Fantasy Football News | Page 16

Antonio Pierce stated that Sincere McCormick will remain the team’s starting running back even with Alexander Mattison nearing a return this week.

“He deserves it. … He has run his tail off.”

Related Players: Ameer Abdullah

At 2-11, the Raiders would be silly to not see what they have in McCormick, with 31-year-old Abdullah and Mattison, who is on a one-year contract, only there to give the former UDFA a breather. Consider McCormick a volume-based RB3.

Giants HC Brian Daboll told reporters that QB Drew Lock is in a walking boot due to a heel injury and Tommy DeVito now is expected to start Sunday vs. the Ravens.

The Ravens path to an overall D/ST1 finish on the week becomes a little clearer. DeVito can safely be kept on benches in SuperFlex leagues on a week with zero byes.

Good news on the way for Buffalo: Bills WR Keon Coleman (wrist) and TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) are expected to practice fully today. A positive step forward in advance of the showdown with the Lions.

Related Players: Dawson Knox, Khalil Shakir, Amari Cooper, Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel

It's probably still best to start other options over Kincaid, as he takes on a Lions defense that ranks 4th in TE aFPA, but there could be a ton of points here, so if you're in a bind he makes sense as a top-15ish option.

As for Coleman, he's more in the boom/bust WR4 range as Shakir should continue standing atop the target share.

Lots of personnel news for the Colts...

*WR Josh Downs will practice today.

*C Ryan Kelly and LB Jaylon Carlies will be designated for return from IR today.

*RT Braden Smith is still dealing with a personal matter and is not expected to play at Denver on Sunday.

Related Players: Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell

Pittman mustered all of 6.7 fantasy points in Downs' Week 13 absence, so his re-joining the lineup certainly doesn't boost his fantasy stock. Consider him and Downs stay-away WR4s as Anthony Richardson's troubling completion rate makes the passing attack an aggressive fade.

RB Breece Hall "struggling a bit" with his knee injury, per Ulbrich. Not improving as much as he'd like. Not at the point of shutting him down. Still evaluating.

Related Players: Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis

It was a near 50/50 split between Allen and Davis in Week 14, which makes each of them risky fantasy starts. Consider each of them RB3s in a great matchup against the Jaguars defense.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan shared his team’s pre-practice injury report at a Tuesday press conference and it was the same as Monday’s estimated one, so several key players are on the sideline ahead of Thursday’s game against the Rams.

Among them was RB Isaac Guerendo.

Related players: Patrick Taylor, Israel Abanikanda

Guerendo had a great game in Week 14, but left with a sprained foot. Guerendo said afterward he felt great and it was just precautionary. However, we know by now we can't always trust when a player talks about his status for the following week. The DNPs for both Monday and Tuesday are not a great sign for Guerendo's chances to play in Week 15, which is a short week against the Rams on Thursday Night Football. Guerendo's practice status for Wednesday will hopefully will give us a better idea. Taylor would likely be next up for the 49ers if Guerendo can't go.

Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown’s comment that the team’s passing offense needs to improve in the wake of Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Panthers has been the biggest topic of conversation of the week in Philadelphia and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore got his chance to weigh in on it Tuesday.

Moore said he speaks to Brown and other members of the offense every week and said “the flows of seasons” call for weekly conversations about how to get the most out of the passing offense. Part of that process for this week is working on ways to get the ball to Brown after he was targeted four times against Carolina.

“I’m going to focus more on trying to find different ways of increasing the likelihood of the ball going to him,” Moore said, via a transcript from the team.

Brown came out and criticized the passing game after just getting by the Panthers in Week 14. The Eagles, thanks to Saquon Barkley, have been a run-first team this year, and it's largely worked, thanks also to an improved defense. DeVonta Smith has also voiced frustration recently. The Eagles aren't likely to stop giving Barkley the ball, but we've had a few stories in the news this week featuring unhappy WRs, and there can often be a bit of a change in the game plan to keep players happy. The Eagles host the Steelers this week, so things may not come easy again for the offense.

The Steelers did not have receiver George Pickens for their Week 14 victory over the Browns and they are likely to be without him again against the Eagles on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said in his Tuesday press conference that Pickens could be characterized as doubtful for Week 15, but there is still an outside chance he’ll play.

The Steelers thought Pickens would play last week but was eventually ruled out. After Sunday’s contest, Pickens underwent an MRI, which revealed the injury was more significant than initially believed, the story said. Reports from those who follow the team on Monday mentioned it was unlikely Pickens would play, and that's certainly looking like the case.

The Cowboys’ loss to the Bengals on Monday night dropped them to 5-8 on the season and left them with scant hope of making it to the playoffs this season, but that’s not going to lead to a shift in their plan at quarterback.

That was the word from team owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday morning. Cooper Rush has been the team’s starter since Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, but there have been questions about whether the Cowboys will take a look at Trey Lance before his contract expires at the end of the season.

The story said Jones has been resistant to playing Lance and that he hasn't changed his mind about who will start against the Panthers in Week 15. Jones added in a quote he thought the team "did some good things out there" against the Bengals, and that he believes Rush "gives us our best chance." Unless things change over the final couple of weeks, it doesn't look like Lance is going to get any kind of chance in Dallas.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Raiders will find themselves searching for an answer at quarterback for the third offseason in a row.

Related players: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder

The author said O'Connell is the best bet to be in the mix, but it's only because he hasn't really played much. Minshew is under contract for next season, but hasn't played well in his time this season. The Raiders are on pace to have one of the top picks in the NFL Draft, but also could opt to go another direction and take the best player, much like they did last draft with Brock Bowers at TE. The author said the Raiders could once again explore the available veterans: Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Jameis Winston are scheduled to be free agents. Either way, it appears the Raiders will probably have a new starting QB in 2025.