Fantasy Football News
Josh Palmer Ruled Out For Wild Card Weekend
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Josh Palmer (foot) has been ruled out for Saturday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Palmer sat out last weekend with the same injury and will now miss his second-straight game. Palmer could not practice all week, which suggests he may have trouble suiting up next weekend if the Chargers were to defeat the Texans on Saturday afternoon. Over his previous four games, Palmer has seen six targets per game and averaged 42.5 yards per game. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston (thigh/illness) is also listed as questionable, which could leave rookie Ladd McConkey as the lone pass catcher in the wide receiver room available against a struggling Houston secondary that has allowed the 11th-most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.
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Jordan Love Upgrades To Full Practice On Thursday
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (elbow) was a full participant in Thursday's practice after being limited by a right elbow injury on Wednesday. This almost certainly means he'll be available for Green Bay's NFC Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, barring a setback. Love was banged up in the Week 18 loss to the Chicago Bears and did not return, but the Packers did not have much to gain from winning and likely took the cautious route with their franchise quarterback. Love was impressive in his first playoff run last season, completing over 67% of his passes, averaging 233 passing yards per game, and throwing five touchdowns to two interceptions in games against the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers on the road. Love led the No. 7 seed Packers to the first win over a No. 2 seed in the NFL playoffs ever, and that's the challenge ahead of him again on Sunday.
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A.J. Brown Being Rested On Thursday
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) was not spotted at the start of Thursday's practice ahead of the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers. The five-time 1,000-yard receiver left Wednesday's practice early, but the team listed him with knee and rest designations. It's unclear what's holding Brown out of practice, but there will surely be more information after Philly wraps up its Thursday session. If Brown cannot play on Sunday, wideout DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert, and running back Saquon Barkley should see additional work in the passing game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) is back on the practice field for a second straight day and is trending toward being available. Needless to say, anyone participating in NFL playoff fantasy football leagues or DFS contests should stay tuned for updates. UPDATE: Brown is being rested on Thursday as part of a planned absence. He is expected to be ready to go for Wild Card weekend.
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Jalen Hurts Logging Another Practice On Thursday
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (concussion) is practicing again on Thursday after returning to practice on Wednesday for a limited session. The 26-year-old suffered a concussion in the Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders and was absent from all practices and games before returning on Wednesday. His official practice status will be announced after practice wraps up on Thursday, but it appears he is trending toward being available for the NFC Wild Card matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Needless to say, not having Hurts for a postseason contest would significantly hamper Philadelphia's chances to advance to the Divisional Round. If he surprisingly cannot play on Sunday, Kenny Pickett (ribs) would likely draw the start.
1 hour ago
Tyreek Hill "Committed" To Dolphins
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been in the headlines after hinting toward wanting to be traded following the team's Week 18 loss to the New York Jets. Hill fell under 1,000 receiving yards in 2024 for the first time since 2019, and this year is the first time he has missed the playoffs since entering the NFL. However, the team has since said Hill has not requested a trade. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Hill played through a severe wrist injury all year and is committed to Miami after an "excellent" meeting with general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel. It surely sounds like Hill will play for the Dolphins in 2025, and he could have a bounce-back campaign if he and Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy.
2 hours ago
Zay Flowers Officially Out For Wild-Card Game
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) has officially been ruled out for the wild-card playoff game on Saturday night against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers after not practicing all week. Flowers sprained his right knee in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Cleveland Browns in the regular-season finale and will be unavailable this weekend. It's unclear if he'll have a shot to return if Baltimore beats Pittsburgh and advances to the Divisional Round. The biggest beneficiary of Flowers' absence this Saturday will be Rashod Bateman, while tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely should be heavily targeted as well in a tough matchup against the Steelers defense. In addition to Bateman, the Ravens will ask wideouts Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker to step up for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
2 hours ago
Falcons Comfortable Keeping Kirk Cousins As Backup?
Atlanta Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said that the team is comfortable moving forward next year with quarterback Kirk Cousins as the backup to Michael Penix Jr. It's very unlikely that Cousins will be in Atlanta next year as a backup with a $40 million salary cap hit. The more likely outcome this offseason is that the Falcons end up trading Cousins to a team looking for a veteran QB while they find their signal-caller of the future in the draft. If Cousins were to be cut before June 1, he'd carry a $65 million cap hit for 2025. The 36-year-old is also due a $10 million roster cut on March 17, so if he's not traded, Atlanta is expected to cut him before then. Cousins was benched for Penix in Week 16 and ended up being a bust after signing a four-year, $180 million deal last offseason. The four-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions in his 14 starts.
3 hours ago
Zay Flowers Not Practicing Friday, Highly Unlikely To Play Saturday
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee) wasn't seen practicing on Friday and has not practiced all week after suffering a knee sprain in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Cleveland Browns in the regular-season finale last Saturday. The Ravens have yet to release their final injury report for wild-card weekend, but Flowers seems highly unlikely to face the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. It was reported on Wednesday that Flowers was a long shot to play, so this news isn't much of a surprise. The 24-year-old will most likely be officially ruled out later on Thursday. With Flowers likely out of action against a tough defense in Pittsburgh, it will make things tougher through the air for star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Receiver Rashod Bateman and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely figure to be his top targets, with Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace also seeing more snaps.
4 hours ago
Justin Bethel Announces Retirement
Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Justin Bethel announced his retirement from professional football on Wednesday after spending 12 seasons in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens. Bethel was originally selected in the sixth round by the Cardinals in 2012 out of Presbyterian. The first six years of his NFL came in the desert, where Bethel was named to all three of his Pro Bowls in a three-year span from 2013-15. The 34-year-old veteran didn't play a single game in 2024 and had only 19 tackles (15 solo), half a sack and one pass breakup in 17 games (one start) for the Dolphins in 2023. Bethel wraps up his 12-year NFL career with 282 total tackles (235 solo), half a sack, five interceptions (three returned for touchdowns), 25 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries in 193 games (15 starts).
17 hours ago
49ers Plan To Release Javon Hargrave
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday that the team plans to designate defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (triceps) as a post-June 1 cut for salary-cap purposes. However, the 49ers also have interest in bringing Hargrave back on a new deal for the 2025 season. The 31-year-old is two years into a four-year deal that he signed in March of 2023, but he played in only three games in 2024 before suffering a season-ending torn triceps muscle. The former third-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2016 NFL draft out of South Carolina State had seven sacks and made the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career in his first year in the Bay Area in 2023, but this season was obviously a big disappointment because of his injury. In his three games, Hargrave had seven tackles (four solo) and one sack.
17 hours ago
Jamison Crowder Limited By Groin Injury
Washington Commanders veteran wide receiver Jamison Crowder (groin) was limited in Wednesday's practice as the team begins preparing to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road at Raymond James Stadium for the wild-card playoff game on Sunday night. Crowder returned from a stint on Injured Reserve in Week 15 but played only 20 offensive snaps and wasn't targeted at all in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Dallas Cowboys in the regular-season finale. The 31-year-old was likely being rested last weekend so that he'll be ready to go for the start of the playoffs, but even when fully healthy, Crowder has been a non-factor in Washington's offense this year. In his second year in D.C., Crowder has only nine receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns in six games, making him a low-upside dart throw for DFS playoff lineups.
17 hours ago
Antoine Winfield Jr. Practicing In Full Ahead Of Wild-Card Game
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) was a full participant in the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Winfield looks to be on track to returning for the postseason to take on the Washington Commanders on Sunday night in the wild-card round after he missed the final four games of the regular season due to his knee injury. Getting the All-Pro safety back for the start of the playoffs would be huge for a Buccaneers secondary that has been friendly to opposing receivers for most of the year. While Winfield is a must-start in IDP formats whenever he's healthy, fantasy managers setting DFS lineups during wild-card weekend should still fade the Buccaneers defense/special teams unit against the Commanders and impressive rookie QB Jayden Daniels. The Bucs defense finished 21st in the league in overall fantasy points through 18 weeks.
17 hours ago
Jalen McMillan Practicing In Full Despite Finger Injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan (finger) is listed on this week's injury report with a finger injury but was able to give it a full-go in practice on Wednesday. It's something to keep an eye on the rest of the week, but barring a setback, McMillan should be good to go for Sunday night's wild-card playoff battle against the visiting Washington Commanders. The 23-year-old third-round selection out of Washington came on like gangbusters to close out his rookie campaign in the regular season, catching 24 of 31 targets for 316 yards and seven touchdowns in the last five contests. McMillan is the No. 2 behind future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, but there are enough looks to go around in Tampa's pass-happy offense for the rookie to be considered on the WR1/2 borderline for DFS playoff lineups this weekend.
18 hours ago
Lavonte David Limited With Knee Injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (knee) logged a limited session to kick off the week ahead of Sunday's matchup with the visiting Washington Commanders. The veteran evidently picked up a knee injury in Week 18's 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints, though he did not miss any snaps. There's been no further report on David, suggesting he should not be in danger of missing Tampa Bay's Wild Card contest. The 34-year-old led the Bucs in total tackles with 122 in 2024, marking the twelfth time in 14 seasons that he's eclipsed 100 tackles. Additionally, the Miami native led every Tampa Bay defender in snaps (1,078) -- 20 more than the next closest athlete. While it seems that he won't be inactive on Sunday, it's worth monitoring his practice status over the next 48 hours. In the unlikely event that David cannot suit up, fellow linebacker J.J. Russell figures to see an uptick in snaps.
18 hours ago
Chris Boswell Tagged With DNP
Pittsburgh Steelers placekicker Chris Boswell (illness) was listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice. The 33-year-old could log a full session on Tuesday but evidently caught something overnight and was unavailable a day later. It's been an incredible season for the veteran -- drilling all 35 extra-point tries while failing to connect on only three field goals. He led the league with 158 points. While Boswell will get another shot at practice time on Thursday ahead of their Wild Card clash with the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, it's mildly concerning for the Steelers. Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward (illness) is also under the weather and has been a DNP the whole week thus far, so hopefully, it doesn't spread further. Heyward reportedly has the flu, while Boswell's illness has not yet been reported.
18 hours ago
Malik Willis Limited With Thumb Injury
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (thumb) was a limited participant in Wednesday's team practice. Both he and starting quarterback Jordan Love (elbow) picked up injuries in last Sunday's 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears, and both kicked off the week with a limited session. Despite being listed as limited, the sentiment surrounding the QBs seems optimistic. Willis never exited the team's meeting with the Bears in spite of being shaken up, and head coach Matt LaFleur noted that Love could have reentered the game if necessary. However, fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on the signal callers' practice participation leading up to their road tilt against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round. While Love and Willis are expected to be fine, Sean Clifford would be the next man up if the Packers faced a worst-case scenario.
18 hours ago
MarShawn Lloyd's Season Over Due To Hamstring Injury
Per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (appendix, hamstring) has been transferred to injured reserve, and his season is officially over. The 24-year-old was moved to injured reserve from the reserve/non-football illness list after recovering from appendicitis but still experiencing issues with his hamstring. It's a lost season for the rookie, who appeared in one game -- Week 2 in the team's win over the Indianapolis Colts -- playing ten snaps. Lloyd injured his hamstring in the preseason but was healthy enough to be active for their meeting with the Colts. However, he'd suffer a severe ankle sprain that would keep him out of action -- and on IR -- for seven weeks. Upon his return to team activities, he re-aggravated the hamstring injury suffered in the summer but would need immediate surgery on his appendix. Though he could recover from his surgery, the hamstring ailment is still an issue. The Packers plan to send the first-year pro to the same institute that wideout Christian Watson (knee) attended last offseason in an effort to quell the hamstring issues he had since his rookie season. While Watson just had his year cut short by a knee injury, he did not miss a single contest because of his hamstring in 2024. We'll see Lloyd again in 2025.
19 hours ago
Quentin Johnston Downgraded To DNP On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (thigh, illness) was downgraded to a non-participant in practice on Wednesday after he was listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Tuesday. Hopefully for the Chargers, Johnston's absence on Wednesday was because he wasn't feeling well and not because of his thigh injury. The 23-year-old's practice status on Thursday will go a long way towards determining whether he'll be able to play on Saturday against the hosting Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the playoffs. With Joshua Palmer (foot) missing the Week 18 regular-season finale and not practicing yet this week, the Chargers' receiving corps behind rookie Ladd McConkey could be down to DJ Chark and Derius Davis. If Johnston ends up playing, he will have considerable upside as a WR2 in fantasy against a porous Texans secondary.
19 hours ago
J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards Limited Again On Wednesday
Los Angeles Chargers running backs J.K. Dobbins (ankle) and Gus Edwards (ankle) were both limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Wednesday. Barring a setback on Thursday, Dobbins should be active for Saturday's wild-card playoff tilt in Houston against the Texans as the Chargers' lead back. Edwards, meanwhile, might need to upgrade to a full practice on Thursday to avoid a questionable tag going into Saturday after he missed the final two games of the regular season. Both backs have dealt with injuries in 2024, but the 26-year-old Dobbins has been much more productive as LA's primary backfield option when they've both been healthy at the same time. Against a Texans defense that has allowed the third-fewest half-PPR points per game to RBs this year, Dobbins checks in as a low-end RB1 for fantasy managers in the first week of the postseason.
19 hours ago
DeVonta Smith Not On This Week's Injury Report
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (wrist) was not listed on Wednesday's injury report after putting in a full practice session. Smith didn't practice at all last week before being held out of the Week 18 win over the division-rival New York Giants in the regular-season finale as a precaution due to a minor wrist injury he had been dealing with. With extra time to rest up, it appears the 26-year-old will be ready to rock for this Sunday's wild-card playoff game against the visiting Green Bay Packers. The bigger question mark is whether quarterback Jalen Hurts will clear the concussion protocol by Sunday. If Hurts is ready to go, Smith should be considered a low-end WR1 for DFS fantasy lineups as more of a boom/bust fantasy option as second fiddle to A.J. Brown. In the Week 1 win over the Packers, Smith caught seven of eight targets for 84 yards.
20 hours ago