Daily Notes: Complete field records practice, Nagy Harris sits again
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News: Bears QB Justin Fields fully trained Thursday.
What does it mean in fantasy: Fields has been limited in practices since he injured his left shoulder in Week 11 against the Falcons. He was a gametime decision on Sunday against the Jets before he was ruled out after testing positive during the pregame warmup. The news isn’t necessarily a guarantee Fields will play on Sunday, but it does increase his chances of doing so. Fields’ penchant for running, the Bears’ scoring and Week 14 for Chicago make me doubt he’ll be active.
News: Steelers RB Najee Harris did not practice Thursday due to a oblique injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: Harris sat out for the second day in a row, and included Benny Snell as a limited entrant who sustained a knee injury on Thursday. Harris has been dealing with the injury since Monday night’s game against the Colts when he left the game in the first half. We may be about to see what Jaylen Warren can do with the Steelers and fantasy directors. Doctors cleared him to play against the Falcons on Sunday after recovering from a hamstring injury. If Harris is eliminated, the fantasy directors can view Warren as RB2.
News: The 49ers’ RB Christian McCaffrey returned to practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday.
What does it mean in fantasy: Head coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey was unable to practice on Wednesday due to knee irritation. His presence on the court bodes well for McCaffrey’s presence against the Dolphins on Sunday. Considering Elijah Mitchell will miss six to eight weeks due to an MCL sprain he suffered during the Saints win, that’s significant. Since the 49ers, McCaffrey has scored 17 or more fantasy points in three out of five games. It can be seen as a high-end RB1 against the Dolphins.
News: 49ers WR Deebo Samuel did not practice Thursday due to a quadriceps injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: Samuel was limited in practice on Wednesday and didn’t practice on Thursday, which isn’t a good sign he’ll be around against the Dolphins. He’s been struggling with various leg ailments in the past few weeks, so the team may shut him down to get him healthy for upcoming games against NFC contenders. His Week 13 availability should be more clear after practice reports on Friday. I wouldn’t be surprised if Samuel was left out due to the 49ers’ depth at receiver, so having a backup plan is a good idea for fantasy managers. Michael Gallup (listed in 44.7% of ESPN’s leagues) and Zay Jones (51.8%) are both interesting options.
News: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson practices Thursday.
What does it mean in fantasy: That was encouraging after Jackson left Wednesday practice with a quadruple injury. He has now appeared on the Ravens’ coaching report for three straight weeks. Two weeks ago, Jackson was out for a day due to illness, and last week, he was out with a hip injury. His fantasy production has had its ups and downs this season, scoring 20 or more points in just two of his past eight games. Jackson can still be seen as a midrange QB1 against the Broncos on Sunday.
News: Michael Carter did not train Thursday due to an ankle injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: Carter has not practiced since leaving the Jets’ Week 12 game against the Bears due to an injury. If Carter is unable to suit up this week, Zonovan Knight, Ty Johnson, and possibly James Robinson will take over the background duties. Robinson was unhealthily inactive for last week’s game as the Jets’ coaching staff looked for an offensive spark provided by Knight. Knight finished with 103 total yards on 17 touches. He could be considered a flex option against the Vikings on Sunday.
News: Captain RB Antonio Gibson did not practice Thursday due to a foot injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: He also limited himself to practicing on Wednesdays. Gibson’s fantasy directors would be wise to keep an eye on his standing on Friday. If Gibson is disqualified, the stage is set for Brian Robinson to bring the leaders back to himself. Since Week 6, he has averaged 17.5 touches per game. In four of those seven games, Robinson scored at least 10 fantasy points, including a season-high 20.5 fantasy points against the Falcons last week. Absent Robinson Gibson will be RB2 in a favorable game against the Giants.
News: Titans WR Treylon Burks did not practice Thursday due to illness.
What does it mean in fantasy: Assuming Burks’ illness isn’t related to COVID-19 or something else that would significantly hinder his conditioning, he will likely play Sunday against the Eagles. His standing in the Titans’ final team of the week Friday practice will likely determine his appointment to the game. Burks could be seen as a flexible option against the Eagles on Sunday.
Going deeper: Burks scored more than 17 fantasy points in consecutive games, after catching 11 of 14 targets for 181 yards on both games.
News: Broncos WR Jerry Goody did not practice Thursday due to an ankle injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: There’s a good chance Jody will miss his third straight game since he didn’t practice this week. The Broncos’ match-up with the Ravens is favorable because Baltimore allows the sixth-largest fantasy point per game for wide receivers, but Denver’s offense has been terrible this season. The Broncos are ranked 24th in total yards per game and 32nd in points scored per game. Kendall Hinton will serve as the Broncos’ No. 2 receiver behind Courtlandt Sutton. KJ Hamler has suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury and will be sidelined indefinitely. It’s hard to trust Hinton in fantasy lineups outside of the deep leagues.
News: Chargers WR Mike Williams did not practice Thursday due to a sprained ankle.
What does it mean in fantasy: Williams has not trained this week and has not officially practiced since re-aggravating his high ankle sprain in Week 11. Keenan Allen, Austin Eckler, Joshua Palmer and DeAndre Carter will once again be in line to concede extra goals if Williams is disqualified. Allen in particular has re-established himself for the Chargers over the last two games. , scoring at least 12 fantasy points on each while amassing 15 goals.
News: Giants WR Darius Slayton did not practice Thursday due to an illness.
What does it mean in fantasy: Flu season is in full force and has apparently hit the Giants locker room hard over the past few weeks. Slayton is the last to fall ill. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his position against the leaders on Sunday, as there is a good chance of playing. Slayton has scored 10 or more fantasy points in five of his past seven games. He’s only been caught in 35.3% of ESPN tournaments making him a solid flex option for those in need of extra receiver depth.
News: Saints TE Juwan Johnson did not practice with an ankle injury Thursday.
What does it mean in fantasy: That would explain why Johnson only played 27 snaps and saw two goals against the 49ers on Sunday. He scored 12 or more fantasy points in three straight games before scoring zero against San Francisco. If Johnson is left out, fantasy directors may turn to Taysom Hill, who is listed in just 38.1% of ESPN’s heroics. The Pirates allowed the fourth most fantasy points per game even to tight ends.
News: Browns TE David Njoku did not train Thursday due to a knee injury.
What does it mean in fantasy: Not working out for two days in a row doesn’t bode well for Njoku’s Sunday availability. Keep an eye on him in Friday practice but keep in mind contingencies as well. Foster Morrow (listed in 41% of ESPN leagues) is a powerhouse broadcaster, having recorded 12 or more fantasy hits in two of his last three games. Browns backup tight end Harrison Bryant, should Njoku come out, could see an increase in scoring and could be a viable fantasy option.
Today on ESPN.com/Fantasy and in the ESPN Fantasy app
Mike Clay’s Playbook: Projections and Analysis for Every Game
Eric Karapel’s Week 13 hot seat: Damon Pierce among players with something to prove in Week 13
• Improving fantasy for Daniel Dobb and Liz Loza: Daniel and Liz talk about returning Deshaun Watson, 49ers-Dolphins, Dameon Pierce and more
• Fantasy Focus podcast (10 a.m. ET)
Sunday:
• Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: The best tip of the week in one place
• Passive surveillance: Who gets in, who gets out, and what does that mean?
• After the Games: Matt Bowen and Tristan H
• Fantasy Football now: Sundays at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2
In case you missed it:
Fantasy Yates Field Ticket for Week 13: Garrett Wilson is unlocked, but are Dameon Pierce and D’Andre Swift playable?
TNF Playbook by Mike Clay: Bills vs. Patriots
Positional matching map by Tristan H. Cockcroft
Matt Bowen’s fantasy movie room: Trevor Lawrence and Tom Brady between Week 13 upgrades and downgrades
Al Zeidenfeld’s Best DFS Buys for Week 13
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp preview TNF before talking about who WRs should be in your squad and what stocks players are going up and down. Next, Adam Schefter joins in to talk about the storyline to watch in Week 13 including some big injury updates and players you should avoid in your squad. watch | Listen
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