The final week of the NFL season is upon us as we near the start of the NFL playoffs. While most of the fantasy leagues had their championships last week, many leagues are still playing into Week 18.
This can make things tricky, as players get rest after they have already clinched, or teams want to take a look at younger players. It can make it challenging for fantasy football managers everywhere.
Some big-impact receivers this week are questionable, as Jaylen Waddle, Tee Higgins, and Elijah Moore are three guys managers want to know if they are playing.
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Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Waddle has been battling injuries for much of the 2023 season, but he has still put together a solid year. He has 72 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, providing the Dolphins with a great No. 2 receiver to Tyreek Hill.
The fact he has been able to put up these numbers despite his injuries is a testament to how dynamic this offense is. For Waddle, though, he may not be able to play this week in the AFC East title clash between the Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
Waddle didn’t play in Week 17 and hadn’t practiced on either Wednesday or Thursday. However, he was able to practice on Friday, even though it was in a limited role.
With the magnitude of the game on Sunday night, you can imagine that if he is anywhere close to being able to play, he will. Things are trending positively, as he was able to practice, but we won’t truly know until Sunday night.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Higgins is another talented receiver who has had to deal with injuries, but he has still shown big-play ability. It was just two games ago against the Pittsburgh Steelers that Higgins finished the game with five catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.
His touchdown was an 80-yard catch, showcasing his explosiveness. However, in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had only one catch for 19 yards.
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His contract with the Bengals is up after this season, and right now, it doesn’t look like he will be able to play in the finale. With the Bengals not playing for anything, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to play him. He hasn’t practiced all week, and the last thing the team wants is for him to get further injured, as the two sides will have to talk in the offseason about him coming back.
Right now, if you are counting on Higgins this week, I would make other pl,ans as he just doesn’t seem like he is going to play.
Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
Moore is questionable heading into this game, and the fact he is even questionable is a positive sign. In the game against the New York Jets, he finished with five catches for 61 yards and one touchdown.
However, he suffered a concussion after taking a scary hit in the head that looked bad. That game was on a Thursday, so he has had some time to get better.
He is currently questionable, and I don’t see a scenario where he plays in this game. The Browns are resting pretty much all of their players, already having the No. 5 seed locked up. With the playoffs next weekend, the Browns are gearing up to hit the road against the AFC South winner, so I expect them to be cautious with Moore.
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