Fantasy Football Daily Notes: McLaurin shines on MNF, Kupp injury serious, McCaffrey-Mitchell RB committee

Read ESPN’s fantasy football Daily Notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App.

The news: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin caught eight of 11 targets for 128 receiving yards Monday night against the Eagles.

What it means in fantasy: McLaurin finished with a season-high 20.8 fantasy points. During the past four games, all started by Taylor Heinicke, he has averaged nine targets and 16.5 fantasy points, and the Commanders are 3-1 in these games. Carson Wentz can be activated from injured reserve in Week 11, but McLaurin’s fantasy managers would likely prefer Heinicke as the starter.

The news: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cooper Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

What it means in fantasy: Kupp’s injury “didn’t look good” or “didn’t sound good,” Rams coach Sean McVay said after Sunday’s game. No word yet on the length of Kupp’s absence. The Rams currently have a 3-6 record, which is tied for the worst nine-game start by a defending Super Bowl champion. The previous four defending champs to start 3-6 all missed the playoffs. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kupp was shut down for the season. Even though fantasy managers don’t want to hear this, they should prepare a contingency plan anyway. Allen Robinson II is still available in 37.5% of ESPN leagues. He would be a priority if he were available. Fantasy managers should consider Ben Skowronek, who led the Rams with 60 snaps and 40 routes run Sunday night and also had six targets. Van Jefferson, who returned in Week 8, also caught his first three passes of the season, including a touchdown. If you’d like to move on from a Rams offense that ranks 31st with 282.7 total yards per game, then consider Packers WR Christian Watson or Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney, two of my Week 11 waiver wire suggestions.

Going deeper: Kupp accounted for 35.7% of the Rams’ receptions entering Week 10. That was the highest mark in the league.

The news: 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said RB Christian McCaffrey and RB Elijah Mitchell will split carries moving forward.

What it means in fantasy: This shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that the 49ers rank 10th in rushing attempts per game with 28.1. Mitchell gained 89 yards on 18 carries against the Chargers on Sunday, playing 33.8% of the team’s snaps. With just 14 attempts, McCaffrey saw his workload significantly reduced. McCaffrey should retain pass-catching duties in the 49ers’ offense (he had six targets against the Chargers). Even if McCaffrey does not receive over 20 touches per game, anywhere between 15 to 20 is realistic, and he can still be viewed as an RB1 in fantasy football.

The news: Ravens coach John Harbaugh said TE Mark Andrews and RB Gus Edwards have a “really good chance” to play against the Panthers on Sunday.

What it means in fantasy: This shouldn’t come as a surprise since Andrews and Edwards were inactive in Week 9, which provided additional time to rest ahead of the Ravens Week 10 bye. The practice reports of both players will be important to monitor. Andrews would be replaced by Isaiah Likely if ruled out, and Kenyan Drake would be provided with more touches if Edwards were ruled out. Drake scored 24.9 fantasy points in Week 9 and is still available in 54.2% of ESPN leagues. Likely scored a touchdown in each of the last two games and amassed 12 targets. He’s available in 77.2% of ESPN leagues.

The news: Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said WR Mike Williams and WR Keenan Allen would practice in “some capacity” this week.

What it means in fantasy: The Chargers have had Williams and Allen on the field together for 55 snaps this season. An ankle injury has kept Williams out of the last two games. In seven games, he’s caught 37 passes for 495 yards and three touchdowns. Allen has played only two games this season due to a hamstring injury he aggravated twice. He has only six receptions for 77 yards. In the absence of his top two wide receivers, Justin Herbert has struggled and averaged only 16.2 fantasy points per game. This is suboptimal considering he was the QB4 in our draft trends this summer. Staley also said tight end Gerald Everett would practice this week after suffering a groin injury against the 49ers on Sunday.

The news: Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said WR Jerry Jeudy is “day to day” with a mild ankle injury.

What it means in fantasy: Jeudy fell to the ground and grabbed his left ankle during the Broncos’ first play from scrimmage against Tennessee. Hackett said after the game he hoped Jeudy’s injury was not serious. Denver will take any positive news it can get after averaging 14.6 points per game this season. This is their fewest through nine games since 1966. Jeudy leads the Broncos with three touchdown receptions. His status for this week won’t be known until Wednesday’s injury report.

The news: ESPN Adam Schefter reported that Leonard Fournette is not expected to miss any games after suffering a hip pointer on Sunday against the Seahawks.

What it means in fantasy: Fournette has the Week 11 bye to rest and heal. On Sunday, Rashaad White started over Fournette against the Seahawks. After Fournette left the game with a hip injury, White played on 20 of a possible 25 snaps. The rookie finished the game with 105 rushing yards on 22 attempts. He also gained 48 yards after contact against the Seahawks. The Buccaneers’ running game has struggled all season, but White provided a spark. The Tampa Bay backfield will be a committee moving forward, but White should be picked up in all fantasy leagues.

The news: Panthers head coach Steve Wilks told reporters that QB PJ Walker is dealing with a high ankle sprain and won’t play against the Ravens on Sunday.

What it means in fantasy: Baker Mayfield will make his sixth start of the season. He passed for 962 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions in his previous five games. In those games, Carolina went 1-4. On the surface, Mayfield under center appears to be a downgrade for D.J. Moore. However, the Ravens’ defense has allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game.

The news: Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Cardinals TE Zach Ertz is out for the season with a knee injury suffered against the Rams on Sunday.

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What it means in fantasy: The injury occurred in the first quarter, and Ertz appeared emotional as he was carted to the training room. At first, it was speculated that Ertz would miss only a few weeks, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case. Trey McBride replaced Ertz during the third quarter and played nearly all the offensive snaps. He’s available in 99.7% of ESPN leagues. Ertz averaged 7.0 targets per game this season.

Going deeper: McBride was one of Colorado State’s most decorated players. The John Mackey Award winner set school records for tight ends in receptions, receiving yards and 100-yard games during his 2021 season.

The news: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals waived RB Eno Benjamin.

What it means in fantasy: Benjamin on played one offensive snap for the Cardinals in Week 10. This move comes a surprise considering he recently had a three-game stint as Arizona’s starter as James Conner and Darrel Williams were sidelined by injuries. Benjamin accumulated 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 36 attempts and added 11 receptions for 72 yards. Conner has been back for the last two weeks while Williams is still on injured reserve. For the rest of the season, Keaontay Ingram will likely be the No. 2 running back behind Conner.

• Week 11 fantasy football rankings at every position (PPR and NPPR)

Matt Bowen’s streaming pickups: deeper picks for deeper leagues and emergency need

Eric Karabell’s Flex and Superflex rankings for Week 11

• NFL Nation’s Fantasy Fallout: beat reporters answer our most pressing fantasy questions

• Eric Karabell’s trade index and rest-of-season rankings for Week 11 and beyond

• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp and Stephania Bell recap a wild MNF and give injury updates including what you should be planning to do with Cooper Kupp likely to miss time. Plus, what RB’s are taking over their backfield before Eric Moody joins the show to discuss the players you have to add for Week 11. Listen | Watch

Wednesday:

Mike Clay’s Shadow Report: wide receiver vs defensive back matchups analysis

Seth Walder’s Next Gen Stats Advantage: Mismatches to exploit

DFS Cheat sheets for DraftKings and FanDuel

• Rankings for Individual Defensive Player leagues

• Fantasy Focus podcast (10 a.m. ET)

In Case You Missed It:

• Eric Moody’s waiver wire pickups identify the top players to claim for your team

• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp and Liz Loza recap everything you need to know from Week 10 of the NFL season including reaction to some insane performances. Plus, Liz and Daniel give an audio exclusive reaction to SNF including what we need to see from the Chargers going forward. Listen | Watch

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