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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Leonard Hankerson missed practice on Thanksgiving day and is unlikely to play in the team’s Week 12 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Early on in the season Hankerson was emerging as a dependable WR3 for his fantasy football owners, but lately he has not been able to stay healthy. That has caused quarterback Matt Ryan and Julio Jones to struggle, because without Hankerson the team has been unable to find another receiving threat.
If Hankerson doesn’t play, the team will continue to try and get rookie receiver Justin Hardy involved in the game plan. However, he has yet to grasp the offense. In three games he only has seven receptions for 45 yards. Hankerson, meanwhile, has 26 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns.
Without Hankerson in the lineup, Matt Ryan should be viewed as a very low-end QB1 at best. Considering Devonta Freeman may not play due to a concussion, Julio Jones may be the only clear-cut fantasy football starter on the Falcons roster.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown returned to practice on Thursday after missing previous practices with a hamstring issue. Brown has played great this season when given an opportunity to start at receiver for the team. He currently has 40 receptions for 605 yards and four touchdowns. However, Michael Floyd is expected to play in Week 12 against the San Francisco 49ers as well, which means Brown will become quarterback Carson Palmer’s third option in the passing game after Larry Fitzgerald and Floyd.
With Floyd playing, Brown should be viewed as a WR3 at best. Coach Bruce Arians seems to like Floyd more than Brown. Floyd currently has 27 receptions for 432 yards and five touchdowns.
In other wide receiver news, Hakeem Nicks is expected to be inactive for the New York Giants Week 12 game against the Washington Redskins. The Giants decided to sign Nicks, who spent his first five years in the NFL with the team, after Victor Cruz was ruled out for the season.
Nicks has yet to play in an NFL game this season. He hasn’t had much success since leaving the Giants in 2013. In 2014 he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts. That season he recorded 38 receptions for 405 yards and four touchdowns.
Nicks will likely get an opportunity to play for the Giants at some point this season, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll be this week. And by time he does suit up, he will be of no use for your fantasy teams.
