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Raiders star Maxx Crosby (ankle) to undergo surgery

Sat Dec 14 9:00pm ET
Field Level Media

Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby will miss the rest of the season following arthroscopic ankle surgery and may undergo a second surgery, ESPN reported on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Crosby, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, first injured the ankle in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens and missed the first game of his career in Week 4.

Crosby aggravated the ankle last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading to the decision to go under the knife, which he revealed on Saturday via Instagram.

Per the report, Crosby on Monday will have surgery performed by Dr. Rob Anderson, which will determine the amount of damage to the ankle. A second surgery may need to be performed as doctors believe the injury could be more severe than originally thought.

It also remains to be seen whether Crosby will be a Raider in 2025, as several teams at the November trade deadline inquired about potentially acquiring the superstar. The Raiders have thus far rebuffed any outside interest in Crosby.

On a nine-game losing streak, Las Vegas (2-11) hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 15

Player Notes
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.

From RotoBaller

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

Ladd McConkey Dec 15 6:30am CT
Ladd McConkey

The Los Angeles Chargers are optimistic that wide receiver Ladd McConkey (knee, shoulder) will be able to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The rookie is questionable, did not play last week against Kansas City, and was limited in practice all week, but the team hopes his pre-game workout will clear him to play. McConkey is a high-end flex/WR3 if he goes, but managers should keep updated and have a backup plan. Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer figure to be the team's two best options if McConkey doesn't play.

From RotoBaller

Bucky Irving Dec 15 6:20am CT
Bucky Irving

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (hip, back) is expected to play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The rookie left last week's game after just five touches and did not practice until Friday, but is apparently well enough to give it a shot against the Chargers. Prior to the injury, Irving had three straight top-10 finishes among running backs, but the difficult matchup against L.A. and the injury should have managers mostly evaluating Irving as a flex option in Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Alexander Mattison Dec 14 11:20pm CT
Alexander Mattison

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison (ankle) practiced fully three days in a row leading up to his team's Week 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He will be the backup to lead RB Sincere McCormick, so he's probably not worth starting. He's averaged just 3.3 yards per carry so far this year, and while he's had some solid fantasy games, his projected lack of volume makes him a tough player to start this week. It's probably not a good idea to fire him up in any leagues. He should get at least a few carries and maybe 2-3 targets. Unless he vultures some goal-line work, which seems unlikely, he'll have a hard time even cracking 10 PPR fantasy points.

From RotoBaller

Maxx Crosby Dec 14 11:20pm CT
Maxx Crosby

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle) will undergo season-ending surgery, with the multi-time Pro Bowler also confirming the news in a heartfelt social media post. The Raiders season has been a disaster. But this could be the worst news of all, so the team will go the rest of the way without their defensive standout. Crosby wasn't as productive as he was last season. However, he still had a good year, totaling 45 tackles and 7.5 sacks. The question now is when he'll be ready to return, which IDP managers hope will be before the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

From RotoBaller

David Njoku Dec 14 11:10pm CT
David Njoku

Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (hamstring) remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the veteran "will work out pre-game to see if he is able to play." Njoku hasn't been terrible this season, compiling 56 catches for 439 yards. He also has five touchdowns, one away from his career-high. But fantasy managers should have a backup plan in case Njoku can't get out there, although No. 2 tight end Jordan Akins might not be the best choice for a replacement.

From RotoBaller

Josh Downs Dec 14 11:00pm CT
Josh Downs

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (shoulder) is anticipated to suit up for Sunday's contest versus the Denver Broncos. The wideout was battling a shoulder injury, keeping him off the field for the Week 13 meeting with the New England Patriots. Fortunately, the Colts were off in Week 14. But with Downs logging full practice sessions during the week, he's expected to be back, which is good news for fantasy managers. The 23-year-old has been productive in his 10 appearances this season, amassing 53 catches for 594 yards and four touchdowns, making him a starting fantasy option for the challenging matchup against the Broncos.

From RotoBaller

Daniel Carlson Dec 14 10:50pm CT
Daniel Carlson

Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made two short field goals and an extra point attempt in Week 14 after a terrible day in Week 13 that saw him miss three long field goals. He's an accurate kicker below those long distances, but the misses lower his value ahead of a Week 15 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. LV may be missing their starting quarterback, so we don't recommend you start Carlson. He would be a good option on a better offense. Atlanta's defense isn't great, so there's some room for a good amount of field goal attempts. That's great! Really awesome. But you should roll with someone else. Better to have a kicker on a good offense without so many question marks, because that makes it easier to project more volume.

From RotoBaller