Injury Roundup
Marquise Brown (ARI) - Heel
Brown was dealing with a heel injury entering the game that ended up being serious enough that he left the game early and did not return. The Cardinals may opt to shut him down if this continues.
Keaton Mitchell (BAL) - Knee
Mitchell was carted off the field with an apparent knee injury. Head coach John Harbaugh indicated that he's probably going to miss the rest of the season.
Ja’Marr Chase (CIN) - Shoulder
Chase is considered day-to-day after separating his shoulder on Saturday. Early indications are that he could miss at least a week or two but there is also hope that he is active for Week 16.
Jayden Reed (GB) - Toe
We won't know the severity of Reed's toe injury until practice reports come out. He was officially deemed questionable to return in the loss on Sunday.
Michael Pittman Jr. (IND) - Head
Pittman is currently undergoing the league’s concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit that led to a flag and then an ejection for the safety making the illegal contact. He seemed to get up surprisingly quickly and HC Shane Steichen seems optimistic about him returning soon.
Zack Moss (IND) - Arm
X-rays came back negative for Moss after he went down with an arm injury. He could still miss time but this is a good start for his return on the field.
Hunter Henry (NE) - Knee
Henry exited Sunday's game with a knee injury. We should get an update soon.
Randy Bullock (NYG) - Hamstring
Bullock injured his hamstring and was ruled questionable to return.
Zach Wilson (NYJ) - Head
Zach Wilson left the game with a head injury that was later called a concussion. He will likely have to undergo the league’s concussion protocol to play next week but shouldn't miss more than a week.
Will Levis (TEN) - Leg
Levis went down late in overtime with a leg injury but seemed to walk off on his own power. We didn't get a chance to see if he could return to play but there's a chance he misses time.
Weekly Weigh-In
Los Angeles Chargers @ Las Vegas Raiders
● Los Angeles, you will never live this down. This was a historic loss for so many reasons and while you can blame coaching and injuries for the actual result, you can’t blame them for the final score.
● Brandon Staley was understandably fired after taking a roster loaded with talent to begin his tenure, ultimately going 24-24 including one of the most embarrassing playoff losses in history. Justin Herbert deserves better, lest he become just another Philip Rivers or Dan Fouts. Herbert is a talent that should end his career having hoisted a Lombardi.
● Antonio Pierce is the truth. It’s impossible to watch how he runs this team on a weekly basis and see anything less than a leader that you would love to run your team. The team clearly respects him and I think that they could make it far in a few seasons if they can get the right QB.
Minnesota Vikings @ Cincinnati Bengals
● Jake Browning could lead the Bengals to the playoffs. He’s on a 3-game winning streak and Cincinnati hasn’t scored fewer than 27 points in that span. Two of the wins were in OT but you can’t fault a backup QB for what a defense gives up. Even with games against the Chiefs and Browns to end the season, I think the Bengals can legitimately win out. They have as many faults as any other team but they’ve managed to make up for them with a booming offense.
● I don’t know if Nick Mullens is a significant upgrade over Joshua Dobbs but that may not matter. This team can still sneak into the playoffs but they do end the year with two games against the Lions. The league deserves to watch Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson in the playoffs but without Kirk Cousins this team could sink on any given week. Close losses have defined this team in recent weeks so maybe they can remain competitive but it seems fruitless to lose a better draft slot.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts
● The Colts are an underappreciated and really fun team. Minshew Mania is real and he’s bringing out the best in Michael Pittman Jr. Josh Downs may have been quiet in recent weeks but he has the ability to become a monster WR2. This team knows that the AFC South is still wide-open and a playoff spot is on the line. They’re not elite at any one thing but they can play spoiler to a good amount of teams.
● Pittsburgh’s offense stinks. Fans are going to be begging to watch Kenny Pickett again after these showings. The offensive line hasn’t done them any favors but there is just a sheer inability to make plays and sustain drives. Diontae Johnson has caught a TD in three straight games and remains one of the few reliable options on this side of the ball.
Denver Broncos @ Detroit Lions
● Dan Campbell got a chance to take on his former mentor and he didn’t disappoint. The Detroit Lions may look exploitable at times but at their best, they look like one of the best teams in the league. Even a Denver Broncos team that looked oddly unstoppable couldn’t overcome that.
● Jahmyr Gibbs deserves Rookie of the Year nods. C.J. Stroud is winning the award but Gibbs is nearing 800 yards despite getting out-carried by teammate David Montgomery. The duo has combined for over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 rushing scores. Gibbs’ 5.7 yards per carry leads the entire league amongst players with at least 90 carries.
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
● Tommy Cutlets couldn’t get his 4th straight win. He’s a great story and a player you want to root for but you also have to be realistic about him and this team. There are just far too many issues to overcome each and every week. We still need to give HC Brian Daboll props for continuing to steal wins with a subpar roster.
● The NFC South is still wide open but it’s looking like it’ll come down to the Saints and Buccaneers. Neither team has been incredibly impressive this year but they can both go off at any time.
● No single WR went off in Chris Olave’s absence but Rashid Shaheed had a good game. Expect Olave to go off against the Rams, Buccaneers, and Falcons to end his sophomore year.
Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns
● Joe Flacco is playing his heart out and leading an elite defense to improbable wins in the AFC North. No, the year isn’t 2012 but a Super Bowl is still technically possible. I don’t know if I trust this team to go all the way without any mistakes but they’re getting hot at the right time. Flacco impressed as he led a late and improbable comeback over the Bears. With the Ravens moving to 11-3, it’ll be difficult to chase the AFC North crown but Baltimore still has to face the 49ers and Dolphins, plus a pesky Steelers team that could upset them in the final week of the season.
● Every week that passes makes it harder to justify the Bears drafting Caleb Williams or another 1st round QB this year. Justin Fields looks good and nearly beat one of the best defenses in the league. D.J. Moore looks great as the WR1 but pairing him with Marvin Harrison Jr. would be unreal. It may be wise to fill in some holes and surround Fields with talent instead of starting from scratch again but it won’t be easy to skip over such a hyped player.
Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
● Chuba Hubbard continues to find rushing success despite an asinine passing offense and constant negative game-script. He’s a surprising bright spot on a team that needs a lot of help.
● Arthur Smith barely got the benefit of the doubt when he was narrowly winning games but there are no excuses for losing 9-7 to the Panthers. He needs to be gone.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Green Bay Packers
● Baker Mayfield trotted into Lambeau and blew everyone’s socks away.
● Mike Evans bounced back by founding the end zone and Chris Godwin had his first monster game of the year, topping 150 yards. Rachaad White also had a big fantasy day as the Tampa Bay Buccanneers offense just could not be stopped by the Packers.
● Jordan Love had a decent fantasy day and nearly eclipsed 300 passing yards but could not lead the Packers to victory for a second straight week as their playoff hopes dwindle.
● Jayden Reed continued to be a big time playmaker in his rookie season, catching a TD and putting up another double digit fantasy performance.
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
● Nobody doubted that Tua Tagovailo and Jaylen Waddle could beat the Jets but they really decimated this elite secondary. Waddle gained 114 yards the last time these teams met but that was with Tyreek Hill by his side. With a lot of the NFL world doubting the ceiling of this offense without Hill, Waddle gained 142 yards and scored a TD.
● Raheem Mostert scored his 19th TD of the season at the ripe old age of 31. He’s now tied for the 12th most in a season in NFL history. While the record seems unbreakable, he could still get close to the top-5. What Mike McDaniel has managed to do with this offense is unbelievable.
● Fire this Jets offense into the sun.
Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots
● Rashee Rice is the WR1 in Kansas City. Rice has at least 9 targets and 8 receptions in each of his past 4 games and caught his 3rd TD in that span. His 91 yards this week were his 2nd highest in a single game as a rookie. The Chiefs are going to continue to rely on him as they enter the playoffs.
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
● Case Keenum got the surprise start over Davis Mills but he got the job done. It was one of the ugliest games of the week and the Texans were missing multiple key skill position players and yet they won the game. The Titans are a great passing matchup to take advantage of, so it was great timing for Keenum but even Devin Singletary showed out against one of the toughest rushing matchups out there. Houston will not go down easily and they should look a lot healthier next week.
● Derrick Henry let fantasy managers down in the first week of the fantasy playoffs, rushing 16 times for just 9 yards. December Derrick Henry chose the wrong week to fall off.
San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
● You simply cannot stop the 49ers, you can only hope to avoid utter embarrassment. Arizona showed offensive success but they couldn’t overcome the defensive mismatch. They’re an exciting team but they stood no chance.
● CMC is as automatic as it gets week to week in this offense. It doesn’t mean that Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or George Kittle are bad fantasy players but there will be some really infuriating down weeks, especially in “easy” matchups. Deebo is the hottest of the trio right now, having scored 8 TDs and accumulating 441 scrimmage yards over the past 4 weeks.
● Kyler Murray and Trey McBride are going to be an issue in the league for years to come. The young TE is having a real 2nd year breakout and OC Drew Petzing has been vocal about his support for both players.
Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Rams
● Kyren Williams was more disappointing than he should have been this week. He started the game hot and was nearly unstoppable. Unfortunately drives ended far too early as he fumbled twice and failed to turn most of his receptions into significant yardage. I don’t think anyone will truly be disappointed with him but we could have seen 200+ scrimmage yards and 2-3 total TDs. You can’t win them all. The sophomore RB could crack the top-3 in rushing yards when the year ends despite missing 4 games this year.
● Cooper Kupp is back. There was a 6-week stretch where he only averaged 28 yards per game but he followed up a monster game against the Ravens with another 100+ yard, 1 TD performance. Next week features a tough matchup against the Saints but we know his elite talent can overcome that.
● Game-script may have played a part but the run game was having serious issues without Brain Robinson Jr. playing. Chris Rodriguez and Antonio Gibson combined for 14 carries and 50 rushing yards. This is a team that has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in half of their games and coming off a bye week. You just can’t trust any of these backs when Robinson is out.
Dallas Cowboys @ Buffalo Bills
● The Cowboys are still going to enter the playoffs as a top contender but this was a massive blow. You essentially remove any chance at a divisional title - and thus the #1 seed - and possibly an MVP for Dak. Obviously the Super Bowl is the most important but fans naturally want it all. If this team can’t stop the run come January, they’re in big trouble. The weather outside is frightful and that showing was not delightful.
● James Cook is an RB1 for the rest of the year. A game against the Patriots in the fantasy finals won’t be ideal but he gets the Chargers next week. Cook now has 5 half-PPR RB1 finishes under his belt this season. Even if game-script isn’t this good again, his usage as a receiving back is high. You’re not benching him.
Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars
● Trevor Lawrence’s struggles continue. It’s not easy to beat the Ravens and he did throw for 264 yards and a TD while leading the team in rushing, but it just doesn’t feel like they’re doing anything special out there. We have seen some big games out of the pass catching weapons but none have been consistent.
● Baltimore just might be the best team in the AFC. We could be getting a Super Bowl preview next week when they take on the 49ers. These two teams faced off back in 2012 when Jim Harbaugh was still coaching in the NFL.
The Fantasy Football by Broto app is now live on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store! Download it today for a start sit tool, player cards, statistics, usage, rankings, interactive tools, coaching tendencies, and much, much more. FREE for a limited time.
Check out patreon.com/Brotofantasy to access extra episodes, join our community, win prizes, and help keep the app free.
By Themi Michalakis
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.