Thu Jan 25 9:02am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
The good news is the injury reports aren’t too long this week. Now there are a few key players hurting, though, which could impact the game. The Chiefs have some injuries along the offensive line and the 49ers could be without one of their best offensive players. So it isn’t all great when it comes to injuries. There are a few to watch.
Here is the latest. . . .
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens. It is looking more and more like Andrews will make his return this week. He is practicing in full and seems closer to full strength than last week. He has yet to be activated from Injured Reserve but look for that to happen before the week is out. Andrews still might not play his usual role in the game but look for him to be out there and helping the team.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs. Pacheco has a toe injury and is out of practice to start the week. He is resting more than anything, though, and it seems the toe injury isn’t too serious. It would be a shock if Pacheco is not active for the big game this week. He should be ready to go.
Marlon Humphrey, CB, Ravens. Humphrey has not played since Week 17 because of a calf strain. He is back at practice this week, though, and trending towards being ready for the game. It would be a big boost to the secondary to have Humphrey back in the lineup for the Ravens.
Skyy Moore, WR, Chiefs. Moore seemed finally close to returning last week, returning to some practice. But he seemed to have a setback late last week with the knee injury. He missed Friday’s practice and has not practiced since. This is not a good sign for a return for Moore. He should miss another week of action.
Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers. Samuel has the big injury to watch this week. He was knocked from last week’s game because of a shoulder injury. He is out of practice to start this week. He is apparently not dealing with a significant injury but it is serious enough that it could sideline him this week. He is truly up in the air to play. It might come down to a game-time decision for Samuel.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (shoulder) upgraded from a limited practice participant on Wednesday to a full showing on Thursday ahead of the Week 14 game against the division-rival New Orleans Saints on Sunday, according to Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News. Irving returned in last Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals for the first time since suffering foot and shoulder injuries back in Week 4. The 23-year-old played 52% of the offensive snaps and had 19 touches for 81 scrimmage yards and his first rushing touchdown of the year. The Bucs will continue to involve both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker in change-of-pace roles down the stretch, but Irving is their preferred back and has clear RB1 upside for fantasy managers now that he's back and set to see an even bigger workload this weekend against the Saints. Irving is averaging a mediocre 3.4 yards per carry in five games this year, but he's had at least 14 rushing attempts in all five games and has a high floor.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (leg) is getting healthier following a fractured fibula that he suffered back in Week 5. Godwin returned from his fibula injury in the Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams to catch two of his four targets for just nine yards. The 29-year-old saw the field more in last week's win over the Arizona Cardinals and caught three of five targets for a season-high 78 yards. He was still limited with his leg injury in Wednesday's practice, but he upgraded to a full practice on Thursday and should continue to see his role grow as he heads into the Week 14 divisional game against the New Orleans Saints. Godwin has WR3/flex appeal for fantasy managers in his third game back, although his target share could be negatively affected if Mike Evans (collarbone) comes off IR to play for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Week 7.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) was limited for the second straight day on Thursday due to a neck injury, according to Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News. McMillan returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since suffering three neck fractures and significant ligament damage during a preseason game in August. The 23-year-old has been on Injured Reserve all year and is not expected to return for this Sunday's game against the division-rival New Orleans Saints in Week 14. McMillan is no longer wearing a neck brace, though, and he continues to make improvements towards a return before the regular season is over. Fantasy managers can continue to avoid him, though, as it might be another couple of weeks before the Bucs officially activate him. McMillan is likely to have a small role for Tampa when he returns, too, in a suddenly crowded WR room.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (shoulder) continues to manage an AC joint sprain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder that he suffered in Week 12, but he was upgraded to a full practice on Thursday after putting in a limited session on Wednesday. In the Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Mayfield went 18-for-28 passing for 194 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions while running for 27 yards. The 30-year-old veteran might be dealing with his left-shoulder injury the rest of the year, but he will be active for a Week 14 divisional contest this Sunday against the 2-10 New Orleans Saints. Don't be fooled by the Saints' record. Their defense is their strength, and they've allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs the last three weeks. In the first meeting with New Orleans, Mayfield went 15-for-24 passing for 152 yards with no TDs or interceptions. He'll be in play as a low-end QB1 in fantasy this weekend, and he could be getting top receiver Mike Evans (collarbone) back from IR.
From RotoBaller
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (collarbone), who remains on Injured Reserve after breaking his collarbone in Week 7, was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday, according to Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News. Evans is trying to get back up to speed after having his 21-day practice window opened this week. Although the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer has been out for an extended period, he has a real chance to make his return for a Week 14 divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. When he's back to full speed, Evans should be Tampa's No. 1 receiver, although he has more competition for targets than ever with Chris Godwin Jr. also back and rookie first-rounder Emeka Egbuka involved. If Evans returns in Week 14, he could be on a snap count, which would make him pretty volatile as a fantasy play in his first game back.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder) logged his second straight limited practice on Thursday. The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury during Minnesota's Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that forced him to exit the game early. However, it appears Jones Sr. may be able to avoid missed time and suit up for his team's Week 14 contest against the Washington Commanders. If Jones Sr. were to suffer a setback or see his usage limited, fellow Vikings back Jordan Mason could see an increase in playing time. However, both backs have struggled to be productive in recent weeks due to the overall struggles of the Minnesota offense. Jones Sr. profiles as a low-end flex option for fantasy managers in Week 14 against Washington if he's healthy enough to play.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee) missed his second consecutive practice on Thursday due to ankle and knee injuries, per Sara Palczewski of Louisiana First News. Kamara suffered a sprained MCL in Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons and missed the Saints' Week 13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Based on his lack of practice participation so far this week, it appears the 30-year-old could be trending towards his second straight missed game in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Kamara sidelined, Saints rookie running back Devin Neal served as the team's RB1 against Miami, recording 69 scrimmage yards on 17 touches. Neal profiles as a low-end RB2/high-end flex option for fantasy managers in Week 14 if Kamara does indeed remain out.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (concussion) logged a full practice on Thursday after being limited in practice on Wednesday, per Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated. The 26-year-old suffered a concussion towards the end of Cincinnati's Week 12 loss to the New England Patriots that led to him being sidelined for the team's Week 13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. While Higgins will still need to clear the NFL's concussion protocol, it appears he could be trending towards returning to the field for the Bengals' Week 14 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Across 11 games this season, Higgins has recorded 40 catches for 575 yards and seven touchdowns on 70 targets. If he's able to return in Week 14, Higgins will share the field with Bengals QB1 Joe Burrow for the first time since Week 2. As long as he's active, Higgins profiles as a must-start wide receiver on Sunday against Buffalo.
From RotoBaller
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (back) is listed as a limited practice participant on Thursday's injury report after being held out of practice on Wednesday. The 25-year-old followed a similar practice progression due to the ongoing back issue last week and was ultimately able to play in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, recording four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. Assuming Olave can avoid any setbacks, he could be trending towards playing through his back troubles again in Week 14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Olave has been targeted a whopping 115 times this season across 12 games, hauling in 73 catches for 781 yards and five touchdowns. As long as he's active, Olave profiles as a must-start fantasy wide receiver.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) practiced in full on Thursday, per Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan. Daniels has been sidelined since Week 9 after suffering a dislocated left elbow, but it appears he may be nearing a return to the field in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. The 24-year-old has been limited by multiple injuries to just six games this season. However, Daniels remains one of the NFL's premier dual-threat quarterbacks when healthy, as he's thrown for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns and rushed for 262 yards and two scores. While Washington has not officially announced that Daniels is cleared to play in Week 14, his return to full practices is undoubtedly a positive sign. If he remains sidelined for another week, veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota will make another start for the Commanders on Sunday against the Vikings.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been cleared from the NFL's concussion protocol, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The 22-year-old missed Minnesota's Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but it appears he's on track to return to the field for the team's Week 14 matchup against the Washington Commanders. McCarthy has struggled mightily across six starts this season, completing 54.1% of his pass attempts for 929 yards, six touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. However, with McCarthy injured in Week 13, backup quarterback Max Brosmer threw four interceptions and Minnesota was shut out by the Seattle Seahawks. McCarthy at least remains a credible threat with his legs, as he's rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 23 rushing attempts this season. He profiles as a low-end fantasy QB2 in Week 14 against Washington.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson (calf) missed practice for the second straight day on Thursday due to a calf issue, per Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. Sampson suffered the calf injury during Cleveland's Week 13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While the 21-year-old is reportedly considered day-to-day, his inability to practice could indicate that he's trending towards being inactive for the Browns' Week 14 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Sampson has largely served as the RB2 in Cleveland this season behind Quinshon Judkins, recording 307 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 65 touches across 12 games this season. If Sampson is inactive in Week 14, Browns running backs Jerome Ford and Raheim Sanders will likely see an increase in playing time.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (hip, knee) was upgraded to a full participant in practice on Thursday after he was held out on Wednesday with hip and knee injuries. It looks like Downs will be able to play in a crucial divisional game this weekend on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he's become very hard to trust in weekly fantasy football lineups. The 24-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 out of North Carolina has seen a healthy 12 targets the last two games, but he has turned that into only four receptions for 54 yards and no touchdowns while he continues to see fellow wideout Alec Pierce take on a bigger role in the passing attack. Downs is still an integral part of Indy's offense, but he ranks just inside the top 50 receivers in half-PPR points this year on 40 catches, 370 yards, and three touchdowns. He hasn't done much outside of a three-week stretch from Oct. 12 through Nov. 2, where he caught all three of his TDs on the season.
From RotoBaller
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said that he expects quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) to play on Sunday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Jackson was limited on Wednesday for the second straight week with an ankle injury and was then downgraded to a DNP on Thursday, raising some question marks about whether he would play this weekend. The 28-year-old two-time MVP has been limited by multiple lower-body injuries in practices the last few weeks, but he has been able to take the field on game days. The good news is that the Steelers have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing QBs this year. The bad news is that Jackson has not been his typical high-end QB1 self in 2025, as he ranks as just the QB16 in fantasy points per game this year. In the last three weeks, he's averaging only 11.5 points, which is below Kirk Cousins.
From RotoBaller
The Cleveland Browns opened up quarterback Deshaun Watson's (Achilles) 21-day practice window this week, but league sources are telling CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones that it's a long shot that he will suit up this year. And unless the Browns want to take on a dead salary cap hit of more than $80 million in 2026, he'll likely be back on the roster next year. Watson tore his right Achilles on Oct. 20 of last year and had surgery within a week. During his recovery, he re-ruptured his Achilles and underwent a second surgery on Jan. 9. Cleveland signed Watson to a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in March 2022, but he has started only 19 of a possible 63 (and counting) regular-season games for the Browns. Trading Watson is not an option, but they could release him after this year and designate him as a post-June 1 cut, although that would result in a dead cap hit of almost $81 million. If he's back in 2026, Watson will be competing for the starting gig with at least Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel.
From RotoBaller
The Los Angeles Chargers remain optimistic that quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) will be able to play on Monday night in Week 14 against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles despite having surgery to fix a metacarpal fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand on Monday, according to ESPN's Kris Rhim. "We're really optimistic Justin's going to play," offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. Herbert told reporters after having surgery earlier this week that he plans to play in Week 14, and all signs point to the 27-year-old signal-caller being active. Herbert is as tough as they come in the NFL. After a strong start to the 2025 season that featured five touchdown passes in the first two games, Herbert has thrown only two TD passes with two picks and just 232 passing yards in the last two contests. Going against a strong Eagles defense in Week 14 with a suspect offensive line in front of him, fantasy managers should downgrade Herbert to high-end QB2 status.
From RotoBaller
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (knee) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Falcons say that London remains day-to-day, but he has yet to practice this week and looks headed toward a third straight absence due to a sprained PCL that he suffered in Week 11. The 24-year-old has been doing some running on the side, though, and there is one more day for him to return to the practice field. Receiver David Sills V has scored a touchdown in both games that London has missed, but it has come on just four receptions (seven targets) and 31 yards. Darnell Mooney had three catches, a season-high 74 yards, and a TD in Week 12 with London out, but he caught just two passes for 25 yards in the Week 13 loss to the Jets. Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. will see most of the targets in the passing game for Atlanta if London is ruled out again this weekend against the Seahawks.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) missed a second day of practice this week with a foot injury on Thursday, putting his status firmly up in the air for a crucial Week 14 matchup against the division-rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. It's a new injury for Odunze, who has played through ankle and heel issues in 2025. Perhaps it's the reason why the 23-year-old has gone into a slump after a strong start to his sophomore campaign. The former first-rounder scored five touchdowns in the first four games of the year, but he has just one trip to the end zone since (back in Week 10). In the last three contests, Odunze has just seven catches on 21 targets for 102 yards. His fantasy stock as a WR3/flex with upside has taken a hit, especially now that there's an injury concern to boot. If Odunze is not active in Week 14, DJ Moore, rookie Luther Burden III, and Olamide Zaccheaus would operate in three-wide sets for the Bears offense.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai (ankle) was upgraded to a limited participant in Thursday's practice session after missing Wednesday, according to the team's official website. Monangai returned to practice on Thursday and should be good to go for Sunday's pivotal matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The rookie seventh-rounder has scored in four consecutive games and has emerged as a viable flex play in Chicago's dominant run game. Monangai has totalled 53 carries for 229 yards and four touchdowns, along with one reception (three targets) for 14 yards over the past four games as he splits carries with D'Andre Swift.
From RotoBaller
As expected, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) returned to practice on Thursday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Rodgers suffered three fractures in his left (non-throwing) wrist in Week 11 and sat out of Week 12. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer returned in last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills, going 10-for-21 for 117 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Although Rodgers was beaten up in the Week 13 loss, he's fully expected to take the field this Sunday for a big divisional clash against the Baltimore Ravens. With limited options at his disposal in the passing game beyond receiver DK Metcalf, Rodgers has been the QB22 in overall fantasy points in 2025 through 13 weeks, with 2,086 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Against a Ravens defense that has stiffened in the second half of the season, Rodgers will be a QB2/3 in fantasy while playing through a broken left hand.
From RotoBaller