Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said that running back Phillip Lindsay (knee) suffered a minor knee injury in the Week 12 loss to the Saints and could be available to play in Week 13 against the division-rival Chiefs. Lindsay left the game on Sunday after nine carries for only 20 yards. You'll want to keep a close eye on his practice participation this week, but it sounds like Lindsay certainly has a chance to play against Kansas City. It'll be bad news for Melvin Gordon III if Lindsay plays, as the two have been splitting backfield work pretty evenly before the Week 12 blowout loss to the Saints. Lindsay had the hot hand for a bit earlier this year, but he's gone through a rough patch of late and will be a shaky RB3/flex against the Chiefs if he plays. If he's inactive, Royce Freeman will see more work as a change-of-pace to Gordon.
The Washington Football Team hired San Francisco 49ers executive Martin Mayhew to serve as their new general manager on Thursday. Marty Hurney, who was previously reported as becoming the next GM, will be appointed to a high-ranking front-office role. Mayhew has been an NFL executive since 2001 and will step into his second stint as GM, with his first coming with the Lions in 2008. He remained in that position until 2015. Mayhew then took over as the New York Giants director of football operations before moving to San Francisco in 2017 as the team's senior personnel executive for two seasons. He became vice president of player personnel in 2019. Mayhew was a cornerback in the NFL for the Bills, Washington and the Buccaneers from 1988-96 and won a Super Bowl with Washington in 1992.
Things are trending in the right direction for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (concussion) to play in the AFC Championship against the Bills on Sunday. Mahomes was limited in practice for the second straight day on Thursday and took the majority of the snaps on offense, a good sign that he didn't suffer a setback after practicing on Wednesday. The hope is that he's a full participant in practice on Friday, which means he'd likely be on his way toward being cleared from the league's protocol before Sunday. The 25-year-old former MVP will be a tad more risky at his elevated DFS price against Buffalo coming off a head injury that knocked him out of the Divisional Round game against the Browns, but Mahomes should put up numbers in what could be a high-scoring affair this weekend as long as he doesn't suffer another head injury.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to hire Darrell Bevell as their new offensive coordinator, according to sources. Several teams were trying to hire Bevell after he finished the 2020 season as the Detroit Lions interim head coach. The 51-year-old was the offensive coordinator in Detroit the last two years, with the team averaging 22.5 points per game and 348.5 total yards per game in his two seasons at the helm. Bevell became the Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2011, 11 seasons after breaking into the NFL as an assistant quarterbacks coach with Green Bay. He made back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl with Seattle in 2013-14 and won one championship. His biggest task will be working with a likely rookie quarterback -- expected to be Clemson's Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall selection in the draft -- to mold Jacksonville's offense to the young signal-caller's strengths.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin is poised for a great showing against the Packers in the NFC Championship game. Godwin has 19 targets in the Buccaneers' two playoff games, a mark that leads the team. He could be in line to receive more work than usual, as Mike Evans will likely have to deal with star corner Jaire Alexander and Antonio Brown (knee) is a game-time decision. The drops have been an issue for Godwin in the postseason, but Tom Brady's trust in him hasn't wavered. He won't be as pricey as Stefon Diggs or Davante Adams, but he could provide similar production, making him a great DFS value play this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans will likely face off with Packers' star corner Jaire Alexander in the NFC title game. This is fresh off of being held to one catch by Marshon Lattimore- though his lone reception was a touchdown. Evans and Alexander went toe-to-toe in Week 6, with Alexander following him on 76 percent of the routes, holding him to zero catches, per Pro Football Focus. Evans is talented enough to beat any corner, but this is legitimately a matchup to fear. He should be faded in DFS tournaments this weekend.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II (quadriceps) said he's "good" after returning last week from a quadriceps injury in a win over New Orleans. Jones has since gotten in two limited practice sessions and seems poised to be out there again on Sunday against Green Bay. While he's likely looking at a timeshare with Leonard Fournette, Jones has the upside to be the better valued running back this weekend in DFS. He only had 13 carries last week but ran hard against the Saints' stingy run defense- it's also worth noting that he had 20+ carries in a game three times this season, one of which was against the Packers. Jones is riskier than Fournette but could provide more bang for your buck, especially if he runs like he did last week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette has been on a roll in the playoffs. With fellow back Ronald Jones II (quadriceps) battling injury, Fournette has taken the reins of the backfield with 45 total touches in his last two games, the most for him in any two-game stretch this season. Jones seems to be getting healthier, but expect Fournette to have the slight carry edge if it turns into a timeshare. Green Bay's run defense has tightened up in the second half of the season, though it's still not a matchup to fear. Don't expect 20+ touches again, but Fournette could have himself a solid day against the Packers.
Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak officially announced his retirement on Thursday after 25 seasons of coaching in the NFL. He was hired in Minnesota in 2019 to be the team's assistant head coach/offensive advisor, serving as the offensive coordinator in 2020. The 59-year-old was leaning toward retirement after the season, but he has made it official. The Vikings will have their sixth offensive coordinator in eight seasons in 2021. The team ranked fourth in yards per game (393.3) and finished 11th in points at 26.9 per game in 2020 under Kubiak. Quarterback Kirk Cousins had a career year and running back Dalvin Cook made Pro Bowls each of the last two seasons. Kubiak will retire with four Super Bowl rings to his name -- one as Denver's head coach, back-to-back titles in 1997-98 as Denver's offensive coordinator and his first Super Bowl ring in 1994 as the 49ers quarterbacks coach.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has led his team on a six-game winning streak all the way up to Aaron Rodgers' doorstep at Lambeau Field for the NFC title game. Brady is playing some of the best football of his career in those six games, a stretch that includes the playoffs, where he's thrown for 580 passing yards, four passing scores, and one rushing touchdown against two of the league's better overall defenses. Tampa Bay may try to attack the Packers with the ground game, a formula that helped lead to their Week 6 blowout win. Brady might not provide the upside that the other quarterbacks on the slate can deliver, but he's been a safe, dependable option. That should continue on Sunday against Green Bay.
The Los Angeles Rams officially hired Raheem Morris to be their next defensive coordinator on Thursday. Morris will be replacing Brandon Staley, who was hired as the Chargers head coach last Sunday. The 44-year-old will bring 18 years of NFL coaching experience on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. He served as the interim head coach of the Falcons for their final 11 games in 2020. Morris was with Atlanta the last six seasons. He was the youngest head coach in the league in 2009 when he was hired by the Buccaneers. Morris started his NFL coaching career as a defensive quality control coach for Tampa in 2002 and was promoted to assistant defensive backs coach in 2004. He worked with head coach Sean McVay a combined four seasons with the Bucs and Washington. Morris will take over a nasty defense led by All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Rams D will likely be the first fantasy unit off the board in 2021 drafts.
