ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Chargers QB Justin Herbert (finger) is not expected to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Herbert is consulting with Dr. Steven Shin to determine exactly how long he'll be sidelined with his fractured right index finger, Schefter adds. We should get a timeline for Herbert's return within the next 24 hours. QB Easton Stick will start on Thursday night -- and likely beyond.
Rams WR Tutu Atwell is in the concussion protocol, according to The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. We'll track Atwell's progress through the protocol this week, but he's unlikely to be cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Commanders. That'd leave Demarcus Robinson as Los Angeles' No. 3 WR -- and a potential deep-league flier against Washington's 31st-ranked WR defense.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee) is not expected to play vs. the Giants tonight, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Jones got in three limited practices this week, but the Packers are notoriously cautious bringing players back from injuries. We're tentatively expecting Jones to return for Week 15 but will track his status this week. His absence tonight leaves A.J. Dillon as Green Bay's lead back again. Dillon has handled 32 of 47 Packers carries (68%) over the past two weeks with Jones out. He's lost passing-down snaps to RB Patrick Taylor, but that's less of a concern tonight with the Packers six-point favorites.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler rebounded in Week 14 with 100 total yards, 5 catches, and 1 TD. Ekeler’s 3-yard score marked his first end zone trip since Week 10. He lost carries to Isaiah Spiller (6) and Josh Kelley (3), but as expected, the veteran remained heavily involved in the passing game (33 routes). Per PFF, Ekeler also handled all 18 fourth-quarter snaps while the Chargers played from behind. So he's certainly trending in the right direction following the positive showing (and plus matchup). The Raiders turn up a favorable opponent for Week 15, but note that Ekeler will likely play without Justin Herbert.
The Seahawks were forced to start QB Drew Lock against the 49ers in Week 14. That didn’t bother WR Tyler Lockett, though, as led the team with 6 catches and 89 yards. He caught all of his targets. That efficiency was key, as Lock tossed only 31 passes, while the Seahawks fired off just 55 plays. We’ll see if Geno Smith (groin) can suit up next week vs. the Eagles. But there's no denying Lockett's favorable upcoming schedule, which includes the Eagles and the Titans. He looks like a WR3 down the stretch.
Eagles RB D’Andre Swift was stymied by the Cowboys’ run defense in Week 14, ending the contest with just 39 yards on 11 carries. He was also blanked in the receiving department, getting 0 targets for the first time this season. Swift’s 3.9 PPR points on Sunday mark his lowest output since Week 1 and his third consecutive game under double digits. As frustrating as he’s been, there’s good news: The Eagles’ remaining schedule ranks third-easiest for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed and features two matchups against defenses (Giants, Cardinals) who rank within the top five of rushing yards per game allowed in 2023. Don’t give up on Swift just yet.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard put forth another strong fantasy effort in Week 14 vs. the Eagles, totaling 16 carries for 58 rushing yards and a season-high 7 catches for 37 yards. Sunday night marked the fourth consecutive game in which he has posted at least 16 PPR points in a game. Week 15 presents an upside spot against the Bills (11th-best RB matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed).
Chiefs rookie WR Rashee Rice ran a route on a season-high 82.2% of QB Patrick Mahomes' dropbacks in Sunday's loss to the Bills. He trailed only TE Travis Kelce in routes, running 9 more than anyone else on the team, according to Pro Football Focus. That helped Rice match Kelce for a team-high 10 targets and lead the Chiefs in receptions (7). Rice looks like a weekly WR3 with WR2 upside in fantasy football lineups the rest of the way.
Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire played 2 more snaps than RB Jerick McKinnon Sunday against the Bills, with Isiah Pacheco out. The gap might have been larger if CEH hadn't needed to leave during the second half to replace his ripped pants. As it was, Edwards-Helaire carried 11 times to McKinnon's 4 and edged McKinnon 4-3 in targets (though McKinnon won 3-2 in receptions). McKinnon also scored the only RB TD for the game, on a 7-yard run in the second quarter. We'll see about Pacheco's chances to return from the shoulder injury in Week 15. If he can't, CEH and McKinnon still look like fairly equal fantasy entities.
Bills TE Dawson Knox returned Sunday after missing the previous five games following wrist surgery. His return didn't hurt TE Dalton Kincaid's playing time, though. Kincaid still ran a route on 87.8% of Josh Allen's dropbacks. His 8 targets ranked second on the team, and his 5 receptions tied for the Buffalo lead. Kincaid managed just 21 yards (4.2 per reception), but short targets have been a staple all season. We'll take that issue if it comes with strong reception volume. Sunday marked the seventh straight game of 5+ receptions for Kincaid.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs dragged down your fantasy lineup if you played him in Week 14. He managed just 4 receptions for 24 yards in the loss to the Chiefs. But his 11 targets led the team and accounted for 26.2% of Buffalo's total pass attempts for the game. The No. 6 PPR receiver for the season has just three bad fantasy outings all season, but all have come within the past four games. This marked the first time he fell short of 13.6 PPR points on double-digit targets, though. And Diggs dealt with basically shadow coverage from Chiefs lead CB L'Jarius Sneed. He gets a challenging matchup with Dallas in Week 15, but then a positive spot against the Chargers and a fairly neutral matchup with the Patriots in Week 17.
Jets RB Breece Hall delivered a top-5 fantasy score in Sunday's win over the Texans, thanks almost exclusively to his biggest receiving production of the year. Hall tallied 8 receptions for 86 yards and a TD on 9 targets. That tied his season high for targets and set new top marks in catches and yards. The 86 yards were 10 more than Hall's previous high this season and 32 more than his next-best outing. He has now seen 8+ targets in three straight games, though Sunday marked just the second time he has garnered more than five looks in a game QB Zach Wilson played the whole way. Hall remains a weak bet for rushing production. He gained 40 yards on 10 carries against Houston, his fifth straight contest with 40 yards or less and ninth game this year with less than 50. But the receiving should make Hall a starter for most PPR lineups going forward.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne totaled 14 carries for 35 yards and a TD in Week 14 vs. the Browns, adding 4 catches for 37 yards. If you've rostered Etienne all season, you've undoubtedly noticed the dropoff in touch volume over the past several weeks. After averaging 23.3 opportunities per game through Week 8, Etienne has dropped to 17.8 since Jacksonville’s bye in Week 9. A Week 12 rib injury might have factored in the past two games. His 78% snap share against Cleveland, though, marked the RB's most playing time since Week 8. Backup D'Ernest Johnson also saw a slight dip in his playing time: from 40% and 36% the previous two games to 26%. That fell in line with his two games immediately following the bye. Etienne gets tough matchups the next two games, against the Ravens and Bucs, that figure to limit his upside. But touch volume should be in his favor. A nice spot against Carolina awaits in Week 17.
The TD train kept on rolling for Jaguars TE Evan Engram in Week 14 vs. the Browns. The veteran concluded Sunday’s action with 11 receptions on 12 targets for 95 yards and 2 TDs, all team highs. This contest also marks his first stretch of back-to-back TD games since Week 13-14 in 2022. Engram now leads the Jags in targets, receptions, and receiving yards over the past three weeks and should be firmly entrenched in fantasy lineups from here on out. The difficult nature of his remaining matchups (second-toughest TE schedule per our adjusted fantasy points allowed) should be offset by the high concentration of work Engram has seen lately.
Browns TE David Njoku recorded his first career multi-TD game in Week 14 vs. the Jaguars. The veteran ended the contest with 6 receptions on 8 targets for a team-high 91 receiving yards. Though he flopped last Sunday vs. the Rams, Njoku has been on a roll of late and has seen at least 6 catches and 50 receiving yards in four of his last five games. He should be locked into fantasy lineups as a TE1 next week going up against the Bears (fifth-best TE matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed).
Buccaneers RB Rachaad White again shined as the focal point of Tampa Bay's offense, totaling 25 carries for 102 rushing yards in Week 14 vs. the Falcons. The second-year back also roped in 2 catches for 33 yards and a TD in the contest. White has now seen at least 20 carries in three of his last five games and sets up fantasy managers well with a true workhorse role. He'll look to continue his fantasy dominance again in Week 15 vs. the Packers, a defense that's surrendered the third-most rushing yards (1,635) and yards per game (136.3) in the NFL this season. We'll see how they fare on Monday night vs. the Giants, but it's worth noting that Green Bay has allowed four straight games with at least 140 yards to opposing offenses. You're in excellent shape if you're rolling into the fantasy playoffs with White on your roster.
Falcons WR Drake London hauled in 10 of 12 targets for 172 receiving yards in Week 14 vs. the Buccaneers. Each of those statistical marks set new career highs for the second-year wideout. Fantasy managers have been on a roller coaster ride all season with London. Still, Sunday’s performance highlights the impact he’s capable of having when he’s prominently featured in the Falcons’ offense. There have been eight games in 2023 in which London has received 7 or more targets; he’s averaged 16.5 PPR points per game in those instances. In the four other games where he’s seen less involvement than that, London’s average dips to 3.4 points per game. It’ll be intriguing to see whether or not he’ll be able to capitalize on this success in Week 15, going up against a Panthers defense that ranks as the second-toughest WR matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed this season.
We wouldn't say that Jets QB Zach Wilson has been good for WR Garrett Wilson this season. But the QB's return to the lineup for Sunday's win over the Texans certainly looks like good news vs. the team's other options at the position. Garrett Wilson posted game highs in targets (14), receptions (9), and yards (108). The yardage also marked a season high, while the targets and catches matched his previous bests. In nine games now that Zach Wilson has started and finished, Garrett Wilson has averaged 11.3 targets, 6.3 receptions, 76 yards, 12.2 yards per catch and 6.76 yards per target. In the other four games, those numbers have been: 7.5 targets, 4.25 receptions, 34.3 yards, 8.1 per catch, and 4.57 per target. Zach Wilson hasn't become a trustworthy QB yet. But he's better for the team's lead wideout than Tim Boyle or Trevor Siemian. Garrett Wilson looks like a solid-to-good play for matchups with the Dolphins and Commanders the next two weeks. We'll see about a Week 17 visit to Cleveland.
Jets QB Zach Wilson returned to the lineup Sunday with probably the best performance of his career. The 301 yards marked the third time in his career that Wilson reached 300. But the 75% completion rate marked a career high, and his 117.9 passer rating beat his previous best by a wide margin. Wilson found RB Breece Hall and WR Xavier Gipson for TDs. He now gets positive matchups with the Dolphins and Commanders the next two weeks, before a tough Week 17 spot at Cleveland. It's too late in the year to consider trusting Wilson outside of superflex leagues (if there, even). But maybe Hall and WR Garrett Wilson will help our lineups in the fantasy football playoffs.
Lions QB Jared Goff threw for a season-low 161 yards in Sunday's loss to the Bears. That came a week after he threw for 213 against the Saints, in what was his second-lowest yardage output of the year to that point. The issue then was a season-low 25 pass attempts. Goff's performance was otherwise good (2 TDs, 8.5 yards per attempt). Goff's primary issue Sunday might have been the matchup. His worst Pro Football Focus passing grade of the season entering Week 14 came in the Week 11 meeting with the Bears. You might want to blame playing on the road as well, but that hasn't been an issue for Goff this season. He entered Sunday averaging 273.7 passing yards per game at home vs. 274.3 on the road (7.75 YPA home, 7.55 road). His final three fantasy weeks find matchups that have been fairly neutral for QB scoring, and all in places that won't have weather issues (home, at Minnesota, at Dallas). Expect to find Goff around the bottom of QB1 territory in our weekly rankings the rest of the way.
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