Ravens RB Dalvin Cook has been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. RB Melvin Gordon was released in a corresponding move. Cook is expected to play in Saturday's Divisional Round game vs. the Texans, according to his agency. Cook was abysmal with the Jets this season and joined the Ravens just a couple of weeks ago, so we're not optimistic about his odds of making a major impact this weekend. But his presence certainly doesn't help the fantasy outlooks of RBs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Ravens HC John Harbaugh was asked Wednesday if RB Dalvin Cook is an insurance policy or a legitimate competitor for playing time this postseason. His response: "We view him as potentially a very valuable weapon for our offense. Dalvin Cook is a high-pedigree player, a highly decorated player. He's still got talent, ability, he's smart, he's in great football shape. He looked very good in practice today. So I think he's going to be a very valuable part of our team in the playoffs." Cook is certainly a big name, but he was one of the least effective runners in the league with the Jets this season. Cook mustered just 3.2 yards per carry, ranked dead last among 68 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, and ranked 57th among those 68 in Elusive Rating. We're not excited about Cook the player. But the fact that he has a chance to carve out a role for a team with a good shot at getting three playoff games makes Cook worth a shot as a flyer in some fantasy playoff contests.
The Chargers list LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (shoulder) as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. Nick Niemann started in his place last week and delivered 11 tackles (6 solo, 1 for loss). He did so on just 68% playing time, though. So be careful about overrating Niemann for Week 18 IDP use -- especially against a very different version of the Chiefs offense than we usually see. Check our Week 18 LB rankings to see where Niemann lands.
Ex-Jets RB Dalvin Cook is expected to sign with the Ravens ahead of the playoffs, according to multiple reports. That's a sensible addition for a Baltimore backfield down to Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as meaningful contributors. We'll see how Cook fits in. But unless Ravens coaches say so, there's no reason to expect Cook to leap ahead of either Edwards or Hill in role. Cook averaged just 4.5 carries and 1.0 receptions per game across 15 appearances this year with a Jets offense that hasn't been good. His 3.2 yards per rush and 5.2 yards per catch both sit well below his career marks in those categories. If you're playing playoff fantasy football, you can stash Cook late. We like the Ravens' chances of making a deep run. Just don't expect big things from Cook.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo has been placed on IR with a foot injury. We'll look for more details on the injury and whether it'll impact Mingo's offseason. But his rookie campaign was alarmingly bad. Mingo caught just 50.6% of his targets and averaged 9.7 yards per catch. He ranks 88th among 88 qualifying WRs in yards per target and 84th in yards per route. Mingo will be no more than a late-round flier in 2024 redrafts and is closer to a sell-low than a buy in dynasty.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Jets are releasing RB Dalvin Cook. There's no fantasy impact here, because Cook didn't touch the ball the past two games and totaled just 2 touches the week before that. Rookie Israel Abanikanda carried twice and caught four of seven targets as the No. 2 RB in last Thursday night's loss to the Browns. Breece Hall is the only member of the Jets backfield you should be paying attention to if you're playing in Week 18. The timing of this release gives Cook a chance to catch on elsewhere, but we'd be surprised if he lands a meaningful role with a playoff team. Beyond that, we're not expecting much from Cook in 2024 either. The 28-year-old doesn't appear to have much left.
Steelers WR George Pickens paid off again, hauling in 7 catches on 9 targets for 131 receiving yards and a TD in Week 17 vs. the Seahawks. The second-year wideout’s efforts mark the fifth time this season that he’s surpassed the 100-yard mark and the fourth instance in which Pickens totaled 20+ PPR points per game. His big-play upside has been clear. But the QB play has been poor, and Pickens has struggled to find regularly strong target shares. A QB change could boost Pickens' dynasty value. For now, it’s appropriate to treat him as a low-end WR3.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb became the fifth WR this season to record at least 200 receiving yards in a game in Week 17 vs. the Lions. The talented wideout ended Saturday’s contest with 13 catches, 227 yards, and a TD that amounted to 40.2 PPR points. Lamb trails only Tyreek Hill with four games of 30+ PPR points in 2023, second among WRs. This achievement just goes to highlight just how utterly dominant he’s been this year. Entering his age-25 season in 2024, Lamb is showing no signs of slowing down and should be thought of as one of the elite dynasty WRs.
Chargers LB Kenneth Murray is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Broncos with a shoulder injury. He's officially doubtful after following a limited Wednesday workout with two missed practices. This would be Murray's first missed game of the season, which makes it tough to know exactly what the fill-in plan looks like. We wouldn't play a Chargers LB beyond Eric Kendricks if you can help it.
Steelers WR George Pickens hauled in 4 of 6 targets for 195 receiving yards and 2 TDs vs. the Bengals in Week 16. His yardage in Saturday’s contest ranks as the third-highest single-game total in 2023 to date and also marks the fourth time this season that Pickens has exceeded 100 receiving yards. The second-year wideout has struggled to find consistency all season, though it’s possible he and QB Mason Rudolph will be able to build upon their newfound rapport in Week 17 vs. the Seahawks (13th-best WR matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed). Pickens will be worth considering as a WR3/flex option.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott finished the Week 15 loss to the Bills with 134 passing yards, 0 TDs, and 1 INT. He added 27 yards on four carries -- which wasn't nearly enough to salvage his fantasy day. The 134 passing yards were a season low. Prescott's 3.9 yards per attempt marked a season-low. And it was his first game since Week 1 without a passing TD. Buffalo's defense deserves a ton of credit, getting consistent pressure with four-man rushes and covering well on the back end. But Prescott continues to struggle on the road this season. He's now averaging just 216 passing yards and 1.1 TDs across seven games on the road (vs. 304 yards and 2.9 TDs at home). Prescott has finished as a top-12 fantasy QB in just two of those seven road games. He's back on the road in Week 16, although it's in Miami for a game with shootout potential. Prescott returns home for Week 17 for the Lions. If you've been rolling with him all season -- and you survived this Week 15 dud -- stick with Prescott these final two weeks.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams didn't just let you down with his production in Saturday night's loss to the Lions. He saw his playing time and route participation tumble. It started with Denver putting Jaleel McLaughlin on the field to open the game. Williams took over for the second possession and still led the backfield in playing time and touches. But his 48% playing time for the game marked his lowest since a Week 6 return from a quad injury. That followed three straight games of 60%+. His biggest dip came in the passing game. Williams ran a route on just 25.7% of QB Russell Wilson's dropbacks. That marked a significant fall vs. three straight outings of 40.5% or more. Williams ran just nine routes vs. eight for Samaje Perine and five for Jaleel McLaughlin. Combine that with now seven straight games of averaging less than 3.9 yards per carry, and it's tough to see Williams as more than an "if you need him" starter for a Week 16 matchup with the Patriots. We'll see about his role and performance in that game before declaring his usability for a better matchup with the Chargers in Week 17. Perine drew just 1 target for the game but caught it for 11 yards and averaged 6.2 yards across his 6 carries. That followed a 5-catch Week 14 and couldn't have hurt his chances at getting playing time the rest of the way. McLaughlin garnered just 4 touches for the game. He has topped 6 touches just once in his past eight games.
Cowboys Edge Micah Parsons is active for tonight's game against the Eagles. Dallas added him to the injury report Sunday morning as questionable with an illness. But all reports have indicated that the team doesn't expect the illness to alter his playing time.
The Cowboys have added Edge Micah Parsons to the injury report. He's questionable with an illness for tonight's game against the Eagles. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Parsons is still expected to play. So he should probably remain in most IDP lineups that have him set to start. We'll check his status ahead of the game, though.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo (Achilles) is not listed on the final Week 13 injury report. He was limited in Thursday’s practice but a full-go on Friday. He’ll play vs. the Bucs this weekend but would be a desperation fantasy start. The rookie has yet to top 10.2 PPR points in a game this season.
Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo was added to Thursday's injury report with an Achilles and limited in practice. Mid-week additions are always worrisome. Achilles injuries are always worrisome. We'll look for further updates on Mingo's situation.
Broncos RB Javonte Williams is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Browns with a neck injury. We'll update his status when we know more. Williams' absence leaves Denver's backfield to Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Update: Williams returned on Denver's second possession.
Steelers WR George Pickens (shin) is not listed on the final Week 12 injury report. He went from no practice on Wednesday to limited participation on Thursday to full participation on Friday. The shin shouldn’t be an issue in this weekend’s game vs. the Bengals.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott rebounded from a relative down week in the win at Carolina to hang 331 yards and 4 TD passes on the Commanders in Week 12. He did so while spreading the ball around more than usual. WR CeeDee Lamb led the way with 9 targets but posted just a 4-53-1 receiving line. WR Brandin Cooks snagged a 31-yard TD among his 4 receptions for 72 yards on 5 targets. The other two scores went to KaVontae Turpin from 34 yards out and RB Rico Dowdle on a 15-yard catch-and-run. The soft opponent certainly helped, but Prescott has now gone over 300 yards with 3+ TDs in four of his past five games. And his remaining schedule ranks third-best for QB scoring, with no truly worrisome spots. Prescott just might prove to be a league winner for 2023.
Steelers WR George Pickens (shin) returned to a limited practice on Thursday after being sidelined on Wednesday. We'll see what he does tomorrow and how he's listed on the final injury report for this weekend's game vs. the Bengals.
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