Vikings RB Ty Chandler logged 15 carries for 45 rushing yards and a TD in Week 10 vs. the Saints. It was reasonable to assume the second-year back would elevate into some sort of committee role with fellow RB Cam Akers out for the rest of 2023 with a torn Achilles. But with lead runner Alexander Mattison leaving in the third quarter of the contest with a concussion, it’s possible that fantasy managers could be looking at an incredible waiver wire target in Chandler. He played well on Sunday, is currently the healthiest RB in Minnesota, and the Vikings are set to take on a Broncos defense in Week 11 that ranks 31st in run defense DVOA this season. Be sure to look for his name when making claims in the coming days.
Packers RB Aaron Jones received 13 carries for 35 rushing yards with 4 catches for 19 receiving yards in Week 10 vs. the Steelers. This isn’t the type of performance you’d like to see from him in a plus matchup, though the story isn’t as bad as it seems on the surface. Jones’ 55.8% snap rate on Sunday is about on par with his season-high 56.9% mark set last week, and he still accounted for 61.2% of the Packers' RB touch opportunities in the contest. Fantasy managers would be wise to stick with Jones in Week 11 vs. the Chargers (11th-best RB matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed).
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (ribs) is active for today’s game vs. the Saints. ESPN’s Ed Werder said this morning that Hockenson “won’t play as many snaps as normal but will be on field in key situations.” We’re still expecting him to be out there for most pass plays, so Hockenson is fine to keep in Week 10 fantasy lineups.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (ribs) "won’t play as many snaps as normal" vs. the Saints today, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. Hockenson "will be on field in key situations," Werder adds. We'd expect those "key situations" to be pass plays. This is a case where Hockenson's snaps could be down, but his pass routes could be right in line with usual. He carries some added risk today but remains a fine fantasy play at the weak TE position.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) "close" to a return. "Jefferson spent the week jumping in practice drills and was seen sprinting without issue before Saturday's walk-thru," Rapoport adds. We'll keep an eye on Jefferson's status this coming week, but there's seemingly a chance that he returns for next Sunday night's game vs. the Broncos.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (ribs) is expected to play today vs. the Saints. He's officially questionable, but we've been expecting the TE to go. We'll get confirmation around 11:30 a.m. ET.
The Vikings have downgraded WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) to out for Sunday's game against the Saints and are not yet activating him from IR. They had officially listed him as questionable after Friday's practice, but this has been the expectation all week. We'll check in on Jefferson's status heading toward a Week 11 clash with the Broncos. That game's currently scheduled for Sunday night, which could challenge Jefferson's usability in fantasy lineups if he carries a questionable tag. Beyond that, we'll see whether the Week 13 starts to factor into the decision on when/whether to bring Jefferson back.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson (ribs) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Saints. He was able to play through this injury last week and should be fine for this weekend's contest. We'll get Minnesota's inactives around 11:30 am ET on Sunday.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Saints. He was limited in practice all week after being designated to return from IR. HC Kevin O’Connell admitted Wednesday that Jefferson playing this week “would be a little aggressive,” so we’re still expecting him to miss this one. But we’ll let you know if that changes.
Does Cam Akers' Achilles' tear mean that Vikings RB Ty Chandler is about to get a big boost in work? HC Kevin O'Connell said this week: “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get Ty [Chandler] more involved and kind of assume a little bit more of kind of that role Cam was assuming.” That stops short of saying Chandler will take over a role that afforded Akers just 11 touches per game even over his busiest three-game stretch since arriving. Of course, it's also important to remember that Chandler was already with the team -- and had been since Minnesota drafted him last year -- when the Vikings acquired Akers and shoved him into the No. 2 role. Chandler has yet to garner more than 4 touches in a game this season. We'll certainly bet on that increasing the rest of the way. But O'Connell also mentioned Kene Nwangwu in the answer about Chandler's role, noting Nwangwu's experience and "juice." He added that the team is likely to take a "committee approach" and "kinda ride he hot hand." You should expect Mattison to remain the clear leader of what has been one of the league's weakest backfields (26th in PPR points per game, 26th in rushing yards). He's a bottom-level RB2 candidate going forward. Chandler is fine to stash on deep benches in case he surprises. And Nwangwu can be stashed in deep leagues. There's likely not a season-altering player among this trio, though. Check the Free Agent Finder to see if any makes sense for your fantasy football team.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. But HC Kevin O'Connell confirmed that Jefferson is unlikely to play vs. the Saints this weekend. "We have a rough timetable," O'Connell said. [Playing this week] would be a little aggressive." We'll keep you updated on Jefferson's progress, but he should be on Week 10 fantasy benches for now.
The Vikings on Wednesday designated WR Justin Jefferson (hamstring) to return from IR. That means he can return to practice any time, though it doesn't necessarily mean we'll see him on the field in any way this week. Minnesota has three weeks to either activate the wideout or rule him out for the season. Reports have already said we shouldn't expect Jefferson to play in Week 10. But this designation should mean that return is approaching. We'll continue updating whenever there's news on one of fantasy's (and the NFL's) biggest stars.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings don't expect to get WR Justin Jefferson back from his hamstring injury this week. Jefferson is eligible to return for Sunday's game against the Saints after missing the past four contests. But it sounds like he'll need at least one more week of recovery time. That obviously leaves targets available for the other Minnesota pass catchers, albeit in a more difficult matchup than last week's vs. Atlanta.
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said Monday the team is "working through" when WR Justin Jefferson will return from the hamstring injury that has him on IR, according to The Athletic's Alec Lewis. O'Connell did promise an update Wednesday, so we should at least have a good idea of Jefferson's chances before setting any Week 10 lineups. But if your league runs waivers on Tuesday night, approach them as though you'll be missing Jefferson again this week.
An MRI has confirmed a torn right ACL for Giants QB Daniel Jones. That will obviously end his 2023 season. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero says to expect a nine-month recovery, which would put Jones potentially back on the field during 2024 training camp. His injury did occur about five weeks earlier than Cardinals QB Kyler Murray's 2022 ACL tear. We obviously can't assume the same return timeline for any player based only on a similar injury to another guy. But those timelines should give Jones a better chance of returning at least by sometime in the first half of next season. We'll certainly be watching for updates on his recovery in the meantime -- as well as watching how the Giants address the position in the offseason. Jones' contract still carries a $47 million cap hit for 2024 -- and a $69 million dead-cap number if the team were to move on from him. So you can at least bet on Jones staying central to the 2024 plays. Even beyond that, the dead-cap penalty would be $22.2 million for 2025 vs. a $41.6 million cap hit if Jones remains on the roster. Whether the Giants draft a QB early will likely tell us how much longer they hope to have Jones at the helm. The level of investment into the 2024 backup plan can give us hints on how optimistic they are for Jones' recovery. For this season, QB Tyrod Taylor (ribs) will be on IR for at least three more weeks, and HC Brian Daboll says it's not yet clear whether Taylor will make it back this season. So it could be Tommy Devito the rest of the way, which lowers the floor and ceiling for all Giants offensive players.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson hauled 7 of 12 targets for 69 receiving yards in Week 9 vs. the Falcons. WR Jordan Addison also had a strong performance, logging 52 yards on 5 catches in the contest. As painful as losing QB Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles was, it seems as though the recently acquired Joshua Dobbs is going to be able to float the fantasy viability of both. Next week, Hockenson and Addison will face a stingy Saints’ defense (ninth in pass defense DVOA).
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport hears that the Giants believe QB Daniel Jones suffered a “significant knee injury -- potentially a torn ACL" in Sunday's loss to the Raiders. He’s scheduled for an MRI to get a better look at the damage. With QB Tyrod Taylor on IR with the rib injury he suffered last week, the Giants will be down to QB Tommy DeVito. He was better vs. Las Vegas than last week, completing 15 of 20 passes for 175 yards, one TD, and two INTs. The Giants also have QB Matt Barkley on the practice squad.
Packers RB Aaron Jones enjoyed a breakout game in Week 9. The veteran back tallied 99 total yards on 24 touches -- his highest mark since Week 10 of last season. He added his first TD since Week 1 on a power run up the middle. Jones will be challenged this week at Pittsburgh. Going forward, though, his schedule looks neutral in terms of fantasy points allowed.
Giants QB Daniel Jones left Sunday’s game in the first half with an apparent right knee injury. He went to the blue medical tent for further evaluation. We’ll let you know when there’s an update on Jones’ status.
Update: Jones has been ruled out.
The Vikings fear a torn Achilles for RB Cam Akers, HC Kevin O'Connell said after Sunday's win over the Falcons. This would be Akers' left Achilles. He tore his right Achilles in July 2021, eventually making it back in January 2022. This latest injury would end Akers' 2023 campaign, leaving Minnesota's backfield to Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler. We should get confirmation on the injury on Monday.
Update: The Monday MRi confirmed the injury. Unfortunately, this makes Akers droppable across fantasy formats, including dynasty.
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