The Cowboys have re-signed RB Darren McFadden to a 1-year deal. A fractured elbow limited him to just 3 games last year, but it looks like he'll get another shot at Dallas' backup job. The Cowboys are reportedly looking to trade RB Alfred Morris. While McFadden is no threat to Ezekiel Elliott's workhorse role and won't be a standalone fantasy option, he'll be 1 of the highest-upside handcuffs in 2017 fantasy drafts.
The Patriots have acquired WR Brandin Cooks from the Saints, sending a 1st- and a 3rd-round pick and getting back a 4th-rounder. Cooks caught 162 passes over the past 2 seasons, topping 1,100 yards in each campaign and scoring 17 TDs over that span. He finished among the top 13 WRs across fantasy formats in each of those seasons. The Pats control his rights for the next 2 years, including a team option for 2018. Cooks lands in 1 of the few offenses that approximates the efficiency of New Orleans and figures to quickly challenge Julian Edelman for the team target lead. His fantasy outlook doesn't change drastically from what it's been with the Saints. Other WRs in New England will have more trouble finding regular opportunities. Back in New Orleans, Michael Thomas should grab a larger share of targets, while Willie Snead stands to gain if the team doesn't add anything more than Ted Ginn to the corps this offseason.
Packers WR Jordy Nelson fractured 2 ribs in Sunday's game against the Giants, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Will take an incredible effort to play" vs. the Cowboys this weekend, Rapoport adds. HC Mike McCarthy said that Nelson will spend the week rehabbing before potentially practicing on Saturday. At this point, though, we're assuming he won't play in Dallas. That'll leave Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison as Green Bay's top 3 WRs. TE Jared Cook could also pick up extra targets.
Cowboys HC Jason Garrett confirmed to ESPN's Ed Werder that he won't rest starters in tonight's game against the Lions. Dallas has clinched the NFC's #1 seed and could limit or hold out some guys in the regular-season finale. But doing so tonight would mean 3 weeks off between games. QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, WR Dez Bryant and TE Jason Witten are all safe to use in Week 16 fantasy lineups.
Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon is done for the day with an ankle injury. He carried just twice for 5 yards before exiting. Chris Ivory will operate as the lead back the rest of the afternoon.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (calf) admits that he won't be at 100% for this weekend's game against the Bears. "It'll be about pain management on Sunday, but the good thing is I'll be out there," he said. "I'll be out there and ready." Rodgers tweaked that calf on the 3rd play of last week's game but still chucked for 246 yards and 3 TDs. The injury obviously adds some risk to his Week 15 outlook -- especially with a high of -1 degrees currently forecasted for Chicago on Sunday -- but Rodgers remains a solid QB1.
The forecast for today's Bengals-Browns game calls for 1-3 inches of snow and winds of 10-20 mph. We start to worry about the passing games when winds get over 15 mph, so this is a slight concern. Both teams figured to go run-heavy anyway, and the weather will only push them farther in that direction.
Chargers WR Tyrell Williams (shoulder) is questionable for this weekend’s game against the Bucs. He put in a limited practice on Friday after sitting out the previous 2 days. "I feel good so far,” Williams said after Friday’s workout. “I should be 100 percent by Sunday.” It sounds like Williams will play this weekend, but the shoulder certainly adds risk to his fantasy outlook.
Bills RB LeSean McCoy (thumb) practiced for the 2nd straight day on Thursday. RB Mike Gillislee, meanwhile, sat out after tweaking his hamstring on Wednesday. At this point, it looks like McCoy has the better chance of playing against the Jaguars this weekend. We'll have another update on both guys tomorrow.
The forecast for today's Steelers-Browns game calls for a 30% chance of snow with winds of 27-29 mph and gusts up to 40. That wind is a significant concern. We'd avoid both kickers and downgrade the passing games, especially the guys who rely on downfield stuff. Bang it here for updated projections for the Steelers and Browns.
Eagles DT Bennie Logan (groin) and CB Leodis McKelvin (hamstring) are active for today's game against the Falcons. Neither is a strong IDP option, but their presence helps the defense -- which still isn't a strong fantasy option against Atlanta.
Titans RB DeMarco Murray (toe) is not listed on the team’s final injury report. He practiced all week, including full workouts on Thursday and Friday. We might see a bit more Derrick Henry this weekend, but Murray remains a good bet for 20+ total touches.
Redskins TE Jordan Reed has been downgraded to out for Sunday's game against the Eagles. He never had much of a shot to play after experiencing concussion symptoms on Tuesday. It's Reed's 4th concussion as a pro, so he might be looking at an extended absence. We'll see exactly how Washington divvies TE duties between Vernon Davis and Niles Paul, but neither is a reliable Week 6 fantasy play.
Bengals RB Jeremy Hill (chest) is not listed on the final Week 6 injury report. He practiced all week, including full workouts on Thursday and Friday. The chest issue isn’t a major concern. But a matchup with a tough Patriots run defense and a Pats offense that figures to have the Bengals playing from behind are certainly concerns. Hill is a TD-dependent RB3.
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (concussion) has received full clearance. Barring a setback, he'll be back under center for Monday night's game against the Jets. Only 3 teams have allowed more fantasy points to QBs than the Jets.
Giants RB Rashad Jennings (thumb) is not expected to play against the Packers on Sunday night, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. That'll again leave the backfield to Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey and Paul Perkins. Darkwa served as the lead ball-carrier last week, finishing with 48 yards and a score against a tough Vikings run defense. Rainey handled most of the passing-down work, hauling in 7 of 9 targets for 43 yards -- although most of those came in garbage time. Raanan expects Perkins' role to "increase slightly," but his pass-blocking deficiencies will continue to limit his playing time. This is a situation to try to avoid against Green Bay's top-ranked run defense. If you're forced to dabble, Darkwa is your best non-PPR bet; Rainey the best PPR play.
Chargers TE Antonio Gates (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday’s game after a limited week of practices. We might not find out his official status until 3 pm ET. We’d keep Gates on fantasy benches this week regardless. He might be limited in his 1st game back and will likely lose targets to impressive rookie TE Hunter Henry.
The Cardinals have ruled out QB Carson Palmer (concussion) for Thursday night's game against the 49ers. No surprise there. Palmer will work toward getting cleared for Week 6's game against the Jets. QB Drew Stanton starts against the 'Niners and is a significant downgrade -- even to a struggling Palmer. Stanton completed just 4 of 11 passes with 2 INTs last week and completed just 55% of his passes in his last extended action back in 2014.
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Cowboys WR Dez Bryant (knee) is not expected to play against the 49ers on Sunday. He's likely looking at a multi-week absence. We've removed Bryant from the Week 4 Rankings, lowered QB Dak Prescott and given bumps up to Cole Beasley, Terrance Williams and Jason Witten.
Steelers ILB Lawrence Timmons had to go to the hospital after suffering a left shin injury in Sunday's loss at Philadelphia. He was back with the team after the game, though, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports he had a stent on the injured shin. That indicates some sort of bloodflow issue. Timmons reportedly indicated he'd be fine, however. We'll keep an eye on his status heading into Week 4 (and beyond) for IDP lineups. Vince Williams filled in after Timmons left.
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