NFL Player News

For the second straight week, Gray had two scores. He found himself wide open on the first play from scrimmage for Kansas City and waltzed into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Running a route on about 55 percent of Mahomes’ drop backs, Gray was tied for third in targets against the Panthers. He could be viable in larger formats next week against a Raiders defense that has been generous to opposing tight ends this year.

Things felt like they were trending in this direction after Whitehead immediately left the field holding his pec after making a tackle on Tommy DeVito. The veteran safety did not return to the game and will now miss the remainder of the season with what is likely a torn pectoral muscle. Whitehead signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers this offseason after spending 2022 and 2023 with the Jets. In 11 games this season, he’s totaled 76 tackles, three pass breakups, and two TFLs. He started every game he’s appeared in this season and will presumably be back for another season. That said, the Buccaneers can save $4.5 million against the cap by cutting him next offseason and wouldn’t have any dead cap space to worry about.

It’s a brutal blow for Graham, who announced before the start of the year that 2024 would be his final season before sailing off into the sunset. The 15-year vet has totaled 20 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and six TFLs this season while also forcing one fumble and now finds himself in the precarious position of deciding whether or not he wants to walk away from the game after suffering a season-ending injury. Graham would be 37 at the start of next season, and his best football is long behind him. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising if he attempted to give it one more go after a devastating end to this season.

Parkinson has been a complete afterthought in the offense in the second half of the 2024 season, playing fewer offensive snaps than Davis Allen during the previous four games. What little fantasy value remaining has gone with the wind for the veteran tight end in Los Angeles.

Robinson remains well behind both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp in the target pecking order, earning just three looks versus the 13 of Nacua and 11 of Kupp. Even so, he has now racked up six touchdowns on the season to lead the team, something more useful in best ball than it is in managed fantasy leagues. Robinson’s next chance to find paint comes in Week 13 against the porous Saints defense.

Kupp managed just 33 yards on 10 targets before a 27-yard touchdown with just over one minute remaining in a three-score game, clearly taking a backseat to second-year star Puka Nacua when the latter is healthy and on the field. Even so, Kupp’s trip to the paint was his fifth score of the season for the veteran pass-catcher, still keeping him on pace to potentially hit double-digit touchdowns for the third time in his career while battling through significant injuries. Kupp’s next chance to find pay dirt comes in Week 13 against the porous Saints defense.

Nacua handily led the team in both targets and yardage, continuing to operate as the alpha wide receiver when healthy this season. Fellow wide receiver Cooper Kupp managed just 33 yards on 10 targets before catching a 27-yard touchdown on the team’s final drive of the game while down three scores, with Nacua’s role in the offense clearly the anchor point from which the rest of the pass offense is built. Nacua’s next chance to return WR1 production comes in Week 13 against the porous Saints defense.

Williams found the end zone late in the first quarter as the Rams moved the ball well before the break, ultimately taking a 13-7 deficit into the half. They would then struggle to move the football as the Eagles continued to tack on points on the legs of Saquon Barkley, who became the first player since Julio Jones in 2016 to record 300 yards from scrimmage or more. Even so, Williams maintains one of the most robust roles in the league and should continue to return elite fantasy production the rest of the season. The Rams get a softer matchup on the ground against the Saints in Week 13.

The Rams played the Eagles tight in the first half, holding a lead until a six-yard touchdown from A.J. Brown propelled the Eagles to a six-point lead at the half. Even so, the Rams managed just one first-half touchdown before the two passing touchdowns to Demarcus Robinson and Cooper Kupp after the break, the latter of which came with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter with the Rams down by three scores. The up-and-down season for the Rams continues as they fall to 5-6 and a game behind both the Cardinals and Seahawks in the NFC West. A matchup against the Saints in Week 13 could prove a pivotal game for the Rams, likely needing a win to keep pace in the division.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts attempted only 22 passes as running back Saquon Barkley erupted for 302 combined yards and two touchdowns, with the only passing score going to alpha wide receiver A.J. Brown. Goedert remains in a short area role while either Brown or DeVonta Smith are on the field this season, with his aDOT in 2024 marking a five-year low. As such, he remains unlikely to return elite fantasy scores while maintaining a poor red zone role. Goedert’s next chance to return a usable fantasy score comes in Week 12 against the pass-funnel Ravens.

Brown saw seven targets on just 22 Jalen Hurts pass attempts in a game running back Saquon Barkley erupted for 302 combined yards and two touchdowns, catching the only passing score from Hurts in the process. Only Brown, tight end Dallas Goedert, and running back Saquon Barkley saw more than a single target with DeVonta Smith held out of action with a hamstring injury, something to monitor as the Eagles prepare to face the pass-funnel Ravens on the road in Week 12.