4 days agoCarolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he wants to see rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) play confident and fast when he makes his NFL debut, and he will be working behind Chuba Hubbard when he plays in his first NFL contest this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders (ankle, foot) isn't expected to play in Week 12, so Brooks should serve as the backup to Hubbard. The 21-year-old Brooks hasn't played all year while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered last year in college, but he's practicing in full on Wednesday and should be active this Sunday. Hubbard has earned lead-back duties for Carolina with another strong season in 2024, which means Brooks will probably be in line for backup duties the rest of the way in his rookie season, making him mostly a bench stash and handcuff in fantasy.Source: The Associated Press - Steve Reed
4 days agoNew England Patriots offensive guard Cole Strange (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time during the regular season. The 2022 first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been sidelined all year due to a torn patellar tendon. Although he has not lived up to his draft capital, he could provide a boost for a struggling offensive line when he returns. It remains to be seen if he has a shot to play this week against the Miami Dolphins, but the organization could decide to ramp him up slowly. Strange has played in just 27 games since entering the NFL, so there is still time for him to develop and be a key piece of the Drake Maye era in New England.Source: Alex Barth
4 days agoBaltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) is not practicing on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two-time first-team All-Pro is the leader of the strong Baltimore front seven, so it would be a major loss if he has to miss any upcoming games. Baltimore will face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, so fantasy managers in IDP leagues should monitor his status throughout the week. The former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2018 has tallied 110 total tackles (61 solo), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception, and three pass deflections in 11 games this year.Source: Jamison Hensley
4 days agoPittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle) and cornerback Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring) won't play against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football due to ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively. Highsmith was expected to miss a few weeks after suffering his ankle injury in Week 10, but he is not likely to be placed on Injured Reserve and could return after the team's mini-bye for Week 13. The 27-year-old logged seven sacks last season and has three in six games this year. Trice has not played since Week 3 after suffering a hamstring injury that landed him on IR, and he's been ruled out for Thursday night despite practicing in full all week.Source: Steelers.com
4 days agoCleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, but he returned to full practice on Wednesday and is set to play in the Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Moore was a non-factor early in the 2024 season, but after Amari Cooper was dealt to Buffalo and Jameis Winston took over the starting quarterback job, he has had relative success in fantasy football. The former New York Jet has tallied at least 16.5 PPR fantasy points in two of Winston's three starts, but a tough matchup against the Steelers' secondary on a short week is concerning. That said, six teams are on a bye, so he's a decent WR4/Flex option in Week 12.Source: Scott Petrak
4 days agoCleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) logged a full practice on Wednesday following limited sessions on Monday and Tuesday due to a knee injury. He has been removed from the injury report and is good to go against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. The former first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has seen his fantasy football stock rise after Jameis Winston took over for the injured Deshaun Watson. Since Week 7, Njoku has averaged 13.3 half-PPR fantasy points per game, so despite the tough matchup against the Steelers defense, he's a clear TE1 play for Week 12. With six teams on a bye, he is a virtual must-start this week despite the low floor of the Cleveland offense on a short week.Source: Scott Petrak
4 days agoCleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills (knee) and tight end Geoff Swaim (concussion) have been ruled out of the Week 12 Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wills has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons and has appeared in just 13 games since the start of 2023. Fellow offensive tackle Dawand Jones (ankle) is out for the season, so Cleveland will be short-handed on the offensive line in a worrisome matchup against T.J. Watt and Preston Smith. Swaim, a 31-year-old journeyman, signed with Cleveland in September and has appeared in eight games for the Browns this year. He is primarily a blocking tight end, so his absence does not help the question marks up front. Expect quarterback Jameis Winston to face a ton of pressure in this AFC North grudge match.Source: NFL.com
4 days agoArizona Cardinals right tackle Jonah Williams (knee) is being activated from the Injured Reserve list following the team's Week 11 bye. Williams played just 22 snaps in Week 1 before suffering a knee injury that has sidelined him since, and his return could provide a nice boost to an ascending offense. Quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner have been mostly strong fantasy football assets in 2024, so the return of a starting offensive lineman at a key position can only help their chances to continue producing in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign. Williams spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the AFC West squad this offseason.Source: NFL.com
4 days agoWashington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert (hip) is working at practice with the team on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a right-hip injury. It's good news and means that barring a setback for Seibert in practice this week, he could return as the team's primary kicker in Week 12 in a great matchup against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. Zane Gonzalez has done a good job replacing Seibert the last two games, but Washington will most likely go back to Seibert when he's ready. The 28-year-old booter has made 25 of his 27 field-goal attempts in eight games for the Commanders in his first year with the team and has also made all 22 of his extra-point tries. On the year, Dallas has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers, so if Seibert is ready to return, he should be considered for streaming purposes. UPDATE: Seibert was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's practice.Source: ESPN.com - John Keim
4 days agoTennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that wide receiver Calvin Ridley (illness) is out sick on Wednesday and won't practice, but he's expected to return to the field on Thursday. Ridley is a little under the weather as the team begins their preparations for Week 12 against the division-rival Houston Texans. The 29-year-old has plenty of time to get right before Sunday's contest and shouldn't have an issue playing this weekend. Ridley will likely see a lot of coverage from Texans cornerback Derek Stingley as he looks to improve on his 4-58-0 line in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As long as Ridley is active in Week 12, fantasy managers should consider him a low-end WR2/high-end WR3/flex. He's just two weeks removed from catching five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.Source: TennesseeTitans.com - Jim Wyatt
4
days
agoNew
York
Giants
quarterback
Daniel
Jones,
who
has
been
benched
coming
out
of
the
team's
Week
11
bye,
was
the
No.
4
QB
during
individual
hand-off
drills
in
practice
on
Wednesday
behind
new
starter
Tommy
Devito,
read more...
4
days
agoTennessee
Titans
head
coach
Brian
Callahan
said
that
running
back
Tyjae
Spears
(concussion)
will
be
working
through
the
league's
concussion
protocol
on
Wednesday
in
the
first
practice
of
the
week.
Spears
suffered
a
concussion
in
the
Week
11
loss
to
the
Minnesota
Vikings
onread more...
4 days agoThe Kansas City Chiefs are saying that running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) will practice with the team on Wednesday. "We'll just have to see... day-by-day type thing," head coach Andy Reid said. Pacheco remains on Injured Reserve due to a fractured fibula and missed his eighth straight game in the team's first loss of the season to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, but he was limited in practice all of last week and is eyeing his return in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers. However, it's still uncertain as to whether the 25-year-old will actually return this weekend, and if he does, he'll be much more volatile as a must-start option in fantasy lineups. Kareem Hunt has been a must-start RB for fantasy managers in Pacheco's absence, but he's expected to lose most of his appeal the rest of the season once Pacheco returns as KC's lead back. UPDATE: Pacheco was officially limited on Wednesday.Source: Arrowhead Pride - Pete Sweeney
4 days agoChicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that running back D'Andre Swift (groin) won't practice on Wednesday. Swift is now one to watch closely as the team prepares to face off against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings this Sunday in Week 12. The Bears could just be resting the 25-year-old in the first practice of the week, but we won't know until Thursday if Swift gets back onto the field. He had 14 carries for 71 yards and his fifth rushing touchdown of the year in last week's loss to the division-rival Green Bay Packers while also catching both of his targets for 13 yards. Swift's fantasy value has been held back by Roschon Johnson getting considerable work in the red zone, though. If Swift's injury is serious enough to potentially keep him from playing against Minnesota, Johnson would be a popular plug-and-play fantasy option.Source: The Athletic - Kevin Fishbain
4 days agoNew York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said on Wednesday that the team is opening the 21-day practice window for linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) to return from Injured Reserve, and the team is hopeful that he can play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. Thibodeaux missed a fifth straight game in Week 10 due to a broken wrist, but after having last week's bye to rest up, the 23-year-old could return for New York's defense. The former fifth overall pick in 2022 out of Oregon will be a welcomed addition as they look to slow down a Bucs defense this weekend that could be getting star wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) back. Through five games in 2024 in his third NFL season, Thibodeaux has provided only 12 tackles (eight solo), two sacks and seven QB hits for the G-Men.Source: SNY - Connor Hughes