Fantasy Football News

The Titans are signing Jaguars star WR Calvin Ridley, completing their FA with a splash. The 29-year-old Ridley gets a 4-year, $92M deal with $50M fully guaranteed.

Related Players: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks

Calvin Ridley finished the 2023 season WR24 after being drafted WR14, so his first (and only) year with the Jaguars was a bit of a disappointment. Now he joins the Titans to play alongside DeAndre Hopkins with Will Levis at quarterback. The Titans have traditionally been pretty run-heavy, but new head coach Brian Callahan served as the offensive coordinator for the Bengals for the last five seasons. He didn't call the plays, but the Bengals were pretty pass-heavy in that span. (Cincinnati was second in pass rate over expectation in each of the last two seasons.) If Callahan brings those pass-heavy tendencies to the Titans, and Levis is up to the task, then Ridley and Hopkins could have productive fantasy seasons.

The Titans are giving former Cowboys RB Tony Pollard a 3-year deal worth $24M.

Related Players: Tyjae Spears

Pollard had moderate success when taking over the Cowboys backfield last season, but that was heavily influenced by volume. Pollard should be considered a top-30 option heading into 2024, while Tyjae Spears should be in very heavy consideration as a late-round option as his ADP dips following the signing.

Titans QB Will Levis, returning from a high-ankle sprain, is in line to start, coach Mike Vrabel told reporters.

Related Players: Ryan Tannehill

Good news for DeAndre Hopkins and Chigoziem Okonkwo for fantasy purposes, as Levis adds volatility and extra ceiling to a mostly pedantic offense. Levis should be considered a QB streamer in a positive matchup against the Texans, especially with C.J. Stroud in the game to push the pace.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on 1053thefan on rookie RB Deuce Vaughn getting an opportunity Saturday night with No. 2 RB Rico Dowdle (ankle) being out: “Deuce will be up this weekend. We got a plan and looking forward to it.”

Related Players: Tony Pollard

Dowdle had seen some increased usage over the back half of the season, but we probably shouldn't expect the 5'5", 176-pound rookie back to be eating into Pollard's workload too much. Vaughn has carried the ball 21 times for 38 yards (1.8/att.) to this point in the season.

After playing well in Saturday’s victory over the Bengals, Mason Rudolph is once again in line to start for the Steelers in Week 17.

But head coach Mike Tomlin stopped short of saying Rudolph will definitely start on New Year’s Eve against the Seahawks.

Related players: Kenny Pickett

Via Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Tomlin said Pickett — who’s recovering from ankle surgery — is still in the same position as he was last week. Rudolph will get the starter’s reps at the start of the practice week and the club will see where Pickett’s mobility is as the week continues, the story went on to say.

Titans QB Will Levis is unlikely to play with an ankle injury, setting up Ryan Tannehill as the likely starter against the Seahawks.

It would mark Tannehill’s first start since Week 6 if he goes. Levis missed practice Wednesday and Thursday but did practice Friday albeit on a limited basis. Tannehill gets at least one more start as he likely enters his final few weeks as a Titan. He is set to become a free agent after the season. Tannehill is our No. 26 quarterback this week with the Seahawks coming to town.

Titans’ QB Will Levis did not practice today for a second straight day due to his ankle injury.

Related Players: Ryan Tannehill

It's looking very much like Tannehill will be taking the start in Week 16, which isn't exciting for fantasy purposes. This could well be a classic, heavy Derrick Henry game.

No Trevor Lawrence (concussion protocol) or Zay Jones (hamstring) at Thursday’s Jaguars practice. Second consecutive day both players have missed.

All other players were present. Another day of starting reps for QB CJ Beathard.

Related Players: Calvin Ridley, Parker Washington, Jamal Agnew

Looks like it could be a Beathard week, who actually gets a great matchup against the Buccaneers this week, though it wouldn't look as decent if Zay Jones ends up missing. Calvin Ridley would get enough of a target boost to consider him a WR2, while Washington would be a FLEX option.

Mike Tomlin officially ruled out QB Kenny Pickett for Saturday’s game vs. Cincinnati. Steelers’ QB Mason Rudolph officially starts.

Related Players: Mitch Trubisky

It is very unlikely that Rudolph hits the ground running to bolster this anemic offense. The last time we saw a Mason Rudolph start was in Week 10 of the 2021 season, when it took him 52 dropbacks to grind out 242 yards, with 4.8 yards per attempt. He is a desperation-play Superflex option, even in a good matchup against the Bengals defense.

The Steelers expect Mason Rudolph to start Saturday’s game against the Bengals, but Kenny Pickett is pointed in the right direction of being the backup this week.

Pickett returned to limited work Tuesday.

He has missed the past two weeks after tightrope surgery on a high ankle sprain, the story said. Pickett isn't expected to play this week despite his return to practice, however as we reported Monday, Tomlin and the Steelers have yet to officially rule Pickett out for Week 16.