JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) is active, but Parker’s absence after his nine-target Week 13 leaves the Patriots’ receiver corps dangerously thin for the short-week showdown. The only wideouts joining JuJu are Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Reagor and Malik Cunningham. That’s not a serious group. This is not a serious team. Parker will presumably be ready to return on two weeks rest in Week 15 against the Chiefs, though the Pats could just shut him down as the tank rolls on. Joining Parker on the shelf are RB JaMycal Hasty, OT Vederian Lowe, WR Demario Douglas, WR Kayshon Boutte, RB Rhamondre Stevenson and CB Shaun Wade.

Dillon dealt with the same groin injury last week but still managed to fit through it to to total 73 rushing yards on 18 carries. With Aaron Jones (knee) also practicing in a limited capacity on Thursday, it’s possible Dillon will see more of a split in Week 14 if Jones is able to go. In the event Jones sits, Dillon would once again be on the fantasy radar as a volume-based RB2 against the Giants.

Reed played through the same chest injury last week, so we wouldn’t be too concerned about his limited participation to open the week. With an extra day of rest before Monday’s game against the Giants, Reed should be good to go for Week 14, barring any setbacks and would be on the WR3 radar if Christian Watson (hamstring) is unable to go.

Brown put himself on the fantasy radar in Week 13 against the Jaguars when he turned nine rush attempts into 61 yards. The rookie saw the most work of any Bengals running back not named Joe Mixon last week and should be treated as the handcuff to Joe Mixon for the playoff stretch. As long as Mixon is healthy, Brown can’t be trusted in weekly lineups, but he’d be a decent volume play if Mixon were to ever miss any time.

Palmer has been limited in back-to-back practices to open the week as the team looks to ease him back from injured reserve. With his 21-day window for return now opened, it’s possible Palmer will suit up as early as this week when the Chargers take on the Broncos, but we’ll know more about his Week 14 outlook when the team releases their player statuses on Friday. Palmer would have some WR3 upside if he’s able to go.

Boyd wasn’t on Wednesday’s injury report, so this is something new he’s dealing with. The veteran slot receiver has been a non-factor over the last three weeks, totaling 11 receptions for 82 scoreless yards, and has only surpassed 60 yards once this season. If Boyd is unable to go, rookie Charlie Jones could be next in line to fill his role in the slot. Neither Jones nor Boyd would carry much fantasy relevance in Week 14.

This is big news, as Brown hasn’t logged a full practice since Week 10’s matchup against the Bengals. With Tank Dell lost for the season, the Texans will need Noah Brown to step up in ways we’ve seen earlier this season. In his first year with the Texans, Brown has totaled 21 receptions for 439 yards and one touchdown, averaging a blistering 20.9 YPR. He broke out for back-to-back 150-plus yard performances before suffering his knee injury and should have some top-24 fantasy upside with Dell out.

Cooper has yet to practice this week and is trending toward missing Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Only four days removed from his concussion, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cooper miss Week 14, as most players have failed to get on the field a week after first suffering a concussion. If Cooper is unable to go, Elijah Moore and David Njoku would see a slight boost in their fantasy outlooks.

Etienne dealt with the same injury prior to Monday night’s tilt with the Bengals. The fact he’s practiced both days to start this week is enough to suggest he’ll be ready to go for Week 14 against the Browns. Etienne will be on the RB1 radar for this week’s matchup.