Thanksgiving Day Injuries to Monitor for Fantasy Football
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Paramount+:
We have three games on tap tomorrow for the Thanksgiving slate and there are unfortunately a handful of tricky injury situations we need to monitor.
Whether you are working through tough lineup decisions or gearing up for DFS, here’s everything that should be on your radar …
Who is going to be the Giants QB? After a disastrous 2024 debut, Tommy DeVito is now dealing with a forearm injury. HC Brian Daboll said he was “not 100 percent” to suit up vs. the Cowboys. I think Drew Lock would be an upgrade for the Giants weapons, so this is an interesting wrinkle.
Banged-up Lions. After not practicing Monday, both David Montgomery (shoulder) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) got in limited practices yesterday. Dan Campbell—who has a good track record of honesty—said he feels “pretty good” about both playing this week.
Jake Ferguson is still in the concussion protocol. He didn’t participate in the Cowboys’ walkthrough on Tuesday and now seems like a longshot to play. Luke Schoonmaker is the next man up there if you need a spot start at TE.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on any final updates tomorrow.
Stat of the Day 11/27: Devaughn Vele has finished as a top-20 PPR receiver in two of the past three weeks
It’s getting to be that time of the year. The fantasy football playoffs are in sight, and we’re looking for guys who can get us across the finish line. Devaughn Vele has the potential to be one of those guys. He was available in 98% of leagues at the beginning of last week, and if he’s not already owned in your league, you should go out and grab him.
Vele has now finished as a top-20 PPR receiver in two of his past three outings. He plays for an emerging Broncos offense, and his role with the squad continues to grow. He’s had at least 33% of the team’s air yards in back-to-back contests, and he had a season-high 25% target share in Week 12. He may not be a threat to Courtland Sutton as the team’s top receiver, but the Broncos are proving that there’s enough value to go around in Denver.
Their schedule for the fantasy playoffs also looks appealing. It starts with a matchup vs. the Colts in Week 15, and it concludes with one of the best matchups in all of fantasy: the Cincinnati Bengals. Both the Colts and Bengals are currently in the top 10 in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers.
Ultimately, Vele is someone who can help your fantasy teams. Even if he’s just a depth piece on your bench, he’s someone who warrants your attention.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Freedman’s Favorites: Top Plays for Week 13
- Watercooler: Saquon Barkley could be having an even better season.
- Ian’s Manifesto: Everything you need to know for Week 13
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Freedman’s Favorites for Week 13
Here are a couple of Matthew Freedman's favorite fantasy plays for Week 13. Check out his full articles and rankings for more.
Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers) at Panthers
At this exact time two years ago, Baker Mayfield had a 1-5 record with the Panthers, who had just demoted him (a second time) to the No. 2 role.
With a 5.7 AY/A on the season, he had the look of a man destined to be a lifelong backup.
Since then, however, Baker has started 34 games (including postseason), and since joining the Buccaneers in the 2023 offseason he has an NFL-best 52 TDs passing (not including 6 in the 2023-24 playoffs).
I'm not sure if that's revenge served cold, hot, or room temperature—but it's something, and now he gets to face the Panthers, who are No. 4 in largest fantasy boost allowed to QBs (+4.9).
In his eight games this year with No. 1 WR Mike Evans, who returned from a hamstring injury last week, Mayfield has been a top-10 fantasy finisher in every game but one.
I don't see why that would change this week.
Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions) vs. Bears
No. 2 RB David Montgomery (shoulder) exited last week with an injury and finished the game on the sideline. Montgomery expects to play on Thanksgiving, but that's not a guarantee, and even if he does suit up he could have a scaled-back workload.
And that makes Jahmyr Gibbs incredibly enticing. Gibbs already has a high fantasy floor with 90-plus yards or a TD from scrimmage in every game this year, and if Montgomery is out or limited then Gibbs could have a ceiling to celebrate.
In the games in which Montgomery has either been out entirely or had a snap share of less than 30%, Gibbs has had strong usage and usually good production.
- Week 3 (2023): 82 yards, 0 TDs | 17 carries, 2 targets
- Week 7 (2023): 126 yards, 1 TD | 11 carries, 10 targets
- Week 8 (2023): 189 yards, 1 TD | 26 carries, 5 targets
- Week 12 (2023): 73 yards, 0 TDs | 11 carries, 8 targets
- Week 12 (2024): 99 yards, 2 TDs | 21 carries, 3 targets
MORE OF FREEDMAN’S FAVORITE QBs FOR WEEK 13
MORE OF FREEDMAN’S FAVORITES:
WRs for Week 13: A.J. Brown has made every catch count.
RBs for Week 12: James Cook is ready to smash coming off a bye.
TEs for Week 13: What does Taysom Hill do for an encore?
AROUND THE WATERCOOLER
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
🧐 Ian and Dwain analyze Utilization Report data and identify players to target.
🔑 Five teams that could win crucial Week 13 and 14 matchups … the keys to a playoff berth?
🏈 A name so nice, you say it twice. And he’s a pretty good TE, too.
🤔 No takebacks? Shaq Barrett wants to un-retire.
📝 A good short-list of RBs to stash. Rookie RBs are the skeleton key.
🤦Watch the Chargers react to every QJ drop. Brutal.
📣 Chris Collinsworth knows how to turn a phrase. On AJB.
🤔 What players could be on championship fantasy football rosters?
Week 13 Ian’s Manifesto
By Ian Hartitz
And just like that: Week 13 is upon us. Let's break down some ball!
Every week I will be going through 10 key storylines ahead of all the NFL action, focusing on key fantasy-related trends, the week's biggest mismatches, my personal rankings of every game, bold predictions, and much more. Here is one of the storylines.
As always: It's a great day to be great.
Who are the top QB streamer options for Week 14?
Each of Lamar Jackson, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels have a bye next week, so it's best for fantasy managers to get ahead of the bidding now vs. later.
The two best options who are rostered on under 50% of teams over at ESPN:
Rams QB Matthew Stafford (32.4%): Has ripped off QB6, QB14, QB21, QB5, and QB9 finishes since getting his pair of BFF WRs back in Week 8. Stafford ranks 10th in EPA per dropback during this span despite having some tough matchups along the way against the Vikings, Dolphins, and Eagles. While his Week 14 spot against the Bills isn't exactly a cakewalk, this Rams offense is capable of putting up points against anyone when they are fully healthy and clicking.
Titans QB Will Levis (4%): We said plenty of nice things about Levis in our previous section, but here's all you need to know about his fantasy upside in Week 14: He's facing the Jaguars. Nobody has allowed more fantasy points per game to opposing QBs than Jacksonville this season, and the league's worst defense in EPA allowed per dropback sure looked like a group ready to quit on the season while giving up 52 points to the Lions in Week 11.
