NFL Player News
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Tutu Atwell WR | MIA
Rams' Tutu Atwell: Light duty in first game back
Atwell secured one of two targets for nine yards during Sunday's 41-34 victory against the Lions.
In his return from a six-game absence due to a hamstring injury, Atwell took the field for just four plays on offense but managed targets on half of them. Konata Mumpfield has had an expanded role in recent weeks on offense due to Atwell's absence but hasn't done much with his opportunities, leaving the door open for Atwell to reclaim the No. 3 position at wideout for the Rams. With Davante Adams (hamstring) potentially unavailable for a pivotal Week 16 Thursday night showdown against division rival Seattle, Atwell may be thrust into a much more prolific role alongside Puka Nacua if Adams is unable to go.
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Jayden Daniels QB | WAS
Commanders' Jayden Daniels: Being shut down for the year
The Commanders do not intend for Daniels (elbow) to start any of the team's final three regular-season games, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Daniels was medically evaluated Monday and has not yet been cleared for contact, making it likely that he will be unable to gain clearance for Saturday's game against the Eagles. Washington will follow that contest up with a short practice window before facing the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football in Week 17, leaving only Week 18's rematch against Philadelphia as a realistic target for Daniels' return -- one that the Commanders see little upside in risking the franchise quarterback's health for. While head coach Dan Quinn hasn't yet officially announced that Daniels is done for 2025, the expectation is that Marcus Mariota will line up under center for the final three weeks while Daniels turns his full focus toward his rehab.
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Anthony Firkser TE | DET
Lions' Anthony Firkser: Catchless in Week 15
Firkser didn't draw a target in Sunday's 41-34 loss to the Rams.
Firkser saw his offensive snap count drop from 35 to 22 in Week 15 with Shane Zylstra returning from a knee injury that forced him to miss 11 contests. Firkser has now caught both of his targets for 11 yards while playing 75 snaps on offense over four games with Detroit this year, and he has little to no fantasy utility moving forward.
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C.J. Ham FB | MIN
Vikings' C.J. Ham: Gets rare rushing TD
Ham recorded a one-yard touchdown on his lone carry in Sunday's 34-26 win at Dallas.
Ham has just four carries this season and four in his last three seasons, so the scoring tote that he earned Sunday should be viewed as an extreme outlier. The 32-year-old is one of the NFL's top blocking fullbacks, but he rarely touches the ball, even at the goal line.
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Laiatu Latu DE | IND
Colts' Laiatu Latu: Defensive star in loss
Latu had three total tackles, including 1.0 sacks and two additional tackles for loss in Sunday's loss at Seattle.
Latu now has a career-high 6.5 sacks. He also had three stops, according to Pro Football Focus, as he was effective against the run as well.
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Isaiah Hodgins WR | NYG
Giants' Isaiah Hodgins: Held to one catch again
Hodgins recorded one reception for four yards on two targets in Sunday's 29-21 loss to Washington.
Though Hodgins saw the third-most targets (two) among New York wideouts, he finished well behind Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton, who logged 10 targets apiece. That lack of attention for Hodgins happened despite the fact he played as many offensive snaps (59) as Slayton and wasn't far behind Robinson (67). No other Giants wide receiver caught a pass or played more than four offensive snaps Sunday, so Hodgins appears pretty secure in the No. 3 WR role. However, after catching seven passes for 99 yards and a TD over the first two games following his reunion with New York, he's caught exactly one pass for four yards in each of the team's past two contests.
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Jordan Whittington WR | LAR
Rams' Jordan Whittington: Records just four snaps on offense
Whittington failed to secure his only target and returned four kickoffs for 102 yards during Sunday's 41-34 win against the Lions.
For the second time in three games, Whittington failed to make a catch, and his four snaps on offense mark a season low for the second-year pro. Konata Mumpfield's usage has increased significantly in recent weeks, leaving Whittington, Xavier Smith and a returning Tutu Atwell with just a handful of snaps to work with in recent games. Davante Adams (hamstring) is in danger of missing Thursday's divisional showdown in Seattle in Week 16, but a sudden surge in usage and targets from Matthew Stafford seems unlikely given his track record so far this season.
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Teddye Buchanan LB | BAL
Ravens' Teddye Buchanan: ACL tear confirmed
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday that Buchanan suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday's 24-0 win over the Bengals, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.
As the Ravens had feared, Buchanan sustained ligament damage to his knee in the blowout win and will now miss the remainder of the season. The rookie linebacker was Baltimore's second-leading tackler through the first 15 weeks of the season, recording 93 stops through 14 contests. Trenton Simpson is now expected to start alongside Roquan Smith at inside linebacker heading into Baltimore's next game Sunday versus New England.
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Xavier Smith WR | LAR
Rams' Xavier Smith: Sees little usage
Smith failed to record a target during Sunday's 41-34 victory against the Lions.
Sunday marked the first time since Week 6 that Smith was held without a catch, and more concerning was a steep drop in playing time; Smith was only on the field for three snaps on offense. Tutu Atwell returned but only earned four snaps of his own, while Konata Mumpfield and his 32 snaps marked the highest usage out of the backup wideouts. Even with Davante Adams (hamstring) potentially unavailable for a pivotal Week 16 matchup on the road against division-rival Seattle, Smith's most likely contribution for the Rams will be on special teams.
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Philip Rivers QB | IND
Colts' Philip Rivers: Remaining starter for Week 16
Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Rivers will draw another start during Monday Night Football against the 49ers in Week 16 on Dec. 22, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Rivers made his first start since January 2021 during Indianapolis' narrow 18-16 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday in which he completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception while losing five yards on his only carry. While the 44-year-old signal-caller's numbers were excessively modest, he piloted the Colts offense with prudence and kept the team competitive in a difficult road environment. He'll have an opportunity to build on that production at home next week versus a 49ers defense that's lost multiple key playmakers.