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Saints QB Derek Carr 'very unlikely' to return this season

Tue Dec 17 11:09am ET
Field Level Media

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is considered very unlikely to return this season because of multiple fractures in his left hand, NFL Network reported on Tuesday.

The report comes one day after New Orleans interim coach Darren Rizzi said Carr wouldn't be ruled out for Week 16, which is a trip to play the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. Carr also is not yet cleared from concussion protocol and didn't play Sunday in a 20-19 loss to the Washington Commanders in which Spencer Rattler relieved Jake Haener and led four scoring drives in a near come-from-behind win.

The Saints (5-9) play Carr's former team, the Las Vegas Raiders, on Dec. 29 in a Week 17 game in New Orleans and the 33-year-old quarterback is likely to be motivated to be on the field to face his previous employer.

Carr injured his non-throwing hand on Dec. 8 in a 14-11 win over the New York Giants. He was hurt attempting a head-first dive as a ballcarrier and used his left hand to brace his fall. Typical non-displaced fractures require at least four weeks to completely heal, but Carr could return with a soft cast if he gets the green light from team physicians. From the date of injury to kickoff in Green Bay is a span of 15 days.

Rizzi openly disagreed with a previous NFL Network report that Carr had suffered a "significant fracture" of his left hand. He said the day after the game in New York that "reports out there were a little bit false" on the extent of Carr's injury.

Rizzi said Monday "it wouldn't be a reach" for Carr to return to the field before the end of the season.

Carr suffered an oblique strain Oct. 7 in a Monday night loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and didn't return until Nov. 3 at Carolina.

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Player Notes
Derek Carr Dec 17 10:33am ET
Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr (hand) underwent further examination recently, and he's unlikely to return this season. His left hand is fractured in multiple places, and he's unable to withstand contact.

Fantasy Spin: Spencer Rattler was 10-for-21 for 135 yards, one touchdown and no INTs after he replaced Jake Haener in a putrid performance last year.

From TheHuddle

Sincere McCormick Dec 17 3:10am ET
Sincere McCormick

Las Vegas Raiders running back Sincere McCormick (ankle) carried the rok seven times for eight rushing yards and caught two passes for 17 yards against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15 before having his leg trapped under a defender's tackle and awkwardly bending enough to cause an injury. He was initially said to be questionable, but was subsequently ruled out. He didn't return to the contest. His status for Week 16 is now up in the air, and fantasy managers will need to stay updated on the situation. It doesn't seem like a good idea to start him against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, though, as he may deal with the lingering effects of the ailment for some time. In his place, RBs Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison should split most of the backfield work if McCormick can't go. Abdullah seems like the guy to start in fantasy, since he's maintained a solid pass-catching role when he gets significant playing time.

From RotoBaller

Rome Odunze Dec 17 2:10am ET
Rome Odunze

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze caught 2-of-7 targets for 39 yards in his team's 30-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. The rookie again saw a decent amount of work but continues to play third fiddle in Chicago's air attack behind veteran wideouts Keenan Allen and DJ Moore. On the bright side, Odunze recorded at least six targets for the seventh time in eight games. However, he's averaging just 3.75 receptions and 47.25 yards in that frame. Better days are ahead for the 22-year-old, and his future appears bright as long as long as quarterback Caleb Williams continues to develop at the pro level. For now, though, he'll be tough to trust as a viable option in Week 16 despite squaring off against a depleted Detroit Lions defense.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Allgeier Dec 17 2:10am ET
Tyler Allgeier

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier carried the ball 12 times for 43 yards in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. Bijan Robinson was given 22 carries, so Allgeier was spelling his backfield mate at times throughout the game and helping to kill the clock late when it seemed clear that the Falcons did not want Kirk Cousins throwing the ball if he didn't need to. It was the first time since Week 10 that the 24-year-old earned double-digit carries, but without finding paydirt, it was an unremarkable fantasy performance. Without a consistent workload or goal line role, the former fifth-round draft pick is hard to justify as even a flex option, more so now that we're in the fantasy playoffs. The Falcons get the Giants at home next Sunday and Allgeier will probably again only be used sporadically, especially given how good Robinson has looked this season.

From RotoBaller

Ameer Abdullah Dec 17 2:03am ET
Ameer Abdullah

Las Vegas Raiders RB Ameer Abdullah ran seven times for 21 yards in Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons, but he had seven receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.

Fantasy Spin: Abdullah had 2.7 rushing yards per carry to 3.0 for Alexander Mattison and 1.1 yards per tote for Sincere McCormick. With his good work catching the ball out of the backfield, he is worth a look as a RB3 in PPR fantasy formats, with lesser appeal in standard play. The Raiders host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.

From TheHuddle

Darnell Mooney Dec 17 2:00am ET
Darnell Mooney

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney garnered a single target in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders, but failed to haul it in, finishing with zero catches on the night. Mooney had been limited in practice by a foot injury earlier in the week but was cleared to play, so the dud seemed to be more a result of Kirk Cousins lobbing up just 17 passes on the night and completing only 11 of them. It is a punch in the gut for managers who were relying on the wideout in the fantasy playoffs after he'd received six targets in 10 of Atlanta's prior 13 games coming into Monday night and caught at least three passes in 11 of 13. For fantasy managers that were able to survive this showing, the fifth-year pro will be hard to trust in next week's home matchup versus the Giants, especially given how poorly Kirk Cousins looked in Week 15 against a softer pass defense.

From RotoBaller

Alexander Mattison Dec 17 1:50am ET
Alexander Mattison

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison showed the world why he was benched for Sincere McCormick (ankle) by fumbling the ball into the end zone in his team's Week 15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The opposing defense wasn't able to recover the loose ball, but it still counted for a safety. Mattison ended the night with seven carries for 21 yards (good for three yards per carry) and two catches on four targets for an absolutely whopping, gob-smacking, earth-shattering three yards. He'll have an easier matchup next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If McCormick doesn't play, it's still questionable if Mattison have much value, considering the presence of fellow RB Ameer Abdullah, who scored the team's only TD.

From RotoBaller

Ameer Abdullah Dec 17 1:50am ET
Ameer Abdullah

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah got a bigger role due to the injury to RB Sincere McCormick (ankle) in his team's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. He carried the ball three times for just eight yards, but his seven catches on seven targets for 58 yards and a touchdown helped him tally 19.2 PPR fantasy points on the night. Should McCormick miss Week 16, Abdullah has flex appeal if he continues to have such a big receiving role. It's likely that the absence of starting QB Aidan O'Connell (knee) contributed to this, though -- backup signal-caller Desmond Ridder leaned more on dump-off passes than the team's QB1 usually does. This backfield has been an absolute mess this season, and it won't get any easier to evaluate as the team faces the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. They do have a poor defense, though, so Abdullah has appeal in deeper PPR leagues as a FLEX option if he ends up starting.

From RotoBaller

D.J. Moore Dec 17 1:50am ET
D.J. Moore

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore hauled in all eight of his targets for 46 yards in Monday night's 30-12 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. He added 24 yards on three carries. The 27-year-old's yardage output was down again after a two-game stretch in which he recorded 203 yards and 15 receptions on 23 targets. However, Moore was still productive, putting together his fifth-straight double-digit fantasy point outing. Quarterback Caleb Williams' pass quality is suspect, but it hasn't stopped the veteran from being effective. While fellow wideouts Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen feature sub-55% catch rates, the seventh-year WR holds a near-68% mark. Moore has a meeting with the Detroit Lions on tap for Week 16 and could be primed for another productive day with their division rivals reeling from injuries.

From RotoBaller

Ray-Ray McCloud Dec 17 1:43am ET
Ray-Ray McCloud

Atlanta Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud III managed just a single 14-yard reception on three targets in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From TheHuddle

Keenan Allen Dec 17 1:40am ET
Keenan Allen

Chicago Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen caught six of 13 targets for 81 yards and a touchdown in his team's 30-12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran was Chicago's lone bright spot on Monday night and has been superb over his last few outings. After a horrendous start to the year, Allen has had four TDs in his previous four outings, and at least 73 yards, and eight targets in three of them. Since Week 9, the 32-year-old has racked up 65 targets to fellow wideout DJ Moore's 61. However, the latter has out-caught him 43-36. With quarterback Caleb Williams chucking it all over the yard on nearly 60% of Chicago's plays (59.03), there will surely be plenty of opportunities to go around. Still, they're not of the highest quality. Allen and the Bears will square off against the Detroit Lions in the fantasy semi-finals next Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Tre Tucker Dec 17 1:40am ET
Tre Tucker

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker caught two of his three targets for 18 yards and didn't record a rush in his team's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. He's becoming an afterthought in this offense, though the offense was mostly an afterthought anyway overall. Without QB Aidan O'Connell (knee) leading the offense, things were mostly ugly in the passing attack, and the Raiders didn't get a lot going on the ground either. It wasn't until the team was down by two scores late in the fourth quarter that they got into a rhythm, but it was too late, and Tucker wasn't much of a part of it. Though he gets an easy matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, he's still not worth starting moving forward. Tight end Brock Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers should continue to dominate the receiving work for the team.

From RotoBaller

Kyle Pitts Dec 17 1:40am ET
Kyle Pitts

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts recorded his first multi-catch performance since Week 10 on Monday night, catching all four of his targets for a modest 28 yards in the 15-9 win over the Raiders. On a night when Kirk Cousins completed just 11 passes, Pitts' four targets and four catches were both a team-high. It was good to see the 24-year-old involved again, although the Raiders had been poor against TEs this year and Cousins wasn't looking downfield much in this one so it's not all that surprising to see him resurface. Between Pitts disappearing from the passing attack most weeks and Cousins looking dysfunctional at quarterback over the last several games, fantasy managers vying for playoff championships will want to look elsewhere next Sunday. The Falcons take on the Giants who have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to TEs on the season, and the former first-round pick figures to be a low-end TE2 in that matchup.

From RotoBaller

Jakobi Meyers Dec 17 1:30am ET
Jakobi Meyers

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers simply wasn't thrown the ball enough by quarterback Desmond Ridder in the team's 15-9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Though Meyers ended up with nine targets, Ridder took too long to start getting the ball into one of his best playmaker's hands. Meyers is a fantastic receiver in fantasy football and a good playmaker on the field, but he'll need his QB1 back in Week 16 to realize his potential. It's not that he wasn't getting open, but there's only so much you can do on your own. Luckily, Aidan O'Connell (knee) could have a shot to return in Week 16, and the team will face the awful Jacksonville Jaguars pass defense, so Meyers could have a big day coming up soon.

From RotoBaller

Bijan Robinson Dec 17 1:30am ET
Bijan Robinson

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson carried the offensive load in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders, racking up 125 yards on 22 rush attempts and he caught one pass for 10 yards. The 22-year-old's rushing total was more than Kirk Cousins' passing yards total of 112 yards. Unfortunately, the second-year back wasn't afforded the opportunity to punch one in for a score as the Falcons never really got down close to the end zone in this one. It was the fourth time in the last five games that the former first-round draft pick recorded 20 carries or more, however, he's seen less work in the passing attack the last two weeks, catching just three passes during that time after logging at least three receptions in nine straight games before that. Regardless, Robinson will once again be a high-end RB1 in next Sunday's home matchup against the Giants who are bottom-third in terms of fantasy points allowed to running backs.

From RotoBaller

Daniel Carlson Dec 17 1:30am ET
Daniel Carlson

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson nailed a 52-yard field goal with 11:44 left in the second quarter in his team's loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. He didn't get another chance to kick until an extra point attempt late in the fourth quarter, but that try was blocked. That's not 100% his fault, and neither is the fact that he still barely gets chances to attempt kicks and extra points. He's still not a great option in fantasy football because the offense he's a part of simply does not get into scoring range often. Opportunity is king for kickers in fantasy football, and there just isn't enough of it. If you're on Sleeper you might be reading this, so here's a tip: the Raiders will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16, who have an awful defense, so in very deep leagues, Carlson might actually be a solid start! That's right, you finally read some good news about the Raiders kicker this season. What a miracle.

From RotoBaller

Brock Bowers Dec 17 1:20am ET
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was targeted just six times and caught three passes for 35 yards. Quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was starting in place of the injured Aidan O'Connell (knee), simply did not look the rookie sensation's way many times. Ridder has struggled throughout his career, and one way he could have had a better game is if he had thrown it to his TE more. Bowers is still elite, and fantasy managers will look for AOC to return to action in Week 16. He shouldn't be benched for any reason, but obviously, his ceiling is much lower without his starting quarterback. The Raiders will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the second-worst overall pass defense in the last 25 years (seriously), so the freshman TE should bounce back next week.

From RotoBaller

Desmond Ridder Dec 17 1:20am ET
Desmond Ridder

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder attempted 39 passes and completed 23 throws for 208 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Unsurprisingly, he didn't throw his first TD pass until the game was nearly out of reach -- it happened with under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. He attempted to lead a futile comeback, but it was too little, too late. His second interception was on a Hail Mary attempt that failed, but he was mostly ineffective against one of the league's worst pass defenses. He'll likely not start next week anyway. Starting QB Aidan O'Connell (knee) is expected to make his return in Week 16, and Ridder will be sent back to the bench.

From RotoBaller

Kirk Cousins Dec 17 1:13am ET
Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins completed 11-of-17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders, while running three times for no yards.

Fantasy Spin: The good news is that Cousins threw a touchdown for the first time in five games, but the bad news is Cousins had a season low in passing yardage. It's uncertain what has gone wrong for Cousins in the ATL, but the calls from fans for Michael Penix Jr. are getting louder and louder. Cousins should be treated as a QB2 in most fantasy leagues for Week 16 against the New York Giants.

From TheHuddle

Drake London Dec 17 1:10am ET
Drake London

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London caught all three of his targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. It was London's first touchdown reception since Week 9, now with seven TDs on the season. While that was a positive, fantasy managers with playoff matchups on the line were surely hoping for much higher totals after averaging over 11 targets per game in the four previous contests. With quarterback Kirk Cousins struggling for five weeks running now, Atlanta's receivers will be risky fantasy plays in the remaining weeks. The Falcons take on the Giants in a home game next Sunday, and the 6-foot-4 wideout figures to be more of a high-end WR2 again rather than the WR1 he was in the first half of the season.

From RotoBaller