NFL Player News

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Friday that Prater (quadriceps) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.

Prater will miss a second consecutive game due to his right quad injury, paving the way for Michael Badgley to draw another start. The next opportunity Prater will have to retake the field will arrive Week 18 at home against the Jets on Sunday, Jan. 4, though it's entirely possible that Buffalo will focus on allowing him ample time to recover for the postseason.

Taylor (neck) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Taylor, who last saw game action Week 14, thus will target a potential return to action in the Jets' season finale next weekend when the team faces the Bills in Week 18. In Taylor's continued absence, Jeremy Ruckert, Stone Smartt and Jelani Woods will handle TE duties versus New England. During New York's Week 16 loss to New Orleans, Smartt was the busiest of the trio, catching all five of his targets for 34 yards, while Ruckert caught two of his three targets for 14 yards and Woods didn't record a catch (on two targets).

Smith-Schuster brought in all three targets for 16 yards in the Chiefs' 20-13 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night.

Smith-Schuster finished tied for second in receptions and as the runner-up in receiving yards as well, although on a night when Chris Oladokun threw for only 66 yards, that didn't equate to any usable fantasy production. Nevertheless, Thursday marked Smith-Schuster's most productive all-around game in two months, as he hadn't exceeded one reception or 12 receiving yards in any of the previous seven games. Smith-Schuster and the rest of the Chiefs' passing attack will retain a muted fantasy outlook for a Week 18 road matchup against the Raiders with Oladokun under center.

McLaughlin rushed the ball seven times for 40 yards in Thursday's 20-13 win over the Chiefs.

McLaughlin closed the gap in workload to RJ Harvey in Week 16, though he was the clear complementary back once again Thursday. He was out-touched 19-7 by Harvey, though McLaughlin did chip in a 15-yard run just before halftime to set up a field goal for the Broncos. He'll likely retain a secondary role in the Denver offense in Week 18 against the Chargers.

Brown brought in one of three targets for seven yards in the Chiefs' 20-13 loss to the Broncos on Thursday night.

Despite the fact both Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton were placed on injured reserve earlier in the week due to their respective concussions, Brown had a minimal impact while working with third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun. Irrespective of who's been under center, Brown has struggled with his production down the stretch, as Thursday marked his fifth straight game with less than 40 receiving yards.

Franklin recorded four receptions on four targets for 17 yards in Thursday's 20-13 win over the Chiefs.

With the exception of Courtland Sutton, the Broncos spread targets evenly amongst their pass catchers. Franklin was among four wide receivers or tight ends to earn at least four targets, and he finished sixth on the team in yardage. His longest gain went for only six yards, though that was a reflection of Denver's conservative passing game plan. Franklin has under 25 receiving yards in three of his last five games, and this outcome was particularly disappointing given the absence of Pat Bryant (concussion).

Sutton recorded four receptions (on 10 targets) for 40 yards in Thursday's 20-13 win over the Chiefs.

Sutton easily led the Broncos with 10 targets and was the sole skill-position player to get opportunity down the field. He converted one of those targets into a 23-yard gain -- the team's longest from scrimmage -- though that was his only notable contribution of the game. This marked Sutton's lowest yardage output since Week 10, and he'll face a tough Week 18 matchup against the Chargers to close the regular season.

Harvey rushed the ball 14 times for 43 yards in Thursday's 20-13 win over the Chiefs. He added five receptions (on six targets) for 33 yards and a touchdown.

Harvey regained a larger split of work out of Denver's backfield, out-touching Jaleel McLaughlin, 19-7. However, the good news mostly ended there, as five of Harvey's 14 carries went for two or fewer yards. He did manage to perform better as a pass catcher, picking up 13 yards on a dump off midway through the third quarter before also catching the game-winning touchdown from one yard away late in the final quarter. Harvey has been inefficient as a runner for most of the season, but he has scored in five straight games and seven of his last nine contests to give him consistent fantasy value.

Hunt rushed seven times for 38 yards in the Chiefs' 20-13 loss to the Broncos on Thursday.

Hunt logged two fewer carries than backfield mate Isiah Pacheco but outgained him by six yards, while neither back had any involvement in the passing game. Hunt saw a significant resurgence from a forgettable Week 16 showing against the Titans, when he'd netted only two rushing yards on three carries. Hunt will look close out the campaign on a positive note and eclipse 40 rushing yards for the first time since Week 13 when the Chiefs visit the Raiders in Week 18.

Nix completed 26 of 38 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Thursday's 20-13 win over the Chiefs. He added nine rushes for 42 yards and an additional touchdown.

The Broncos ran a conservative offense while facing Kansas City's third-string quarterback, which served to limit Nix's passing output. He managed only one completion of more than 20 yards, and he struggled to make any deep connections with Courtland Sutton even when given the chance. The end result was that he averaged just 4.8 yards per attempt -- his lowest mark since Week 9. Nix still had a decent fantasy performance thanks to a nine-yard rushing score late in the third quarter. Overall, Nix has accounted for multiple touchdowns in only two of his last seven games, though he has surpassed 300 passing yards three times in that span.