NFL Player News

Jacobs told reporters that his “knee stiffened up during the second half last Sunday.” Despite the stiffness, Jacobs played on 16-of-19 backfield snaps and handled 10-of-12 backfield touches in the second half. He underwent “another scan” on Monday, and the knee is reportedly “structurally sound.” We tentatively expect Jacobs to suit up and handle close to his typical workload against the Broncos this weekend. Ideally, he returns to practice tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Stevenson was thrust into workhorse duties following the second quarter departure of rookie TreVeyon Henderson due to a concussion, although the negative game script capped his rush attempts the remainder of the way. Stevenson made the most of the opportunity in the fourth quarter, catching a two-point conversion to bring the Patriots within three points with just over nine minutes left to play before springing loose off tackle for a 21-yard score to complete an 11-point comeback later in the frame. Fantasy managers in the Championship round will want to follow the status of Henderson closely in the coming week of practice as Stevenson could be looking at a robust role in a good matchup against the Jets in Week 17.

Maye also coughed the football up twice, losing one, which was nothing a fourth quarter comeback could not erase. The second-year quarterback led the charge for the first New England come-from-behind victory from 11 down in the fourth quarter since their Super Bowl win over the Falcons, sparking “MVP” chants from the Patriots faithful that traveled for the game. The 380 yards through the air marked the first game this season with more than 300 passing yards for Maye as the Patriots clinched a playoff berth with the win. Maye made several spectacular throws, the most impressive of which was a 37-yard dime down the sideline to beat double coverage for a touchdown to rookie Kyle Williams. Maye and the Patriots get a full week of rest before traveling to face the reeling Jets in Week 17.

Mims also had one carry for three yards. He saw his usual offensive usage, running 15 pass routes on 51 Bo Nix drop backs and seeing a few designed looks. That Pat Bryant went down in the fourth quarter with a neck injury probably won’t matter for Mims, whose value lies in punt and kick returns.

Smyth was busy in Sunday’s easy win over the Jets, as the Saints stalled out on three red zone possessions. Smyth has now made nine of his ten field goal tries over four games with the Saints and profiles as a decent Week 17 option against the Titans.

Lutz drilled a 54-yarder in the thin air of Denver but missed his sixth field goal of the season. Lutz now has multiple field goal tries in nine games this season, making him a reliable weekly play in all fantasy formats.

Allen, with Bhayshul Tuten (finger) done for the season, is the Jags’ No. 2 back behind Travis Etienne, who had 16 carries for 50 yards against the Broncos. Allen had an inside-the-five carry against Denver, suggesting he could be the goal line back over Etienne. He should remain on waiver wires ahead of Week 17.

With Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright on IR, Firkser and Shane Zylstra continued to split the TE1 duties in Detroit. Firkser led the way in all receiving categories. Zylstra still managed three grabs for 20 yards. Firkser could be worth a look in DFS tournaments when the Lions take on Minnesota on Christmas, but he isn’t on the redraft radar.

Raymond and Isaac TeSlaa split the No. 3 role this week. Both players topped 50 yards and scored. TeSlaa did so on seven targets compared to five for Raymond. Jared Goff compiled 364 yards in a failed comeback bid, allowing multiple ancillary pieces to get home this week. That shouldn’t be the case next week. We don’t recommend starting Raymond or TeSlaa in the fantasy football finals.

Today was the first time since Nov. 2 Ayomanor caught more than two passes, while those receiving yards were actually a new season high. Not bad, if not terribly notable. Chimere Dike remained the more impressive young wideout against the Chiefs. Ayomanor is a young player who has shown something in an offense displaying subtle signs of progress, but he’s not on the radar for fantasy finals week, while his 2026 rank remains very much to be determined.

TeSlaa’s touchdown grab this week was relatively routine for his lofty standards. He climbed that ladder on a hole shot into the end zone and was spun around by a collision with multiple defenders. For most players, it would have been an incredible addition to the highlight reel. It was just another Sunday for TeSlaa. The rookie is up to five touchdown grabs on the year. He will be a boom/bust WR6 for his Week 17 date with the Vikings.