Packers may not stick with the run in Week 17

Dec 26, 2014

Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky on the team's willingness to stick with the run against the Lions:

Coach Mike McCarthy isn't going to bang his head against the wall and run, run, run if it's not working. If you think that means he's too quick to abandon the running game, then so be it. So it probably will depend on how Eddie Lacy fares early. If Lacy can rip off a few good runs in the first couple of series, like he has done of late, McCarthy might be more inclined to go back to it later. But here's one thing to look for: If Aaron Rodgers ends up throwing a bunch of dump-off passes or screens, it's probably a sign they don't think they can run the ball, so they'll use the short passing game to simulate the run. There's no shame in admitting you can't run the ball against the Lions. Who has this season?

Fantasy Impact:

Lacy has proven that he has the ability to make plays in the passing game, so his owners shouldn't bench him due to an unfavorable matchup. Just don't expect a 100-yard day against a great Lions rush defense that is yielding just 63.8 yards on the ground.

today

Jaguars TE Evan Engram out for the remainder of the season

J.P. Shadrick

1 hour ago

TE Evan Engram out for the season. Surgery coming on labrum in shoulder.

Related Players: Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Josiah Deguara

Fantasy Impact:

Bummer for Engram, who will finish the season as the TE16 with 7.3 half-PPR PPG in nine weeks.

It's unlikely that Strange pops up as a TE streamer through the remainder of the season, with no more byes on the horizon.

yesterday

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown's practice window to open "Friday or Monday"

Ian Rapoport

yesterday · 7:56 PM EST

Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown has received final clearance to practice, paving the way for him to play before the regular season ends.

Brown, who is recovering from surgery to repair his SC joint, should have his window opened Friday or Monday. The team will be cautious.

Fantasy Impact:

If Brown were cleared by Week 17, he would be incredibly tough to start in pretty much any sort of fantasy league with Championships on the line. However, he could be an interesting click for Playoff-only leagues if he can ramp up in time.

Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker misses second straight practice

Adam Schefter

yesterday · 7:53 PM EST

For a second straight day today, Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III didn’t practice due to his calf injury.

Related Players: Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh

Fantasy Impact:

Looks like things should be cleared out for Charbonnet once again in what could be a very close game against the Packers. If Walker misses Week 15, fire Charbs up as a high-end RB2.