Steelers HC Mike Tomlin confirmed Tuesday that Edge T.J. Watt (knee) will miss Sunday's playoff game at Buffalo. That likely leaves rookie Nick Herbig as the playing-time leader in Watt's spot opposite Alex Highsmith.
The Titans fired HC Mike Vrabel. Tennessee went 41-24 over Vrabel's first four seasons, making the playoffs in 2019, 2020, and 2021. But the Titans won just 13 games total over the last two seasons and ranked bottom-5 in total offense both years. This offense might look a lot different in 2024, with a new coaching staff and potentially no Derrick Henry.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said Monday that he's "optimistic" that RB Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) and WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) will be back for Saturday night's Wild Card game vs. the Chiefs. Both guys missed the final two games of the regular season. We'll track their progress throughout the week. We have more concern about Waddle, who will be returning from a high-ankle sprain.
Dolphins RB De’Von Achane tallied 10 carries for 56 rushing yards and a TD in Week 18 vs. the Bills. The rookie also caught one pass and added 5 yards as a pass-catcher in Sunday night’s contest. Though injuries to Achane’s shoulder, knee, and toe limited him to 11 games in 2023, the speedster was able to finish as the RB5 in PPR points per game (17.3) and lead the league with a gaudy 7.8 yards per carry (YPC). To put that number into context, consider that Achane’s 7.8 YPC ranks first among all RBs with at least 100 carries over the past 20 seasons combined. The next closest player in that span is former Chiefs great Jamaal Charles’ 6.4 YPC in 2010. Injury concerns aside, there’s no dismissing the game-breaking, big-play capability that Achane demonstrated with the Dolphins this year. He won’t turn 23 until October of 2024 and should be considered as one of the most valuable, albeit volatile, dynasty RB assets moving forward.
Bills RB James Cook totaled 13 carries for 36 rushing yards with 3 catches for 16 receiving yards in Week 18 vs. the Dolphins. Sunday night's showing wasn't the most robust performance we've seen from the second-year back and marked the third straight game in which he'd finished a contest with fewer than 10 PPR points. Still, Cook made several improvements in his sophomore campaign. His overall opportunity share in Buffalo lept from 7.4% as a rookie in 2022 to 17.1% this year en route to finishing with the third-most total scrimmage yards (1,567) among RBs. Cook turns 25 in September and seems poised to hold onto the Bills' leading job moving forward. That should help him maintain firm RB2-level value in dynasty formats into 2024.
Bills QB Josh Allen completed 30 of 38 passes for 359 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs in Week 18 vs. the Dolphins. The veteran also led the team with 67 rushing yards on 13 carries in Sunday night’s contest. 2023 was a strange season for Allen. Despite ranking second in the NFL with a career-high 18 INTs, he was able to finish as the QB1 overall in six points per passing TD scoring. Allen was able to offset his turnover issues by tallying 15 rushing TDs (tied with Jalen Hurts for first among QBs) and finishing fourth in passing yards (4,306). However, it’s also worth noting that Allen’s completion rate on 20+-yard passes (30.6%) in 2023 ranks as his lowest mark over the past three seasons. There are subtle reasons to be concerned about Allen and the Bills’ offense moving forward, but nothing major enough to sway dynasty managers from valuing him as one of the top QB assets. Allen is still a major stud.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said Monday that WR Jameson Williams (ankle, illness) should be "good to go" for this weekend's Wild Card game vs. the Rams. Williams was coming on before missing Week 18, catching 11 of 16 targets for 159 yards over the previous three games. He's taken on even more importance for the Lions offense with TE Sam LaPorta likely out at least this week.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said Monday he's "hopeful" WRs A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith (ankle) will be ready for Monday night's game against the Buccaneers. Brown left Sunday's loss to the Giants early. Smith went inactive. We'll see about the practice participation for both players this week and watch for updates on their outlooks.
Lions HC Dan Campbell said Monday that there's an "outside chance" that TE Sam LaPorta (knee) plays vs. the Rams on Sunday. The rookie has reportedly been diagnosed with a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. National insiders and medical experts that we trust believe that LaPorta will miss at least one game, if not more. We'll track his progress throughout the week but will start off projecting him to miss Sunday's game.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Bills WR Gabriel Davis sprained the PCL in his left knee in Sunday night's win over the Dolphins. The injury is "not considered major," but Davis' status is reportedly uncertain for Sunday's playoff opener against the Steelers. We'll see how Davis fares through the practice week. He'll be a risky pick for NFL playoffs fantasy football drafts this week. But we also like the chances of the second-seeded Bills to play at least two games -- with a shot at four if they reach the Super Bowl. Watch for the knee concern to push Davis down those draft boards and potentially turn him into a value pick.
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.
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