NFL Player News

Replogle reportedly “didn’t look lost” on offense during post-draft rookie camp, but he’s undersized for a guard at 6-foot-2, 299, and is shaping up as a long shot for a roster spot. Replogle went undrafted out of Indiana in 2013.

Dowdle missed a few snaps on his team’s first drive, but he returned in time to punch in a short touchdown. The Saints deserve credit for limiting Dowdle to 3.1 yards per carry, though play volume was also an issue for the Panthers. The Saints’ 11-minute, 22-second first-half drive was their longest drive since at least the year 2000, going 95 yards on 17 plays and keeping the football away from the Panthers. Dowdle is an RB2 against the Buccaneers in Week 16.

Williams departed after the team’s first possession and missed the remainder of the first half. He returned after the break to take a handoff from quarterback Dak Prescott on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. Fantasy managers can breath a collective sigh of relief, at least for the time being.

Barner saw a full-time role with Elijah Arroyo sidelined with a knee injury. He ran a route on 32 of the Seahawks’ 41 drop backs against the Colts and was third on the team with six targets. Seattle’s lack of pass volume will make it tough to rely on Barner as a viable 12-team option. In Week 16 he’ll take on a Rams defense that gave up 10 catches for 70 yards to Barner in mid-November. He’ll be in play as a streaming option against LA.

Legette was very briefly involved on a few plays during the Panthers’ fourth drive, producing a big gain on a corner route after WR Tetairoa McMillan fell over, which may have jumbled the defensive backs’ coverage assignments. Panthers QB Bryce Young targeted Legette again shortly thereafter, but the throw was late and nearly resulted in an interception. Legette is a zero-floor FLEX against the Buccaneers next week.

McMillan entered halftime with one catch, 21 yards and two targets to his name. Unfortunately, the missed target could have easily been a 22-yard touchdown. McMillan got open on a post route, streaking inside the Saints’ 10-yard line, but QB Bryce Young’s pass inside the five-yard line arrived late, allowing Panthers’ CB to break up the pass. McMillan is a WR2 against the Buccaneers in Week 16.

Darnold struggled again with pressure and appeared flustered any time Colts pass rushers broke through the offensive line and Jaxon Smith-Njigba wasn’t immediately wide open. Besides a three-touchdown, highly accurate performance against Atlanta in Week 14, Darold’s play has dropped off over the past month. That hasn’t affected JSN’s fantasy production, thankfully. In Week 16 Darnold will go against a Rams defense that has given him fits over his past three matchups against them. Darnold had zero touchdowns and four interceptions in Seattle’s mid-November loss to LA. He should not be started one-QB leagues against the Rams.

Taylor was predictably the centerpiece of the Colts offense with 44-year-old Philip Rivers under center for the first time since 2020. The Colts had 29 rushing attempts and 27 passes in this one. Rivers peppered the team’s short-area pass catchers with targets: Tyler Warren led the way with six target, Taylor had four targets, and veteran RB Ameer Abdullah had five targets, leading the Colts with five grabs for 32 yards. That’s a little deceiving considering Abdullah ran a mere six pass routes on the day. Taylor logged 18 routes. Taylor is the one Colts player who might survive the Rivers experience. He gets the 49ers in Week 16.

Coker had a great game. He showed up on the Panthers’ first drive with a toe-tapping 15-yard catch along the left sideline. He hauled in a 24-yard pass on a corner route on the Panthers’ third drive and caught a 32-yard touchdown via hitch-and-go on the Panthers’ fourth drive. Though Coker often lines up in the slot, he scored the touchdown lined up out wide on the right side. Coker is a WR3/FLEX against the Buccaneers in Week 16.

Pierce was always going to be a loser of the Colts’ Philip Rivers experiment. Pierce generally operates as an intermediate and deep target, and he now has a 44-year-old quarterback who is physically unable to throw it more than 20 yards or so. Pierce’s lone grab in Week 15 came near the sideline; Pierce boxed out his defender and made a nice grab on a floater from the weak-armed Rivers. Pierce isn’t fantasy viable for as long as Rivers is under center.

Downs, a natural short-area target for the weak-armed Philip Rivers — who made his first start since 2020 in Week 15 — saw a bump in playing time against the Seahawks, running 26 routes on 31 Colts drop backs. He caught Rivers’ lone touchdown on the day, getting open in the back of the end zone. If Downs maintains this route participation he could be an interesting deep league option in Week 16 against the a Niners secondary that has been generous to opposing slot receivers all season.