Panthers TE Hayden Hurst (concussion) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Titans. With Hurst sidelined last week, Tommy Tremble led Carolina TEs with a 68% route rate and caught one of three targets for four yards and a score. He’d be a desperation Week 12 fantasy play.
Cardinals WR Michael Wilson (shoulder) is out for this weekend's game vs. the Rams. He's been sidelined since re-injuring his shoulder last Friday. Now we wait to see whether WR Marquise Brown (heel) is able to play on Sunday. If not, the Cardinals will be down to Greg Dortch and Rondale Moore as their top two WRs.
The Commanders have fired DC Jack Del Rio in the wake of Thursday's 45-10 loss at Dallas. It's tough to envision any real impact from this move. Washington has struggled at basically every level of the defense all season and traded away two of its best players -- Edges Montez Sweat and Chase Young -- after Week 8. Washington's defense shouldn't be anywhere near your fantasy plans. And the individuals that make sense for IDP use should make sense regardless of who's calling the plays. We'll see if Del Rio's departure -- and/or the unit's recent performance -- leads to any lineup changes.
Commanders WR Curtis Samuel racked up 9 receptions for 100 yards in Thursday's loss to the Cowboys. He drew 27.3% of the team's targets, accounted for 32.1% of the receptions, and delivered 33.3% of the yards. No teammate exceeded 5 catches or 52 yards in the game. The big receiving line followed consecutive games that Samuel finished with just 6 and 5 receiving yards. He has reached 50 yards five times now in 11 games. But should we just chalk Thursday's numbers up to variance? Samuel's not likely to deliver another stat line that big over his final four fantasy outings. But he can be a low-level starting option the rest of the way. Samuel had caught 4+ passes in five straight games before missing Week 9 with an injury. Samuel came back for the mere three receptions across two games before the big one against Dallas. The Cowboys have been tough in coverage but also play outside WRs tougher than slot WRs. Week 13 will bring a Miami defense that has fared better against slot WRs than outside but also been a positive matchup for opponent WRs overall. Miami's offensive scoring ability also gives that game shootout potential -- or a chance Washington is chasing once again. Either case would drive up passing volume. Washington gets its bye in Week 14. But then come two more opponents (Rams and Jets) that allow more production to slot WRs than outside. A Week 17 matchup with San Francisco doesn't look good for anyone. Though Samuel's short average target depth (6.4 yards) could help his volume in another matchup that's likely to find the Commanders trailing. He carries some low-level upside in deeper leagues, as a WR3 or PPR flex. Just don't overrate Samuel's production in Dallas.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. managed just 2 receptions for 11 yards on 3 targets in Thursday's loss to the Cowboys. That was noteworthy for a couple of reasons: 1) Washington attempted 44 passes in a 35-point loss. So overall volume wasn't an issue. 2) He had racked up 15 targets, 13 catches, and 178 receiving yards over the previous two games. One of those came without RB Antonio Gibson, who returned from injury to lead Washington RBs in routes and targets (4) against Dallas. Robinson did get a solid 15 carries (for 53 yards) despite the negative game script. That hasn't tended to be the case this season. He entered Thursday averaging just 10.4 carries across seven losses. Still, the abnormal receiving production for Robinson against the Seahawks and Giants likely inflated his fantasy value. That's why we highlighted the Washington RB for the second straight week in our Trade Targets article ahead of Thursday's game. If your league still allows trading beyond this week, go ahead and see if you can make a worthwhile move. Robinson gets a tough remaining slate of defenses and still has his bye ahead in Week 14.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott rebounded from a relative down week in the win at Carolina to hang 331 yards and 4 TD passes on the Commanders in Week 12. He did so while spreading the ball around more than usual. WR CeeDee Lamb led the way with 9 targets but posted just a 4-53-1 receiving line. WR Brandin Cooks snagged a 31-yard TD among his 4 receptions for 72 yards on 5 targets. The other two scores went to KaVontae Turpin from 34 yards out and RB Rico Dowdle on a 15-yard catch-and-run. The soft opponent certainly helped, but Prescott has now gone over 300 yards with 3+ TDs in four of his past five games. And his remaining schedule ranks third-best for QB scoring, with no truly worrisome spots. Prescott just might prove to be a league winner for 2023.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Dolphins don't expect RB De'Von Achane (knee) to play today against the Jets. He adds that it's not a "long term" injury, so don't be surprised if Achane's ready for Week 13. Pelissero says to expect "a lot" of Raheem Mostert and "some" Jeff Wilson Jr. in the Black Friday game. Mostert makes for a strong fantasy play in a matchup that's much friendlier to rushing than passing. Wilson's a fine roster stash given Achane's situation and could pay off in DFS showdown lineups. But he has only 13 touches through three appearances this season and was a healthy scratch last week. So we wouldn't recommend trying Wilson in common-sized fantasy football league lineups.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard found the end zone in Thursday's beatdown of the Commanders, his second straight week with a TD after an eight-game drought. that score from 7 yards out marked his fourth straight game with at least 1 carry from inside the 10-yard line. That's obviously key to his fantasy potential, but TDs will always be relatively unpredictable. Here are three other positive takeaways from the game: 1) Pollard drew 6 targets and led the team with 6 receptions. That marked his second straight game with at least 5 targets and third 5+ target game among the past four. Stabilizing his usage in that area -- which fluctuated across the first four post-bye contests -- would make Pollard a much comfier fantasy start the rest of the way. 2) He delivered a 27-yard run that was his longest since Week 3 and second-longest of the season. Pollard has been missing some of the burst that drove his game in previous seasons but looked good on that run. 3) Rico Dowdle scored but still isn't taking meaningful work away. The backup played 12 snaps (to Pollard's 41), got 3 carries (vs. 13), and ran 5 routes (vs. 22) in a game Dallas won 45-10. Pollard continues to dominate the work. The matchup certainly helped Pollard's Thanksgiving production. According to Pro Football Reference, he's averaging 2.7 yards before contact per carry for the season but got 6.1 per carry against Washington. Pollard's unlikely to get that much help from the rest of his opponents. But positive RB-scoring matchups remain against Seattle next week and at Buffalo in Week 15. A Week 17 home date with the Lions also looks more favorable after the way their defense played the past two weeks than the adjusted fantasy points allowed suggest.
Bears RB D'Onta Foreman (ankle, shin) did not practice on Thursday. His absence in Monday night's game vs. the Vikings would leave Chicago's backfield to Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. We'll keep you updated on Foreman's status over the next few days.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham (shoulder) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. We'll see what he does in Friday's practice and how he's listed on the final injury report for Sunday night's game vs. the Chargers. Baltimore's WR corps is in flux with Zay Flowers dealing with a hip injury.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers (hip) went from a limited practice on Wednesday to no practice on Thursday. It looks like he hurt his hip on Wednesday and is in danger of missing Sunday night's game vs. the Chargers. We'll see if Flowers is able to practice tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report.
After being limited on Wednesday, Cardinals WR Marquise Brown (heel) did not practice on Thursday. It looks like he hurt his heel on Wednesday and is now in danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Rams. Check back tomorrow for another update on Brown. WR Michael Wilson (shoulder) remained sidelined on Thursday, so the Cardinals could be down to Greg Dortch and Rondale Moore as their top two WRs on Sunday.
Rams WR Cooper Kupp (ankle) got in a limited practice on Thursday. That gives him a chance to suit up for this weekend's game vs. the Cardinals. We'll see what he does in Friday's practice and how he's listed on the final injury report.
Steelers WR George Pickens (shin) returned to a limited practice on Thursday after being sidelined on Wednesday. We'll see what he does tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report for this weekend's game vs. the Bengals.
The Lions continued to split backfield work between RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs in Week 12. Montgomery beat the rookie 2-0 in goal line carries, leading to a 6-yard score up the gut. Overall, Montgomery out-carried Gibbs 15-11, with Gibbs continuing to lead the way in the passing game (8 targets). Struggles from QB Jared Goff -- as well as one drop -- limited Gibbs' impact to 4 catches for 19 yards. Week 13 turns up a tough date at New Orleans, followed by plus matchups against Chicago and Denver. Overall, we're not changing our outlook for this backfield.
Packers QB Jordan Love dominated the Lions on Thursday with 268 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 turnovers. He added 39 rushing yards, with 37 coming on a zone-read. But the real story here was Love’s accuracy, which he showed off on several tight-window and off-platform throws. His +7.3% completion rate over expected set a career-high, per Next Gen Stats. Love will be a risky QB1 next week vs. the Chiefs' stingy pass D. But he’ll be back on the streaming radar for a Week 14 date at the Giants.
Packers WR Christian Watson tallied 5 catches, 94 yards, and 1 score in a Week 12 win over Detroit. Watson hauled in a 54-yard deep ball on the game's first play, and it was smooth sailing from there alongside a red-hot Jordan Love. Overall, Watson’s 7 targets (21.8% share) ranked second on the team and marking his second-highest total of the season. Next week turns up a tough matchup vs. Kansas City, but beyond that, Green Bay’s schedule lightens up.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith (elbow) is active for tonight’s game vs. the 49ers. He was a full-go in Wednesday’s practice and “looked good, felt good,” according to HC Pete Carroll. It doesn’t sound like the elbow/tricep injury will be a major factor tonight. But it adds some risk in what’s already a tough matchup. Smith sits deep in QB2 territory in the Week 12 Rankings.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker (oblique) is inactive for tonight’s game vs. the 49ers. RB Zach Charbonnet should dominate backfield work in this one. RBs DeeJay Dallas and Kenny McIntosh are active behind him.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson (toe) is active for today’s game vs. the Cowboys. He was reportedly a game-time decision, so it’s safe to assume that he’s not at 100% for this one. Gibson is only an option in Thanksgiving DFS tournaments. His return does put a ding on RB Brian Robinson’s target projection.
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