Chargers RB Austin Ekeler carried just 10 times in Sunday's loss to the Chargers, but he tallied 64 yards (6.4 per rush). He added just 2 receptions for 6 yards on 3 targets. That marked strangely low receiving for L.A.'s lead back. But his playing time didn't reflect any change. Ekeler ran 20 more pass routes than No. 2 RB Joshua Kelley and topped 70% playing time for the first time this season. There's nothing worrisome to take from Ekeler's Week 11 production in projecting him forward.
Texans WR Noah Brown (knee) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Cardinals. That leaves Robert Woods in the No. 3 WR spot, behind Tank Dell and Nico Collins. Woods has been inefficient all season and is no better than a WR4 today.
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Texans WR Noah Brown (knee) is "unlikely" to play vs. the Cardinals today. Schefter adds that, "the Texans want to work him out pregame before making any decisions." We'll get Houston's inactives around 11:30 am ET, but Brown should be on fantasy benches for now.
Texans WR Noah Brown (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Cardinals. He didn’t practice all week, though, and insider Aaron Wilson said Friday that Brown won’t play this weekend. He should be on fantasy benches. Brown’s absence will keep Robert Woods in the No. 3 WR role, behind Tank Dell and Nico Collins.
Texans WR Noah Brown (knee) remained sidelined on Thursday. He's now seemingly in real danger of missing this weekend's game vs. the Cardinals. We'll see if Brown gets on the practice field tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report.
Texans WR Noah Brown (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. He seemed to make it out of last weekend's game fine, so this might be more of a rest day for a guy with 13 catches over the last two games. Check back tomorrow for another update on Brown.
Texans WR Noah Brown followed his 6-153-1 Week 9 line with a 172-yard effort in the win over the Bengals. Brown ranked second on the Texans with eight targets (20.5% share) and led the team with seven catches. We still need to see what this WR corps looks like with a healthy Robert Woods and Nico Collins, but it’s tough to imagine Brown disappearing. He's easily out-played Woods, who finished Week 10 with one catch for 15 yards. Brown remains available in 65% of Sleeper leagues. He deserves to be rostered in at least all leagues of 12+ teams at this point. next up is Arizona's 21st-ranked WR defense.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler tallied 70 total yards on a combined 16 touches in Week 9’s win vs. the Jets. Monday night was not the veteran’s most efficient showing. Going 14-47 on the ground isn't awful, but one 20-yard run from Ekeler accounts for 28.5% of his final count in the contest. But let’s not be too persnickety; he also scored 2 rushing TDs in the game. Ekeler has now recorded back-to-back games of 20+ PPR points and four straight weeks of 16 or more touches since his Week 6 return from an ankle injury. Fantasy managers should expect good production from Ekeler moving forward, as the Chargers’ remaining schedule ranks as the single-easiest for RBs in our adjusted fantasy points allowed.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. tallied 63 yards and a TD on 18 carries in Sunday's victory over the Patriots. His 3.5 yards per carry weren't remarkable, but the 18 attempts were his most since Week 2. Robinson had averaged just 9.7 rushes per game since then, a stretch that saw the Commanders go 1-5. Robinson's high of 14 carries in that stretch came in an OT loss at Philly that Washington led most of the way. Sunday did mark the fifth game among the past six in which Robinson averaged 3.5 yards per rush or less. And he's likely to continue seeing game flow significantly impact his touch counts. Robinson drew just 2 targets against New England, his fourth straight game with 2 or fewer. He has exceeded 2 in a game just twice all year and caught more than two passes in a game only once. A Week 10 meeting with Seattle -- which struggled mightily at Baltimore on Sunday -- looks fairly neutral for Robinson. A Week 11 date with the Giants looks good. Matchups with the Cowboys and Dolphins the following two weeks don't look favorable and precede a Week 14 bye. Look for worthwhile opportunities to sell Robinson over these next few weeks, if you have him.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler bounced back in a big way on Sunday night, finishing with 7 catches for a team-leading 94 yards and a TD vs. the Bears. The veteran wasn’t as effective as a runner in the contest (15 carries, 29 rushing yards), though the fantasy points ultimately count all the same. Ekeler’s 23.3 PPR points from Sunday are his highest since Week 1 and out-pace his last two outings combined. Any concerns about his sluggishness returning from the ankle injury that kept him out for a while should be out the window now. Next week, he’ll take on the Jets and should be considered a high-end RB1.
Sunday saw a bit of a dud from the Texans’ passing game. WR Noah Brown hauled 3 of 5 targets for a team-high 57 receiving yards in Week 8’s loss vs. the Panthers. His teammate Nico Collins led Houston pass-catchers with 4 catches but only converted those opportunities into 30 receiving yards. Nary a Texans’ receiver exceeded double-digit PPR points in the contest. We’ll hope to see better efforts in Week 9 vs. the Buccaneers.
Panthers LB Frankie Luvu (hip) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans after putting in limited practices all week. He says he'll be playing, though, according to The Athletic's Joe Person. Expect to have Luvu in your IDP lineups.
Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury. It's a bit surprising given that Wagner didn't miss a single snap of Sunday's win over the Cardinals. We'll see about his status in Friday's practice and whether the team gives him a game status on the final injury report.
The Cardinals are placing TE Zach Ertz on IR with a quad strain he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. That knocks the veteran out for at least the next four games and vaults TE Trey McBride into fantasy relevance. The second-year TE has been disappointing so far, averaging just 2.1 receptions per game and trailing the 32-year-old Ertz in usage. But McBride's route participation picked up the past two weeks and figures to take an even bigger jump now. He has already ranked second on the year in yards per route among TEs with 20+ targets -- tied with Jonnu Smith and ahead of Mark Andrews and Sam LaPorta, among others.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson split carries with rookie Chris Rodriguez in Week 5. Rodriguez actually led the team in rushing yards, gaining 31 on 7 attempts. He didn’t draw a target on 42 Sam Howell passes, though. And his college background suggests he’s an underwhelmed receiver. Rodriguez isn't a high-upside option, but for RB-needy owners in deep formats, the Kentucky product is worth stashing on benches. A tough Philly front seven awaits in Week 8.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler ran for just 45 yards on 14 carries (3.2 per rush) in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He also added just 1 reception for 1 yard among 2 targets. Ekeler's playing time (62%) fell in line with his previous game, and his rushing actually proved more efficient. Ekeler averaged just 1.9 yards per carry in the Week 6 loss to the Cowboys. The Chiefs have played well on defense overall this season, ranking ninth in total DVOA entering the week. But they also ranked just 21st against the run. We're still betting on Ekeler going forward and especially expect much more from his receiving. But we'll be watching closely for any signs we need to adjust those expectations. A Week 8 matchup with a weak Bears defense looks like a potential blowup spot -- or possibly a signal to really worry about Ekeler if he doesn't deliver.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin posted a team-high 6 catches and 90 yards against the Giants. That includes a team-high 21.4% target share. The veteran made a couple of impressive downfield grabs in tight coverage, including one where he took a hard shot. Following a slow start, McLaurin's now hit 80+ yards in three of his past four matchups. Keep him in lineups as a top-30 option next week against Philly.
And the crowd goes mild! Chargers RB Austin Ekeler logged 62 total yards in his return from injury in Week 6 vs. the Cowboys. The veteran was fairly effective as a receiver in the contest (4 catches, 35 yards) but was unable to get anything going on the ground. 14 carries for 27 rushing yards isn’t the big return that fantasy managers had hoped for. Ekeler’s 10.1 PPR points rank as 25th-best at the RB position this week. Hopefully, we’ll see a better showing from him in Week 7 vs. the Chiefs.
Panthers LB Frankie Luvu left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter with a hip injury and did not return. Fortunately, he now gets a Week 7 bye to recover. This is the same area that had Luvu on the injury report in weeks 4 and 5, but he played through it for each game. We'll watch for updates on Luvu's status.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin hauled 6 of 11 targets for a team-high 81 receiving yards in Week 6 vs. the Falcons. Fellow wideout Curtis Samuel also had a productive game, delivering 4 catches for 42 yards and a TD on Sunday. Through six weeks, Samuel quietly ranks as the WR32 in PPR points per game (12.6) and has positioned himself as a must-add in fantasy leagues. Next week’s game vs. the Giants will be a great matchup for these Commanders’ pass-catchers.
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