| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass-Rush | TD |
| Justin Fields | 167-147 | 4 |
| Patrick Mahomes | 331-39 | 4 |
| Josh Allen | 330-84 | 1 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 285 | 3 |
| Dak Prescott | 265-6 | 3 |
| Running Backs | Rush Receive |
TD |
| Jonathan Taylor | 22-147 2-16 |
1 |
| Aaron Jones | 24-138 2-18 |
1 |
| Dalvin Cook | 14-119 3-27 |
1 |
| James Conner | 21-69 3-17 |
2 |
| Saquon Barkley | 35-125 1-8 |
1 |
| Wide Receivers | Yards | TD |
| CeeDee Lamb | 11-150 | 2 |
| Justin Jefferson | 10-193 | 1 |
| Christian Watson | 4-107 | 3 |
| Christian Kirk | 9-105 | 2 |
| N. Westbrook-Ikhine | 5-119 | 2 |
| Tight Ends | Yards | TD |
| Cole Kmet | 4-74 | 2 |
| Travis Kelce | 6-81 | 1 |
| Dalton Schultz | 6-54 | 1 |
| Juwan Johnson | 5-44 | 1 |
| Tyler Higbee | 8-73 | 0 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Eddy Pineiro | 1 | 4 |
| Tyler Bass | 3 | 3 |
| Ka’imi Fairbairn | 1 | 3 |
| Jason Sanders | 3 | 2 |
| Greg Joseph | 3 | 2 |
| Defense | Sack – TO | TD |
| Vikings | 2-4 | 1 |
| Titans | 6-1 | 0 |
| Lions | 3-1 | 1 |
| Steelers | 2-2 | 0 |
| Giants | 4-2 | 0 |
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
RB Leonard Fournette (TB) – Hip
RB Khalil Herbert (CHI) – Hip
WR Jerry Jeudy (DEN) – Ankle
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (KC) – Concussion
WR Cooper Kupp (LAR) – Ankle
TE – Zack Ertz – Knee
TE Cole Kmet (CHI) – Leg
Chasing Ambulances
WR Cooper Kupp (LAR) – Had his ankle rolled up in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Cardinals. He hopped to the sideline and later limped to the locker room. HC Sean McVay said Kupp would be evaluated by the medical staff but the initial reports were not positive. A severe ankle injury of any kind would decimate what little offensive punch the Rams had.
WR Jerry Jeudy (DEN) – Fell down on the first play with an ankle injury and HC Nathaniel Hackett didn’t give any information. Jeudy was wearing a walking boot after the game and said after the game that he hoped it wasn’t a high-ankle sprain. His availability for next week’s Raiders matchup will be determined later in the week.
RB Leonard Fournette (TB) – He left in the third quarter with a hip pointer injury and was doubtful to return. The Buccaneers head onto their bye after the win in Germany, so solid news may not be known until Week 12.
RB Khalil Herbert (CHI) – He missed the end of the loss to the Lions and was quickly ruled out after injuring his hip on the final drive. More should be known on the Wednesday injury report.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (KC) – Was lit up by a helmet-to-helmet hit over the middle and appeared temporarily unconscious as he lay stiffly on the field. He has entered the concussion protocol but was able to walk off to the sidelines.
TE Cole Kmet (CHI) – Enjoyed a breakout performance in the loss to the Lions and left the field after colliding with a defender on the final drive. He said afterward that he didn’t believe it was serious and would get more detail on Monday.
TE Zach Ertz (ARI) – Was carted from the field with a knee injury and will have an MRI on Monday to determine the damage. The team still believes that the ACL is still intact but fears that he will miss multiple weeks.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
RB Rachaad White (TB) – The rookie logged a season-best 105 yards on 22 carries for the first 100-yard rushing performance in Tampa Bay since Week 1. White started the game but shared with Leonard Fournette, who injured his hip. The Buccaneers head onto their bye, so Fournette has two weeks to heal, but White is already worth owning and would become a strong fantasy starter if Fournette misses time.
TE Cole Kmet (CHI) – After opening the year with zero catches for two weeks, Kmet scored five touchdowns over the last three games. He gained a season-high 74 yards on four catches with two scores versus the Lions, and that was the second week with double touchdowns. His best games were at home, and Kmet now faces road trips to play the Falcons and Jets.
WR Kadarius Toney (KC) – Scored the first touchdown of his career on a six-yard pass that not only let him score, but according to NextGen stats, he was more open (21 yards) than any other receiver since 2016. Toney ended with four catches for 57 yards, and he tacked on 33 yards on two rushes. With JuJu Smith-Schuster nursing a concussion, Toney could see a bigger role this week when they host the Jaguars.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) – His usage has been sketchy in recent weeks though he scored in Week 7 on his six runs for 32 yards. On Sunday, he was never given a carry, failed to catch either of his two targets, and only played for five snaps. Isiah Pacheco ran a season-high 16 times for 82 yards. Jerick McKinnon was questionable to play with shoulder, knee and hamstring injuries and he still had one carry and six catches for 56 yards. If Pacheco holds the primary rusher role and McKinnon sticks to receiving, both become more reliable fantasy options if Edwards-Helaire remains on the sideline.
Miami backfield – Granted, it was at home and against a weak Cleveland rushing defense, but Jeff Wilson (17-119, TD) and Raheem Mostert (8-65, TD) were both devastating together and Mostert added four catches for 22 yards. The backfield looked better than it has in many years. The Dolphins head onto their bye and then host the Texans in Week 12 for more fun. They were so effective, that it could impact the need to pass.
WR Darius Slayton (NYG) – The Giants’ wideouts have been ineffective all season, but Slayton produced three consecutive games with 60+ yards and gained 95 yards on three receptions with a score in the win over the Texans. That included a 54-yard touchdown catch and sprint down the sideline. Next week, the Giants host the Lions.
RB Najee Harris, RB Jaylen Warren (PIT) – The Steelers placed emphasis on fixing their mediocre rushing game and intended to use the rookie Jaylen Warren more, even if it meant lowering the workload for Najee Harris. Against the Saints, both backs were effective. Harris rushed for a season-high 20 carries for 99 yards, while Warren handled a season-best nine carries for 37 yards and added three catches for 40 yards. The Steelers will consider their backfield as more of a committee ongoing and will host the Bengals next week. That will be a solid measurement since they played in Week 1 and the duo combined for only 13 carries for 30 yards.
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (TEN) – He’s been below fantasy relevance this season, and then when Malik Willis was the starting quarterback in Weeks 7 and 9, Westbrook-Ikhine failed to catch any passes. With Ryan Tannehill back, he caught five passes for 119 yards and two scores in the win over the Broncos. It was just one game, but the next three games are against the Packers, Bengals, and Eagles. Derrick Henry may not be enough to win those games.
QB Matt Ryan (IND) – Of the many recent changes for the Colts, the interim head coach Jeff Saturday said that Sam Ehlinger would remain the starting quarterback, which held true right up to game time when Matt Ryan reassumed the starting role. He threw for 222 yards and one score to Parris Campbell in the fourth quarter for the winning margin. He also ran in a touchdown and rushed for a career-high 39 yards on just one scramble. The Raiders had not prepared for him, but the the Eagles this week likely will.
RB Tony Pollard (DAL) – Ezekiel Elliott missed the last two games, and Pollard has been terrific taking the heavier load. He ran for 131 yards and three scores in Week 8 on the visiting Bears. On Sunday, he gained 115 yards and one score on 22 rushes in the loss at the Packers. Elliott hasn’t rushed for 100 yards since Week 5 of 2021. Pollard has two in the last two weeks.
WR Christian Watson (GB) – The rookie totaled ten catches for 88 yards over the six games he had played. So it was unanticipated when he caught a career-best four passes in Week 10. And they went for 58 yards (touchdown), 39 yards (touchdown), three yards, and seven yards (touchdown). He was a major contributor to the Packers ending their five-game losing streak and beating the Cowboys. He’ll have another chance to shine this week against the visiting Titans.
San Francisco backfield – In an NFL sense, the 49ers backfield and overall offense is something to fear as it is stocked with weapons and in a system that loves to tinker, mix-and-match, and attack an opponent from all angles. In a fantasy football sense, this may not be a great thing.
The return of Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell on Sunday meant that all of the weapons were healthy and present for the first time. But there are so many players that they will continue to erode each others production and likely make it less consistent for each player. Deebo Samuel was paid $71 million for three years but his return only produced four runs for 27 yards and two catches for 24 yards. Brandin Aiyuk caught six passes for 84 yards. George Kittle had one catch for 21 yards.
Christian McCaffrey ran 14 times for 38 yards and a score, plus caught four passes for 39 yards. But Elijah Mitchell was given 18 carries for 89 yards. When was the last time that McCaffrey wasn’t the primary ball carrier for his team? And one of the two scores was on a run by Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers head to Arizona this week, and the work distribution will be worth noting. That’s a lot of hands in that pie.
Huddle player of the week
Justin Fields – He was the highest-scoring quarterback last week. At home against the Lions, Fields ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns, plus passed for 167 yards and two more touchdowns. He took the lead in the fourth quarter when he ran for a 67-yard touchdown while looking a lot like Michael Vick with his speed. As good as Fields has been recently, it is mind-warping to think his rookie season was devoted to forcing him to throw from the pocket.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
| Comedy | Yards | TDs | Tragedy | Yards | TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Matt Ryan | 260 | 2 | QB | Jared Goff | 250 | 1 |
| RB | Alec Ingold | 45 | 1 | RB | C. Edwards-Helaire | 0 | 0 |
| RB | Jaylen Warren | 77 | 0 | RB | C. Patterson | 20 | 0 |
| WR | Christian Watson | 107 | 3 | WR | Cooper Kupp | (-1) | 0 |
| WR | N Westbrook-Ikhine | 119 | 2 | WR | J.Smith-Schuster | 33 | 0 |
| WR | Trent Sherfield | 63 | 1 | WR | D.J. Moore | 29 | 0 |
| TE | Cole Kmet | 74 | 2 | TE | Zach Ertz | 12 | 0 |
| PK | Eddy Pineiro | 1 XP 4 FG | PK | Daniel Carlson | 2 XP | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 142 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 22 | ||||||
Now get back to work…