Bengals RB Joe Mixon (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Bears. He didn't practice all week and isn't a lock to be cleared for Week 15. Mixon's absence this weekend leaves Gio Bernard in something close to a feature role. The only other RB on the Bengals' roster is 5th-round rookie Brian Hill, who joined Cincinnati in mid-November and doesn't have an NFL carry to his name. The matchup isn't ideal against Chicago's 11th-ranked RB defense, but volume makes Bernard a strong RB2 play. He's handled 15+ touches in in 25 NFL games and averaged 14.8 PPR points in those outings.
Saints CB Marshon Lattimore is inactive for today's game against the Panthers because of the ankle sprain that limited him to just 1 day of practice this week after costing him the Week 12 game. Lattimore's absence brightens the outlook for Panthers lead WR Devin Funchess and dings the Saints' team D.
Chiefs RB Charcandrick West (personal) is out for this weekend's game against the Jets. He's been a thorn in RB Kareem Hunt's side, totaling 5 carries and 14 targets over the past 3 weeks. His absence is a slight boost to Hunt's outlook.
The Buccaneers have ruled CB Brent Grimes (shoulder) out for the 2nd straight game, which certainly only helps the Saints' passing game. DE Robert Ayers (ankle) and OLB Kendell Beckwith (knee) are questionable after limited practice weeks. Ayers has been playing through questionable tags for several weeks. Beckwith's issue is new. Neither is an IDP factor even if active.
Bengals K Randy Bullock (back) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. We'll see if Cincinnati adds a K, but Bullock shouldn't be in Week 9 fantasy lineups at less than 100% and in a tough matchup.
Ravens WRs Jeremy Maclin (shoulder) and Mike Wallace (back) are expected to play against the Vikings today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Neither is a great fantasy choice on Baltimore's 31st-ranked passing game.
Titans QB Marcus Mariota said Wednesday that his injured hamstring feels "a lot better." He did more in practice on Wednesday than he did last week, but he still wasn't a full-go. "As the days go on, hopefully I’ll feel better and better," Mariota said. "It is just taking it one day at a time and hopefully I’ll be able to go. Hopefully towards the end of the week I’ll get more on my plate and hopefully I’ll feel comfortable to try and play on Monday.” We'll continue to track Mariota's progress and hope to have a good idea about his status by Sunday morning.
Browns QB DeShone Kizer was benched for the 2nd half of Sunday's game against the Jets. The rookie completed just 8 of 17 1st-half passes for 87 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT. QB Kevin Hogan is in the game for Cleveland. We're guessing that the Browns will go back to Kizer next week, but he obviously can't be trusted in any fantasy lineups right now.
Seahawks RB Eddie Lacy is expected to start today's game against the Rams, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That doesn't necessarily mean Lacy will finish with more carries than RB Thomas Rawls, but it does make him the slightly better Week 5 fantasy bet.
Vikings QB Sam Bradford (knee) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Monday night's game against the Bears. HC Mike Zimmer was non-committal on Bradford's status on Saturday. We'll see if we get an update tomorrow morning, but Bradford can't be in fantasy lineups at this point.
Vikings QB Sam Bradford (knee) admitted that his Week 3 status remains in question. "... A lot of it depends on how my knee responds when we go out there and practice this week,” he said. “Hopefully, it’ll continue to get better.” Bradford did practice on Wednesday -- but that doesn't mean much considering he put in 3 limited practices last week. We'll continue to monitor his progress.
Cowboys RB Darren McFadden is inactive for tonight's game against the Giants. He wasn't listed on the injury report, so it looks like he's a healthy scratch. Alfred Morris will serve as Ezekiel Elliott's backup tonight. He's not a fantasy option, of course. But it's now unclear who the Elliott handcuff is.
Cleveland.com reports that the Browns will release K Cody Parkey, which means that 7th-round rookie Zane Gonzalez has won the job. Gonzalez won the Lou Groza Award last season as the nation's top kicker and finished his college career as the FBS career leader in FGs made and points scored by a kicker.
Chiefs RB Spencer Ware suffered a right knee injury in the 1st quarter of Friday night's game against the Chiefs. He left the field on a cart and the team quickly ruled him out for the game. That obviously doesn't bode well. Any missed time would deliver a huge boost to RB Kareem Hunt's fantasy outlook. Hunt was already sharing 1st-team work with Ware in the 3rd preseason contest. We'll keep an eye out for further updates.
Cowboys RB Darren McFadden took all 19 snaps with the 1st-team offense in Saturday night's preseason game. He carried 6 times for 28 yards, but the usage is what's important. McFadden is clearly locked in as Dallas' #2 RB -- and the lead back during Ezekiel Elliott's suspension. The Cowboys face a tough rushing schedule over their first 6 games, but volume and supporting cast will make McFadden a solid fantasy starter.
The Ravens have signed WR Jeremy Maclin to a 2-year deal. A cap casualty in Kansas City, Maclin joins a Ravens squad that's missing a whopping 345 targets from a year ago. He figures to compete with Mike Wallace for the target lead this year -- although Breshad Perriman could also have a say in that battle if he takes a step forward. Maclin endured a disappointing, injury-stricken 2016 campaign but posted an 87-1,088-8 line the previous year. He's still only 29. And he has experience in Ravens OC Marty Mornhinweg's system, playing for Mornhinweg in Philadelphia for his first 4 NFL seasons. Maclin averaged 65 catches, 863 yards and 6.5 TDs across those years.
Giants HC Ben McAdoo on Monday told reporters that RB Paul Perkins is the team's backfield starter, according to Pro Football Talk. That's no shocking revelation, but it's notable that McAdoo talks about the 2nd-year back that way rather than saying he'll need to earn the top job. Perkins followed an impressive run at UCLA by not leading the Giants in carries until Week 16. But he did finish the year starting over Rashad Jennings, including the playoff loss at Green Bay. The team drafted Clemson RB Wayne Gallman over the weekend, but he doesn't bring NFL-starter talent. And Jennings remains unsigned. RB Shane Vereen is still around and should claim plenty of receiving work -- if he can stay healthy (a big "if"). But early fantasy drafters should treat Perkins as the top back in what could easily be a top-10 scoring and yardage offense.
The Titans used the #5 overall pick on WR Corey Davis. He was a stat-compiling machine at Western Michigan, leaving as the NCAA’s record holder for career receiving yards (5,278). After posting a 67-941-6 line as a true freshman, he topped 1,400 yards and 12 TDs in each of his final 3 seasons. He certainly squared off against some weaker competition in the MAC but also averaged 5.8 catches, 77.9 yards and .6 TDs in 9 games against “Power 5” conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12). An ankle injury prevented Davis from working out in the pre-draft process, but he looks plenty athletic on film. He’s also 1 of the most advanced route runners in the class. Davis has a shot to quickly become Tennessee’s #1 WR, bumping Rishard Matthews to the #2 spot. QB Marcus Mariota’s stock is on the rise.
The 49ers on Saturday agreed to terms with RB Tim Hightower. The veteran joins Mike Davis, Raheem Mostert and DuJuan Harris -- who re-signed earlier this week -- behind starter Carlos Hyde. If you're looking for a Hyde handcuff, Hightower looks like the current best bet. He carried 229 times and caught 34 passes as New Orleans' #2 back over the past 2 seasons. We'll see what the new coaching staff thinks of Davis and whether the Niners add another RB in the NFL Draft.
The Giants have signed QB Geno Smith, per the New York Post's Brian Costello. Not surprisingly, Smith didn't garner much (any?) interest as a starter. So he'll settle for a backup gig behind 36-year-old Eli Manning. If Smith makes a good impression with his new club, perhaps he'll be considered as Manning's eventual successor. That seems like a long shot, though.
Search
