November 17, 2025
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is headed to Injured Reserve after aggravating a bone bruise and knee sprain from earlier this season, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penix also has damage to his ACL, which could require a full knee reconstruction. The young lefty signal-caller will be forced to miss at least the next four games while on IR, but all signs are pointing to him missing the rest of the 2025 season as well. Veteran
Kirk Cousins, who did not look very good in his one start in place of Penix earlier this year, will now be thrust into the starting role in Atlanta for potentially the rest of the year. Fantasy managers might want to temper expectations for Cousins, especially since he'll be without top receiver
Drake London (knee) for at least a little while. If the 25-year-old Penix has full knee reconstruction, it's possible he won't be ready to roll for the start of the 2026 season next fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
November 17, 2025
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Monday that quarterback
C.J. Stroud (head) is still in the league's concussion protocol, according to Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle. Stroud's status for the upcoming Thursday night contest against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12 is currently unclear. "We'll see how the week goes," Ryans said. The 24-year-old has missed the last two games after suffering a concussion in the Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos, and it seems more likely than not that he will miss a third straight game on a short week. We'll keep a close eye on his practice status this week, but fantasy managers should be prepared for Stroud to miss another game. If he doesn't get cleared for Thursday, his next chance to play would be in Week 13 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts. Backup
Davis Mills has led Houston to two straight wins with Stroud sidelined.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Sam Warren
November 17, 2025
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the New York Jets are making a change at quarterback and will bench
Justin Fields in favor of veteran
Tyrod Taylor, according to a source. Through 11 weeks, the Jets rank dead-last in the league in passing yards per game under Fields. The 26-year-old has limited the turnovers (one interception) in his first year with the Jets, but he's thrown for only seven touchdowns and 1,259 yards on 204 attempts in nine starts. While last Thursday night's loss to the New England Patriots was one of his better performances, he still threw for only 116 yards and also lost a fumble. Fields has gone under 100 yards passing in four of his nine games in 2025. He could get another shot before the end of the season if Taylor isn't much better, but for now, there's no reason to keep him rostered in redraft fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
November 17, 2025
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that the New York Jets are making a change at quarterback and will bench
Justin Fields in favor of veteran
Tyrod Taylor, according to a source. The Jets will face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12 and rank last in the league in passing yards per game with 139.9. Fields had a decent day for fantasy managers who started him in last Thursday night's loss to the New England Patriots, but he threw for just 116 yards and a touchdown on 26 pass attempts. Fields has finished under 100 passing yards in four of his nine games in his first year in New York, and the Jets are going to go in another direction as they look for a spark. The 36-year-old Taylor isn't going to be a savior for the Jets, but he could be a steadying presence for the offense. In three games this year, he's gone 43-for-69 for 379 yards with three touchdowns and three picks. At best, Taylor is going to be a low-end desperation streamer for fantasy managers in superflex two-QB leagues going forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
November 17, 2025
Green Bay Packers standout running back
Josh Jacobs' knee is structurally sound, and he won't require surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Jacobs is considered day-to-day, but he could still miss the Week 12 divisional contest against the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN's Rob Demovsky is reporting that Jacobs is "week-to-week." The good news is that Jacobs doesn't have a season-ending knee injury, but fantasy managers should prepare for him to miss at least one game. The 27-year-old has been a must-start RB1 this year in fantasy football, as he has 11 rushing touchdowns in 10 games. Jacobs broke a six-game touchdown streak in the Week 11 win over the New York Giants before injuring his knee. Going into Week 12 action, fantasy managers are going to be rushing to the waiver wire to add
Emanuel Wilson, who is fully expected to take over most of Green Bay's backfield work if Jacobs misses time. In deeper leagues,
Chris Brooks is worth a look.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
November 17, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers running back
Kenneth Gainwell had nine rushing attempts for 24 yards in the Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, adding a season-high seven receptions on eight targets for 81 yards and receiving touchdowns. The 26-year-old played 63% of the offensive snaps, his second-highest mark of the year, but it coincided with lead back
Jaylen Warren (ankle) getting injured in the third quarter and never returning. Warren said after Sunday's win that he could have retaken the field, but the decision to sit out the rest of the game "was part of being smart." It looks like Warren has avoided a serious injury, but fantasy managers with Warren rostered or who need RB depth should consider Gainwell a speculative pickup going into Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. Gainwell is only rostered in 32% of Yahoo leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Tribune-Live - Chris Adamski
November 17, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson (foot) exited Sunday's 16-9 win against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football with a foot injury that could cause him to miss 4-6 weeks. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the news. Johnson suffered a Lisfranc sprain in Week 11, an issue that, depending on the severity, could be a chore to come back from. Per Rapoport, Philadelphia hopes the injury isn't season-ending, although Johnson will seek additional opinions as it's further assessed. Any time missed by the 35-year-old would hurt the Eagles' offensive line, so it's unfortunate to see that it could be no sooner than a month until his return date. Teammate Fred Johnson figures to man the edge in his stead.
--Alex CiullaSource: Ian Rapoport
November 17, 2025
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Kirk Cousins, who has been the most expensive backup QB in the NFL this year, could be forced into starting duties under center for the rest of the year after
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury in Sunday's overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers. Penix is seeking a second opinion, but the initial diagnosis is not encouraging. At the very least, the 37-year-old Cousins will likely make his second start of 2025 in Week 12 against the division-rival New Orleans Saints. His fantasy stock is obviously going to jump drastically if Penix misses the rest of the year, but at least in the short term, fantasy managers might want to temper expectations, especially with top receiver
Drake London (knee) also expected to miss time with a PCL sprain he suffered on Sunday. In Cousins' lone start against Miami in a 34-10 loss on Oct. 26, he did not look good, going 21-for-31 passing for 173 yards, no touchdowns, and no picks.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
November 17, 2025
New England Patriots running back
Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) is expected to be available for Wednesday's practice, according to head coach Mike Vrabel. The fifth-year pro has been out since Week 9 as he battles a hamstring injury. While Stevenson returned to practice in a limited capacity to begin his prep ahead of their win against the Jets last Thursday night, he was tagged with a DNP to close out the week. It appears the extra few days of rest were enough to get him back to playing shape at least, although he'll return to a less clear situation in the backfield with
TreVeyon Henderson's recent surge of production. For now, the most likely scenario would be that the split becomes more even moving forward, but it was trending that way even before he picked up the toe issue. This backfield is worth keeping tabs on when New England squares off with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.
--Alex CiullaSource: Doug Kyed
November 17, 2025
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel reports that wide receiver
Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) is expected to practice on Wednesday ahead of the team's Week 12 meeting with the hosting Cincinnati Bengals. Boutte has missed nearly three full games after picking up a hamstring injury early on in their win over the Falcons in Week 9. The LSU alum could only practice in a limited fashion in Week 11, so he'll presumably return to a full participant as they gear up for a road clash with the Bengals. When Boutte makes his way back to the field, teammate
Mack Hollins' production figures to take a hit. The former will be a solid play against a bottom-ranked Cincinnati pass defense if he's active.
--Alex CiullaSource: Doug Kyed
November 17, 2025
Carolina Panthers tight end
Tommy Tremble saw little involvement in the passing game but made a game-changing impact on one singular play in the Panthers' hard-fought 30-27 victory over the Falcons. The fifth-year TE only caught one pass in the entire game during overtime for 54 yards that set up the eventual game-winning field goal. The San Francisco 49ers are Carolina's next opponent for Week 12, and they ranked 25th in the league in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to TEs leading up to Week 11. Although San Francisco is a solid matchup for TEs, Tremble has not provided the volume to take advantage of the matchup. He has averaged 2.3 targets per game and was targeted more than four times once this season, in Week 4. Fantasy players should look for other alternatives to stream for their lineups instead of Tremble.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
November 17, 2025
Carolina Panthers tight end
Ja'Tavion Sanders delivered another unimpressive performance in Carolina's 30-27 win against the Falcons. He caught all four of his targets for 22 yards and totaled just 6.4 PPR Fantasy Points. This marks the fourth week in a row in which Sanders caught all of his targets, but he has also never been targeted more than five times in a game during that span. The Panthers will next take on the San Francisco 49ers, who ranked 20th in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed (15.68) over the last four weeks leading up to Week 11 and allowed 115 receiving yards to
Trey McBride on Sunday. Despite the favorable matchup for Week 12, Sanders has not shown enough results throughout the year to be considered a viable streaming or fill-in option.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
November 17, 2025
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver
Drake London (knee) sustained a PCL sprain in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers that could force him to miss multiple games. Uh oh. London was excellent again before exiting Week 11's defeat. Although his injury was initially deemed minor, testing revealed a much more significant finding. Per Rapoport, the USC product is "out this week and potentially more." It's a massive hit to Atlanta's passing attack, as London had absorbed a hefty 33.1% target share through ten games. In his absence, fantasy managers can expect teammates
Darnell Mooney and
David Sills V to operate in two-wide-receiver sets. However, Atlanta's offense is on track to be in flux with the news that quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) may miss the remainder of the season with an injury of his own.
--Alex CiullaSource: Ian Rapoport
November 17, 2025
Once again, Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Jalen Coker did not finish with impressive totals during the Panthers' 30-27 victory in Week 11, even though he did have his best performance yet this season. The second-year WR had four receptions for 52 yards and logged 11.4 Fantasy PPR Points. This was the first time in 2025 that Coker finished with double-digit PPR Fantasy Points, but he still has not been targeted more than four times in a game. Carolina will next face the San Francisco 49ers, who ranked 28th leading up to Week 11 in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to the WR position. Despite the favorable matchup, fantasy players should not pick up Coker for Week 12. He's unlikely to capitalize on the matchup.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
November 17, 2025
Carolina Panthers running back
Rico Dowdle had one of his worst performances on the ground this season in Carolina's 30-27 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Carolina RB rushed for 45 yards on 19 carries while averaging 2.4 yards per attempt, his lowest since Week 2. In the air, Dowdle did have his best game since Week 6, as he totaled 55 yards on a season-high five receptions. Despite the disappointing rushing numbers, Dowdle totaled at least 15 Fantasy PPR Points for the third straight week. In Week 12, the Carolina Panthers will face the San Francisco 49ers, who ranked 21st in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to RBs in the last four weeks leading up to Week 11. Fantasy players should continue to start Dowdle every week, as he provides a solid statistical floor in any matchup.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: RotoBaller
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