NFL Player News

Lucky to escape with “only” three picks, Winston was benched for Dorian Thompson-Robinson with around seven minutes remaining and the Browns down 21-7 in the fourth quarter. “DTR” was even worse, but speaking afterward, coach Kevin Stefanski was noncommittal on Winston’s status going forward. Winston is not the Browns’ future, but neither is DTR. Keeping Winston under center would at least keep the team somewhat functional, but it would be understandable if the Browns decided to throw a DTR Hail Mary in search of a diamond in the rough. If Winston can keep his job one more week, he has a fantasy semifinals smash spot in the Bengals’ league-worst defense. Stay tuned.

Stevenson only out-carried Antonio Gibson 13-7 and caught one fewer pass than his backup. Both backs were explosive on a per-touch basis. Stevenson averaged 6.1 yards per touch while Gibson finished the day at 7.1. A committee approach is likely what’s best for both backs and should be the expectation for Week 16. Stevenson is on the RB2/3 border for his upcoming matchup with Buffalo.

The Lions were down multiple scores early, so they all but abandoned the run game early on. They were also only able to gain 3.2 yards per carry on the ground against the Bills, and Gibbs’ touchdown came after he was stood-up at the goaline but pushed in by one of his offensive linemen. However, Gibbs was able to feast in the passing game, including a nice 11-yard touchdown catch where he made two defenders miss and brought the Lions to within 10 points with 12 minutes to go. Gibbs can beat defenses all over the field and should be locked into fantasy lineups every week.

Bourne has at least three catches in five straight games but has only topped 44 yards once in that stretch. He is running plenty of routes but rarely commands enough targets to crack the WR4 ranks. He is stuck farther down in the WR5/6 range for his Week 16 date with Buffalo.

The box score may show you more impressive stats from Ty Johnson, but Davis remains the clear back-up to James Cook when it comes to running back duties. Johnson is used almost exclusively in the passing game, and this shootout against the Lions set up better for Johnson than Davis. Davis still looks good on his touches, running hard and making defenders miss. He should be in for better gamescripts with the Jets and Patriots (twice) on tap to end the season.

This is a brutal blow for the Lions’ secondary. Davis currently ties for a team-high 10 forced incompletions and ranks third on the team in interceptions (two). The 28-year-old veteran is a free agent after this season.

Douglas saved an otherwise meager fantasy day with a three-yard score on the Patriots’ penultimate drive. It was just his second touchdown of the season. Pop’s weekly floor of three to four catches is keeping him in the WR5 range, but there isn’t much ceiling to be had with the slot receiver. He has topped 62 yards once this year and is unlikely to give fantasy managers a spike week versus the Bills next Sunday.

The Bills looked like they knew they were getting into a shootout from the start, using Johnson in pass-first sets out of the backfield on the first drive. Johnson made two huge catches on that first drive, including a sliding third-down conversion that put the Bills’ on the Lions’ 11-yard-line. Johnson later hauled in a huge 31-yard completion from Josh Allen and was a mismatch against the Lions’ linebackers all afternoon. The 27-year-old is a dynamic threat out of the backfield, but he’s the clear third option in the running game, which means next week against the Patriots might not be the best gamescript for him.

Hooper finished second on the team in catches and yards. He has at least three catches and 30 yards in five straight games. Hooper has caught every one of his targets since Week 10. The veteran tight end has established as TE2 floor but has no ceiling to speak of as the Patriots’ backup tight end.

The Bills used a heavy three-man rotation at running back on Sunday, but James Cook was able to rip off chunk plays seemingly at will. His first touchdown was an easy walk-in rush from six yards out with the defense focusing on Josh Allen, but he exploded for a huge 41-yard run in the second half that helped give the Bills a commanding lead. The Bills will continue to rotate their running backs because they complement each other so well, but Cook is their clear primary ball carrier, and he continues to get carries inside the ten-yard-line, which is huge for his fantasy value. He’s a borderline RB1 next week in what should be a strong gamescript for him against the Patriots.

Freiermuth hauled in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Eagles. Freiermuth has now scored in three-straight games, but is fantasy production is largely being carried by his scores. He’ll be a risky bet in Week 16 against the Ravens, who held him to two catches for 14 yards in their first meeting.