This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 8 AM ET on Sunday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.

Championship Week has arrived in many leagues, while others commemorate their semi-final rounds this weekend. As is often the case this time of year, key injuries, especially at quarterback and wide receiver, serve as the proverbial lump of coal in many Fantasy owners' stockings. With so much riding on Week 16 outcomes, let's take a look at the latest medical outlook for all of the players that could potentially make it a happy holiday for your Fantasy fortunes:

QUARTERBACKS

This week's new marquee quarterback absence is Cam Newton, who the Panthers finally opted to shut down after the quarterback struggled with his ailing throwing shoulder for multiple weeks. Enter Taylor Heinicke, who has 14,959 passing yards and a 132:39 TD:INT on his resume from his four years at Old Dominion. Heinicke even has a little Newton to his game, at least near the goal line, as he also compiled 22 rushing touchdowns during his college career. However, he'll come into Sunday's divisional battle versus the Falcons having thrown all of five regular-season NFL passes. His insertion into the starting lineup downgrades the Panthers' pass catchers overall, with one notable exception – Christian McCaffrey, who could see at least a slight uptick in his already robust pass-catching volume while serving as the second-year