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Trey Smack Expected to Practice in Full Thursday
Green Bay Packers kicker Trey Smack (right calf) is expected to practice in full Thursday, head coach Matt LaFleur said, according to Weston Hodkiewicz. Asked whether the calf was a concern, LaFleur said, "Not from what I saw yesterday." The Packers estimated Smack as a limited participant on Wednesday, when they held a jog-through. Green Bay has kicker Lenny Krieg on its international practice squad if it needs a replacement. Smack converted all three field-goal attempts and all four extra points in Sunday's 45-27 win at New England, including a 51-yarder in the third quarter. Smack's season-long 59-yarder came in the opener against the Minnesota Vikings, who visit Lambeau Field on Sunday. He went three-for-three on field goals in that game, and opposing kickers have had three attempts in each of Minnesota's last three games. Smack has made multiple field goals in just two of his last seven games, leaving him a fringe option in 12-team leagues for the rematch if he plays. Green Bay has its bye in Week 11.
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz
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Josh Jacobs to Have Finger Surgery Friday, Timetable Remains Unclear
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Thursday that running back Josh Jacobs (finger) will have surgery on his broken right ring finger on Friday, and they will know more then about his recovery timetable, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Jacobs broke his finger on a stiff-arm during Sunday's Week 9 win over the New England Patriots and is expected to be out for two to three weeks. The Packers will have a better idea of whether the 28-year-old will need to go on Injured Reserve (and miss at least four games) after Friday's surgery, but they are hoping he can avoid IR and have a shot to return after the team's Week 11 bye in a Week 12 showdown against the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday, Nov. 25. It has been a frustrating year for Jacobs and his fantasy managers after he missed the first six weeks of the season while on the commissioner's exempt list, and now he is set to miss another couple of games. MarShawn Lloyd (knee) missed the Week 9 game in New England, which allowed Kaleb Johnson to take over as the lead back and score the first touchdown of his career. Lloyd is off the Week 10 injury report, though, so it could be more of a timeshare between Lloyd and Johnson in a bad matchup this Sunday against the stout Minnesota Vikings' defense.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
Denzel Boston Hoping to Practice on Thursday
Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston (toe) said his toe is feeling better, and he is hoping he can practice on Thursday, according to Scott Petrak of The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Boston was held out of the first practice of the week on Wednesday, but if the 22-year-old gets back onto the field a day later, he will be putting himself in a good spot to be ready to play on Sunday in the Week 10 tilt against the visiting Houston Texans. The second-rounder from the University of Washington played 93% of the offensive snaps in Sunday's overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints and caught six of his seven targets for a season-high 98 yards, with Shedeur Sanders making his first start under center for the Browns. Boston's status is worth watching going into the weekend, because if he does not play, veteran Jerry Jeudy could be a sneaky deep-league flex play with Deshaun Watson returning from a concussion that knocked him out last weekend. Boston and fellow rookie KC Concepcion Jr. have quickly become the team's top two wideouts this year, with Boston catching 32 of his 61 targets for 507 yards and three touchdowns through the first nine weeks.
Source: The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Scott Petrak
Source: The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram - Scott Petrak
49ers Address Brandon Aiyuk's Repayment Dispute
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still in a dispute with the team over bonuses it paid him after his 2024 contract extension. General manager John Lynch told KNBR the 49ers are relying on the NFL's collective bargaining agreement to handle the matter, according to David Lombardi. Lynch declined to discuss the negotiations in detail. "Overall, it's kind of sad the way things went down," he said. The Associated Press reported that the league sent Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association a letter last week saying the team was owed about $13 million. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said Tuesday he would try to settle the repayment dispute separately from Aiyuk's playing status. The NFL reinstated Aiyuk from the reserve/left squad list Monday, and San Francisco's roster exemption for him expires Nov. 23. Aiyuk last played in October 2024, when he injured his knee. Rosenhaus said Aiyuk passed his physical with the 49ers last week and is running routes on his own. Rosenhaus said Aiyuk would work out for interested teams if San Francisco releases him.
Source: David Lombardi
Source: David Lombardi
Bengals Open Practice Window for Andrei Iosivas on Thursday
The Cincinnati Bengals opened the 21-day practice window for wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on Thursday, according to Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com. Iosivas has made good progress after undergoing left-thumb surgery and will return to practice on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if two days of practice will be enough for the 27-year-old to gain clearance to officially be activated from Injured Reserve to play in Week 10 on Sunday night against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers. Iosivas has been out since being put on IR on Sept. 26, and in his absence, Donte Meyers has been serving as the No. 3 receiver behind stars Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. With tight end Mike Gesicki taking on an expanded role as well, Iosivas might be the No. 4 option, at best, when he comes off IR and rejoins Cincy's offense, which means he should remain on the waiver wire in most fantasy football leagues. In two games this year before injuring his thumb, the former sixth-rounder from Princeton caught just three passes for 19 yards.
Source: BengalsTalk.com - Jay Morrison
Source: BengalsTalk.com - Jay Morrison
Michael Mayer's Targets Slide Ahead of Raiders' Quarterback Change
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer had a three-yard touchdown catch wiped out by his own offensive pass interference penalty in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He finished with three catches for 37 yards and lost a fumble at the San Francisco one-yard line after a 24-yard reception. Mayer drew 20 targets in Weeks 4 through 6 and 12 in Weeks 7 through 9, with just three looks in two of those later games. He caught eight passes for 82 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs and seven for 95 against the Buffalo Bills during the earlier stretch. Brock Bowers caught 20 of 26 targets for 276 yards and three touchdowns over the last three games. Bench Mayer in 12-team PPR leagues for Sunday's home game against the Seattle Seahawks. Fernando Mendoza will make his first NFL start after the Raiders dealt Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings. All eight of Mendoza's regular-season pass attempts came on one fourth-quarter drive with Las Vegas trailing the New England Patriots by 28 points.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Brenton Strange's Targets Dry Up Ahead of Week 10
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange played 44 of 56 offensive snaps against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, but Trevor Lawrence looked his way just twice on 26 pass attempts. Four days earlier, he saw two targets on 28 snaps against the Indianapolis Colts, when Lawrence threw only 14 passes in a blowout. A 46-yard catch accounted for most of Strange's 55 yards against Indianapolis, and he finished with 22 yards on two receptions in Baltimore. Strange is a fringe starter in 12-team PPR leagues for Sunday's visit to the Tennessee Titans. Before Jacksonville's bye, Strange drew seven targets against the Houston Texans and eight apiece against the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles. He caught 14 of 16 targets for 163 yards in those two games. All four of Strange's targets since the bye came outside the red zone. Nate Boerkircher drew three targets on 31 snaps in Baltimore and caught a 52-yard pass on Jacksonville's opening drive. Lawrence also looked for Boerkircher from the one-yard line on that drive, four days after the rookie caught a 31-yard touchdown against Indianapolis.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rhamondre Stevenson Jogging Off to the Side at Thursday's Practice
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) was seen jogging off to the side at Thursday's practice, but he did not participate in stretching, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. Overall, it's an encouraging sign that Stevenson was present at practice and able to get some work in. We already know that he's unlikely to play this week against the Detroit Lions in Germany, so the fact that he's doing some side work should leave fans and fantasy managers optimistic that he won't be out for too long. An injured reserve stint seems unlikely at this point, leaving the door open for Stevenson to return within the next few weeks. With that being said, Stevenson's injury still comes at a bad time for the Patriots, who have already ruled out TreVeyon Henderson (illness) for Sunday's game. Corey Kiner is expected to lead the backfield in Week 10, with Lan Larison backing him up.
Source: Andrew Callahan
Source: Andrew Callahan
Devaughn Vele Losing Value After Teammate's Return
New Orleans wide receiver Devaughn Vele is starting to lose fantasy value after the team got Jordyn Tyson back from injury in Week 9. Vele played 70 offensive snaps in that one, which was 93.3% of the team's total, but he managed just 17 yards on two receptions and four targets. He has 365 yards and three touchdowns over 35 receptions and 52 targets in eight games played overall. Vele had been a flex-level option in standard leagues while serving as the WR2 behind Chris Olave, but with Tyson around now, Vele drops back to being a better deep-league option, and someone to not only skip, but to drop in standard leagues. His production is likely to be too sporadic to ever be worth standard league usage again this season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
A.J. Brown Participates in Thursday's Jog-Through
New England wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee, ankle) was seen participating in the team's jog-through on Thursday in Munich, Germany. Brown has not played since Week 7, and he's only appeared in three games in total this season. Across 132 offensive snaps, Brown has 101 receiving yards and no touchdowns on nine receptions and 20 targets. If he's able to play in Week 10 against the Lions, it would be a massive boost to an offense that's been decimated by injuries and absences. Brown's status needs to be monitored heading into Sunday's game, but he'd be the team's top pass catcher and fantasy option if he's active. If he's out again, it will be DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins leading the wide receiver room.
Source: Evan Lazar
Source: Evan Lazar
Ashton Jeanty's Rushing Volume Slipping at Midseason Point
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty has seen a massive decrease in rushing volume over the last three weeks, which has lowered his floor in fantasy football. Jeanty has been able to stay fantasy-relevant with his large receiving workload, but as the Raiders redistribute carries, it's fair to have some concerns about the Boise State product's rest-of-season outlook. Jeanty has just 16 carries over his last three games. Teammate Mike Washington Jr. has 37 carries during that same window, although 25 of those attempts came in one game, and he finished with negative three yards on six touches last week. It seems like the backfield is still somewhat wide open in terms of which running back wants to step up and claim the early-down work. There could be an opportunity for the Raiders to try some new things with Fernando Mendoza taking over as quarterback, and at the same time, an opportunity exists for either Jeanty or Washington to prove why they should be the primary ball-carrier here. Jeanty will stick around as an RB2 in PPR leagues and an RB3 in non-PPR leagues, but an increase in rushing volume would certainly be appreciated by fantasy managers, given how much his workload has declined lately.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tucker Kraft Losing Fantasy Appeal After Down Showing
Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft remains a fantasy football starting option, but he's not as confident an option after a really poor showing in Week 9. He managed just one catch for one yard across three targets against the Patriots. What was even more alarming is that the Packers scored 45 points and racked up 478 yards as an offense. Kraft has fallen behind Christian Watson and Matthew Golden in the pass-catching hierarchy, and Savion Williams has also been more productive of late, which is more competition for Kraft. Tight end is a tough fantasy position to find consistency at, so that's why Kraft remains a starting option in all leagues, but he's going to fall back to being just a deep-league option if his production doesn't improve soon.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jadarian Price Falls to Second in the Running Back Pecking Order
Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price took a backseat to Zach Charbonnet in Week 9, lowering his ceiling and floor for fantasy football going forward. Price led the backfield in snaps in Week 8, when both he and Charbonnet returned from IR, but then the dynamic shifted, and Charbonnet led the way this past Sunday with a 57% snap share and 16 carries. Charbonnet was also far more efficient this past weekend with 4.81 yards per carry. For comparison, Price is averaging fewer than 2.8 YPC in his two games since returning from IR. Coming out of college this year, it seemed like Price was best suited for a complementary role that allowed him to get roughly 10-12 touches per game, and that's almost exactly in line with what his volume has been recently. It has been very encouraging to see him catch six passes over the last two weeks, and we can assume that a pass-catching role is likely his key to getting on the fantasy radar every week in half-PPR and full-PPR leagues. He still has RB3/flex appeal going forward, but there's no doubt that he's behind Charbonnet in the pecking order.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Zay Flowers Losing Value as Ravens Change Quarterbacks Again
Baltimore wide receiver Zay Flowers came into the season as one of the top fantasy pass catchers, but he's lost value after the team saw Lamar Jackson (finger) and Tyler Huntley (turf toe) go down with injuries. The Ravens tried Joe Fagnano in Week 9, and Flowers produced just six yards on three receptions and six targets, while carrying the ball three times for 17 yards. Flowers had no catches across five targets in Week 8, so he's trending down and is a riskier starting option for Week 10. Flowers has 614 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 43 catches and 64 targets, while carrying the ball six times for 51 yards. Things could improve with Jacoby Brissett now starting, but some fantasy owners might struggle starting Flowers this week, and going forward if his numbers don't improve soon.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Quinshon Judkins No Longer the Primary Running Back in Cleveland
Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins' snap share has taken an enormous hit over the last two weeks, and his playing time would suggest that he is no longer the No. 1 option in the Browns' backfield. Judkins has played fewer than 40% of the snaps in each of the last two weeks, taking on less of a role while Dylan Sampson plays the majority of the snaps. The Ohio State product has still led the team in rushing attempts during each of those two games, but the Browns have made a diligent effort to get Sampson more involved overall, and specifically in the receiving game. Given that Sampson is now getting more targets than Judkins, the latter has seen his upside drop significantly, especially in PPR leagues. Now, Judkins has become largely dependent on scoring touchdowns, whereas Sampson can still meet his projection by catching passes, even if he doesn't find the end zone. Judkins may still be the more intriguing fantasy option in this backfield in the short term and long term, but there's no denying that his outlook has become bleaker as his role has been reduced. He is no longer in must-start territory going forward.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jalen Coker Losing Fantasy Appeal as Production Fades
Carolina wide receiver Jalen Coker has some good fantasy value after delivering pretty well in three of his first four games this season, but he's faded over the past three showings and is now losing fantasy appeal. He had 319 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 24 receptions and 35 targets in his first four games. Since then, Coker has 74 yards and a score on seven catches and 14 targets. He's still playing more than enough offensive snaps to make a difference, but behind wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Coker isn't delivering consistently enough, and things could worsen now that tight end Darren Waller has stepped up and running back Jonathon Brooks (groin) could be returning. Coker is still one to start in some deeper leagues, but he's losing starting appeal in standard leagues and is getting dropped in some of those leagues now.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Ollie Gordon II a Riskier Starting Option with Backup QB Beside Him
Miami running back Ollie Gordon II has performed pretty well since taking over as the team's lead back after the De'Von Achane (knee) injury, but now with Malik Willis (groin) out, Gordon's fantasy value and appeal are down. Gordon has 16 or more carries in five of the past six games he's played, and he's factored in a bit as a pass catcher as well. He has 107 rushes for 463 yards and four touchdowns over eight games, plus has caught seven of his 10 targets for 23 more yards. Miami is expected to start Kyle McCord, which is a downgrade from Willis. If McCord cannot keep the defense honest, the box will be stacked, which will make running tougher for Gordon. He still could deliver solid fantasy scores on volume touches, but Gordon is definitely a riskier starting option now, and he could be one to skip depending on matchups and your other options.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Chuba Hubbard Could Face Competition for Volume Soon
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard should remain the No. 1 option on the depth chart for the foreseeable future, but he could still be at risk of losing volume when teammate Jonathon Brooks (groin) returns from injured reserve soon. Brooks was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, which is a sign that he's getting very close to rejoining the Carolina backfield. This is definitely a concern for Hubbard's overall workload, as he played 71% or fewer of the snaps in the two games for which Brooks was healthy earlier this season, and his snap share jumped to at least 84% in five of his six games without Brooks. All signs point to Hubbard's snap share and volume share scaling back a little bit in the upcoming weeks, and while he'll still be a must-start running back in fantasy football, his upside and floor as a mid-range RB1 could cool off. Fantasy managers should at least be prepared for Hubbard's numbers to come down slightly when Brooks gets back in action.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Matthew Stafford Losing Fantasy Value While Teammates are Injured
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is losing fantasy football value as the offensive skill players around him miss time with injuries. Wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) has been out for several weeks, and now wideout Puka Nacua (knee, turf toe) is going to miss time too. Not many proven pass catchers are left for the Rams, so that makes Stafford a riskier fantasy starting option until he gets at least one of the wideouts back. Stafford also has just two touchdowns and 385 passing yards across the past two games combined, while also throwing two interceptions, so he's trending down for lack of production of late too. Most fantasy owners will still start Stafford due to a favorable matchup against Arizona in Week 10, but he is going to be benched by others and possibly dropped in some leagues too.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Rashod Bateman Doesn't Carry Much Fantasy Value Going into Week 10
Baltimore wide receiver Rashod Bateman is playing enough to be a worthwhile fantasy asset, but he's failed to deliver enough when on the field, so he's not worth holding in many leagues. He has played in nine games so far, but has just 294 receiving yards and a touchdown across 20 receptions and 31 targets. Bateman has two or fewer catches in four straight appearances, and big Week 2 and 5 showings account for most of his season totals. He's logged over 60% of the team's offensive snaps in three straight games, but just hasn't produced enough when on the field. Things could change with Jacoby Brissett around, but he will need to prove it before fantasy owners trust him. Bateman is just a deep-league fantasy option at this point, and he's not a very good starting option for the time being.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tyjae Spears Only Worth Holding in Deep Fantasy Setups
Tennessee running back Tyjae Spears (knee) is not worth holding in many fantasy football leagues after the dust settles from the trade deadline. Tennessee kept Tony Pollard, so Spears' offensive role is likely to remain pretty limited as long as Pollard stays healthy. Across six games, Spears has just 66 rushing yards on 18 attempts, while catching 15 of his 17 targets for 75 yards. He has three or fewer carries in all but one game this season, and nine of his receptions came in a single game, so Spears really hasn't been very involved offensively for the Titans. Spears has only logged over 50% of the team's offensive snaps in one game, so there's just not much upside with him. He's worth keeping in mind if Pollard is ever injured or out, but otherwise, Spears is only worth stashing in very deep leagues, and he shouldn't be starting anywhere.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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