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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Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado (shoulder) was listed on the Week 12 injury report on Wednesday after he was limited in the first practice of the week. Demercado may need to put in a full practice on Thursday or Friday to avoid an injury designation going into Sunday's divisional contest against the Seattle Seahawks. The 25-year-old hasn't had more than four carries in a game this year and combined for seven rushing attempts, 81 yards and a touchdown in Weeks 9 and 10 before the Cardinals went on bye last week. He remains the No. 3 in Arizona's backfield behind James Conner and rookie Trey Benson, so Demercado has no standalone fantasy appeal and should be on the waiver wire in the vast majority of leagues. He's averaging a stout 9.9 yards per carry in his second NFL season but only has 20 carries for 197 yards and the one score in 10 games.

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Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Dylan Laube has been a healthy scratch since losing a fumble in the Oct. 13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he could be a big part of the game plan in Week 12 against the division-rival Denver Broncos on Sunday with both Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps) in danger of being held out due to injuries sustained in the Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Along with Laube, Ameer Abdullah would also have a bigger role in the backfield if both Mattison and White are inactive. The 24-year-old fumbled on the first rushing attempt of his career, and he hasn't gotten another chance since then. We wouldn't recommend Laube for starting fantasy lineups if both Mattison and White are out, as the Raiders rank dead last in rushing yards per game (75.2), while the Broncos have allowed only 98.6 rushing yards per game (sixth-fewest in the NFL).

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that quarterback Cooper Rush gives the team the best chance to win with Dak Prescott (hamstring) out for the rest of the year. Head coach Mike McCarthy said he regrets not giving Trey Lance some run late in the blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Monday night, but apparently the Cowboys still believe that Rush is the better starting option heading into the Week 12 divisional clash against the Washington Commanders. However, if Dallas is down big again in the second half this Sunday, we'd expect Lance to enter the game and handle at least a few offensive series to get him some work. Rush threw for only 45 yards in Week 10 but went for 354 passing yards against Houston. Washington's secondary is vulnerable, but Rush will be nothing more than a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues in his third start.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring) was once again practicing on Thursday. Evans has missed the team's last three games with a right-hamstring injury, but he was limited in Wednesday's session and is planning to return following the bye for Sunday's contest against the New York Giants in Week 12. The 31-year-old might need to return to a full practice by Friday to avoid a questionable tag, but all signs are pointing toward him being available this weekend as Tampa's top wideout. The Giants haven't been the best matchup for opposing receivers this year, but Evans should have a normal workload on Sunday and deserves to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups if he's active. Evans' 11.8 half-PPR points per game this year has him ranked as the No. 21 fantasy wideout. He could see even more targets with Chris Godwin (ankle) out for the year.

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Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis (neck) was officially limited on Wednesday's practice report. The 29-year-old missed his first game of the season against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football after failing to log even a limited session in Week 11. However, he's kicked off Week 12 on the right foot and appears to be progressing through his injury. The 29-year-old likely needs to get in a full practice ahead of the Cowboys' divisional clash against the Washington Commanders this Sunday, but it's good news for the team. Dallas could also have defensive back DaRon Bland (foot) back in action -- who has yet to appear in a game this season -- after he logged his first full practice since Week 6.

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Carolina Panthers defensive backs Jaycee Horn (calf) and Xavier Woods (shoulder) were both officially listed as limited in the team's Wednesday practice. Both athletes participated on 100% of Carolina's defensive snaps in Week 10's 20-17 victory over the New York Giants in Munich, so it appears they've each picked up an injury over their Week 11 bye. The duo has yet to miss a game between them this season and are the leading snap-getters at their position for the Panthers, so missing either player this weekend when the team squares off against the Kansas City Chiefs would be a blow to the defense. With a few more days left before the Week 12 home tilt to up their practice participation, they're not yet in danger of being inactive. Woods leads the team in tackles and interceptions in 2024, while Horn leads all Panthers defensive players in passes defensed.

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