Everything that happens in the NFL has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy football perspective. From position battles to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy football.
Our fantasy football buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around the NFL.
Key links: Fantasy depth charts | Scoring Leaders | Weekly Rankings
Dec. 11: Breece Hall injury notes, future outlook
Stephania Bell: Breece Hall sat out Week 14 in an effort to rest his right knee, the knee on which he underwent an ACL reconstruction in 2022. Hall of course returned to produce a marvelous second season, especially given that he had to ramp up his re-adaptation to football as the season was in progress. This season however has been more challenging. The reasons for that extend beyond Hall's health but a recent setback with his knee has not helped.
Against the Colts in Week 11, Hall suffered a hyperextension and MCL injury (hyperextension means the knee is being forced backward beyond its normal range, stressing the soft tissues that protect the back side of the knee; the MCL is the ligament that protects the medial or inner aspect of the knee joint). Hall re-entered that game against the Colts, an indication that the injury was not severe enough to threaten joint stability but his post-game soreness persisted through the Jets' subsequent bye week. He did return to practice late the following week (Week 13) and played in that game against the Seahawks. Clearly not himself (he had a season low 12 touches and had a costly turnover), Hall ended up resting into Week 14 and sitting out that game. Now as Week 15 approaches, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini, coach Jeff Ulbrich said Wednesday that Hall is "struggling a bit" with his knee and not improving as much as they had hoped.
Ulbrich reiterated the Jets are not yet at the point of shutting him down and are still evaluating him. Two questions that may come to mind are why is this taking so long and why not just shut him down when the Jets season is not going anywhere?
As for why the lengthy recovery, it serves as a reminder that these are not cookie cutter injuries that follow identical timetables from one athlete to the next. A player's unique history combined with the very specific structures involved drive how long it takes to get back to play/performance. The combined nature of Hall's latest injury (back side and medial side) poses unique challenges to the posteromedial corner of the knee where there are numerous soft tissue structures that support that part of the joint, including the medial hamstrings. Beyond the healing of the tissues themselves (even when an injury may not be enough to result in significant instability, there can still be a fair amount of tissue trauma that requires biological healing), there is the demand placed on tissues in the area by returning to activity.
For example, the hamstrings need to not only fire normally in order to play at an elite level, they also play a role in protection of the knee and are especially critical for guarding against ACL injury. If there is discomfort and/or weakness that persists, even beyond the tissue being "healed" from injury, it can present risk elevation that is enough to hold a player back. If there is not enough progress, or prospect of progress, the Jets may opt to shut Hall down.
The flip side of that is when a player does not return to action after an injury that he believes he "could have" overcome, he is left to carry that weight throughout the entire offseason. There is often not enough attention paid to just how impactful this can be on an athlete. Remember, Hall's rookie year came to an abrupt end when he tore his ACL in Week 7. If his season ended now, it would be two of his three years ending as a result of injury. If he is indeed deemed healthy enough to play and he does return to finish out the season strong, he carries that with him into the offseason and the outlook changes, not just for him personally but in the way others evaluate his career thus far, something that could have contract implications down the line.
All of this is to serve as a reminder that the decisions happening when it comes to player health, return to play and seasonal calendar are far more complex than many people assume. At the end of the day, Hall is a terrific young talent and whatever serves him best for a long and successful career going forward has to be at the forefront of the decision-making.
Dec. 10: Isaac Guerendo limited in practice Monday
Stephania Bell: After proving he, too, could step into the starting lineup with no Christian McCaffrey (PCL) or Jordan Mason (high ankle sprain) and not skip a beat in terms of production, Guerendo suffered a midfoot sprain late in last Sunday's game, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The good news is that it is not believed to be serious, and the door remains open for Guerendo to possibly play Thursday night. As Shanahan put it to reporters, in a short week where he will not do much the next couple of days in the way of practice, hopefully it will be enough time to recover. The team will "see if he's got a shot" to go against the division rival Los Angeles Rams.
Foot sprains are tricky in their subtlety, especially with low to moderate grades. The more severe grades of injury often require surgery and significant associated down time. The low to moderate grades can be variable in terms of pain and swelling and much depends on the stability. An unstable midfoot may not fully be evident until the foot is stressed sufficiently for it to show up (high demands against the running surface will do this). Then the treatment may require a period of immobilization or surgery for more severe cases. The lower grades of sprains can heal independently but too much activity too soon may cause a progression of the injury.
The best-case scenario here would obviously be a very low-grade injury that responds within a couple of days and allows Guerendo to play unimpeded. If the injury requires more healing time and it is clear Guerendo cannot go on a short week, at least for fantasy purposes, there is a known absence in the roster to address in advance of kickoff. The worst-case scenario -- real and fantasy -- would be for Guerendo to get the nod, only to suffer a setback in the game that would force an early exit (and potentially prolong his overall recovery).
The hope here is for some clarity before Thursday evening. Should Guerendo be ruled out in advance of the game, Patrick Taylor Jr.-- who took over in the Week 14 contest when Guerendo exited with the injury -- would likely get the start in his place this week.
Dec. 9: This is Brooks' second torn ACL in his right knee
Matt Bowen: The news came down Monday afternoon that Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This is Brooks' second ACL tear in his right knee, and he sustained the same injury during his final college season at Texas in 2023.
With the Panthers' 2024 second-round pick out for the rest of the season, Chuba Hubbard should be viewed as a locked-in starter for the fantasy playoffs. Hubbard scored 20.7 points in the Week 14 game against the Eagles, logging 107 total yards and a touchdown on 30 touches, and has averaged 15.4 PPG this season.
As we look ahead to the 2025 season, with Brooks again going through the rehab process on his knee, Hubbard's draft value will climb. Managers should expect Hubbard to be drafted in the second- to third-round range as a volume runner who can also contribute in the pass game on backfield releases, screens and checkdowns.
Note: Following the Brooks injury news, Eric Moody dropped him from 2nd to 7th in his dynasty RB rankings.
Dec. 9: Allen latest to have huge fantasy day against the Rams
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen became the first player in NFL history to record three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a game during the Bills' 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
The records didn't stop there, though, as his 51.88 fantasy points were the most in a game by a QB.
According to ESPN Research, an interesting side note is that three of the top four single-game fantasy performances this season have come against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
In case you're wondering, the Rams' remaining opponents are the San Francisco 49ers (on Thursday night) and New York Jets on the road before finishing with two games at SoFi against the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.