The Chargers believe that there's a "legitimate chance" RB Melvin Gordon (knee), RB Austin Ekeler (concussion, neck) and WR Keenan Allen (hip) are all ready for Saturday's game against the Ravens, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. We'll get the team's 1st official practice report tomorrow. The Chargers still have plenty to play for, with the AFC's #1 seed still in sight.
Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin (hip) is expected to play against the 49ers today. He's listed as questionable after limited practices on Thursday and Friday. Baldwin is just a low-end WR3 at less than 100%.
The Chiefs list RB Spencer Ware (shoulder, hamstring) as doubtful for Thursday night's game against the Chargers after he missed practice all week. Ware was able to play through the injuries last week, but it doesn't look like he'll be able to tomorrow. His absence would leave Damien Williams as Kansas City's lead back. Charcandrick West and Darrell Williams also figure to mix in, but Damien projects for 12-15 touches. That makes him a RB2 option.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler aggravated a neck issue Sunday and appears in doubt for Thursday night's game against the Chiefs. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Ekeler will need further testing on the area, which had experienced "stingers" in recent weeks. The short turnaround for Week 15 obviously makes things more difficult. The Chargers might get Melvin Gordon back from his knee injury for that game. If not, they'd have to turn to rookie Justin Jackson as the backfield starter. Jackson hit Sunday still available in 57% of ESPN leagues.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon (foot) isn’t listed on the final Week 14 injury report. He practiced all week, including a full workout on Friday. That foot shouldn’t be an issue, but a crumbling Bengals offense makes Mixon more of a RB2 in Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
WR Dez Bryant has finally found a home, inking a 1-year deal with the Saints. The 30-year-old looked like a player in decline last season, averaging a career-low 12.1 yards per catch. He seems best-suited as a possession receiver at this point, which is the role he might be stepping into with the Saints. Bryant would look good as a big slot WR between Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith. From a fantasy perspective, Bryant figures to duke it out for targets with Smith behind top dogs Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Dez is worth adding in most fantasy leagues, but we'd consider him just a WR4 for now. We'll see how quickly he can settle into the offense. Smith's value takes a considerable hit with Bryant's arrival.
The Falcons have signed DE Bruce Irvin to a 1-year deal. The Steelers and Patriots also reportedly made offers to the former Raider, with other teams also expressing interest. Atlanta sports the league's 5th-worst sack rate, and the city is Irvin's hometown. The Falcons reportedly plan to get Irvin on the field right away for this weekend's matchup with the Browns, so we should soon see how big a role he can claim. It'd be tough to start Irvin in IDP lineups right away -- despite the positive matchup -- but he has a shot to gain relevance through the 2nd half of the year. The interest level he generated on the open market suggests Oakland mishandled the veteran by cutting his playing time this year and then dumping him.
Broncos RB Royce Freeman (ankle) is inactive for today’s game against the Texans. That again leaves the backfield to Phillip Lindsay and Devontae Booker. With Freeman out last week, Lindsay carried 18 times and caught all 3 of his targets while Booker handled 9 carries and 4 targets.
Vikings S Andrew Sendejo (groin) will miss his 4th straight game today. He's inactive for the clash with the Lions. Lead CB Xavier Rhodes, however, will play through a "questionable" tag for a foot issue.
The Raiders have waived DE Bruce Irvin, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The nearly $4 million left on Irvin's contract might keep him from getting claimed, though interested teams with cap space could foot that bill now that they wouldn't have to surrender any draft capital in trade. Either way, expect the 31-year-old pass-rusher to get another shot somewhere this season. Whether he'll have a shot at IDP relevance will depend on the landing spot.
Lions RB Theo Riddick (knee) is not listed on the final injury report after putting in a full practice on Friday. His return is excellent timing with the departure of WR Golden Tate and his 9.9 targets per game. Riddick should step back into to a sizable role in the passing game, making him a low-end PPR option. His return also puts a dent in RB Kerryon Johnson’s target projection.
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles was benched in the 3rd quarter of Sunday's game against the Texans. He was 6-of-12 for 61 yards with 0 TDs and 2 lost fumbles in a little over 1 half of action. QB Cody Kessler is in for Jacksonville.
The Browns are trading RB Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville in exchange for a mid-round draft pick, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. This doesn't bode well for RB Leonard Fournette's return from his hamstring trouble. Hyde joins T.J. Yeldon in the Jaguars backfield for now, although it's unclear if Hyde will be active for this weekend's game against the Texans. Meanwhile, Nick Chubb takes over as the primary ball-carrier in Cleveland. The rookie has flashed in limited chances, averaging 10.8 yards on 16 carries. He immediately jumps into the RB2 mix.
UPDATE: The Browns are receiving a 5th-round pick.
Cowboys DE Demarcus Lawrence (shoulder) and CB Chidobe Awuzie (ankle) are active for today's game against the Jaguars. They're OK to use as planned in IDP lineups.
Redskins WRs Paul Richardson (shoulder, knee), Jamison Crowder (ankle) and Josh Doctson (heel) are all listed as questionable for this weekend's game against the Panthers. We'll see who's able to give it a go around noon ET on Sunday, but none of these guys are reliable fantasy options. TE Jordan Reed could be busy this weekend.
Rams WR Brandin Cooks sustained a concussion on a big hit near the end of the 1st half of Sunday's game against the Seahawks. It's the 3rd documented concussion of his career. We'll track Cooks' progress through the protocol. WR Josh Reynolds has stepped into Cooks' role in the offense.
The forecast for today's Jaguars-Chiefs game calls for periods of heavy rain. The good news is that winds are expected to be only 6-7 mph. They aren't ideal conditions, but it's not enough for us to adjust our projections for these passing games. You might use the weather as a tiebreaker if deciding between 2 similarly ranked players, though.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that Titans QB Marcus Mariota (elbow) is not expected to play against the Jaguars today. He "has not experienced enough improvement" in that throwing elbow, according to Rapoport. So QB Blaine Gabbert gets another start in a brutal matchup. Your best bet is to avoid Tennessee's passing game today.
Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game against the Patriots. He didn’t practice all week but did resume running on Thursday. HC Doug Marrone seemed “optimistic” about Fournette’s status on Friday, according to insider Hays Carlyon. We’ll look for updates on Fournette on Sunday morning. Jaguars-Patriots doesn’t kick off until 4:25 pm ET, so owners hoping to use him need to have a late-game insurance plan rostered. T.J. Yeldon will serve as Jacksonville's lead back if Fournette sits out.
Titans HC Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that QB Marcus Mariota is "feeling good" and is "good to go" for this weekend's game against the Texans. Mariota was spotted throwing in the portion of practice open to the media. He said afterward that his elbow is feeling ok but that there's "still a little tingle," per insider Terry McCormick. We'll be on the lookout for more updates on Mariota's status over the next few days. For now, he looks like a risky Week 2 fantasy play.
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