Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Monday that he plans to go with QB Desmond Ridder as the starter the rest of the season, according to ESPN's Michael Rothstein. That aligns with reports on Smith's plans from before he announced the switch back at QB. Neither Atlanta QB has played well for a meaningful stretch this season. So this situation likely doesn't mean a lot for fantasy impact. We'll see whether Falcons coaches succeeded in correcting Ridder's pitfalls while he was out of the lineup.
The Vikings’ backfield got a whole lot more interesting on Sunday night. RB Alexander Mattison logged 18 carries for 81 rushing yards on 64.8% of the team’s offensive snaps vs. the Broncos. He saw a tremendous amount of work despite coming into the contest as a question mark due to sustaining a concussion in Week 10. As exciting as that is, his teammate Ty Chandler showed promise. The second-round back tallied 110 total yards on 14 touches, playing on just 31% of the Vikings’ snaps. It’s clear Chandler was the more efficient of the two, but it’s worth remembering that a decent amount of that production came on a fake punt, 31-yard run from him. Still, it’ll be worth it for fantasy managers to monitor both he and Mattison moving forward. Each player has room to thrive as the Vikings’ remaining schedule ranks as the third-easiest for RB matchups per our adjusted fantasy points allowed and will have a chance to prove who’s worthy of opportunity against a lately formidable Bears run defense in Week 12.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) is active for tonight’s game vs. the Broncos. He shouldn't have any physical limitations after clearing the protocol. Remember, though, that RB Ty Chandler matched Mattison with eight carries before Mattison left last week's game with his concussion. Mattison out-targeted Chandler two to 0 and is the preferred fantasy play against Denver's 32nd-ranked RB defense. But we're expecting to see plenty of Chandler tonight, too.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero says to expect a "pretty even split" between RBs Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler vs. the Broncos tonight. That's exactly what we saw last week, with Mattison tallying eight carries and two targets to Chandler's eight carries and zero targets before Mattison's concussion. Mattison is the preferred fantasy play tonight, but Chandler isn't too far behind in the Week 11 RB Rankings.
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton (groin) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Packers. That leaves WRs Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko behind top two WRs Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston. Davis and Fehoko aren’t bankable fantasy plays. Los Angeles’ offense should be even more concentrated today, with Allen and RB Austin Ekeler running the show.
The Falcons will start QB Desmond Ridder vs. the Saints in Week 12, according to NFL Network. QB Taylor Heinicke didn't prove to be an upgrade over the last three games, completing just 55% of his passes at 6.7 yards per attempt. So Atlanta will go back to Ridder, who's registered a 65% completion rate and 7.1 yards per attempt this season. "The Falcons believed the bulk of Ridder's mistakes were correctable & felt he had a lot of learning to do," NFL Network's James Palmer tweeted. "A move back to him was always planned unless Taylor Heinicke went on a ridiculous run. It wasn't like they fell out of love with Ridder. Needed a reset." Ridder sat 18th among QBs in fantasy points through Week 7 and will return as a mid-range QB2. The Falcons have the ninth-toughest remaining QB schedule, although there are positive matchups vs. the Colts and Bears in Weeks 16 and 17.
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton (groin) will not play vs. the Packers today, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Guyton hurt his groin in Friday's practice and might be out beyond Week 11. He had emerged as a full-time player with WRs Mike Williams and Josh Palmer out, playing 79% of the Chargers' offensive snaps and drawing six targets last week. Guyton's absence today leaves WRs Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko behind top two WRs Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston. Neither Davis nor Fehoko is a realistic fantasy play. It's another big opportunity for Johnston today.
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) is "good to go" for tonight's game vs. the Broncos. He shouldn't have any physical limitations after clearing the protocol. Remember, though, that RB Ty Chandler matched Mattison with eight carries before Mattison left last week's game with his concussion. Mattison out-targeted Chandler two to 0 and is the preferred fantasy play against Denver's 32nd-ranked RB defense. But we're expecting to see plenty of Chandler tonight, too.
On Saturday, Vikings beat reporter Ben Goessling tweeted that he expects RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) to play in Week 11 vs. the Broncos. Though he will still have to clear NFL concussion protocol prior to Sunday night's game, this is very good news for fantasy managers. The Broncos' defense ranks as the single-best RB matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed and 32nd in run-defense DVOA in 2023.
Chargers WR Jalen Guyton (groin) is questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Packers. He was added to the injury report on Friday and limited in practice. Guyton played 79% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps and saw six targets last week. His loss would be significant – and likely leave rookie Derius Davis as the No. 3 WR.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s game vs. the Broncos. He progressed from no practice on Wednesday to limited participation on Thursday and then a full workout on Friday. Mattison seemingly has a real chance to be cleared for Sunday night. We should get another update on his status on Saturday. Ty Chandler will operate as Minnesota’s lead back if Mattison doesn’t play.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. So he's made some progress through the protocol and at least has a chance to be cleared for Sunday night's game vs. the Broncos. We'll get another update on Mattison's status tomorrow.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday. He's unlikely to be cleared in time to play vs. the Broncos on Sunday night. Mattison's absence would leave Ty Chandler as Minnesota's lead back against the #32 RB defense.
Falcons HC Arthur Smith said Monday that he'll wait until after the Week 11 bye to name a starting QB going forward. QB Taylor Heinicke struggled in the loss to the Cardinals before exiting early in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. QB Desmond Ridder went four of six for 39 yards and scored a nine-yard rushing TD over the final 14 minutes. Smith praised Ridder's play in his Monday press conference, so our guess is that he'll be back under center come Week 12. But we'll let you know what Smith makes an announcement next week.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison sustained a concussion in the second half of Sunday's game vs. the Saints. That leaves Ty Chandler as Minnesota's lead back for the rest of this one -- and likely in Week 11 against Denver. We'll track Mattison's progress through the protocol this coming week.
Raiders LB Robert Spillane (hand) is active for today's game against the Giants. We assumed he'd play through his questionable tag and kept him at his usual level in the Week 9 rankings. Start him comfortably in your IDP lineups.
Raiders CB Nate Hobbs remained limited throughout the practice week with the same ankle issue that cost him four games. But he carries no injury designation into Sunday's clash with the Giants. It's certainly not surprising that he's on track to play after returning last Monday might against the Lions and suffering no reported setbacks. But staying off the final injury report marks another positive step. Hobbs makes for a strong weekly starter in CB-required IDP leagues and can even factor in as a general DB starter. His return game included 6 tackles and a sack on just 63% playing time. That was his lowest snap share so far this season, so we'd bet on it rising going forward. See where Hobbs lands in our Week 9 DB rankings.
The Raiders have ruled LB Divine Deablo (ankle) and LB Luke Masterson (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Giants. That removes a starter and the guy who would have filled in for him. LB Robert Spillane is also questionable with a hand injury. He managed limited practices Thursday and Friday, though, after missing Wednesday. We haven't seen an indication on how likely he is to play but would lean toward betting he'll be out there. Amari Burney -- a sixth-round rookie -- should be the next guy up. He played 45% of snaps in Monday night's loss to the Lions, which Deablo missed and Masterson left early. Curtis Bolton checks in behind Burney on the current depth chart. Spillane will be an easy start if he's active. Burney can be a low-end option for deeper leagues but would be risky. Week 8 marked his first NFL action. Check the Week 9 LB rankings for final positions before you set your IDP lineups.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore tweets that the Raiders are "leaning toward" starting QB Aidan O'Connell vs. the Giants this weekend. QB Jimmy Garoppolo was a disaster in Monday night's loss to the Lions, throwing for just 126 yards, 0 TDs, and one INT on 21 attempts. O'Connell wasn't great in his Week 4 start vs. the Chargers, averaging 6.1 yards per pass attempt with 0 TDs and one INT. But the 3-5 Raiders under interim HC Antonio Pierce are looking beyond 2023 at this point. We'll look for further updates on the Raiders' QB plans. We certainly wouldn't consider O'Connell an upgrade for Raiders pass catchers.
Update: NFL Network reports the Raiders are expected to start O'Connell "this week and going forward." We'll see how this trial goes.
Early on Wednesday morning, the Raiders announced via Twitter/X that the team has fired HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The official statement from owner Mark Davis reads, "After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave. I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish their families nothing but the best." While the timing of this news is a bit of a surprise, the motivation behind it is understandable. The Raiders' offense ranks 30th in points per game (15.8) and 31st in total yards per game (268.3) in 2023 and held a 9-16 record over the past season and a half under McDaniels' tutelage. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders are expected to name LB coach Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach. Stay tuned for more updates regarding the fantasy fallout from this situation.
Search
