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.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Saints QB Derek Carr sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. He calls it a similar injury to Carr's previous shoulder issue and "might actually be" and aggravation of that previous injury. It's still not expected to be serious. And the Week 11 bye seems likely to put Carr on track to miss no further time. Frankly, we can't help but wonder if it would help WR Chris Olave's fantasy outlook if Carr did miss some time. We'll check back in on the New Orleans QB situation after the bye.
The Dolphins are opening the 21-day practice window for rookie RB De'Von Achane to return from IR. Achane missed the past four games with a knee sprain, but Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald says it "sounds like there's an excellent chance" the rookie plays this week. HC Mike McDaniel reportedly even indicated that Achane could have played through the issue with a brace on the affected knee. But the team decided that didn't fit the player's long-term interests. Achane, of course, has scored fantasy points at a ridiculous rate when on the field so far this year, leading all RBs in PPR points per game on just 11.75 touches per contest. He's likely bound for some regression on that, but should also remain a weekly fantasy starter. His combo of game-breaking speed and an offense designed to exploit that skill makes Achane a high-upside play across matchups. His return challenges RB Raheem Mostert's role a bit but hasn't altered Mostert's touch count to date. Mostert has averaged 13.4 touches across five full games without Achane; 14.0 per game in the three contests in which Achane played a significant role. (The rookie touched the ball only twice in his first game.) RBs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Salvon Ahmed, on the other hand, can be dropped in most redraft formats.
Bengals Edge Trey Hendrickson left Sunday's loss to the Texans with a left knee injury after Houston WR Noah Brown fell into it following the game's final offensive play. HC Zac Taylor had no update on Hendrickson's status after the game, so we'll watch for specifics today. But a short turnaround to Thursday night's clash with Baltimore will challenge Hendrickson's chances of playing in Week 11.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield injured his right thumb when he banged it against a helmet in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win over the Titans. Mayfield didn't miss any snaps, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls the injury "worth monitoring." Mayfield is scheduled for testing on the thumb on Monday. We'll update his status when we know more.
Commanders WR Jahan Dotson was held off the stat sheet in Week 10. Sam Howell attempted 44 passes and threw for 312 yards, but Dotson garnered only 2 targets. He led the WR corps in snaps (58) and routes run (44). Sunday also marked the return of Curtis Samuel, who saw 6 targets coming off a toe injury. A tough rest-of-season schedule – plus a Week 14 bye – makes Dotson more of a deep league spot starter going forward.
Cowboys WR Brandin Cooks exploded in Week 10, hauling in 9 of 10 targets for 173 receiving yards and a TD vs. the Giants. Sunday saw several Cowboys pass-catchers post great numbers, including WR CeeDee Lamb (11-151-1) and TE Jake Ferguson (4-26-1), but Cooks is the one that fantasy managers should be wary of chasing in the future. The 10 targets he saw on Sunday were his highest by far this season and mark only the second time in 2023 that Cooks has seen more than 4 in a single game. He and teammate Michael Gallup have essentially taken turns as the Cowboys' WR2 in terms of snap rate and route participation this year. It’s best to avoid chasing this performance if you’re looking for help on the waiver wire this week.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott completed 26 of 35 passes for 404 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT in Week 10 vs. the Giants. He also added 17 rushing yards and a TD on the ground in the contest. This man has been on an absolute tear of late. Over his past four games, Prescott is now averaging 338.5 passing yards and 3 TDs per game. Sunday’s performance is also notable as it marks the first time that the veteran signal-caller has thrown for over 400 yards in a game since 2021 Week 6. There’s good reason for fantasy managers to expect continued success from him moving forward as the Cowboys’ remaining schedule ranks fourth-easiest for QBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Colts Edge Kwity Paye left Sunday's win over the Patriots with a hamstring injury. He's fortunate to get a Week 11 bye. We'll see about his status heading into Week 12.
Giants RB Saquon Barkley recorded 13 carries for 66 rushing yards with 1 catch for -5 yards in Week 10 vs. the Cowboys. Fantasy managers expected tough sledding against a fierce Cowboys defense, and there’s no sugarcoating a 7.1 PPR point performance. The moribund offense will hurt Barkley the rest of the way, and the Giants’ remaining schedule ranks as the toughest for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. You might get flex-level value from Barkley on volume, but keep your expectations low.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) told NBC's Melissa Stark that his goal is to be back by mid-December. "I know it sounds insane, but if you do a good surgery, have a good patient, it makes this possible," Rodgers said. The Jets play the Texans on December 10 and the Dolphins on December 17. A goal, of course, doesn't necessarily mean that Rodgers will definitely be back this season. Whether the Jets are still alive for a playoff spot will also likely impact whether he returns. Rodgers couldn't be trusted as more than a QB2 that late in the season if he does make it back, so he's only worth stashing in 2-QB and superflex leagues.
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.
Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs completed 23 of 34 attempts for 268 yards with 1 TD in Week 10 vs. the Saints. The journeyman also added 44 rushing yards and a ground score on Sunday, marking the sixth time in 2023 that Dobbs has rushed for 40+ yards in a game. Also notable is the fact that Dobbs has now scored a rushing TD in four consecutive games dating back to his time as the Cardinals’ starter. With a pair of upcoming games against poor defenses (Broncos, Bears) that rank within the top seven easiest QB matchups per our adjusted fantasy points allowed, season-long managers looking for a streaming option ought to consider looking in Dobbs’ direction.
Chargers WR Quentin Johnston scored his first career TD in the Week 10 win over the Lions, breaking wide open on a well-designed play-action fake from one yard out. That was the only real highlight of his outing, though. Johnston finished with four catches for 34 yards in a game when QB Justin Herbert chucked for 323 yards. Johnston's four targets tied for fourth on the team and were just 10% of the total. He also drew a 15-yard pass interference penalty but dropped what could have been an 86-yard TD on the play. Johnston continues to run a lot of low-percentage routes and simply isn't creating much separation. He's at least a full-time player right now with WR Josh Palmer out. That keeps Johnston in play as a WR4. But he does not look like a player on the cusp of a breakout.
Saints WR Chris Olave caught 6 of 9 targets for 94 receiving yards and a TD in Week 10 vs. the Vikings. Perhaps the most interesting note from this performance is that the second-year wideout had a considerably better connection with QB Jameis Winston on Sunday. Olave had only a single 15-yard catch prior to QB Derek Carr (concussion, shoulder) exiting the contest in the third quarter. With Winston in tow, he accumulated a receiving line of 7-79-1. It’s too soon to say if there will be any significance to this fact, given that the Saints are heading into their bye week. However, if Carr is unable to recover from injury by Week 12 vs. the Falcons, it might spell good news for Olave. It’ll be important to follow Carr’s progress over the next couple of weeks.
Lions QB Jared Goff won a 41-38 duel over QB Justin Herbert and the Chargers in Week 10. Detroit's running game was dominant in this one, with RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery racking up 193 yards and three TDs. But Goff was excellent when called upon, completing 23 of 33 passes (69.7%) for 333 yards (10.1 YPA), two TDs, and 0 INTs. His first TD came on a screen to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. But the second was a perfectly thrown pass down the seam to TE Brock Wright from 25 yards out. The Lions remain a run-centric offense, but OC Ben Johnson has the entire unit cooking, giving Goff plenty of weekly upside. He has the 10th easiest QB schedule from Weeks 11 to 17. And only one of those seven games has potential for bad weather (Week 14 in Chicago). Goff has a chance to score as a top-12 fantasy QB the rest of the way.
Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf exited Week 10 with 7 catches, 98 yards, and a 25.5% target share. The 16.8 PPR points are his second most on what's been a frustrating season overall. Sunday, though, he was able to take advantage of perhaps the league’s worst secondary. (Rookie CB Emmanuel Forbes was even ejected in the first half.) Metcalf also benefited from 47 Geno Smith pass attempts. Look for more WR2 fantasy lines in the future, as Metcalf has the benefit of an excellent WR schedule.
Lions RB David Montgomery had an awesome 75-yard TD run in the 41-38 Week 10 win over the Chargers. He made multiple defenders miss at the first and second levels -- and then flashed impressive speed to outrun the rest of the Chargers defense to the end zone. Unfortunately, that's the only positive we can take from Montgomery's Week 10. He totaled just 41 scoreless yards on his other 11 carries. Montgomery trailed RB Jahmyr Gibbs in carries (14 to 12) and targets (5 to 0). Gibbs even out-carried Montgomery four to two inside the Los Angeles 10-yard line. That's particularly worrisome considering 40% of Montgomery's PPR production this season has come via TDs. And five of his seven TDs have come from inside the 10. If Montgomery is going to split carries with Gibbs -- and cede most of the passing-game work -- he'll struggle to produce as more than a low-end RB2 the rest of the way. We'll see if this backfield usage continues in Week 11 against the Bears. That plus matchup should at least keep Montgomery in starting fantasy lineups.
Week 10 provided fantasy managers with a pair of quality performances from Steelers RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The duo split playing time in the contest (33 snaps apiece), saw a near-identical share of touches (Harris 20, Warren 19) on Sunday, and each scored a rushing TD. Harris’ 96 total yards in Week 10 notch the second-highest sum he’s recorded all season, and Warren’s 101 rushing yards marks his career-high. As exciting as these achievements are, fantasy managers should be wary of the tandem in Week 11 vs. a Browns defense that ranks as the fourth-toughest matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Packers WR Christian Watson flopped again in Week 10, hauling in just 2 of his 7 targets for 23 receiving yards vs. the Steelers. It’s fair to question at this point whether or not fantasy managers should continue to consider putting Watson into lineups. He’s now averaged a poor 2.3 receptions and 40 receiving yards per game in 2023, and the rapport between him and QB Jordan Love hasn’t come through. In fact, 5 of the 10 INTs that Love has thrown this season have come when targeting Watson, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. How much blame to assign the WR vs. the QB barely matters. Expect to find Watson well outside the top 36 in our weekly WR rankings until something changes. It's even OK to consider dropping him in shallower leagues.
Search
