Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Monday that scans on running back Austin Ekeler's head were good, but he is in the league's concussion protocol after getting injured late in the upset loss to the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Commanders' backfield was beat up in Week 12, as Brian Robinson (ankle) also left twice. Depending on the availability of both B-Rob and Ekeler for the team's Week 13 contest versus the Tennessee Titans, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. could be thrust into significant roles. The 29-year-old Ekeler failed to take advantage of Robinson's injury on Sunday, as he had 11 touches for just 24 yards against Dallas. We'll keep a close eye on the status of Washington's RBs this week, with Ekeler ultimately needing clearance from an independent neurologist later in the week in order to play on Sunday.

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Per New York Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will start next Sunday when his team takes on the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium. Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team reported the news. There were some rumblings over the Jets' Week 11 bye that the 40-year-old veteran would be removed from his job as New York's starting signal-caller, but it appears those reports lacked any veritable truth. "There has been no discussion about shutting down Aaron Rodgers," said Ulbrich. The long-time Green Bay Packer is in his twentieth season and hasn't been at his best, leading a reeling New York team that's lost seven of their last eight contests. Perhaps the bye week did this team some good, allowing them to sort out whatever issues they've had. However, that remains to be seen. They'll take on a Seahawks squad that sits atop the NFC West at 6-5.

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San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason accrued eight yards on three carries in Sunday's 38-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He'd catch 1-of-2 targets for five yards and return one kick for a gain of 29. San Francisco's offense sputtered all afternoon under the direction of quarterback Brandon Allen, with Brock Purdy (shoulder) working through a shoulder issue. The ten points were the fewest they've scored in an outing this year and their least in a contest since the NFC Championship game of the 2022 season. Since running back Christian McCaffrey's return, CMC has out-touched Mason 56-7, firmly entrenching that latter to handcuff status. The 49ers will square off against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football next weekend in a premiere matchup.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine took his lone carry for 13 yards and caught both of his targets for an additional 12 yards in the team's 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers. He also racked up 104 yards on three kick returns with a long gain of 56. Despite logging 32% of Kansas City's snaps, Perine was held to only three touches out of the backfield, even though he was effective on his sole rush attempt. Backfield mate Kareem Hunt dominated backfield touches yet again, out-touching the 29-year-old 19-to-3, while Carson Steele registered three opportunities (one rush). With running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) due back in short order, the journeyman RB will likely garner even less fantasy value than he does now. The Chiefs will line up against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders next Friday in Week 13.

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor brought in 1-of-2 targets for five yards and a touchdown in Week 12's 30-27 win over their division-rival Chicago Bears. The Michigan State product was sparsely involved on Sunday afternoon despite quarterback Sam Darnold matching his second-most pass attempts of 2024 (34). Wide receiver Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson dominated the target share on a day when they combined to rack up 15 receptions and 276 yards on 18 targets. Nailor kicked off the year hot, scoring a touchdown in his first three appearances of the season. However, since then, he's found the end zone just twice and recorded more than one reception on two occasions. He'll again be a touchdown-dependent fantasy option in Week 13 when Minnesota hosts the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard reeled in 5-of-7 targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 30-7 win over the New York Giants. The Oklahoma product was heavily involved against his former team, leading Tampa Bay in targets, with his reception total good enough for second on the team. However, he could only record 3.2 yards per catch with a long gain of seven yards. It's possible that he'd have been a bit more involved if the game were slightly more competitive. Still, Shepard's production has been spotty at best this season, and with the return of Mike Evans from injury (5/68), it isn't likely to improve any time soon. He and the Bucs will get another soft matchup in Week 13 when they take on the Carolina Panthers in a road tilt, but the 31-year-old will be difficult to rely on once again.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson brought in 1-of-2 targets for 15 yards in the team's 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Carolina made it a game in this one, giving the Chiefs all they could handle up until the end of the fourth quarter. However, KC still held on, yet again winning a game in the waning seconds of regulation. Despite recording a 60% snap-share or better in seven of his last eight appearances, Watson has registered more than 26 receiving yards just twice in that stretch. He's averaging an abysmal 1.64 receptions and 19.8 receiving yards through 11 games in 2024. Despite another exploitable matchup in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders at home, the 28-year-old will not be a recommended option.

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Dynasty | Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew will reportedly miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone. Dynasty Analysis: Minshew had taken back over for Aidan O'Connell, but the injury he sustained this week will keep him out the rest of the season. The Raiders have been ravaged by injuries and this is the latest. On the positive front, it seems O'Connell will be back shortly to take back over the team from Desmond Ridder. As for Minshew, his dynasty value has evaporated as it looks like he's really no better than a decent backup for a team moving forward.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Las Vegas Raiders running back Dylan Laube did not receive a single opportunity out of the backfield in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. The rookie returned one kickoff for a gain of 59 yards. It was disappointing to see the 24-year-old finish the game with no backfield work on a day when Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were both held from the contest with their respective injuries. Instead, Ameer Abdullah led the way with a 90% snap share, with Sincere McCormick picking up the other 10%. Laube has participated on just one snap in his first NFL campaign, fumbling away his lone carry. It appears he's buried deep in the Raiders' depth chart and will continue his role on special teams alone for now. Las Vegas will line up against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead in Week 13.

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Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring), who is questionable to play on Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, is unlikely to suit up, according to sources. If Smith is ruled inactive, as expected, it will be his first game missed with Baltimore due to injury. The 27-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in the Week 11 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday and was unable to practice all week. If Smith sits out to close out Week 12 action, he'll turn his attention to getting healthy in time for the Week 13 contest at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Not having Smith on Monday night would be a key loss for the heart of the Ravens' defense, with Chris Board and Malik Harrison both likely to see an increase in defensive snaps for Baltimore. Smith is currently tied for fourth among linebackers in overall fantasy points for those in IDP leagues.

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Dynasty | Eagles running back Saquon Barkley had 255 rushing yards, four catches, 47 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win against the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: Congrats on winning your fantasy matchup this week. Barkley's rushing total was a career high and featured two different touchdown runs of at least 70 yards. We've often wondered just what he could do if he was healthy and played behind a good offensive line. That question has been answered this season as he's already set a career high with 1,392 rushing yards through 11 games and could have the NFL record of 2,105 yards in his sights. In short, he's the RB1 this season and his dynasty value is back close to where it once was, despite him being 27.

From Dynasty League Fantasy

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that quarterback Baker Mayfield (neck) is "good" after he suffered a stinger late in the 30-7 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday in Week 12. Mayfield's neck injury isn't expected to impact him moving forward as the team prepares to face the division-rival Carolina Panthers in Week 13. Injury aside, the 29-year-old veteran was impressive in the win over the G-Men, going 24-for-30 for 294 yards with no TDs or interceptions. He added four carries for 29 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown run. On the negative side, Mayfield fumbled twice and lost one. It helped that Mayfield got his top target back in receiver Mike Evans, who he connected with five times for 68 yards. With Evans back and with another nice matchup against Carolina this upcoming weekend, Mayfield should be on the map as a low-end QB1 in fantasy.

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Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet continued in his low-volume backup role in the Week 12 victory over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, carrying the ball six times for 22 yards (3.7 yards per carry) while not being targeted in the passing game for the first time all year. Charbonnet has only had double-digit carries twice (back in Weeks 2 and 3) when he was the starter in place of the injured Kenneth Walker III. The 23-year-old's six carries against Arizona represented his highest carry total since Week 7, but it wasn't enough to give him any kind of standalone fantasy value, even in a good matchup against a shaky Cardinals run defense. Charbonnet has been inefficient in his second NFL season (3.4 yards per carry) and will only return to fantasy relevance if Walker misses more time with injury down the stretch.

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Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that quarterback Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) will practice on Monday to give the team an idea where he's at coming off the bye week. An AC joint sprain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder has kept Lawrence out for the team's last two games, but the 25-year-old could be making enough progress to give him a shot to return for the Week 13 contest on Sunday against the division-rival Houston Texans. Lawrence's status for the upcoming weekend will all depend on how he looks and feels as he ramps up his throwing in practices. He's expected to need surgery eventually, but the Jaguars are hoping to put that off until the postseason. Lawrence returning under center would make all of Jacksonville's offensive skill players more interesting from a fantasy perspective. If Lawrence is inactive again in Week 13, expect Mac Jones to make his third straight start.

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The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that quarterback Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be available to take over as the starter in Week 13 on Friday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs now that Gardner Minshew II (collarbone) is out for the rest of the year. O'Connell has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a broken thumb against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, but he's eligible to return to practice this week. If O'Connell isn't cleared, it makes little sense for the Raiders to go outside the organization to look for a starter in a lost season, which would make it unlikely they'd sign Daniel Jones, who was cut by the New York Giants last Friday. If O'Connell can't play against KC, the Raiders will likely start Desmond Ridder. O'Connell would be the better fantasy option over Ridder, but he'd also have very limited upside as a low-end QB2 option in superflex leagues against a strong Chiefs defense.

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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the Week 12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday that quarterback Tommy Devito will make the start in Week 13 on Thanksgiving on Thursday against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys "if he's healthy." DeVito got the wind knocked out of him on the final drive of the game in the fourth quarter and left for a play before coming back in. After returning, he took another big hit and didn't look great leaving the stadium. The 26-year-old signal-caller probably won't do much in practice from Monday through Wednesday, but we'd expect him to be out there against Dallas after going 21-for-31 for 189 yards with no TDs or interceptions in the 30-7 blowout loss to the Bucs. Dallas' defense has been disappointing in 2024, but they put up a spirited effort in the upset win over Washington on Sunday. DeVito will remain a desperation QB2 in superflex leagues if he plays.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (shoulder), who injured his right shoulder in the Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, is considered week-to-week and is a long shot to play in Week 13 against the New England Patriots, according to a source. However, the belief is he didn't suffer a major injury, so perhaps Downs will be ready to go in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos after the team's bye in Week 14. If the 23-year-old is unable to go against New England, it will mean that Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and rookie Adonai Mitchell will start in three-receiver sets. Downs caught just three of his seven targets for 27 yards on Sunday against the Lions but had become the team's leading receiver in previous weeks. He's up to 53 receptions for 594 yards and four TDs in 10 games in his second NFL season and deserves to be stashed until he can return to the fold in Indy.

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. seemed to have increased activity, despite what the stat sheet said, in the 16-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Harrison Jr. caught three passes for 47 yards on six targets, the second most on the team. He has had a boom-or-bust season, making it challenging for fantasy managers to decide whether or not to play him. Harrison Jr. was also one toe away from scoring a go-ahead touchdown, but he couldn't get his foot inbounds inside the pylon. Although he had three catches, the Cardinals schemed up plays to get him the ball, but the execution just wasn't there on any front. They have a tough matchup against the Vikings in Week 13, and Harrison Jr. will once again be a boom-or-bust start.

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In Week 12, Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore turned in a standout performance in the team's narrow 30-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Moore finished with seven receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown, showing signs of improvement after a few quiet weeks. He also contributed in the rushing game, adding one carry for 10 yards. It was encouraging to see Moore used more creatively within the offense. His touchdown came on a well-designed screenplay that allowed him to waltz into the end zone untouched. He also made several plays where he was able to get in space, using his quickness and shiftiness to make defenders miss and generate big yardage. With a quick turnaround, Moore and the Bears will look to build on this performance when they face the NFC-leading Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday.

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On Sunday, Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen turned in a massive performance in the team's 30-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Allen finished with nine receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown and led the team with 15 targets, solidifying himself as quarterback Caleb Williams' go-to option throughout the game. Especially in short-yardage situations, Allen came up big, making key catches to move the chains when the Bears needed them most. This game showcased the best version of Allen we've seen this season, as he made impactful plays at critical moments, including a substantial late fourth-quarter touchdown. However, his performance was marred by a notable mistake: a dropped pass on 4th down when the Bears were deep in Vikings territory. Despite the misstep, this was Allen's best game of the year. With a quick turnaround, he and the Bears will face the NFC-leading Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Thursday.

From RotoBaller