expects Prescott to be in "top form" this week, and coach Jason Garrett spoke about Prescott on Thursday:
Jason Garrett on Dak Prescott (shoulder): “He probably won’t throw very much today. I think rest is the best thing for him right now. ... I guess he’s progressing, but he hasn’t really tested it much.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 19, 2019
(Update: Prescott was officially limited in Thursday's practice.)
In a huge game against the Eagles, Prescott will surely be on the field. It'd be encouraging to his fantasy owners hoping to use him against a bad secondary to see him get more practice reps this week, but regardless, if Prescott is active, he's a top-10 QB for Week 16.
WEEK 16 DFS LINEUPS:
FD Cash | FD GPP | DK Cash | DK GPP | Y! Cash | Y! GPP
Is Chris Godwin playing Saturday?
UPDATE: The Buccaneers have ruled Godwin OUT for Saturday.
After Bruce Arians said earlier in the week that Godwin's hamstring injury "doesn't look good," Godwin has missed practice all week. With the Buccaneers kicking off at 1 p.m. ET Saturday, it seems unlikely Godwin will play.
Assuming Godwin is out, Breshad Perriman is a must-start against Houston's bad secondary. Justin Watson has strong FLEX appeal as the No. 2 wideout, and third WR Ishmael Hyman has some DFS punt appeal on Saturday's slate. Expect tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate to each see a number of targets if Godwin is out, as well.
MORE WEEK 16: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Is DeAndre Hopkins playing Saturday?
Hopkins was absent from Houston's practice Wednesday with an illness, while Will Fuller V was limited with his hamstring injury. Both are currently expected to be fine and suit up Saturday against the Buccaneers' leaky secondary.
(Update: Hopkins was back at practice Thursday and should be good to go for Saturday.)
Kenny Stills would come into play as a WR3/FLEX option if Hopkins or Fuller missed the game, but that seems unlikely. As of right now, Hopkins is locked in as one of the top receivers this week while Fuller is a high-upside, boom-or-bust WR3.
SATURDAY DFS: DraftKings main slate lineup | Showdown lineups
DJ Chark injury news
Chark (ankle) returned to practice in a limited fashion Wednesday after missing Jacksonville's game Sunday. The Jaguars play in Atlanta at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
(Update: Chark was limited in practice again Thursday.)
Considering how poor the Falcons' secondary is, a Chark return would be huge as a strong WR2 for fantasy championship week. If Chark doesn't make it back, all three of Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole have varying degrees of FLEX appeal.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Is JuJu Smith-Schuster playing in Week 16?
The Steelers are following the same plan as last week with Smith-Schuster (knee), letting him practice early in the week and seeing how his body responds. A week ago, that meant a full Wednesday practice before eventually being out Sunday. This week, Smith-Schuster started off with a limited practice Wednesday.
(Update: Smith-Schuster practiced in full on Thursday.)
The suggestion here is that the late-week practice reports will be telling for JuJu because if the Steelers think his knee responds well, he'll ramp it up. Pittsburgh takes on the Jets in Week 16, and it's hard to count on any of their wideouts as any more than desperation FLEX plays.
MORE WEEK 16 DFS: Stacks | Values | Lineup Builder
Christian Kirk injury update
Kirk (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday. He missed some practice time a week ago before playing in Week 15. That means Kirk's late-week practice reports will be the most telling toward his status for Sunday's game in Seattle.
If Kirk misses practice late in the week, he could miss Sunday's game, but right now he's the only Arizona WR worth considering as a WR3/FLEX for Week 16. Damiere Byrd would probably play more if Kirk is out and be a possible DFS consideration.