NFL Player News

Kyle Shanahan said that both Ward and Logan Verrett (knee) would practice Wednesday and start their three-week timetable to work back from injured reserve. The 49ers have done pretty well on defense without both players as Talanoa Hufanga has taken a major jump in his second season. Ward’s return should only bolster the secondary further.

Smith has missed both practices to start the week and is at serious risk of missing Week 12’s game against the Rams if he can’t get on the field in some capacity on Friday. He has been dealing with the same hamstring injury since the days leading up to Week 10’s game against the Cowboys, but things seem to have gotten worse as of late. This is the first time Smith has missed two practices as a result of the injury, making Friday’s practice all the more vital to his Week 12 availability. We’ll see where things go on Friday, but fantasy managers should get their backup plans in place now.

Brian Callahan was pessimistic when asked about Spears’ expected Week 12 availability and his concerns appear thoroughly warranted at this point. We expect Spears’ Thursday status to be confirmed as a DNP later this afternoon. Tony Pollard will be a volume-based RB2 against the Vikings’ elite run defense this weekend.

We do not yet know Ridley’s official practice participation but his Thursday return effectively guarantees he suits up in Week 12. Illnesses rarely sideline players on game day. He is a high-end WR2 against the Texans in what could be a pass-heavy game script.

Thielen is unlikely to command a WR2-worthy target share if he is active this weekend but his presence would negatively impact both Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, who could be relegated to two-wide receiver sets if Dave Canales views Coker as a slot-only player. Fantasy managers rostering all three players should continue monitoring Thielen’s Week 12 status closely.

According to Coen, this was determined during the team’s bye week while they did some self-scouting. We’ll see if anything materializes here, but even if Tucker’s touches to see an increase, it will be more of an annoyance for Rachaad White/Bucky Irving fantasy managers than it will be anything to get excited about for those still holding Tucker. Head coach Todd Bowles said after Tucker’s Week 6 breakout in which he totaled 192 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, that he sees a “three-headed monster” taking shape in Tampa’s backfield. Since then, Tucker has had exactly 13 touches in his last four games, while White and Irving continued to see most of the work. Maybe things will be different after the bye week, but we wouldn’t be holding our collective breaths.

This isn’t a great sign for Lamb’s Week 12 availability. The star receiver was added to the injury report on Wednesday and listed as a limited participant and does not appear to be practicing today. His name will be one to watch when the Cowboys release their final injury report on Friday ahead of Sunday’s game against the Commanders. Lamb played through a shoulder injury in Weeks 10 and 11, but these new injuries may not be worth playing through for the 3-7 Cowboys.

As Jones pointed out in his weekly interview, the most important thing is winning, not evaluating. Rush, who had one of the worst quarterback performances in modern NFL history in Week 10, threw for 354-1-1 in Week 11 on 55 pass attempts. There’s a strong push from fans and media for the Cowboys to start Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but sitting at 3-7, the Cowboys are still focused on winning games. There’s a good chance we’ll see Lance at some point this season, but Dallas is clearly prepared to lean into Rush for at least one more week against the Commanders. We’ll see if Sunday’s performance changes any minds heading into Week 13.

Evans was limited in Wednesday’s practice and will likely be limited again on Thursday. The veteran receiver is working his way back from a severe hamstring injury that has caused him to miss the Buccaneers’ last three games, but he is reportedly planning to play in Week 12 against the Giants. Evans will project as a WR2 in his first game back.

Horn is reportedly dealing with a calf injury and was limited in practice on Wednesday due to the injury. Horn presumably went into the Panthers’ Week 11 bye at full health, so it’s possible this is a minor injury he suffered during the team’s bye week. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like the team is expecting to see him in this week’s game against the Chiefs.

Injuries to Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) will shoehorn Laube into Sunday’s rotation. The rookie sixth-round pick hasn’t been active since losing a fumble on his first career touch back in Week 6 against the Steelers, but it sounds like he and Ameer Abdullah could be slated for busy days against one of the league’s top defenses. Laube could offer some upside as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s AFC West showdown, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be flocking to put him in their starting lineups. If the matchup wasn’t challenging enough as is, the Raiders have been one of the worst rushing teams in the league all season. Pro Football Focus has them graded as the fifth-worst run-blocking team in all of football. Laube is better used as a stash rather than a start in Week 12, even with a tough week of byes on tap.