NFL Player News

Smith originally signed with Florida, spending a little over a year in Gainesville until he transferred to Butler Community College following a suspension from the Gators. He rebuilt his value at Butler before transferring to UAB in 2019 and promptly racked up 52 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks en route to being named second team All-C-USA. He garnered first team All-C-USA recognition last year while generating an incredible 50 pressures in 246 pass rush snaps to go with 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a 91.4 pass rush grade, according to PFF. Smith has the developmental traits and length that can be molded by a patient organization. The Jags are in need of effective pass rushers; Jacksonville in 2020 had the NFL’s fifth worst pass rush, according to PFF.

Tillman left Week 12 with the concussion and missed last week’s game after missing all three practices. A DNP on Wednesday suggests he might need another week before being able to retake the field. Jerry Jeudy erupted for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions with Tillman sidelined last week. Elijah Moore also had a lively stat line with eight grabs for 111 yards. Both receivers will push for WR2 rankings if Tillman misses Week 14.

No surprises here as Goedert is reportedly considered “week to week” and is a candidate for injured reserve. Though he hasn’t officially been ruled out for Week 14, it’s safe to assume he won’t suit up on Sunday. Grant Calcaterra will take his place in the lineup. Primarily a blocker, Calcaterra will see more work sans Goedert but is only a TE2 for fantasy purposes.

It’s presumably a limited session for the young receiver. Austin took multiple hard hits in Week 13 and eventually left for a concussion check. He was later ruled out. Being able to practice in any capacity during the first session of the week is a good sign for him. The splash-play specialist has 22 grabs for 383 yards and four scores this year.

Slay missed Week 13 with the concussion after failing to return to practice at any point in the week. Even a limited session on Wednesday would put him on track to return for Week 14. Safety Reed Blankenship suffered a concussion of his own on Sunday and did not practice today. He will likely miss Philly’s upcoming matchup with the Panthers.

Smith was listed as limited for two practices last week before getting a questionable tag. He was spotted giving it a go in warmups on Sunday but was ultimately made inactive for Week 13. Smith was seemingly close to returning last week and another practice today suggests he will be back in the fold for Week 14. Barring any setbacks, Smith will return to the WR2 ranks for a great matchup with the Panthers.

Coker has missed the past two games with the quad issue. A full session to open the week all but guarantees the rookie will be back on the field by Sunday. Coker’s return should push David Moore to the bench, though Carolina’s receiver room could devolve into a messy rotation with Moore playing well in his pair of spot-starts. Adam Thielen is the only Panthers receiver fantasy managers can trust heading into Week 14.

Sanders was spotted on the practice field for the first session of the week after missing all three of last week’s practice and Sunday’s game with the neck issue. The rookie was starting to build momentum before suffering the neck injury in Week 12. He has topped 40 yards in four of his past six games and scored his first career touchdown in Week 10. If healthy, Sanders would shuffle into the back of the TE2 ranks this week.

The Bengals will call him up to the game-day roster for at least a few weeks while Evan McPherson recovers from a groin injury. York kicked for the Commanders in Week 1 but missed both of his field goal tries and was promptly cut. Despite the weak showing in Washington, York will be a solid fantasy option behind a powerhouse Bengals offense.

Per Garafolo, McPherson doesn’t need surgery and it’s not a season-ending injury, but McPherson will miss “some time.” The Bengals worked out a few veteran kickers today and landed on Cade York as a temporary replacement for McPherson. Normally an ace kicker, McPherson has struggled this year en route to a 73 percent hit rate on his field goals compared to 84 percent last year. The majority of his misses have come from 50 or more yards out.

The journeyman kicker made four of his five field goal tries last week in a win against the Raiders and will get at least one more start before Harrison Butker returns from a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve. The Chiefs put K Spencer Shrader on IR this week. Wright is a solid fantasy option with the Chiefs sporting an implied Vegas total of 23.5 points against LA.