Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens (hamstring) @ Philadelphia Eagles
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:25 pm Eastern
Pittsburgh Steelers X-wide receiver George Pickens reportedly suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during Week 14’s Friday practice. Fantasy managers should expect him to miss Week 15 and remain a high re-injury risk if he returns in Week 16. Per Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Edwin Porras’ 2024 Injury Prone Draft Guide, hamstring strains carry a 30.0 percent weekly recurrence rate for wide receivers.
Pittsburgh’s pass-catching corps offers no clear positional pivot though tight end Pat Freiermuth should be heavily involved in the offensive game plan. The Philadelphia Eagles defend the position well allowing the fewest yards per tight end-coverage snap (5.18) among NFL teams.
Players like Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (knee) and/or Denver Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele can be used as boom/bust replacements.
Don’t miss episodes of Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry and Rotoworld Football Show all season long for the latest player news, waiver wire help, start/sit advice, and much more.
New York Jets RB Breece Hall (knee) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
Thanks to an exhaustive piece from ESPN’s Stephania Bell, actionable information regarding New York Jets running back Breece Hall’s recent knee injury is readily available. Backup running backs Isaiah Davis and Braelon Allen are must-adds. Hall is not guaranteed to play again in 2024.
In Week 11, “Hall suffered a hyperextension …stressing the soft tissues that protect the back side of the knee” and an MCL injury, “the ligament that protects the medial or inner aspect of the knee joint,” per Bell. Hall was able to return in-game, indicating “the injury was not severe enough to threaten joint stability but his post-game soreness persisted through the Jets’ subsequent bye week.”
“The combined nature of Hall’s latest injury (back side and medial side) poses unique challenges to the posteromedial corner” which, correspondingly, could place extra strain on the medial hamstring. Bell explains that “the hamstrings need to not only fire normally in order to play at an elite level, they also play a role in protection of the knee and are especially critical for guarding against ACL injury.”
Bell concisely details how shutting Hall down for the rest of the season may have deleterious effects on his mental approach to the 2025 season, contract negotiations, etc., doing so would certainly preserve his physical health in the long term.
New York’s Week 14 backfield deployment differed from previous weeks with Davis tallying seven third- and fourth-and-long snaps to Allen’s one, nine red zone snaps to Allen’s four and four green zone snaps to Allen’s one. New York’s offense notably logged zero two-minute drill snaps but Davis appears to be the favorite for that fantasy-friendly role.
Allen narrowly out-carried Davis, 11 to 10 though Davis (0.2 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt and 3.8 yards after contact per rushing attempt) out-played Allen (0.09 and 2.8, respectively) in ProFootballFocus’ stable rushing metrics. Both players earned highly valuable target sums with Davis’ six targets besting Allen’s five.
Fantasy managers should prioritize adding Davis over Allen though both players should handle double-digit touches each game unless one player meaningfully separates from the other.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ run defense ranks 22nd in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play (-0.064) and its running back-coverage unit has allowed league-highs in EPA per play (0.268), yards per coverage snap (7.40) and explosive pass plays (71).
Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III (calf) vs. Green Bay Packers
Date/Time: Sunday, 8:20 pm Eastern
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III remains hampered by a Week 13 calf strain that required additional testing early in Week 15. Per DPT Adam Hutchison’s 2023 Injury Report, running backs average 2.6 games after suffering a calf strain. Seattle would be wise to approach the injury with an abundance of caution due to the calf muscles’ interconnectivity with the Achilles tendon.
Seattle’s running back depth behind Walker contains three three-down players, all of which deserve consideration as stash-worthy options through the fantasy football playoffs.
As detailed in Top 5 NFL injuries and contingency plans for Week 14, 6-foot, 214-pound No. 2 running back Zach Charbonnet is a talented three-down player. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald trusts him to handle a high-volume, full-time role in Walker’s stead. Charbonnet should be rostered in 100.0 percent of fantasy leagues.
Nos. 3 and 4 running backs Kenny McIntosh (6-foot, 204 pounds) and George Holani (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) sit behind Charbonnet on the depth chart. Both players intriguingly possess accomplished dual-threat college resumés. McIntosh hails from the University of Georgia, known for its ballyhooed running back program. He ascended to the starting role in his 2022 senior season, totaling 151 rushing attempts and 49 targets, the eighth-most targets among 49 Power Five running backs. Among Power Five running backs with at least 25 targets, his 2.20 yards per route run (YPRR) ranks first.
Holani was a prolific tackle-breaker and post-contact producer at Boise State, tying for fifth in missed tackles forced per rushing attempt (0.31) among 57 FBS running backs with at least 370 rushing attempts from 2019-2023. His 3.5 yards after contact per rushing attempt rank 17th. Among 40 FBS running backs with at least 90 targets during that span, Holani ties for second in missed tackles forced (47) and 16th in YPRR (1.29).
The Green Bay Packers’ running back-coverage unit ranks 22nd in yards allowed per coverage snap (6.53), ties for 23rd in explosive pass plays allowed (57) and 25th in open-target rate (63.5 percent).
Arizona Cardinals RB Emari Demercado (back) vs. New England Patriots
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:25 pm Eastern
Arizona Cardinals passing-down running back Emari Demercado was sidelined by a Week 14 back injury in Week 15’s Wednesday and Thursday practices, severely jeopardizing his availability. While Demercado’s low-volume usage infrequently yields a fantasy-friendly return, his potential absence frees up both the high-value third- and fourth-and-long role and the two-minute drill role. Paired with a double-digit rushing workload, the two passing-down gigs create the workload required for an elite RB1 outcome.
Demercado has totaled a 75.0 percent third- and fourth-and-long snap share this season, trailed distantly by No. 1 running back James Conner (23.8 percent). Conner (56.0 percent) holds a season-long edge over Demercado (44.0 percent) in the two-minute drill though the two players have alternatingly held that role since the team’s Week 11 bye.
Should Demercado miss Week 15, Conner would push for a top-three positional ranking against a New England Patriots running back-coverage unit that ranks just 21st in both EPA allowed per play (0.086) and yards allowed per coverage snap (6.47).
Arizona’s rookie, No. 3 running back Trey Benson has not logged a single, true passing-down snap this season though he has efficiently averaged 1.37 YPRR on 47 receiving snaps. Benson (20.2 percent positional rushing share) should slightly benefit from Demercado’s (8.4 percent positional rushing share) potential absence.
New England’s run defense ranks 21st in EPA allowed per play (-0.077) and 25th in yards allowed before contact per rushing attempt (1.5).
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert (thigh/ankle) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:25 pm Eastern
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered two left leg injuries in Week 14, reportedly suffering a thigh contusion and a sprained ankle. The ankle sprain appears to involve the requisite eversion mechanism that typically results in a high-ankle sprain. Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike Danna lands on Herbert’s left foot during an open-field tackle, pinning the toes while pushing the heel forward and inward. Herbert was upgraded to Limited Participant status on Thursday after taking the day off on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should expect Herbert to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, creating a bevvy of pass-catching contingency plans for fantasy managers in need of a spot start. Playing lame against the blitz, Herbert is far more likely to stand tall in the pocket and throw the football rather than scramble.
Tampa Bay’s 48.7 percent blitz rate ranks second among NFL teams.
Los Angeles No. 3 tight end Stone Smartt is expected to start against Tampa Bay after a strong showing in Week 14 and a rash of injuries at the position. He averaged 4.50 YPRR, catching 3-of-3 targets for 54 yards, and germanely produced a 24-yard gain on one of Herbert’s blitzed dropbacks.
Los Angeles slot receiver and de facto No. 1 wide receiver Ladd McConkey (knee/shoulder) has a chance to return after missing Week 14. His 29 targets on blitzed dropbacks lead all Chargers pass-catchers by nine. No. 2 wide receiver Quentin Johnson’s 25.0 percent deep-target rate on blitzed dropbacks ranks first among Chargers pass catchers with at least five qualifying targets. Rotational wide receiver Simi Fehoko (20.0 percent deep-target rate) is the only other qualifying player with a 17.0-plus-percent deep-target rate but he currently resides on injured reserve with an elbow injury. Fellow rotational wide receiver Derius Davis is likely questionable to play due to a hamstring strain but his 37.5 percent target rate on blitzed dropbacks ranks first.
Passing-game specialist, running back Kimani Vidal has earned just two qualifying targets but caught both, averaging 20.0 yards per reception.
