NFL Player News

Brisker was unable to clear concussion protocol while Pickens (groin) and Smith (hip) will be held out of action as well. It is unclear if any of the three would have had a chance to play had their Week 6 game not been in London, but they will be out as things currently stand.

The “finalizing” terminology has already been reported by 247 Sports’ Adam Smith, but the fact that this is now being leaked to national reporters puts even more weight behind the rumors. Schefter also added a rather definitive statement to his report, saying, “Belichick is going back to school, to where his father served as an assistant coach in the 1950s.” We fully expect the ink to dry by the end of the week. Belichick was chasing the all-time wins record as an NFL head coach before the Patriots moved on. He needs 15 to take the crown from Don Shula. That will have to wait as the 72-year-old coach is headed to the college ranks for the first time in his career. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him rejoin the NFL in a few years, though it’s fair to wonder how many seasons he has left. Even if Belichick never returns to the pros, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will go down as the greatest of all time.

Pitre reportedly suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle and will undergo a repair that will sideline him for the remainder of the year. Pitre is technically a safety but primarily functions as the Texans’ slot DB, which is notable for fantasy purposes. Pitre finishes with a team-high 31 coverage tackles and six passes defended.

Mostert missed Week 14 while dealing with a lingering hip issue. He was limited in all three practices before being listed as questionable, so today’s limited session doesn’t tell us much. With De’Von Achane fully taking over the Miami backfield, Mostert isn’t on the fantasy radar, healthy or not.

While this doesn’t put Waddle at much risk of missing Week 15, the young wideout has dealt with too many soft tissue injuries to count in recent years. Though he tends to play through them, this isn’t ideal for a receiver whose game is built on speed. Still, with the Miami offense humming and Waddle coming off his second 100-yard game in the past three weeks, fantasy managers have to keep him in their lineups versus the Texans. A full practice on Thursday or Friday would be much appreciated by fantasy players.

Coker practiced in full last Wednesday but was held out of the next two sessions before being listed as doubtful. Head coach Dave Canales said he wasn’t ready to return on Sunday earlier today, but noted that Coker was “aggressive, attacking his routes” during the first practice of Week 15. It sounds like he should be back on the field if all goes well over the next two days. His return will boot David Moore from the starting rotation.

Blackshear’s health normally wouldn’t change the fantasy landscape in the slightest, but with Jonathon Brooks and Miles Sanders both out, Blackshear is the next man up for RB2 duties in Charlotte. Blackshear’s absence would lock Chubba Hubbard in for nearly every available snap at running back in Week 15.

The week off evidently served Bateman well. The field-stretching WR is now on track to face a banged-up Giants defense in Week 15. While Bateman is unlikely to command significant target volume, he will have opportunities to deliver explosive gains.

It’s just workload management for Lamb, who played through the shoulder injury without any issues last week. He caught six passes for 93 yards and a score versus the Bengals. Still the focal point of a high-volume passing attack, Lamb remains in the WR1 ranks for his Week 15 matchup with Carolina.

Beebe suffered the concussion in the Cowboys’ Week 14 loss to the Bengals. That game was on Monday, giving Beebe a short turnaround to get through the league’s concussion protocol. Brock Hoffman will take Beebe’s place in the lineup if he is ruled out for Week 15 versus the Panthers.

Levis is on track to suit up for Week 15 against the Bengals. His errant arm, even if only mildly injured, is difficult to trust at this point in the fantasy season though. He is a volatile QB2 for the occasion.