Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard (hip, knee) would have been a limited practice participant Wednesday had the team gone through with an actual session. Bernard returned from injured reserve to log 13 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown during the team's Wild Card Round victory over Philadelphia last week. Bernard's performance was entirely surprising after he notched just eight carries across 12 regular-season outings. While Bernard is dealing with injuries in his own right, his DFS viability Sunday vs. the Rams is wholly dependent upon the statuses of Ronald Jones II (ankle) and Leonard Fournette (hamstring). Ke'Shawn Vaughn would figure to continue seeing the lion's share of carries if he and Bernard split duties again, but the 30-year-old's pass-catching skills would keep him in play as a GPP option, particularly on DraftKings.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder, thumb) will be under center for the team's Divisional Round matchup vs. Green Bay on Saturday, but he will be far from completely healthy. Garoppolo has battled myriad injuries down the stretch, but he has remained the team's top option under center, even as first-round selection Trey Lance looms. Garoppolo delivered just 172 passing yards without a touchdown during the team's Wild Card Round victory over Dallas, far from encouraging numbers ahead of a collision with the Packers where frigid temperatures await. While Garoppolo delivered just one game during the regular season without a passing score, he has combined for five interceptions over his last three outings, a concerning mark when facing a Packers defense that logged 18 picks, tied for fourth most in the league.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back) was a non-participant during Wednesday's practice due to a back injury that kept him limited Tuesday. Valdes-Scantling sustained the ailment during Week 18, but like his teammates, he received a week of rest during the Wild Card Round. With the announcement that Randall Cobb (groin) will be back in the mix for Saturday's game vs. San Francisco, the Packers' wide receiving corps is getting crowded, with Davante Adams and Allen Lazard still serving as Aaron Rodgers' premier pass-catching options. Fantasy managers deploying DFS lineups will want to check back on Valdes-Scantling's status as the week progresses, as the 27-year-old logged at least 65% of the team's offensive snaps in each game that he appeared from Weeks 10-17.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman (hip, abdomen) was listed as a non-participant for Wednesday's walk-through practice, an indication of his injury status heading into Sunday's matchup vs. the Rams. Perriman played 49% of the team's offensive snaps during the Wild Card Round, logging just one catch for five yards on three targets while facing Philadelphia. With injuries zapping the Bucs' pass-catching options late in the year, Perriman stood to be in line for a larger role that never materialized. The former first-round selection has largely been kept under wraps this season, although he would have some DFS appeal in GPP formats if Cyril Grayson Jr. (hamstring) is ultimately ruled out.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II (ankle) would not have taken the field for Wednesday's practice as he continues to work his way back from an ankle injury that kept him sidelined during the Wild Card Round. When healthy, Jones stands to serve as Tampa's RB1, although Ke'Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard were both able to log rushing touchdowns during the victory over Philadelphia last week. Jones notched double-digit carries in each of his final two regular-season appearances, the first time he did that in back-to-back weeks all year. Fantasy managers firing up DFS lineups will want to check back over the coming days for updates to Jones' status as they become available.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) was able to log a full practice session Wednesday, a huge positive when it comes to a potential return to action for Sunday's game. Jerick McKinnon served as the team's RB1 during its Wild Card Round victory, a role that he would likely cede to Edwards-Helaire should he ultimately receive the green light to suit up. Injuries limited the second-year back to just 10 games during the regular season, but he averaged 11.9 carries per outing when healthy. While Patrick Mahomes and his explosive pass-catching weapons garner most of the DFS appeal, Edwards-Helaire finished the year with four rushing scores in his last five games, a glimpse into the upside he possesses amidst Kansas City's multi-faceted offense.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) is finally undergoing surgery on Wednesday to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder that he suffered way back in Week 2. Mayfield also dealt with foot and knee injuries along the way, and his injuries clearly affected his play all season long. With the Browns eliminated from playoff contention, Mayfield sat out the Week 18 regular season finale. He's expected to need four months to recover from this surgery, so he won't be available for spring workouts, but Cleveland expects him to be their starting QB heading into the 2022 season. Mayfield will be playing next season on his fifth-year option, and it's unclear if they'll consider an extension for the 26-year-old. He completed only 60.5% of his 418 pass attempts for a career-low 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
The Philadelphia Eagles expected more from wide receiver Jalen Reagor after his two seasons in the NFL. Despite the team's disappointment, Reagor is expected to return in 2022. Cutting the former first-rounder would result in over $7.8 million in dead salary cap space next season. Still just 23 years old, Reagor has 33 catches for 299 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games after catching 31 passes for 396 yards and a touchdown in only 11 games in 2020. Quez Watkins showed more growth as the No. 2 receiver behind DeVonta Smith. "We want more production from Jalen Reagor," head coach Nick Sirianni said. "He has all the talent to do so. So I like him in that No. 3 spot right now to be able to make plays because he has skill, he has talent." Reagor could always turn things around in Year 3, but he'll go into fall fantasy drafts being avoided in redraft leagues.
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said that quarterback Jalen Hurts impressed in his first full season as the starter while leading the team to the postseason. Roseman believes that Hurts did enough to keep his job as the starting QB heading into the 2022 season. In his second season in the NFL, Hurts went 265-for-432 for 3,144 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also led the league in rushing yards (784) and rushing touchdowns (10) on 139 attempts. Hurts wasn't exceptional with his arm, but he avoided consistent mistakes, and the Eagles transitioned to a run-first offense midway through the season. He is still developing heading into his second full year as a starter, but his rushing prowess alone gives him a high floor as at least a low-end QB1.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (abdomen) is expected to play in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers roughly seven weeks after he had surgery to fix a core muscle issue, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Cobb has been out since Week 12, but he'll return to help the Packers try to advance to the NFC Championship next weekend. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher does have good chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and scored five times in 12 games this year, but Cobb averaged only 2.3 catches and 31.3 receiving yards in 2021. It's also fair to wonder if he'll have his snaps limited after his long layoff. With Cobb vying for targets alongside Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling behind target hog Davante Adams, Cobb will be a touchdown-dependent, low-cost DFS sleeper in his return.
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