NFL Player News

Dowdle dealt with an ankle injury heading into Week 11’s contest against the Panthers but ultimately suited up. He was far from efficient in that game, totaling 20 yards on 10 touches, but he played through the injury regardless. Monday’s DNP designation, while not great, may not matter much come Thursday. We’ll see if he’s upgraded to limited on Tuesday when they take the field for their first official practice of the week.

Baker got injured in the second quarter of the Dolphins’ win over the Commanders but was not able to return to the game. Head coach Mike McDaniel said on Tuesday that Baker’s injury will not require surgery and the linebacker is considered week-to-week. Baker has 65 tackles and 1.5 sacks this season, so the Dolphins will look to replace that production in the starting lineup over the next few weeks.

Hunt was the Dolphins’ second-round pick in the 2020 draft and has graded out as the 5th-best guard in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Hunt has been equally adept in both pass blocking and run blocking, so his loss is a notable one. However, the Titans are also likely to be without stud defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons, so Hunt’s injury might not impact the Dolphins much in Week 14, but they’ll hope he can come back soon.

Rypien had been on the Seahawks practice squad after starting a game last month for the Rams. He’ll likely back up Zach Wilson, who’s set to retake the Jets starting role with the release of Tim Boyle.

Kirk left Monday night’s game against the Bengals after catching a 26-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence — probably his final reception of the 2023 season. Kirk’s absence will create a fantasy-viable slot role for rookie WR Parker Washington, who caught all six of his targets for 61 yards and a score against the Bengals. Washington ran 80 percent of his pass routes from the slot. He should be picked up in most 12-team PPR formats.

Boyle threw four picks and one touchdown in two games as New York’s starter after the team succumbed to public pressure and benched Zach Wilson. The team has reportedly asked Wilson to step back into to the starting job — a request not fully embraced by the third-year quarterback. Wilson will likely get the starting gig for Week 14 against the Texans now that Boyle is out of the picture. The Jets signed journeyman QB Brett Rypien on Tuesday.

Pederson qualified the injury description by calling it “just” a high ankle sprain, but as fantasy managers know, such an injury can cost a player several games. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported Tuesday morning that Lawrence should be able to return to the field at some point this season. He’s definitely out for Week 14 against the Browns, meaning C.J. Beathard will be under center for Jacksonville.

DeVito has played well of late, with four touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with a 68.7 percent completion rate over his past two outings. He’ll get the nod for Monday night’s game against Green Bay despite Tyrod Taylor’s practice window opening this week. Taylor continues to recover from a serious rib injury he sustained last month. DeVito is only viable in deeper superflex formats against the Packers.

Head coach Matt Eberflus is “under evaluation” with the Bears over the season’s final month, per Anderson. The team is looking into Bieniemy — among others — as a head coach candidate in 2024. Without a strong finish to the season, Eberflus is almost certainly out shortly after the regular season concludes. Eberflus is 7-22 as Chicago’s head coach since the start of the 2022 season. Bieniemy could be a tough get for the Bears if the Commanders move on from head coach Ron Rivera and offer Bieniemy the top spot.

Lawrence bent back awkwardly in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Bengals and proceeded to limp for several minutes to the Jacksonville locker room. Wolfe said Lawrence “tried to stand on ankle before leaving in walking boot/crutches.” He’ll likely miss multiple weeks with the apparently serious ankle injury but should be back in 2023, per Wolfe. Until then, CJ Beathard — who acquitted himself well against the Bengals — will be under center for the Jaguars. It’s a downgrade for all fantasy-relevant Jaguars besides, perhaps, Evan Engram, who should absorb more check downs in the coming weeks.

Stevenson, done in by the dreaded hip drop tackle in Week 13 against the Chargers, should miss the remainder of the fantasy football season. That puts Ezekiel Elliott in the RB1 role for a run-first New England offense that has been 10 percent below its expected drop back rate since Week 10. Elliott in Week 13 saw 21 touches — including five targets — against LA. It’s a perfectly fine workload for a top-24 fantasy option. Elliott should see most or all of the team’s red zone work, with Ty Montgomery serving as the Patriots’ No. 2 back with Stevenson sidelined. Montgomery can be picked up in deeper formats in case Elliott gets dinged up.