Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon ran the ball 14 times for 111 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Browns. He caught just one of two targets. However, it was good enough for another end-zone trip. The former Oklahoma Sooner hit the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time this year, and his efforts in Week 18 resulted in the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. But with the regular season in the books, the question remains whether Mixon will return to Cincinnati next season. He was almost released in the offseason. But he took a pay cut to stay with the team and finished the year with 12 touchdowns. Overall, Mixon exceeded expectations for fantasy managers. Yet, his outlook for the 2024-25 campaign will hinge on whether he remains in Cincinnati.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (groin) was activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday, but he's officially inactive on Sunday for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars were hoping to get Kirk back in a must-win game after he had made excellent progress following core-muscle surgery, but that won't be the case. The good news is that Jacksonville will be getting Zay Jones (hamstring, knee) back from a two-game absence, so quarterback Trevor Lawrence's top two targets against the Titans will be Calvin Ridley, Jones and tight end Evan Engram as they look to win the AFC South title. When healthy this year, the 27-year-old Kirk was dynamic with 57 receptions, 787 yards and three touchdowns on 85 targets. If the Jags make the playoffs, there's a good chance Kirk will be ready to roll for wild-card weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr. is a healthy scratch for the Week 18 regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Bengals have also chosen to rest cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (shoulder), who came into the game listed as questionable. The Bengals have nothing to play for but pride in the final game of the regular season after being eliminated from postseason contention last week. The Browns are locked into the No. 5 seed for the AFC playoffs, too, so both teams are resting players. With Smith out for Cincy, the Bengals will roll with tight ends Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox. None of them specifically are worth chasing for fantasy purposes. The 25-year-old Smith finishes his first year with the Bengals with only 18 receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown in 12 games.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (groin) continues to yield skepticism about his availability for Week 18 versus the Tennessee Titans, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. While the Jaguars showed confidence in Kirk by activating him from injured reserve on Saturday, Rapoport notes that his status is far from certain. If active, he would rank as a low-end WR2 in fantasy football, especially if Trevor Lawrence (right shoulder) suits up. Otherwise, Zay Jones would step up as the Jaguars' No. 2 receiver, putting him in the low-end WR3 tier for fantasy football. The Jaguars will confirm their list of inactives 90 minutes before kickoff.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson looks set for an expanded role in the regular-season finale versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chiefs have ruled out top wideout Rashee Rice (hamstring) for Week 18, and Travis Kelce probably won't be out there for his usual amount of playing time. 2023 has easily been Watson's most productive season, banking career-high figures in targets (52), catches (27), yards (460), and touchdowns (three). The 27-year-old's calling card is his ability as a vertical threat, ranking second in the league in average yards of target distance (17.8) and fifth in yards per reception (17.0). Watson has played just 52.3% of K.C.'s offensive snaps this year, but he could be in line for his largest workload as a dart-throw DFS option with the team shorthanded on Sunday.