For a moment on Thursday, it looked like Jay Cutler could be ready to make his return from a high-ankle sprain after getting in a limited practice session. However, that did not turn out to be the case, leaving Josh McCown as the Chicago Bears starter for at least one more week.
The Bears did fantasy owners a huge favor by ruling Cutler out early, enabling both his owners, and anyone who wanted to gamble on McCown facing a lousy Cowboys secondary, a clear situation. What is going to be less clear is the weather for Monday night.
Wunderground.com’s current forecast is for it to be cold with winds around 15 miles per hour. While games have been played under windier conditions, those types of conditions can have an effect on the passing game. Also keep in mind that at this point in his career, McCown doesn’t have a huge arm.
Keep an eye on the reports. If the forecasts for Monday don’t look promising on Sunday morning, you may want to consider an alternative, even with the good matchup.
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Palmer’s elbow flares again
One of those alternatives would likely be the red-hot Carson Palmer. As I mentioned in the Rams-Cardinals matchup, Palmer has put up three straight games over 20 fantasy points. Those three games came against mediocre or bad pass defenses however, meaning Palmer was going to have tougher sledding regardless.
But news has now come out that Palmer is dealing with an elbow injury, which by his own admission, affected him in last week’s contest against the Eagles. Also keep in mind that Palmer’s right elbow has given him problems over the years.
We would be shocked if Palmer actually sat out the contest with the Cardinals in the NFC wild card hunt. But that doesn’t mean he’ll be effective. The Eagles lousy secondary has been gifting good outings to almost everyone this year, so a hurt Palmer could still post a solid game against them. Meanwhile, the Rams have allowed the tenth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Owners who want to ride the hot streak should consider other options. A tough matchup combined with a quarterback’s elbow injury is a recipe for fantasy disappointment.
The Raiders RB situation
Rashad Jennings suffered a concussion at the end of the Raiders-Cowboys game on Thanksgiving but has been getting in limited practices. That makes it more likely he’ll be cleared before a tough matchup with the New York Jets’ dominating run defense. Darren McFadden (ankle) looks very dicey to play, so if Jennings does suit up, he’ll get most of the work.
The McFadden injury actually provides a handcuffing opportunity. Marcel Reece would likely be the guy to own if Jennings can’t get cleared or suffers a set back ala Jordan Reed last week. He wouldn’t be a great play against the Jets, but if you don’t have another RB option, it’s better than starting no one.