Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (foot) was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday's practice and is on track to play this Sunday against the Chicago Bears, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice in case he faces a setback. Darnold enjoyed a nice bounce-back showing this past weekend against the Tennessee Titans as he threw for 246 yards and two scores. This was a stark contrast to the poor showing he had in Week 10, where he tallied 241 yards with no scores and three interceptions. Overall, Darnold has enjoyed a great debut campaign in Minnesota as he has thrown 19 TDs and added one with his legs through 10 games. Fantasy managers should view him as a low-end QB1 this weekend, as he will face a tough Chicago defense that has allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs this season.

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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) remained a limited participant during Thursday's practice. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status during Friday's practice as it may provide some clarity on his ability heading into the weekend. The Rutgers product has been sidelined since sustaining a fractured fibula in their Week 2 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. While sidelined, veteran Kareem Hunt has seen most of the opportunities out of the backfield, with Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele mixing in. Before his injury, Pacheco was on track to enjoy a breakout campaign as he scored at least 15.0 PPR points in each game with at least 15 attempts and three targets in each contest. When he returns to action, fantasy managers should expect him to see most of the opportunities out of the backfield.

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Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (groin) was upgraded to a limited participant during Thursday's practice after sitting out on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice session, but this is a positive sign for his availability heading into the weekend. Last weekend, Swift enjoyed a nice bounce-back, scoring 16.4 PPR points after failing to hit double-digits during Week 10. Despite the offensive struggles the Bears have had this season, Swift has been a reliable option out of the backfield, averaging 18.3 PPR points during Weeks 4 through 11. If Swift can suit up this weekend, fantasy managers should view him as an RB2 despite the tough matchup against the Minnesota Vikings who have allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back) did not practice during Thursday's session, according to Joseph Hoyt of the DLLS Cowboys. This is not a good sign for the star wideout as he was a limited participant during Wednesday's initial session. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Friday's injury report, as Lamb may carry an injury designation into the weekend. Lamb has been dealing with this lingering back injury for some time but was able to suit up on Monday evening to face the Houston Texans. In this game, Lamb brought in eight of his 12 targets for 93 yards. Even though the Dallas offense has struggled with Cooper Rush under center, fantasy managers should continue to start Lamb in all formats if he can play, as he should continue to see a heavy target share down the stretch.

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Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder) did not practice during Thursday's session. The Georgia product sustained this shoulder injury during their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday evening. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to his status throughout the week as he has two more opportunities to log a session before Monday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Last weekend, the rookie tallied a season-high 123 yards off six receptions. Since Week 8, McConkey has begun to find his footing at the professional level and has averaged a solid 87.5 yards per game in this stretch. If the 23-year-old can suit up, fantasy managers should start him in all formats, given his favorable matchup against the Ravens, who have allowed the most PPR points to opposing wideouts this season.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) was upgraded to a full participant during Thursday's practice, which puts him on schedule to return to action this weekend, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. Evans was a limited participant during Wednesday's initial practice session. The 31-year-old wideout has been sidelined since sustaining this injury during their Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Before the injury, Evans averaged 13.6 PPR points per game while seeing 6.4 targets per game. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during Friday's practice, but given this update, he should be expected to return to the field this Sunday. Despite his slow start during the start of the season, fantasy managers should feel confident starting Evans in all formats against the New York Giants.

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Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (ankle) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday due to a sprained left ankle that he suffered in the Week 11 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Oliver is likely going to need to practice in some fashion on Friday in order to have a shot at playing in Week 12 against the division-rival Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday. The 27-year-old does have a career-high three touchdowns in 10 starts in 2024, but he hasn't been a reliable fantasy asset, even at the weak TE position, catching 19 of his 22 targets for 216 yards. If Oliver is inactive this weekend, it should give T.J. Hockenson a slightly higher fantasy ceiling after he disappointed with two catches for 13 yards in his third game off Injured Reserve.

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Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (knee) popped up on the Week 12 injury report after putting in a limited practice session due to a left-knee ailment. Mid-week additions to the injury report usually aren't a good sign, but it's unclear if Pineiro's knee injury is serious enough to keep him out of Sunday's contest against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs. Carolina doesn't have another kicker on their roster at the moment, but if they bring one in, it will be a clear sign that Pineiro won't be able to kick this weekend. In a weak Panthers offense, Pineiro is the No. 27-ranked kicker in terms of overall fantasy points, so he shouldn't have been in any fantasy lineups heading into this week's matchup against a tough Chiefs defense. Fantasy managers should continue to ignore Carolina's kicking situation.

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Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) was not seen at the portion of practice open to the media on Thursday. Spears suffered a concussion in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and doesn't appear to have made much progress in the league's concussion protocol this week, as he's now missed two straight practices. The 23-year-old still has another day to get back on the practice field, but at this juncture, it's not looking good for his availability in Week 12 as the team faces the division-rival Houston Texans. When healthy, the former third-round pick in 2023 out of Tulane has taken a clear back seat to Tony Pollard in Tennessee's backfield, making him a low-upside, low-floor RB3/flex for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. If Spears misses this weekend's contest, Julius Chestnut would serve as Pollard's backup.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) was limited in practice for the second straight day this week on Thursday as he looks to make his return to game-day action this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since injuring his hamstring in Week 3. Thielen was activated from Injured Reserve during the team's bye week, but he's still not in the clear to return for Week 12. An upgrade to a full practice session on Friday could do the trick. The 34-year-old veteran expects to play against KC, although the Panthers could monitor his workload on Sunday if that's the case given his long layoff. When he's fully up to speed, though, Thielen should be one of quarterback Bryce Young's top targets opposite rookie Xavier Legette. Thielen is worth stashing for WR depth in deeper leagues, but he's trending as a shaky fantasy play against a tough Chiefs defense if he's active on Sunday.

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Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) is well on his way to making his NFL debut this weekend against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Brooks put in another day of full practice on Thursday and is fully expected to be the backup to lead back Chuba Hubbard in Week 12. The 21-year-old also practiced in full before the Week 10 win over the New York Giants in Germany, but the Panthers held him out as a precaution going into their bye. Because Brooks will take a back seat to Hubbard in his debut, he won't be a realistic starting fantasy option in his debut. However, the former Texas RB and first RB off the board in this year's draft has plenty of long-term upside in Carolina and will at least be a worthwhile handcuff for those that have Hubbard the rest of the season. Miles Sanders (ankle) is expected to sit out this weekend and could be the RB3 when he's healthy.

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For the second straight day this week, Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (ankle) was listed as a non-participant at Thursday's practice. Sanders suffered a severely sprained ankle in the Week 10 win over the New York Giants in Germany and is considered week-to-week despite having last week's bye to heal up. He's not expected to play in Week 12 versus the Kansas City Chiefs and will probably be third on the RB depth chart when he does return with rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) expected to make his NFL debut this Sunday. The 27-year-old was already not much of a fantasy asset this year behind starter Chuba Hubbard, and his fantasy value has taken another hit with the return of Brooks. Sanders belongs on the waiver wire. He's currently rostered in only 1% of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) is sitting out of practice for a second straight day this week on Thursday. Smith has played through hamstring issues each of the last two weeks, but two straight missed practices puts him in danger of missing the Week 12 contest on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Rams. And if Smith is a game-time decision this weekend, it would put fantasy managers in a tough spot with his game being on Sunday night this week. The 26-year-old wideout has disappointed the last two weeks, too, catching six of nine targets for 43 yards and no touchdowns. You'll want to check back on Friday to see if he's able to return to practice to at least give himself a chance to play in Week 12. If Smith sits out against LA, it would mean more targets for A.J. Brown and Jahan Dotson and tight end Dallas Goedert.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen said the team needs to be more aware of getting running back Sean Tucker touches in every game. The team self-scouted during the Week 11 bye and is looking to Tucker more involved. The second-year back out of Syracuse flashed with 136 rushing yards, 56 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns in the Week 6 win over the New Orleans Saints but has not seen more than six touches in a game since. In Week 10, he did not handle a single touch. This is good news for Tucker fantasy managers in deep leagues, but Rachaad White and Bucky Irving could be even more uncertain fantasy outlooks down the stretch as a result. The usage of the Tampa Bay running backs should be heavily monitored in Week 12 against the New York Giants.

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The Cleveland Browns are elevating tight end Blake Whiteheart from the practice squad for the Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Geoff Swaim (concussion) inactive for Week 12 due to a concussion, Whiteheart will serve as the team's TE3 behind David Njoku and Jordan Akins. The second-year undrafted free agent has hauled in three receptions for 13 yards and a touchdown in four games for Cleveland this season, but he is not on the fantasy football radar.

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Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) is not practicing on Thursday after missing Wednesday's session with a hamstring injury. The two-time All-Pro suffered the injury in the Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it appears he is at risk of missing Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith is one of the top IDP players in fantasy football, so his status is worth monitoring over the next few days. Smith has collected 110 total tackles (61 solo), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one interception, and three pass deflections in 11 games this year.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was not spotted at the open portion of practice on Thursday, according to Cowboys reporter Todd Archer. Lamb was listed as limited on Wednesday, so a potential downgrade in his status is concerning. Last year's leader in receptions (135) hasn't produced as many fantasy football spike weeks this year, but he is still the overall WR4 in PPR formats. That said, his ceiling has taken a hit in the absence of Dak Prescott (hamstring), who is out for the year with a hamstring injury. Lamb's status should be monitored throughout the rest of the week, as he remains a must-start option due to his target volume. If he can't play in Week 12 against the Washington Commanders, Jalen Tolbert could become an intriguing flex option, and it's worth noting Brandin Cooks (knee) returned to practice this week after being designated to return from Injured Reserve.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) is practicing and preparing to play against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, according to ESPN's Ed Werder. The 31-year-old has been on the Injured Reserve list since undergoing knee surgery following Week 4, but it sounds like he could return to action in Week 12. With CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) banged up, Cooks could enter the fantasy football radar in deeper setups, but his upside is likely limited catching passes from Cooper Rush. In four games this season, Cooks caught just nine passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. If Lamb is good to go for Week 12, Cooks should be left on the bench in leagues of 14 or fewer teams.

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New York Jets owner Woody Johnson broached the idea of benching quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an internal meeting on Sept. 30 after the team lost to the Denver Broncos to fall to 2-2 on the year, according to multiple sources. One source indicated the suggestion was "said in jest in a provocative nature," while others in the meeting took it differently. "If Woody really wanted Rodgers benched, he would've been benched," another source said. Two people in that meeting aren't with the team anymore, as both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have been canned. Sitting at 3-8, the Jets are poised for an organizational reset in the offseason, and although Rodgers said he wants to continue playing in 2025, it will likely have to come somewhere other than New York. The 77-year-old Johnson has taken a more hands-on approach since the end of last year.

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Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) will have season-ending shoulder surgery in the near future, according to head coach Mike McCarthy. Bell suffered a dislocated left shoulder covering a kickoff in the second quarter of the Monday night loss to the Houston Texans when trying to tackle running back Dameon Pierce. It's the latest in a long string of injuries to key players for the Cowboys on both sides of the ball in 2024. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) has been on Injured Reserve since Week 4, and cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) has yet to play this year after having foot surgery in August. However, Dallas' defense could get a big boost if Bland is able to make his 2024 debut this Sunday against the division-rival Washington Commanders. Dallas' D/special teams won't be a recommended fantasy play in Week 12.

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