NFL Player News

It’s possible the Vikings will need to bring in a new kicker this week as Reichard missed multiple kicks against the Colts and was clearly in pain after he followed through for much of the night. The Vikings are also placing snapper of snaps longer than normal snaps Andrew DePaola on injured reserve with a hand injury.

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.

Tommy DeVito will remain sidelined with a forearm injury he suffered two weeks ago. Lock on Thanksgiving Day against the Cowboys passed for 178 yards and an interception while rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown in a seven-point loss. Lock was 15th out of 32 qualifying QBs in completion rate over expected in Week 13, averaging a meager 6.4 air yards per attempt. Look for Lock to again target Malik Nabers heavily with the Giants underdogs against the visiting Saints. Nabers saw 13 targets last week against Dallas.

Hyde, 33, who played for Buffalo from 2017 to 2023, has a chance to join the team for a championship run after deciding not to retire or sign elsewhere this fall. The two-time Second-team All-Pro — who has struggled mightily with neck injuries during his NFL career — totaled 54 tackles and two interceptions last season. He’ll join a Buffalo secondary graded by PFF as the league’s 19th best.

Lazard could return to action as soon as this week against Miami. He’s been on injured reserve since late October with a chest injury the Jets have described as “strange” in nature. His return to the New York lineup would mean a reduced role for rookie Malachi Corley, who has five targets over the team’s past three games. Lazard likely won’t be fantasy relevant in 12-team leagues.