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Dynasty $125 - FFL: Playoff Week 1 | NFL: Week 15

Texans TE Cade Stover out after appendectomy

Sun Dec 15 10:38am ET
Field Level Media

Houston Texans rookie tight end Cade Stover will miss Sunday's game against the visiting Miami Dolphins following an emergency appendectomy, the team announced.

Stover had been listed on the Week 15 injury report as questionable due to an illness.

The procedure was performed Saturday night.

"He is doing well today and expected to make a full recovery, the Texans said in a statement.

Stover, 24, was selected by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. In 13 games (eight starts), Stover has 14 receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown.

He also has played 57 percent of the Texans' snaps on special teams.

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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 15

Player Notes
Michael Woods II Dec 15 9:50am CT
Michael Woods II

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Michael Woods II is expected to serve as the third wideout for the Week 15 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns will be without Cedric Tillman (concussion) for the third straight week. As a result, Woods should see more work on the field, but he doesn't offer great fantasy value. Over the last two games, Woods has four receptions for 55 yards and no scores. Possibly, Woods takes on a bigger role if tight end David Njoku (hamstring) is unable to go. At best, Woods is a desperation flex option in deep leagues for Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Cairo Santos Dec 15 9:40am CT
Cairo Santos

Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos hasn't made a field goal in two straight weeks, but is hopeful to bounce back in Week 15. Santos has made three extra point attempts and has zero field goal attempts in each of the last two games. The Bears having been playing from behind by big scores lately which has limited the opportunities for Santos. It doesn't look like it's going to get easier for the Bears as they play a tough Minnesota Vikings squad in Week 15. Santos hasn't given fantasy managers any reason to trust him heading into important fantasy playoff games this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Eddy Pineiro Dec 15 9:30am CT
Eddy Pineiro

Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro is coming off a tough outing during the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Pineiro made his lone field goal attempt and made 1-of-2 extra point attempts in the loss. The 29-year-old has now missed a week in two straight weeks. The Panthers offense finally coming alive has given Pineiro more streaming appeal lately. However, he remains a risky streaming choice ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Pineiro has three misses over the last two games, so fantasy managers should look elsewhere for help ahead of Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Brandon McManus Dec 15 9:20am CT
Brandon McManus

Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus knocked down all five of his kicks during last week's loss to the Detroit Lions The veteran kicker has been reliable lately by making all of his kicks over the last four games. It appears the Packers have solved their problem at the kicker spot with the 33-year-old succeeding on every chance he gets. Fantasy managers might want to be cautious about starting McManus in Week 15. They play a Seattle Seahawks defense that done a nice job at keeping kickers in check. Fantasy managers might want to look for a kicker with a better matchup for Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Chad Ryland Dec 15 9:20am CT
Chad Ryland

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland was quiet during last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 25-year-old made one-of-two field goal attempts and connected on his lone extra point try in the loss. Ryland has been decent this season as he knocked down 19-of-23 field goal attempts heading into the Week 15 matchup against the New England Patriots. It's worth noting that Ryland could lose his kicking job with Matt Prater (knee) nearing a return. Outside of his five field goal game in Week 13, Ryland has been fairly quiet this season. Fantasy managers should be able to find a better streaming option ahead of this game.

From RotoBaller

Brandin Cooks Dec 15 9:10am CT
Brandin Cooks

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin remains a shaky fantasy option ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Last week, Turpin hauled in one of his four targets for 16 yards in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He also rushed the ball twice for 15 yards, but he only saw 17 percent of the offensive snaps. The return of Brandin Cooks has pushed Turpin further back on the depth chart in recent weeks. It's hard to imagine Turpin making much of an impact as the fourth or fifth wideout in this offense.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Bass Dec 15 9:10am CT
Tyler Bass

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass hasn't made a field goal in two weeks, but continues to remain involved. Bass has made 11 extra point attempts over his last two games, but is 0-for-1 on field goal attempts. The Bills offense keeps scoring on their red zone trips which has limited the value of Bass. The expectation is that Bass is going to have a heavy workload in Week 15. He heads into a matchup with the Detroit Lions that is likely to be a high-scoring affair. Fantasy managers who have Bass rostered should feel comfortable starting him this week.

From RotoBaller

Cade York Dec 15 9:00am CT
Cade York

Cincinnati Bengals kicker Cade York has been elevated from the practice squad and is set to kick for the second straight week. York figures to remain as the primary kicker for the next few games with Evan McPherson (groin) on the injured reserve. Last week, York made all three of his extra point attempts and both field goals in the win over the Dallas Cowboys. The Bengals offense has been strong enough to keep their kickers busy this season. York figures to remain busy for the upcoming matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

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Jalen Tolbert Dec 15 8:50am CT
Jalen Tolbert

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert is coming off his worst performance of the season during last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Tolbert was held without a catch on three targets in the seven-point defeat. The 25-year-old has seen his playing time take a hit with Brandin Cooks returning to the field two weeks ago. Since then, Tolbert has seen less than 72 percent of the offensive snaps in each of the last two games. Tolbert has been held to two receptions or less in each of the last four games. It's tough to imagine Tolbert having reliable value going forward with Cooks and CeeDee Lamb both healthy.

From RotoBaller

Younghoe Koo Dec 15 8:40am CT
Younghoe Koo

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo knocked through a pair of short field goals and a couple of extra points last week, restoring some faith in the kicker's abilities. The 30-year-old went through a rough patch from Weeks 5-10 where he missed seven field goals, however, over the last three contests he's 6-for-7 while remaining perfect on extra point attempts, going 25-for-25 on the season. Week 15 brings a favorable environment for the kicker, as the Falcons take on the Raiders in Las Vegas. The Falcons are 4.5-point favorites in this game and the Raiders have allowed the most fantasy points in all of football to opposing kickers. Atlanta, despite Kirk Cousins' recent struggles, should be able to move the ball down the field on Monday night, and Koo is tentatively back in the circle of trust, looking like a top-12 option this week.

From RotoBaller

Cade Stover Dec 15 8:30am CT
Cade Stover

Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover (illness) has been downgraded to out ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Stover underwent an emergency appendectomy surgery on Saturday. As a result, Stover will miss Sunday's game and his status should be updated at some point next week. Irv Smith was promoted from the practice squad and will operate as the No. 2 tight end behind Dalton Schultz on Sunday. Stover wasn't seeing a ton of action with only one game with over four targets this season. Smith won't be an ideal streaming option with Schultz healthy.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Conklin Dec 15 8:20am CT
Tyler Conklin

New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (personal) has been downgraded to out ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Conklin didn't travel with the team for this game while he deals with a personal matter. His absence means that Jeremy Ruckert will move into the No. 1 tight end role for this game. Ruckert doesn't offer much fantasy value considering he hasn't seen more than two targets in a game since Week 8. He might see a few more targets with Conklin unavailable, but it probably won't be enough to warrant streaming him in fantasy formats.

From RotoBaller

Kareem Hunt Dec 15 8:00am CT
Kareem Hunt

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has fallen off the radar ever since teammate Isiah Pacheco returned to the mix in Week 13. Over his last two games, Hunt has just 12 rushes for 31 yards on the ground, plus three catches for an additional 13 yards through the air. The veteran filled in admirably when Pacheco missed time with a fibula injury earlier in the year, but he's back now and should continue to see his role get bigger while Hunt's gets smaller. Moving forward, the 29-year-old should be viewed as a mid-to-low fantasy RB4. That ranking holds true this week against the Browns, who have allowed the third-fewest catches and receiving yards to opposing running backs in 2024, as well as the ninth-fewest fantasy points.

From RotoBaller

Noah Gray Dec 15 7:40am CT
Noah Gray

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray has strung together an impressive stretch of games lately, putting him on the fantasy radar ahead of his Week 15 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Gray has four catches in each of his last four contests, totaling 173 yards and four touchdowns along the way. The 25-year-old typically only sees the field in two-tight end sets, working in a complementary role alongside Travis Kelce. Despite being second on the depth chart, he has played at least half of the offensive snaps in every game this season. This week, he takes on the Browns, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2024. Gray's position on the depth chart detracts from his fantasy value, but his recent stretch of games is hard to ignore. Fantasy managers should view him as a mid-range TE2 option this week.

From RotoBaller

Micah Parsons Dec 15 7:30am CT
Micah Parsons

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who is under contract through 2025, could be available for trade if the team does not want to add another massive extension to its payroll, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. As Rapoport explains, the Cowboys already have significant money tied up with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, so while Dallas wants to keep Parsons locked up long-term, it could be more productive to trade him and then sign free agents from a lower tier of linebackers. Parsons and executive Stephen Jones have both publicly expressed a desire to keep him in Dallas long-term, but privately, Rapoport believes he could be available for trade. A swap for Parsons would be historic and return compensation could exceed the 2018 Khalil Mack trade, which included a pair of first-round picks.

From RotoBaller

Travis Homer Dec 15 7:30am CT
Travis Homer

Chicago Bears running back Travis Homer could be in line to start on Monday against the Minnesota Vikings, but he should remain on waiver wires for managers in the fantasy playoffs. D'Andre Swift (groin) is questionable and Roschon Johnson (concussion) has been ruled out, leaving the veteran as the would-be starter if Swift is unable to play. But against a Minnesota defense that ranks fourth against fantasy running backs, starting Homer, who has just three catches and three carries all year, is not advised. Managers almost certainly have a better play elsewhere on their roster, even if Swift doesn't play.

From RotoBaller

Desmond Ridder Dec 15 7:20am CT
Desmond Ridder

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder is not a starting option in fantasy, even if in he ends up playing Monday against the Atlanta Falcons. Raiders starter Aidan O'Connell (knee) is questionable, and with Gardner Minshew (collarbone) on injured reserve, Ridder would start if O'Connell cannot. The former Cincinnati Bearcat is on his third team in a year and is now a backup option for a team in contention for the first overall pick. A manager who turns to Ridder in the fantasy playoffs is asking to start their offseason early.

From RotoBaller

Tim Patrick Dec 15 7:10am CT
Tim Patrick

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick is a desperation play on Sunday in the Lions' showdown with the Buffalo Bills. The veteran has played more than half of Detroit's snaps in seven of the past eight games and is coming off a two-touchdown performance against Green Bay last week. That level of production, however, has been an anomaly, as Patrick has only two games with more than three catches. With the Lions likely to reserve high-quality touches for receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta, and the running back tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, Patrick is a fringe option at best, even in deep leagues.

From RotoBaller

Greg Joseph Dec 15 6:50am CT
Greg Joseph

The Washington Commanders elevated veteran kicker Greg Joseph from their practice squad with Zane Gonzalez (foot) questionable to play the New Orleans Saints in Week 15. It's likely a form of insurance for Washington, which put starter Austin Seibert (groin) on injured reserve earlier this year. Gonzalez was limited in practice earlier this week, but figures to still be the projected starter. Managers will have to consider if they want anything to do with Washington's kicking situation in the fantasy playoffs.

From RotoBaller

Sterling Shepard Dec 15 6:40am CT
Sterling Shepard

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (foot) is expected to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Adam Schefter. The veteran has been a decent fill-in with wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the season, logging 13 catches in the past three games. Even though the Bucs received good news on Shepard, he's not likely to be a strong fantasy option in the matchup against L.A. Managers should reserve Shepard only for formats with more than two flex spots.

From RotoBaller