Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.
Ravens WR Diontae Johnson played just five snaps and ran three pass routes in the Week 10 win over the Bengals. His playing time was actually down from his Week 9 Ravens debut (17 snaps, six routes). Johnson was at least targeted on two of his three routes against Cincinnati. He caught the first for six yards; the second fell incomplete after Johnson stumbled trying to work downfield.
Ravens TE Isaiah Likely's absence in Thursday night's game vs. the Bengals put TE Mark Andrews back in a full-time role. He played 87% of Baltimore's offensive snaps and ran a route on 94% of pass plays -- both easily season highs. Andrews capitalized on the opportunity, catching six of seven targets for 68 yards and a score. The targets, catches, and yards all ranked top two on the team. Andrews' TD came on a route that QB Lamar Jackson said afterward was improvised. It looked like Andrews was supposed to run a shallow cross but instead turned it upfield to break free for an 18-yard score.
Bengals TE Mike Gesicki managed just four catches for 30 scoreless yards in Thursday night's loss to the Ravens. A disappointing result, but the usage was everything fantasy owners were hoping for. Gesicki drew nine targets -- third most on the team and a solid 16.1% share. Two of those targets came inside the red zone, including one that Gesick brought down at Baltimore's two-yard line.
Bengals RB Chase Brown racked up 22 touches in Thursday night's loss to the Ravens. He predictably struggled to get much going on the ground against a stout run defense, averaging just 3.2 yards across his 13 carries. But he popped in a one-yard TD in the first quarter and was busy in the passing game all night. Brown's 11 targets, nine catches, and 52 receiving yards all ranked second on the team to only WR Ja'Marr Chase. Brown lost a key fumble in the third quarter that helped get the Ravens back into the game. And he was pulled on most third and longs for pass protection reasons. But the Bengals continued to lean heavily on Brown in all other situations.
Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase obliterated the Ravens for 11 catches, 264 yards, and three TDs on Thursday night. The 55.4 PPR points were the 20th most scored by any player in a game in NFL history. They're the eighth most ever by a WR. A Baltimore secondary that's struggled all season and lost S Kyle Hamilton to an ankle injury in this one simply had no answer for Chase. He scored 67- and 70-yard TDs in the second half. And he got the hat trick with a leaping grab for a five-yard TD with less than a minute to go to bring the Bengals within a point. (They failed to convert the 2-point conversion.) Chase was targeted on 17 of QB Joe Burrow's 56 pass attempts -- good for a 30.4%. target share.
Rams WR Demarcus Robinson (toe, hip) did not practice on Thursday. He made the game-winning 39-yard TD grab in Week 9's overtime win over the Seahawks, so he was evidently playing through these injuries. We're still tentatively expecting Robinson to play vs. the Dolphins on Monday night, but we'll keep an eye on him over the next few days.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. That should put him on track to play vs. the Cowboys this weekend, but we'll see what he does on Friday and how he's listed on the final injury report.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown (knee) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice. He's clearly on track to play vs. the Cowboys this weekend -- and it doesn't look like the knee will be a significant issue. Get Brown into Week 10 starting lineups.
Titans RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring) was upgraded to full participation in Thursday's practice. That puts him on track to play vs. the Chargers on Sunday for the first time since Week 6. Spears averaged just 6.8 carries and 3.0 targets per game over the first four weeks of the season, so he'd be a desperation Week 10 fantasy start. But Spears' return is at least a slight ding to RB Tony Pollard's outlook.
Titans QB Will Levis (shoulder) was a full participant in Thursday's practice. It was his first full practice since going down in Week 6 -- and should put him in line to start this weekend's game vs. the Chargers. Levis is not a recommended starter in any fantasy format. And his return adds more volatility to WR Calvin Ridley's Week 10 outlook.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan confirmed Thursday that RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is expected to play vs. the Bucs this weekend. It's the first time we've heard that from Shanny. McCaffrey remained limited in Thursday's practice but continues to avoid setbacks. Now we wait for any hints about his workload in his 2024 debut. Barring something extreme, though, McCaffrey should be in Week 10 starting lineups.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins (quad) is officially inactive for tonight's game vs. the Ravens. He remained sidelined in practice all week. We'll see if Higgins can make it back for Week 11's game vs. the Chargers, but it's worth noting that Cincinnati has a Week 12 bye. Look for WR Ja'Marr Chase and TE Mike Gesicki to lead the Bengals in targets tonight.
Texans WR Nico Collins (hamstring) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Although all reports on Collins' rehab from his Week 5 hamstring injury have been positive, it doesn't look like Houston plans to activate him for Sunday night's game vs. the Lions. That's bad news for QB C.J. Stroud, who's averaged 7.8 yards per pass attempt in five games with Collins this season but just 6.3 yards per attempt in four games without Collins.
Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell is expected to play vs. the Bengals tonight, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports. It'll be Mitchell's first game since last December's season-ending knee injury. Mitchell will bring even more big-play ability to Baltimore's offense, but we're expecting him to at least start off as the No. 3 RB behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Mitchell should not be in Week 10 fantasy lineups.
Bengals RB Khalil Herbert is expected to play vs. the Ravens tonight, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Herbert joined the team just two days ago, so we'd be surprised if he mixed in for more than a handful of carries against Baltimore. He's not a viable option in season-long leagues. Chase Brown should remain the Bengals' clear lead back -- and a strong fantasy start, despite the tough matchup.
Bucs OC Liam Coen said Thursday that QB Baker Mayfield (toe) "will be fine" for this weekend's game vs. the 49ers. Mayfield did not practice on Wednesday but got a good number of reps in Thursday's walkthrough and was moving around a lot better, per Coen. We'll keep tabs on Mayfield over the next few days, but he seems fine to use as you normally would in Week 10 fantasy lineups.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is dealing with a left shoulder injury and continuing to get treatment. He has been labeled as day-to-day, but now is unlikely to play this Sunday while options are considered. There appear to be a wide range of outcomes for Lawrence and more missed games could be in his future. Mac Jones would be slated to start if Lawrence can't go.
The Panthers have agreed to a four-year, $33.2 million extension with RB Chuba Hubbard. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the deal includes $15 million in guarantees and a max value of $37.2 million.
Colts WR Michael Pittman dislocated a finger on his left hand in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's loss to the Vikings, he told the media on Wednesday. “(The finger) was like a right angle to my pinky," Pittman explained. “I knew it wasn’t right so I was like, ‘Hey, can you fix this?’ And (the medical staff) popped it back in for me." Pittman returned for the final drive of the Vikings game and is fully expected to play against the Bills this weekend. But it's another issue for a guy who's been battling a back injury for the past month. Pittman has totaled just eight catches for 128 yards and one TD over his last four games. He shouldn't be considered more than a lower-end WR3 right now.
Saints WR Chris Olave is consulting specialists after sustaining his fifth documented concussion -- and second this season -- in the Week 9 loss to the Panthers. “We’re more worried about Chris Olave the person and making sure that everything’s good,” interim HC Darren Rizzi said Wednesday. “Then once he goes through that process, we’ll bring it back to football to see how that fits in. When I say day to day, it sounds like coach-speak. He’s kind of seeing some specialists and we’ll go through the process." Olave won't play vs. the Falcons this weekend, and we wouldn't be surprised if he lands on IR later this week. Try to keep him stashed on fantasy benches for now -- but plan to be without him for multiple weeks.
This is an insider feature of Draft Sharks, please upgrade to be an Insider Member
Upgrade to Insider Member
All transactions are secure and encrypted, and we never store your credit card information.