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How prepared is Penix to be Falcons starter?

Mike Florio and Chris Simms map out the differences between preparing on the sidelines as if you’re starting and actually starting to evaluate if the rookie is in a position to succeed.

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Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 16

Josh Allen, Jahmyr Gibbs, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey McBride lead the way in positional rankings for Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season.

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Drew Lock

NYG Quarterback #2

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Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Drew Lock will start in Week 16 against the Falcons.

Tommy DeVito sustained a brain injury in Week 15 against the Ravens, opening the door for another Lock start in a miserable Giants season. Lock has been worse than usual as New York’s starter, completing 50 percent of his pass attempts for zero touchdowns and two interceptions on 90 attempts. Lock’s insertion into the New York lineup is bad news for Malik Nabers and the rest of the Giants pass catchers. Tim Boyle will likely serve as Lock’s backup and could very well see playing time if (when) Lock struggles against Atlanta.
Younghoe Koo

ATL Kicker #6

Falcons placed K Younghoe Koo (undisclosed) on injured reserve.

Koo, who has battled through a lingering hip injury, reportedly re-injured himself on a 42-yard field goal attempt in Week 15 against the Raiders. It’s not clear if he aggravated the existing hip issue. In any case, Koo’s disappointing 2024 campaign is over. Koo missed nine of his 34 field goal attempts this season, making him one of the league’s most inaccurate kickers. It was a down year for a veteran who had been one of the game’s most reliable kickers since joining the Falcons in 2019. Riley Patterson is in line to kick for Atlanta in Week 16 and beyond.
Patrick Mahomes

KC Quarterback #15

Underdog’s James Palmer reports Patrick Mahomes (ankle) “is going to try and give it a go” in Week 16 against the Texans.

Though Mahomes won’t be nearly 100 percent recovered from his Week 15 high ankle sprain, the “expectation,” per Palmer, is that he’ll be under center for the Chiefs on Saturday against Houston. Mahomes logged a full practice on Tuesday. Barring a setback in the next couple days, he should be able to start for KC against a tough Texans defense. If not, Carson Wentz would get the nod. Mahomes under center would be something of a boon for Travis Kelce and DeAndre Hopkins.
Cedric Tillman

CLE Wide Receiver #19

Browns WR Cedric Tillman remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that he’s hopeful Tillman can return in Week 16 against the Bengals. That Tillman, who suffered a brain injury in early December, remains in the concussion protocol is a concerning sign for the second-year wideout. Even if Tillman suits up this week against the Bengals, he won’t hold much fantasy interest with Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking over at QB for Jameis Winston.
Breece Hall

NYJ Running Back #20

Breece Hall (knee) did not practice Wednesday.

It was a walk through practice session for the Jets but Hall was estimated as a DNP. He played through a lingering knee issue in Week 15 against the Jaguars — going for 51 yards on 11 touches — after missing Week 14’s loss to Miami. If Hall can log a limited practice on Thursday or Friday, he should be ready to go for this week’s game against the Rams. His workload should continue to be smaller than usual while he battles through the knee injury.
Nick Chubb

CLE Running Back #24

Browns place RB Nick Chubb (foot) on injured reserve.

The 2024 season is over for Chubb, who returned in late October from a horrific 2023 knee injury and struggled mightily to rediscover his previous form. Chubb managed 332 yards and three rushing scores over eight games, averaging a bleak 3.2 yards per carry. Chubb ranked 39th out of 50 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus’ elusive rating and was in the bottom-10 in rush yards over expected. He’ll spend another offseason recovering from a season-ending injury. Chubb, who will be 29 in two weeks, will be an unrestricted free agent this spring and should get interest from teams looking to make the veteran a part of a timeshare backfield.
Aaron Rodgers

NYJ Quarterback #8

Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers is “getting healthier.”

Rodgers has appeared more fleet afoot over the past two weeks against the Dolphins and Jaguars, games that saw the 41-year-old Rodgers combine for 628 passing yards and four touchdowns. “He struggled with injury for a good part of the season, and, as he’s starting to get healthier, you’re starting to see Aaron Rodgers — the real Aaron Rodgers,” Ulbrich said Tuesday. Rodgers has reportedly played through myriad injuries in 2024, including an MCL sprain, a hamstring tear, and a high ankle sprain. He has refused to rest and played poorly through the various injuries. An ever-healthier Rodgers will look to have his third straight solid outing in Week 16 against a vulnerable Rams secondary.
Michael Penix Jr.

ATL Quarterback #9

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has named Michael Penix Jr. the team’s starting quarterback moving forward.

The Falcons selected Penix No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft with the veteran Kirk Cousins already signed and are choosing to make the move to the 24-year-old earlier than fans anticipated. Penix led the Washington Huskies to an undefeated season in 2023, losing the National Championship game to Michigan. He won the Maxwell Award and finished second for the Heisman Trophy. As an older rookie, Penix profiles to be further along in his development and may have a shorter learning curve than some of the other rookie starters this season. For fantasy purposes, it can’t be too much worse for pass-catchers Drake London and Darnell Mooney as the offense had just one passing touchdown over its last five games. London and Mooney are in back-end WR2 and WR4 mixes, respectively. Though Penix offers more mobility than statue Kirk Cousins, he was never a rusher in college and will have minimal dual-threat upside. He sits at the fantasy QB2/3 borderline for his first career start in Week 16 against the porous Giants defense.
Budda Baker

ARI Safety #3

Cardinals signed S Budda Baker to a three-year, $54 million extension.

The Cardinals sign Baker for $18 million per year, the third largest among safeties in NFL history. The $54 million total includes $30 million guaranteed over three years for the 28-year-old. Baker is a two-time first-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-Pro, and six-time Pro Bowler initially drafted by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has been an every-day starter since 2018 and has tallied 879 combined tackles, 9.5 sacks, and seven interceptions over eight seasons. Baker is having another solid season and the Cardinals get him signed through 2027 before his impending free agency in the offseason.
Patrick Mahomes

KC Quarterback #15

Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practiced in full on Tuesday.

Mahomes met with reporters — another sign of optimism towards him playing — and told them he won’t push the ankle if he feels he can’t play the way he wants. Andy Reid told reporters: “The doctor will talk to me. If he can go, he’ll go. If he can’t, he can’t. It’s that simple. That’s how we’ll roll. I’ll just take it day by day and see how he does.” We’d still be wary of Mahomes playing in Week 16, and this was just a light walkthrough for the Chiefs, but this is definitely a more optimistic update than we expected today.

WATCH NOW

How prepared is Penix to be Falcons starter?

December 18, 2024 08:10 AM

Mike Florio and Chris Simms map out the differences between preparing on the sidelines as if you’re starting and actually starting to evaluate if the rookie is in a position to succeed.

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