Ohio State TE Cade Stover measured in at nearly 6'4 and 247 pounds at the NFL Combine. He displayed enough speed with a 4.65 forty – plus a 1.59 10-yard split. A former DL/LB, Stover transitioned to TE in 2020. Following two developmental years, he popped from 2022-2023 with 77-982-10. He brings excellent play strength and the ability to make tough, contested catches. Already 24 (in June), he’s on the older side for a prospect. But the timing of his position switch suggests he could reach another level within the next few seasons. Round 3 draft capital is firmly in play here.
Texans WR Tank Dell expects to be able to participate in the team's offseason program, according to insider Aaron Wilson. Dell's rookie season ended with a fractured fibula in early December, but the injury shouldn't be an issue for his 2024 fantasy value. Dell was brilliant before that injury, ranking 12th among WRs in PPR points per game. His 2.22 yards per route run ranked 16th among 80 qualifying WRs and third among 14 qualifying rookie WRs. Dell sits 20th in our initial PPR WR Rankings.
Bobby Slowik is getting a "significant raise" to remain the Texans' OC, according to insider Albert Breer. Slowik drew significant HC interest after leading Houston to top-13 finishes in both total yards and points this past year. His return is good news for QB C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense, although we'd like to see Slowik lean further toward the pass in 2024. Last year's Texans ranked 16th in neutral pass rate and 19th in Pass Rate Over Expected.
Jaguars WR Christian Kirk (groin) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Titans. He was seemingly close to making it back for this one and will likely be able to play next weekend if Jacksonville takes the AFC South with a win today.
Jaguars WR Zay Jones (knee, hamstring) "should play" vs. the Titans today, while WR Christian Kirk (groin) is "less certain," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. We'll get Jacksonville's inactives around 11:30 am ET, but it sure sounds like Kirk will be operating at far less than 100% if he ends up playing. We'd try to avoid him in season-long fantasy lineups. He's a risky DFS play, even at deflated price tags.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Jaguars plan to activate WR Christian Kirk from IR ahead of Sunday's game against the Titans. Kirk has been out a month following core-muscle surgery. He's questionable for the game and considered a game-time decision. We'd guess that if Kirk is active, he should be ready for something close to his normal role. Of course, we can all only guess at that, barring further reports of his expected use. The month off plus QB Trevor Lawrence's right-shoulder injury compound the risk for Kirk as a fantasy play. He's interesting as a DFS flier -- because of extremely cheap salaries on both DraftKings and FanDuel -- but you'll have to consider the risk-reward of playing Kirk in season-long formats.
Jaguars WR Christian Kirk (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game vs. the Titans after a limited week of practice. He’s been out since early-December core-muscle surgery. We’ll see whether Jacksonville activates Kirk on Saturday afternoon. If he plays, he’d be a risk/reward fantasy start coming off the groin injury and with QB Trevor Lawrence set to play through his throwing-shoulder injury.
Texans Edge Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and Edge Jonathan Greenard (ankle) missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of Saturday's game against the Colts. Anderson missed the first two practices last week but then played and produced in the win over the Titans. We'd bet he'll be ready for Week 18. Greenard missed last week. We'll see what the week's final injury report (Thursday afternoon) says for each player.
Jaguars WRs Christian Kirk (groin) and Zay Jones (knee, hamstring) were limited in Wednesday's practice. Kirk was just designated to return from IR after early-December core-muscle surgery; Jones missed last week's game with his injuries. We'll keep tabs on these two leading up to Sunday's must-win game vs. the Titans.
Jaguars WR Christian Kirk has been designated to return from IR. He's missed the past four games after undergoing core-muscle surgery. Kirk is eligible to play vs. the Titans this weekend, although it's still unclear if he'll be ready. Kirk averaged 7.6 targets, 5.1 catches, 69 yards, and 0.3 TDs over the first 11 games of the season. Per the NFL Media Research Department, QB Trevor Lawrence has completed 68% of his passes with 14 TDs vs. seven INTs in games with Kirk this year vs. a 57% completion rate, five TDs, and five INTs without Kirk.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon ran the ball 21 times for 65 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He added 4 receptions for 22 yards and a TD. Mixon has been losing work to Chase Brown over the previous four weeks, but out-touched Brown 25-5 in this game. The Bengals have a potential out to cut Mixon after this season. If that happens, the soon-to-be 28-year-old (in July) would be no guarantee to find a new starting gig. Mixon's best bet for 2024 fantasy value would likely be to stick in Cincinnati.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud returned from a two-game concussion with a decent outing in Sunday's win over the Titans. He threw for 213 yards on 24-of-32 passing, with 1 TD, 0 INTs, and 1 sack taken. Stroud's 75% completion rate marked a season high, but his 6.7 yards per pass attempt marked one of his lowest averages all season. The numbers indicate Stroud didn't show any rust in the aftermath of the concussion. The shorter range of his passing for a second straight game, though -- 4.0 YPA vs. the Jets in the game he left early -- is worth noting. That was Houston's first full game without WR Tank Dell, who leads the team in average target depth for the season -- by more than 2 yards over No. 2 Noah Brown (according to Pro Football Reference). The recent trend for Stroud isn't enough to make him worrisome as a fantasy option if your league plays into Week 18. Stroud gets a fine matchup with Indy. But he probably doesn't present as much upside as he did before Dell went down.
Texans Edge Will Anderson Jr. is active for today's game against the Titans. He missed the past two games with a high-ankle sprain and still managed just one limited practice (Friday) this week. So don't expect him to be back to full strength. The high-upside matchup with Tennessee makes him interesting in deep/dynasty situations, but be careful about trusting him too much. DT Maliek Collins (hip) is inactive. DT Sheldon Rankins (ankle) is active.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) practiced all week, including full workouts on Thursday and Friday, and is off the final injury report. He’ll be back under center for this weekend’s game vs. the Titans – a big boost for Houston’s offense. See where all the Texans sit in the Week 17 Rankings.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud has cleared concussion protocol and will play vs. the Titans on Sunday, barring a setback between now and then, insider Aaron Wilson reports. With Stroud out the past two weeks, Houston has totaled just 41 points and 370 passing yards. The rookie's return is a big boost for the entire offense, particularly WR Nico Collins, WR Noah Brown, and TE Dalton Schultz. See where all the Texans sit in the Week 17 Rankings.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) put in a limited practice on Wednesday. HC Demeco Ryans said that Stroud is in stage four of the five-stage protocol. “It was encouraging to see him," Ryans said. "I think it just lifts everybody’s spirits to see him back doing well and still progressing in the right direction. So, happy about that.” Stroud is seemingly trending toward being cleared in time for Sunday's game vs. the Titans, but we'll keep you updated on his progress
Texans WR Nico Collins (calf) is active for today’s game vs. the Browns. HC Demeco Ryans told insider Kimberley Martin this morning that Collins will have no limitations in this one. Still, QB C.J. Stroud’s absence and Cleveland’s No. 3 WR defense leaves Collins in WR3 territory in the Week 16 Rankings.
ESPN's Adam Schefter hears that there's "optimism" that Texans QB C.J. Stroud (concussion) will be back for Week 17. Stroud remained sidelined in practice all last week but "has begun to make some progress" through the protocol, according to Schefter. We'll track the rookie's status this coming week. QB Case Keenum starts vs. the Browns today.
Bengals RB Joe Mixon struggled in Week 16 vs. the Steelers, logging just 41 rushing yards on 11 carries in the contest. Saturday’s outcome marks the second consecutive game in which the veteran has failed to reach 50 rushing yards and spells some concern about his chances at rebounding in the fantasy championship. He’ll be set to square off against a Chiefs defense that ranks as the ninth-toughest RB matchup per our adjusted fantasy points allowed and should be best considered as an RB2 candidate.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Texans WR Nico Collins (calf) is expected to play Sunday against the Browns. That matches what Collins said earlier in the week. He's still not as attractive an option as usual because of C.J. Stroud's absence and a challenging matchup with the Browns. But Collins should at least be available.
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