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Sunday, December 27, 2020 |
So, you went up against Alvin Kamara or Myles Gaskin yesterday, huh? Tough break. Hey, at least it wasn't Alvin Kamara and Myles Gaskin! It might seem like you're facing an insurmountable deficit, but you just have to look at some of the other performances from Friday and Saturday to see that it won't take much to overcome -- DeAndre Hopkins, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kyler Murray all flopped at the worst possible time, and you only need one or two performances like that from your opponent to be right back in the thick of it. |
Don't despair, just make sure you're putting the best lineup out there possible, as always. To do that, I've got the latest injury news on big names like Ezekiel Elliott, Antonio Gibson, and Terry McLaurin, plus up-to-date consensus rankings from the Fantasy Football Today team's experts to make sure you've got the right combination locked in. |
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Here are the key injury situations we're watching out for Sunday, along with some potential fill-in options if you need help: |
Quarterback |
- In: Daniel Jones (ankle/hamstring), Brandon Allen (knee)
- Out: Alex Smith (calf)
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If you're relying on any of these guys in Week 16, you've either got bigger problems than I can solve or such a stacked lineup that it doesn't matter much. Dwayne Haskins is expected to start for Washington, who will be without Terry McLaurin, so expect a healthy helping of Logan Thomas -- who had 16 targets with Haskins starting last week -- and J.D. McKissic. |
Running back |
- In: Ezekiel Elliot (calf), Antonio Gibson (toe), La'Mical Perine (ankle), James Conner (quad)
- Questionable: Damien Harris (ankle)
- Out: Christian McCaffrey (thigh), James Robinson (ankle), Cam Akers (ankle), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (hip/ankle) Jamaal Williams (quad), Phillip Lindsay (IR; hip), Duke Johnson (neck)
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Elliott's return could mean the worst of both worlds for the Cowboys running game, as Elliott and Tony Pollard are likely to split work coming off Pollard's breakout game. What that split looks like at this point is uncertain, but you have to assume Elliott will remain the lead back when active, as has been the case for every game he's ever played. Pollard has looked like the most explosive back of the two, but the Cowboys haven't really shown any willingness to go away from Elliott too much. Both could be good, but you should approach them as low-end RB2, with Elliott probably more likely to lead the team in touchdowns and score a touchdown. |
The other tough decision here is Gibson, who was limited in practice all week after a two-week absence. His return is somewhat surprising, but pre-game reports indicate Gibson could revert to his pre-injury role, in which he averaged 16.3 carries and 4.3 targets per game in his last three before the injury. Gibson has been quite impressive this season and had emerged as a must-start back before the injury. He's probably back in that range now, with J.D. McKissic likely back in his role as the primary pass catcher and the low-end No. 2 range at the position. |
Robinson's absence is the toughest to make up, given how much he has dominated work for the Jaguars this season. Devine Ozigbo and Dare Ogunbowale will likely split time for the Jaguars, but they have just 15 touches on the season between them, so what that split will look like remains to be seen. My guess? It's Ozigbo as the lead back, given that he seemed set to open the season as Robinson's backup before injuries pushed him aside. Given a tough matchup against the Bears with Mike Glennon starting at QB, you'd have to be pretty desperate to look for help in this Jacksonville backfield. |
- Potential fill-in options: Darrell Henderson (72%), Gus Edwards (64%), Ito Smith (16%), Benny Snell (47%), Malcolm Brown (42%), Frank Gore (34%)
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Wide receiver |
- In: Tyreek Hill (hamstring), Allen Robinson (hamstring), Marquise Brown (knee), Dez Bryant (thigh)
- Questionable: Keenan Allen (hamstring)
- Out: Jarvis Landry/Rashard Higgins/KhaDarel Hodge/Donovan Peoples-Jones (COVID-19), Julio Jones (hamstring), Terry McLaurin (ankle), Tyler Boyd (consussion), Golden Tate (calf), Collin Johnson (hamstring)
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The Browns top wide receiver in Week 16 will likely be Marvin Hall, who they claimed off waivers a few weeks ago but haven't played yet. However, all of the other WR on the active roster were deemed to be close contacts to a positive test and had to be placed on the COVID-19 list -- putting their abilities for Week 17 in question as well. Hall has some big-play potential, averaging 21.1 yards per reception for his career, but he's never been relied on like the Browns are likely going to have to. I'm throwing him in a few DFS lineups, but there are other big-play wide receivers I prefer if I need someone to fill in. |
Allen is the only question mark as of noon, with one report Sunday indicating he is likely to sit out the game and another saying he's going to push to play. It sounds a lot like where we were with him last week, when he played but was a total non-factor in a minimal role. It's going to be tough to sit Allen if he's active, but it's probably the prudent play. With Hunter Henry also out, there's plenty of opportunity available for the Chargers, which should lead to more opportunities for Tyron Johnson and Jalen Guyton , who both had breakout performances in Week 15. Guyton had more targets and snaps in Week 15 and for the season, so if you need, he's the guy. Both are WR3 with big-play upside if you need help. |
McLaurin is probably the closest thing to a surprise here, but reports Saturday indicated he wouldn't play, so it's not that big of a surprise. There isn't much to like Washington's wide receivers if McLaurin is out -- Isaiah Wright and Cam Sims are tied for fifth on the team in targets with just 34, while Steven Sims has 30 and Dontrelle Inman has 28. Any one of those players could have a good game, but trying to pinpoint which one it might be is tricky. If I had to pick one, it would be Inman, who did have five or more targets in five of the first six games for Washington to start the season, though he's played a much smaller role while battling injuries since. Outside of DFS, you'd have to be pretty desperate to use any of the WR here. |
- Potential fill-ins: Sammy Watkins (63%), Darius Slayton (63%), Sterling Shepard (55%), Russell Gage (48%), John Brown (43%)
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Tight end |
- In: Greg Olsen (foot)
- Out: Hunter Henry (reserve/COVID-19), Richard Rodgers (ankle), Jace Sternberger (concussion)
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There's not much to talk about at tight end this week -- we knew Henry would be out earlier in the week, and you should have snagged a replacement earlier. If you're still looking for one, Austin Hooper is the obvious choice, given the Browns wide receiver absences. I would expect the Browns will pass rarely in this one, but Hooper should be the top option when they do. |
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As of noon from Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings: |
QB Rankings |
- Patrick Mahomes
- Aaron Rodgers
- Josh Allen
- Lamar Jackson
- Jalen Hurts
- Deshaun Watson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Mitchell Trubisky
- Justin Herbert
- Russell Wilson
- Matt Ryan
- Jared Goff
- Ben Roethlisberger
- Baker Mayfield
- Philip Rivers
- Andy Dalton
- Teddy Bridgewater
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RB Rankings |
- Derrick Henry
- David Montgomery
- Austin Ekeler
- Nick Chubb
- Jonathan Taylor
- Aaron Jones
- David Johnson
- Miles Sanders
- Melvin Gordon
- Chris Carson
- Mike Davis
- Antonio Gibson
- J.K. Dobbins
- Kareem Hunt
- J.D. McKissic
- Le'Veon Bell
- Darrell Henderson
- Tony Pollard
- Giovani Bernard
- Nyheim Hines
- Ezekiel Elliott
- James Conner
- Devin Singletary
- Wayne Gallman
- Malcolm Brown
- Zack Moss
- Sony Michel
- Frank Gore
- Gus Edwards
- Ito Smith
- Dare Ogunbowale
- James White
- Ty Johnson
- Benny Snell
- Darrel Williams
- Devine Ozigbo
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WR Rankings |
- Davante Adams
- Tyreek Hill
- Stefon Diggs
- Calvin Ridley
- Allen Robinson
- A.J. Brown
- Robert Woods
- DK Metcalf
- Diontae Johnson
- D.J. Moore
- Corey Davis
- Amari Cooper
- Brandin Cooks
- T.Y. Hilton
- Cole Beasley
- Tyler Lockett
- Cooper Kupp
- CeeDee Lamb
- Robby Anderson
- Russell Gage
- Marquise Brown
- Tee Higgins
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Curtis Samuel
- Keke Coutee
- Jamison Crowder
- Chase Claypool
- Allen Lazard
- Tyron Johnson
- Jakobi Meyers
- Mike Williams
- Tim Patrick
- D.J. Chark
- Sammy Watkins
- Chad Hansen
- Sterling Shepard
- Laviska Shenault Jr.
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TE Rankings |
- Travis Kelce
- Mark Andrews
- Logan Thomas
- Noah Fant
- Robert Tonyan
- Austin Hooper
- Dallas Goedert
- Tyler Higbee
- Eric Ebron
- Evan Engram
- Jonnu Smith
- Hayden Hurst
- Jordan Akins
- Zach Ertz
- Cole Kmet
- Dalton Schultz
- Tyler Eifert
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K Rankings |
- Younghoe Koo
- Justin Tucker
- Rodrigo Blankenship
- Harrison Butker
- Wil Lutz
- Jason Sanders
- Tyler Bass
- Ryan Succop
- Jason Myers
- Mason Crosby
- Ka'imi Fairbairn
- Greg Zuerlein
- Joey Slye
- Daniel Carlson
- Matt Gay
- Dustin Hopkins
- Matt Prater
- Dan Bailey
- Chris Boswell
- Robbie Gould
- Nick Folk
- Mike Nugent
- Cody Parkey
- Cairo Santos
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DST RankingsRavens |
- Ravens
- Browns
- Bears
- Steelers
- Bills
- Football Team
- Colts
- Rams
- Chiefs
- Seahawks
- Panthers
- Eagles
- Packers
- Texans
- Chargers
- Patriots
- Cowboys
- Titans
- Giants
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