NFL Player News

Nacua left Week 9’s game against the Saints with the rib injury and did not return. McVay did tell reporters after the game that he could have returned. The Saints weren’t threatening the Rams late in the game, so there was no point in sending Nacua back out. Nacua underwent testing after the game, but clearly no serious issues were found. Though the minor scrapes and bruises are mounting for Nacua, he’s a WR1 anytime he’s active. That will remain the case versus the 49ers this week.

Davis once again operated as the team’s RB2 behind Breece Hall, though it was Davis tho was Brady Cook’s preferred pass-catching option out of the backfield. Davis reeled in four of his five targets; AD Mitchell was the only Jets pass catchers with more targets on the day (6). Davis logged 17 pass routes to 22 routes for Hall, who managed one reception. Despite the decent usage, Davis won’t be a fantasy play in Week 17 against the Patriots.

White continues to get a mixture of carries and passing-down usage behind Bucky Irving, running 11 routes on 25 snaps. He had a 39-yard rush to open the second quarter, the second-longest rush of his career and the Bucs’ second-longest run of the season. White also eclipsed 4,000 scrimmage yards for his career with 60 total yards in this game. The Bucs’ usage of their backs is frustrating for fantasy purposes. White has the No. 2 role and rotates in for pure passing situations, making him a risky FLEX play for Week 17 against the Dolphins.

Slayton saw 10 targets last week and went for 53 yards on four grabs. He failed to repeat the solid performance and instead committed yet another drop. His hands have been a liability all year and his latest drop could result in less playing time next week. He isn’t on the fantasy radar heading into Week 17.

With Patrick Mahomes (knee) out and Gardner Minshew (knee) quickly joining him, Pacheco became the focal point of a doomed Chiefs offense, leading in both rushing and receiving. His six grabs were three more than any other Chief. It should remain a theme for Week 17 against the Broncos, as No. 3 QB “Chris Oladokun” will not be trusted to pass, while there is no longer any point in involving dusty veteran Kareem Hunt. Pacheco should nevertheless have a hard time creating FLEX value in an offense that will have little shot at sustaining drives vs. Denver’s fearsome defense.

That Robinson easily led the Giants in receiving yards at just 19 tells you all you need to know about their passing attack. Jaxson Dart only attempted 13 passes, giving Robinson a monstrous 46 percent target share. He also added one carry for three yards. The Giants obviously couldn’t get anything going through the air, rendering Robinson obsolete, even as a potential PPR scam. He will be relegated to the WR4 ranks versus the Raiders next week.

Fantasy managers got a pure rushing day from Irving as he did not see a single target in this game, plodding his way to 3.7 yards per carry. He broke out a long run of 12 yards, but was otherwise kept in check by the Panthers’ defensive front. Irving is the early-down back, but has lost red zone snaps to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker as well, capping his fantasy ceiling. He led the trio with 40 snaps and 15 routes run, but did not have fruitful production. The closest he came to scoring was a red zone rush where he was tackled at the one-yard line in the first quarter. Irving has had a frustrating output for the fantasy playoffs and should be considered a fantasy RB2 for Week 17 against the Dolphins.

The 100-yard game was Spears’ first of the season, while the touchdown was only his second. His 13 carries were also a season high, while his five receptions tied for his second most. It was all a product of the Titans actually dictating the pace of play against a disinterested, injury-ruined Chiefs side. Week 17 against the Saints could be a close, competitive contest, but with the entire 32-team player pool at your disposal, you should still be able to do better than Spears in your FLEX spots.

Johnson’s lowlight of the day was a pass he tipped into the hands of Vikings corner Byron Murphy Jr. for an interception. The pass was above Johnson’s head and should have been out in front of him, but it was still a ball he should have easily caught. Instead, Minnesota came away with the ball and scored three plays later. Johnson’s Week 16 goose egg will keep him off the fantasy radar heading into a Week 17 matchup with the Raiders.

Mitchell once again led the Jets in air yards and targets in the check down-centric offense led by QB Brady Cook, who was sacked eight times against the Saints and rarely had time to let downfield routes to develop for Mitchell. With 33 targets over the past four weeks, Mitchell has some appeal as a WR4 option. If Tyrod Taylor were to get the starting nod in Week 17 against the Patriots, Mitchell would have much more upside than he’s had with the popgun-armed Cook.