Looks like David Njoku could be out... 🫥

ICYMI: Zach reviewed the full slate of WR and TE Matchups on yesterday’s episode of the Upper Hand Fantasy Podcast! Catch up on those shows, and stay tuned later today for the final Week 15 primer episode when it drops - Zach and Faraz cover everything you need to know for this weekend’s huge slate of games!

• Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving (hip, back) and WR Mike Evans (hamstring) both miss practice Thursday for second-straight game

  • The good news: it might not be possible for us to get Bucky Irving’d this week like we did last week. The bad news: that means he could be outright unavailable to fantasy teams for the first round of the fantasy playoffs. There’s a good chance that many of the managers who need Bucky to be active this week and play without restrictions rode his hot streak to contend for the playoffs in the first place. Now, they’re staring down the barrel of what could potentially become the first game he misses in his career due to injury. It’s a tough matchup anyway for the Buccaneer running backs against the Chargers, and if it means Bucky could be back to full health for a much better matchup in Week 16 against the Cowboys, Tampa Bay could take the long term approach as they push for the playoffs late this season. If Bucky would miss, Rachaad White would profile as a very strong RB2 start with clear RB1 upside – and even if Bucky plays, there’s a chance he could be limited and concede additional work to White. Either way, Rachaad White is a player worth starting this week. Meanwhile, Evans hasn’t practiced yet this week – but that’s to be expected at this point for a veteran receiver of his caliber. He could miss today’s practice and still be likely to go for Sunday’s game, so fantasy managers should simply check in on Sunday to ensure that Evans isn’t listed with the rest of the inactives ahead of kickoff.

• Browns TE David Njoku misses practice for 2nd-straight day Thursday with hamstring injury

  • It’s a new injury for Njoku, and after being a surprise addition to the injury report on Wednesday, it seems like this could be a legitimate significant injury for one of fantasy football’s top tight ends. Making matters worse: it’s a hamstring injury, which as we know are hardly ever a one-week ordeal. The current fantasy TE8 on the season, Njoku has combined for 30 targets over the past two games and 16 receptions for 94 yards and three touchdowns. His most productive two-game stretch of the season likely won’t have the opportunity to extend to three games at this point, and fantasy managers should scramble to the waiver wire to address what will likely be a significant loss on their teams (Stone Smartt, anyone?). To make up for Njoku’s likely absence this weekend, HC Kevin Stefanski indicated that the Browns would deploy a TE by committee approach (something the fantasy football community is just foaming at the mouth with excitement about). That’s code to not bother adding any Browns tight ends at this point, and with those 30 targets over the past two games now vacated from the offense this week and potentially longer, the fantasy prospects of Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, and Elijah Moore all receive a bump this weekend against the Chiefs.

• Titans RB Tony Pollard misses practice for second straight day Thursday with ankle injury

  • Pollard was a surprise addition to the injury report on Wednesday, and it was widely assumed that it was just a veteran’s rest day. A second-straight missed practice on Thursday raised eyebrows heading into the weekend, though, and it’ll be important to pay attention now to the injury report later on today to confirm Pollard’s status against the Bengals. Pollard has played through injuries already this season and is taking on a heavy workload for Tennessee, so even a limited practice today would be reassuring enough for us to assume he’ll be good to go come Sunday. However, if he’s not able to go, Tyjae Spears could be in for a larger workload than usual – but he likely wouldn’t take on a workhorse role like Pollard does. Should Pollard miss practice again today, there would be serious questions regarding his availability going into the first round of the fantasy playoffs – but the final determination on his status would likely be made shortly before kickoff on Sunday if it would get to that point. Stay tuned.

RB Jonathan Taylor vs DEN

• Denver is allowing the third most receptions and the sixth-most receiving yards to running backs this season, but that’s not Jonathan Taylor’s wheelhouse, and Anthony Richardson isn’t one to dump it off to his running backs. The Broncos are bottom-5 in rush yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry allowed this season, and the Colts could be chasing points in this one. Taylor is more of a mid-low RB2 this week than anything.

RB Tyrone Tracy vs the Ravens

• Baltimore is allowing the second-fewest rush yards and yards per carry this season, and the Giants have the week’s lowest implied total at just 14 points against Baltimore. New York has been competitive over the past two games in workable matchups against the Cowboys and Saints, but they’ve been trashed against quality competition like the Ravens, meaning touchdowns could be hard to come by for Tracy - and he’s relied on them for his production these past few weeks.

RB D’Andre Swift against the Vikings

• No Roschon Johnson last week, a good matchup on paper against a banged up 49ers run defense, and Swift finished with just 5 PPR points. His role has been slashed since Shane Waldron was canned, and he’s averaging just under 3 yards per carry over his past three games. The Vikings shut him down in their last game three weeks ago, and they’re allowing the fourth-fewest rush yards per game, the 8th-fewest yards per carry, and the fourth-fewest fantasy points to RBs this season.

RB James Cook vs the Lions

• Detroit is bottom five in rush yards per game, yards per carry, receptions, and receiving yards allowed per game this season, and have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to RBs this year on top of the fewest over the past four games. We just watched Cook get scripted out of last week’s shootout against the Rams, and it could be another one this week in Detroit. He has some upside if he can find the end zone, but Josh Allen scored all three of Buffalo’s rush touchdowns last week and could continue to be a thorn in James Cook’s side the rest of the way. He has top-12 upside, but the floor is also very low –especially if this turns into a back and forth in the passing game.