Saints QB Derek Carr (concussion, rib, right shoulder) got in a limited practice on Wednesday. HC Dennis Allen said that Carr "feels pretty good” in terms of the rib and shoulder injuries and that it's the concussion that could keep him out for this weekend's game vs. the Panthers. We'll see how Carr progresses through the protocol over the next few days, but QB Jameis Winston is still the favorite to start on Sunday.
Saints WR Rashid Shaheed (thigh) remained sidelined on Wednesday. That's not a good start for his chances of returning for this weekend's game vs. the Panthers. Fantasy owners can't be banking on having Shaheed in starting lineups at this point. We'll see if he gets back on the field tomorrow.
Saints TE Taysom Hill (foot, left hand) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Dennis Allen said that Hill will be evaluated throughout the week, so there's seemingly some chance that he's unable to play vs. the Panthers this weekend. We'll keep tabs on Hill's status over the next few days.
Browns WR Amari Cooper (concussion, ribs) did not practice on Wednesday. He's unlikely to clear the concussion protocol in time to play vs. the Jaguars this weekend. Cooper's absence would leave WR Elijah Moore and TE David Njoku as the clear top-two targets in Cleveland's passing game.
Bears RB D'Onta Foreman (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. That puts him on track to play vs. the Lions this weekend. Foreman, Roschon Johnson, and Khalil Herbert haven't played a healthy game together since Week 1, so it's tough to project what this backfield will look like on Sunday. Johnson dominated playing time last time out, registering a 75% snap rate, making him the best bet among these three. But it's a backfield to ideally avoid, especially against Detroit's 11th-ranked RB defense.
Ravens WR Odell Beckham is not listed on the Week 14 injury report. That's notable after he played just 32% of Baltimore's offensive snaps back in Week 12 -- presumably because of a shoulder injury. He's evidently much healthier coming off the bye week and figures to see a boost in playing time vs. the Rams on Sunday. Consider Beckham a WR4 with upside for that one.
Rams WR Puka Nacua (shoulder) was limited in Wednesday's practice. He sprained his AC joint last weekend but is fully expected to play vs. the Ravens this weekend.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. He suffered a stinger in last week's win over the Browns and is in some danger of missing Sunday's game vs. the Ravens. Higbee, of course, should not be in your Week 14 fantasy plans against the league's sixth-ranked TE defense.
Patriots WR Demario Douglas (concussion) is out for Thursday night's game vs. the Steelers. He remained sidelined in practice all week, so he still has lots of work to do to clear the protocol for Week 15. WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder) has also been ruled out for Thursday night. DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton figure to operate as New England's top three WRs in Pittsburgh. Parker is the best bet for targets but is no better than a WR4 in an offense implied for only 12.5 points.
Steelers RB Najee Harris (knee) is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Patriots. He was added to the injury report and sidelined on Tuesday and then missed practice again on Wednesday. His availability for this one is seemingly in legitimate question. We'll look for further updates on Harris' status and get Pittsburgh's inactives a little before 7 pm ET tomorrow.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco missed Wednesday's practice with what HC Andy Reid labeled a shoulder contusion. Reid added that Pacheco is getting the shoulder "checked out," according to Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney. If it's just a contusion, Pacheco should be available for this weekend's game vs. the Bills. We'll look for further updates on his status and see if he practices on Thursday.
Giants TE Darren Waller (hamstring) told reporters Wednesday that he's hoping to return for Week 15 vs. the Saints. Waller said that he’s been running routes and that his hamstring is feeling good, per The Athletic's Dan Duggan. We'll track Waller's practice participation next week, but he'd be a risky fantasy start in his first game back from a multi-week hamstring injury. Waller would get positive matchups in Weeks 16 and 17 vs. the Eagles and Rams, so he still has a chance to help fantasy teams this season.
The Vikings will continue starting QB Josh Dobbs this week against the Raiders, NFL Network reports. It's not a surprising revelation, and that's how we already had our Week 14 rankings set. Of course it'd be nice if Minnesota could go with a steadier QB than the journeyman who threw 4 INTs against the Bears his last time out. But the other options are Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. Dobbs gets a fine matchup with the Raiders and will carry fantasy upside. The risk, however, is that he enters the game on a short leash. A turnover or two could motivate HC Kevin O'Connell to pull an in-game switch. We've factored some of that risk into Dobbs' projection for Week 14. But you'll need to make a personal call on his situation before setting your fantasy lineup with or without him. It can only help the whole offense to (likely) get WR Justin Jefferson back.
Jets HC Robert Saleh announced Wednesday that he's going back to QB Zach Wilson as the starter for Week 14 vs. the Texans and for the rest of the season. Wilson was bad over the first 10 games of the season, completing 59% of his passes at 6.1 yards per attempt. But QBs Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian combined for 5.2 yards per attempt on a 60.5% completion rate over the last two weeks. Consider Wilson's return a small upgrade for the Jets passing game. WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall, of course, remain the only viable fantasy starters in this offense.
Bills TE Dawson Knox (wrist) has been designated to return from IR and will practice on Wednesday. HC Sean McDermott when asked whether Knox will play vs. the Chiefs this weekend only said, "We'll take it one day at a time." We'll keep tabs on Knox's status for that one. He's not a fantasy option, but his return would put a dent in TE Dalton Kincaid's fantasy value. Kincaid averaged 7.4 targets over the last five games without Knox vs. 4.5 with Knox over his first six outings.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls it an "uphill battle" for Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (ankle) to play vs. the Browns this weekend. "I'm not saying he's not gonna play. I'm just saying he has to get a lot better very quickly in a short week to actually be out on the field" on Sunday, Rapoport adds. Fantasy owners should certainly be working under the assumption that it'll be C.J. Beathard at QB for Jacksonville this weekend. We'll keep you updated on Lawrence's status.
The Chargers are designating WR Joshua Palmer to return from IR, opening his 21-day practice window. HC Brandon Staley just last week described Palmer's situation by saying "there's still a possibility" that he'd return from IR, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper. That suggests we can't assume Palmer will be ready to return from his knee injury and play in Week 14. And it'll be tough to throw him into fantasy lineups right away, unless we get word from Chargers coaches that he's all the way back. Still, we have mentioned Palmer in our waiver wire article each of the past two weeks on this chance of return. If he does make it back to full participation, we'd bet on Palmer re-emerging as the No. 2 wideout in an offense that needs him. Stash Palmer early if you can ... if that makes sense for your roster, of course.
The Rams are signing K Mason Crosby to their practice squad with the expectation that he'll be elevated to the active roster in the "near future," according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The 39-year-old Crosby spent the previous 16 seasons with the Packers, most recently connecting on 86% of his FGs in 2022. We'll see if Crosby gets the call for this weekend's game vs. the Ravens, or if K Lucas Havrisik gets another game. Regardless, it's a situation to avoid in fantasy lineups with the Rams sporting a 16.5-point implied total in Baltimore.
Vikings OC Wes Phillips said Tuesday that HC Kevin O'Connell will announce the starting QB Wednesday. Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune says, "Based on everything I've heard this week, I expect the Vikings to start Josh Dobbs against the Raiders." That's how we have it projected in the Week 14 QB rankings, but we'll obviously be watching for any change. Dobbs has showed plenty of fantasy upside and will get a fine matchup if he stays in the lineup. There figures to be some risk he gets pulled, though, if he struggles anywhere near how he did against the Bears before the bye.
Patriots WR Demario Douglas (concussion) remained sidelined for Tuesday's practice. He has virtually no chance to be cleared in time for Thursday night's game vs. the Steelers. Douglas' absence will again leave DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton as New England's top three WRs.
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