NFL Player News

Lance has continued to make strides with the Cowboys, with today’s full preseason game appearing to be somewhat of a final audition to be the primary backup behind Dak Prescott. He currently sits third on the team’s unofficial depth chart behind Cooper Rush, something another solid showing could upend. Dallas will have two weeks to make the final determination before opening the season on the road against the Browns.

Okonkwo broke free for a 43-yard score at the top of the second quarter by bull-rushing through Saints corner Kool-Aid McKinstry after securing a short toss from Cam Ward. The one play alone put him over 40 yards with a score for the second week in a row. Backup tight end Gunnar Helm was only targeted twice. He caught just one pass. Okonkwo will remain in the TE2 mix for his Week 18 date with the Jags.

Ayomanor secured TD No. 4 of his rookie season by leaving his defender in the dust for a seven-yard score. His seven targets tied Chig Okonkwo for a team-high in pass-game opportunities. Ayomanor hasn’t caught more than four passes in a game this year and that’s unlikely to change versus the Jags next week. He will be a splash-play WR5 for the season finale.

Dike also had a carry of seven yards and drew a 50-yard defensive pass interference. He finished the day tied for team-highs in catches and yards. With some help from his punt and kick returns, Dike set the record for all-purpose yards by a rookie at 2,344. Dike has his limitations as a receiver, but he is a force to be reckoned with when the ball is in his hands. He will be in the FLEX mix for his Week 18 date with the Jags.

Spears “added” one catch for a loss of one yard. He was the recipient of a heroic throw by Cam Ward late in the fourth quarter, but it was ruled that Ward’s knee hit the ground before he got the pass off. Spears took a backseat to Tony Pollard in this game. Pollard touched the ball 20 times and totaled 95 yards. Coming off a 100-yard outing in Week 16, this goes down as a bust for Spears. He will shuffle back into the RB4 ranks for Week 18.

Per usual, Pollard dominated the Titans’ backfield opportunities. Tyjae Spears logged a measly six attempts and caught just two passes. Unlike previous weeks, Pollard didn’t hit 100 yards or find the end zone. It was still a solid game that saw Pollard average 4.5 yards per carry, but fantasy managers might be left wanting more. Pollard will have a hard time getting home versus a motivated Jags squad next week. He will be stuck in the RB2 ranks despite seeing an RB1 workload every week.

Jeanty simply had nowhere to run behind the Raiders’ offensive line. He regularly got hit near the line of scrimmage and was unable to will his way past the Giants’ swarming defenders. Defenses already have little reason to respect the Raiders’ passing offense, and things could be even more difficult against the Chiefs next week, with QB Geno Smith (ankle) potentially sidelined. Jeanty remains just a volume-based RB2.

Mayer showed off his versatility in this one, lining up all over the formation. He nearly hauled in a pass on a short crossing route from the Giants’ 12-yard line, but QB Geno Smith’s pass was off the mark, allowing Giants LB Bobby Okereke to snatch the ball away, robbing Mayer of a potential catch-and-run touchdown. Aside from that, Mayer regularly picked up chunk gains between the 20s. He remains a TE1 against the Chiefs in Week 18, though Kenny Pickett could get the start with Geno Smith suffering a high-ankle sprain today.

The Eagles had only 190 total yards of offense, so there weren’t many productive players in the rain; however, Goedert converted on a short touchdown pass to put the Eagles up 7-0 after a crucial Josh Allen fumble. This passing game looked uninspired, and the playcalling was highly questionable, but Goedert is clearly a big part of the game plan, which keeps him on the TE1 radar for next week against the Commanders.

The Eagles only threw for 110 yards, so there wasn’t much happening in the passing game on a day when the rain was pouring down. Smith was third on the team in targets and receptions, so we guess there’s that. He did have a touchdown against the Commanders last week, so perhaps he can repeat that when the two teams play in Week 18.

Brown made a few tough catches in the first half with defenders in close coverage and put up his fourth-straight 1,000-yard receiving season. However, the Eagles’ offense gained just 19 total yards in the second half, so there was not much for Brown after his early drives. We’d expect more production next week against a Commanders team that Brown just posted 95 yards against a week ago.