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Eric MoodyESPN
Read ESPN’s fantasy football Daily Notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App.
The news: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray practiced in full on Thursday for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
What it means in fantasy: Murray suffered a hamstring injury against the Vikings in Week 8 and aggravated it against the Seahawks the following week, causing him to miss Weeks 10 and 11. Two consecutive days of practice are a good sign for Murray, who expects to start against the Chargers. Averaging 19.4 fantasy points per game, Murray has had an up and down season, but the bigger question is whom he will have available to target. Rondale Moore missed Thursday’s practice because of a groin injury, while Greg Dortch missed practice because of a thumb injury. Fantasy managers who need a receiver should consider Donovan Peoples-Jones (rostered in 41.4% of ESPN leagues) or Treylon Burks (35%).
The news: Patriots RB Damien Harris left Thursday night’s game against the Vikings with a thigh injury.
What it means in fantasy: Harris was seen on crutches in the Patriots’ locker room following the game. He had 16 rushing yards on five attempts before the injury. New England doesn’t have much depth behind Rhamondre Stevenson, so if Harris were to miss time, it would be a big deal. The Patriots play the Bills on Thursday of Week 13, and Stevenson is a lock for 20 or more touches if Harris is ruled out, making him a high-end RB1 for fantasy managers.
Going deeper: Stevenson has had nine consecutive games with 13 or more fantasy points, including five with 20 or more fantasy points. He’s had 16 or more touches in each of those games.
The news: Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers suffered a shoulder injury against the Vikings on Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Meyers was injured on the first play of the game. Meyers finished with only 16 offensive snaps and 16 routes run despite returning shortly before halftime. Meyers was replaced by Nelson Agholor as the Patriots’ primary slot receiver for most of the game. Agholor would be someone to target on the waiver wire if Meyers misses time. The Patriots rank 23rd in total yards per game with 325.9 and 19th in points scored with 21.7.
Going deeper: Entering Thursday night’s game, Meyers led the Patriots in receptions (44), receiving yards (509) and touchdowns (3). Through 10 games, no New England wideout had more than 17 receptions.
The news: Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase was limited at Thursday’s practice.
What it means in fantasy: Chase was slated to return to practice this week, and that’s happened. He missed the past three games with a hip injury but is no longer using crutches. In the three games Chase played before the injury, he averaged 25.7 fantasy points. Early signs point to Chase being active Sunday against the Titans. While it’s hard to exclude him from lineups, fantasy managers should be concerned about limited snaps and possible reinjury.
The news: Bengals RB Joe Mixon did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday as he deals with a concussion suffered last week.
What it means in fantasy: Mixon must clear the league’s protocol before Sunday in order to play in Week 12. Samaje Perine more than filled the void for the Bengals against the Steelers in Week 11, rushing for 30 yards on 11 attempts and adding four receptions for 52 yards and three touchdowns. He is rostered in only 22.9% of ESPN leagues. If Mixon can’t play, Perine can be viewed as a volume-based RB2 against a stout Titans defense that has allowed the fourth-fewest RB fantasy points.
The news: Bears QB Justin Fields remained limited for Thursday’s practice because of a shoulder injury.
What it means in fantasy: While Fields’ vibes are positive leading up to the Bears’ game against the Jets on Sunday, two consecutive limited practices should have fantasy managers feeling cautiously optimistic. Fields’ throwing motion is hindered by the injury to his left shoulder, although he is right-handed. Fields was reported to be in extreme pain while passing or handing off the ball in practice, and there is concern about how he will fare taking hits. Whether he’d wear a brace, harness or pad on his left shoulder is unclear. Having a contingency plan in case Fields is ruled out would be wise. Jimmy Garoppolo (rostered in 47.4% of ESPN leagues) is a great option for fantasy managers. Garoppolo has scored at least 16 fantasy points in every game but one, including a season-high 25.4 fantasy points against the Cardinals on Monday night.
The news: Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert missed Thursday’s practice with a knee injury.
What it means in fantasy: Mostert missed two consecutive practices following the Dolphins’ bye week, which is not ideal. He might not be available for Sunday’s matchup against a Texans defense that allows the most fantasy points to running backs. The bulk of the running back snaps and touches will likely go to Jeff Wilson Jr. if Mostert is unable to play. Wilson has scored 16 or more fantasy points in back-to-back games.
The news: Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster has practiced in full leading up to Sunday’s game against the Rams.
What it means in fantasy: Smith-Schuster is on track to clear the league’s concussion protocol. He left the game against the Jaguars in Week 10 after a hard hit, went into concussion protocol and missed Week 11 against the Chargers. Smith-Schuster is a flex option for a Chiefs offense that ranks first in total yards per game and points scored on Sunday. Kadarius Toney is once again dealing with a hamstring injury and Mecole Hardman is on injured reserve. On Sunday, Skyy Moore could be asked to step up after catching five of six targets for 63 yards last week.
The news: Ravens RB Gus Edwards practiced fully Thursday and is firmly on track to return for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.
What it means in fantasy: The Ravens are tied with the Titans for seventh-most rushing attempts per game (30.4). With Edwards back healthy, it is difficult to decide whom to prioritize in Baltimore’s backfield, which also includes Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill. In both of his past two games, Edwards has had double-digit rushing attempts and 60-plus rushing yards. In deeper formats, he’s a flex option. For fantasy managers needing running backs, Isiah Pacheco (rostered in 55.3% of ESPN leagues) or Rachaad White (44.8%) are superior options. Demarcus Robinson did not practice Thursday because of a hip injury.
The news: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Lions WR Jameson Williams could be activated from injured reserve in Week 13 against the Jaguars.
What it means in fantasy: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that Williams would return to practice. As the team prepared for Thursday’s game against the Bills, Williams attended meetings and performed rehab drills at top speed. In keeper formats, Williams should be prioritized and is likely already stashed on IR, but his return to action will mean that his managers will have to clear an active roster spot for him. Given the Lions’ abundance of receiving playmakers, the Lions’ 12th overall pick is unlikely to provide fantasy managers with much value this year.
Going deeper: In 2021, Williams caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide. A first-team All-SEC selection, he led the SEC in receiving touchdowns.
Today on ESPN.com/Fantasy and in the ESPN Fantasy App
Mike Clay’s Playbook: projections and analysis for every Week 12 game
Sunday:
• The Fantasy Football cheat sheet: The week’s best advice in one place
• Inactives Watch: Who’s in, who’s out and what does it mean?
• After the games: Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft’s fantasy highs and lows
• Fantasy Football Now: Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2
In case you missed it:
Field Yates’ Fantasy Field Pass: Latavius Murray, George Pickens among emerging fantasy helpers
Mike Clay’s Thanksgiving Day games playbook
Mike Clay’s Shadow Report: Wide receiver vs defensive back matchups analysis
Seth Walder’s Next Gen Stats Advantage: Mismatches to exploit
Tristan H. Cockcroft’s positional matchup map
Matt Bowen’s fantasy film room: Gabe Davis, Alvin Kamara among Week 12 upgrades, downgrades
Al Zeidenfeld’s DFS best buys for Week 12
DFS cheat sheets for DraftKings and FanDuel
• Rankings for individual defensive player leagues
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Stephania Bell and Daniel Dopp preview everything you need to know for Week 12 as you travel for the Thanksgiving weekend. Find out what running backs to bench, if Christian Watson can keep it going, what WRs you can trust and more! Listen | Watch
Source: www.espn.com