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Happy Wednesday! Today, we’ll recap the most important news and notes from around the league yesterday with an eye on fantasy football. Tuesday typically isn’t the most news-packed day of the week for football purposes, and this week was no exception. Still, that doesn’t mean there was no news, so we’ll go over what did happen.
Daniel Jones Suffered Strained Neck in Week 12
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday evening that Giants QB Daniel Jones suffered a strained neck on the second play from scrimmage in Week 12 on a play in which he got hit while attempting to slide. Jones is considered week to week and may miss New York’s Week 13 matchup against a scorching hot Dolphins squad that has won four consecutive games. If he is out as expected, Mike Glennon would be the presumed starter.
The Giants also poached former Georgia QB Jake Fromm off the Bills’ practice squad. Fromm has yet to attempt a pass in the pros after being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Considering he was just signed on Tuesday, he may not be ready in time for Sunday’s game, in which case Brian Lewerke – who is currently on the Giants’ practice squad – would operate as Glennon’s backup.
This is a sizable hit to all Giants skill-position players, as it’s a big downgrade from Jones to Glennon. Fantasy managers will need to keep an eye out for reports over the coming days and weeks to gauge when the Giants will have their starting quarterback again.
Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram Participate in Saints Practice
Alvin Kamara (knee) was limited at Saints practice on Tuesday, and he seems like he’s truly up in the air for Thursday night’s game against the Cowboys. Thankfully for New Orleans, Mark Ingram (knee) was a full participant and seems like he should be good to go. Saints beat writer Nick Underhill had the following to say about Kamara:
“Still a little bit of a ‘we’ll see’ situation with Alvin Kamara, just as far as whether he plays and, if he does play, how much he’s used in this game considering that he’s missed the last 3 after having a setback from his MCL return.” https://t.co/QYhDSOG7mn
— Jared Smola (@SmolaDS) November 30, 2021
It sounds like Kamara probably won’t be fully healthy for Week 13 even if he is active, which could put Ingram in line for a stronger-than-usual role. Fantasy players will need to keep an eye out for injury news over the next few days. If Ingram plays and Kamara doesn’t, the 31-year-old would be a viable starter. If both Saints running backs are active, things get a little trickier. You’re starting Kamara if you have him and he’s playing – barring a report saying he’s going to be super limited – but he’d be much more volatile than usual coming off a fairly serious injury. Ingram would be just as volatile, and he’d be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups if Kamara is active. We’ll just have to see what happens over the next couple of days.
Ezekiel Elliott and CeeDee Lamb Practice Fully
It’s been an interesting few days on the Ezekiel Elliott front. Over the weekend, reports surfaced indicating the Cowboys could rest Zeke or give him a lighter workload in hopes of making sure he’s fully healthy for the playoffs. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones swiftly shut down those rumors, saying they plan to give their star running back a full load despite the knee ailment he’s been dealing with lately.
Elliott practiced fully on Tuesday – just as he did ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 12 game on Thanksgiving last week – so it’s anyone’s guess as to how much the Cowboys limit him in Week 13. Tony Pollard has looked sprier than Zeke – even more so than usual – in Dallas’ past few outings.
The Saints boast one of the top run defenses in the league, and Zeke has major bust potential if the Cowboys do end up saving him for more important games. He’s a highly volatile option for Thursday. Pollard is a risky flex play as well.
CeeDee Lamb also practiced on Tuesday, a welcome sight after he missed Week 12 with a concussion. If healthy, Lamb would immediately slot in as a fringe top-12 option.
Amari Cooper is back at the Cowboys’ facilities after missing Week 12 due to COVID-19, but he reportedly still has a cough and isn’t feeling great. His Week 13 status is in question and fantasy managers will need to monitor news over the next 48 hours to see whether he plays or not.
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Taysom Hill Poised to Start on Thursday?
Taysom Hill is in line to make his first start of the year at quarterback. Hill has been dealing with a partial labrum tear, which is more painful than a full tear, but it is just a matter of pain tolerance rather than anything that could be damaged further. Saints coach Sean Payton was noncommittal on whether Hill would start, saying they would see how he looked at practice on Wednesday and then take it from there. If Hill starts, the Saints’ passing game as a whole would take a hit on what would likely be a run-oriented offense.
In four starts at quarterback last season, Hill averaged 7.3 yards per attempt and just one passing touchdown per game, but he also ran the ball 9.8 times per contest for 52.3 yards. That alone makes him an intriguing fantasy option, especially in a game where the Saints will have to score points to keep pace with the Dak Prescott-led Cowboys attack. Hill is a viable option if he does get the start in Week 13.
Other News and Notes
- The Jets placed WR Keelan Cole on the reserve/COVID-19 list. His status for Week 13 is in question. If he can’t go, it would be an added boost for emerging rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore, who has emerged over Cole recently as the Jets’ second outside wideout (when Corey Davis is healthy).
- Steelers second-round rookie TE Pat Freiermuth is in concussion protocol. Fantasy managers will need to keep an eye out for news, as the Penn State product is a locked-in top-12 tight end with Eric Ebron sidelined.
