Houston Texans DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (illness) sat out of Thursday's practice due to an illness. Mixon should be ready to play by Sunday's Week 18 regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns, but with the Bengals already eliminated from postseason contention, the Bengals could choose to give rookie fifth-rounder Chase Brown and Trayveon Williams more run in the final game of the year. With that hanging over the 27-year-old if he's still under the weather on Sunday, it makes Mixon a much more risky DFS option and RB2 in season-long leagues. On the season as a a whole, Mixon was the RB7 in half-PPR scoring over 16 games with 923 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 243 carries while adding 51 catches for 370 yards and two more scores.

After returning to practice on Wednesday, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (groin) was back on the practice field on Thursday as he continues to make his way back from a core muscle injury that landed him on Injured Reserve and required surgery. The Florida Times-Union's Demetrius Harvey says that Kirk isn't at full speed, but he's been amazed at the progress he's made. The 27-year-old could be officially activated from Injured Reserve by Saturday in order to play in a must-win Week 18 game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Kirk was heavily involved in the passing game for the Jaguars before his core injury, but he'll be a dangerous fantasy option if he returns this weekend since he hasn't played in a game since Week 13. If Kirk misses another game, it will be Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones and rookie Parker Washington in three-receiver sets. UPDATE: Kirk was limited again Thursday.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (core) has been designated to return from Injured Reserve, per the Jaguars PR account on X. Kirk suffered a core injury early in the Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Jacksonville offense has struggled ever since. It's unclear when Kirk will be able to play, but the team now has 21 days to activate him to the roster. First things first, the team needs a win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday to secure a playoff berth and AFC South title. Assuming they qualify for the postseason, Kirk could be back for the Wild Card Round. Although he may not return before the regular season ends, he's likely to be a popular DFS pick on Wild Card weekend if the Jags take care of business and he's healthy enough to suit up. UPDATE: Kirk was limited in Wednesday's practice.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will open wide receiver Christian Kirk's (groin) 21-day practice window on Wednesday, and he could return for Week 18's regular-season finale versus the Tennessee Titans. The Jaguars hope to have all hands on deck on Sunday, currently engaging in a three-way tie atop the AFC South. Jacksonville put Kirk on injured reserve due to a core muscle injury that required surgery following the Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. With Kirk originally expected to miss between six and eight weeks, there's a chance that the 9-7 Jags may push for a sooner return. Before going down, the 27-year-old slot man was acting as one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence's (shoulder) favorite targets for the second year in a row despite Calvin Ridley's presence in 2023. Kirk reeled in 57 of his 85 targets for 787 yards and three touchdowns in 12 appearances, but he may not take on a full workload if available against the Titans.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson was expected to have a bigger role in the passing attack in the Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals with Kadarius Toney (hip) sidelined for the second straight game. Watson ended up catching one of his three targets, although it was a big play and went for a gain of 41 yards to put him second behind rookie Rashee Rice (127) in receiving yards on the day. With Toney out in last week's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Watson caught four of six targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. It's been really hard to trust any Chiefs pass-catchers in fantasy this year not named Rice or Travis Kelce. Watson has had career-highs in catches (27), receiving yards (460) and touchdowns (three), but he's also caught one or fewer passes in seven of his 15 games played.