NFL

With the Dolphins not playing until Monday, there’s little cause for concern at this time. Hill missed the first practice prior to Week 13’s matchup against the Commanders, only to suit up and torch them for 157 yards and two scores. Hill has been nursing an ankle injury throughout the season, so this is likely nothing more than a rest day for the veteran receiver.

This is the first practice Jackson has missed all season. He wasn’t listed on Wednesday’s injury report, so the reason for his absence is unknown at this time. We’ll likely know more on his absence in the coming hours and will provide any updates once they’re received.

Brents has been sidelined for several weeks with a quad injury, missing each of the Colts’ last five games. The rookie corner has started in four of the five games he’s appeared in this season, totaling 24 tackles and one interception while earning a PFF coverage grade of 66.5. His return would be a welcomed one for the Colts as they prepare for Week 14’s matchup against the Bengals.

Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson said Schultz and offensive lineman George Fant were the only two players not present at the media portion of Thursday’s. Thursday could be more of a rest day for Schultz, as he was able to log a limited practice on Wednesday. We’ll see how things go Friday before getting too concerned about his Week 14 status, but if he’s unable to go, Brevin Jordan would be looking at another busy day against the Jets.

McCarthy is reportedly already at home and working with the staff via Zoom. In addition to returning to the team facilities on Friday, he’s also expected to hold a video news conference with the media before the weekend. Barring any setbacks, it’s been reported that McCarthy plans on being on the sideline and coaching the team for Sunday night’s Week 14 contest against the Eagles.

On the same day Hurst’s father announced his son was dealing with Post Traumatic Amnesia, Hurst returned to the practice field. The veteran tight end was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice and will likely get in another limited practice on Thursday. Hurst’s injury is just the latest example of violent head injuries that take place on a week-to-week basis, and while he said this isn’t career-ending, the prospects of him playing again are somewhat unnerving. We’ll see if he’s able to clear concussion protocol to play in Week 14 against the Saints, but even if he’s on the field, he’ll be hard to trust from a fantasy perspective.

Harris hasn’t practiced all week and is carrying a questionable tag into the game. Despite this, the Steelers are expected to have Harris on Thursday night against a stout Patriots defense that’s fresh off a Week 13 performance in which they held the Chargers to six points. Already playing in a committee, it’s possible Harris is on the shorter end of the touch share, given his injury. We’re cautiously treating him as a fringe RB2/RB3 for Thursday night’s contest.

As if Austin Ekeler managers haven’t been through enough, it sounds like the Chargers are ready to further entertain the idea of a more split backfield. We saw this in Week 13 when Ekeler played on just 57 percent of the team’s snaps — his fewest since Week 1 when he went suffered an injury. Ekeler is averaging 3.5 yards per carry and has been far from the impact player we’ve seen over the last several years. Staley said the team will continue “exploring” and “making adjustments” in hopes of getting their flailing rushing game back on track. Despite his struggles, Ekeler is still the RB15 in fantasy points per game in PPR leagues, but he hasn’t finished any higher than RB24 over the last three weeks. A continued decline in playing time and efficiency could make him difficult to start in any capacity down the stretch.

The Bills opened Knox’s 21-day window for return on Wednesday, meaning he could suit up as early as this week when the Bills take on the Chiefs. Knox’s return could complicate the fantasy outlook for rookie Dalton Kincaid, who has caught 31 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns in Knox’s absence, averaging 14.2 fantasy points per game over that span. Knox was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. In a big conference matchup against the Chiefs, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him activated if he’s ready to go.