Bengals TE Hayden Hurst (calf) isn't listed on the final injury report for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. He put in a full practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday. Hurst should be ready for his usual role this weekend.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practiced fully all week and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. Mahomes still tossed 2 TDs and 195 yards while looking visibly slowed by this ankle issue last week vs. the Jaguars. Even if his mobility is limited, his full practice participation every day this week should instill confidence in fantasy managers this weekend. It's hard to bet against a dominant player like Mahomes despite the fact that the Bengals' defense ranks as the 2nd-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (ankle) upgraded to full practice on Friday and doesn't carry an injury designation for Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. Samuel has been targeted 16 times over the last 2 games with 7 carries as a runner. His high involvement makes him a quality fantasy option again this weekend despite the Eagles' defense ranking as the 10th-toughest matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. It's also worth noting that RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) is listed as questionable for this contest. Samuel could possibly pick up a couple extra carries in the event that Mitchell misses this game.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) upgraded to full practice participation on Friday and doesn't carry an official injury designation for Sunday's NFC Championship vs. the Eagles. Teammate RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) didn't practice at all this week and is listed as questionable. A potential Mitchell absence would be a slight boost to McCaffrey's fantasy appeal, but not by a ton. McCaffrey has logged 15+ touches in every playoff game with an average of 19.6 PPR points per game. If anything, WR Deebo Samuel would gain some value with additional touches out of the backfield possibly. The Eagles' defense ranks as the 14th-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) logged limited practice participation all week and is officially listed as questionable for the AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. The speedster didn't practice last week, eventually leading to him not playing vs. the Jaguars in the Divisional Round. Teammate WR Justin Watson (illness) popped up on the injury report last minute and is also questionable for Sunday's game. The lack of health in the WR room makes us feel even better about Kadarius Toney in this fairly neutral matchup vs. the Bengals. Toney totaled 50 yards on 6 touches last week and stands to possibly be in line for another good opportunity for involvement if Hardman doesn't suit up.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (back) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. It's tough to say one way or another how concerned fantasy managers should be about this development. Considering he practiced fully and didn't appear on the report before Friday, we feel cautiously optimistic about his fantasy appeal in playoff contests. We'll keep an eye out for any reports that shed more light on the situation.
The Rams are hiring Mike LaFleur as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. LaFleur replaces Liam Coen, who left Los Angeles after just 1 season to return to his previous post as Kentucky's OC. LaFleur struggled as Jets OC the past 2 years, with both of those teams finishing bottom 8 in both total yards and points. Like Rams HC Sean McVay, LaFleur comes from the Shanahan coaching tree, so there should be plenty of synergy here. McVay will still be running the show, though, so don't expect a big change to the Rams' play calling.
Bengals TE Hayden Hurst was added to Thursday's injury report and limited in practice with a calf. He missed 3 games late in the regular season with a calf injury -- although it's unclear if this is related. Check back Friday afternoon for another update on Hurst's status for this weekend's AFC Championship game vs. the Chiefs. His absence would be significant.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) remained limited in Thursday's practice. We'll see what he does on Friday and how he's listed on the final injury report for this weekend's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. Hardman has been out since Week 9.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) put in another full practice on Thursday. It means that ankle responded well to Wednesday's full workout. Mahomes will start Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals -- and it's looking like the ankle won't be a major limiting factor.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (ankle) remained limited in Thursday's practice. He's still not 100% recovered from the high-ankle sprain he suffered in mid-December but is fully expected to play in Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. Samuel has racked up 178 receiving yards and 43 rushing yards over the past 2 weeks.
49ers RBs Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (groin) missed their 2nd straight practices on Thursday. We're still tentatively expecting both guys to play in Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles, but check back Friday afternoon to see how they're listed on the final injury report.
The Panthers are hiring Frank Reich as their next HC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Reich was fired by the Colts in November after getting off to a 3-5-1 start. But he went 37-28 across his first 4 seasons in Indianapolis, despite losing QB Andrew Luck just prior to the start of the 2019 campaign. Three of those 4 Colts teams finished top 9 in points; 2 of them ranked top 10 in total yards. Prior to arriving in Indianapolis, Reich spent 4 seasons as an OC -- 2 with the Chargers and 2 with the Eagles. Reich's offense was middling in his 1st season in both stops but improved to finish top 9 in yards in year 2. We'll see how Reich fills out his new staff, but this is a rock-solid hire for Carolina. The Panthers, of course, still need to find an answer at QB after cycling through Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker this past season. Mayfield is now with the Rams, while neither Darnold nor Walker is currently signed for 2023.
The Jets are hiring Nathaniel Hackett as their new OC, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Hackett was a disaster as Denver's HC this past season but had a successful stint as Green Bay's OC the previous 3 years. The Packers finished middle of the pack in total yards and points in Hackett's 1st season but climbed into the top 10 in both categories in 2020 and 2021. Those teams, of course, were quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, who's a big fan of Hackett. This move was presumably made by the Jets at least in part to help their chances of luring Rodgers to New York.
49ers Deebo Samuel (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday in advance of Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. HC Kyle Shanahan shared that “It’s been there for a little bit," referring to Samuel's ankle ailment, "I think he’ll be alright, but it concerned us enough to not let him go today" at practice. We'll see if the veteran is able to ramp up activity on Thursday. Check back once we learn some more information.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's injury report. Teammate RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) also didn't practice. It's less than ideal to see both of the Niners' top RBs listed as DNP ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship game vs. the Eagles. Fortunately, we still have a a few more days to wait and see if their participation ramps up. Be certain to check back for updates tomorrow.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon (ankle) practiced fully on Wednesday ahead of the AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. The veteran figures to split backfield duties with rookie RB Isiah Pacheco should he ultimately be healthy enough to suit up this weekend. We'll follow McKinnon's status on the practice report this week in case something takes a downward turn.
Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) logged limited participation at Wednesday's practice in advance of Sunday's AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. The speedy wideout didn't practice at all last week and missed the Divisional Round game vs. the Jaguars due to this injury. Limited practice early this week is a step in the right direction for Hardman. We'll keep an eye on his status as the week unfolds.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practiced fully on Wednesday ahead of the AFC Championship game vs. the Bengals. It's good to see the superstar wasn't limited by the high ankle sprain he sustained this past Saturday vs. the Jaguars. HC Andy Reid said on Monday that he anticipated Mahomes will play in the AFC Championship, so this news is only further confirmation that the team feels good about where their QB is health-wise. We'll be sure to follow this as the week unfolds in case anything changes.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his broken left fibula, ESPN's Todd Archer reports. "Should be full strength well before training camp," Archer adds. We'll keep an eye on Pollard's rehab, but this injury shouldn't impact his 2023 fantasy outlook. Pollard is set to hit free agency in March.
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