Jets QB Aaron Rodgers told reporters on Monday that he's hoping to play "more than just next year." He admitted that he originally planned on making 2023 his last season when he was traded to the Jets, but "then I got out here, realized how much fun I was having, kinda falling back in love with the game." Rodgers turned 40 in December and is working his way back from a serious injury, so we certainly wouldn't consider him a lock to play in 2025. But the passion is nice to hear. We'll continue to track his rehab from that torn Achilles.
X-rays found no fracture in QB Jalen Hurts' injured right middle finger, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hurts dislocated the finger and says he's taking it "day by day," heading into next Monday night's playoff opener. We're betting Hurts will play but will certainly watch for more on his outlook this week.
The Panthers fired GM Scott Fitterer on Monday. It’s not much of a surprise. Owner David Tepper fired HC Frank Reich after a 1-10 start, and the team proceeded to win only one more game. Overall, Carolina went 14-37 across three seasons with Fitterer as GM. A lack of progress from Bryce Young will make this job challenging for any incoming GM. Of course, the Panthers will also be without a Round 1 pick this year after trading up for Young. We’ll monitor potential HC/GM candidates in the coming weeks.
The Commanders fired HC Ron Rivera on Monday. The writing was on the wall after Washington went 4-13 and ended the season with eight straight losses. Rivera lasted four seasons on the job but never posted a winning record. Per league insider Jordan Schultz, Washington has contacted the agent for Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. We’ll see if there’s mutual interest. But there’s little doubt that Washington will usher in a new starting QB after Sam Howell’s second-season slump. The Commanders sit atop the league in projected cap space -- $85 million, according to Spotrac -- while they also hold the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Falcons have parted ways with HC Arthur Smith. Despite the Falcons spending three consecutive top-10 NFL draft picks on offensive skill position players (TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, RB Bijan Robinson), Smith's teams posted 7-10 records annually since 2021 and never finished within the top half of the NFL in total offensive yards. It's tough to be overly excited about this change without knowing who will take over in Atlanta long-term. Still, dynasty managers everywhere may rejoice and breathe a sigh of relief. Smith's dismissal is an addition by subtraction.
Cardinals TE Trey McBride roped in 3 of 6 targets for 34 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Seahawks. The second-year pass-catcher ends this season ranking seventh among TEs in receiving yards (825), sixth in targets (106), and tied for fifth in receptions (81). This production is even more impressive considering McBride only played in eight games with QB Kyler Murray this season. Moving forward, dynasty managers should consider McBride among the very best at the TE position, especially given he won’t even turn 25 until November 2024.
Cardinals RB James Conner tallied 27 carries for 150 rushing yards and a TD in Week 18’s loss vs. the Seahawks. He also added 4 receptions for 54 yards as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s contest. Injuries have marred the veteran throughout his career, though 2023 marks the first time Conner has been able to amass over 1,000 rushing yards in a season, ending the year with 1,040 across 13 games. Though he’ll play in 2024 at age 29, Conner has averaged no fewer than 15.4 PPR points per game over the past three seasons and should be considered a solid low-cost buy for dynasty managers in contending windows. The only item worth being mindful of is that the Cardinals have a potential out in Conner’s contract that would cost a mere $3 million should they choose to move on from him this offseason.
Vikings WR Jordan Addison caught 4 of 8 targets for 57 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18’s loss vs. the Lions. He ends this season ranking first in receiving TDs (12), third in receiving yards (911), and fourth in receptions (70) among his rookie WR counterparts. While the presence of teammate Justin Jefferson puts a cap on his long-term upside of ever developing as a true alpha,” Addison has proven more than capable of being a viable lineup asset with potential for blow-up games. He should be considered as a strong low-end WR2 in dynasty moving forward.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson hauled in 12 of 14 targets for a season-high 192 receiving yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Lions. The veteran’s 192 yards from Sunday stand as the second-highest total of his four-year career and the fifth time this season that Jefferson exceeded the 100-yard threshold. Having only played 10 games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury, the fact that Jefferson hit the century mark in half of his games speaks to his level of dominance. He should continue to be among the very elite WRs in dynasty formats moving forward. The only big question looming over the Vikings is who will play QB next season, but a player of Jefferson’s caliber should be fine no matter the outcome on that front.
Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs totaled 13 carries for 30 rushing yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Vikings. Though the rookie ultimately fell short of the 1,000 rushing yard mark in 2023, he posted tremendous numbers as a pass-catcher. Gibbs finishes the season ranked seventh in targets (71), tied for eighth in receptions (52), and 16th in receiving yards (316) among all RBs. His combination of rushing and receiving acumen in Detroit’s high-powered offense makes a very strong case for Gibbs to be considered among the elite RBs in dynasty formats entering his age-22 season in 2024.
Lions QB Jared Goff completed 23 of 32 passes for 320 yards with 2 TDs in Week 18’s win vs. the Vikings. The veteran finishes the season ranked first among QBs in passing yards (4,575), fourth in passing TDs (30), and ninth (min. 100 attempts) in passer rating (97.9). Goff will enter 2024 in the final year of his contract at the age of 30, but the way that he and the Lions’ offense have thrived over the past few seasons gives him a reasonably good chance of sticking around in Detroit long-term. Those looking for a bargain QB2 option in dynasty should consider acquiring Goff this offseason.
Bills RB Ty Johnson sustained a concussion in Sunday night's game vs. the Dolphins. He's out for the rest of this one and is in danger of missing next weekend's Wild Card game. We'll track Johnson's progress through the protocol.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis injured his left knee in the second quarter of Sunday night's game vs. the Dolphins. He's officially questionable to return. We'll update Davis' status when we know more.
Update: Davis has been ruled out. WR Trent Sherfield has been picking up a lot of his snaps.
Chargers first-round rookie WR Quentin Johnston delivered one more garbage outing in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He managed just 2 receptions for 17 yards on 5 targets. That tied him for fourth among Chargers. He trailed WR Josh Palmer (10), RB Austin Ekeler (8), and TE Donald Parham (6) while tying the immortal Alex Erickson. Johnston finishes his debut season with just 36 receptions, 414 yards, and 2 TDs. He entered Sunday ranked 99th among WRs in PPR points per game. Johnston also sat just 22nd among 37 rookie WRs in yards per route, according to Pro Football Focus. He's not necessarily doomed as a fantasy prospect. But this rookie season has been bad enough to remove any optimism. We wouldn't drop Johnston from typical dynasty rosters. But you also shouldn't consider him a buy-low this offseason. If you have him and others come shopping, think about letting the potential bust go.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts said that he's never experienced anything like the right middle finger injury he suffered in the Week 18 loss to the Giants. “It popped out," Hurts said, adding that he'll take things "day-by-day" this coming week. “He’s tough as heck," HC Nick Sirianni said of Hurts. "He came back and ripped it.” But Sirianni only said, "we'll see" when asked whether Hurts will be available for next weekend's Wild Card game vs. the Bucs. We should learn more about Hurts' injury and availability on Monday.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo hears that Eagles WR A.J. Brown's knee injury is not believed to be serious. Brown was reportedly the first to greet players in the locker room after the loss to the Giants. It's all good news -- but doesn't necessarily mean that Brown will be available for next weekend's Wild Card game vs. the Bucs. We should learn more about his status on Monday.
Saints rookie RB Kendre Miller ran for 73 yards and a TD on 13 carries in Sunday's win over the Falcons. He trailed Jamaal Williams by a carry but beat the veteran by 47 yards (5.6 per carry vs. 1.9). Miller also trailed Williams in receiving, catching his only target for 6 yards. Williams caught all three of his targets but totaled only 8 yards. Williams closes out a season that saw him fall well short of his previous career lows in yards per carry, yards per catch, and rushing success rate -- among other categories. He has two more years on his contract, with 2024 likely locked in because of the potential dead money if New Orleans were to dump him. But Miller looks like the higher-upside player and could simply pass Williams on the depth chart this offseason. Miller endured a quiet rookie campaign thanks to a series of injuries. But that could make him a dynasty "buy" this offseason. Don't be afraid to price-check the 2023 third-round NFL Draft pick. And keep Miller in mind as a potential later-round value in early 2024 best ball drafting.
Saints QB Derek Carr finished a strong close to the season with 4 TDs on 22-of-28 passing in Sunday's 48-17 win over the Falcons. It was Carr's fifth straight game with 2+ TDs. He completed 74% of his passes over that span while throwing just 2 INTs. That season-ending stretch can only help Carr's job status, but his contract likely wouldn't allow New Orleans to move on anyway. According to Spotrac, Carr carries a $35.7 million cap hit for 2024, but cutting him would mean $52.8 million in dead money. That would be especially tough on a franchise projected to be nearly $76 million over the 2024 salary cap. Expect Carr to remain the starting QB for the 2024 Saints. And don't expect him to continue rolling the way he finished this season. Carr has showed us across 10 seasons with two teams that he's a limited real-life player and fantasy contributor. And he might return only Chris Olave and rookie A.T. Perry from the current WR corps.
Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the Bills. He’s expected back for next week’s Wild Card game. WR Cedrick Wilson stepped into a full-time role with Waddle out last week, catching two of four targets for 27 yards and a score.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the Bills. He’s expected to be back for next week’s playoff opener. De’Von Achane should operate as Miami’s clear lead back tonight, with RB Jeff Wilson behind him.
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