NFL Player News

Pickens signed on as a five-star recruit and impressed during the summer of 2019, but he was stuck behind first-round pick Javon Kinlaw as well as Kobe Smith on the depth chart, as VanHaaren notes. He was still able to pick up 16 tackles as a rotation player, and now he should really get a chance to shine as a presumed starter for the Gamecocks. It would be a borderline upset if Pickens didn’t have a massive jump in production for South Carolina this fall.

Guerendo was held out of the first two practices after suffering a sprained foot in the 49ers’ Week 14 win over the Bears. With both Jordan Mason and Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, Guerendo was the next man up last week, though that didn’t last long. If he can’t suit up tomorrow, Patrick Taylor will be the latest runner to take over the San Francisco backfield. He would sit in the RB2 ranks with Guerendo out.

This is Lattimore’s first Full Participant designation since being traded to the Commanders mid-season. He is now tentatively on track to make his Commanders debut this week, suiting up for the first time since Week 8. Fittingly, the Commanders face his former team, the Saints.

The Pats signed Osborn as a depth option in the offseason. The former Viking never found a role in the offense and the team eventually waived him after Week 14. Osborn went for 1,845 yards in three years as the Vikings’ No. 3 receiver, proving his worth as a depth option on a strong passing attack. With Noah Brown likely done for the year, he should see plenty of snaps for the Commanders once he gets up to speed with the offense.

Olave is eligible to be activated from injured reserve, but the Saints are nearing the end of a lost season and he has a lengthy concussion history. There’s no reason to rush him back for a few meaningless games. We still expect him to miss the remainder of the season, though Rizzi didn’t rule him out for the year just yet. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will continue to operate as the Saints’ top receiver for at least one more week.

Nubin’s rookie season comes to a close. The 2024 second-round NFL draft pick totaled a team-high 39 coverage tackles and ranks fourth on the team in run-defense tackles with 32. His loss will be felt by the Giants’ defense.

Carr was concussed and suffered a fracture in his non-throwing hand after colliding with Kevin Austin, one of his own receivers, on a scramble in Week 14 against the Giants. He left the game and did not return. Per Rizzi, the hand injury isn’t expected to require surgery but Carr remains in concussion protocol. He will not be placed on injured reserve. Despite the pair of injuries and missing the first practice of the week, Carr was not ruled out for Week 15. Backups Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler split the first-team reps on Wednesday. Though we fully expect Carr to miss Sunday’s game, it sounds like he has a legitimate shot at returning before the end of the season.

Butker underwent a meniscus trim on his left knee in November, as he was sent to injured reserve. The talented kicker could play as early as Week 15, however, he understandably makes for a slightly less certain K1 than fantasy managers are used to. It would be unsurprising to see him turn in an up-and-down performance in his first game back.

Herbert could return for a very limited session during the closed portion of practice, but he appears to be headed toward a DNP to start the week. Head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Herbert is dealing with an ankle injury in addition to the leg contusion he suffered in Week 14. Harbaugh noted that this ankle issue is separate from the high-ankle sprain he dealt with earlier in the season. None of that is good news, but Herbert has played through multiple injuries this year and will attempt to do so again this week. Our money is on him suiting up for a phenomenal matchup with the Bucs.

Kamara’s illness is unlikely to sideline him for Week 15, however, the 5-8 Saints currently sit third in the NFC South and barely clinging to the playoff bubble. Unfortunately, the team’s playoff hopes were likely dashed by Derek Carr’s Week 14 hand fracture. Kamara will surely campaign to play, regardless, but fantasy managers should closely monitor the situation while picking up Kendre Miller if possible.

Nabers played through a hip flexor issue last week after missing Friday’s practice. The team listed him as questionable but didn’t limit his reps. He ran nearly every route and saw 10 targets, five of which were caught for 79 yards. It’s safe to assume Nabers will have a light workload in practice for a few more weeks and possibly the rest of the year. Fantasy managers can bank on him as a volume-based WR2 barring any setbacks.