NFL Player News

2020 has been a rocky journey for the Blazers, but in 2019, the passing offense was surprisingly dangerous in large part because of Watkins. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is a menace down the field, averaging just over 19 yards per reception on 57 catches last season. He also pulled in six touchdowns. Even when Watkins was not catching passes himself, the raw speed he provides to an offense is enough to help open things up underneath for other receivers in the route combination. With his size and speed, expect interest in Watkins, currently a Day 3 player, to rise throughout the process.

A week after catching three balls for 27 yards against New Orleans, Crowder came down with two of Jayden Daniels’ five touchdowns in a comeback effort against the Eagles. Crowder, who ran a route on just 21 of Daniels’ 48 drop backs, should remain on waiver wires headed into Week 17.

The Cowboys’ season has felt long lost, but that hasn’t stopped them from ripping off wins in four of their last five games. The team is averaging 27.4 points per game over that span, and Jones had nothing but praise for his head coach after Week 16’s win, saying he was “real, real proud” of the team while adding that McCarthy “won’t let them not think they’re playing for the Super Bowl out there.” McCarthy entered 2024 on the final year of his deal and has long been considered a goner after the Cowboys opened the season with a 3-7 record. Injuries have played a role in the Cowboys’ struggles, but even in the eight games where they had Dak Prescott, the Cowboys went 3-5. The Cowboys have divisional games against the Eagles and Commanders to close out their season. How they fare in those two contests could go a long way in deciding McCarthy’s future with the franchise.

Ferguson saw his role increase in the second half after CeeDee Lamb landed hard again on his injured shoulder, which minimized the alpha receiver’s involvement in the offense after the break. It was significant enough to limit Lamb’s snaps in the second half, something fantasy managers of either player will want to track in the coming week of practice ahead of a Week 17 showdown with the Eagles.

Cooks saw minimal volume but did enough to finish second on the team in receiving behind alpha receiver CeeDee Lamb, who briefly departed after landing hard on his injured shoulder for the third time in the previous four games. This one felt more significant than the previous times as Lamb was used sparingly in the second half, something fantasy managers of either will want to track in the coming week of practice. The Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 17.

Lamb caught six passes for 90 yards in the first half before falling hard on his injured shoulder, after which point he managed just two additional targets and one additional catch. His big first half still led to over 100 yards through the air even with the minimal work after the break, enough to return a usable fantasy score for managers banking on his production in the fantasy semi-finals. His status moving forward will require monitoring considering his limited usage in the second half ahead of a showdown with the Eagles in Week 17.

Dowdle struggled to find room against the vaunted Buccaneers run defense, notably bottled up by Vita Vea in the middle of the Tampa defensive line. It was the first game in the previous month of play in which Dowdle failed to surpass 100 yards on the ground. To make matters worse for Dowdle’s fantasy managers, Ezekiel Elliott vultured a touchdown from one yard out on his only touch of the game. Dowdle could find the sledding tough again in Week 17 when the Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles.

The Cowboys started the game with a short-area approach, peppering CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson with targets in the first quarter. They worked up a 10-0 lead before the start of the second, a lead they would not relinquish throughout. That allowed them to take a more conservative approach to the offensive game plan, continuing in a short-area focus while mixing in sporadic deep shots. Lamb came down with one of those deep shots but landed hard on his injured shoulder, which limited his snaps in the second half. Either way, Rush and the Cowboys escaped with a home victory for only the second time this season before traveling to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 17.

Durham saw a spot start in the absence of Cade Otton, who missed Week 16 with a knee injury. Otton’s status moving forward remains unknown, meaning Durham could be called upon again when the Bucs host the Panthers in Week 17.

Palmer saw a bump to his snap and route participation rates with tight end Cade Otton sidelined and Sterling Shepard departing early with a hamstring injury, but was unable to capitalize on the additional opportunity. He finished fifth on the team in targets behind Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, Rachaad White, and Payne Durham, while McMillan and Ryan Miller caught the only two touchdowns thrown by quarterback Baker Mayfield. Palmer should continue in a more robust role when the Bucs host the Panthers in Week 17 considering the nature of Shepard’s injury.