NFL Player News

The box score watchers will be out for Mahomes’ head in this one, but he was plagued by innumerable drops from his pass-catchers against the Eagles. Justin Watson committed three drops, Travis Kelce committed two drops, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a would-be go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter that forced the Chiefs into third-and-10. Mahomes committed an intentional grounding penalty while trying to avoid the sack on the subsequent play, forcing a fourth-and-25 situation which ended in Watson’s third drop of the game on a ball that hit him in the hands beyond the first down marker. Beyond the drops and modest fantasy production, the Chiefs rank dead last in the league in second half scoring this season and clearly need to be better prepared for in-game tweaks for the remainder of the season. Up next for the Chiefs is a road date with the 5-6 Raiders in Las Vegas.

Olave missed Thursday’s practice because of the illness and was not spotted during the portion of Friday’s practice open to the media. He will almost certainly get a questionable tag when the Saints drop their final injury report of the week. Players typically play through illness-related questionable tags, so we will assume Olave is no different for now. Down multiple pass-catchers for Week 14, Olave will be peppered with targets if active. He will sit on the WR1/2 borderline versus the Panthers.

Hill went the whole week without logging a practice and is trending toward missing Week 14’s matchup against the Panthers. His absence would likely lead to busier days on the ground for Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams and create more red-zone opportunities for all skill players involved. Fantasy managers who have gotten away with playing Hill as a tight end all season could use Juwan Johnson as a streamer, although he’s been very boom-or-bust this season.

As far as we know, Carr is still in concussion protocol. The veteran quarterback has practiced every day this week and sounds like he’ll have a chance to play in Week 14 against the Panthers. If he’s not able to clear concussion protocol, Carr won’t be allowed to play, but a complete week of practices suggests his ribs and shoulder injury aren’t going to stop him from playing. If he is unable to go, Jameis Winston will draw the start. Things continue to be wait-and-see with the Saints’ signal-caller.

Foreman practiced in full throughout the week. The last time we saw the Bears, Roschon Johnson dominated the snaps and carries for the backfield. That was, however, without Foreman active. Foreman went from a healthy scratch to a workhorse back in a matter of weeks to start the year, so it’s impossible to say who will lead the way in Week 14. This is a situation to avoid until we get some data on the touch split on Sunday.

This is an opinion from a beat writer who has observed Lawerence in practice, not an official word from the team. Lawrence has been fighting to play all week despite suffering a nasty ankle injury in Monday night’s Week 13 contest against the Bengals and will “probably” be a game-time decision, according to head coach Doug Pederson. Even if he does suit up, Lawrence could be a risky play in fantasy, as an in-game setback could sideline him at a moment’s notice. Fantasy managers planning to start him should approach the decision with caution and be opened to considering other options even if he is active.

Higbee did not practice this week, so it’s safe to assume he won’t be playing through the doubtful tag on Sunday. With Higbee failing to do much in a full-time role, there isn’t a backup worth stashing, even in deep fantasy leagues. Hunter Long will likely see an uptick in snaps with Higbee out.

Jefferson’s long-awaited return will come against a Raiders’ secondary that’s allowed more than 300 passing yards over the last two weeks. A hamstring injury that’s sidelined him since Week 5 has kept fantasy managers on edge over the last two months as they await his return, but the league’s top receiver will be back for the fantasy playoff push. Jefferson was his normal dominant self before going down, catching 36 passes for 571 yards and three touchdowns. He should be back to his normal WR1 self with Josh Dobbs now at the helm.

Smith is one of four Chiefs players ruled out for Week 14, as Isiah Pacheco (shoulder), LB Drue Tranquill (concussion), and S Bryan Cook (ankle) have also been ruled out for the contest. This will be Smith’s first missed game of the season, as the veteran has sported a mostly clean bill of health in his first season with the team. Wanya Morris is listed behind Smith on the depth chart and will presumably draw the start in Smith’s absence.

Knox is still on injured reserve but practiced in full throughout the week. That gives him a strong chance of suiting up on Sunday. We will know his status well before kickoff as the Bills have to officially activate him from injured reserve over the weekend if they want him to play. If he returns, Dalton Kincaid’s fantasy value will take a serious hit right before the start of the fantasy playoffs. The rookie has come alive in Knox’s absence, averaging six catches for 56 yards over his past five appearances.

Vea didn’t practice all week, meaning he’s likely trending toward missing Week 14 despite the questionable tag. The veteran defensive tackle has played in 11 games for the Bucs this season, totaling 33 tackles, nine TFLs, and 5.5 sacks. In his sixth season, Vea is in the middle of a career-year, which would make his absence against the Falcons all the more impactful. While Vea is questionable, corner Jamel Dean (ankle/foot) has already been ruled out.