Los Angeles Chargers

According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (toe) returned to practice on Thursday. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the official injury report later on Thursday to see his status. Nonetheless, it is a positive sign to see him back on the field after sitting out during Wednesday's initial session. Last weekend, the 23-year-old brought in eight of his ten targets for two touchdowns. Over his past six contests, McConkey has seen an average of 8.3 targets per game and has tallied 93.7 yards per game with three scores. If McConkey is able to suit up on Sunday to face the Las Vegas Raiders, he should be viewed as a solid WR2 in PPR formats. If not, then Quentin Johnson should see a significant increase in targets operating as the No.1 wide receiver.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott went unclaimed on waivers on Wednesday and is now a free agent. The Cowboys waived Elliott on Tuesday, and he's now free to sign with any team on the open market. The 29-year-old reportedly asked for his release and could be looking to sign with a playoff team to provide them with depth at the position in January. After spending the 2023 season with the New England Patriots, Zeke returned to Dallas this year for what was a disappointing campaign. The former first-rounder averaged a career-worst 3.1 yards per carry and had only 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 74 carries in 15 games as the clear backup to Rico Dowdle. If Elliott does latch on with a team headed for the playoffs, it would be unlikely that he'd suddenly have a big role with everything on the line.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards (ankle) did not participate with the rest of the team in Wednesday's practice. Edwards didn't play in the Week 17 win over the New England Patriots last Saturday and is firmly in danger of missing a second straight game in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Depending on the outcome of the Bengals-Steelers game on Saturday, the Chargers could be locked into the No. 6 seed in the AFC for the playoffs. If the Bolts cannot move up to the No. 5 seed with a win over Vegas, they almost certainly would rest injured players like Edwards. Even if Edwards were to play this weekend, his fantasy value would take a hit now that J.K. Dobbins is back from Injured Reserve. There's a good chance that rookie Kimani Vidal could lead LA's backfield in Week 18.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receivers Ladd McConkey (toe) and Joshua Palmer (foot) were both listed as non-participants in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. McConkey is dealing with a new injury, but he seemed fine in the Week 17 beatdown of the New England Patriots, when he had eight catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The 23-year-old second-rounder has been a must-start in fantasy all year in his first season in the NFL as quarterback Justin Herbert's favorite target. However, the Chargers could rest him and other key starters on offense in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. If the Steelers beat the Bengals on Saturday, the Bolts would be locked into the No. 6 seed in the AFC for the playoffs and wouldn't have much incentive to play their starters.

The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott on Tuesday, according to a NFL insider Josina Anderson. Elliott asked for the Cowboys to release him before the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Washington Commanders. After a year with the New England Patriots, Elliott returned to Dallas in 2024 but was a shell of his former self in Dallas' backfield. Rico Dowdle eventually took over lead-back duties, as expected, and Zeke had a career-low 3.1 yards on his 74 rushing attempts as he nears the end of his NFL career. In addition to his 74 carries (also a career-low), he had 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns while adding 12 receptions for 69 yards in 15 games in his ninth year in the league. It's been several seasons now that Elliott has lacked any real kind of burst on the ground. If he lands with a team for the playoffs, he's likely to serve as RB depth.