NFL Player News

In another age, Karlaftis (6’4/266) would have been guarding Mount Olympus, as the Purdue star was born in Athens, Greece before moving to Indiana, where he developed into a four-star recruit. He was a foundational player for the program, logging 843 snaps while generating 54 tackles, 17.0 TFL, 7.5 sacks, two PBUs, and an interception and earning first-team Freshman All-American and second-team. Last year, Karlaftis posted 41 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, five sacks, three fumbles, and two PBUs while earning second-team All-American recognition. The five sacks weren’t eye-popping, but those numbers don’t show just how destructive he was on an every-down basis, as the Greek strongman posted the second-highest pressure rate in the nation when lining up against left tackles and ranked seventh in quarterback hits with 14. He backed up the on-field performance with a strong set of testing numbers, ranking as the 120th most athletic edge defender out of 1,455 that have tested for the NFL since 1987. Karlaftis has a frenetic first step, rushes with a plan, and displays exceptional hand technique to go with a relentless motor while his stout base makes him hard to move in the run game. Though he gets critiqued for lack of elite bend, Karlaftis has the power, work ethic, and talent to be a quality starter in the league for years to come.

This was expected. Irving injured his hip on a meaningless kick return with five seconds left in the first half last week but he returned to play for the second half, totaling a career-high 25 carries in the process. Fantasy managers should expect to have him out there for Week 14, though this is a situation to monitor. Sean Tucker can be added where available.

Skoronski never left Sunday’s game with the foot issue, giving Titans some home that he’s being held out of Wednesday’s practice as a precaution. Logan Bruss will likely take his spot in the lineup if Skoronski can’t suit up this week.

It’s likely a maintenance situation for the veteran wideout. Boyd caught six passes for 55 yards two weeks ago but saw his numbers decline last week with three grabs for 37 yards. He is running plenty of routes for the Titans but doesn’t see the ball enough to enter the fantasy mix this week, even with six teams on bye.

The two injuries likely occurred on the same play. Mayfield was spun to the ground during a tackle, with his foot briefly planted in the process. The force likely stressed the inside of his knee. After hitting the ground, Panthers DE Jadeveon Clowney accidentally stepped on Mayfield’s lower leg, likely impacting the Achilles. Mayfield’s early-week participation bodes positively for his Week 14 availability though he is clearly banged up.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero called the injury “nagging more than anything else.” While it’s clear Jacobs isn’t fully healthy, he’s close enough that the Packers have felt comfortable putting 71 touches on his place over the past three weeks. Jacobs has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in five consecutive games and is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon. He remains in the RB1 ranks for Week 14.

Evans has managed his hamstring issues for weeks now but the calf injury is both new and worrying. The team allowed him to play through a hamstring strain earlier this year, which led to Evans suffering a second strain in a different part of the hamstring muscle. The Bucs (6-6) are in second place in the NFC South, trailing the Falcons (6-6) due to tie-breaking procedures. Evans will likely push to play this week, if possible, though resting him for at least one week is probably ideal. Stay tuned.

Alexander is still working his way back from a tear in his PCL. He went down with the injury in Week 8, briefly returned two games later, but has been out ever since. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has also been ruled out for Week 14. The Lions should keep the points machine humming versus a banged-up Packers defense this week.

Doubs missed Week 13 with the brain injury. He was limited in practice this week, but an early game on Thursday made it impossible for him to clear the league’s concussion protocol in time. He should be back for a Week 15 tilt with the Seahawks. His absence will leave Jayden Reed as the team’s top receiver, though Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks will both be in the mix for targets. Reed will sit on the WR2/3 border while the deep threats are high-risk FLEX plays for Week 14.

When the injury occurred is unclear but Moore is coming off of a 14-target workload so it stands to reason he may have closed Week 13 a little banged up. Fantasy managers should expect him to suit up for now, though it is possible he picked up the injury in practice today.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters yesterday he expects Highsmith to return from the ankle injury this week. A limited session on Wednesday is a step in the right direction. Highsmith has missed three games because of the injury and previously missed three more with a groin issue. He has three sacks and four TFLs in six appearances this season.