New England Patriots offensive guard Cole Strange (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time during the regular season. The 2022 first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been sidelined all year due to a torn patellar tendon. Although he has not lived up to his draft capital, he could provide a boost for a struggling offensive line when he returns. It remains to be seen if he has a shot to play this week against the Miami Dolphins, but the organization could decide to ramp him up slowly. Strange has played in just 27 games since entering the NFL, so there is still time for him to develop and be a key piece of the Drake Maye era in New England.

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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he wants to see rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) play confident and fast when he makes his NFL debut, and he will be working behind Chuba Hubbard when he plays in his first NFL contest this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Miles Sanders (ankle, foot) isn't expected to play in Week 12, so Brooks should serve as the backup to Hubbard. The 21-year-old Brooks hasn't played all year while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered last year in college, but he's practicing in full on Wednesday and should be active this Sunday. Hubbard has earned lead-back duties for Carolina with another strong season in 2024, which means Brooks will probably be in line for backup duties the rest of the way in his rookie season, making him mostly a bench stash and handcuff in fantasy.

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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in the team's first practice of the week on Wednesday coming off their bye. Thielen has been on Injured Reserve since suffering a pretty serious hamstring injury all the way back in Week 3. However, the 34-year-old veteran pass-catcher said earlier this week that he expects to return to play against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12 on Sunday. He's probably going to need to upgrade to a full practice on either Thursday or Friday to avoid a questionable tag on the final injury report, and Thielen may be eased back into the offense if he's eventually cleared to play this weekend. Thielen should have a significant role when he's back to full speed alongside rookie Xavier Legette, but he won't be the most attractive fantasy lineup option if he returns this Sunday against a tough Chiefs defense.

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Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) is not practicing on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two-time first-team All-Pro is the leader of the strong Baltimore front seven, so it would be a major loss if he has to miss any upcoming games. Baltimore will face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, so fantasy managers in IDP leagues should monitor his status throughout the week. The former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2018 has tallied 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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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Monday and Tuesday due to a shoulder injury, but he returned to full practice on Wednesday and is set to play in the Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Moore was a non-factor early in the 2024 season, but after Amari Cooper was dealt to Buffalo and Jameis Winston took over the starting quarterback job, he has had relative success in fantasy football. The former New York Jet has tallied at least 16.5 PPR fantasy points in two of Winston's three starts, but a tough matchup against the Steelers' secondary on a short week is concerning. That said, six teams are on a bye, so he's a decent WR4/Flex option in Week 12.

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle) and cornerback Cory Trice Jr. (hamstring) won't play against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football due to ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively. Highsmith was expected to miss a few weeks after suffering his ankle injury in Week 10, but he is not likely to be placed on Injured Reserve and could return after the team's mini-bye for Week 13. The 27-year-old logged seven sacks last season and has three in six games this year. Trice has not played since Week 3 after suffering a hamstring injury that landed him on IR, and he's been ruled out for Thursday night despite practicing in full all week.

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Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (knee) logged a full practice on Wednesday following limited sessions on Monday and Tuesday due to a knee injury. He has been removed from the injury report and is good to go against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. The former first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has seen his fantasy football stock rise after Jameis Winston took over for the injured Deshaun Watson. Since Week 7, Njoku has averaged 13.3 half-PPR fantasy points per game, so despite the tough matchup against the Steelers defense, he's a clear TE1 play for Week 12. With six teams on a bye, he is a virtual must-start this week despite the low floor of the Cleveland offense on a short week.

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Arizona Cardinals right tackle Jonah Williams (knee) is being activated from the Injured Reserve list following the team's Week 11 bye. Williams played just 22 snaps in Week 1 before suffering a knee injury that has sidelined him since, and his return could provide a nice boost to an ascending offense. Quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner have been mostly strong fantasy football assets in 2024, so the return of a starting offensive lineman at a key position can only help their chances to continue producing in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign. Williams spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals before signing with the AFC West squad this offseason.

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Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills (knee) and Geoff Swaim (concussion) have been ruled out of the Week 12 Thursday Night Football contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wills has struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons and has appeared in just 13 games since the start of 2023. Fellow offensive tackle Dawand Jones (ankle) is out for the season, so Cleveland will be short-handed on the offensive line in a worrisome matchup against T.J. Watt and Preston Smith. Swaim, a 31-year-old journeyman, signed with Cleveland in September and has appeared in eight games of the Browns this year. He is primarily a blocking tight end, so his absence does not help the question marks up front. Expect Jameis Winston to face a ton of pressure in this AFC North grudge match.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that wide receiver Calvin Ridley (illness) is out sick on Wednesday and won't practice, but he's expected to return to the field on Thursday. Ridley is a little under the weather as the team begins their preparations for Week 12 against the division-rival Houston Texans. The 29-year-old has plenty of time to get right before Sunday's contest and shouldn't have an issue playing this weekend. Ridley will likely see a lot of coverage from Texans cornerback Derek Stingley as he looks to improve on his 4-58-0 line in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As long as Ridley is active in Week 12, fantasy managers should consider him a low-end WR2/high-end WR3/flex. He's just two weeks removed from catching five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert (hip) is working at practice with the team on Wednesday after missing the last two games with a right-hip injury. It's good news and means that barring a setback for Seibert in practice this week, he could return as the team's primary kicker in Week 12 in a great matchup against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. Zane Gonzalez has done a good job replacing Seibert the last two games, but Washington will most likely go back to Seibert when he's ready. The 28-year-old booter has made 25 of his 27 field-goal attempts in eight games for the Commanders in his first year with the team and has also made all 22 of his extra-point tries. On the year, Dallas has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers, so if Seibert is read to return, he should be considered for streaming purposes.

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New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who has been benched coming out of the team's Week 11 bye, was the No. 4 QB during individual hand-off drills in practice on Wednesday behind new starter Tommy Devito, Drew Lock and new practice-squad signee Tim Boyle. The Giants aren't just benching Jones heading into their Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they are fully expected to shut him down for the rest of the 2024 season as they look to move in a new direction at the position going forward. It would be a surprise to see the 27-year-old take another snap for the Giants this year before the team likely cuts him this offseason. If Jones were to play and get hurt, the Giants would have to guarantee him $23 million in 2025. The former sixth overall pick played in just six games due to injury in 2023 and threw for eight TDs and seven picks in 10 games this year before being benched.

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Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) will be working through the league's concussion protocol on Wednesday in the first practice of the week. Spears suffered a concussion in the Week 11 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and will now have to clear the league's concussion protocols in order to play in Week 12 against the division-rival Houston Texans this Sunday. It's good news that the 23-year-old will get in some work on Wednesday, but he's likely to be limited and will need to do more later in the week to get the green light. Spears has only 10 carries for 47 yards and five receptions for 12 yards over the last two weeks as the change-of-pace option to Tony Pollard in a low-volume Titans offense, making him a weak RB3/flex in fantasy leagues. If he is unable to play against Houston, Julius Chestnut would work as Pollard's backup.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are saying that running back Isiah Pacheco (leg) will practice with the team on Wednesday. "We'll just have to see... day-by-day type thing," head coach Andy Reid said. Pacheco remains on Injured Reserve due to a fractured fibula and missed his eighth straight game in the team's first loss of the season to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11, but he was limited in practice all of last week and is eyeing his return in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers. However, it's still uncertain as to whether the 25-year-old will actually return this weekend, and if he does, he'll be much more volatile as a must-start option in fantasy lineups. Kareem Hunt has been a must-start RB for fantasy managers in Pacheco's absence, but he's expected to lose most of his appeal the rest of the season once Pacheco returns as KC's lead back.

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Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said that running back D'Andre Swift (groin) won't practice on Wednesday. Swift is now one to watch closely as the team prepares to face off against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings this Sunday in Week 12. The Bears could just be resting the 25-year-old in the first practice of the week, but we won't know until Thursday if Swift gets back onto the field. He had 14 carries for 71 yards and his fifth rushing touchdown of the year in last week's loss to the division-rival Green Bay Packers while also catching both of his targets for 13 yards. Swift's fantasy value has been held back by Roschon Johnson getting considerable work in the red zone, though. If Swift's injury is serious enough to potentially keep him from playing against Minnesota, Johnson would be a popular plug-and-play fantasy option.

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New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll said on Wednesday that the team is opening the 21-day practice window for linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (wrist) to return from Injured Reserve, and the team is hopeful that he can play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. Thibodeaux missed a fifth straight game in Week 10 due to a broken wrist, but after having last week's bye to rest up, the 23-year-old could return for New York's defense. The former fifth overall pick in 2022 out of Oregon will be a welcomed addition as they look to slow down a Bucs defense this weekend that could be getting star wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) back. Through five games in 2024 in his third NFL season, Thibodeaux has provided only 12 tackles (eight solo), two sacks and seven QB hits for the G-Men.

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff (wrist) will have surgery on his wrist on Thursday and is expected to return towards the end of the season, according to sources. Huff suffered a wrist injury in the Week 8 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars but managed to play the last two games. The 26-year-old pass-rusher will now go under the knife but should be back with the team for a potential postseason run, barring a setback in his recovery after surgery. The Memphis product is in his fifth year in the NFL (first with the Eagles) and has recorded only 10 tackles (five solo), 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup after finishing with a career-high 10 sacks in 2023 in his final year with the New York Jets.

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The Cleveland Browns have uncertainty at their left-tackle spot heading into Thursday's battle with the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers after Dawand Jones (leg) suffered a season-ending fractured fibula in the Week 11 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) will likely return to the starting lineup if he's healthy enough to play. If Wills cannot go this week, Germain Ifedi would likely get the nod to protect quarterback Jameis Winston's blind side against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Ifedi has played both tackle spots in 2024 for Cleveland. With their offensive line beat up, the Browns added Geron Christian from the Rams' practice squad earlier this week for more depth after he was forced to start the final nine games a year ago. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said it's unlikely Christian will play on such a short week.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) was seen on the practice field again on Wednesday. We won't know exactly how much Evans did in practice until the team releases their official report later in the day, but all signs are trending toward him returning to action this Sunday to take on the New York Giants coming out of the team's bye. He missed the last three games due to a right-hamstring ailment and said he probably could have pushed to return for the Week 10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The 31-year-old future Hall of Famer should be returned to all fantasy lineups this weekend if he's active as the clear WR1 for the Bucs now that Chris Godwin (ankle) is out for the season. When healthy, Evans has averaged 11.8 half-PPR points in seven games, which ranks 21st among all pass-catchers.

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The Dallas Cowboys opened running back Brandin Cooks' (knee) 21-day practice window on Wednesday to return from Injured Reserve. Head coach Mike McCarthy said on Tuesday that the team is hoping to get Cooks back for their Week 12 divisional tilt this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The 31-year-old veteran has been out since Sept. 26 due to an infected right knee that required surgery, so even though his practice window has opened, he's not a lock to return this weekend. Cooks is going to need to prove to Dallas in practice this week that he's ready to roll. Even if he is cleared to play against Washington on Sunday, fantasy managers would be wise to avoid him in starting lineups with quarterback Cooper Rush now leading the offense. Cooks caught nine passes for 91 yards and one touchdown in four games before his injury.

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