NFL Player News

The Broncos dealt picks No. 179 and 234 to the Packers for No. 171. Wattenberg (6'5/300) started a whopping 48 games for the Huskies. He started at left tackle, then gradually moved inside to guard and then center for his final two seasons, earning an All-Pac 12 honorable mention both those years. He’s got a lot of football under his belt, and the ability to adapt and play different positions demonstrates his intelligence and feel for the game. He’s one of the most athletic linemen in the draft, earning a 9.58 relative athletic score. Notably missing from that score is his bench press though, and that’s where most of his concern as a prospect comes from—a lack of functional strength. He’s not huge, got overwhelmed too often by defensive tackles, and doesn’t generate much push in the run game. He shows athleticism the best when he can get out and move, either on screens, pulls, or when he gets to the second level. His speed and ability to play all across the line are valuable assets, and it’s not out of the question he adds power once he’s in an NFL training program. If he can fix that without losing the speed, he’ll make it at the pro level.

Brown’s SC joint has evidently responded well to his September surgery. The Chiefs reportedly expect him to play in the playoffs and intend to get him live repetitions, late in the regular season, to make sure Brown is “fully acclimated” ahead of his team’s playoff run. Rapoport indicated Brown’s return could come in either Week 17 or 18.

Shepard missed the first two practices of the week and was upgraded to a limited session on Friday. That’s not abnormal for a veteran wideout, so he appears to be on the right side of questionable heading into the weekend. Should he be forced to sit on Sunday, rookie wideout Jalen McMillan would have a better shot at keeping the ball rolling after his two-score breakout in Week 14.

Evans played through the hamstring issue once this year and immediately aggravated it, causing a multi-week absence. The Bucs are being extra cautious with Evans’ practice reps this time around to make sure the injury doesn’t flare up again. He was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday before being upgraded to a limited session to close the week. Evans being cleared from the report entirely is a good indicator that his light workload in practice is just a precaution. He remains near the top of the WR2 ranks for his Week 15 matchup with the Chargers.

Whether Bosa aggravated his prior hip injury in Week 14 is unclear but his full participation on Friday bodes positively for his Week 15 snap count. Both the Chargers and Buccaneers are jockeying for playoff spots, making this a must-win game for both parties.

Dissly was always a long shot to play this week and he was fully unable to participate in practice. The Chargers will turn to intriguing but unproven youngster Stone Smartt. He offers little in stability but could turn in a usable outing operating as Herbert’s starting tight end.

Herbert suffered a new ankle injury in Week 14 on top of a thigh contusion. He was held out of Wednesday’s practice but returned to the field for a limited session on Thursday. He was a full go in Friday’s practice. While Herbert is clearly playing at less than full strength, he gets a great matchup with the Bucs this week and might get his top receiver, Ladd McConkey, back in the fold. Herbert remains a low-end QB1 for the quarterfinal round of most fantasy leagues.

McConkey entered Week 14 as questionable to play following three straight Limited Participant practice designations. He will do so again this week, hopefully, with different end results. The Chargers ultimately ruled McConkey out before Week 14 kicked off. His continued limited participation this week at least indicates he has suffered no setbacks but his inability to practice in full is concerning. He is a WR2, if active though he obviously carries re-injury risk.

Meyers played through the ankle injury last week without any issues, catching seven passes for 67 yards on 10 targets. He is on track to do so again this week. With Desmond Ridder expected to be under center for Week 15, Meyers will fall to the WR2/3 border despite his ability to command targets.

Metcalf’s Thursday practice participation dipped to down to Limited Participant status but it was likely just a rest day. The Seahawks are known to occasionally give veterans lighter workloads on Thursday. He practiced in full on Friday and can be started as a WR2 in a fantasy-friendly matchup against the Packers.

Mostert was unable to play in Week 14 but he is good to go after practicing in full on Friday. The change-of-pace player is just a touchdown-dependent RB5, likely unable to crack double-digit touches while operating in the Dolphins’ three-player backfield.