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Unamused 49ers GM: Cool it with Kyle Shanahan 'hot seat' talk

Fri Dec 6 4:55pm ET
Field Level Media

Seven losses in a season is unfamiliar territory for the San Francisco 49ers.

With two Super Bowl appearances in five seasons, general manager John Lynch openly admits the 49ers haven't earned the right to be called "as good" as the 2023 NFC championship group.

San Francisco is 5-7 but only two games behind NFC West-leading Seattle with five games remaining as the Chicago Bears (4-8) arrive Sunday.

"I've found the whole discussion on Kyle rather comical," Lynch said in an interview Friday with KNBR in San Francisco. "We have won four of the last five division championships. We've been to two Super Bowls. The standard here is to win championships, and we've fallen short of that, I understand.

"But we have an excellent head coach, and the fact that people are talking about stuff like that, I do find it comical. We're 100 percent behind Kyle and what he brings to our organization. Like I said, our focus is really on the Bears and doing everything we can. That's where Kyle's focus is, and that's where all our focus is."

San Francisco lost 35-10 in the snow at Buffalo last Sunday night and the 49ers placed their top two running backs on injured reserve due to injuries in that game. Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) could return for Week 18 at Arizona if the 49ers are still fighting for a playoff spot.

In a top-down ranking of NFC teams by record and playoff position, the 49ers are No. 11 entering Week 14.

"You are what your record says you are in this league, and that isn't very good. So I think we've been through a lot as a team, this current team with a lot of stuff that has happened to members of our organization. Injuries, tragic circumstances, ultimately those are just excuses. One thing I can tell you is I'm proud of how this group has stuck together, had each other's back. The other thing I can tell you is the story's not written yet. We're still grinding, and we're still playing."

The 49ers last missed the postseason in 2020 with a record of 6-10 that followed an appearance in the Super Bowl -- San Francisco's first title game loss of two to the Kansas City Chiefs.

San Francisco's upcoming schedule after Sunday includes a short week before playing the division rival Rams on Thursday, at Miami (Dec. 22), a Monday night matchup with the Detroit Lions on Dec. 30 and the finale against the Cardinals.

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Hot Plays, Fades and Sleepers: Week 14

Player Notes
Jerome Ford Dec 6 8:00pm CT
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford had one of his most productive games in weeks in a Week 13 loss to the Denver Broncos, rolling up 62 yards on 10 touches. Ford will look to build upon that performance on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. The Steelers have been decent against running backs this season, allowing the 22nd-most fantasy points per game to the position thus far. That being said, Ford has emerged as the team's preferred passing-down back even with Chubb in the fold, giving him some value as a low-end flex option in PPR leagues.

From RotoBaller

Josh Allen Dec 6 8:00pm CT
Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen remains a reliable QB1 as he and the Bills travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. He's scored 20 fantasy points every game over the last seven weeks, doing it through the air, on the ground, and even "catching" a touchdown in the snow. This week, the favorite to win MVP won't have to worry about the weather inside SoFi Stadium. The Rams defense isn't much of a concern, either. Los Angeles is a middle-of-the-pack fantasy defense against quarterbacks. For a quarterback of Allen's caliber, that's a green light for fantasy success.

From RotoBaller

Chase McLaughlin Dec 6 8:00pm CT
Chase McLaughlin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin saw a ton of the field during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. McLaughlin connected on 4-of-5 field goals, including the game-winner in overtime. He did miss his first try from 55 yards in overtime, but knocked it down the second time. It was a busy day for McLaughlin who has been quiet recently. The expectation is that McLaughlin will be busy once again for the Week 14 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Fantasy managers in need of a kicker should take a look at McLaughlin for this weekend.

From RotoBaller

Demarcus Robinson Dec 6 8:00pm CT
Demarcus Robinson

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson found the end zone again last week, giving him six touchdowns in the last six weeks, and he'll look to keep that string going in his Week 14 home matchup against the Bills. He had to leave in the fourth quarter with a hand injury and was limited in Wednesday before getting in two full practices and receiving no injury designation. As the Rams' clear No. 3 receiver behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Robinson has only had seven total catches in the last four weeks but continues to find the end zone at an amazingly high rate. With two catches or fewer in four straight games and such limited targets, his touchdown production is unsustainable. In a less-than-favorable matchup against the Bills, he's RotoBaller's WR49, meaning he's only a desperation flex option.

From RotoBaller

Sterling Shepard Dec 6 7:50pm CT
Sterling Shepard

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard has surprisingly seen significant involvement in the offense over the last few weeks. In fact, Shepard has seen seven targets in each of the last two games. He has hauled in nine of those targets, but only has 58 receiving yards to show for it. That being said, Shepard isn't an ideal fantasy option ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bucs have shown a willingness to get Shepard involved, but that doesn't guarantee he'll deliver on the field. Fantasy managers can go ahead and consider Shepard a low-end flex option for Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Bijan Robinson Dec 6 7:50pm CT
Bijan Robinson

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is coming off of a 32-touch performance last week in which he eclipsed 100 yards rushing and scored. It was the eighth time in 12 games that the 22-year-old tallied 100-plus total yards rushing and receiving and the eighth time he scored. All that has made him a top option at RB in fantasy this season, however, production will be harder to come by in Week 14 against a Vikings defense that is allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, limiting them to the second-lowest yards per carry average in the entire NFL (3.7 YPC) while yielding a league-low five rushing touchdowns. Working in Robinson's favor, though, is that the former first-round draft pick has recorded three or more receptions in 11 of 12 games in 2024, giving him a solid weekly floor. You won't find many backs that handle as many touches as the second-year pro does on a weekly basis, so fire him up as a higher-end RB1 despite the tough matchup.

From RotoBaller

Jameis Winston Dec 6 7:50pm CT
Jameis Winston

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston is coming off a record-setting game that saw him throw for a team-record 497 yards while tossing four touchdowns and three interceptions against the Denver Broncos. He will look to keep it going on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. The Steelers have been a tough matchup for quarterbacks this season as they are allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the position. The Browns have shown that they will throw the ball frequently with Winston under center regardless of the matchup, which keeps the signal-caller on the radar as a mid-range QB2 in fantasy in Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Cade Otton Dec 6 7:50pm CT
Cade Otton

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has come back down to Earth following his elite three-game stretch. The return of wide receiver Mike Evans has pretty much finished the elite Otton era in Tampa Bay. Over the last two games, Otton has five receptions for 50 yards and he hasn't found the end zone since Week 9. The good news is that Otton does have a plus matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. However, Otton had a strong matchup last week and only finished with 20 yards. Fantasy managers should consider Otton as a TE2 for Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Nick Chubb Dec 6 7:50pm CT
Nick Chubb

Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb is coming off a slow performance that saw him gain just 21 yards on nine carries in a high-scoring loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 13. He will look to bounce back on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14. The Steelers have been decent against the run this season, allowing just the 22nd-most fantasy points per game to fantasy running backs. That being said, Chubb had success against them back when these two teams met in Week 12, running for 59 yards and two touchdowns in a win. Fantasy gamers can treat Chubb as a high-end RB3 heading into Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Cooper Kupp Dec 6 7:40pm CT
Cooper Kupp

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is a strong option this week against the Bills since the Rams will need to be aggressive to keep up with the high-scoring Bills. He saw a drop in volume last week vs. the Saints and only had three catches for 17 yards on six targets. All of those were season-lows for the eighth-year veteran, but he is expected to bounce back this week. Kupp had double-digit targets in three of four games before last week, reaching over 100 yards in two of those contests while totaling three touchdowns. On the season, he's averaging over 70 yards per game and has five scores. The Bills have been the second-best team in the NFL at limiting wide receiver production, but with his volume back to normal, Kupp is still RotoBaller's WR8 this week.

From RotoBaller

Mike Evans Dec 6 7:40pm CT
Mike Evans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (hamstring, calf) was on the injury report this week, but says he'll play this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran wideout was limited during Friday's practice, but has now been cleared to play in Week 14. Evans is coming off arguably his best game of the season where he hauled in eight receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Carolina Panthers. The expectation is that Evans is going to continue being the focal point in the passing game going forward. Fantasy managers shouldn't hesitate to get Evans in their lineups ahead of this favorable matchup against the Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Sean Tucker Dec 6 7:30pm CT
Sean Tucker

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker hasn't seen much of the field since his breakout 136-yard performance in Week 6. In fact, Tucker didn't even have any carries during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. The 23-year-old was only used on special teams, but Tucker could have more involvement this weekend. Fellow back Bucky Irving (hip) is currently listed as questionable ahead of the Week 14 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. If he sits, Rachaad White would take over as the lead back and Tucker would serve as the primary backup. If that happens, Tucker might end up seeing more than a handful of carries this weekend. The absence of Irving might give Tucker desperation flex appeal, but he's unlikely to bring much to the table.

From RotoBaller

Baker Mayfield Dec 6 7:20pm CT
Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (Achilles, knee) has been on the injury report this week after exiting briefly during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. Fantasy managers shouldn't be worried as Mayfield is good to go after getting in back-to-back full practice sessions on Thursday and Friday. Mayfield has been an elite fantasy option throughout most of the season, but didn't deliver for fantasy managers last week. However, Mayfield should bounce back this weekend against a struggling Las Vegas Raiders defense. Mayfield should return to his QB1 ways for Sunday's game.

From RotoBaller

Kirk Cousins Dec 6 7:20pm CT
Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has gone without a touchdown pass in three consecutive games while throwing six interceptions during that stretch, four of which came just last week in a loss to the Chargers. Even though those are poor numbers any way you slice it, the silver lining is that all three games came against top 10 defenses in terms of QBR and fantasy points allowed. This week, the 36-year-old will face a Vikings defense that is middle-of-the-pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks and the most fantasy points to wide receivers. The other side of the coin is that the Vikings have the fourth-most sacks this season, so production won't come easy. The Falcons may want to limit how many times Cousins drops back in an attempt to limit turnovers, but Minnesota has yielded the fewest rush yards and rushing TDs in the NFL while allowing the second-lowest yards per carry. Factor in that Atlanta will be on the road, and it all points to another tough week for the veteran signal-caller. If it gets ugly, they may even have to turn to their first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. Hopefully managers have other options to choose from, even in a week with six teams on bye, as Cousins projects as a low-end QB2 in Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Rachaad White Dec 6 7:20pm CT
Rachaad White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is coming off one of his best games on the ground during last week's win over the Carolina Panthers. White rushed 11 times for 76 yards which was a season-high in yardage for him. Fellow back Bucky Irving (hip, back) rushed for over 150 yards, but is currently listed as questionable for this weekend. The rookie back was a limited participant on Friday, so the team will likely have to wait and see how he progresses throughout the weekend. If he sits, White should have RB2 appeal against a struggling Las Vegas Raiders defense. Otherwise, White would fall into flex territory if Irving is able to play on Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Puka Nacua Dec 6 7:00pm CT
Puka Nacua

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has been excellent when healthy this season, and his Rams are in need of a key victory this week as they host the Bills. Nacua has a very high floor and has been a top 20 WR in every week he played a full game. Last week, he caught five of his team-high eight targets for 56 yards and the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. He has at least eight targets in each of his five games since returning from injury, except for the game in which he was ejected against the Seahawks. He has averaged 7.4 catches for 100.0 yards per game in those five contests. He has become the top red-zone target for Matthew Stafford as well. His matchup against the Bills is a tough one since they have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to receivers, but his volume should still keep him a strong start in almost all formats. He is RotoBaller's WR6 this week.

From RotoBaller

John Parker Romo Dec 6 6:20pm CT
John Parker Romo

Minnesota Vikings kicker John Parker Romo is in store for a favorable spot this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons if he plays. Romo has been excellent while filling in for kicker Will Reichard (quad), nailing 11-of-12 field goal attempts while connecting on seven of his eight extra-point tries. However, his services may not be required in Week 14, with Reichard deemed questionable for the contest. The rookie was able to participate fully this week during practice, so it would appear he has a good shot at suiting up for this weekend's home tilt. Whichever kicker is active for Sunday will have an excellent opportunity to put up strong numbers against a Falcons defense that's struggled to stop anyone in 2024.

From RotoBaller

T.J. Hockenson Dec 6 6:10pm CT
T.J. Hockenson

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson will line up against the Atlanta Falcons this weekend in a middle-of-the-road matchup. The 27-year-old has been hot and cold this season, alternating between strong and sub-par performances. He'll take on a Falcons defense that's allowed only 54 receptions to the tight end position thus far -- the ninth-fewest in the NFL. Still, Atlanta has been a favorable matchup through the air in 2024 -- letting up the twelfth-most passing yards per game. The only question left for Hockenson is whether he can recapture the consistency he showcased over the previous few seasons. He's RotoBaller's PPR TE7 ahead of Week 14.

From RotoBaller

Stephon Gilmore Dec 6 6:10pm CT
Stephon Gilmore

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) has been ruled out for the Week 14 game against the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday. Gilmore suffered a left-hamstring strain in the Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals and will be held out this weekend, with his next chance to suit up coming in Week 15 against the division-rival Chicago Bears next Monday, Dec. 16. The 34-year-old will be inactive for the first time all year on Sunday against Atlanta, making Minnesota's secondary a bit more vulnerable. In Gilmore's absence, expect to see more of Fabian Moreau as an outside cornerback for the Vikings across from Shaquill Griffin. Gilmore, a two-time All-Pro and former Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, has 47 tackles (32 solo), one interception and seven pass breakups in 12 starts in his first year in Minnesota.

From RotoBaller

Jared Verse Dec 6 6:00pm CT
Jared Verse

Los Angeles Rams rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse (ankle) and offensive lineman Alaric Jackson (foot) are both listed as questionable for the Week 14 game against the visiting Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but both players are expected to play, according to head coach Sean McVay. Verse, the 19th overall pick this year out of Florida State, has become fantasy relevant in his first year in the NFL in IDP formats by racking up 54 tackles (30 solo), 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his first 12 starts in the league for the Rams. Most of the 24-year-old pass-rusher's production has come since the team's Week 6 bye, and Verse will be in play as a starter at defensive line for fantasy managers again this weekend now that he's expected to play.

From RotoBaller