After months of preparation for the fantasy football regular-season finale, the hope is that you've dodged the many injuries, weird plays, sudden usage changes, and any other issue that might've threatened a potential postseason run. Now, as we shift into playoff mode, Taysom Hill, Amari Cooper, Chris Olave, and Noah Brown are making sure we have a few more tough decisions to make before the action kicks off in Week 14.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these key pass-catchers and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 14 fantasy landscape.
WEEK 14 INJURY UPDATES: QBs | RBs | Aaron Jones
Is Taysom Hill playing Week 14?
UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Hill is NOT expected to play against Carolina.
UPDATE 2: Hill is officially OUT.
Hill (foot, hand) was a DNP at practice all week, but he's listed as "questionable" ahead of the Saints showdown with the Panthers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. Normally, players who don't practice are simply ruled out, but New Orleans is still holding out hope that Hill can play.
The Saints are essentially facing a must-win game in Week 14 if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive heading into the season's final stretch. Hill's presence would be a key piece to a potential victory, especially given New Orleans' quarterback struggles this season. Since Hill is listed as a TE, fantasy owners should continue to start him if he plays. Without Hill, Juwan Johnson would see more snaps, though he's an unreliable replacement with either of the remaining QB options for the Saints.
WEEK 14 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
Is Amari Cooper playing Week 14?
UPDATE: Cooper is officially ACTIVE.
Cooper (concussion) is officially listed as "questionable" ahead of the Browns game against the Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. However, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he has cleared concussion protocol and will play. The receiver returned to practice on Friday after missing the first two to start the week, which was enough to get him cleared by doctors and out of the protocol.
The Browns haven't revealed whether Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Joe Flacco will start on Sunday, but if Flacco ends up getting the nod, that bodes well for Cooper with a more steady passer under center. Regardless, Cooper remains on the fantasy radar and a starting option despite the more run-heavy Cleveland offense. Despite the emergence of Elijah Moore, we're still leaning toward Cooper as the more reliable receiver.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Is Chris Olave playing Week 14?
UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reported late Saturday night that Olave is expected to play against the Panthers, but he won't be 100 percent.
UPDATE 2: Olave is officially ACTIVE.
Olave (illness) popped up on the injury report Thursday and promptly missed both practices to end the week. It's often hard to have optimism when a player ends the week with a DNP, but the hope is that the WR will end up playing on Sunday. New Orleans is already dealing with the uncertainty of Taysom Hill's (foot, hand) status in addition to Michael Thomas (knee) being on IR and Rashid Shaheed (thigh) likely out on Sunday, meaning Olave's absence would be a massive one for the struggling team.
The receiver has finally begun to find chemistry with Derek Carr, turning in three straight games with at least 90 receiving yards. The volume in this banged-up passing attack would be enough to warrant fantasy consideration, meaning the production sends him into must-start territory. Having the benefit of some added rest after missing practice to end the week should be enough to get Olave into the lineup, but A.T. Perry figures to assume his role if the WR can't play.
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Is Noah Brown playing Week 14?
UPDATE: Texans' beat reporter Aaron Wilson reported late Saturday night that Brown is expected to play against the Jets.
UPDATE 2: Brown is officially ACTIVE.
Brown (knee) had a wonky week of practice, starting with a limited day on Wednesday, upgrading to a full participant on Thursday before downgrading to a DNP on Friday. It's a fairly concerning reality since downgrades are typically never a good sign. It's worth noting that the receiver did follow a similar path last week before eventually playing, but going from "FP" to "DNP" might indicate a setback of some sort. Regardless, he's listed as "questionable," though it's nearly impossible to have a good feeling about which way he's trending before the Texans take on the Jets at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
WEEK 14 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Dalton Schultz (hamstring) was already ruled out and Tank Dell (leg) is done for the season, meaning Brown has a great chance to carve out a big role in this explosive offense. However, there are a few things working against that this week. The weather is supposed to be brutal at MetLife Stadium, with rain and wind likely to make this the worst weather game on the slate. Add in a solid Jets pass defense, and it's a recipe for disaster. If Brown's knee is causing any issues, playing on the much-maligned MetLife turf likely won't help either. This is not the game for pass-catchers, so we'd suggest looking elsewhere even though Brown would be on the flex radar any other week.
