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Lamar Jackson breaks QB career rushing record

Wed Dec 25 8:59pm ET
Field Level Media

Lamar Jackson is officially the most prolific rushing quarterback in NFL history.

The Baltimore Ravens star on Wednesday broke the record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback, getting just enough to pass Michael Vick as the Ravens demolished the host Houston Texans 31-2.

Entering the game 86 yards behind Vick, Jackson collected 87 rushing yards in the game. That moved him one yard past Vick at 6,110. He set the mark with a 6-yard run midway through the third quarter. Earlier in the period, Jackson turned in the play of the game with a 48-yard scoring run to make it 24-2 and put the game away.

Jackson was playing in the 102nd game of his seven-year career. Vick played in 143 games over 13 seasons.

The 27-year-old Jackson is in the midst of perhaps the best season of his career. He has already established career highs in passing touchdowns (39), total touchdowns (43) and passing yards (3,955) as he makes a case for what would be his third MVP award.

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Player Notes
Kareem Hunt Dec 26 4:40am ET
Kareem Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt handled nine carries for 20 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunt found himself with the most carries out of the backfield for another week and got into the endzone despite being inefficient on the ground. The 29-year-old averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in this contest against a formidable defense, but his rushing score saved his fantasy day. Fellow running back Isiah Pacheco split work with Hunt before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. Neither back saw any work in the passing game this week, with all the receiving work going to Samaje Perine. The Chiefs clinched the top seed in the AFC with this Christmas Day win, meaning they have nothing left to play for in the regular season. Hunt and the rest of the starters should be expected to sit out Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

From RotoBaller

Travis Kelce Dec 26 4:30am ET
Travis Kelce

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. The veteran tight end had not scored a touchdown in six straight games coming into this contest but passed Tony Gonzalez for the Chiefs franchise touchdown record when he found the endzone in the fourth quarter. Despite not scoring double-digit fantasy points in Weeks 14 through 16, Kelce pulled off a vintage performance in Week 17. The 35-year-old led the team in catches, receiving yards, and targets against the Steelers. The Chiefs officially clinched the top seed in the AFC with this win, guaranteeing them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With nothing left to play for in the regular season, Kelce should be expected to rest in Week 18 against the Denver Broncos.

From RotoBaller

Patrick Mahomes Dec 26 4:20am ET
Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 38 pass attempts (76%) for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mahomes passed for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns for the first time this year in Week 17. The veteran quarterback also rushed once for 12 yards in this game. After leading the league in interceptions to begin the year, Mahomes has now gone six straight games without a turnover. With this win, the Chiefs have officially locked up the top seed in the AFC. Given that the team has nothing to gain by playing their starters next week, it should be assumed that we have seen the last of Mahomes in the regular season. That said, Mahomes did tell the media that he will prepare to start in Week 18 against the Broncos until Coach Andy Reid says otherwise.

From RotoBaller

Chris Boswell Dec 25 11:30pm ET
Chris Boswell

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was successful on both his lone field goal attempt and lone extra-point try of a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Boswell was good from 36 yards out in the third quarter but was otherwise not asked to do much as Pittsburgh's offense struggled to move the ball on Wednesday. While it is unfortunate that Boswell underwhelmed throughout the fantasy playoffs, the 33-year-old was incredibly impactful for much of the regular season and has cemented himself as one of the best kickers in the NFL. He'll close out the campaign with a divisional showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

From RotoBaller

Calvin Austin III Dec 25 11:20pm ET
Calvin Austin III

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III posted four receptions for 31 yards on five targets in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Although Austin was quiet for fantasy purposes, it was encouraging to see him remain involved in the offense despite the return of fellow wideout George Pickens. Austin has now earned five opportunities in three straight contests and is clearly the WR2 in Pittsburgh ahead of Mike Williams and Van Jefferson. He is worth rostering in dynasty formats and will hope to close out the regular season on a high note against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.

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George Pickens Dec 25 11:10pm ET
George Pickens

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in just three of his seven targets for 50 yards in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers struggled to get much of anything going on offense in this one, but Pickens didn't appear to be hampered by his hamstring injury that kept him sidelined from Weeks 14 through 16. He made an impressive catch for a 41-yard gain on a deep ball from quarterback Russell Wilson and had an 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter called back due to an offside penalty. Although fantasy managers that deployed Pickens in his return were likely let down by this performance, he should still be viewed as a solid WR2 against the Cincinnati Bengals in any leagues that compete in Week 18.

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Pat Freiermuth Dec 25 10:50pm ET
Pat Freiermuth

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth finished with seven receptions for 60 yards on eight targets in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Freiermuth operated as quarterback Russell Wilson's go-to guy for much of the contest, but he unfortunately lost a fumble early in the fourth quarter with Kansas City's lead still within reach. It was his second lost fumble of the season and just the third of his four-year career. Nonetheless, Freiermuth was solid for fantasy purposes and led the Steelers in targets, catches, and receiving yards. He'll look to turn in another strong showing in next week's regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

From RotoBaller

Mark Andrews Dec 25 10:40pm ET
Mark Andrews

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews keeps adding to the franchise-leading receiving touchdown number as he scored in his fifth consecutive game. During the 31-2 Christmas victory, he finished with two receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown on two targets. Almost all of his yards came on his 67-yard catch while his touchdown came on a goal-line throw in the third quarter which put them up by 29. After not finding the end zone in the team's first five games, Andrews is up to 10 touchdowns with one game left against the Cleveland Browns.

From RotoBaller

Zay Flowers Dec 25 10:40pm ET
Zay Flowers

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers didn't quite join in on the fun during the 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans on Christmas. The speedy wideout ended the game with two catches for 31 yards on five targets. While he was the only pass-catcher to see more than two targets, he finished with the second-most yards and no touchdowns. Despite breaking the 1,000-yard mark this year, he's scored one fewer touchdown than all of last season. He'll try to tie his five-touchdown figure in their final game against the Cleveland Browns.

From RotoBaller

Isaiah Likely Dec 25 10:40pm ET
Isaiah Likely

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely was incredibly efficient with his only target of the night on Christmas. He registered one reception for a nine-yard touchdown on one target during the 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans. The game script called for a lot more carries on the ground (43) compared to pass attempts (17). While both tight ends continue to be viable options for Lamar Jackson, they don't always produce fantasy-relevant games at the same time. Likely will look to find the end zone again in their regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns.

From RotoBaller

Jaylen Warren Dec 25 10:40pm ET
Jaylen Warren

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren turned 11 carries into 71 yards and six targets into five catches and 41 receiving yards in a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Warren was one of the few bright spots for the Steelers' offensive attack on Wednesday and consistently looked explosive with the ball in his hands. He saw more opportunities than backfield mate Najee Harris, who was ineffective for most of the contest. Warren's solid performance early in the first quarter earned him a few opportunities in the red zone, one of which he took in for an eight-yard score that was unfortunately nullified by a holding penalty. The 26-year-old has logged at least 92 total yards in each of his past two games and will look to end the campaign on a hot streak against the Cincinnati Bengals next week.

From RotoBaller

Russell Wilson Dec 25 10:30pm ET
Russell Wilson

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed 23 of 37 pass attempts for 205 scoreless yards and one interception in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Wilson was responsible for Pittsburgh's lone touchdown of the day, adding 55 rushing yards and a score on six carries. The Steelers struggled to protect Wilson on Wednesday as the veteran took five sacks and frequently could not find an open receiver before being swarmed by Kansas City's pass rush. After a solid start to his tenure in Pittsburgh, Wilson is 0-3 over the past three weeks with at least one turnover in each contest. He'll hope to end the regular season on a positive note next week against the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals.

From RotoBaller

Derrick Henry Dec 25 10:30pm ET
Derrick Henry

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry received his favorite present of all, facing the Houston Texans run defense. Going into the Christmas game, he averaged 102.2 yards per game against them with 12 rushing touchdowns. In this one, he finished with 147 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to go along with two receptions for 18 yards on two targets. The only time he was contained in this matchup was when he was tackled for a safety in the second quarter. Coincidentally, those were the only points the Texans scored. Henry will face off against the Cleveland Browns in the regular season finale to try to win the division.

From RotoBaller

Najee Harris Dec 25 10:30pm ET
Najee Harris

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris handled 13 carries for 74 yards and hauled in two of his four targets for seven yards in a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Harris split backfield work with Jaylen Warren fairly evenly in this one but gained 45 of his rushing yards on Pittsburgh's last possession with the game already out of reach. Warren was much more efficient than Harris throughout the rest of the contest, however. Along with the rest of the Steelers' offense, Harris is in the midst of a rough stretch right now. He will hope to bounce back next week in a showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, who he performed extremely well against back in Week 13.

From RotoBaller

Lamar Jackson Dec 25 10:20pm ET
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson moved to 2-0 on Christmas Day games after leading the team to a 31-2 blowout over the Houston Texans. The MVP candidate finished the game with 168 yards and two touchdowns on 10-for-15 throwing while adding four carries for 87 yards and another touchdown. The first score of the second half came on a 48-yard run by Jackson, who outran the entire defense into the end zone. The Ravens were so comfortably in the lead after the third quarter that Jackson was able to get some rest in the fourth. They now control their division destiny and will take on the Cleveland Browns to finish the regular season.

From RotoBaller

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Dec 25 10:10pm ET
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Giants did not practice Wednesday, but if they had, the rookie would not have participated. Tracy picked up the injury during Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in which he rushed just seven times but carved out a big role in the passing game, catching all four of his targets for 43 yards and one score through the air. Fantasy managers should monitor the Giants' injury reports over the next few days to understand whether Tracy will play in Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts. If he can't suit up, Devin Singletary would likely operate as the Giants' primary running back.

From RotoBaller

James Conner Dec 25 10:10pm ET
James Conner

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee) was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice. The veteran has maintained the same practice status for two days in a row; he had also been limited in Tuesday's walkthrough. The Cardinals will hold one more practice on Thursday before releasing their final injury report. If Conner can log a full session, he might be able to avoid an official injury designation. Otherwise, he could end up being listed as questionable for Week 17, which would leave his status in doubt until the Cardinals' list of inactives gets released on Saturday evening. Fantasy managers certainly hope that Conner will be able to suit up. He has remained a top fantasy option in his age-29 season, ranking as the RB9 overall with 1,090 rushing yards, 410 receiving yards, and nine total touchdowns. He should continue to be deployed as a top-12 fantasy running backs, assuming he suits up Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.

From RotoBaller

Alvin Kamara Dec 25 10:00pm ET
Alvin Kamara

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (groin) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Saints didn't have an actual practice, but if they did, Kamara would have not participated. The veteran running back picked up a groin injury back in Week 15 and hasn't played since. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi recently noted that Kamara wants to play again this week and certainly doesn't want to be shut down for the rest of the regular season, but he also said that a decision hasn't been made on the 29-year-old's status going forward. Kamara had been closing in on his first 1,000-yard rushing season, posting a career-high 950 rushing yards to go along with his 543 receiving yards. He also found the end zone eight times through 14 games, using his pass-catching productivity to rank as the overall RB7 in PPR leagues. Kamara would rank as a top-12 fantasy running back if he's able to suit up against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17, but Wednesday's listing as a DNP is not a good start. If he can't play, Kendre Miller would step up as the Saints' primary running back for the second week in a row.

From RotoBaller

Derek Carr Dec 25 10:00pm ET
Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (left hand) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Saints' didn't hold a practice, but if they had, Carr would not have participated. The veteran quarterback is reportedly still regaining strength in left hand after suffering a fracture against the New York Giants back in Week 14. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi recently relayed that Carr didn't want to be shut down for the final two games of the regular season, but the 33-year-old is at the mercy of his injury and recovery. Spencer Rattler was the Saints' quarterback against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, completing just 15 passes for 153 yards while taking three sacks and losing a fumble. The rookie's poor performance wound up in a 34-0 Saints loss, with New Orleans being the first team held scoreless in 2024. Rattler will remain the Saints' starter if Carr is unable to play against his old team, the Las Vegas Raiders, in Week 17.

From RotoBaller

Tony Pollard Dec 25 9:50pm ET
Tony Pollard

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimation. The Titans didn't hold an actual practice, but if they had, Pollard would not have participated. The 27-year-old has routinely appeared on the Titans' injury report this season, but he has managed to play in all 15 games so far, totaling 1,017 rushing yards, 238 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. He ranks as the overall RB19 in fantasy football while cementing himself as the Titans' clear-cut No. 1 running back option over Tyjae Spears. Seeing Pollard listed as DNP on Tennessee's injury report is understandably concerning for fantasy managers, but it's not necessarily indicative of his Week 17 availability. In fact, just last week, Pollard missed all three practices but still managed to suit up on Sunday afternoon. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor the Titans' injury report and, if necessary, check back to confirm his availability when Tennessee releases its list of inactive players on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Eastern. If Pollard does play, he'll rank as a mid-to-high RB2 option against the Jacksonville Jaguars' subpar run defense.

From RotoBaller