What's this? Every Tuesday through Friday, Chris Towers will catch you up on the previous day's biggest news first thing in the morning. Here's what you missed Wednesday:
Ezekiel Elliott dropped his appeal
What this does is give us certainty. No more legal dramas. No more parsing judge's statements. The Elliott saga is over, and he will serve his six-game suspension out this season. That means he has five games left, and will be eligible to return Week 16 against the Seahawks.
At least we finally know, for sure, what to do with Elliott. You must stash him in the hopes you make your championship, but if you don't feel confident in making the playoffs, seek out the top team in your league and try to get something for him.
Nathan Peterman will start for the Bills in Week 11
There were plenty of rumors that the Bills were considering sitting Tyrod Taylor in the offseason, so it doesn't come as a huge surprise that he didn't end up making it through the season as the starter. What is surprising is that the move comes just a few days after coach Sean McDermott gave him a vote of confidence.
However, Sunday's disastrous performance against the Saints was ultimately enough to convince the Bills to make the move. They are still 5-4 and very much alive for the playoffs, so it's a risk. And Fantasy players probably shouldn't be too excited about what this move means, given Peterman's pedigree as just a fifth-round rookie. He may surprise, and as a more traditional pocket passer may be better at getting the ball to the likes of Charles Clay and Kelvin Benjamin within the flow of the offense, but expectations should be low at first. The Chargers can be a tough matchup, and I would try to stay away from basically anyone but LeSean McCoy on this Bills' offense until we see what Peterman can do.
Case Keenum remains the starter for the Vikings
The Vikings reportedly strongly considered turning to Teddy Bridgewater, but will keep rolling with Keenum for Week 11 against the Rams. This could be a weekly decision for the 7-2 Vikings, who have fared well with Keenum, but could take their offense to the next level if Bridgewater is able to get up to speed quickly.
We've seen Keenum has been able to lead the offense well enough to keep Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs productive, so you should continue to start them moving forward, no matter who the quarterback is.
Will Fuller (ribs) is expected to miss Week 11
It's been a weird season for Fuller, who put up seven touchdowns in six games in between a pair of injuries. He got a late start to the season thanks to a broken collarbone in the preseason, and now sees his season potentially derailed by cracked ribs suffered in Week 10 – in addition to the loss of star quarterback Deshaun Watson.
It's not clear how long this injury will keep Fuller out, but he is expected to sit out Sunday, and it could be something that lingers. With Tom Savage under center for the Texans, his Fantasy value has already taken a hit, but you should still hang on to Fuller unless this becomes a multi-week issue. Bruce Ellington will see a larger role in the offense with Fuller out, but likely won't be Fantasy relevant with Savage as his quarterback.
Ty Montgomery (ribs) did not practice Wednesday
The Packers have expressed confidence about Montgomery's chances of playing, but this is what Fuller owners should be worried about. Montgomery returned from his rib injury after a few weeks out, only to suffer another issue a few weeks later.
Montgomery hasn't been used as a featured back since coming back from his injury, and likely won't be in Week 11 even if he is healthy enough to play. We'll keep an eye on the situation throughout the week, but Montgomery looks unlikely to play at this point.
Jamaal Williams will get the first chance to be the team's main running back with Montgomery hobbled and Aaron Jones out with a knee injury, and Devante Mays could get some run if you're looking to stash someone in a deeper league.
Delanie Walker is not on the injury report for Thursday
The Steelers and Titans both enter Thursday Night Football relatively healthy. Walker has been dealing with an ankle injury that has limited him some over the past few weeks, but it was actually a wrist injury that had him missing time in practice earlier this week. However, he was removed from the injury report ahead of Thursday's game, and should be good to go without limitations. He is coming off a six-catch, 63-yard performance, and remains a solid starting tight end even against a tough Week 11 matchup.
Other notes
- Chris Hogan (shoulder) is still not practicing… This shoulder injury has seriously derailed Hogan's breakout season, and it's looking like this could be another week lost.
- Zach Ertz (hamstring) was back at practice… Ertz missed Week 9, and then had a whole bye week to recover, so we're fully expecting him to return this week. This is a good sign.
- Philip Rivers (concussion) was limited… It's a good sign that Rivers wasn't completely held out, but he still needs to be cleared through the league concussion protocol, so his status is very much up in the air.
- Jordan Reed (hamstring) did not practice… Reed has missed the last two games, and looks like that could stretch to a third if he can't make progress between now and Friday. Vernon Davis remains worth owning.
- Marqise Lee (knee) was limited in practice Wednesday… Lee has been limited over the last few weeks, while still ultimately playing and being productive. With Allen Hurns out and a great matchup against the Browns, he'll be a strong starting option for Week 11.
- Terrance West (calf) was able to practice in full… West hasn't played since Week 5, but could make his return this week. We'll see what that means, with Javorius Allen producing in the passing game and Alex Collins showing flashes as runner. West's return could complicate this backfield.
- Paxton Lynch will be No. 2 on the depth chart… He is healthy enough to play, but the fact he hasn't been able to surpass Brock Osweiler doesn't seem like a good sign for where Lynch is in his development right now.
