Multiple reports indicate that Texans WR Nico Collins isn't expected to be out long with the calf injury that cost him Week 14. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston reports Collins is "improving" and that he has yet to be ruled out for this week. But Patrick Storm of Texans Wire calls the WR "highly unlikely" to play. We're leaving Collins out of the Week 15 WR rankings for now but will certainly be watching for a shift. It seems Collins should be on track for a Week 16 return if he can't go this weekend.
Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Browns S Grant Delpit might land on IR this week for a groin injury that's expected to cost him multiple games. Going on IR, of course, would cost him at least the final four contests of the regular season. If the Browns elect not to place Delpit on IR, it'll indicate they want to leave open the possibility of him returning. Either way, his 2023 season looks done for redraft IDP rosters. If you're playing for a fantasy championship in Week 17, will you want to start Delpit in his potential first game back from a two-week groin injury? (Same question if you play into Week 18.) Ronnie Hickman was Cleveland's only full-time safety for Sunday's win over the Jaguars, filling in after Juan Thornhill got ruled out pregame with a calf injury. D'Anthony Bell filled in after Delpit left. Hickman, an undrafted rookie, tallied just 2 tackles and a pass breakup. Bell -- a 27-year old with 20 career tackles -- collected 3 solos. It's certainly possible either guy finds numbers this Sunday against the Bears. But this isn't the time of year to take a chance on near-complete unknowns in your fantasy football lineup. Look for a more-proven replacement if you're losing Delpit.
Update: The Browns placed Delpit on IR on Wednesday.
The Rams released K Mason Crosby. The team will continue to roll with K Lucas Havrisik, who nailed three FGs and two XPs in Week 14. He's a viable Week 15 fantasy starter with the Rams sporting a big 27.75.-point implied total vs. the Commanders.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb) did not practice on Tuesday. HC Shane Steichen said earlier in the day that Taylor is expected to play again this season -- but fantasy owners should not be counting on him in Week 15 fantasy lineups.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (knee) did not practice on Tuesday. He played through this knee issue in Thursday night's loss to the Patriots and should be available for this Saturday's game vs. the Colts. We'll see if he gets back on the practice field tomorrow.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (ankle) was listed as a non-participant on Tuesday's injury report. Cincinnati only held a walkthrough, and Chase was out there with the team, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. It sounds like Chase should be fine for Saturday afternoon's game vs. the Vikings, but we'll update his status again tomorrow.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (chest) got in a limited practice on Tuesday. It's excellent news that he was out there at all just two days after suffering that chest injury. We're tentatively expecting Jefferson to play vs. the Bengals on Saturday afternoon but will track his status over the next few days.
Vikings RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) did not practice on Tuesday. We're not expecting him to play vs. the Bengals on Saturday afternoon, which would leave Ty Chandler as Minnesota's lead back -- and a potential RB2 in fantasy lineups. We'll keep you updated on Mattison's status over the next few days.
Raiders RB Josh Jacobs did not practice on Tuesday. He's on the injury report with a quad, rather than the previously reported knee. Regardless, Jacobs doesn't look particularly likely to play vs. the Chargers on Thursday night. That'd leave RB Zamir White as Vegas' likely lead ball carrier, with RB Ameer Abdullah handling passing-game work.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice and was activated to the 53-man roster. He's set to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night for the first time since Week 8. Palmer figures to slide back in as Los Angeles' No. 2 WR but isn't a very attractive fantasy option with QB Easton Stick. Palmer would at least be a WR4 consideration if WR Keenan Allen's heel injury keeps him out on Thursday night.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen (heel) did not practice on Tuesday. We don't have any other details on the heel issue. We'll see if Allen practices tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report for Thursday night's game vs. the Raiders.
Per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Vikings will be making a change at the QB position in Week 15. Joshua Dobbs is being sent to the bench after four starts and will be replaced by backup Nick Mullens. This news doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering Dobbs' recent struggles and the fact that he was yanked in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest vs. the Raiders. From a fantasy perspective, Mullens doesn't bring the same rushing ability to the table as Dobbs did and shouldn't be considered a lineup option outside of deep 2QB/superflex leagues. Check out where he appears in our current QB rankings.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel labeled WR Tyreek Hill "day-to-day" with the ankle injury he suffered in Monday night's loss to the Titans. McDaniel wouldn't commit to Hill playing vs. the Jets this weekend but said, "he's given me only reason to be confident in his ability," per insider Adam Beasley. Considering Hill returned to the Titans game, we'd be surprised if he didn't play this Sunday. The question is how big a factor that ankle will be. We'll keep a close eye on Hill throughout the week.
Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert racked up 21 carries for 96 yards and two TDs in Monday night's loss to the Titans. He played 64% of Miami's offensive snaps and tripled up RB De'Von Achane in carries. Mostert has now carried 20+ times in three of his last four games. The other was the blowout win over the Commanders when he barely played in the second half. Miami gets tough pass defenses in the Jets, Cowboys, and Ravens the next three weeks. All three of those teams rank better in pass defense DVOA than rush defense DVOA. So we could see the Dolphins lean a bit more toward the run -- especially with WR Tyreek Hill banged up. Mostert needs the rushing volume (and TDs) because he's totaled just five targets over his last four games. That lowers his weekly floor. But the rushing volume has been strong enough to keep him in must-start territory.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa failed to throw a TD in Monday night's loss to the Titans for the first time this season. He completed 70% of his passes but for just 240 yards. His 7.3 yards per attempt was his fourth-lowest mark of the season. Miami's usually machine-like offense looked out of sync right from the start of this game. C Connor Williams left early with an injury, joining LT Terron Armstead on the sidelines. Tagovailoa also lost WR Tyreek Hill for more than a quarter with an ankle injury -- and Hill was clearly at less than 100% when he eventually returned. We'll keep an eye on all of these injuries this week. Tagovailoa also has a difficult schedule to contend with the rest of the way: vs. Jets, vs. Cowboys, at Ravens. It's the toughest remaining QB schedule, according to our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Tagovailoa looks more like a low-end QB1 -- and not a must-start -- over these final three weeks.
Colts HC Shane Steichen said Tuesday that the team is still planning for RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb) to play again this season. He's two weeks removed from a thumb surgery that's expected to keep him out for 3-5 weeks. Indianapolis dropped to 7-6 with the Week 14 loss to the Bengals but is still squarely in the mix for a Wild Card spot. Fantasy owners can't be counting on Taylor for Week 15, but a Week 16 return seems possible.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert will miss the rest of the season after fracturing the index finger in his right (throwing) hand, according to multiple reports. That leaves fifth-year QB Easton Stick to pilot the offense over the final four games. Stick has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in Round 5 back in 2019, but he had attempted just one regular season pass before Sunday. Stick went a forgettable 13 of 24 passing for 179 yards after taking over against the Broncos, throwing no TDs or INTs but fumbling twice (losing one). His 2023 preseason also proved unimpressive, including a 60.3% completion rate, 5.2 yards per pass attempt, 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a 9.0% sack rate. The QB situation obviously downgrades everyone on the Chargers' offense. WR Keenan Allen should remain usable. Stick targeted Allen on 37.5% of his attempts against Denver. He threw another 20.8% toward RB Austin Ekeler, the only other Chargers offensive piece you should still consider using. WRs Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer and TE Gerald Everett look droppable for other options. Herbert should have plenty of time to recover ahead of the 2024 season.
Packers WR Jayden Reed is starting to heat up. The rookie racked up 8 catches on 10 targets for 27 receiving yards in Week 14 vs. the Giants. In addition to his pass-catching, he also recorded 4 carries for 38 yards and a TD as a runner on Monday night. The Packers have been more creative in utilizing Reed on end-around plays and getting the ball in his hands as a rusher of late, as Reed is averaging 20 rushing yards per game over the past five weeks. On top of his 5 catches and 41.4 receiving yards per game in that span, Reed is posting an average of 15.9 PPR points weekly and becoming an underappreciated difference-maker in lineups. He should be a solid flex value again in Week 15 vs. the Buccaneers (fifth-best WR matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed) and needs to be on fantasy managers’ radar(s) in both season-long and dynasty formats.
Ravens S Kyle Hamilton suffered a low-grade MCL sprain in Sunday's win over the Rams. HC John Harbaugh told reporters Monday that Hamilton "looks like he'll be day-to-day" and added that "he'll have a chance to play" Sunday against the Jaguars. If Hamilton can't go, S Geno Stone would gain playing time.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is questionable to return to Monday night's game vs. the Titans with an ankle injury. He went down awkwardly after a catch near the end of the first quarter. Hill was down for a bit but eventually sprinted off the field. He's remained on the sidelines but doesn't have his helmet. Stay tuned for an update.
Update: Hill returned midway through the third quarter.
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