Team news: Arizona Cardinals | Page 3

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon did not rule out RBs James Conner or Trey Benson, adding they still have a chance to play this week.

Related players: Michael Carter

That being said, Carter would be in for a larger workload if they have to miss Saturday, the post went on to say. The Cardinals play on Saturday in the late game so owners will have plenty of time to make the decision on any of these players. Carter did get five carries for 18 yards and also caught five balls for 30 yards.

Gannon said the Cardinals will not rest Kyler Murray in either of the final two games.

Related players: Clayton Tune

The Cardinals have been eliminated from the playoffs but the good news for fantasy owners is they are going to continue to play Murray. Tune is the backup and doesn't necessarily offer the Cardinals a future option. Murray is coming off a decent fantasy game in Week 16, throwing for a TD and also running for another. Murray and the Cards are at the Rams on Saturday night in Week 17. They end the season at home against the 49ers in Week 18.

Cardinals TE Trey McBride (knee) is off the injury report and good to go for Sunday vs. the Patriots.

Related Players: Elijah Higgins

You know the drill by now. Start McBride absolutely everywhere.

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

Related Players: Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Josiah Deguara

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.

Jones said there’s a good chance Brandin Cooks and Tyler Smith will be able to play Thursday. Trevon Diggs also has a chance. It’s “a little more of a long shot” for Zack Martin and Jake Ferguson.

Related players: CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, KaVontae Turpin, Luke Schoonmaker

Cooks practiced last week but ended up not playing in Week 12. Ferguson is in protocol and it seems like the early week game will keep him out once again. Lamb collected 12 targets to lead the team by far against the Commander and Schoonmaker and Tolbert each had four. It's no lock that Cooks steps right into a big role, even in a good matchup against the Giants on Thanksgiving. Schoonmaker would be worth a start for those needing TE help.

CeeDee Lamb practiced today, per Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. That’s a good sign.

Lamb (back/foot) was limited in a walkthrough on Wednesday and missed practice on Thursday.

Related Players: Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy

Obviously good news for the Cowboys' potential in rolling out an NFL offense in Week 12. The floor is capped for Lamb but we should expect a ton of action funneling his way against the Commanders, which puts him on the WR1/2 fringe.

Jonathan Mingo is expected to make his debut for the Cowboys this week, per MM.

Mingo was inactive last week following the trade to allow time for ramping up.

Related Players: Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks

We wouldn't expect a ton of action from Mingo fantasy-wise, but it's not as if he has a murderer's row of talent standing between himself and a WR2 role. He can be left on waiver wires in most every format, but might be worth checking to see if he ended up on waiver wires in Dynasty leagues.

S Jalen Thompson is a Thursday add with an ankle issue. RB James Conner remains limited with a finger injury.

Related Players: Trey Benson, Emari Demercado

Demercado has seen far more 2024 action than Benson, but you'd have to think the rookie would see more run if Conner misses Week 10. That said, both back-ups will likely be stay-aways in most fantasy formats against the Jets defense.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, CeeDee Lamb has a sprained AC joint. The injury is not considered serious and Lamb has a chance to play against the Eagles in Week 10.

Related players: Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks

Lamb was injured in the first half of Sunday’s loss to the Falcons. But Lamb played through the issue, finishing the game with eight catches for 47 yards, the story pointed out. So the hope is Lamb is good to go in Week 10, which is a later Sunday game vs. the Eagles. The Cowboys, of course, will be without Dak Prescott and will have to go with Cooper Rush at QB. Lamb should remain a target hog if he plays, but it could be another tough go against an Eagles defense that has played well as of late.

Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt says the team is going into the week open-minded about the QB situation.

Van Pelt says he's very hopeful that things keep going the way they're progressing with rookie QB Drake Maye in concussion protocol.

Otherwise, Van Pelt won't discuss injuries.

Related Players: Jacoby Brissett

Looks like they're going to run this down to the wire after it was announced that Maye is in "phase three" of the five-phase protocol yesterday. If Brissett gets the start, all New England fantasy options get a downgrade.