NFL Player News
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Derek Stingley Jr. CB | HOU
Texans' Derek Stingley: No rest if healthy Week 18
Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that Stingley and other starters will play Week 18 if healthy with the AFC South title still attainable, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Stingley has dealt with an oblique injury the last two games but suited up in each, playing a combined 98 percent of the defensive snaps. Houston can claim a third consecutive division title with a win and a Jacksonville loss. It could also slip to as low as seventh with a loss to the Colts on Sunday. If Stingley plays Week 18, it will be a second consecutive full regular season for the fourth-year cornerback, who missed a combined 14 games in his first two NFL campaigns.
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Carson Schwesinger LB | CLE
Browns' Carson Schwesinger: Played through injury
Schwesinger played through a thigh injury in Sunday's 13-6 win over Pittsburgh, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Schwesinger was clearly hobbled by the injury but was never removed from the game. The rookie linebacker played all 66 snaps on defense and another five on special teams. His nine tackles tied for team high and upped his season total to a team-leading 156 over 16 games. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Schwesinger is rehabbing and progressing in preparation for Sunday's season finale against the Bengals.
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Tez Johnson WR | TB
Buccaneers' Tez Johnson: Multiple grabs in loss
Johnson secured both of his targets for 19 yards in the Buccaneers' 20-17 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
Johnson managed to record multiple receptions for the first time since Week 12 despite logging 11 snaps on offense (16 percent), his lowest volume since Week 1. With four healthy and more experienced receivers ahead of him on the depth chart, even Sunday's modest stat line can be considered a success for Johnson, who projects to remain in a deep reserve role for a critical Week 18 regular-season finale against the Panthers that could decide the NFC South.
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Colby Parkinson TE | LAR
Rams' Colby Parkinson: Back on track with 53 yards vs. ATL
Parkinson corralled six of seven targets for 53 yards in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.
Parkinson bounced back nicely from a two-catch stinker against his former club in last Thursday's loss to the Seahawks. The 26-year-old did have to watch backup TE Terrance Ferguson (2-54-1) vulture a touchdown for the second week in a row, but Parkinson's larger target share makes him the preferred fantasy option. Parkinson will look to add to career-best marks of 39 receptions, 372 yards and six touchdowns against the Cardinals on Sunday.
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Xavier Smith WR | LAR
Rams' Xavier Smith: Leading receiver on MNF
Smith had four receptions (on six targets) for 67 yards while returning three punts for 23 yards in Monday's 27-24 loss to Atlanta.
Smith was shockingly the game's leading receiver in a Monday Night Football matchup that featured star receivers Puka Nacua and Drake London. The 27-year-old Smith's six targets were the most he has seen in a pro game to date. The return specialist was the biggest beneficiary of WR Davante Adams' (hamstring) absence after Tutu Atwell and Konata Mumpfield were held to two catches for 10 yards combined in Monday's loss. Smith appears to be the backup most likely to step up behind Nacua if Adams remains sidelined against Arizona on Sunday for the final game of the regular season.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Throws three picks in MNF loss
Stafford completed 22 of 38 pass attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Falcons.
Stafford's red-hot play came to a screeching halt with a trio of interceptions thrown (one of them a pick-six) in a surprising loss to the now 7-9 Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 17. The 37-year-old was bailed out from committing a fourth turnover in the fourth quarter when an offsides penalty committed by an uninvolved defender erased a strip fumble recovery for Atlanta. Stafford showed his resiliency by overcoming his personal follies and nearly mounting a comeback from a 21-0 deficit at halftime. The MVP candidate certainly hurt his bid by having his worst game of the season in front of a national audience, but he will get an opportunity to redeem himself against the Cardinals on Sunday. Head coach Sean McVay stated after the loss that he plans on playing Stafford and the rest of his healthy starters Week 18, according to Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site.
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Tyler Allgeier RB | ATL
Falcons' Tyler Allgeier: Stymied on ground in win
Allgeier rushed 10 times for 23 yards in the Falcons' 27-24 win over the Rams on Monday night.
The reserve back saw backfield mate Bijan Robinson tear through the Rams for 195 yards on 22 carries, but Allgeier had nowhere near the same amount of success finding running room. Allgeier's 2.3 yards per carry was his second-lowest figure of the season, yet the fourth-year pro could have a good opportunity to bounce back in a Week 18 regular-season finale against a vulnerable Saints run defense.
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Zane Gonzalez K | ATL
Falcons' Zane Gonzalez: Converts two FGAs in victory
Gonzalez went 2-for-3 on field-goal attempts and made all three of his PATs in Monday night's 27-24 win over the Rams.
Gonzalez was able to make multiple field goals for the second straight week and third time in four contests, converting attempts from 56 and 51 yards in the second half. The kicker's lone miss on the day came in the third quarter when his 37-yard try was blocked by Jared Verse, who then picked it up and returned it for a touchdown. Gonzalez has now gone 15-for-18 on field-goal tries, including 8-for-10 from 50-plus yards, while making 16 of 17 extra-point attempts over eight contests with Atlanta this season.
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Drake London WR | ATL
Falcons' Drake London: Limited to one catch in win
London secured one of two targets for four yards in the Falcons' 27-24 win over the Rams on Monday night.
London tied his career low in catches while also setting a new low-water mark in receiving yards. His previous single-game low in yardage this season had come during his Week 16 return against the Cardinals, when he'd netted 27 on three receptions. Despite quiet back-to-back games, the 2022 first-round pick should have a solid chance of bouncing back in the Week 18 home regular-season finale against the Saints on Sunday.
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Harrison Mevis K | LAR
Rams' Harrison Mevis: Makes lone field goal in MNF loss
Mevis made his lone field-goal attempt and connected on all three of his extra-point tries during the Rams' 27-24 loss to the Falcons on Monday.
The Rams offense was held scoreless in the first half, but Mevis put his team on the board with a 35-yard field goal early in the third quarter. Since joining the Rams in Week 10, he has gone 9-for-10 on field-goal attempts and 35-for-35 on extra-point tries. Per Stu Jackson of the team's official site, head coach Sean McVay relayed after Monday's loss that the Rams' healthy starters will play against the Cardinals on Sunday, so Mevis' fantasy floor will remain somewhat elevated in Week 18.