Fantasy Football Daily Notes: Rams waive Darrell Henderson Jr., Panthers turn to Sam Darnold
The news: The Rams waived RB Darrell Henderson Jr. on Tuesday, and he was later claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What it means in fantasy: Henderson was the Rams’ leading rusher with 283 yards and three touchdowns on 70 attempts. He also had 102 receiving yards on 17 receptions. Henderson leaves a Rams running game that ranked 31st in the league with 76.1 yards per game and joins a Jaguars running game that ranks seventh with 139.6 yards per game. Travis Etienne Jr. should continue to see a high percentage of the touches in the Jaguars’ backfield with Henderson serving as a change-of-pace option.
In Los Angeles, Cam Akers and Kyren Williams will form a committee moving forward. Henderson’s departure benefits Akers the most. He had a team-high 14 rushing attempts and 61 yards on Sunday against the Saints. The Rams have a 3-7 record and are essentially eliminated from playoff contention.
The news: The Panthers named QB Sam Darnold the starter against the Broncos on Sunday.
What it means in fantasy: Darnold will be the Panthers’ third starting quarterback this season. He started 11 games last season for Carolina after arriving in a trade with the Jets. Darnold hasn’t played this season due to an injury. It’ll be a great time for him to show off what he can do as the season winds down and he prepares for free agency. On Sunday, Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield had a 20.4 QBR against the Ravens, giving him a league-worst 17.8 for the season. He had a 57.8% completion percentage. Even with Darnold at quarterback, D’Onta Foreman and DJ Moore will be the Panthers’ most reliable fantasy starters. In 12 games with Darnold last season, Moore caught 68 of 118 targets for 848 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Going deeper: Darnold was 4-7 as the Panthers’ starter last season and had a QBR of 38.6 that ranked ahead of only Zach Wilson (33.4) and Justin Fields (31.4).
The news: Jets head coach Robert Saleh said QB Zach Wilson will be inactive for Sunday’s game against the Bears.
What it means in fantasy: Zach Wilson has been benched. He is taking a step back, but the Jets believe it’s necessary for his long-term development as an NFL quarterback. Wilson will likely run the scout team and reset his career. This move has no timeline. Wilson completed nine of 22 passes for 77 yards against the Patriots on Sunday. With a completion percentage of 55.6%, he ranks 23rd in total quarterback rating (45.2). In Week 12, neither Joe Flacco nor Mike White are attractive fantasy options.
The news: Texans QB Davis Mills will not start on Sunday against the Dolphins.
What it means in fantasy: Kyle Allen will start for the Texans in Week 12. A Houston offense that ranks 30th with 290.1 total yards per game and 15.9 points per game has struggled mightily with Mills this season. It was expected that Mills would take a step forward after a promising rookie season. Averaging 11.6 fantasy points per game, he’s taken a step back. Managers shouldn’t consider Allen in fantasy.
The news: Broncos RB Chase Edmonds was placed on injured reserve.
What it means in fantasy: Since Sunday’s game against the Raiders, the Broncos have lost Edmonds to a high ankle sprain and waived Melvin Gordon III because of his fumbling woes. Broncos RB Latavius Murray had 72 total yards and a touchdown on 21 touches. He scored a season-high 17.2 fantasy points and can be viewed as an RB2 based solely on volume. Jerry Jeudy also did not practice on Tuesday because of an ankle injury. He has not played since being carted off in Week 10.
The news: The Cardinals fired offensive line coach and run game coordinator Sean Kugler.
What it means in fantasy: Kugler had been on the Cardinals’ coaching staff since 2019. He designed Arizona’s run scheme, which has struggled recently, failing to reach 100 yards in three of the past four games. The change could benefit James Conner, who has scored 11 or more fantasy points in three consecutive games, including a season-high 23.6 points in Week 10 against the Rams. The Cardinals rank 12th in run block win rate.
The news: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray said he expects to start against the Chargers on Sunday.
What it means in fantasy: A hamstring injury has kept Murray out of the last two games. He sustained the injury against the Vikings in Week 8 and aggravated it against the Seahawks the following week. Although Murray has had an up and down season, he has averaged 19.4 fantasy points per game. It’s safe to say he’s on the QB1 radar against a weak Chargers defense.
The news: Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said WR Greg Dortch will undergo an MRI for a thumb injury.
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What it means in fantasy: Dortch played 91% of the offensive snaps and ran the same number of routes as DeAndre Hopkins on Monday against the Cardinals following Rondale Moore’s groin injury on the first drive. Dortch amassed a season-high 103 yards. The injuries keep piling up for the Cardinals. Marquise Brown has been on injured reserve since sustaining a foot injury in Week 6. He got in some individual drills at practice last Wednesday after being designated for return. His status is uncertain for Week 12. A hamstring injury has kept Kyler Murray out of the past two games. It’s possible that Brown and Murray are held out another week with the Cardinals on bye in Week 13. Arizona would be wise to lean on James Conner and the running game in Week 12 against the Chargers. Los Angeles’ defense gives up the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
The news: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said RB Jaylen Warren is questionable with a hamstring injury against the Colts on Monday.
What it means in fantasy: It’s not encouraging news for Warren this early in the week for a Monday night game. Najee Harris is well-positioned to see significant touches for a Steelers team that has one of the most favorable rest-of-season running back schedules. Harris had a season-high 24 touches and 27.6 fantasy points on Sunday against the Bengals. In four of his past five games, he has scored 10 or more fantasy points.
Field Yates’ Fantasy Field Pass: Latavius Murray, George Pickens among emerging fantasy helpers
Mike Clay’s Thanksgiving Day games playbook
Mike Clay’s Shadow Report: wide receiver vs defensive back matchups analysis
Seth Walder’s Next Gen Stats Advantage: mismatches to exploit
Tristan H. Cockcroft’s positional matchup map
Matt Bowen’s fantasy film room: Gabe Davis, Alvin Kamara among Week 12 upgrades, downgrades
Al Zeidenfeld’s DFS best buys for Week 12
DFS cheat sheets for DraftKings and FanDuel
• Rankings for individual defensive player leagues
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Stephania Bell and Daniel Dopp preview everything you need to know for Week 12 as you travel for the Thanksgiving. Find out what running backs to bench, if Christian Watson can keep it going, what WR’s you can trust and more! Listen | Watch
Thursday:
No Daily Notes on Thanksgiving. We will track inactives ahead of all three games.
In case you missed it:
• Week 12 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 12
• 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 12 and beyond
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp and Stephania Bell recap a big MNF win for the 49ers before giving injury updates and talking who needs to be in your lineup on Thanksgiving. Plus, Eric Moody joins the show to discuss the players you have to add for Week 12. Listen | Watch