November 21, 2025
Washington Commanders rookie running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, out of Arizona, has seen his role decrease over the past few weeks.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw a season-high 15 carries in Week 11 and ran for a very solid 5.27 YPC. Meanwhile, Croskey-Merritt saw a 27 percent snap share, and although he carried the ball nine times and caught one pass, it all added up to 33 all-purpose yards (3.11 YPC) against the Miami Dolphins in Spain. The Commanders are on a bye in Week 12, and it appears that this running back room is starting to shape out in a way where Rodriguez will get a bulk of the carries, Croskey-Merrritt will be the change of pace back, and
Jeremy McNichols will get mixed in as the pass-catching option. Knowing all of this, it makes Rodriguez the clear running back to own in this backfield, and Croskey-Merritt can be dropped to the waiver wire if your team is in a pinch and you need to fill the roster spot with someone that can help you win now. In Week 13, the Commanders get the Denver Broncos, where none of the running backs will be a recommended start, as the Broncos' defense ranks top 5 in points allowed against opposing running backs.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 21, 2025
Buffalo Bills second-year wide receiver out of Florida State,
Keon Coleman, was benched for the second straight week and did not suit up for the Bills' Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans. The Bills fell short, losing 23-19, and have now fallen to (7-4) on the season. The offense was a bit of a mess on Thursday night, due in large part to the spectacular Texans defense and to Coleman and
Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) being out. Because of this,
Khalil Shakir had a big game, leading the pass-catching room with 10 targets in a game that required quarterback
Josh Allen to throw the football 34 times. At this point, Coleman has 32 receptions for 330 yards and three touchdowns on the season, and is not performing on the field to the level the Bills want him to be, nor in the classroom, where he consistently shows up late for meetings, which is why he was benched in the first place. At this point, Coleman can be dropped in all fantasy formats if needed and remains a dynasty stash at best.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 21, 2025
NFL insider Mike Florio spoke on Thursday with Chris Simms on NFL on NBC and mentioned that Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Bucky Irving (shoulder, foot) needed extra support after being injured and away from his team for the first time in his career, according to people close to the situation. He also mentioned that Irving "isn't going to be back anytime soon," Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud reports. This news is not what fantasy managers who have been holding onto Irving want to hear, especially after Irving has been able to log limited practices the past two weeks. At this point, Irving's status remains unclear, and the hope is that because he is logging practices, he is nearing a return. While Irving remains sidelined,
Sean Tucker is expected to see more reps after breaking out with three touchdowns in Week 11, with
Rachaad White staying involved as well.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: Rick Stroud
November 21, 2025
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback
Joe Flacco (shoulder) is likely losing his starting job soon, with
Joe Burrow (foot) logging two straight full practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Flacco has performed admirably in Burrow's absence, bringing fantasy life back into players like
Chase Brown,
Tee Higgins, and
Ja'Marr Chase. In his five starts with the Bengals, he has 2,268 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also has a 46.4 QBR and a 108.6 passer rating as the team went (1-4), which was no fault of the offense, as they put up 18, 33, 38,42, and 12 points in all of his starts. Burrow is the team's clear franchise quarterback, so if the Bengals feel he is ready to go, he will. At this point, considering Flacco will likely only start one or maybe two more games, it's okay to drop him to the waiver wire in all formats once Burrow is announced as the starter.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
November 21, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Nico Collins was only targeted three times on Thursday Night, catching all three passes but finishing with only 55 yards. He was not targeted at all in the second half. Despite his down game, Collins' team was still able to pull out a huge win over the Bills, 23-19, to remain right in the middle of the playoff hunt in the AFC. The Texans have won three straight under
Davis Mills, but they'll hope to get
C.J. Stroud (concussion) back for next week's huge divisional road game against the Colts. If Stroud returns, Collins will have a higher ceiling, but he has gotten so much volume in the rest of his games this season that he should be poised for a bounce-back performance next week, regardless of who is under center.
--Zach ThompsonSource: ESPN
November 20, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Christian Kirk caught five of his six targets for 54 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. The 29-year-old had his best game as a Texan, scoring his first touchdown of the year and setting a new season-high in receptions. Kirk is trending up in the Houston offense, but so is
Jayden Higgins, and
Nico Collins has already established himself as the alpha receiver. If
C.J. Stroud (concussion) can return next week and support three fantasy-relevant receivers, then Kirk will be worth starting in Week 14 and beyond. However, if that's not the case, the veteran is likely the odd man out among him, Collins, and Higgins. For now, he ranks as a fringe top-50 fantasy receiver rest-of-season.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Houston Texans wide receiver
Jayden Higgins caught four of his nine targets for 38 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. The rookie led the team in targets and had more catches than
Nico Collins, contributing to the Texans' third straight victory under backup quarterback
Davis Mills. Higgins has looked solid with Mills under center, catching 13 of 23 targets for 135 yards and two touchdowns during that three-week span. He, Collins, and
Christian Kirk have all carved out fantasy-relevant roles lately, but it remains to be seen whether the distribution of targets will look any different when
C.J. Stroud (concussion) returns to action next week. Higgins' streak of strong performances should keep him in the high-end WR3/flex tier for Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Buffalo Bills quarterback
Josh Allen completed 24 of his 34 pass attempts for 253 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also rushed for 20 yards and took a career-high eight sacks. Allen had no answer for Houston's ferocious pass rush, and he didn't fare well against their secondary, either. For the first time since Week 9 of the 2021 season, Allen finished a game with zero touchdowns and at least one interception. We all know that Allen is an MVP-caliber player with tremendous passing and rushing upside, so he should bounce back as a QB1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. Nevertheless, this Thursday night defeat is one that Allen and his fantasy managers will want to forget, as it likely put a lot of managers in an early deficit as they kick off their Week 12 fantasy matchups.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Houston Texans running back
Woody Marks rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. He also caught his lone target for a loss of five yards. Marks led the Texans' backfield in the victory, notably logging 10 more carries than
Nick Chubb. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was productive in short-yardage scenarios, rushing for a handful of first downs. Although Marks' lack of touchdowns and receptions resulted in him finishing below his fantasy projection in most formats, it was encouraging to see him handle the lead-back role with efficiency once again. He remains a mid-to-low RB2 with high volume heading into Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Buffalo Bills wide receiver
Khalil Shakir caught eight of his 10 targets for 110 yards during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also lost a fumble. Shakir padded his stats with a pair of impressive plays in the fourth quarter. The first was a 44-yard catch-and-run that turned a third-and-long into a first down. The second was a nifty lateral from
Joshua Palmer to Shakir that converted a fourth-and-27. Despite the loss, Shakir's big game against a strong Texans secondary was very impressive, and it should vault him into the low-end WR2 tier for Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Houston Texans quarterback
Davis Mills completed 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 153 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Thursday's Week 12 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He also rushed for four yards and didn't take a sack. Mills has played quite well in the absence of
C.J. Stroud (concussion), going 3-0 with six touchdowns and one turnover while getting the Texans above .500. Houston will likely turn back to Stroud if he clears concussion protocol ahead of Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts, but Mills' efforts have been impressive nonetheless. Managers could trust him as a mid-to-low QB2 if he gets thrust back into the starting role later this season.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Buffalo Bills running back
James Cook had 17 carries for 116 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 13 receiving yards. The highlight of his game was a 45-yard touchdown run to break a scoreless tie in the first quarter. Even as the Bills' offense was slowed down by the Texans' strong defense, Cook still had a very productive game and carved out a terrific fantasy performance once again. He logged his first rushing touchdown since Week 8 and now has nine trips to the end zone this season. He remains a high-end RB1 option heading into Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Josh Downs continues to lose ground in his battle for playing time and volume. As the Colts emerge from their Week 11 bye and prepare for Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Downs is likely fourth in the pass-catching pecking order behind
Michael Pittman Jr.,
Tyler Warren, and
Alec Pierce. In his last game, the 24-year-old played a mere 43 percent of the offensive snaps, converting two targets into one catch for three yards. The 24-year-old impressed as the WR35 in PPR leagues last season, but he has taken a step backward this year. The Colts are running the ball quite often, and when
Daniel Jones does throw, he often looks for a different weapon. Downs ranks outside the top 40 receivers and can no longer be trusted in fantasy starting lineups.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
New York Jets wide receiver
Adonai Mitchell is carving out a larger role with his new team, filling the void left behind by
Garrett Wilson (knee), who is on injured reserve. Mitchell played 49 percent of the offensive snaps last week, which is his second-highest mark of the season. Although he caught just one pass for 10 yards, he also commanded a season-high six targets. Acquired from the Colts last month, Mitchell is enjoying a fresh start after a very disappointing year and a half in Indianapolis. Going forward, his fantasy value hinges on the Jets' quarterback play. Mitchell will continue to earn high volume as a top receiver alongside
Tyler Johnson,
John Metchie, and
Isaiah Williams, but whether
Tyrod Taylor or
Justin Fields can consistently get him the football remains to be seen. He's worth stashing in deeper redraft leagues, but we need to see more consistent production before inserting him into lineups.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
November 20, 2025
Chicago Bears rookie first-round tight end
Colston Loveland had a breakout performance in the Week 9 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, catching six of seven targets for 118 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. In two games since then, the 21-year-old out of Michigan has seven grabs for 95 yards and no touchdowns on his eight targets. His role in Chicago's passing game has grown over the last four games, although fellow TE
Cole Kmet remains involved, as evidenced by his five catches for 45 yards on Sunday. Kmet's presence will continue to limit Loveland's opportunities, but a Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers will provide him with another chance to break out. The Steelers' defense has allowed the fourth-most half-PPR points per game to TEs this year, including six receiving touchdowns.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
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