The Steelers announced Thursday that DL Cameron Heyward has cleared the concussion protocol. Rather than publicly ponder whether Pittsburgh's concussion process should get league review after Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Alex HIghsmith all cleared in time for the game following their injuries ... we'll just go ahead and get Heyward into the Week 16 DL rankings. He's a decent IDP option against a Bengals team that did allow him a sack last time. But Heyward hasn't generated more than 2 pressures in a game this year. He's a solid bet for tackles -- including a tackle for loss -- but a less-good bet for sack production.
Jets HC Robert Saleh said Wednesday that QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) won't play again this season. That's no surprise with the 5-9 Jets eliminated from the postseason picture. Rodgers was activated from IR, though, so that he can continue practicing the rest of the way. He should be able to participate in the offseason program and is on track to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers admitted on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that his Achilles still isn't at 100%. He expects to be there in another few weeks. That's not at all a surprise considering he's just a little more than three months removed from the injury. What would be a surprise is if the 5-9 Jets put Rodgers back on the field this season. With QB Zach Wilson in concussion protocol, QB Trevor Siemian is the favorite to start Sunday's game vs. the Commanders.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said Monday that S Minkah Fitzpatrick will miss Saturday's game against the Bengals with the knee injury that knocked him out of the Week 15 loss to the Colts. Trenton Thompson filled in and led Pittsburgh safeties in playing time in a game that also saw S Damontae Kazee ejected. CB Patrick Peterson also shifted over to safety for most of the game. Tomlin on Monday mentioned Eric Rowe and Elijah Riley as potential safety help for Week 16. The group is likely not worth your attention for IDP purposes this week. You can find a steadier option.
Update: The NFL has suspended Kazee for the rest of the season for "repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players," according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. That leaves Pittsburgh without its top two current safeties, with Keanu Neal also not ready to return from IR.
The Steelers placed DL Cameron Heyward in the concussion protocol after Saturday's loss to the Colts. That'll challenge his availability for next Saturday's matchup with the Bengals. We'll watch Heyward's progress through the week.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said Monday that QB Mason Rudolph will start Saturday's game against the Bengals. Actually, he said, "As I stand here today, Mason Rudolph is the guy with the ball," according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Tomlin also didn't rule out QB Kenny Pickett being ready to return. Tomlin said that Pickett would not only need medical clearance following surgery for his high-ankle sprain but also need to show he can protect himself and "be sharp," according to Dale Lolley of Steelers.com. We'll keep an eye on the situation throughout the week, but there's not a whole lot of fantasy value to squeeze from this pass offense either way. Here's hoping you have better lineup options at QB, WR, and TE for Week 16.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) is likely to be medically cleared to play in Week 16, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's still unclear if Rodgers will return for a Jets team with a slim chance at the playoffs. But the fact that he's set to be cleared just a little more than three months after tearing his Achilles is borderline miraculous. We're still betting against Rodgers playing again this season, but he'll be ready to go for the 2024 campaign.
The Steelers didn’t get much going in their 30-13 loss vs. the Colts in Week 15, but their backfield situation is starting to take an interesting turn. RB Jaylen Warren (10 carries, 40 rushing yards) appeared on a season-high 68.9% of the offensive snaps on Saturday and out-touched teammate Najee Harris 15 to 12. On top of that, the second-year back led the Steelers in receptions (5) and ranked second on the team in targets (6). Warren had appeared on no greater than 52% of the snaps at any point this season before Saturday, so the fact that Pittsburgh went away from the typical 50-50 RB split is highly notable. The Steelers’ remaining schedule ranks 10th-best for RBs per our adjusted fantasy points allowed. Warren stands to be a solid mid-tier RB2 should this trend continue.
Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Raiders. That figures to be a boost in playing time for TE Gerald Everett -- although he's still tough to trust in fantasy lineups with QB Easton Stick at the controls.
Steelers Edge Alex Highsmith has cleared the concussion protocol. The team says he's expected to play Saturday against the Colts. With T.J. Watt clearing the protocol earlier this week, Pittsburgh's defense will have both edge starters back the game after they sustained their injuries against New England.
The Steelers announced Wednesday that an independent neurologist has cleared Edge T.J. Watt to play this weekend against the Colts. Watt entered the concussion protocol after the loss to the Patriots but should be set for Week 15 IDP lineups. Edge Alex Highsmith remains in the concussion protocol, however
Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Raiders. Parham would be a TD-or-bust desperation fantasy start if he suits up. His absence would be a slight boost for TE Gerald Everett.
Steelers Edge Alex Highsmith left in the first half of Thursday night's game against the Patriots with a neck injury. The team ruled him out for the game before halftime. We'll see about his status for Week 15 and beyond.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says to expect "heavy targets" for Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth again today. He's coming off a big 9-120-0 line on a team-leading 11 targets last week. "Expect them to try to replicate that ... attack the middle of the field," Rapoport adds. You certainly shouldn't be expecting another 100-yard outing from Freiermuth today. But he does sit inside the top 10 of our Week 13 TE Rankings.
A source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) is "unlikely" to play again this season. Rodgers got back on the practice field this week -- less than three months after tearing his Achilles. But the thought all along was that he'd only play again if the Jets were still in the playoff hunt. At 4-7, they'd likely need to win out to earn a postseason berth. So we'll be forced to watch more Tim Boyle or Zach Wilson or Trevor Siemian the rest of the way. Rodgers is at least on track to return to save WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall in 2024.
Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick is off the final injury report for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. That follows a week of full practices and indicates Fitzpatrick is all the way back from the hamstring injury that cost him the past four games. There's some risk in trusting Fitzpatrick in his first game back, but the team's treatment suggests they do. You'll find Fitzpatrick just outside DB2 territory in our Week 13 rankings.
Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf single-handedly won fantasy matchups on Thursday night with a massive 6-134-3 outing. He got going on Seattle's very first possession when he split the seam between two Cowboys defenders and raced to the end zone for a 73-yard score. Metcalf hit 22.23 mph on the play, per Next Gen Stats -- the fastest speed by a ball carrier this season, and flat-out ridiculous for a 235-pounder. Metcalf's other two TDs came from one and three yards out. It was a much-needed scoring binge from a guy who had just three TDs on 43 receptions (7.0%) over his first 10 games. D.K. drew eight targets vs. Dallas, giving him 38 total targets on a 24.5% share over his last four games. Don't expect another outing like this the rest of the way, but Metcalf should stay glued into fantasy lineups going forward. Not only has the volume been strong, but he also gets the single easiest WR schedule from Weeks 14 through 17.
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) has been designated to return from IR. It means he'll be back on the practice field this week. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said on Sunday that Rodgers is still targeting a Week 16 return -- but we remain skeptical that he'll play again this season for a Jets team without a realistic chance to make the playoffs. We'll keep you updated on the situation. If Rodgers does return, it'd be excellent news for the late-season fantasy prospects of RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson.
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth racked up 9 catches for 120 yards in Sunday’s win over the Bengals. He had 5 catches for 89 yards at halftime. In fact, Kenny Pickett set a single-game career-high in combined TE yardage… in the first half alone. Clearly, this was a point of emphasis for new play-caller Mike Sullivan. Freiermuth will be back on the streaming radar next week in a nice scoring matchup at Arizona.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that there will be more focus on getting the ball to RB Jaylen Warren and WR George Pickens under new co-offensive coordinators Mike Sullivan and Eddie Faulkner. Novel idea to get the ball to your two most explosive playmakers! Warren was already a nice RB2 play in today's plus matchup vs. the Bengals. We'd still consider Pickens a risk/reward WR3 -- although this news makes him a bit easier to get into Week 12 fantasy lineups.
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